Our friends @FranklinRec have plenty of great programs to keep the kiddos entertained this April Break.
Registration is live now! buff.ly/3qMGzhk
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| Recreation Dept provides April vacation programs -registration is open now |
Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1509219666446671882
FM #762 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 762 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares Critical Conversations: The Impact of Social Media event held at Franklin High School on March 24, 2022.
The recording runs just under 2 hours, so let’s listen to the Critical Conversations event.
Audio file => https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-762-critical-conversations-the-impact-of-social-media-03-24-22
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Event page -> https://www.franklinps.net/district/events/85546
Critical Conversations Social Media resources -> https://www.franklinps.net/district/substance-abuse-education/news/critical-conversations-impact-social-media-viewing
Substance Abuse Task Force -> https://www.franklinps.net/district/substance-abuse-education
SAFE Coalition -> https://www.safecoalitionma.org/
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
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| Critical Conversations: The Impact of Social Media (03/24/22) (audio) |
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| Memorial Day 2022 - Weekend event schedule - Save-the-Dates |
Shared from Town of Franklin page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/memorial-day-2022-save-dates
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| Veterans Coffee Social - All Vets Are Welcome! - April 6 at 10 AM |
Shared from the Town of Franklin page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/april-2022-coffee-social-all-vets-are-welcome
50+ Job Seekers in MA Statewide Networking Groups presents...
Savvy Seeker Series: Caring Transitions with Steve Harvey!
Thursday, April 7, 11 am - 12 pm
Please register in advance for this event! -> https://lnkd.in/g9yt-vUP
This free program is available through a grant from the Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA) and the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA)
#networking #jobseekers #jobs
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| Savvy Seeker Series: Caring Transitions with Steve Harvey - Apr 7 |
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Find the full calendar https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html
If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication: https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6
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| Community Calendar |
Anne Bergen and Jim Derick are hosts for SAFE Radio.
It is estimated that over 85 percent of all people suffering from substance misuse also suffer from a mental health challenge. The Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition exists to support recovery.
Audio file -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/54b2a855-716b-4c31-aa3d-fc8cdbd6305a
ABOUT THE MA CLUBHOUSE COALITION
The Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition is dedicated to expanding employment, housing, educational, social, and leadership opportunities available to Massachusetts citizens who have a mental illness. The MCC was organized to uphold and promote the values, principles and financial integrity of the international Clubhouse model toward the empowerment of people with mental health needs. Toward this purpose the MCC will take action, advocate, provide support, and offer opportunities to network and educate ourselves and the community while working as an organization to remove barriers to successful community integration. The Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition is committed to helping Clubhouses and individual Clubhouse members reach their full potential.
Dedicated to assisting adults with major mental illness to live full, productive, stable lives in the community, the MCC is a non-profit organization whose membership includes more than 15,000 Massachusetts residents who have a major mental illness, and belong to at least one of the 32 community-based vocational and social rehabilitation centers, called “Clubhouses”. Membership in the MCC is awarded to Clubhouses (and their members and staff) which achieve certification from the International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD) ensuring the quality of services provided by these rehabilitation centers.
The MCC helps its member Clubhouses expand rehabilitative opportunities and services for employment, housing, education, health, peer support and mental health care. It also helps individual members develop the leadership skills that enable them to participate fully in life – not only at the Clubhouse, but also in the community. The MCC works to remove obstacles to gaining employment, an education and housing in the community and helps to diminish the stigma of living with a mental illness by engaging in educational endeavors. Operating as a clearinghouse of information, a provider of technical assistance, a vehicle for organizing and a coordinator of services and resources for Clubhouses across Massachusetts, the goals of the MCC are:
- Work in partnership with local employers to increase employment opportunities for Coalition members through education and system change.
- Increase local opportunities for members to gain an education.
- Utilize educational approaches to increase affordable housing opportunities for members.
- Organize and advocate for access to health care, dental care, substance abuse services for individuals with a major mental illness.
- Provide leadership development opportunities for individual members through formal training, conferences and by encouraging and developing leadership towards participation in activities that influence public policy and on-the-job learning through leadership activities within individual Clubhouses and the community.
Participation in the clubhouse is free to those who have a serious and persistent mental illness. The Clubhouses are funded with state tax dollars via the Department of Mental Health. Clubhouses are founded on the belief that rehabilitation for people who are working to recover from the effects of mental illness is greatly facilitated when individuals participate in meaningful work, including paid employment.
Visit their webpage for more information -> WWW.MASSCLUBS.ORG
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| SAFE Radio - Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition (audio) |
Video link -> https://youtu.be/b2_CzAv9cts
Come hear from local experts, and gain insight as well as useful tips, on how to sell your home (or buy a home) in the current market.
Enjoy a light dinner and some incredible beer, while learning about Selling (and Buying) a home in the current real estate market.
Local Experts to include:
67 Degrees Brewing
158 Grove Street
Franklin, MA 02038
To register (free) -> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/home-selling-and-buying-seminar-with-industry-experts-registration-308895563947
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| Home Selling (and Buying) Seminar with Industry Experts - Apr 14 |
"Looking for a way to help your neighbors!?🚙 Come on down to support our FHS National Honor Society students with their senior project on April 9th to donate diapers and wipes! These diapers will be shared to families working with the SAFE Coalition! "
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| Franklin Diaper Drive - April 9 |
Library Hours
The Franklin Public Library will be closed Sunday, April 17th for Easter, and Monday, April 18th for Patriots Day. The Library's regular hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:30-5:00 p.m.
Book Sale
Franklin Library Book Sale
Friday, April 8th , 1:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, April 9th , 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon.
All books are just one dollar!
Bag Sale - $5 A Bag—Saturday, April 9th , from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Come fill a brown bag with all the books you can!
Homework Help Program
The Franklin Public Library is now offering its free Homework Help program for grades 1-8. The program takes place Monday through Thursday, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Students will be assisted by either retired teachers or high school students. Application forms for both participants and volunteers are available at the Circulation Desk and on the Library's website https://www.franklinma.gov/children-teen-services/pages/homework-assista... .
Museum Passes
Your Franklin Library card gives you the opportunity to receive either free or reduced cost admission to many of the areas most popular museums and attractions! Some of the most popular destinations are the Boston Children's Museum, New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science, and the Mass State Parks Pass. Reservations may be made up to thirty days in advance on the Museum Pass page of the library's website. Be sure to check back regularly as we are continually adding more passes for you to enjoy.
Friends of the Franklin Library
From the Friends… Allow your mind to wander and your heart flutter at The Butterfly Place. The Friends of the Franklin Library recently donated 200 passes to The Butterfly Place, an indoor botanical garden filled with hundreds of freely flying butterflies - both native New England butterflies as well as tropical species from around the world. Go for the butterflies, but don't stop there, visit the koi fish, see the quail birds and enjoy the other exhibits. After you've seen it all, take a seat on the "Show and Tell" bench where volunteers are ready to answer any of your questions. Located in Westford, MA, The Butterfly Place is open from 10:00am – 4:00pm daily (except Easter Sunday and July 4th) now through October 10th. Ready to plan your trip? If you are a Franklin resident, you can use your Library Card to request up to 4 passes which will allow your group of up to 4 to visit this gem of a museum free of charge. The Friends hope that you enjoy your visit to The Butterfly Place!
The Friends of the Franklin Library is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting The Franklin Public Library's collections and programs. Want to learn more or get involved? Send us an email at fofl02038@gmail.com .
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| Franklin Public Library: News & Events for April 2022 |
The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday unanimously passed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, which prohibits discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles in workplaces, school districts, and any school-related organizations.
“We must never forget how long and hard the struggle for true racial justice has been for Black and brown residents of Massachusetts, which is why I am proud the Senate listened to the voices of those residents and passed this critical legislation as one step toward breaking down discriminatory barriers,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “The CROWN Act ensures that discrimination based on one’s hair style, which largely impacts Black residents, has no place in professional or school settings in the Commonwealth. I am grateful to Mya and Deanna Cook, who stood up and fought hard to right this wrong for Black women and girls across the state. I want to thank Senators Gomez, DiDomenico, Rodrigues, Lewis and Edwards, as well as their staff members, for their work on this issue, as well as all the advocates and allies for their collaboration. I look forward to seeing it signed into law soon.”
“Natural hairstyles should be celebrated, not discouraged, and I’m proud to be standing with my colleagues in the Senate today to pass the CROWN Act,” said State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Thanks to the leadership of Senate President Spilka, Senator Gomez, Senator DiDomenico, advocates and many others, we are taking an important and long overdue step to prohibit discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles. I applaud the Senate for taking action today and look forward to seeing this bill advance to the Governor’s desk and become law in the near future.”
"Today's passage of the Crown Act is a symbol from the Massachusetts legislature that we stand with women of color who have experienced hair discrimination," said State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). "As a father to young women of color this legislation means a great deal to me, but legislation is just the first step. In order to change hearts and minds, you have to ensure that people know that this exists, that it is deeply wrong, and that it is something that many women of color have lived experience with. I would like to acknowledge the incredible activists who have brought this to the forefront of our minds this legislative session, my colleagues who co-filed the bill with me and championed it in both branches - Senator DiDomenico, Representative Tyler and Representative Ultrino, and Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodriguez for bringing it to the floor today for a vote. This was truly a team effort, and I am thrilled we were able to get it to the finish line."
“Far too many people, especially Black women and children, experience race-based hair discrimination,” said Senate Assistance Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico (D- Everett). “I am incredibly grateful to the advocates who worked to pass this bill and especially our young students who shared their stories about how they have experienced hair discrimination in their daily lives. We are certainly overdue to pass this legislation, but I am proud that we are finally taking this step today and making clear that natural hairstyles should be celebrated, not discouraged.”
“The CROWN Act addresses yet another structural racism issue in our society, by prohibiting hair discrimination traditionally directed at Black women, thereby helping eradicate unjust policing in the workplaces and schools. I was very pleased to report the CROWN Act favorably from the Judiciary Committee earlier this year, and I'm grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka for bringing the bill up for a vote in the Senate today,” said Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Judiciary.
“On the long march toward justice, and especially racial justice, the Senate’s unanimous passage of this legislation marks another step forward,” said Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester). “We would not be at this point without the great courage and strength of Mya and Deanna Cook, who as 15-year-old students faced discrimination and abuse from their high school for their hairstyles, and bravely stood up for their rights and those of so many other black women.”
“Today, an African American woman with natural hair voted on the Crown Act. This is a perfect example of when the personal becomes political, said Senator Lydia Edwards (D-East Boston). I am grateful to Maya and Deanna and so many black women who spoke up through and for our hair. This makes our commonwealth stronger and affirms our belief that we should be judged on the content of our character. Today’s politics is especially a blood sport so to see both houses and both parties come together for Justice is especially meaningful.”
“As a racial equity champion who developed the legislative and social impact strategy for the national CROWN Act movement on behalf of the CROWN Coalition, I applaud today’s Senate vote”, said Adjoa B. Asamoah, CROWN Coalition Co-Creator. “Tackling injustice and protecting people’s civil rights require moral leadership. I thank Representative Steve Ultrino who championed the bill in the House with cosponsor Representative Chynah Tyler, in addition to Senators Adam Gomez and Sal DiDomenico for their leadership and partnership to outlaw race-based hair discrimination in Massachusetts.”
The CROWN Act would prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles by incorporating hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyle into the definition of race in the Massachusetts General Laws. The protection means that no school district, school committee, public school, nonsectarian school, or any equivalent school organizations, can adopt or implement policies that would impair or prohibit a natural or protective hairstyle that has been historically associated with one’s race.
If signed into law, Massachusetts would become the fifteenth state to adopt the CROWN Act. The legislation was inspired in part by sisters Mya and Deanna Cook, who as teens gained national attention after successfully overturning their school policy which had barred them from taking part in school activities.
The Senate also added a provision that would include the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association to the list of school entities banned from adopting and implementing restrictions on natural hairstyles. This change will ensure that those participating in sports and extracurricular activities will not be asked to change their natural or protective hairstyles in order to participate.
The legislation authorizes the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination oversight to create and adopt rules, regulations, policies, and recommendations that may be necessary to implement this legislation.
During Thursday’s session, the Senate also passed an extension of its emergency rules adopted during COVID-19 which allowed for such transparency and accessibility measures like remote voting procedures for Senators through August 1, 2022. The Senate also passed An Act Relative to Temporary Registration Plates, which requires the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to design, issue and regulate the use of temporary registration plates for out-of-state drivers looking to transport a vehicle to their state of residence.
A version of An Act Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Natural and Protective Hairstyles having passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives, both branches will now work together on compromise legislation before advancing a final version to the Governor.
Link to the Legislation text -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H4554
Boston Globe coverage -> https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/31/metro/bill-banning-hairstyle-bias-approved-by-massachusetts-senate/
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| Mass Senate Passes CROWN Act |
The weekly FPS COVID-19 dashboard is now available to view here: buff.ly/3pQh91e
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| weekly FPS COVID-19 dashboard |
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| From the MA DPH report |
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| Town of Franklin COVID-19 Health Dept |
