Fresh Garlick – Thursday, April 7, 2022

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Each summer, students from Needham, Dover, and Medfield are welcomed into my office as interns. For two months, these students work in my office participating in a variety of legislative work including drafting communications, attending meetings, writings memos on legislative topics, and researching issues important to them. I am happy to share that, after 2 years of remote work, summer internships will be in-person in my office at the State House!

Interested students are welcome to apply this spring and may email me at Denise.Garlick@MAHouse.gov with their resume and a one-page cover letter. I look forward to our work together this summer.

Yours in Service,

Denise

• In Needham, the next session of “Connections: Cops & Community” has been rescheduled to Tuesday, May 17. This session will be a hybrid session with the in-person event taking place in Powers Hall in Town Hall from 7:00 – 8:30 PM. This session will focus on the Needham Police Department’s philosophy, partnerships, and approach to working with youth. To learn more, click here.

• In Dover, the Town of Dover has launched a dedicated webpage for Dover residents to find more about volunteer and Board/Committee opportunities. This webpage includes a list of current opportunities in town and information on how to apply. To view this page, click here.

• In Medfield, the Cultural Alliance of Medfield is inviting the community to their Fairy Walk and Daffodil Day at the Bellforge Arts Center at the Medfield State Hospital grounds on Saturday, April 9 from 10:00 – 3:00 PM. This free event will feature creative fairy houses, beautiful daffodils, performances, a craft fair, Chapel tours, and more. To learn more about this event and to register, click here.

Legislative Updates

• On Saturday, the Massachusetts School Nurses Organization held their 50th Anniversary Celebration, which had been delayed for two years due to COVID-19. School Nurses have been working hard over the last two years to keep students and families healthy and informed. This had included taking on new work, including contact tracing, to ensure the needs of the school population were met.

Statewide Updates

• This week, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism announced $4 million in awards to 80 tourism organizations, chambers of commerce, and Municipalities as part of the Travel and Tourism Recovery Grant Program. Under this program, the Cultural Alliance of Medfield received funding to support drawing visitors to outdoor event series this summer.

• Recently, Attorney General Maura Healey announced $525 million in funding for prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services following settlements with an opioid manufacturer and distributor. Specifically, $310M will go into the statewide Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, of which I am a member of the Advisory Council. Locally, towns in the 13^th Norfolk District will receive direct funding in the coming years, including: $1.03M for Needham, $438K for Medfield, and $144K for Dover. For more information, click here.

• The Department of Public Health (DPH) has shared resources for protecting yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19. The best protection against COVID-19 and getting vaccinated and staying up to date on your vaccine, DPH also recommends six other tools you can use for protection. To view this resource, click here.

Resources