Thursday, November 04, 2022
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Today, the House and Senate passed a $3.7 billion economic development bill that will ease the financial strain brought on by challenging economic conditions and close out the 2022 fiscal year. This bill will provide relief for rising energy costs, allocate funding for the human services workforce, support affordable housing production, provide immediate assistance to the MBTA, and encourage economic growth through small businesses and investments in the community. In the same time period, nearly $3 billion in one-time tax rebates are in process to taxpayers. These measures will support people in our community and across the Commonwealth. We must then assess the impact of these two major initiatives and impact on the current volatile economic climate and prepare again to move forward. Earlier this session I voted for broad based tax relief and I will do so again. We must keep the residents of Massachusetts; young adults, families, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and veterans strong while ensuring the Commonwealth is stable. We will have a newly elected Governor and more information on the economic strength of the Commonwealth and be better prepared to move forward. To view the full text of the bill and to follow its activity, click here.
Yours in Service,
Denise
District Updates
The temperatures are dropping and many of us are thinking about turning on the furnace. I share your concern about high heating costs this winter and would like to share with you information that may help ease the financial burden of paying heating costs this winter. For more information and resources, click here.
- In Needham, the League of Women Voters provides an educational toolkit for Needham voters in the upcoming state election. The toolkit provides information from ballot questions to candidates that are running for office. To access the toolkit, click here.
- In Dover, the Dover Town Library is bringing “Super Awesome Fun Time” indoors. The event will be held weekly on Tuesday and Friday mornings at 10:30 am. This event is for all ages and includes music, crafts, stories, and endless fun. Tickets will be available at the Children’s Room desk starting at 10 am. To learn more about events offered by the Dover Town Library, click here.
- In Medfield, the Medfield Lions Club will be hosting the annual Medfield Chowderfest. The event will take place on Saturday, November, 5th from 11 am to 2 pm at The Center at Medfield. Proceeds from Chowderfest will be given to The Friends of Seniors (FOSI). For more information, click here.
Early In-Person Voting Information
Dover
Location: Dover Town House, 5 Springdale Ave
- Thursday, November 3
- 9 AM – 4 PM
- Friday, November 4
- 9 AM – 1 PM
Medfield
Location: Medfield Town House, 459 Main St
- Thursday, November 3
- 9 AM – 4 PM
- Friday, November 4
- 9 AM – 12 PM
Needham
Location: Needham Town Hall, 1471 Highland Ave
- Thursday, November 3
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Friday, November 4
- 9 AM – 5 PM
Statewide Updates
- The Attorney General’s Office launched a new online portal for charities and nonprofits to submit their required filings. This new online portal aims to make the process of annual filings and disclosure requirements easier. The Attorney General’s Office also offers training materials for filing the required papers. To access the online charity filing portal, click here.
- The Mass Cultural Council has opened the FY23 Festivals and Projects grant program. The $2,500 grants are intended to assist those who are hosting public cultural events or projects. The new program, Festivals & Projects aims to help public programming in the cultural sector For more information about the program, click here, for a full listing of Mass Cultural Council grant opportunities, click here.
- Medfield’s Bellforge Arts Center has received a $600K grant from the state’s Underutilized Properties Program. The funding addresses urgent stabilization efforts to remediate asbestos in the historic Lee Chapel at Medfield State Hospital. The Town of Medfield’s Housing Choice Grant Program also received $45K from the same grant program. To learn more about how and where the funds will be allocated, click here.
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protections announces new solid waste ban regulations effective Tuesday, November 1. Beginning November 1st, 2022, mattresses, textiles, food waste, along with many other recyclables such as cardboard, paper, bottles and cans, yard waste, certain construction materials, large appliances, and more, will be banned from disposal in the trash. To learn more information on MassDEP’s Solid Waste Master Plan, click here.
- The Center for Disease Control (CDC) expands updated COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5 – 11. The updated COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components which restore protections from previous vaccinations by targeting more transmissible variants. To find locations offering the vaccine, click here.
