Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Education is about people and our urgent present needs, and it is our future’s best hope. I have been nominated by Speaker Mariano and elected by my colleagues as the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. With the members of the Committee on Education, Vice Chair Rep. Ultrino and I welcome the opportunity and responsibility to address the many issues and concerns of students, families, and educators. Massachusetts is a leader in public education and students of all ages and abilities across our Commonwealth deserve public policy and resources to meet their needs. Our teachers and staff, including school nurses, earn and deserve our respect as a professional workforce. I look forward to the work of the present and striving for goals for the future.
Yours in Service,
Denise
District Updates
The temperatures are dropping and many of us have turned 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.
Interested in serving your community? Several committees in the Town of Dover, Medfield, and Needham are seeking volunteers to serve and contribute to the community. s work towards solving complex issues and recommending policies that help shape their towns. Click your town to see available volunteer opportunities: Dover, Medfield, Needham.
- In Needham, Needham Youth and Family Services will be holding a meditative marbling workshop for parents on February 28. This meditative session is free and no prior experience is required. Participants will create art and explore themes of self-care To learn more about the event and to register, click here.
- In Dover, the Dover Recycling Committee is looking for volunteers to participate in the 2023 Spring Clean-Up. The goal is for 100% of Dover’s streets and parks to be cleaned up by the end of April. There are 159 street sections in Dover and clean-up can occur anytime between now and the end of April. To learn more about the event, click here.
- In Medfield, the Medfield Lions Club is holding its annual winter coat drive. Gently used or new coats can be donated to the collection box at Blue Moon Cafe. Donated coats will be delivered to local charities over the winter months, for more information, click here.
Statewide Updates
- Mass Humanities releases grant opportunities for the 2023 season. The foundation awarded over one million dollars in grants in the past year to non-profits to support free public events, oral history projects, media partnerships, and many more. To learn more about the grants and how to apply, click here.
- Celebrations of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution will take place across Massachusetts in 2025 and 2026. Municipalities and local organizations who are planning or participating in celebration events are encouraged to share event details with the Commission. The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office shared tips for identifying and avoiding fraudulent scams, click here for tips.
- Phone scammers are targeting residents across the Commonwealth pretending to be law enforcement. County Police are warning citizens to remain vigilant when they receive calls asking for money. To access the interest forms, click here.
- Massachusetts launches free abortion legal hotline for reproductive care providers and patients. Massachusetts-based providers and helpers, as well as patients looking to obtain care in the commonwealth, can utilize this hotline to seek legal advice and resources. This hotline is made possible through a partnership between the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, the Women’s Bar Foundation, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and five big-name law firms. The hotline is available at (833)309-6301. To learn more about the new abortion legal hotline, click here.
- On January 1, 2023, the minimum wage has increased to $15 an hour and the tipped minimum wage will be increased to $6.75 an hour. Sunday premium pay and holiday pay are eliminated on January 1, 2023.
- 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.
