Thursday, August 24, 2023
The floods has been catastrophic for many of our neighbors in Needham, Dover, and Medfield. During this time of crisis, clear communication is key between you, the town, and myself as State Representative. Click here to read the latest update on the actions I have taken, a summary of the Town’s response, what you can do in the immediate short-term, and an overview of how the state can respond. All future and older updates can be found on my website, here.
The Town requests that you report all flooding in your home or on public property, as well as blocked catch basins via a link on the Town’s dedicated webpage.
Read more about the flood and our response on the Needham Observer, here.
District Updates
Needham
- The 2nd annual Needham observance of International Overdose Awareness Day and Vigil will be held on Thursday, August 31. The event will be held at the gazebo at Memorial Park (92 Rosemary St). International Overdose Awareness Day is an opportunity to remember, without stigma, those who have died, and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. Needham’s observance will include speakers, a memorial flag display, and the distribution of informational materials to support community members of all ages. To view more details, click here.
- Bierman Autism Center is hosting a free sensory-friendly petting zoo on Wednesday, August 30. The event will be held at 145 Rosemary Street from 5 to 7 pm. Space is limited so RSVP as soon as possible! To view more details and to RSVP, click here.
- Needham Public Health has free Narcan and Narcan training available for residents 18 years and older. Residents can sign up for the training here. To learn more about the event, click here.
Dover
- Join the Dover Town Library at Summer Super Awesome Fun Time on Tuesday, August 29. The event will take place at the Dover Town Library Lawn and move indoors to the Community Room following storytime. The event will be held from 10:30 am to 12 pm. The event is free to the public and no registration is required. To learn more, click here.
- The Town of Dover is accepting applications from residents to fill vacancies in town committees. This is a great opportunity to serve your community. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To view openings, click here.
Medfield
- Medfield Food Cupboard is in need of donations. Donations of canned tuna, Ensure or Boost drinks, jellies/jams, creamy peanut butter, and individually portioned snacks are requested. Donations can be dropped off at food collection bins throughout town. To view requested items and drop-off locations, click here.
- The Transfer Station and Recycling Committee are offering Medfield residents an opportunity to purchase a rain barrel at a discounted price. A 60-gallon Great American Rain barrel can be purchased to collect rainwater to use for your gardens and flowering plants. The Committee must receive a minimum of 32 orders to obtain the discounted price. If you are interested, please send an email to Medfieldtsarc@gmail.com with the words “Rain Barrel” in the subject line.
- Registration is open for Medfield TV’s Scarecrow Spooktacular. The event takes place on October 14 from 12-2:30 pm at Baxter Park, register now to showcase your best scarecrow. To view the event rules and regulations, click here. To access the Scarecrow Spooktacular Registration form, click here.
Norfolk County Arbovirus Report
The hot months of summer bring an increased risk of mosquito-borne
illnesses. West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE or “Triple E”) are viruses that occur in Massachusetts and can cause illnesses ranging from mild fever to more serious diseases like encephalitis or meningitis. Mosquito testing for EEE and other diseases began on June 12. This section of Fresh Garlick will share weekly reportings of Arbovirus in Norfolk County.
Risk Levels:
Needham: Remote
Dover: Low
Medfield: Low
To learn more about mosquito-borne illnesses, click here.
To learn how to protect yourself against mosquito-borne illnesses, click here.
Statewide Updates
- The Center of Child Wellbeing and Trauma partnered with Thriving Minds to promote and support trauma-responsive and healing-centered practices. Through this partnership, the Center and Thriving Minds are launching an enhanced Trauma-Informed, Healing-Centered School Practices toolkit with updated information and additional resources. To access the toolkit, click here. To learn more about the Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma, click here.
- The Department of Early Education and Care awarded the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation to Grants throughout the Commonwealth including the towns of Needham, Dover, and Medfield. This grant serves to provide mental health consultation services through a statewide system that meets the needs of programs, providers, educators, children, families, and communities throughout the Commonwealth. To learn more about the grant, click here.
- Governor Maura Healthy signed into law a $56 billion budget for fiscal year 2024. This budget includes a program providing free school meals to all students, in-state tuition and financial aid for high school graduates without illegal immigration status, free community college for MA residents 25 and older, and more. I am immensely proud of our historic levels of investment in education, housing, healthcare, and more, as part of a broad strategy to grow our state’s economy and make Massachusetts more affordable, inclusive, and competitive. To read my press release on the FY24 budget and highlights, click here.
- Veterans exposed to toxic substances while serving are eligible for expansion of VA benefits and healthcare. The PACT Act expands VA benefits and health care for veterans and servicemembers exposed to toxic substances while serving. While there is no deadline to apply for the benefits, veterans, and families will get the most of those benefits if filed by August 9. The PACT Act helps veterans get much-needed help related to health conditions caused by exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. If you submit your PACT Act application — or your intent to file — by August 9, you could get benefits backdated to August 10, 2022 — when the PACT Act was passed.
- Avoid Scams:
- Don’t pay to file: It’s free to apply for any type of veterans’ benefits. File your PACT Act claim for free online through the VA’s website or in person at a VA regional Office.
- Don’t pay for help: Scammers may offer help to you to file your application for benefits for a fee or percentage of the benefits you get, Get free help from an accredited representative, here.
Learn more about the PACT Act, here.
