Garlick Press – Thursday, August 3, 2023

Thursday, August 3, 2023

 

 

 

District Updates

 

Needham

• Celebrate National Farmers Market Week at the Needham Farmer’s Market at Greene’s Field. National Farmers Market Week is recognized from August 6 to August 12 to celebrate the abundance of quality food products that are grown or raised in Massachusetts. The Needham Farmer Market is held every Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm until the end of October. The Farmer’s Market features a different variety of vendors and offerings each week. For more details on the Needham Farmer’s Market click here.

• Visit the Needham Free Public Library on August 5th to support the diversity of families. The informal event at the library will have books that celebrate all families, including LGBTQ families. To learn more and see how you can diversify and expand your library, click here.

• Join the Needham Free Library for various events to finish off the summer! Along with summer reading programs, the Needham Library offers events such as author talks, culture events, movies, and even an ice cream truck. To see the list of activities and events offered throughout the month of August, click here.

• Free beginner English lessons are being offered by the Needham Community Council. The classes are taught over 13 weeks with morning and evening classes starting on September 11 and 12. All classes will be held at the Needham Community Council. Registration is required and space is limited. To learn more about the program, click here. To sign up for the classes, click here.

Dover

• Join Dover Town Library for LEGO Club on the first three Thursdays of August. Each Thursday from 4 pm to 5 pm, kids can participate in the weekly building challenge, and finished creations will be displayed in the Children’s Room. No registration is required for the event. To access Dover Town Library’s full calendar of events, click here.

• The Dover Recycling Committee launches eyeglass recycling initiative. In collaboration with the Lions Club, eyeglasses are collected and recycled for those in need, free of charge. Bring all your unused old glasses to one of the collection boxes which are located throughout town. To view accepted donations and donation sites, click here.

Medfield

• The Medfield Food Cupboard is seeking volunteers. Volunteers will be helping the food cupboard pick up their weekly Shaw’s order. This position asks for a 1-hour weekly commitment. Volunteers should have a car that can fit larger orders. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Katherine Lyons at kkylons@comcast.net

• Buy a brick to help Hinkley Helpers raise funds for new inclusive playground design features. The brick will be engraved with your name of choice and have a special place at the playground site. To learn more about the new playground, click here. To donate or purchase a brick, 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 illness ranging from mild fever to more serious disease 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

 

• 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.

• $20 million is available to support Massachusetts farms that have been impacted by severe weather in 2023. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated seven Massachusetts counties (including Norfolk County) as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive rain and flooding from July 9 through July 16, 2023. The following are relief and resources offered to farmers affected by severe weather:
• Low-interest loans are available to all counties through the USDA declaration, click here.
• Low-interest loans available through SBA from the Vermont declaration, the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), click here.
• The Farm Resiliency Fund, click here.
• On the 33^rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Governor Maura Healey signed an executive order that establishes the Digital Accessibility and Equity Governance Board to make state government websites and digital applications accessible for everyone. This board will be responsible for creating new standards, guidelines, and policies to improve digital accessibility on state platforms. The board will be made up of every secretary of a state executive office, as well as the leaders of the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Commission for the Blind, the governor’s deputy chief of staff for access and opportunity, and members of the disability community. The board will be led by the chief IT accessibility officer, and applications for this position will open this week. According to a 2021 Pew Research Study, 80% of people access government services digitally, and this executive order takes a tremendous step forward in making the Commonwealth more accessible.

• $1.5 million in federal grant funds was allocated to support violence prevention, response, and community engagement efforts in the Commonwealth. These funds will go toward community programs to reach at-risk youth thorough. The Safer Communities Initiative has been proven to be successful in reducing crime in prior years. To learn more, click here
• Over $26.3 million in grants will be distributed to towns across the Commonwealth to strengthen Massachusetts’ food supply system and mitigate future food supply and distribution disruption issues. This grant was created to combat urgent food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the recipients of the grants was awarded to Needham Community Farm! To learn more about the grants, click here.
• The sales tax holiday for 2023 will be held on Saturday, August 12, and Sunday, August 13. Retail items up to $2,500, purchased in Massachusetts for personal use on these days will be exempt from sales tax. To learn more about the sales tax holiday, click here.

• The Sumner Tunnel will be closed seven days a week from July 5th to August 31st, 2023. During this time, the blue line on the MBTA will be free to riders. Detour options and more information on the closure can be found here.