Garlick Press – Thursday, June 29, 2023

Thursday, June 29, 2023

 

 

District Updates

 

Needham

• Celebrate Independence Day with food, activities, and fireworks at Memorial Park on July 3rd. The event will feature a variety of food options, activities for all ages, live music, and fireworks to end the night. For the schedule of events, click here.

• Youth and Family Services and Circle of Hope are hosting a Dignity Bag Donation Drive until July 6th. All donations will be packed by Needham students and distributed to individuals experiencing homelessness in the greater Boston area. Donation boxes are available at the following locations:
  • Town Hall, 1st floor
  • Center at the Heights
  • Rosemary Recreation Complex
  • Public Services Administration Building
  • Public Safety Building
  • Recycle & Transfer Station Swap Shop

For a list of needed items, click here.

• Enjoy live music from local band “The Tapples” at Volante Farms on Thursday, June 29. The concert will begin at 6:30 pm and is free to the public. The Volante Farms store will remain open to those who want to grab a snack to enjoy at the concert. For more details, click here

Dover

• The new Hale Conservation Restriction website is now available. The website will be regularly updated with information as discussion continues on the conservation of Hale Reservation. To visit the website, click here.

Medfield

• The Town of Medfield has implemented a Tier 2 nonessential water restriction. Under Tier 2, nonessential water use is allowed every other day. Even-numbered addresses will be allowed to water lawns on even-numbered calendar days and odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered days. Lawn watering is allowed outside the hours of 9 am to 5 pm on designated days. To learn more about the water nonessential water restriction, click here.

• Bellforge Arts Center hosts two shows of Shakespeare: King Lear this weekend on Saturday & Sunday, July 29-30. The event will be held from 5 pm to 7:30 pm both days and all ages are welcome. Admission is free but registration is encouraged, to register for the event, 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

 

• The Supreme Court bans affirmative action in recent decision. I join the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Massachusetts institutions of higher education leaders, civil rights advocates, other elected officials, and organizations dedicated to equity in releasing this statement regarding today’s Supreme Court decision. To access the press release, click here.

• On Monday, Judiciary Committee Chair Mike Day filed legislation to modernize firearm laws. I look forward to working with Chair Day and my colleagues in the House as this bill goes through the legislative process. We are committed to building upon Massachusetts’ strong gun safety laws. To learn more about this bill, click here.

• On Tuesday, the Board of Education moved to open comment on an updated draft of the comprehensive health and physical education curriculum framework. Today’s students can be in a stew of misinformation from a variety of unreliable sources, including social media. The most important thing we can do to protect our students’ health and promote their well-being is to ensure that they are receiving developmentally appropriate, medically accurate information from reliable sources. As a Registered Nurse and a legislator, I am pleased to see DESE proposing an updated health and physical education curriculum framework. To view the draft framework, click here.

• The Registry of Motor Vehicles Announces standard driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status available soon under Work and Family Mobility Act. Starting July 1, newly eligible Massachusetts residents can apply for their learner’s permit and road test to obtain a license. To learn more about this bill, click here.

• FY2024 Community One Stop for Growth grants awarded to the Town of Needham and the Town of Medfield. Grants will fund professional services to complete a variety of activities related to community planning. The Town of Needham and the Town of Medfield were awarded $70,000 each.

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

• The maximum unemployment benefit period for new claimants will now automatically adjust from 30 weeks to 26 weeks. This is a result of recent estimates from the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that the 12-month average local unemployment rate in each of the Commonwealth’s eight designated Metropolitan Areas is now at or below 5.1%. The adjusted benefit period will apply only to new unemployment claims filed on or after July 2, 2023. Claimants who have filed claims for unemployment benefits prior to July 2, 2023, will remain eligible to receive up to the 30-week maximum benefit that was in effect at the time they filed their claim. To learn more a of bout this change, click here.

• The Commonwealth launches the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank. The Massachusetts Community Climate Bank is the nation’s first green bank dedicated to affordable housing. In collaboration with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and MassDevelopment, they will ensure that each entity’s capabilities are leveraged to support the identification, development, financing, and execution of clean energy projects, beginning with the affordable housing sector. To learn more about the new climate bank, click here.

• MassHealth offers resources for members as eligibility redeterminations continue. As of April 1, if a member updates their account with new eligibility information, their coverage may change. Below is a list of resources provided for members:
  • MassHealth Customer Service: (800)841-2900
  • MassHealth Enrollment Centers: Make an appointment to receive in-person or virtual help, click here.
  • Enrollment Assisters: Get help from a Certified Application Counselor in your community, click here.
  • Disability Special Accommodations Ombudsman: (617)847-3468

• MassNotify, the official COVID-19 exposure notification system for Massachusetts was discontinued with the end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023. The public is still encouraged to follow the Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 guidance.