Thursday, November 2, 2023
District Updates
Needham
- The Exchange Club is helping the New England Center for Homeless Veterans in downtown Boston and is asking for donations. The New England Center for Homeless Vets has asked for Large, Extra Large, and XXL underwear bottoms for men and all sizes of tops and bottoms for women. In addition, the Center can use cash cards for Roche Brothers and Dunkin in $5.00, $10.00 or $25.00 amounts. Donations of cash are also welcome and will be converted by the Exchange Club into underwear or cash cards. Donations can be made at the times and places below or through the Exchange Club website. To view donation times or to donate, click here.
- Needham Free Public Library partnership with the Indian Community of Needham (ICON). Throughout the month of November, ICON will be hosting several showcases of Indian literature and literature about Indian heritage. These events coincide with India’s festive season and the 7th-grade study unit on India at Pollard Middle School. These programs are for all ages and can be accessed virtually and in-person. To view the month’s full calendar of events, click here.
- The Charles River Center will be holding a free “Wings for Autism” event on November 4th for families and their children with special needs, to practice a trip to the airport. Please click here for more information and to register.
- Needham’s 12th Annual Diversity Summit. The Needham Diversity Initiative and the Needham Resiliency Network will be cohosting the Diversity Summit on Sunday Nov. 5 at the Pollard Middle School from 1 to 5 pm. This year, the theme is Bridging and Belonging: Local Stories and a Roadmap for Change. For more
Dover
- COA Thanksgiving Luncheon. The luncheon will be Nov. 14 at 12:15 at the Kraft Hall in the Dover Church. It is $5 to attend and free for veterans. RSVP by Nov. 6. Email coa@doverma.gov or call 508-315-5734 to RSVP.
- Town Report Committee seeks photos for publication. Every year the Town Report is illustrated with photographs of Dover and its citizens, and the Town Report Committee is seeking photography submissions from residents and non-residents. To access the submission form, click here.
- Claybrook Road Project. Work has begun on the damaged section of Claybrook Road close to Main Street. Claybrook Road is closed with a detour in place.
- The Dover Police Department uses Onsolve CodeRed to notify residents about emergencies and significant events in the community. Sign up for notifications here.
- Recycling Event. On Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m, residents can bring their documents for shredding to the Transfer Station. This event is sponsored by Jay Hughes of Dover Country Properties.
Medfield
- Police and Fire food drive ends soon. From now through Sunday, Nov. 5, Medfield Police and Fire Unions will continue to collect food donations to benefit the Medfield Food Cupboard. Donations can be dropped off 24 hours a day at the Public Safety Building (112 North St). Items that are particularly needed are rice mixes, chocolate or vanilla Ensure/Boost shakes, baking mixes, and beef stew in a can or jar.
- Medfield Food Cupboard Annual Meeting. The annual meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7:00 pm at 93 West St.
- Woman’s Club sells Thanksgiving pies. Hannah Adams Woman’s Club is currently taking orders for homemade pies for Thanksgiving. All pies are made and sold by the members. The deadline to place an order is November 4th, and all proceeds benefit the Hannah Adams Scholarship Fund. To place your order and prepay, click here,
- Lions Club hosts new version of ChowderFest. The annual Medfield Lions Club ChowderFest is now a “Mystery Chowder Tasting Challenge”, and will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Center at Medfield. Local restaurants are once again participating in the best chowder challenge. An $8 contribution will be requested, cash and Venmo are accepted.
- The Medfield Public Schools is offering voluntary screenings of children throughout the school year at Memorial School. The screening is voluntary and is for children ages 2 years, 9 months up to the age of 5 years old. The screening is designed to review a child’s development and to assist in the identification of children to determine eligibility for special education services. To learn more about the screenings, click here.
- Registration is now open for Medfield Foundation’s annual Angel Run, being held on December 3rd at 12:30 pm. The Angel Run 5K is a community “fun” raiser and family event. It brings members of the community together for a festive event to generate funds in support of Medfield residents in need. In 2006, family and friends created the run in remembrance of Natasha Domeshek. The Medfield Foundation Inc. (MFi) took up the tradition in 2012 and has raised over $280,000 with your help. Please continue the tradition of helping residents in need and register to run, walk, or stroll in 2023. To register, click here. For questions, email info@medfieldfoundation.org.
Legislative Updates
- Effective November 1, 2023, employees receiving Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits may supplement their PFML benefits with any available accrued paid leave (sick time, vacation, PTO, personal time, etc.). This new feature, referred to as “topping off”, will allow employees to supplement their PFML benefits up to the limit of their Individual Average Weekly Wage. This enhancement passed by the legislature is designed to provide individuals with greater financial flexibility and support during their PFML leave. To learn more about the new update, click here.
- Medicare for All Briefing in the State House. Senator Jamie Eldridge, the lead senate sponsor for the Medicare for All bill, hosted a hybrid briefing on Nov. 1 with a panel of experts ranging from the small business community, to labor organizers, to economics professors, to explain why a single-payer model would not only save lives but bring the overall healthcare costs in the Commonwealth down.
- Early Education and Care (EEC) Visit to Haverhill and Southborough. This week, we continued our Education Committee visits on early education and care by visiting Rep. Andy Vargas’s district in Haverhill and Rep. Kate Donaghue’s district in Southborough. We visited a Montessori school, Headstart program, and private-pay facility, among others, to view the full range of EEC learning opportunities for students and how these local programs address accessibility, including the workforce, affordability, and quality.
Statewide Updates
- Massachusetts agencies have requested clean energy investments for up to 78,500 low-income and affordable homes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the largest single emissions reduction initiative in United States history. A coalition led by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) submitted the state’s application to the Solar for All competition for $250 million. In parallel, the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank, submitted the requisite information on possible projects in Massachusetts to the non-profit applicants eligible for the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF). This submission would cover 28,000 affordable rental homes. Together, the projects identified for these two competitions represent a substantial potential investment in clean energy upgrades for low-income and affordable housing across Massachusetts. To learn more bout the initiative, click here.
- Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to be renamed Mass Ability. The Healy-Driscoll Administration announced on Nov. 2 that the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission is to be renamed Mass Ability to reduce stigma and modernize language across statutes. The goals of the commission will remain the same, and the new name will more positively reflect the commission’s work in empowering individuals with disabilities to live healthy and meaningful lives.
- Healey administration announced a clinic for migrants living in emergency shelters to obtain work authorizations. In partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security, Gov. Healey’s administration plans to host the work authorization clinic for migrants during the week of Nov. 13. The administration will organize appointments and provide transportation from shelter sites to the clinic in Middlesex County,
- Mass Cultural Council (MCC) Grants for Creative Individuals. MCC has launched a grant program that will provide unrestricted awards of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners. MCC expects the grant to be competitive and to award 375 grants. MCC is welcoming applications from individuals in all creative fields: visual artists, literary artists, theater artists, performers, film/media artists, music artists, designers, culture bearers/traditional artists, drag artists, cross-disciplinary artists, and more. There will be two info sessions on Nov. 8 and Dec. 5, and the application deadline is Dec.11. To learn more and apply, click here
- The Department of Public Health introduced performance standards, credentials, and workforce training requirements for local public health departments. The standards aim to ensure consistent, high-quality public health services throughout the state. This initiative is seen as a crucial step to address public health challenges and enhance health outcomes across Massachusetts. Find more at www.mass.gov/dph.
- The Biden administration has relaunched a website for Americans to order up to four free tests per household in anticipation of a potential increase in COVID cases during the fall and winter months. At-home testing is essential to slow the spread of the virus and reduce the number of new cases across the Commonwealth as the weather gets colder and more events move indoors, increasing the risk of transmission. To place an order, visit COVIDTests.gov.
