Thursday, November 9, 2023
District Updates
Needham
- The Housing Needham Advisory Group (HONE) will be hosting an interactive community workshop today, Thursday, November 9th from 7-9 pm. The workshop will be held both in-person at Powers Hall and virtually via Zoom. Attendees will learn about multi-family zoning, review the Town’s zoning plan, and have the opportunity to provide feedback. Registration is required if you are attending virtually. To register online, click here.
- The Charles River YMCA’s Race to Kick Cancer 5K will be held on Sunday, November 12th. The event will be held at Greene’s Field starting at 9 am. Proceeds from the race will support community access to all Charles River YMCA programming. Registration for the race is still open and will be open until November 11th at 6 am. Day-of registrations will be accepted the morning of the race at 9 am at Greene’s Field. To learn more or to register for the race, click here.
- The Town of Needham’s Annual Veterans Day Observance will be held at Memorial Park on Saturday, November 11th at 11 am. The Needham Exchange Club will be providing complimentary snacks at the park. An invitation is extended to all for a collation at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2498 following the ceremony. For more information, click here.
- Attend a free financial literacy workshop by Fidelity Bank on Wednesday, November 15th. The workshop will be held in the Needham Free Public Library’s 1st-floor community room from 3 – 5 pm. The workshop will focus on understanding bank basics such as checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, and more. The program is intended for Young Adults, though all are welcome to learn the Basics of Banking. Registration is requested for the event, to register, click here.
- Rethinking Success is a newsletter and initiative developed by the Substance Prevention Alliance of Needham (SPAN) and Needham community members, consisting of parents, educators, healthcare providers, and community advocates. Concerned with the 2021 Metrowest Adolescents Health Survey Mental Health data, the group decided to work together to identify, address, and offer support to families in Needham. Rethinking Success will address all aspects of mental health pertaining to children through young adults, families, parenting, and education, all through the lens of youth mental health. To read their latest articles, 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.
Dover
- The Dover Town Library is seeking public feedback for future planning. The survey takes around ten minutes to complete and includes questions on how the Dover Town Library plays a role in your life and the town. To fill out the survey, click here. If you need help completing the survey, please visit or contact the library director at (508)785-8113 ext. 5.
- 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.
Medfield
- Join the Town of Medfield in honoring Veterans at the Veterans Day Ceremony on Saturday, November 11th at 5 pm at Baxter Park. All are welcome to attend the ceremony. Luminary bags will be displayed around the park and will be lit on Saturday from Noon to 8 pm. To learn more, click here.
- The Medfield Police Association is holding its annual Toys for Tots Drive. Donations of new and unwrapped toys are being accepted through December 10th. Donations can be dropped off at the Public Safety Building at 112 North Street. To learn more, click here.
Legislative Updates
- On Wednesday, The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a $2.8 billion supplemental budget to close the books for Fiscal Year 2023. The supplemental budget includes $250 million to support the Commonwealth’s response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and influx of families seeking emergency assistance. This includes $50 million to fund state overflow emergency shelter sites for families and $75 million for supplemental school district costs associated with mandatory student enrollments. The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration. To view the full text of the bill, click here.
- Legislative briefing on The Future of Alzheimer’s in the State House. Senator Jehlen and Representative Stanley, the Elder Affairs Committee Chairs, hosted a hybrid briefing on November 9th with a panel of experts including Susan Antkowiak (Vice President of Programs and Services at the Alzheimer’s Association), Dominic Walsh (Head of Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Biogen), and Brent Forester (Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Tuft’s Medical Center) to share recent advancements in Alzheimer’s disease research and what policies are needed to ensure that patients and their families have access to care, support, and treatment. In this briefing, a bill I introduced, H.2178 (An Act to strengthen our public health infrastructure to address Alzheimer’s and all dementia) was highlighted to share the purpose and the goal of this vital piece of legislation. To learn more about the bill, click here.
Statewide Updates
- Emergency Assistance Director General Scott Rice announced a partnership between the United Way of Massachusetts Bay to support overnight safety-net shelters for families and pregnant individuals with no alternative shelter options. As the state’s emergency shelter system reaches capacity, the partnership will create a $5 million grant program, administered by the United Way, to provide funding to community-based organizations, faith-based groups, and volunteer organizations to set up short-term, overnight shelter sites. To learn more, click here.
- Mass Cultural Council (MCC) has launched a new grant program, Grants for Creative Individuals, which will provide unrestricted awards of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners. 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. The application process is brief and inclusive. The review process includes geographic distribution, funding priorities, and scores from reviewers from the Massachusetts creative/cultural sector. An informational session will be held on December 5th at 5 pm, to register, click here. The application deadline is December 11th. To learn more about the grants, click here.
- The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs invites you to join a virtual public meeting to hear updates about and provide input on the Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative, a comprehensive effort to conserve and manage forest land in the Commonwealth. The meeting will be held on November 14th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. As part of this initiative, EEA has convened a climate forestry committee of experts to help the Commonwealth develop climate-oriented guidelines for forest management on state lands. The state will also use these guidelines as the basis for incentives to advance climate-oriented forest management practices on other forest lands. To register for the virtual session, click here. To provide oral comments at the virtual session, click here. To provide written comments, click here or email material to guidelines@mass.gov.
- 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 about the initiative, click here.
- Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to be renamed Mass Ability. The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced on November 2nd 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.
- 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.
