The Garlick Press – Monday, March 15, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I wanted to let you know that I affirmatively supported the passage of legislation to extend mail-in voting until the end of June and to allow municipalities to hold in-person early voting in advance of their election. This legislation addresses concerns individuals have with voting in person during the pandemic by ensuring that voters have the ability to vote by mail in town elections this spring.

Despite the pandemic, record participation in our elections last fall demonstrated the success and importance of offering a variety of voting options that meet the needs of Massachusetts residents. I look forward to continuing to work beyond the pandemic to permanently expand access to the ballot in meaningful ways for all Massachusetts voters.

Yours in Service,

Denise

• In Needham, the Select Board has approved Carys Lustig to be the next Director of Public Works in Needham. Carys is the first woman and the fifth person to serve as the Director of Public Works. To receive more updates from Needham’s DPW, click here.
• In Dover, the Town is seeking to hire a student intern to assist with developing social media and local communications content. Resumes and letters of interest are due by April 16th. 2021. Please contact Courtney Starling at cstarling@doverma.gov with questions or applications.
• In Medfield, the Town will be conducting a town-wide hydrant flushing beginning Sunday, April 4, 2021. The work will be done between 8:00 PM and 5:00 AM to minimize any inconvenience; however, some discoloration of water may occur. The Town advises to run cold water until the water is clear. To learn more, click here.

• In Needham,
  • the Council for Arts and Culture is meeting today, Monday, March 15 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. The agenda for this meeting includes an update on the Massachusetts Cultural Council grants. For the meeting information, click here.
  • the Needham School Committee is meeting on Tuesday, March 16 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. The agenda for this meeting includes a discussion on the Racial Equity Access Leadership Coalition. For the meeting information, click here.
• In Dover,
  • the Warrant Committee is meeting today, Monday, March 15 at 7:30 PM via Zoom. The committee will be holding an open hearing to present articles to be discussed at Town meeting. For the meeting information, click here.
  • the Community Center Building Committee is meeting Thursday, March 18 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. The agenda for tis meeting includes a discussion on design examples/initial design approach. For the meeting information, click here.
• in Medfield,
  • the Warrant Committee is meeting today, March 15 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. The agenda for this meeting includes a discussion on the 2021 Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles. For the meeting information, click here.
  • the Board of Selectmen is meeting Tuesday, March 16 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. The agenda for this meeting includes a discussion on the 2021 Annual Town Meeting and Warrant Articles.

• Starting yesterday, the MBTA began implementing service changes across their system including the subway, bus, and the RIDE. Changes to ferry services took place on January 23 and commuter rail changes will take place on April 5. To learn more about these changes, click here.
• The American Recovery Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law on March 11. This extended unemployment benefits under the CARES Act and provides new qualification requirements. To learn more, click here.
• In Boston, the outdoor dining program will begin on March 22. This program allows restaurants to operate outdoor dining on city sidewalks and parking spaces.

• Massachusetts is currently in Phase 3, Step 2 of the Massachusetts Reopening plan. Under this phase indoor performance venues and indoor recreational activities will be able to reopen at 50% capacity. In addition, capacity limits across all sectors will increase to 50% and restaurants will no longer have a percent capacity limit. To learn more, click here.
• If you have questions, input, or comments regarding the Reopening Massachusetts plan, you can submit comments online. These comments can be used by the Administration to support efforts to methodically reopen the economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for the form.

• If you are in need of resources, information, or support, please visit my website for a list of resources. Additionally, our local boards of health, the Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control are continuing to maintain websites with the most updated information regarding COVID-19 that you can access here:

• Needham Health Department Updates
• Medfield Updates
• Dover Updates
• Department of Public Health: Click here or Call 2-1-1.
• Reopening Massachusetts
• COVID-19 Travel Order
• Centers for Disease Control