DPW’s Drew Dauphinee at the tree and Joe Gorman running the machine
Today the DPW’s Drew Dauphinee and Joe Gorman are planting two good sized cherry trees on the berm in front of the post office. The Town of Medfield owns that site and leases it for the post office to use. North Street is starting to achieve a critical mass of cherry trees for the town to build on, starting with the large one at the Bank of America up through the cluster Bob Borrelli installed in front of his two buildings across from Deb’s and my office.
Jean Mineo was heard to think that once there are six more cherry trees along North Street that she will organize an annual Medfield cherry blossom festival.
Posted onApril 26, 2021|Comments Off on New Life 5k – now virtual only
From Tod Dimmick – “update – the race organizers just learned from the state that, unfortunately, the in-person component of the New Life 5k won’t be possible this year.”
UCC Medfield enters the New Life 5k
UCC Medfield has entered a team in the New Life 5k Trail Run since the event began. Rich Frank, an organizer of the team, says that the church is a passionate supporter of the mission of New Life Furniture Bank of MA. “Our team (and church) members love New Life Furniture Bank,” he said. “The largest portion of our annual giving budget is directed towards housing/homelessness, and we have several ministries that serve those experiencing homelessness. New Life serves a critical need… and we’ve witnessed just how impactful that experience can be.”
New Life Furniture Bank of MA collects high-quality gently-used furniture and household essentials that are made available at no cost to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness. In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, New Life found a way to safely serve almost 500 families. The Medfield-based not-for-profit organization operates a Walpole Donation Center, and serves the MetroWest and Greater Boston area.
To Frank, the big picture is important. He says, “New Life helps restore dignity to and removes a tremendous burden from their clients.”
The 5k organizers have learned that the in person component will not be possible this year. As a result, the 2021 New Life 5k will be entirely virtual, and entrants can run or walk their own 5k between now and May 8th (Just like last year!).
New Life 5k registration and information is available at www.newlifefb.org/5k. There are discounts for teams of four or more, and new teams are welcome. The registration fee is $30. T-Shirts are available for purchase. Those interested in being a sponsor, volunteering, donating home furnishings, or making a financial contribution are encouraged to visit www.newlifefb.org.
Other teams participating this year include Team Babson, Yates, Walk Ins Welcome, Soles of Medfield, Eliot Church XC, and others.
UCC Medfield welcomes new runners on the team. If you’d like to know more, email Rich Frank at richardfrank02@yahoo.com “We’re open to have anyone join our team,” he says.
Posted onApril 23, 2021|Comments Off on Select Board meeting 4/20/21
First in person meeting of the Select Board for over a year this past Tuesday. The photo shows the new layout of the room. Medfield TV’s Brett Poirier is at the left, beside the Medfield TV camera person. There is a large screen TV in the corner on the wall behind me, to my right. My laptop is showing the zoom feed, which is what also appears on the large screen TV.
Posted onApril 23, 2021|Comments Off on New Life 5K Trail Run – 5/8 in person, or now – 5/8 virtual
From Tod Dimmick –
Courtesy Photo of the UCC Medfield team at the New Life 5K Trail Run (Prepandemic)
UCC Medfield enters the New Life 5k Trail Run
UCC Medfield has entered a team in the New Life 5k Trail Run since the event began. Rich Frank, an organizer of the team, says that the church is a passionate supporter of the mission of New Life Furniture Bank of MA. “Our team (and church) members love New Life Furniture Bank,” he said. “The largest portion of our annual giving budget is directed towards housing/homelessness, and we have several ministries that serve those experiencing homelessness. New Life serves a critical need… and we’ve witnessed just how impactful that experience can be.”
New Life Furniture Bank of MA collects high-quality gently-used furniture and household essentials that are made available at no cost to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness. In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, New Life found a way to safely serve almost 500 families. The Medfield-based not-for-profit organization operates a Walpole Donation Center, and serves the MetroWest and Greater Boston area.
To Frank, the big picture is important. He says, “New Life helps restore dignity to and removes a tremendous burden from their clients.”
This year, the 5k organizers hope that participants will have the choice of whether to participate in-person on May 8th at Medfield State Hospital, or virtually between April 17th and May 8th.
New Life 5k Trail Run registration and information is available at www.newlifefb.org/5k. There are discounts for teams of four or more, and new teams are welcome. The registration fee is $30. T-Shirts are available for purchase. Those interested in being a sponsor, volunteering, donating home furnishings, or making a financial contribution are encouraged to visit www.newlifefb.org.
Other teams participating this year include Team Babson, Yates, Walk Ins Welcome, Soles of Medfield, Eliot Church XC, and others.
UCC Medfield welcomes new runners on the team. If you’d like to know more, email Rich Frank at richardfrank02@yahoo.com “We’re open to have anyone join our team,” he says.
Comments Off on New Life 5K Trail Run – 5/8 in person, or now – 5/8 virtual
As part of the celebration of Earth Day, I asked to have my signature as a Town of Medfield Select Board member added to the letter below, going to the MSBA tomorrow. Medfield Energy Committee members and other may join too. –
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April 22, 2021
Deborah Goldberg, Chair Anne Brockelman Sean R. Cronin Matt Deninger Terry Kwan Greg Sullivan Sheila Vanderhoef
Via email to ______
Dear Treasurer Goldberg and members of the MSBA Board,
We are writing to encourage the MSBA to require that all school building projects funded by MSBA be fully electrified, and climate resilient.
The MSBA is to be commended for its track record of helping cities and towns replace or renovate school buildings in an environmentally sustainable manner.
As your website notes,
The MSBA’s Green Schools Program provides incentives to a district to increase the energy efficiency and sustainability for new construction and major renovation/addition projects, by exceeding Massachusetts Energy base code by 20% for 2 additional reimbursement points. All projects are required to register for the most recent version of LEED-S or NE-CHPS and exceed Massachusetts Energy base code by 10%.
The MSBA’s updated Accelerated Repair Program provides a new opportunity to apply sustainable standards to specific building systems such as roofs, boilers and window systems. The MSBA’s green programs aim to encourage a high standard of sustainability for all MSBA-funded projects. The MSBA continues to monitor the effectiveness of its sustainable policies and make recommendations for improvement, with an emphasis on energy and cost savings, resulting in direct operational savings for school districts. [bold added]
As municipal leaders interested in speeding the transition away from fossil fuel dependency, we were particularly pleased to see the highlighted above, as it demonstrates an interest in continuous improvement in the area of sustainability and carbon emissions reduction. We are following up on your interest in improvement to encourage you to tie school building funding to the following requirements for all new or renovated schools:
Heat and cooling should be supplied by clean all-electric heating and cooling systems, not oil, propane, or gas-fueled systems.
Parking lots should offer electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for staff and/or visitors.
Schools built on or near historic wetlands or in floodplains should take into account precipitation modeling for 2070 and beyond; this may entail a raised structure or building in an alternate location.
How do these recommendations fit into the Commonwealth’s climate goals?
• Massachusetts has a greenhouse gas reduction mandate of 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and a commitment to be net zero by 2050; many cities and towns have more aggressive goals. The IPCC issued a report in 2018 noting that to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius — a goal of the Paris climate agreement — anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions would have to be on a path to fall by about 45 percent by around 2030. • Massachusetts also has a goal of 300,000 EVs on the road by 2025.œ As HVAC systems are built to last for at least 20-30 years, that means we must act now to eliminate this significant source of fossil fuel energy. • The National Climate Assessment projects that the Northeast will see dramatic increases in precipitation and flooding.
Why is all-electric the more environmentally beneficial choice? Under state law, the electric grid is powered by an increasing amount of renewable energy every year. In contrast, an oil or gas boiler is running on fossil fuels from day one until the day it is retired.
School building electrification is not a new concept. In fact, schools across the state are converting to 100% clean electricity to save money, improve air quality for students, teachers and staff, and advance climate goals. • Lincoln is about to break ground on a Net Zero K-8 renovation school project. • Wellesley has one net zero ready elementary school in the design phase and is in the feasibility phase of a second. • Brookline passed a Warrant Article in May 2019 requiring that all new school buildings be fossil fuel free. • Westborough has approved and is moving forward with a net-positive energy elementary school. • Arlington is about to break ground on a new all-electric high school where heating and cooling systems will utilize heat pumps. • Several Cambridge schools have been rebuilt all-electric: Martin Luther King School, King Open School and the Cambridge Street Upper School, as well as the Valente Branch Library and a new administrative building for the entire school department; the Tobin/Vassal-lane school will be rebuilt all-electric. • Construction is underway on the new Belmont Middle and High School which will be net zero and all-electric with heating and cooling by a geothermal heat pump system. • Amherst passed a bylaw in 2017 requiring zero energy new municipal and school buildings. • Concord is at the end of Feasibility for a net zero design for a new middle school and expects to start Schematic Design in the next few months (there was a CV-related delay). • Lexington’s Select Board and School Committee adopted a building policy calling for construction of all-electric buildings, maximizing onsite renewable energy, and setting high standards for indoor air quality. Lexington’s Hastings Elementary School and Lexington Children’s Place pre-school are both expected to be net positive buildings when the solar energy systems that have been approved are completed later this year.
Energy efficient all electric schools are cost-effective to build and operate, while providing a healthier and safer learning environment for students and teachers alike.
Schools built on wetlands are more likely to suffer from mold and poor air quality, and need expensive repairs, especially as our region sees more frequent and intense rainfall.
Thank you for your consideration of our views. From the Green Communities Program to the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program to the Complete Streets grants and more, we are so appreciative of the Commonwealth’s partnership in supporting cities and towns efforts to advance our transition to a clean economy and make our communities more resilient as we face a changing climate. We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you in more detail about these recommendations and help you build support to enact them.
Sincerely,
Amherst Darcy Dumont, Town Council, District 5 Dorothy S. Pam, Town Council, District 3 Patricia De Angelis, Town Councilor
Andover Maria Bartlett, Member of Green Advisory Board
Arlington Joseph A. Curro, Jr., Select Board Member Adam Chapdelaine, Town Manager
Ashland Robert Scherer, Select Board Member
Barnstable Gordon Starr, Town Councilor, Precinct 1
Becket Alvin Blake, Planning Board
Bolton Jonathan Keep, Select Board Member
Boston Kenzie Bok, City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George, City Councilor (At-Large) Ed Flynn, City Councilor Matt O’Malley, City Councilor
Braintree Julia Flaherty, Town Council, District 1 Kelly J. Cobb-Lemire, School Committee Member
Brookline Raul Fernandez, Select Board Member Werner Lohe, Climate Action Committee (co-chair)
Burlington Martha Simon, School Committee Member
Cambridge Patricia Nolan, City Councilor Quinton Zondervan, City Councilor
Concord Charles Parker, Middle School Building Committee Member
Dalton Robert Bishop, Select Board Chair Cheryl Rose, Conservation Commission Henry Rose, Commissioner, Conservation Commission Joseph Fish, Chair, Green Dalton Committee
Dedham Jessica Portee, Planning Board Member
Framingham Geoff Epstein, School Committee Member, District 6
Gloucester Jennifer Holmgren, Councilor-at-Large
Hopkinton Jeffrey S Barnes, Conservation Commission (Chair) Lakeville Jesse L. Medford, Open Space Committee (Chair)
Lawrence Jonathan Guzman, School Committee Member – District F
Lexington Mark Sandeen, Select Board Member
Marlborough Samantha Perlman, City Councilor
Medford Zac Bears, City Councilor Nicole Morell, City Councilor Paul Ruseau, School Committee Member Jenny Graham, School Committee
Newton Susan Albright, City Council President Alicia Bowman, City Councilor Deb Crossley, City Councilor Andreae Downs, City Councilor Maria Scibelli Greenberg, City Councilor Bill Humphrey, City Councilor David Kalis, City Councilor Josh Krintzman, City Councilor Marc Laredo, City Councilor Rick Lipof, City Council Vice President Julia Malakie, City Councilor Chris Markiewicz, City Councilor Emily Norton, City Councilor John Oliver, City Councilor Holly Ryan, City Councilor
Northampton Bill Dwight, City Councilor at Large Alex Jarrett, City Councilor Karen Foster, City Councilor, Ward 2 Susan Voss, School Committee Member Chris Mason, Energy & Sustainability Officer
Pittsfield Mary Stucklen, Commissioner – Green Commission
Reading Vanessa Alvarado, Select Board Member
Somerville Will Mbah, City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, City Councilor Katjana Ballantyne, City Councilor Kristen Strezo, City Councilor-at-Large
Taunton Phillip Duarte, City Councilor
Wakefield Mehreen N. Butt, Town Councilor Julie Smith-Galvin, Town Councilor Susan Veilleux, School Committee Member Rob Darnell, Environmental Sustainability Committee (Chair) Mary Hajjar, Environmental Sustainability Committee (Vice Chair) Robin Greenberg, Environmental Sustainability Committee Jennifer Kallay, Gas & Light Board Commissioner Elizabeth Sheridan, ESC Student Liaison
Watertown Caroline Bays, Town Councilor Angeline B. Kounelis, Town Councilor Tony Palomba, Councilor-at-Large
Wellesley Lise Olney, Select Board Member
Williamstown Anne O’Connor, Select Board Member
Winchester Michael Bettencourt, Select Board (Chair)
Posted onApril 20, 2021|Comments Off on Earth Day letter from MEC
Fellow Medfielders,
As we recognize Earth Day 2021, global responsibility is clearer than ever, and local action more urgent than ever.
Some Medfielders have already made the transition, but now all households need to go EV, HP, PV:Subscribe
EV: for anyone who must own a car, start driving Electric when it is time to buy the next Vehicle.
HP: when the boiler or furnace starts to fail, go electric with a HeatPump system.
PV: putting PhotoVoltaics on the roof is a very profitable step.
For each of these decarbonizing steps, yes, there are considerations, as with any change. But, the transition is not usually particularly burdensome, and often is surprisingly advantageous.
The three steps are the transition to low-carbon that is needed. Beyond them, there are indeed many other wonderful things Medfielders can and should do to benefit the environment. But taking any of these three steps, by far, will have the largest climate impact. These steps are also absolutely essential to meeting local, state, national, and global climate goals. And, no one is likely going to force anyone to take them.
It should also be mentioned that an unexpected outcome, after a year of Covid quarantining, is that we each now have a better idea of what other carbon-reducing efforts will work for us, in our post-pandemic lives. Awful as it has been, we have learned what might help us come-back-carbon-better.
Medfielders making these careful and caring consumer choices is exactly what is necessary to prevent the worst climate cataclysm for our children and grandchildren.
I started this blog to share the interesting and useful information that I saw while doing my job as a Medfield select board member. I thought that my fellow Medfield residents would also find that information interesting and useful as well. This blog is my effort to assist in creating a system to push the information out from the Town House to residents. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how it can be done better.
For information on my other job as an attorney (personal injury, civil litigation, estate planning and administration, and real estate), please feel free to contact me at 617-969-1500 or Osler.Peterson@OslerPeterson.com.
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