Monthly Archives: March 2025

Medfield’s earth month ecochallenge 2025

Posted on March 31, 2025 | Comments Off on Medfield’s earth month ecochallenge 2025

From Kate Blood –

earth month ecochallenge 2025 April 1 - April 30 Attention Families- In celebration of Earth Month in April , we’re invit ing you to participate in an online, worldwide e co c hallenge . Please consider participating with your family as one of our Sustainable Medfield team members. This is a wonderful , educational, accessible and dynamic opportunity for shared family experiences. Pick up one piece of trash each day in April... Ditch fast fashion - shop second hand... Watch a movie together on an earth- related theme of your choosing... Borrow from our “Library of Things” - avoid buying more stuff... Take a walk in one of our beautiful local conservation lands... Ride your bike to school one day a week - skip the drive... Skip plastic - BYO bags/coffee mugs/water bottles to refill when out and about... These are just starting points - f or those of looking for actions with more heft? Perhaps save a rainforest, clean up an ocean, reverse global warming ... T here's plenty for you too. All that said, spring is busy - we get it . The steps are simple: 1) Click this link to become a member of the "Sustainable Medfield" team. 2) Set up an account for you and/or your family. 3) You and your kids c hoose from hundreds of different earth-minded options , ranging in effort and output. Select actions that feel manageable, meaningful, and motivating. We ’re excited for the amazing things our community will collectively accomplish in April ! For more information, contact Sustainable Medfield - sustainablemedfield@gmail.com . Warm regards, Kate Blood - ecochallenge Coordinator for the Medfield Community and member/volunteer with: Sustainable Medfield , MEA (Medfield Environmental Action) This event/activity is not sponsored by the Medfield Public Schools.

NB – HYPERLINKS IN JPG VERSION ABOVE DO WORK IN THE VERSION BELOW

earth month ecochallenge 2025
April 1 – April 30
Attention Families-
In celebration of Earth Month in April, we’re inviting you to participate in an online, worldwide
ecochallenge. Please consider participating with your family as one of our Sustainable Medfield
team members. This is a wonderful, educational, accessible and dynamic opportunity for shared
family experiences.
Pick up one piece of trash each day in April… Ditch fast fashion – shop second hand…
Watch a movie together on an earth-
related theme of your choosing…
Borrow from our “Library of Things” – avoid buying more stuff…
Take a walk in one of our beautiful local conservation lands…
Ride your bike to school one day a week – skip the drive…
Skip plastic – BYO bags/coffee mugs/water bottles to refill when out and about…
These are just starting points – for those of looking for actions with more heft? Perhaps save a
rainforest, clean up an ocean, reverse global warming… There’s plenty for you too.
All that said, spring is busy – we get it. The steps are simple:
1) Click this link to become a member of the “Sustainable Medfield” team.
2) Set up an account for you and/or your family.
3) You and your kids choose from hundreds of different earth-minded options, ranging in effort and
output. Select actions that feel manageable, meaningful, and motivating.
We’re excited for the amazing things our community will collectively accomplish in April! For more
information, contact Sustainable Medfield – sustainablemedfield@gmail.com.
Warm regards,
Kate Blood – ecochallenge Coordinator for the Medfield Community and member/volunteer with:
Sustainable Medfield, MEA (Medfield Environmental Action)
This event/activity is not sponsored by the Medfield Public Schools.

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Posted in Environmental, Green, Medfield Environmental Action, Sustainable Medfield

Office Hours Friday

Posted on March 30, 2025 | Comments Off on Office Hours Friday

Select Board Office Hours this Friday


I hold regular monthly office hours at The Center on the first Friday of every month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. 
Residents are welcome to stop by to talk in person about any town matters.
Residents can also have coffee and see the Council on Aging in action (a vibrant organization with lots going on).

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Posted in Select Board matters

Town Election Monday

Posted on March 30, 2025 | Comments Off on Town Election Monday

TOWN ELECTION MONDAY

Polls at The Center are open from 6AM to 8PM.

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Posted in Elections

Town Election Monday

Posted on March 27, 2025 | Comments Off on Town Election Monday

Specimen ballot –

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Posted in Elections

More on CDC cutting already promised $

Posted on March 27, 2025 | Comments Off on More on CDC cutting already promised $

Follow up today from MASSterList on CDC $ Feds cut –

READ IN BROWSER

CDC pulls COVID response grants

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pulled about $11.4 billion in Covid-19 pandemic response grants allocated to state and community health centers on Wednesday. The Department of Health and Human Services said the agency will “no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.” In a statement released Wednesday, Gov. Healey said the grants are expected to bring nearly $100 million to Massachusetts over the next year, but that “much” of the funding has already been obligated in the state — the Trump administration is moving to eliminate the unobligated parts of the grants. Healey condemned the federal decision, calling it “yet another example of President Trump and Elon Musk undermining the health and wellbeing of the people of Massachusetts and people across this nation.”

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Posted in Budgets, Federal Government, health

MDPH Notice of CDC Abrupt Cuts of $ that Supported Community Based Organizations – Local DOGE Effect?

Posted on March 26, 2025 | Comments Off on MDPH Notice of CDC Abrupt Cuts of $ that Supported Community Based Organizations – Local DOGE Effect?

From: Office of Local & Regional Health <localregionalpublichealth@notice.mass.gov>
Date: Wed, Mar 26, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Subject: Federal funding update | Message from DPH Commissioner Goldstein
To: <ktrierweiler@medfield.net>

View this email in your browser Message from the Commissioner  

Wednesday, March 26, 2025  

Dear Colleagues,
I know that many of you have heard from colleagues or from media reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified state departments of public health — including the Massachusetts Department of Public Health — about the termination of multiple COVID-19 related federal awards. Obviously, this news is troubling. We rely on these funds to carry out important ongoing work at the Department and with our partners in the community. These resources fund our state lab, supplement our statewide vaccine infrastructure, and provide the support needed for community-based organizations across the state. These are more than just COVID-19 awards; they represent investments in the core functions of public health.
 
We are working quickly to analyze the fiscal and operational impacts of these abrupt terminations. We are also in close contact with our colleagues in the Healey-Driscoll Administration to consider what we might be able to do to mitigate the impacts, recognizing that we do not have the state resources to replace these federal funding sources.
 
We are still sorting through the implications of these sudden terminations and do not have all of the answers. Still, I think it is important for you to know where we are given the potential impacts on our work, our community partners, and our colleagues. We will share additional information about the short-term and longer-term impact of these announcements when we know more.

With gratitude,  Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD (he/him)
Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Health    

If you have any comments, questions, or feedback, please email:
 localregionalpublichealth@mass.gov  

Office of Local & Regional Health
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
67 Forest Street
Marlborough, MA 01752
(617) 753-8018 Visit our website!   Follow DPH on X (formerly Twitter)

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Posted in Budgets, Federal Government, health

Remote Meetings Extended, Not Enacted

Posted on March 17, 2025 | Comments Off on Remote Meetings Extended, Not Enacted

From the Massachusetts Municipal Association –

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Breaking News from the MMA  


House OK’s bill to extend remote and hybrid meeting authorizations

The House today passed a bill that would extend the authorizations for local boards and committees to hold public meetings remotely or in a hybrid format for more than two more years.

The bill, H. 62, would also extend the remote meeting option for representative town meetings and permit reduced quorums for open town meetings. The extensions would run through June 30, 2027.

The Senate is expected to take up the bill later this week. …



 ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏

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Posted in Uncategorized

More Spring Flowers

Posted on March 17, 2025 | Comments Off on More Spring Flowers

In the sun pocket on the South side of our house. Remnants from the great bulb war.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Curbside Compost Collection Now in Medfield

Posted on March 16, 2025 | Comments Off on Curbside Compost Collection Now in Medfield

From Jackie Alford –

Curbside Compost Collection Now Available in Medfield

Medfield residents can easily reduce their organic waste by participating in the new curbside compost collection program provided by Black Earth Compost. This program is the easiest way to divert food scraps from the trash and build a resilient local food system.

How It Works
Participants receive a curbside collection cart and certified compostable bin liners to sort their food scraps into. All food scraps, including meat, bones, dairy, soiled paper products, and certified compostable products, are accepted. The material is picked up every other week and taken to one of Black Earth’s four local compost facilities, where it is mixed with carbon, like leaves and sticks, to make finished compost. Participants receive a voucher for a free cubic foot bag of compost, redeemable at participating garden centers in the spring.

Environmental Benefits
Curbside composting is gaining momentum as cities and towns across the state support these programs to meet the MA DEP’s Waste reduction goal of 30% reduction by 2030. In addition to reducing waste, composting addresses several environmental crises:
• Builds Healthy Soil: Compost improves soil ecology and adds nutrients, leading to healthier foods and higher yields.
• Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions: It reduces methane created in landfills and sequesters atmospheric carbon in the soil, supporting our climate.
• Protects Our Waterways: Composting reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers and improves soil moisture retention, reducing runoff.
• Creates Resilient Communities: It supports the local agricultural system, reducing our dependence on imported goods.

Subscription and Pricing
Subscription plans for every other week pick up are $89.99/6 months or $16.99/month, plus the cost of the bin. The price lowers for everyone as more people sign up. When 350 Medfield households are signed up or pre-registered, the price will be lowered by 20%.

To Enroll
Please complete the signup form at https://blackearthcompost.com/residential-curbside-compost-pickup/?town=Medfield,%20MA. Interested in helping increase curbside composting in Medfield? Contact medfieldcurbsidecomposting@gmail.com

Learn More About curbside composting and other town options for food waste:
https://community.massenergize.org/MedfieldMA/actions/3715
https://community.massenergize.org/MedfieldMA/actions/2372

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Posted in Environmental, Green, Medfield Environmental Action

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MFi Legacy Fund Grant Applications due 3/21

Posted on March 16, 2025 | Comments Off on MFi Legacy Fund Grant Applications due 3/21

MEDFIELD FOUNDATION LEGACY FUND NOW ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS

The Medfield Foundation has announced that applications are now being accepted for its 2025 Legacy Fund Community Impact grants. Up to $40,000 in grants will be awarded, and any Medfield-based nonprofit or Town department is eligible. Applicants are welcome to submit a grant request online at https://www.medfieldfoundation.org/ by March 21st, 2025.

The Legacy Fund Committee will review all submissions and select the finalists who will be invited to PITCH IT!, a Shark Tank-type event to be held in person on April 16th, 2025. At PITCH IT!, applicants present their proposal, goals, and financial needs and directly engage with the Legacy Fund Committee on their projects. The Legacy Fund Committee will make its final selection of grant recipients for the 2025 funding round in May 2025.

The Medfield Foundation has awarded close to $100,000 over 5 years for the benefit of Medfield through its Legacy Fund Community Impact grants. Recipients include Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Friends of the MHS Theatre Society, Friends of the Medfield Rail Trail, Medfield Cares About Prevention, Medfield Outreach, The Peak House Heritage Center, Sustainable Medfield, Hinkley Helpers, Medfield TV, Kingsbury Pond Gristmill Committee, Zullo Gallery Center for Arts and Friends of the Dwight-Derby House.

Grantees have used their awards to further important projects in Medfield and in some cases to leverage significant additional resources such as matching grants or federal or state funding. This year’s applicants should be prepared to illustrate a strong and compelling current need for funds, and possibly present how those funds may generate additional investments from the Medfield community as well.

Act fast to take advantage of this spectacular opportunity!

ABOUT THE MEDFIELD FOUNDATION LEGACY FUND
The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund raises private funds for public good. The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund is a professionally managed endowment created to support community driven projects. The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund invests for the long term while also helping to address current community needs through annual competitive grantmaking for immediate positive impact.

For more information or to contribute to the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund, please visit www.medfieldfoundation.org/legacy-fund. Or you may contact us directly at info@medfieldfoundation.org.

Make an impact. Leave a Legacy!

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Posted in Charity, Medfield Foundation