Reading to Mrs. Gutierrez’ 4th graders this week, in the jester hat the students chose for me –
Email from Leah Beaudoin, Library Media Specialist, Dale Street School –
Thank you so much for volunteering to read at Dale Street School this week. You made Read Across America week incredibly special and memorable for our students. Students in Mrs. G’s class loved getting to know you and appreciated your willingness to donate your time to them. They also shared how much they enjoyed listening to the book you read, thank you for giving them time to just sit and listen to a good book.
We strive to teach our students the importance of being a strong community member. In a short 20 minute block you showed our students what it means to be an active community member in Medfield. This town is a special place because of you and the example you set for our students.
Posted onDecember 30, 2025|Comments Off on Republished on the day of John Harney’s funeral
The Medfield Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed on John Harney in 2012 is republished here on the day of John’s funeral. Whereas that award was about John’s civic engagement in Medfield, his funeral was about the man and his family that fortunately shared our hometown since 1965.
John Harney – Lifetime Achievement Award — Medfield civic and community leadership
John Harney is a 47-year resident of Medfield, and was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement award by Medfield resident and retired Medfield High School teacher Richard DeSorgher, who described Harney as “a shining example of the role of a citizen in society. Democracy is not a spectator sport, and without the John Harneys of this world, our government could not exist.”
Harney’s role as a Medfield civic leader began in 1978 as an elected member of the School Committee. From there, Harney served as a Medfield Selectman, joined a number of committees and boards involved with the Medfield State Hospital site, was a 14-year member of the town’s Economic Development Committee, and involved in Collective Bargaining Teams and the Solid Waste Committee.
DeSorgher noted that as selectman, Harney led the drive to save the Dwight-Derby House, and he also fought for the preservation of open space in Medfield.
“John led the drive at Town Meeting to purchase several parcels of land here in Medfield, including the Wheelock property, the Plain Street/Community Gardens land, and the Cronin/Wight Street property. He also fought hard to obtain the Route 27/Plain Street open space that was defeated at Town Meeting,” said DeSorgher.
DeSorgher noted, “Whether in my classroom, the newspapers, in the community, or at public meetings, John Harney can be seen making democracy work. John speaks out on issues, popular or not, because he believes his cause is right and just. The result of John’s volunteer and civic service is a better town of Medfield for all of our almost 13,000 residents.”
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The Warrant Committee’s joint budget workshop with the Select Board and School Committee last night was ended by this tree on the wires along Main Street that turned off the electricity to the Medfield High School library, putting the meeting into darkness – the MHS’s emergency generator failed to come on. The meeting proceeded in the dimness for a short time illuminated only by the light from the computer screens and cell phones, and apparently was still being broadcast on backup power.
The workshop discussion will be re-scheduled and the discussions will continue.
Issue = only an additional 1.2% budget monies are available for spending increases for FY27, so even level funding is not possible. Plus large capital expenses required:
$120 m. required to repair town buildings over the next 20 years.
$100 m. required in next 5 years for priority building repairs – roofs and building envelopes.
Someone in Medfield has complained about the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey to a national media outlet and several other national media outlets have picked up the story.
My statement is posted on our website and below:
Statement from Jeffrey J. Marsden, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Medfield Public Schools
November 5, 2025
Several out-of-state media outlets have reported recently on the Medfield Public Schools participation in the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey, administered by EDC, and some of the coverage contains misleading and/or inaccurate information. Superintendent Marsden issued the following statement to clarify the facts with the media outlets, as well as with Medfield families and staff.
The Medfield Public Schools has participated in the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey since 2006. This survey is administered every two years to more than 40,000 students in grades 6–12 across 25 school districts in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. Parents are provided the opportunity to review the survey in advance and may opt their child out if they choose.
This tool provides districts with critical data about the needs, attitudes, and behaviors of our adolescent students, so that we can effectively plan programming, determine staffing needs, pursue grant funding, and ensure we are providing appropriate support for students.
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Posted onAugust 26, 2025|Comments Off on Anti-Idling Campaign’s 10th Anniversary
From Fritz Fleischmann of the Green Sanctuary Committee at First Parish –
Dear Members of the Select Board,
This is Fritz Fleischmann, a resident of Medfield. I am writing to ask for the Select Board’s continuing support of an initiative the Board endorsed unanimously in 2015.
Ten years ago, the Green Sanctuary Committee at First Parish started a campaign to educate Medfield residents about the State’s anti-idling statute and to encourage them to stop unnecessary idling of their cars. This campaign was co-sponsored by the Medfield Police Department, the School Committee, the Board of Health, as well as civic organizations, and it was endorsed by the (then) Board of Selectmen, who authorized the installation of anti-idling signs in front of public buildings – you will have seen some of these around town.
Today, while the Commonwealth experiences an increase in childhood asthma and the climate crisis has worsened, there is ample evidence that most citizens are still unaware of the statute and the many reasons for it. However, environmental consciousness has also increased: the network of Sustainable Medfield currently includes over two dozen affiliated organizations and groups. And it is with the support of Sustainable Medfield that we are now resurrecting our original campaign, further supported by the Police Department and the Board of Health. Our shared goal is not to penalize but to educate the public.
Importantly, this time around we are working in partnership with the schools. Experience in other towns shows that young people can have significant influence over their parents – persuading them to stop idling, for instance, while waiting in line to pick them up. Our initiative can also provide learning opportunities for students, generate project ideas, and strengthen community. With the beginning of the new school year, Superintendent Dr. Marsden and the principals will inform parents about the Massachusetts statute and ask them not to idle their engines outside a school building. Sustainable Medfield has chosen this anti-idling initiative as the “Action of the Quarter” for the fall.
In 2015, we created a flyer for distribution around town (see attached), and we are currently updating it for today’s use. As part of this effort, we are asking everyone who endorsed us ten years ago to affirm their endorsement for this renewed initiative. With this letter we ask you, the members of the Select Board, to give us your formal endorsement again.
Thank for your attention, and for all your hard work in service to the residents of Medfield.
Fritz Fleischmann
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Posted onAugust 23, 2025|Comments Off on The MSBC Newsletter!
From the School Building Committee –
Welcome To The MSBC Newsletter!
We are working hard to share SBC news to all community members. You can help us by sharing this link to our email newsletters and/or directing people to sign up on our Town webpage. THANK YOU!
Next Meeting: SBC Meetings: Meetings take place in the Public Safety Building @ 7:00 PM in person and on ZOOM. All community members are welcome!
Regular monthly meeting September 3rd @ 7:00 in the Public Safety Building
For over 80 years, the Dale Street School has been a place of learning for Medfield students. It was built as a High School in 1942 with a major addition added in 1962 when it became an Elementary School. The School Building Committee, created in 2023, is charged with figuring out whether the community wants to build a new elementary school or do an addition/renovation of the current building. It’s time to modernize our educational facility!
AUGUST UPDATE
At the August meeting the SBC discussed next steps as we wait for the MSBA to review and approve the various documents submitted in June for Module One. The SBC will host a booth on Medfield Day- Saturday, September 27th, 10:00-4:00. Our booth will be located behind the Town House. Please stop by with any questions, and/or thoughts as we move ahead with a future elementary school building project.
Do you have a question for the SBC?
In preparation for our Medfield Day booth, the SBC is putting together a brief “Current Questions” handout. If you have a question that you would like answered please send an email to: casey_sbc@medfield.net.
MSBA NEXT STEPS
After the MSBA reviews and accepts all of our submitted documents for Module One, the SBC will be invited to a MSBA Board meeting to begin Module Two. Module Two is when the Feasibility Process begins. Module Two begins with the hiring of an OPM (Owner’s Project Manager). We will let you know as soon as we hear back from the MSBA about our status. This process of moving to Module Two may take a few months.
NEIGHBORHOOD CAPTAINS
The Neighborhood Captains will meet in the next few weeks to focus on Medfield Day and building community involvement. If you think this is a way that you could help the SBC, please send a brief email with your name and address to Carolyn Casey@ casey_sbc@medfield.net.
Click to view a short video with an update from the August 20th meeting. All of the SBC updates and meeting packet materials can be found on the Town webpage by clicking Medfield School Building Committee in the menu under Government.
Missed a SBC meeting? Use this link to view previous meetings.
Sign up for information from the Medfield School Building Committee!
Do you want to stay informed on the proposed new elementary school project? The MSBC is making it even easier for you! Sign up for our email newsletter today!
Posted onMay 29, 2025|Comments Off on MCAP Seeking Focus Groups
From Viktorria Glissendorf at Medfield Outreach –
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Hi MCAP Members,
I’m attaching a flyer for our focus groups taking place next week, as well as a sample write-up you can use if you’d like. I’d really appreciate it if you could share this with your networks, especially those parents/guardians of high school/middle school students.
Information gathered will help influence our future coalition work, and is extremely valuable!
Posted onMay 14, 2025|Comments Off on MHS Senior Project Red Cross Blood Drive
Milena A.O. is pictured above in the center, with her friend on the left and her MHS advisor, chemistry teacher, Ashley Rimbley, on the right.
Milena A.O.’s Senior Project – a Blood Drive
Milena A.O.’s senior project this spring was to run a Red Cross blood drive at the Medfield High School gym on Sunday, May 11. Milena’s blood drive added 38 pints of blood to the Red Cross blood supply. Milena has been working on the annual Red Cross blood drives for years, since she was in middle school.
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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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