Fringe Tree in Bloom – but waning

Posted on May 22, 2025 | 3 comments

The spectacular fringe tree that sits atop the front Great Lawn at the former Medfield State Hospital site was blooming last weekend when I went by, but this year it is not as full of blooms and as robust looking as it has been in the past.

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Posted in Medfield State Hospital

MHS Senior Project Red Cross Blood Drive

Posted on May 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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Posted in Events, Medfield High School, People, Schools, Teens

MYBS Parade

Posted on May 14, 2025 | Comments Off on MYBS Parade

MYBS held its opening day parade on Sunday, May 4.

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Posted in Children, Events, Sports, Teens

MFD Chief Bill DeKing Sworn In

Posted on May 14, 2025 | Comments Off on MFD Chief Bill DeKing Sworn In

At the Select Board meeting last night a plethora of chiefs attended – in the front row sat the family of Bill DeKing – Chief Bill DeKing was pinned by his father, the Fire Chief of Bill’s hometown in upstate New York – located between Albany and Syracuse (per what Bill’s Dad told me). Nice to see so many Town of Medfield first responders attended, both Fire and Police.

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Posted in Fire Department

Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund Awards $40,000 In 2025 Grants

Posted on May 14, 2025 | Comments Off on Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund Awards $40,000 In 2025 Grants

From Colleen Sullivan on the Medfield Patch –

Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund Awards $40,000 In Grants

On a beautiful evening in Medfield, the MFi Legacy Fund Grant recipients gathered in celebrating these groups and volunteers

Colleen M. Sullivan's profile picture
Colleen M. Sullivan,Community ContributorVerified User Badge

Posted Mon, May 12, 2025 at 9:57 pm ET

Photograph by Colleen Sullivan

Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund Awards $40,000 In Grants

The Medfield Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2025 Legacy Fund Community Impact Grants. The Medfield Foundation (MFi) is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable corporation whose mission is to build community by supporting nonprofit initiatives, raising funds for those in need, and distributing grants that positively impact Medfield.

Since 2018, over $135,000 in grants have been awarded to Medfield community groups. The annual process starts with a “Call for Applications” in February, with invitations for semi-finalists to compete in a Pitch It! Shark Tank type event in April, and selection of final winning recipients in May. Any Medfield-based nonprofit or Town department is eligible to apply.

“It’s an honor to support these amazing groups and volunteers that contribute so much to our community”, said Chris Cahill, Co-Chair of the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund Committee.

This year’s grants were awarded to:

  • Friends of Medfield High School Theatre Society for sound and stage support
  • Sustainable Medfield for an educational mailing to new residents
  • Peak House Heritage Center for a structural survey and their re-siding project
  • Medfield Animal Shelter towards shelter renovation needs
  • Zullo Gallery Center for the Arts toward strategic planning for building ownership

ABOUT THE MEDFIELD FOUNDATION LEGACY FUND

The Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund is a professionally-managed endowment fund supported by generous gifts from the community. The Legacy Fund invests for the long term while also helping to address current needs through grantmaking. Grants are made to organizations working in the community through an annual competitive process conducted by volunteers serving on the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund Grant Committee.

For more information or to contribute to the Medfield Foundation Legacy Fund, please visit https://www.MedfieldFoundation.org

Make an Impact. Leave a Legacy!

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Posted in Medfield Foundation

Trump Tariffs Add to Our New Dale School Costs, per Globe

Posted on May 12, 2025 | 1 comment

From today’s Globe:

School construction costs are already skyrocketing. Tariffs could drive them higher.

By Christopher Huffaker Globe Staff,Updated May 12, 2025, 4:48 a.m.

35

Superintendent Karen Maguire, in her office, pointed to the new construction of the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School on May 5. Tariffs are expected to add $2 million to the cost of the building's steel frame, due for delivery soon.
Superintendent Karen Maguire, in her office, pointed to the new construction of the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School on May 5. Tariffs are expected to add $2 million to the cost of the building’s steel frame, due for delivery soon.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

FRANKLIN — School construction costs have risen sharply in recent years

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/12/metro/trump-tariffs-school-buildings/?s_campaign=spoint:newsletter

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Posted in Uncategorized

Town Land For Sale

Posted on May 8, 2025 | 2 comments

Monday at the annual town meeting (ATM) Steve Dragotakes asked about what town owned land was currently for sale, and Select Board chair Murby mentioned the land at the former Medfield State Hospital site known as Parcel B which is South of Hospital Road where a basketball facility was recently proposed – shown as The South Field on the above plan.

For me the primary town property I would like to see monetized first is not that Parcel B which are beautiful open fields and woods, but rather the land that the Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee called The Arboretum. The Arboretum is about 12 acres that contains the former employee homes around the Stonegate entrance (the entrance nearest the downtown).

I suggest the town should first seek to sell The Arboretum after the Trinity Financial project is built, as then The Arboretum land will substantially increase in value. In the interim, I would suggest that the town change the zoning on that land from the sparse density the Medfield State Hospital Master Planning Committee placed on it, so as to permit more dense development and add more to its sale value.

We all want to preserve open space, but to me the open space I treasure at the former Medfield State Hospital site are the fields surrounding the already built areas, and I am not bothered by building greater density in the already built areas. 

I see Old Village Square off of RTE 27 as a model for the density and curb appeal of what could go in The Arboretum. Old Village Square nets the town a large net profit of real estate taxes over municipal costs each year – maybe $600,000/year. The Arboretum developed in a similar manner could add maybe $1,000,000/year to our tax base without much town cost. My path to lowering our high residential real estate taxes is more via building housing that has minimal municipal costs, instead of looking to more business, commercial or industrial development – which few developers seem to want to locate in Medfield.

2 Comments

Posted in Buildings, Development, Medfield State Hospital, Open space, Planning, Select Board matters

Office Hours Tomorrow

Posted on May 8, 2025 | Comments Off on Office Hours Tomorrow

Select Board Office Hours this Friday

Office hours are tomorrow at The Center from 9:00 to 10:00 AM, postponed for a week due to the FOSI yard sale preparations at The Center last Friday.

NB – I regularly hold regular monthly office hours at The Center on the first Friday of every month.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Senate Ways & Means adds less than $40K for Medfield

Posted on May 6, 2025 | Comments Off on Senate Ways & Means adds less than $40K for Medfield

Looks to be a lean year for Medfield’s state aid, as the Senate Ways & Means Committee added less than $40K to the House budget numbers for Medfield, which were already only small increases. All the state $ must be going for the $25m. parking garage in the Speaker’s district:

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Posted in Budgets, Legislature, State

Eagle Scout Noah Hutchinson

Posted on May 6, 2025 | Comments Off on Eagle Scout Noah Hutchinson

From Hilli Passas –

Troop 10 celebrates their newest Eagle Scout, Noah Hutchinson

On Saturday, May 3rd, 2025, Troop 10 honored their newest Eagle Scout, Noah Hutchinson, at an Eagle Court of honor at the UCC, Medfield.  Noah’s scouting career started in Pack 8888 in Suzhou, China, then on to Pack 22 in Natick followed by Pack 113 Medfield. In Troop 10 Medfield, he found a place to grow, thrive, make life long friends and learn vital life skills such as Wilderness First Aid for his highlight trip canoeing 50 miles in the wilderness at Maine High Adventure.  For Noah’s Eagle project he planned the Native Pollinator Garden at the Medfield Rail Trail on the corner of Harding and West Mill streets, procured a variety of native plants,  planted and cared for the garden. The pollinator garden not only serves local wildlife, but adds to the delight of visitors and, as a demonstration garden, provides education on native plants. 

Noah is an accomplished Senior at Medfield HS; singing in Soundwaves HS A Cappella choir; playing rugby for Wrentham Barbarians; is a black belt in karate and serving as a student teacher at Villari’s in Natick.  He is a lifeguard at Kingsbury Club. This summer, he will train as an EMT. In the fall he is heading to Quinnipiac University to study Biomedical Science and play club rugby.

Medfield is lucky and grateful to have many active Scouts who carry out service projects and help make our town a great place to live.

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Posted in Events, Medfield Rail Trail, People, Scouts, Teens, Trails, Volunteers