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.
Posted onApril 14, 2021|Comments Off on State budget clears House
Medfield’s #s in the budget proposal –
Contact Your Legislator Today!
HOUSE W&M COMMITTEE OFFERS $47.65B FY22 BUDGET WITH KEY INVESTMENTS IN MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL AID• INCLUDES THE FULL $39.5M INCREASE IN UGGA• INCREASES CHAPTER 70 BY $21M ABOVE GOV’S BUDGET TO FUND THE STUDENT OPPORTUNITY ACT ON SCHEDULE• INCREASES CHARTER SCHOOL REIMBURSEMENTS BY $37M• ADDS $55M FOR STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND SUMMER SCHOOL GRANTS• INCLUDES $367M TO FUND THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CIRCUIT BREAKER• RESTORES $6M TO LEVEL FUND REGIONAL SCHOOL TRANS. AT FY21 LEVEL• ADDS $1M TO McKINNEY-VENTO REIMBURSEMENTS OVER FY21•ADDS $2M TO PILOT
April 14, 2021
Dear Osler Peterson,
Earlier today, the House Ways & Means Committee advanced a $47.65 billion fiscal 2022 state budget plan to the full House for consideration later this month. The plan would increase overall state expenditures by 2.6 percent over the current year’s budget, and reflects a 3.9 percent increase over the Governor’s January budget proposal. The HW&M budget matches the 3.5% increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) in the Gov’s budget, adds a significant increase to Chapter 70 school aid and Charter School reimbursements, and includes $55 million in important new grant programs.
The full House will start debate on the FY22 budget on April 26, and House members must file all budget amendments by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 16. The House usually considers over 1000 amendments during budget debate week.
H. 4000, the House Ways & Means budget, provides progress on many important local aid priorities, including the full $39.5 million increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid that the Governor proposed and communities are counting on. The House Ways & Means budget also mirrors the Governor’s proposed increase for Special Education Circuit Breaker, with an increase over FY 2021 of $22.5 million.
The HW&M budget would increase funding for other major aid programs, by adding $21 million to Chapter 70 aid above the House One recommendation, for a total increase of $219 million; $37 million in additional funds for Charter School Mitigation payments, and an additional $1 million for McKinney-Vento transportation for homeless students. To acknowledge student enrollment declines due to the public health emergency, H. 4000 would set aside $40 million in a one-time reserve account to assist districts impacted by the decline, as well as $15 million in one-time grant funding for summer school and student mental health support. The proposal would also provide an increase of $1 million for public libraries and $1 million for regional public libraries. H. 4000 also proposes a $2 million increase for the Payment-in-Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for state-owned land account.
$39.5 MILLION INCREASE IN UNRESTRICTED MUNICIPAL AID
In January, the Administration kept its commitment to cities and towns to tie the increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid to the projected rate of growth in state tax revenues. This year, that increase was 3.5%, representing an increase of $39.5 million. The House Ways and Means FY 2022 plan would provide $1.168 billion for UGGA, reflecting the same increase proposed by Governor Baker. In a statement released by the Chairs of the Joint Ways and Means Committee last week, the two chambers have reached an agreement on this amount and every city and town will see their UGGA funding increase by 3.5%. This is welcome news to provide stability and predictability in municipal budgeting.
CHAPTER 70 AID RETURNS TO ORIGINAL STUDENT OPPORTUNITY ACT SCHEDULE
The House budget committee is proposing a $219 million increase in Chapter 70 education aid ($21 million higher than the $197.7 million increase in H. 1), which would fund the “goal rates” originally set forth in the Student Opportunity Act. The SOA schedule set a 7-year schedule beginning in FY 2021, but that was sidelined last year due to the public health emergency. To get back on track, the MMA joined with other education advocates to ask the Legislature to fund Chapter 70 at an SOA implementation rate of 1/6th rather than 1/7th in order to return to the intended schedule. Last week, House and Senate leaders reached a local aid funding agreement, which included this commitment to fund the increases in the SOA at 1/6th, funding Chapter 70 at a total of $5.503 billion. While this is important progress for districts, most districts remain at minimum aid.
CHARTER SCHOOL MITIGATION PAYMENTS WOULD INCREASE BY $37 MILLION
House Ways & Means is proposing a total of $154 million for Charter School Mitigation Payments, which reflects an increase of $37 million over the current fiscal year. In keeping with the first year of a 3-year phase-in funding schedule outlined in the Student Opportunity Act, this investment meets the Legislature’s statutory obligation to fund charter school reimbursements at 75%. Charter school finance still presents a major challenge to many districts, in a number of cases negating the increases districts realize in Chapter 70 aid.
$367 MILLION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION CIRCUIT BREAKER
In line with the Governor’s budget recommendation in January, the House Ways & Means Committee’s budget includes the Governor’s recommendation of $367 million for Special Education Circuit Breaker, a $22.5 million increase over FY 2021. The Student Opportunity Act expanded the circuit breaker by including out-of-district transportation, an important enhancement for cities and towns.
HW&M PROVIDES MIXED FUNDING FOR SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION ACCOUNTS
The House Ways & Means budget level funds regional transportation at $82 million. The budget would increase transportation for homeless students under McKinney-Vento by $1million to $14.4 million. There is no line item for out-of-district vocational transportation, which last year was funded at $250,000.
PAYMENTS-IN-LIEU-OF-TAXES (PILOT) AND LIBRARY AID
Recognizing the importance of Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOTS) for state-owned land, the House Ways & Means Committee increased the line-item by $2 million to $33 million. The Governor’s budget had recommended level-funding at $31 million. Underfunding PILOT over the years has created a significant hardship for smaller communities with large amounts of state-owned property. The accounts for public libraries and regional public libraries would each see an increase of $1 million.
SUMMARY
It is clear that House leaders are prioritizing K-12 funding and other increases for cities and towns, as they advance an agenda to ensure stability during a time of uncertainty. The local funding aid agreement reached by the Joint Ways and Means Committee last week, including commitments to UGGA, Chapter 70, and the acknowledgement of school enrollment challenges, will create a more stable budget-setting process for cities and towns in the weeks and months ahead. This progress is deeply appreciated. During the budget debate and legislative session, the MMA will work to build on this progress, and will continue to advocate for full funding of the education funding priorities outlined in the Student Opportunity Act, fixing the serious problems caused by the current charter school system, securing higher Chapter 70 minimum aid increases, achieving full funding for all municipal and school reimbursement programs, and providing higher PILOT funding.
Please Call Your Representatives Today to Thank Them for the Local Aid Investments in the House Ways and Means Committee BudgetPlease Explain How the House Ways and Means Budget Would Impact Your Community, and Ask Your Representatives to Build on this Progress During the Budget DebateThank You!
Posted onApril 14, 2021|Comments Off on Soles of Medfield Running Club loves the New Life 5k Trail Run
This Running Club loves the New Life 5k Trail Run
By Tod Dimmick
Soles of Medfield Running Club is one many teams with deep local roots that will participate in the New Life 5k Trail Run. We asked John Trigg, one of the Club organizers, about Soles of Medfield, and why they love this particular event.
Trigg said that Soles of Medfield has members from all around the “greater Medfield” area, including Medfield, Millis, Sherborn, Norfolk, Walpole and other towns. “We started as a loose collection of friends and neighbors training for a half marathon in 2015, and the team snowballed from there,” he said. He added that what evolved from a mailing list to a Facebook group is now a formal non-profit running club with a regular schedule of runs of all lengths. Trigg says team members come from all experience levels; from ‘couch to 5k’ to ultramarathoners. He said, “We’re just here to provide community and support.”
“The New Life 5k Trail Run is one of our favorite events,” Trigg said. “Not only is the event local, and benefits such a great organization, but the route and use of the state hospital sets it apart from just about every other 5K. The course is challenging, but provides great scenery all the way around. Runners of all levels will enjoy it.” Trigg said he loves that the New Life 5K Trail Run benefits the mission of the New Life Furniture Bank of MA.
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.
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 is open at www.newlifefb.org/5k, with discounts for teams of four or more. 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, UCC Medfield Trail Blazers, Eliot Church XC, and others.
Soles of Medfield welcomes new members. Learn more at solesofmedfield.com and on Facebook and Instagram. Questions are welcome at solesofmedfield@gmail.com. “Maybe run with us to see if you like who we are and our runs,” Trigg suggests. “Come find people to run with.”
Comments Off on Soles of Medfield Running Club loves the New Life 5k Trail Run
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.
