🔨 Fixing McGrath Square
FPS Sudden BLOCKS Move | Council Discusses Facebook | What I am Reading | The Civic Week Ahead
Downtown Framingham, Inc., celebrated their 20th anniversary last week, Framingham.
It was a wonderful event featuring Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll highlighting the successes of Downtown Framingham and the organization helping and promoting local businesses. Huge congratulations to DFI Director Reyad Shah for putting on a fun event! It was community building at its finest!
Yes, it is Wednesday and this week’s issue is a bit late. My apologies. Now onto this week’s issue…
Have a comment or question? I’d love to hear from you. Email me at mkfeeney@gmail.com
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Fixing McGrath Square
Finally happening: After years of meetings, discussions and plans, transforming McGrath Square in Saxonville is on the docket for next year.
What does it entail: Bill Sedewitz, Chief Engineer, told the Council last week the project includes roadway, intersection and sidewalk reconstruction, new signal lighting, ornamental street lights, bike lanes, pedestrian access to businesses, and public off street parking improvements. The improvements are creating a more “village” atmosphere.
Additionally, the improvements to the intersection will improve safety and traffic flow and reduce queues during peak hours.
Water and sewer infrastructure needs updating: Before construction on the square begins, the City will address sewer work that extends through Stapleton School property and should be completed over the summer 2024, and water work in the fall 2024.
Will the utilities be put underground?: Many in Saxonville hope part of the reconstruction would include putting all utility lines underground. According to Sedewitz, this is infeasible due to the cost. He has spoken to Eversource and other companies, and it would add millions of dollars to the project.
When will the project begin?: The city will put the project out to bid next winter, with construction starting in Spring 2025.
Replacing the McGrath Memorial: The intersection is named after James J. McGrath who grew up in Saxonville and was the first Framingham son to give his life in World War I. A sign currently stands on an island in the intersection. The reconstruction plans include a relocation of the memorial to a landscaped area with a boulder with a bronze plaque memorial.
FPS Sudden BLOCKS Move
Making Moves: Last week Framingham Public Schools announced two Spanish Immersion pre-kindergarten classes currently at BLOCKS at Juniper Hill will be moving to Plymouth Church at the end of February. The move is due to the increase in enrollment at its current location, and will allow FPS to open four new classrooms to support students with disabilities at Juniper Hill.
According to the FAQ sent out by FPS: “The Spanish Immersion classrooms are moving due to the fact that these two classrooms are considered standard, tuition paying classrooms and do not offer an inclusive learning environment. Moving these two classrooms will allow for additional classrooms at BLOCKS/Juniper Hill School to meet the programming needs of students with disabilities and provide speech and language and physical and occupational services as the school is designed to provide.”
Wait, isn’t this a civil rights violation?: Again, the FAQ states: “The curriculum, daily routine, etc. will remain the same and the teachers and students will move to the new location. Moreover, the BLOCKS Spanish Immersion program is not a program exclusively for language minority students. If it were, and they were separated from all other students, then this could be deemed a Civil Rights violation. However, our program has students from English-speaking families as well.”
Why Plymouth Church?: In a memo to the School Committee, Lincoln Lynch IV, FPS Executive Director of Finance and Operations, stated the need for space outside the District is “because after a thorough review, there are no other feasible locations in-district for the expansion. The move aligns with our PreK Strategic Plan that was presented on September 6, 2023.”
The cost: The lease would go from March 1, 2024 to June 20, 2027 for four PreK classrooms. The proposed lease would cost $4,568 a month, totaling $155,312. Payment for the remainder of the year would come from the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative grant. The lease would have to be approved by the Council and School Committee before any moves could be made.
Parents were not happy: The announcement in an email from Christina Shea, FPS’ Early Education Manager, was sent to parents the same day the teachers were told of the move. At the time of the email, the new location was not announced. Citing communications issues, disruption to students, concern over the suitability of the new location, timing of the move, parents wrote to School Committee members and Councilors, and Superintendent Robert Tremblay. They formed a Facebook group to coordinate. And District 4 School Committee Member Adam Freudberg held office hours at the BLOCKS playground on Sunday.
Change in plans: Late Sunday night, FPS announced a change of plans. “After much reflection and discussion, the District is going to withdraw the proposal to transition any classrooms out of BLOCKS/Juniper Hill at this time. We will not be advancing a lease to the Framingham School Committee or City Council for a vote.”
Also in their email to families, FPS says they “will be working with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to address compliance issues and will continue to reallocate space within BLOCKS in order to properly address student learning needs in the short-term.”
What now?: This issue is on the School Committee agenda for their February 7th meeting. BLOCKS parents are expected to attend the meeting.
Council Discusses Facebook
While Congress was holding hearings about children and the use of social media, the Framingham Council spent nearly 40 minutes discussing the Council’s official page on Facebook and their website at last week’s meeting.
The problem: At the beginning of last week’s meeting, the Council held an Executive Session regarding ‘A discussion regarding recent disturbing telephone calls.” Later on their agenda was “A discussion regarding public Councilor contact and biographical information provided on the City Council website and City Council social media outlets.”
At the beginning of the new Council session in January, the Council Facebook page featured a Councilor photo and biography each day. This was a new feature as a way to increase the Council’s presence on social media.
The Council’s Facebook page was created on January 4, 2019.
What they said: “I don't understand what the purpose of having a Facebook page that gives…that’s like a personal Facebook page for a Councilor. I have my own personal and I control what information goes on that. So, I really have a problem with this Facebook page that has been created that has our pictures, our bio, where we work, and it’s got way more information than Facebook needs to know. I don’t know why I have to have a separate Facebook page that’s issued by the City that I have no control over when I have an independent Facebook page that I created for myself that I control. I control what’s on that, what gets released.” said District 1 Councilor Christine Long at the start of the discussion.
Long’s comments began a lengthy back and forth about the Facebook page, permissions from Councilors, the website, and some confusion between the website and Facebook.
Councilor Mike Cannon of District 4 said he was asked questions and asked to see what was going to be posted before it was posted. He said everyone had the opportunity, and that every Councilor should choose what they want out on the Internet. Councilor Brandon Ward of District 2 chimed in the Facebook page is “a great idea” to keep the public engaged and the Council transparent.
First Amendment Rules: When discussing the removal of comments or posts, Public Information Officer Susan Petroni stood up to say all Facebook posts from official city pages cannot be removed and become part of the city’s social media record. Comments cannot be removed due to the First Amendment.
Councilor safety a concern: Throughout the debate, some Councilors expressed concern for their safety. Long believed the Facebook page caused the phone calls. Councilor Tracey Bryant of District 9 stated she would like the city to provide her with a cell phone.
“If people want to reach us, you can give them your personal phone number if you want but I’d like my personal phone number to be separate. The police suggest having city-issued cell phones, right, because they can read the ping if you are kidnapped…” And then suggested Councilors should have phone numbers in the Memorial Building where residents can leave confidential voice messages.
How it ended: Due to the lateness of the hour, general consensus was Councilors have the right to control what information is put on the Council’s Facebook page and website.
What I am Reading
Framingham city councilor to lead elementary school building committee
Framingham recycling official: Residents should skip bagging curbside
Geothermal pilot in Framingham could be key decarbonization answer
Private school enrollments have been declining in MA. How are local schools faring?
The Civic Week Ahead
Wednesday, February 7
Thursday, February 8
7:00pm: Charter Review Committee Agenda
In Closing….
This was quite the week in Framingham. I held off on sending The Ham’er thinking I would cover the Council’s discussion with Dr. Bob Tremblay about school violence at last night’s Council meeting. But the entire meeting was so…chaotic… that I will dedicate next Monday’s issue to the entire meeting. I’ll be discussing the weird public comments made at the beginning of the meeting, the segment about the schools, and the very long debate about Council Rules.
It’ll be a packed issue.
Enjoy the rest of the week. It is going to be in the 50s on Saturday! With sun!
-Mary Kate
Always filled with good information. Kudos Mary Kate.
Another excellent "hammer" Mary Kate. The very reason private schools are doing well in Metro West
is shown on page 2A of the MWDN( 02/06/24). Note the juxtaposition of the private schools, followed by Violence in Framingham schools. Little wonder that private schools are doing well.
Best Regards
Bob Draper
Framingham