I hope that your summer is in full swing, enjoying time with family and friends and this beautiful weather. I am looking forward to some downtime with my family with the conclusion of the Legislature’s formal session and before Madison and Caitlin head back to college and Patrick back to Saint John's. It seems summer is never long enough here in New England!
In January, I welcomed Shrewsbury High School alum and May 2022 Fairfield University graduate Sophia Flionis as my new Legislative Aide. Sophia majored in Politics and Communication, minored in Humanitarian Action and was a member of the Honors Program.
Sophia interned in my State House office after her freshman year of college. I have been deeply impressed with Sophia’s work ethic and commitment to public service since I first met her at SHS when Sophia served on the Community Service-Learning Advisory Board, and I served as an Advisor.
Sophia and I were fortunate to also welcome two terrific summer interns, Westborough resident and rising senior at Colby College Emma West and Shrewsbury resident and rising sophomore at Cornell University Jackson Andrews. I am so grateful for their contributions to our office and in support of residents of the district!
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It was bittersweet to say goodbye earlier this year to a dear colleague, Representative Carolyn Dykema, who had served for 13 years as an outstanding member of the House and who I shared the honor of representing Westborough with, along with Rep. Danielle Gregoire. A warm, smart, caring and collaborative colleague, Carolyn has returned to work in the private sector, and though she will be greatly missed as a work colleague, Danielle, Carolyn and I will remain fabulous friends!
In May, I was honored to receive the Vic Karaian award from the Massachusetts Environmental Health Association, which recognizes outstanding contributions to and support of the practice of environmental health in the Commonwealth. MEHA recognized my commitment to local public health and leadership as one of the filers of the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community Act (SAPHE 2.0).
Conversations with Hannah
I have taped several episodes of Conversations with Hannah over the past few months and you can watch all the recent episodes here.
February: Jason Palitsch, Executive Director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership and Kristen Las, Shrewsbury Assistant Town Manager, who serves as the Public Sector Co-chair of the Partnership joined me. The Partnership leads the advancement of the 495/MetroWest region as an exceptional location for people, businesses and communities. The 36 cities and towns that are members work together on key transportation, housing, water resource and energy and sustainable development issues. I have served as an Advisory Board member since 2015 and love the opportunity to work with people in both the public and private sectors to advance the interests of the region.
April: Erin Boucher, as a candidate for Shrewsbury School Committee and Michelle Conlin, as a candidate for the Board of Selectmen, joined me to discuss their backgrounds, vision and what led them to run for office. Congratulations to both Erin and Michelle for winning their races as first-time candidates!
May: Representative Jeff Roy, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, joined me to discuss the climate legislation that the House has passed in the last two years and how Massachusetts is preparing to meet our state-wide net zero limit on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
June: I nominated Maribeth Lynch, President of the Shrewsbury Town Center Association (STCA), as a 2022 Commonwealth Heroine and she was celebrated this month at a statewide ceremony. Maribeth joins me, along with Moira Miller and Kristen Las to talk about the work of the STCA and the new signage in downtown Shrewsbury.
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Beacon Hill
The Legislature ended formal session on July 31st (or more accurately 10 am on the morning of August 1st). We will remain in informal session until the end of the year, and I will continue to cover informal session several times this fall for the GOP Caucus. All informal sessions must have a member of the minority party present and the sessions are led by the majority party, and the legislation taken up in informal sessions is generally local petitions and other legislation that is not contested. Since there are still a number of pieces of legislation awaiting final action by the Governor, I will provide a brief update below and a fuller update later this summer on the legislative outcomes for this session.
In April we welcomed Loring and Verna, NEADS World Class Service dogs, for a visit to the State House. I had a chance to visit the NEADS facility several months ago and always love the dog's visits to the State House. I was also happy to be a cosponsor of Representative Kim Ferguson's amendment to fund the NEADS service dogs for veterans program.
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FY23 Budget: The Legislature passed, and the Governor signed a $52.7 billion state budget for FY23. The budget includes $5.9 billion in Chapter 70 education aid for cities, towns and regional school districts, along with $1.23 billion in unrestricted general government aid (UGGA) to support other essential municipal program and services. This represents an increase of nearly $495 million in Chapter 70 aid and just over $63 million in UGGA funds compared to last year. Shrewsbury will receive $20,613,148 in direct education aid and $3,226,898 in unrestricted state aid. Westborough will receive $11,506,107 in direct education aid and $1,342,383 in unrestricted state aid.
The FY23 budget also includes funding for several local projects Senator Moore and I advocated for throughout the budget process. Those initiatives include: $50,000 for Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, Inc. for their continued implementation across the Commonwealth of the National Council for Behavioral Health’s Youth Mental Health First Aid program, $69,000 to the town of Shrewsbury for the purchase of new voting machines, $25,400 to the town of Shrewsbury for firefighter physical examinations, and $40,400 for the Westborough Fire Department for an equipment washer and commercial washer/dryers. I also worked alongside my colleague Senator Comerford to secure $15 million in the budget for local and regional public health efforts.
To help address the continued high levels of food insecurity, the budget includes emergency food assistance funding of $30.5 million and $12 million for the Healthy Incentives Program (plus rolling over any unused funding from this FY). The FY23 budget also includes $115 million to continue to provide universal free school meals for Massachusetts students now that the federal program has ended. These investments were top priorities of the Legislature’s Food System Caucus of which I am a Co-chair.
Finally, the budget includes a major policy initiative that I was a co-sponsor in advocating for - a ban on child marriage in Massachusetts, which is currently allowed under state law if the child’s parents grant permission.
Municipal and State Government Bond Bill: In July the Legislature passed a $5.2 billion bond bill to assist with the maintenance and upkeep of state and municipal government facilities. H5065, An Act financing the general governmental infrastructure of the Commonwealth, authorizes $675 million for capital needs at the state’s court facilities; $530 million for the construction, modernization and demolition of public safety and security facilities; $750 million for repairs, renovations and improvements to Massachusetts public higher education campus facilities and grounds; and $50 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund.
The bill also contains two earmarks for local priorities, including $1,000,000 for the HVAC system at Hastings Elementary School in Westborough as well as $1,000,000 for the expansion of the town cemetery in Shrewsbury. While this is good news, these projects are being paid for with bond money, and must first be signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker and worked under the state’s bond cap before the funding can be released, a process that could take several years.
Infrastructure Bond Bill: I recently voted to support H5151, An Act relative to Massachusetts’ transportation resources and climate, an $11.3 billion transportation infrastructure bond bill that will provide funding for MBTA safety improvements, planning and design costs associated with the East-West Rail project, and hundreds of local transportation and climate resiliency projects across Massachusetts.
H5151 builds on legislation originally filed by Governor Baker on March 17 to take advantage of the funding opportunities contained in the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that was signed last November. In addition to targeting funding for highways, roads, bridges, sidewalks, rail and airport improvements, regional transit networks and multi-modal purposes, the bond bill funds a variety of climate adaptation and emissions reduction initiatives, including an expansion of the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure and incentive programs promoting the use of e-bikes and public transportation, the replacement of high-emissions vehicles, and electric vehicles for hire and carsharing.
I was successful in securing a $5,000,000 local funding earmark for a Shrewsbury priority project that I have long advocated for, the rehabilitation and box widening of Route 20 from Route 9 to South Street. Additionally, Westborough received a $1,200,000 bond authorization for culvert replacements. Passing the bill is just the first step in a very long, multi-year process: because the earmarks are funded through bond money and not cash, there is no firm timeline for when the funding might be released, as it must still be worked under the state’s annual borrowing cap.
Legislation
Women’s Rights History Trail: The Governor signed into law earlier this spring H4555, legislation I co-filed with Reps. Dykema and Gregoire to create a Women’s Rights History Trail here in the Commonwealth. The legislation directs the development and implementation of the Trail to promote education and awareness of the many women from our Commonwealth who contributed to the fabric of our nation, who held an integral role in shaping and advancing American democracy, and who courageously led the Women’s Suffrage movement as central figures in our Commonwealth’s narrative.
Boston Channel 25 shared this piece on the legislation during Women’s History month in March while we were waiting for the Senate to take up the legislation:
I am grateful to the Minority Leader for appointing me to serve on the Women’s Rights History Trail Task Force and I am looking forward to the ceremonial signing with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor being planned in August in Worcester near the site of the first two National Women’s Rights Conferences held in 1850 and 1851.
Transformational Local Public Health Legislation: I am thrilled that in the last days of formal session the House and Senate unanimously passed legislation I co-filed with Rep. Denise Garlick and Senator Jo Comerford, H5104, An Act relative to accelerating improvements to the local and regional public health system to address disparities in the delivery of public health services ( SAPHE 2.0). This legislation is the culmination of years of work and advocacy which began for me in 2016 when I was appointed to the Special Commission on Local and Regional Public Health. It will eliminate many of the inequities in local public health care service delivery that were magnified by the COVID-19 global pandemic and will significantly strengthen our local public health system, ensuring it is more equitable, efficient, and effective.
The legislation requires the establishment of minimum standards for the Commonwealth’s local and regional public health systems and promotes more shared services between communities. The bill updates the Public Health Excellence Program, which was established in 2020 and is tasked with promoting adequate resources and support for local boards of health. The program is also responsible for developing standards for foundational public health services, covering diverse areas such as inspections; communicable disease investigations and reporting; environmental permitting; food and water protection; chronic disease and injury protection; and workforce education, training, and credentialing.
SAPHE 2.0 is a continuation of the work that began with the Legislature’s passage of the original SAPHE Act in April of 2020, legislation that I also filed. Both SAPHE 1.0 and SAPHE 2.0 grew out of the Blueprint for Public Health Excellence Report issued by the Special Commission on Local and Regional Public Health on which I served as Minority Leader Bradley Jones designee. This legislation is also the policy partner to the $200 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the Legislature earmarked in December of 2021 for local public health infrastructure.
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Commonwealth’s Veterans’ Homes: The state-run Holyoke and Chelsea Soldiers’ Homes will be subject to enhanced oversight and a streamlined chain of command under the provisions of a comprehensive reform bill H5106, An Act relative to the governance, structure and care of veterans at the Commonwealth’s veterans’ homes. The series of reforms contained in the bill were initiated in response to the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home that claimed the lives of 76 veterans. The changes are designed to prevent future tragedies and to help ensure the delivery of quality services to residents of both the Holyoke and Chelsea Soldiers’ Homes.
Veterans “SPEED” Act: The House and Senate finalized legislation to assist military personnel and their families with accessing education benefits and meeting professional licensure requirements. S3075, An Act relative to military spouse-licensure portability, education and enrollment of dependents (aka, the SPEED Act), established a Massachusetts National Guard Family Education Program. Under this program, National Guard members can transfer their unused education benefits provided under the National Guard Education Assistance Program to their children or dependents. In addition, the bill classifies military personnel stationed in Massachusetts, as well as their spouse and children, as in-state residents for tuition purposes when they enroll at one of the state’s public colleges or universities. The SPEED Act also requires the Commissioner of Public Health and each of the boards of registration and examination under their supervision to expedite the issuance of a license or certification to the spouses of military personnel who are certified or licensed in another state. The directive is designed to assist individuals who left their previous employment to accompany their spouse to Massachusetts following a military transfer. To help encourage more small businesses to hire military personnel, the SPEED Act establishes a tax credit of $2,000 per year for up to two years for every National Guard member they employ.
Nero’s Law: February Gov. Charlie Baker signed "Nero's Law", legislation I co-sponsored, into state law yesterday that ensures law enforcement officers' K-9 partners receive life-saving medical attention and transport to medical care if they are injured in the line of duty. The bill was drafted in response to a horrible shooting incident that tragically claimed the life of Yarmouth Police K-9 Sgt. Sean Gannon and severely injured Nero, his K-9 partner. Grateful to my colleagues Rep. Steve Xiarhos and former Rep. Will Crocker for their leadership and advocacy in getting this bill passed.
Westborough Select Board: In late May, the Governor signed legislation to rename the Westborough Board of Selectmen to the Westborough Select Board.
Food System Caucus
The Food System Caucus (FSC), of which I am a founder and Co-Chair, met in January to discuss supply chain issues and labor shortages for food banks, grocery stores and restaurants throughout the Commonwealth. This meeting highlighted major challenges within the Massachusetts Food System, specifically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues of inflation, product availability, and limited labor supply are top concerns for the Food System Caucus. Catherine Lynn and Julianne White of the Greater Boston Food Bank, Amy Pessia of Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Christina Maxwell of Food Bank of Western Mass, Jean McMurray of Worcester County Food Bank, Brian Houghton of MA Food Association, Steve Clark of MA Restaurant Association, and Winton Pitcoff of the MA Food System Collaborative all offered informative insight and knowledgeable solutions on actions that can be taken at the state level to support to Food System.
In April we had an exciting announcement at Union Station which will be the new home to the Worcester Regional Food Hub, where over $4.5M in federal funding will help consolidate multiple locations and expand from one kitchen to six for the over 100 small food businesses, many owned by women and minorities. Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito also announced another $22.5M in Food Security Infrastructure Grants to 147 grantees, expanding the local food system, increasing resiliency and providing more food to people in need.
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In June the FSC participated in a briefing led by the Greater Boston Food Bank that highlighted in their just released second annual statewide food insecurity report the continued high levels of food insecurity being experienced in the Commonwealth. Nearly one-third of Massachusetts adults are struggling to get enough to eat, and food pantry used among food-insecure adults increased from 1 in 3 in 2020 to 1 in 2 in 2021. Inflation, high grocery costs, and decreased income were the primary drivers.
Local Funding
$2.6M for Local Transportation Infrastructure: Shrewsbury will receive $989,227 and Westborough $807,982 in Chapter 90 funds for maintaining local roads and bridges this year and both towns are also getting additional funds to use on reconstructing, resurfacing and striping roads, as well as repairing or replacing traffic lights, signage, guardrails and storm gates. Shrewsbury will receive an additional $500,080 and Westborough $317,153 to use, totaling over $2.6M!
$2.4M Locally from Opioid Settlement: In April Attorney General Maura Healey announced that the national settlement with opioid drug distributors has resulted in $525 million in funds that have been secured for prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery programs throughout Massachusetts. Starting this spring and over the next 18 years, over $210 million will be distributed directly to Massachusetts municipalities and another $310 million will go into the statewide Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund. Under the settlement, it is expected that Shrewsbury would receive a maximum amount of $1,360,622 and Westborough would receive a maximum amount of $1,066,187 over the next 18 years. The first two annual payments due under the settlement are expected to flow into the state this spring and summer and from 2023 through 2038, the payments are expected annually, in July. As the opioid epidemic continues to claim lives at an even higher pace, this funding can be a significant aid in preventing and battling addiction.
$9.4M Construction Grant to the Westborough Public Library: The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners voted to award a long awaited $9.4M provisional construction grant for the renovation and expansion of the Westborough Public Library. Local Town Meeting approval of the project will be required in order to access this grant funding.
Shrewsbury and Westborough Firefighter Grants: Shrewsbury received $20,979 and Westborough $18,682 in grants from the Baker-Polito Administration to purchase a variety of equipment that will make firefighters’ jobs safer and healthier. Westborough also received a $2.052 grant to equip a first responder vehicle with Automated External Defibrillators. Shrewsbury and Westborough also received Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) grants of $6,275 and $5,175 each) and Senior SAFE Grants of $3,255 and $3,055 each.
I am also grateful to the Chief and members of the Westborough Fire Department for the educational opportunity in April to experience some of what they do every day to protect the community. I operated the jaws of life on a training vehicle and held the hoses when the water pressure increased while wearing the very heavy structural fire gear. It was incredibly helpful to have this first-hand knowledge and it only increased my already incredibly high respect for the selfless work of our first responders.
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Westborough Public Schools: WPS receive a $11,940 FY22 Proficiency-based Outcomes in Languages Other than English Grant from the state to collect and analyze data pertaining to proficiency in languages other than English (LOTE). This grant program is one of the ways that DESE supports World Language, Heritage Language, Dual Language, and English Language Learner programs across school districts in the Commonwealth.
Shrewsbury Green Community Funding: Shrewsbury was awarded $146,604 from the Department of Energy Resources for projects proposed including weatherization, LED lighting, EV Charging Station, hybrid police cruiser, and building operator certification training.
Workforce Training: SEM of Westborough was awarded $81,411 by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. This award comes from the Workforce Training Fund Program and will allow them to train 27 new workers and create 6 new jobs by 2023. This program works to increase skills and opportunities for workers throughout the Commonwealth and enhance the economic strength of Massachusetts-run businesses.
Safety Training Grants: The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development awarded The Town of Westborough $9,600 to train 30 workers by June 2022. In addition, Advantage Trucking of Shrewsbury was awarded $8,715 to train 45 workers by June 2022. These are both safety training grants awarded through the Department of Industrial Accidents Safety Training Grant program. The department is working on an initiative to provide Massachusetts companies with financial assistance to promote safe and healthy workplace conditions.
$415K in Small Business Relief Grants: Seven local companies in Shrewsbury and Westborough have received over $415,000 in financial assistance from the MA Growth Capital Corporation based on the impacts of COVID-19 on their businesses.
Municipal Fiber Grant: Congratulations to Westborough for receiving a $7,500 grant from the Baker-Polito Administration for municipal/school fiber.
Trail Funding: Shrewsbury received a MassTrails grant of $50,000 for a shared use path at Jordan Pond and Westborough received $11,161 for the replacement of the Bowman Bridge.
Mattress Collection Containers: The MA Department of Environmental Protection awarded Shrewsbury and Westborough $10,000 each to help purchase mattress collection containers as they comply with the mattress waste disposal ban set to be implemented November 1st.
Speaking Engagements
Melanoma Research Foundation Advocacy Day: As a Co-chair of the Cancer Awareness Caucus and a member of the Rare Disease Advisory Council, I appreciate the opportunity to talk with advocates about how to be most impactful when meeting with legislators and advocating for policy and budget matters.
Public Health Funding: I am grateful to Shrewsbury Town Manager Kevin Mizikar for his continued leadership and advocacy on improving local and regional public health. Kevin spoke as part of the Massachusetts Public Health Association rally at the State House with many other advocates to celebrate the work we have accomplished since the Special Commission on Local and Regional Health issued our report and recommendations in the spring of 2019. All speakers urged the passage of the SAPHE 2.0 legislation I filed with Rep. Denise Garlick and Senator Jo Comerford to create a 21st Century Local Public Health System, which the Legislature passed in late July.
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495/MetroWest Partnership: Since the State House is still closed to events the 495/MetroWest Partnership State House Day was held in the District at Framingham State University. There was a good legislative panel discussion on topics of regional importance including transportation, housing, small business support and water resources.
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Shrewsbury Senior Center: I enjoyed being the first guest speaker at the first Women’s Club meeting at the Senior Center. It is exciting to see this new club formed and it was wonderful to catch up with all the women attending the first meeting.
Community Events & Recognitions
Shrewsbury Police Station: It was exciting to join local officials and members of our community in early January for the official topping off of the new Shrewsbury Police Station, another great milestone in this critical project!
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New Winter Coats for Veterans: I was honored to partner with the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation (MMSF) and St. Anne’s Human Services to distribute brand new winter coats to all veterans and military personnel at St. Anne’s Food Pantry on Friday, January 21. The coats were provided at no cost through MMSF’s Coats4Vets program, a wonderful opportunity to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for our nation.
Memorial Day Remembrances: Shrewsbury and Westborough always honor and remember the sacrifices of our fallen service members with moving Memorial Day parades and gatherings. Thank you to Gold Star Mother Tracy Racine for sharing with Shrewsbury more about her late son PFC Brian Moquin and his love of country. In Westborough, I thanked the Parade Grand Marshal Kenneth Ferrera for his service in the Army and his service to veterans. I also spoke in my remarks about my friend Denny Drewry, a wonderful man who served as a Special Forces Green Beret Executive Officer in Vietnam and a 6-term Selectman, and who always worked to support veterans. Denny sadly passed away this past March. He will always have a special place in my heart.
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Shrewsbury Community Fridge: So wonderful to join the Shrewsbury Rotary Club for the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting of the Shrewsbury Community Fridge! It is available 24/7 and operates as "Take what you need and give what you can." Rotarian and Select Board member Beth Casavant and I were happy to donate $500 from our charitable foundation to help purchase stock for the pantry and fridge. Please visit the beautifully built Community Fridge at the Shrewsbury Senior Center and help a neighbor in need!
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Little League Parade: I had an absolute blast celebrating the start of Shrewsbury Little League's baseball and softball season at Dean Park! All the teams participated in a great parade, and I loved talking with the players and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch!
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Nourse Farm 300th Anniversary: The Nourse Farm in Westborough celebrated its’ 300th anniversary and invited the community to join them! The 15th oldest continuously operating business in the United States, the 8th, 9th and 10th generations of the Nourse family operate this treasured family farm and they planned family fun events for the weekend long celebration in June. I was so happy to join the Nourse family and attend the 300th Dedication Ceremony along with so many others celebrating this milestone.
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Local Events and Initiatives
Spending time in Shrewsbury and Westborough supporting local initiatives, attending events and speaking on issues important to our communities are the most rewarding aspects of being State Representative. Here is a sampling of initiatives from the last few months.
- Happy to be back in-person for both the Worcester County League of Sportsmen’s Club Annual Appreciation Banquet and the MA Sportsmen Council Annual Banquet. Great turnout at both events!
- It was wonderful to attend the FIRST Robotics New England District Central MA Competition and speak at the Opening Ceremony in March. So happy that Shrewsbury High School was able to host this event for the 2nd time, it seemed like a lifetime ago in March of 2019 when I attended the first one. I am always amazed at the ingenuity, teamwork and energy of the Robotics teams and grateful to all the mentors who share their knowledge and passion with the next generation of scientific and technology leaders and innovators!
- The Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce held the annual Legislative Breakfast back in person at the DoubleTree Hotel with a well-moderated discussion covering many key issues being discussed on Beacon Hill and in the local communities.
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- Julio’s in Westborough hosted the “Wine and Hops Support the Cops” fundraiser for the Westborough Police Foundation in early April, thank you to all who turned out to support!
- There have been several Eagle Courts of Honor this spring to celebrate and acknowledge the tremendous achievement of earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Congratulations to Westborough Boy Scout Troop 100's newest Eagle Scouts Logan James, Liam Johnson and Connor McLeod and Shrewsbury Troop 4's newest Eagle Scouts Matt Pellizzari and Eddy Naras. I presented Anthony Biscotti of Troop 114 a citation at the Shrewsbury Senior Center which is the site of Anthony’s Eagle Scout project. Anthony built and installed the garden planters for vegetables and flowers for seniors visiting the Senior Center to tend to and enjoy! Congratulations to all – our communities are proud!
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- Congratulations to the Westborough Girl Scouts Lily Fox, Harshada Nagarajan, Molly Northrup, Olivia Rice and Sophie Scerbin for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award and Shrewsbury Girl Scout Caeley Gale and Westborough Girl Scouts Mary Durnan, Meredith Kelley and Anya Lelacheur for earning their Girl Scout Silver Awards!
- We welcomed Springtide Child Development to Shrewsbury in April with a grand opening ribbon cutting. Sen. Mike Moore, Selectman Moe DePalo and I offered our congratulations and got a great tour of the welcoming facility located at 910 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury. Springtide offers personalized, integrative treatment plans for children 2-18 years old with autism. Their interdisciplinary team of caring specialists coordinate daily to track progress and help children succeed.
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- It was wonderful to join Westborough officials, members of the Economic Development Committee and local business owners in the Forbes building to celebrate 6 area businesses for their growth, commitment to the Westborough community and job creation.
- I presented a citation from the House of Representatives to Shrewsbury’s Project 351 Ambassador Natalie Aredes in front of her 8 Gold Team. Natalie was chosen by teachers and leadership at Oak to participate in Project 351's youth-led year of service. She joins unsung hero 8th graders chosen from each community in the Commonwealth and they will transform communities, elevate kindness, advance social justice and gain the courage, compassion and capabilities to lead change. I also thanked Dr. Ann Jones for being such a terrific supporter of Project 351 and wishing her well in her retirement!
- We had a wonderful tribute to a very special lady, with a new bench installed in memory of Brenda Ljunggren in Edgemere Park close to where she and Red raised their family. She is deeply missed, and it was good to celebrate her memory with her family and friends.
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- I attended the India Society of Worcester’s annual meeting held hybrid-style. It was great to get an update as a member on all the exciting work being done!
- The Shrewsbury Community Preservation Committee held a well-attended public forum at the library to gather input on the needs in town for Open Space, Outdoor Recreation, Historic Preservation and Affordable Housing. Grateful to the CPC for their work leading this effort!
- Senator Moore and I were so pleased to present Aryan Kumar citations from the House and Senate recognizing Aryan being chosen as one of just 161 United States Presidential Scholars!! The Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors "some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high schools seniors." Aryan graduated from the Advanced Math and Science Academy and will be studying biology/pre-med at Washington University this fall. Congratulations Aryan!
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- DetecTogether held a wonderful evening at Saint John’s with comedian and magician Justin Willman, as part of their annual Golf Tournament to raise funds to support their work in saving lives through early cancer detection!
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Rotary Club of Shrewsbury recognized and celebrated long-time member and veteran Art Dobson’s 90th birthday milestone!
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Contacting my office
While this email is not inclusive of all my work, I hope the information is relevant and helpful. My prior update emails can be found here on my website in the “Updates from Hannah” section and I will continue to post regular updates on my State Representative Facebook page.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance.
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Hannah Kane
State Representative
11th Worcester District
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