Honoring Our Veterans

Andover:
The Andover Patriotic Holiday Committee hosts the 2022 Veterans’ Day Ceremony on Ballardvale Green (Andover St./Center St.) at 11:11 am.

North Andover:
The Parade starts at 10:15am at First and Main Plaza. The Ceremony follows immediately at Patriots Memorial Park. If inclement weather, services will be held in Middle School Veterans Auditorium at 10:30 am.

Tewksbury:
The ceremony will be on the Town Common at 11am.

Boxford:
The James L. Melvin American Legion Post 379 of Boxford will conduct a Veterans Day Ceremony at 11:00am at the James M. Melvin Green, Elm Street in East Boxford. All residents of Boxford and surrounding communities are welcome to attend.

Run for the Troops has its Annual Dinner on Friday, November 11, and 5K Run on Sunday, November 13. More information is available at http://runforthetroops5k.com.

North Parish Climate Justice Group presentation on Solar Energy
ReVision Energy’s Massachusetts Branch Sales Manager Malcolm Sonnett presents Solar 101: Residential Solar Energy, Heath Pumps & Batteries, on Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 4 pm at North Parish of North Andover in the chapel, 190 Academy Rd, North Andover. Learn how grid-tied solar works, the all-electric household model (including heat pumps, EV charging, and Battery Storage), and how systems are designed.

Andrews Farm Community Meeting
Join the Boxford Select Board and the state delegation to discuss the water supply situation on Wednesday, November 16 at 7pm at Boxford Town Hall.

The Feaster Five is back in person and once again I’m sponsoring a team! It’s the best way to work off that Thanksgiving dinner – before you even eat it! Come join my team; from the main page, choose TeamTram.

The Andover Firefighters’ Santa Parade is back on November 27, 2022 at 1pm. Now is the time to sign up to sponsor – the deadline is November 1. You can find the sponsorship form here. You may also donate online here. If your group would like to march in the parade, access the sign-up form here.

Save the date: there will be a special town meeting on Thursday, December 1 to discuss the West Elementary School building. For more information about the school building project, click here. For more about the meeting, click here.

The North Andover Makers Market is a wonderful opportunity to buy one-of-a-kind gifts, locally made! Save the dates to shop!

I was proud to join Senator Barry Finegold in supporting A Better Chance of Andover, which celebrated its 55th anniversary. The board, staff, volunteers and host families have built a remarkable program to address inequities in academic and leadership opportunities for young people of color and to date have empowered nearly 150 AHS students who have graduated from high school and college.

Glad to join Amy and Barry Finegold at Ironstone Farm for a Spy’s Night Out, and help bring healing with more horsepower to those in need. Congratulations on your 20th annual fundraising gala!

The Legislature just passed a $3.79B Economic Development package, which commits to significant economic investments and provides relief on top of the $3B going out to families and individuals in tax rebates. The bill invests $350M for fiscally-strained hospitals; $17.5M for reproductive health care including abortion care (includes $1 million for an education campaign to inform the public that crisis pregnancy centers do not offer abortion care); $195M for nursing homes; $225M for rate increases for human service workers; $150M for early childhood providers; $150M in clean energy and electric vehicle initiatives we established earlier this year; $153M for small businesses impacted by COVID; $100M to offset UI overpayments; $20M for gun violence prevention; $57M for LIHEAP to ease winter heating costs; $400M for housing projects; and more. The package uses up our 2022 state surplus along with $510M in federal ARPA dollars.

Additionally, our State Delegation secured an incredible amount of funding for local projects and initiatives like the Andover recreation area, Boxford traffic study, North Andover food insecurity restaurant meals program, and Tewksbury veterans housing project. More local funding wins are listed in the graphics.

Seeing young people this excited about politics makes me smile! Glad to join the Legislative delegation in welcoming and meeting these engaging young students from Masconomet Middle School. They inspire me to work hard to build a bright future for them.

The DTA is requiring cash assistance clients (TAFDC or EAEDC) in the Lawrence Area to change their PIN to protect them from benefit theft through skimming scams. Residents are encouraged to change their EBT card PIN now, as well as continue to do so before each time they get their benefits. On or after 10/26, DTA will remove the client's PIN if they haven't changed it or received a new card.

Cardholders can change their PIN through automated steps by calling the number on the back of their card. Instructions on how to change a PIN are available in 11 languages at Mass.gov/ProtectYourEBT

The Lawrence DTA covers Amesbury, Andover, Boxford, Bradford, Byfield, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Merrimac, Methuen, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, Salisbury Beach, Ward Hill, West Boxford, West Newbury.

Student Debt Relief

The Biden Administration officially unveiled the Student Loan Debt Relief Application. For more information on the application process, click here. To apply, borrowers can click here. The application is currently accessible online (a paper application will be made available soon) in English and Spanish and takes less than five minutes to complete! The deadline for submitting an application is December 31st, 2023.

UPCOMING WEBINARS & RESOURCES
Cancellation Webinars: the Student Borrower Protection Center will be providing free webinars that will be open to the public for folks interested in learning more about the cancellation program. To view all upcoming webinars, click here.

Free School Lunch

The Legislature has provided funding to extend free school meals for all students through the 2022-2023 school year. This means that breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost to all students. Massachusetts is 1 of only 5 states where all returning students can receive breakfast and lunch without the barriers of cost or stigma. In 2019, less than half of students ate school lunch, but last year around 60% did so because of improved access. Food security = better learning outcomes for students. Happy eating and learning! https://buff.ly/3enhC96

988 is the Suicide Prevention Hotline

988 has replaced the existing, 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) number with an easy-to-remember three-digit number for non-clinical, compassionate, emotional support in multiple languages. Learn more: mass.gov/988

The Department of Public Health is providing free COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout the end of 2022. A $75 gift card will be offered to any Massachusetts resident (adult or child) who gets vaccinated (first dose, second dose, or booster) at any of the clinics listed here. Additional options are available through the vaxfinder. If your child cannot attend a community clinic, you can request in-home vaccination. Anyone ages 6 months to 4 years can get the COVID-19 vaccine, and anyone over the age of 5 can get a COVID-19 vaccination or updated, bivalent booster at these clinics. You do not need an appointment, but some clinics may encourage pre-registration. Vaccination is free and you do not need an ID or health insurance.

CDC COVID-19 Self-Testing Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a web page with updated information on when and why to use a COVID-19 self-test. They advise self-testing if you have symptoms or had an exposure to someone with COVID-19 and suggest self-testing immediately before gathering indoors. Learn more at bit.ly/3dBUcsJ.

Tests Available at your Pharmacy, Covered by Health Insurance
You can access COVID-19 rapid antigen at-home tests from local pharmacies and retailers. Health insurers are currently required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month (per individual).

CDC Recommends Masks on Planes & Public Transportation
The CDC has reiterated its recommendation that individuals ages 2+ should wear well-fitting masks while on public transportation, including at airports and train stations. This recommendation is based on the current spread of coronavirus and projections of future COVID–19 trends. When people properly wear a well-fitting mask or respirator, they protect themselves and those around them, and help keep travel and public transportation safer for everyone. Wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator is most beneficial in crowded or poorly ventilated locations, such as airport jetways. The CDC also encourages operators of public transportation and transportation hubs to support mask-wearing by all people, including employees.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health Mask Advisory
All people in Massachusetts, regardless of vaccination status, are required to continue wearing masks or face coverings in certain settings, including healthcare facilities. The Department continues to advise masks for individuals with a weakened immune system, those at increased risk for severe disease because of age or underlying conditions, or who have a household member with a weakened immune system and are at increased risk.

Virtual office hours continue on the first Friday of the month, 10-11am, and on the third Tuesday, 5-6pm. November office hours are Tuesday November 15, 5-6pm. We will have office hours on Tuesday November 15, 5-6pm, and then on Friday Dec. 2, 10-11am, and Tuesday December 20, 5-6pm.

To make an appointment, sign up here. As always, if you need to reach me, call (617) 722-2060 ext. 5; or email the office and we’ll make an appointment to talk.

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Sincerely,