In Other News

See Stitch at the Raillery

The Raillery, in the Franklin Village Mall, says their `mission is to bring you the truly excellent neighborhood restaurant experience. We pride ourselves at Raillery, for serving familiar cuisine, in a fun and casual environment for the entire family. This week, that is especially true for Stitch fans on Wednesday from 5-8 pm.

The Latest on Beaver Street Interceptor Project

Monday (6/23) through Friday (6/27):  The construction crew will be working off the road within the Franklin Village Mall area to connect the new sewer main. No traffic impacts are expected.
NO WORK on Beaver Street - On either side of the MBTA tracks Beaver Street will have steel plates to allow for traffic to pass over. Please use caution when traveling in this area.
At the Franklin Recreation Center, the construction of the new Beaver Street Interceptor Pump Station will continue with construction of the exterior building structure and internal building component installation.

Medway High Driveway Closed Until September

Due to necessary repairs, the high school driveway will be closed from Thursday, June 20, through Monday, September 1. All access to the high school will be via the access road off Adams Street.
Please note: The Adams Street access road is single-lane, and a traffic signal will be in place to manage flow. Once on school grounds, all vehicles must keep to the right as they navigate the building.  This closure is required for crews to repair the driveway culvert and complete maintenance on the track and field. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during these critical projects.

Forum to Look at Voc-Tech Admissions Lottery

The Massachusetts Vocational Technical Coalition, Pioneer Institute, and Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce  will hold a public forum to discuss the ramifications of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s decision to impose a lottery-based admissions system on vocational-technical schools. The event will be held on Tuesday, June 24 at noon at the Chamber offices at 311 Main Street in Worcester and it will feature Jamie Gass, Director of the Center for School Reform at the Boston-based Pioneer Institute, a public policy research organization. The forum will raise awareness about the voc-tech admissions regulatory change, address the impact of an admissions lottery on student access to voc-tech schools, and review alternative approaches. For more information, visit: https://www.mavoctechcoalition.org/.

Mass Business Survey Shows May Optimism

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index increased by three points in May to 98.8, slightly above the 51-year average of 98. Expected business conditions and sales expectations contributed the most to the rise in the index. The Uncertainty Index rose two points from April to 94. Eighteen percent of small business owners reported taxes as their single most important problem, up two points from April and ranking as the top problem. The last time taxes were ranked as the top single most important problem was in December 2020.

"While optimism recovered slightly in May among the Commonwealth's Main Street businesses, uncertainty is still high for Massachusetts small business owners," said NFIB Massachusetts State Director Christopher Carlozzi. "Taxes, including Massachusetts' steadily rising UI taxes, have risen to the top of small business concerns, outstripping inflation and workforce challenges. At the federal level, Congress must act quickly to make the 20% Small Business Deduction permanent so that small businesses don’t see a massive federal tax hike at the end of the year."