Watch today's top stories and most popular videos which provide you with features like past/future radar and customizable layers Trust us to help you plan the best day possible with the most accurate weather forecast available We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good We may use or share your data with our data vendors The Weather Channel is the world's most accurate forecaster according to ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview An official website of the United States government The Framingham VA Clinic provides primary care and specialty services The primary care team at the clinic manages most health issues and provides Veterans with access to a wide range of inpatient and outpatient specialty care through the VA Boston Healthcare System the clinic provides an attractive option for area Veterans who don't want to travel to one of the three main campuses in Boston and Brockton for primary care Select a service on this page to check the hours Wheelchair availability:  Wheelchairs are available upon arrival for patients who need them to access the building ask your Primary Care team for a consult or call the Nutrition scheduler at Our registered dietitians can help you maintain or improve your health with good nutrition tailored to your needs we provide nutrition education and counseling in areas such as: ask your Primary Care team for a consult or call the Nutrition Scheduler at Learn more about VA Boston's Nutrition and Food Service Your VA primary care provider will work closely with you to plan for all the care you need to stay healthy and well throughout your life They will also work with family members or caregivers who support you Your primary care team also coordinates many other care and services you may receive primary care is provided only through scheduled appointments Emergency Services are provided only by the Emergency Department on the West Roxbury campus for urgent conditions that are appropriate to be treated on an outpatient basis in a primary care clinical setting same-day or next-day appointments in primary care are available The Patient Call Center is a very important part of primary care providing ready access to the primary care team Patients may use this system to communicate with the team receive clinical advice or answers to questions and to make or change a clinic appointment All patients enrolled in primary care have access to this service dial 1- -- available 24 hours per day Call our Veterans Crisis Line at and press 1 for help anytime Our local suicide prevention coordinators can also connect you with ongoing counseling and services We work with behavioral health providers and community organizations to help you and your family during times of crisis Mental health services at VA Boston offer same-day access to mental health care for Veterans who need it Our emergency department on the West Roxbury campus is also open 24/7 for Veterans with urgent mental health care needs outside of regular business hours Additionally, VA offers mobile apps that support many aspects of mental health and wellness. Visit https://mobile.va.gov/appstore/mental-health to learn more.  Veterans and their loved ones can always call VA’s Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, chat at www.veteranscrisisline.net Learn more and connect with a care coordinator Contact your primary care provider for a telehealth referral Telehealth is just one of the virtual care technologies we offer. Click here  to learn more about Connected Care resources which offer greater convenience and empower you to take charge of your health care from the comfort of your home.  We use the latest in secure digital technology to set up remote visits with our health care providers and store-and-forward telehealth that lets you securely send your health information to experts at VA facilities We offer telehealth visits with providers in specialties such as: Partner with your healthcare team to explore what matters most to you and develop a personalized health plan based on your values Explore the services offered by the Whole Health Team: Learn more about whole health at VA Boston HCS VA Boston Whole Health Flyer Additional resources about Whole Health Ask your healthcare team for a referral or call 857-203-4876 We offer women’s health services to meet your specific needs such as disease screenings maternity care and female-specific medical equipment Our women's health program offers complete health care for women Veterans of all ages Our primary care providers specialize in women’s health and work closely with specialists in gynecology Learn more and connect with the Women Veterans Program Manager.  The Women Veterans Call Center provides women Veterans information about VA services and resources, benefits and eligibility. The toll-free line is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time and on Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Please see the Women Veterans Call Center website or call 855-VA-WOMEN -- Details: cache-fra-eddf8230062-FRA 1746512639 2489431774 2025 at 2:32 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Officials said an architectural firm is under contract and a community survey will launch for them to gather input from locals (Neal McNamara/Patch)FRAMINGHAM — The city has taken a big step in its plan to turn a former high school into a local community center as a contractor to secure the windows and repair the roof at the former Marian High School the site the city hopes to transform for use as a city-wide community center "This project is part of Mayor Charlie Sisitsky's vision to repurpose the historic property into a vibrant hub that will serve residents across the community from age 3 to 103," city officials said in a news release Framingham used $3.35 million in federal ARPA funds to purchase the former Catholic high school in the fall of 2023 Another $1.7 million in federal funds was allocated to demolish the former convent on the site to create additional parking Nearly $6.5 million in ARPA funds will be used to secure the building by installing new windows repairing masonry and installing a new roof "The renovation of the former Marian High School represents a tremendous opportunity for the City of Framingham," said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky "We are not only preserving an important piece of our community’s history but we are also creating a multi-generational space where residents of all ages can come together to learn In addition to the ongoing renovation efforts the City of Framingham applied for $5 million in congressional direct spending through Congresswoman Katherine Clark’s office to fund the installation of two ADA-compliant elevators in the four-story building which was originally constructed in the 1950s the funding request was not included in the recent appropriations bill passed in Washington The city also applied for a $12 million federal earmark from Sen That request is "stalled in committee," officials said The city is charging forward with their plans and will refile for the $5 million and request around $12 million in FY2026 earmarks for an HVAC system and "essential" building upgrades electrical work and more accessibility improvements Officials said an architectural firm is under contract and Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Issued on January 15, the Warning Letter followed a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection at the facility – located 30 km west of Boston Massachusetts – in June and July last year and highlighted numerous deviations from current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) for drug substance production “FDA documented that approximately 20 percent of bioreactor runs attempted between January 2022 and July 2024 were rejected for contamination or other quality failures,” the Agency wrote “This rate is excessive and calls into question the state of control of your process.” Accusing Sanofi of failing to conduct adequate investigations into these critical deviations including multiple microbiological contamination events the letter cited inadequate investigations of particle presence within several lots of an undisclosed drug substance as an example Inadequately investigating product leakage was also noted during the audit Other deviations mentioned in the letter include Sanofi’s failure to demonstrate that the manufacturing process can reproduce an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with its predetermined quality attributes and a failure in using appropriate equipment for the manufacture of specific drug substance: “Mobile carts used in the setup of [undisclosed] units required operators to get down to the floor and manually lock and unlock the cart brakes despite previously determining equipment proximity to the floor as a contributing root cause in microbiological contamination events.” the Agency wrote: “[Undisclosed equipment] used to establish temporary sterile boundaries for tubing continue to be used despite being identified in a June 2023 microbial contamination event investigation as possessing a ‘design flaw’ that may allow microbial ingress.” The FDA also cited failures within the facility’s quality unit Sanofi responded last year by identifying four contributing root causes – “excessive personnel attrition of trained investigators process knowledge gaps amongst newer investigators prioritization of investigations associated with lots pending release and inconsistent communication of ‘deviation performance metrics’” – but was pulled up further by the Agency due to insufficient detail as to how these causes are to be corrected The FDA has requested Sanofi to respond to it with corrective action plans within 15 days a Sanofi spokesperson told us: "Patient safety and the quality of our products are our highest priorities We take all inspections extremely seriously and we are fully committed to working with the FDA to resolve all findings holistically robustly and promptly to meet the agency’s requirements and expectations." They added there has been "no interruption to manufacturing or to the continued supply of medicines from the Framingham site as a result of these findings." The Framingham site, commissioned by Sanofi acquisition Genzyme won approval from both the FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2012 for the production of Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta) At the time, there had been a shortage of the enzyme replacement therapy – first approved in 2003 to treat the inherited disorder Fabry Disease, a deficiency of the enzyme alpha galactosidase A – due to a series of contamination issues at another Genzyme’ facility: Allston Landing The transfer to Framingham allowed Sanofi to rectify shortages of both Fabrazyme and Cerezyme (imiglucerase for injection) – the latter by freeing space up at Allston Landing "Its end-to-end platform uses millions of points of data captured by sensors to continuously optimize for excellence."  As for the Allston Landing facility, Sanofi sold the plant to contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Resilience in 2021 Journalist covering the international biopharmaceutical manufacturing and processing industries.Founder and editor of Bioprocess Insider a daily news offshoot of publication Bioprocess International with expertise in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors regulatory affairs and business development.From London UK originally but currently based in Montpellier France through a round-a-bout adventure that has seen me live and work in Leeds (UK) CSL Seqirus signs pandemic preparedness plan with European Commission Ins & Outs: Biopharma players shuffle c-suite ranks American made: Companies continue to emphasize US manufacturing Transforming Protein Production: Lonza’s Comprehensive Solutions for Therapeutic Innovation Registered in England & Wales with number 01835199 2025 at 1:04 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Mayor and the City Council are gifting the 123 Union Ave The property was assessed at $13.3 million in 2025 (Neal McNamara/Patch)News release from City of Framingham in the Senate President's office at the Massachusetts State House City of Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky signed over the Thomas Danforth Building to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Mayor and the City Council are gifting the 123 Union Avenue Building to the Commonwealth the Danforth Building opened in 1907 as Framingham High School the building was enlarged to house Framingham Junior High School the building became Lincoln Junior High and between 1970 and 1974 the building re-open after renovations from Keefe Technical High School and was the home of the Danforth Museum & Art School The building has housed the Police Athletic Boxing program the Performing Arts Center of MetroWest and other art associations as well as the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest the building was forced to close for outside organizations including the museum the property at 123 Union Avenue will become home to a new regional justice center The new regional justice center in downtown Framingham will bring economic development to Framingham’s central business district creating jobs and fostering community engagement City of Framingham will serve as a hub for legal services offering support and resources to residents across the region The regional justice center is expected to attract professionals and visitors boosting local businesses and enhancing the vibrancy of the downtown district This is a wonderful Commonwealth-City partnership that will significantly stimulate economic growth FRAMINGHAM — Residents on Wednesday evening pleaded with the state Department of Public Health to prevent MetroWest Medical Center from going through with a plan to reduce its level of maternity services At Mayor Charlie Sisitsky's request, the DPH hosted a public hearing at Nevins Hall in the Memorial Building after Tenet Healthcare Corp., the Dallas-based publicly traded company that owns MetroWest Medical Center announced in February its plans to shift the status of the hospital's maternity services from a Level IIB Special Care Nursery to a Level I Well Baby Nursery Residents who spoke up on Wednesday did so overwhelmingly in opposition of the plan Earlier: DPH will hold public hearing in Framingham to address hospital's maternity plans said a Level I nursery is an "incredible blessing." "We recognize that being able to keep services in the community is critically important and so we're grateful for the opportunity to continue to focus on the growth opportunities that we have," Park said He added that the hospital is investing in recruiting a new obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) and that potential service reduction does not mean the hospital will leave the community Level II nurseries treat babies born greater than 32 weeks or those that are full term and require close monitoring of problems that are expected to soon be resolved The "IIB" designation means the hospital can provide some respiratory assistance for short periods of time Level I nurseries provide care only for healthy full-term babies or babies born close to their due date Nearly 40 people spoke during Wednesday' evening's hearing And while Park called the potential Level I nursery a blessing Reaction to Tenet's plans was negative as soon as it broke shared why they think maternity services should remain as they are Sisitsky said that while he understood the hospital may not see enough births to justify a Level IIB nursery A Level IB nursery provides specialized care for newborns including those born late pre-term (35 weeks and beyond) or with minor health issues A Level IIA nursery would enable the hospital to provide advanced care for moderately ill newborns and premature infants but does not provide respiratory assistance Framingham Union Hospital would not only limit the care it provides but could also compromise the health of our most vulnerable infants," the mayor said We need to ensure that every baby born in Framingham More: What to know about the upcoming hearing on MetroWest Medical Center cancer service closures district liaison for state Senate President Karen Spilka read a letter from Spilka opposing the service reduction said the move would likely result in worse outcomes for Latina and immigrant mothers who already face troubling health care outcomes "Three years ago, when Tenet threatened to close the cancer center at MetroWest Medical Center and we are here to do this again," Sousa said "Our administration came through three years ago It's unconscionable to go without a reasonable solution." said the hospital owes full maternity services to the city "And you owe them (nursing staff) a contract while you're at it," Ottaviani added along with medical staff at Framingham Union Hospital and elsewhere shared their stories of the hospital to say why they think maternity services should remain at their cuurent level said that if it wasn't for the critical care unit at Framingham Union Hospital “So for you guys making a decision on cutting funds to save money the guys should just give the money to the nurses because they deserve it,” she said More: Framingham Union nurses say they're seeking 'reset' with management. What that means Nurses also spoke out against the service reduction, saying the cuts would affect the community's most vulnerable patients. The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents about 300 nurses at Framingham Union with representatives saying it would lead to nearby hospitals becoming more crowded the DPH is expected to decide within 15 days whether the current level of maternity services is necessary for preserving health status and access within MetroWest Medical Center's service area Should the state deem the services necessary the hospital will be required to submit a plan assuring access BOSTON — Framingham officials took to the State House on Friday to celebrate progress on a regional justice center and to raise a new flag that recognizes Framingham's status as a city Mayor Charlie Sisitsky signed over the former Danforth Art Museum building on Union Avenue to the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance in order to make way for construction of a regional justice center The plan has been a key project for state Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland It calls for the closing of the existing Framingham courthouse at 600 Concord St with those operations moving to a new regional justice center to be constructed at the former Danforth Museum site at 123 Union Ave 'Total overhaul': Former Framingham museum building eyed for as many as eight courts “It will house not only the district court the juvenile court and specialty courts all under one roof "The Framingham Housing Court will be in Framingham Both Spilka and Sisitsky described the Danforth building as being in rough shape and aging. Besides housing the Danforth Museum (which merged with Framingham State University in 2018) the building has been used as a public school and had several other tenants before it was closed in 2016 due to a failing heating system Spilka and Sisitsky also noted that the Danforth building's downtown location can be an economic driver for the city given its proximity to both MWRTA bus service and a Commuter Rail station “It was a no-brainer to think what that could mean to the economic vitality of downtown Framingham and the city of Framingham altogether,” Sisitsky said “(It’s) no longer a responsibility of ours and guarantee that the new justice center is going to be in downtown Framingham which will give Framingham a real shot in the arm.”   seven years laterBefore signing off on the Danforth deal Framingham officials oversaw the raising of a new flag that depicts it as a city to be governed by a mayor and city council 'Good to have closure': Recount confirms that Framingham will transition to a city but a representation of our values and heritage," Sisitsky said "It is a time to reflect on our past achievements and envision the path forward." Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll discussed how rare it is for a mayor to take part in such a ceremony while praising the work of local state reps “Not every mayor gets to celebrate and be part of a new flag for their city really special to be joined by the outstanding delegation that represents Framingham — the Senate President places that are special that have contributed to making Massachusetts the best place to raise a family to be able to age in place with dignity and respect FRAMINGHAM — Given its proximity to Lexington and Concord it's no wonder Framingham has connections to the American Revolution Next month marks the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first major military campaign of the American Revolution. At the Framingham History Center historians are gearing up to share the stories of local residents who served in the war Executive Director Anna Tucker showed the Daily News various artifacts the center has from the Revolution. Among them is a Minuteman militia roster from Framingham, naming Peter Salem as a Minuteman in the battle a formerly enslaved man born in Framingham (volunteer researcher Kevin Swope notes that Salem lived east of Hartford Street fought in both the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill "Salem is credited as firing the shot that killed (British) Major (John) Pitcairn which marked a monumental shift in the war," Tucker said She said Salem was bought by Major Lawson Buckminster who immediately freed Salem to fight in the battle 'Fascinated by the connections': Framingham History Center's new leader aims to bring subject to its people Swope explained that in the leadup to the Battles of Lexington and Concord British General Thomas Gage sent two spies to survey the route to Worcester The spies stopped at Buckminster Tavern in Framingham where they observed militias mustering nearby Tucker and staff members showed objects that relate not only to Framingham history but also to how some of Framingham's earliest residents played a part in the American Revolution Among the rarer objects in the collection is a tune book belonging to Col. Thomas Nixon Jr. a Framingham boy who joined the Continental Army at 13 years old as a fifer He saw action at Lexington and Concord before going on to serve under General George Washington in New York Nixon was the nephew of John Nixon, who settled north of Nobscot Mountain in Framingham. The Nixon family is the namesake of Nixon Road in Framingham and the John Nixon Elementary School in Sudbury 1775 was a big year: Mass. plans events to mark 250th anniversary of Revolutionary War The history center also has a recorder and scarf belonging to Thomas Nixon Jr Another Framingham connection is Crispus Attucks a Framingham man of African and Native American descent who is said to have been the first man killed in the 1770 Boston Massacre a "powder keg" moment ahead of the American Revolution the Framingham History Center is hosting events this spring in recognition of the American Revolution On Thursday, April 3, Swope will discuss how the Gage spy plot led to the Battles of Lexington and Concord. On May 8, Framingham State University history professor Joseph Adelman will host "Revolutionary Networks: Printers "Stitching Revolution in Massachusetts: Quilting and Cotillions." The event will allow participants to design and sew quilt squares for a collaborative project inspired by Revolution themes while learning about the era’s textile history from guest lecturers FRAMINGHAM — The city's population growth can be traced through the history of the Framingham Fire Department from the days of using buckets to put out fires to today's modern apparatus That's just one of the facts people will learn when the Framingham History Center hosts a pop-up exhibit to honor the 172nd anniversary of the Framingham Fire Department, according to History Center Executive Director Anna Tucker on Friday at the Historic Village Hall on the Common “You can trace the history of Framingham and it’s growth by looking at the history of the Fire Department,” Tucker told the Daily News Friday’s event is being hosted by the Framingham Fire Department, the Framingham History Center, the city of Framingham and the 325th Anniversary Celebration Committee 'A lifelong passion': Framingham History Center's new leader aims to bring subject to its people “We are proud to celebrate the founding of the Framingham Fire Department and honor the service and sacrifice of our firefighters throughout history,” said Fire Chief Michael Dutcher and especially Mark Galluzzo for their meticulous research combing through old log books and photographs to uncover the department’s founding date The collaboration between the Framingham History Center and our Fire Department has been invaluable and this celebration is a testament to their dedication.” including early fire extinguishers from the 1800s as well as buckets used by residents before the first fire department “We have original fire buckets from the 1830s and 1840s because each family was expected to have their own individual firefighting bucket to help fight fires,” Tucker said Firefighting exhibit will showcase the past and presentSeveral current Framingham firefighters as well as those from the past will attend the exhibit Both modern and historical fire trucks will be on hand “People will be able to meet present-day firefighters and people who have been really influential to the fire department throughout the years,” Tucker said Framingham and the Revolution: As 250th anniversary nears, city had some notable links Mayor Charlie Sisitsky is scheduled to speak at Friday's event “Framingham’s Fire Department has stood as a pillar of strength and service for nearly 175 years,” Sisitsky said in a statement “The exhibit celebrates the unwavering dedication courage and selflessness of those who have risked everything to protect our community It’s a profound honor to join in recognizing this remarkable milestone reflecting on the legacy that continues to shape our town’s history and safety for generations to come.” Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime Framingham will bring back the Big Band Era a time when the city — then a town — was a music destination for acts as renowned as Frank Sinatra The event, sponsored by the History Center, is in recognition of Monroe, who in addition to being a nationally recognized musician and big band leader in the 1940s and '50s was also the founder of the Meadows a popular restaurant and nightclub on Route 9 'Framingham was the bomb.' Carousel Theatre on Old Connecticut Path drew Jack Benny, Jimi Hendrix "When I came here as the new executive director two years ago, I really made it a goal to listen to what people saw as meaningful in Framingham," said Anna Tucker, executive director of the Framingham History Center "I kept hearing these stories about Framingham being an entertainment capital of Massachusetts." The Meadows was one of the places she said she heard the most about The club was at 161 Worcester Road, now an office building. Monroe, who has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was a West Newton resident and decided to open up his own dinner club Monroe ran the club until his death at age 61 in 1973 "It was the location of so many life events for so many people," said Tucker It was more than just about the music — it was part of the community." 'A lifelong passion': Framingham History Center's new leader aims to bring subject to its people the History Center is partnering with Gabel Friday will feature a night of swing dancing followed by two hours of dancing with music by Gabel and the Vaughn Monroe Orchestra Several of Monroe's popular hits will be performed "Ghost Riders in the Sky," as well as "Let it Snow" and "Ballerina." In a prepared statement, Gabel, who teaches at Westfield State University said he was "so pleased to participate in the Framingham History Center’s big band weekend.” 'Called a troublemaker': Framingham History Center highlights Black, Native American stories from 1600-1800 “Framingham is the perfect place to kick off the national tour of The Vaughn Monroe show and pay tribute to his music and legacy,” he said Tickets for Friday's event are $35 and available at Framinghamhistory.org The weekend continues Saturday with Framingham History Center patron party and featuring Gabel and the Vaughn Monroe Orchestra Skits from Monroe's original dinner show will be performed with Monroe's two daughters — Candace and Christina — in attendance The event is being put on to raise money for the History Center The patron party starts at 7 p.m.; a VIP hour with the Monroe family starts at 5:30 p.m “We are honored to welcome Dan Gabel and the Monroe sisters to celebrate Vaughn Monroe,” said Tucker “Framingham has a vibrant entertainment history filled with remarkable stories and these events will not only celebrate these stories but also ensure that these memories are cherished for generations to come.” Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com That fear is felt through reports of President Donald Trump’s administration authorizing raids of undocumented immigrants throughout the U.S “They're afraid of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Liliane Costa, executive director of the Brazilian-American Center (BRACE) in downtown Framingham founded in 2012 by the late Father Volmar Scaravelli assists immigrants with integrating and adapting to life in the United States Costa said her office is overwhelmed with requests to help immigrants with documentation She showed the Daily News her desk topped with documents ready to be sent to the Brazilian consulate in Boston A drawer beside her desk was also filled with documents to be sent 'People are very nervous': Anxiety, fear ramp up among Worcester's immigrants over ICE raids “They’re trying to have their documents in order (so) in case they get picked up they have a way to go back,” Costa explained “We used to have 30 documents a week to be processed We’re now sending 100 a week to the consulate We used to send four birth certificates a week; we sent over 30 last week." Framingham immigrant community fearful after reports of raidsState Rep. Priscila Sousa, D-Framingham moved to Framingham as an undocumented immigrant when she was a child Sousa said there’s a “tremendous” amount of apprehension because ICE (the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) is moving differently than it did eight years ago as people access information differently now “These are leading to compounding anxieties due to increased ICE activity,” she said Both Costa and others who work with the city’s immigrant population say they’re afraid as a result of both false and legitimate reports of ICE in the city 'Not targeting anyone': U.S. attorney won't rule out prosecuting governor, mayors surrounding immigration While a large-scale immigration raid has not been reported in the city ICE was spotted arresting a man downtown a couple weekends ago The Boston office for ICE did not respond to a request for information on a Framingham arrest Costa is concerned about fake news about ICE raids and presence saying immigrants cannot see a black car with blue lights without assuming it’s ICE knowing what is real and what’s not,” she said Diego Low, director of the MetroWest Worker Center in Framingham The center is an immigrant worker-led organization that provides services to immigrant workers Low mentioned posts circulating on social media about a major ICE operation in Framingham The posts turned out to be internet trolling They included references to road blocks and heat-seeking technology to find people in their homes many people stayed home from work and attendance in school dropped He added that people not attending work or school “speaks for itself.”  'It's an ICE issue': Local police explain why they don't deal with immigration Costa also said families are afraid due to these posts and some families are not sending their children to school Framingham Superintendent of Schools Robert Tremblay acknowledged there was a dip in attendance following Trump's inauguration but stressed it's difficult to discern whether those absences were due to fear or because of illnesses Framingham Public Schools is keeping track of the absences "We're encouraging families to send their kids to school so that they can learn and be fed," Tremblay said "I'm not aware of ICE presence in Framingham or any school in the Commonwealth." A letter sent to Framingham Public Schools families informed them of the district's policies school officials do not ask families about their immigration status when registering children for school The district also cannot disclose such information or release student records without parental consent or a court order The letter goes on to say that if ICE presents an administrative warrant school or private space without explicit permission a judicial warrant does allow entry and schools or individuals must comply “They (immigrants) are buying groceries on Instacart (an app-based grocery delivery service) because they don’t want to go out,” Costa said According to U.S. Census data, 55.6% of Framingham’s population identifies as white The next largest demographic is Hispanic or Latino followed by residents who identify as two or more races (11.6%) Asian residents (7.5%) and Black residents (6.4%) The city’s immigrant community has affects on the city at large according to those who work closely with them Sousa said the fear and anxious feelings in immigrant communities will cause ripples throughout the city “Increased apprehension has ripples through the community," she said immigrant-owned businesses and businesses where they frequent were emptier or closed." 'Doesn't smell right': Natick Select Board OKs new immigration and documentation policy Costa asked: “Brazilian immigrants do these jobs: landscaping She said she’s helping people be informed of their rights including talking to immigrants about the situation and sharing information on social media on actions they take Framingham is not among the state’s eight sanctuary cities (Amherst But the city does have a welcoming ordinance committee that seeks to help build trust between immigrants and the city Police departments throughout MetroWest have said they must abide by a 2017 state Supreme Judicial Court ruling, called Lunn vs. the Commonwealth in which the court ruled that Massachusetts police officers cannot arrest and hold someone based solely on a federal immigration detainer “They don’t know how long they can live like this,” Costa said of immigrants FRAMINGHAM — A recent merger between atac (formerly Amazing Things Art Center) and another city-based nonprofit will allow the Hollis Street performing arts center to move forward Discovering Hidden Gems which provides youth with a variety social and enrichment activities announced on July 29 that it would merge with atac The news comes after concern earlier this summer that atac would shut down "We are excited about the possibilities this merger brings," said Margie Ann Rosario atac and DHG can expand our reach and impact creating a vibrant cultural center that benefits our entire community This merger represents a significant step forward in our shared vision to nurture our community We look forward to the future and the many opportunities it will bring." Amazing Things: Executive director says Framingham arts center should be hub of creativity said the merger will "reimagine" atac's headquarters at 160 Hollis St for different uses and help keep the facility active and vibrant "This partnership is the perfect opportunity for atac to reimagine our venue as a dynamic inclusive space that reflects the evolving needs of our community," Pendergast said "We're excited to expand our programming and explore new artistic creative and educational frontiers together." Discovering Hidden Gems was launched seven years ago by Rosario, a Framingham native who was volunteering in the South after Hurricane Irma in 2017 when she realized she wanted to provide a similar service to children in Framingham "I was spending time helping families down there when I realized what I want to be doing is helping families in Framingham," she said Discovering Hidden Gems hosts an annual back-to-school event as well as a free farmers market every Monday during the summer at Arlington Street Park in Framingham PHOTOS: Splish splashing, cookout and fun at Arlington Street Park grand opening Each weekday during the summer, DHG hosts a "camp" at Arlington Street Park, providing kids with a safe, supervised space to play outside that's free to attend, with lunch provided by the MetroWest YMCA "I like to come and help out the people around me but still have fun," said Cristopher Cordon In June, atac announced in a letter to supporters that it would be laying off all of its staff, effective July 19. Executive Director Jannelle Codianni had accepted another job in Providence and wrote in the letter that atac had been facing increased financial difficulties since the pandemic “It has become increasingly difficult to sustain operations financially despite deep cuts to expenses and other strategies," Codianni wrote in the letter the board of directors has been considering and exploring various pathways to address our untenable position." 'Reignited my love of music': Centre Music House in Framingham marks five decades in business board members for both atac and DHG had been in ongoing talks about ways to better synergize the two organizations that largely shared a common goal where we did art therapy for children at atac." Working on a mergerRosario said the two entities are in the planning process on how to work going forward. The group has already received funding, including a $20,000 grant from The Sudbury Foundation "Atac has a lot of great resources and a lot of great partnerships and we have the same goal with our work — helping these families we will create a new business model with the best practices of both organizations take what has been working really well and grow in the places that need help." Rosario said the aim is to have a proper game plan fleshed out by the fall One thing that looks to be approved is for atac to remain at its current location a city-owned building that was previously a fire station "Atac has had a great relationship with the city — the way the lease structure has been set up is something they want to keep and move forward with that relationship," Rosario said the former president of the American Heart Association the nation’s longest-running study of heart disease He assumes his new appointment on January 1 The nation’s longest-running study of heart disease, credited with improving and saving countless lives since Harry Truman was president in 1948, has a new director. The Framingham Heart Study run by Boston University and the National Heart who has accepted the position of director of the Framingham Center for Population and Prevention Science principal investigator of the Framingham study and chief of the section of preventive medicine within the department of medicine at BU’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center (BMC) provost of the BU Medical Campus and dean of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine the ad interim chair of medicine at BU and Boston Medical Center (BMC) the school’s primary teaching hospital former president of the American Heart Association and a former Framingham Heart Study researcher who left Boston to become the founding dean of the University of Texas School of Public Health at San Antonio Joanne Murabito and George O’Connor served as ad interim directors and co-PIs of the Framingham study during the search to replace Ramachandran; Murabito will remain co-PI of the Framingham study “I am truly excited to return to the Framingham [Heart] Study and BU where I began my research career in earnest,” Lloyd-Jones said in a statement released Tuesday “I am mindful of the incredible legacy of past leaders who are all giants in our field.” He added: “We have an incredible team and remarkable opportunities to take Framingham and BU to new heights.” which includes researchers from the medical school It has accumulated an astonishing record of helping both patients and doctors better understand the risk factors associated with heart disease and has published close to 3,000 research papers over seven-plus decades Some of the most prominent findings from the study have included the basic risk factors of heart disease (1961) the heightened heart disease risk of smoking the heart benefits of exercise and the heart risk of obesity and the impact of hypertension in increasing the risk of stroke.  “The Framingham Heart Study is one of Boston University’s proudest medical legacies Lloyd-Jones will ensure that its long tradition continues in the pursuit of helping researchers understand the risks of heart disease,” said BU President Melissa L who is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of epidemiology Lloyd-Jones is currently the chair of preventive medicine and Eileen M Foell Professor of Heart Research and professor of preventive medicine He previously served as senior associate dean for clinical and translational research and PI/director of the Northwestern University Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute and he served as the national president of the American Heart Association from 2021–22 the Framingham Heart Study has produced great learnings that further our understanding of cardiovascular disease in America,” said David C director of the division of cardiovascular sciences at the National Heart “This transition to new leadership retains the depth of familiarity with the study while advancing the latest science and innovations in epidemiology Lloyd-Jones’ ability to lead the Framingham Heart Study into a new era of scientific excellence.” Lloyd-Jones received his undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a master’s in epidemiology from Harvard T.H He completed his residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and served as chief medical resident there he joined the staff as an attending cardiologist and was an instructor and then assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and MGH he joined the Framingham Heart Study as a research fellow in 1997 and was a research associate from 1999–2004 he moved to Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine and became chair of preventive medicine in 2009 His research interests include the study of the mechanisms and life course of cardiovascular health and healthy aging His clinical and teaching interests lie in general cardiology He has authored over 750 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has been a PI or co-PI on more than 120 grants the vast majority from the National Institutes of Health His research especially aligns with some of the most recent findings of the Framingham Heart Study such as confirmation that people whose parents had heart disease or stroke before the age of 65 are at increased risk of those same illnesses by a factor of two or three BU’s Framingham Heart Study Gets New Director Pioneering Research from Boston University complained of inadequate staffing and mismanagement in the facility “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in patients seeking hospital care, and at a time when everybody else is fighting to recruit and retain nurses, they’ve gone ahead and reduced the number of nurses available to provide care,” claimed David Schildmeier, director of public communications at the MNA 'Growing and dire crisis': Nurses union files complaints citing staffing issues at Framingham Union MetroWest Medical Center was formed in 1992 as a result of a merger between Framingham Union and Leonard Morse The hospital was then acquired in 2013 by Tenet Shawn Middleton, communications and public relations manager for Tenet's Massachusetts operations wrote in an emailed statement that the organization takes employee complaints seriously but that the MNA is advancing a “false narrative.” Nurses cite staffing problems as their main concernStaffing started becoming an issue in the year leading up to the pandemic but has “accelerated” in the last two years, according to Antoinette Pontes, a nurse for more than 13 years in MetroWest Medical Center's emergency department is for one nurse to be assigned to each intensive care unit patient because those patients need strict monitoring often the nurse that has an ICU patient has four other patients to take care of,” Pontes said who has worked in the maternity special care nursery at MetroWest Medical Center for 33 years reported “unsafe levels” of staffing on the floor with one nurse taking care of up to three sets of mothers and newborns at a time without support She said this is especially an issue considering Framingham Union’s Level IIB status where staff can provide short-term respiratory assistance for infants At least two nurses need to assist a baby in medical distress Schildmeier said the hospital has cut staffing in the emergency departments at both Framingham Union and Saint Vincent by about 40% which he said is “unheard of in this environment.” because of COVID and because of the backlog of elective surgeries,” he said 'Safe, quality care': Only one of 600 nurse complaints at Saint Vincent was substantiated Tenet Healthcare operates 46 acute care facilities and about 640 outpatient centers and other facilities throughout the United States During a press conference outside the hospital in September, Framingham Union nurses said their crisis is similar to that of Steward, a private for-profit company with severe financial troubles that eventually sold six of its hospitals and closed two others said MetroWest Medical Center "remains focused on providing high-quality as well as regionally and nationally recognized “We take employee complaints seriously; however the Massachusetts Nurses Association’s accusations are unfounded," he said Middleton also said the hospital is “striving” to recruit and retain staff in critical areas and investing money into technology and other resources Paul Hattis, a senior fellow at health think tank Lown Institute explained how missions can often differ depending on a hospital’s tax status A nonprofit hospital takes the revenue it earns and invests it back into hospital operations to “advance the mission of the organization,” he said This contrasts with how for-profit hospitals are run in that the main drive is the revenue it creates and money does not have to necessarily go back into the hospitals 'Independent community-owned': Heywood Healthcare in Gardner announces emergence from bankruptcy Hattis said there is relatively little difference in how each type of hospitalis run He noted that when a for-profit hospital is in a rural community in that it serves patients of all income backgrounds “The net effect is they probably end up doing a little bit more charity care and their profits might not be as high versus a market where you have both for-profits and nonprofits in the same geographic area.” Hattis said a for-profit entity like Tenet remains concerned with making a profit the for-profit hospitals have been known to clearly under-staff relative not only to their competitors but even sometimes to basic needs,” he said some basic quality and safety concerns at times.” a nurse for 25 years in Framingham Union's telemetry unit said she had a patient go into rapid atrial fibrillation — an irregular heartbeat rhythm — and needed to be transferred to an ICU a medical intern ordered a specialized IV drip called amiodarone that helps regulate the heart The medication was delivered directly to Laidlaw who knew she was not authorized to administer the drip at the unit the less experienced staff would have thought it normal to give the patient the drip “It had crossed through all these channels," she said "Nobody caught it until it literally landed in my lap with this medicine to be given These are some of the things that make it very dangerous.” Laidlaw said more fresh nursing graduates are being hired to fill workforce gaps New hires tended to be scheduled during the evening when nobody else is working and they have not had “proper training," She said she knew of at least one nurse who was pulled from their orientation period earlier to fill in on the floor 'We're ready': MetroWest nursing students prepare to enter the field as COVID-19 rages on “We’re setting up these nurses to fail,” Laidlaw said And it’s all about numbers and money for the hospital Ford recalled a time when a recent graduate stood alone in the maternity unit with four couplets — a baby and their mother — and an undelivered patient “This is kind of what they’ve been doing to us,” she said “And it doesn’t seem like we have any choices.” Long before Framingham Union even joined the MNA, Saint Vincent nurses had set a record for the longest running nurses strike in Massachusetts about 700 striking nurses demanded safe staffing levels at its hospital and for Tenet to hear their concerns Tenet did eventually agree to terms — but nurses say there has been little improvement made since Saint Vincent nurses have filed five official complaints related to patient safety due to low staff levels with hundreds of individual complaints filed internally by nurses themselves 'Toxicity in the air': One year after Saint Vincent nurses strike ends, tension remains When Framingham Union’s nurses filed their complaints in September the DPH began investigating all Massachusetts Tenet facilities When asked if the investigation has helped so far Framingham nurses said their units have remained unchanged A $4 billion state economic development bill recently signed by Gov. Maura Healey contains a provision to adopt a Nurse Licensure Compact which allows nurses with a multistate license to practice in all states with an NLC Legislators said they hope this helps alleviate nursing shortages Laidlaw said she hopes the investigation will “alert” Tenet of the staffing situation at all of its Massachusetts facilities and to start looking at the staff as “real people.” Pontes said she does not want the community to give up their care at Framingham Union and we really do want to take really good care of our patients,” she said “I really hope that Framingham still believes in us and will support us.” Details: cache-fra-eddf8230048-FRA 1746512767 2602019519 2024 at 11:34 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Framingham and Natick will share the expenses and maintaining the regional municipal 911 emergency communication facility (Jenna Fisher/Patch)News release from City of Framingham MA — The communities of Natick & Framingham were awarded a $4.33 million grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to establish a regional 911 emergency communication district between Framingham and Natick for Police and Fire dispatch “Combining the dispatch operations of the Framingham Police and Fire departments into a unified location and establishing a regional dispatch center has long been a goal,” said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky “The acquisition of a $4.33 million grant from the Commonwealth is a significant step towards equipping and preparing the Center for operation The existing dispatch centers at both the fire and police stations were constrained in space Director of Administration & Finance for the Framingham Fire Department “This is an impressive example of what regional shared services can provide to Massachusetts communities,” said Natick Town Administrator Jamie Errickson “I’m confident that this grant will accelerate this collaborative effort and I look forward to advancing the Regional Dispatch Center with our Framingham partners.” “We are very pleased to have been awarded the grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the State 911 Department,” said Framingham Fire Chief Michael Dutcher “In collaboration with our mutual aid partners we will have a state-of-the-art Regional Emergency Communications Center that will improve our efficiencies in responding to calls for service.” “We are so grateful to the 911 Department for approving and accepting us into the grant program The City administration has been working on this diligently along with our partners in Natick and I can’t wait to start the construction of our Regional Dispatch Center,” said City of Framingham Chief Operating Officer Michael Tusino The dispatch center is planned to be situated in the office building next to the Memorial Building located on Route 126 in downtown Framingham The City of Framingham purchased 188 Concord Street in March 2023 The Framingham Health Department & Clinic opened on the first floor earlier this spring and the dispatch center will be located on the upper floors of the 4-story building Both the Framingham City Council and the Natick Select Board voted to support the regional municipal 911 emergency communication center and maintaining the regional municipal 911 emergency communication facility under a forthcoming agreement between the Town of Natick and the City of Framingham “I would like to thank the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security State 911 Department for supporting this important effort through its grant program," said Natick Police Chief James Hicks “Our Public Safety Dispatchers have always been the very best and well trained This partnership will build on their professionalism and lead to a more efficient delivery of public safety services to the region It will also create a career path for these dedicated workers that will help draw more people to this critical position in public safety operations.” “On behalf of the entire Police Department I would like to thank the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the State 911 Department for giving us this grant,” said Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker “It affords us the opportunity to work with our partners in Natick and allows us to update and further professionalize and enhance the great work our current dispatchers already do.” “This collaboration is an amazing opportunity to streamline critical functions and enhance the services we provide to our communities and our first responders,” said Natick Fire Chief Jason Ferschke “We are grateful to the Executive Office of Public Safety and the State 911 Department for this opportunity.” FRAMINGHAM — A proposal for a joint regional dispatch center that will handle 911 calls for Framingham and Natick has been approved by the Framingham City Council The council voted unanimously at its May 21 meeting to approve the creation of the regional dispatch center The agreement ties the city into working with Natick to agree on the establishment operation and maintenance of the dispatch center by constructing The agreement still needs to be approved by the Natick Select Board which is expected to vote on it during an upcoming meeting the application will be submitted to the state to receive grant funding for the project $2M investment: Framingham buys downtown building for regional dispatch enter Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky said during the May 21 meeting that Framingham has two dispatch centers one each for its fire and police departments Framingham has been talking about creating a new operating out of the Route 9 fire station and police station Both of those sites are functionally obsolete require very expensive upgrades and there just isn’t enough room in those buildings for them to operate properly." The mayor said he's been negotiating with the fire and police chiefs since he was elected in November 2021 about solving the dispatch issue with the conclusion being that a new joint location is the most logical step to take Framingham then became aware of a state program, the Massachusetts Regional Emergency Communications Center Grant Program which offers state funding to communities that share dispatch centers After some discussion with neighboring towns Sisitsky said Natick was interested in a partnership “We reached out to our neighbors and Natick was very interested in it because they had some issues with their dispatching and they saw a need to upgrade to new equipment," Sisitsky said "This was an ideal situation for both Framingham and Natick to access these statewide grants." Project could save as much as $8 million for communitiesThe dispatch center will be at 188 Concord St. a building the city purchased last year for $2 million Framingham Fire Chief Michael Dutcher said during the May 21 meeting that by applying for a grant now the program covers 100% of all costs associated with the establishment of the dispatch center through fiscal 2026 the first two years of the cost associated with the dispatch center would be covered by the state grant,” Dutcher said New operators: Holliston has moved its 9-1-1 services to a regional center Dutcher noted that the cost savings would be in the neighborhood of $8 million for the city and we have real issues in our current operation," he said Adequate staffing is biggest issue in NatickNatick Town Administrator Jamie Errickson said the issue in his town has been less about space and more about getting adequate staffing "We've had a really hard time getting the right number of staffing at our current dispatch center especially coming out of the pandemic," he said in addition to helping us upgrade our technology and will allow for more upward movement within the dispatch offices as dispatchers can become supervisors or eventually executive directors." The dispatch center would be run by an executive director an independent position that would be an employee of the regional dispatch center and not directly under the supervision of either municipal leader "We want to ensure that whoever is the executive director of the center knows that that the program can run smoothly under their leadership," Errickson said The state has been providing consolidation into regional dispatch centers with grants in order to make state monitoring of 911 calls easier Massachusetts is an outlier in that historically each municipality has had its own dispatch center The state has more than 200 dispatch centers FRAMINGHAM — Seeking to provide regular and emergency assistance to residents going through mental health struggles, Advocates will open the doors of its new community behavioral health center to the public on Monday will offer a variety of services concerning mental health family and couples counseling and crisis intervention The center also provides emergency response to major issues Adocates is selected:What to know about the state-backed behavioral health center opening in Framingham Advocates staff members hosted an open house Thursday ahead of Monday's formal opening. Several local and state officials, including Mayor Charlie Sisitsky and area legislators vice president of integrated clinical services at Advocates said the Framingham facility provides an alternative to urgent care centers with shorter wait times and more convenient access to multiple types of services "It's an alternative to hospital emergency rooms for behavioral health crises," she said mobile crisis intervention and adult community crisis stabilization all under the same roof making it easier for people to access all the care they need." said the Route 9 location will cut down barriers and allow easier access to mental health services in Framingham residents of all ages will find integrated and coordinated care for a wide range of problems," she said "It means that people can walk into the center and get immediate help for an urgent problem without having to spend hours on the phone The new location unifies many services that Advocates had offered in different locations Dunn said the nonprofit plans to soon bring even more services to Framingham Op-ed:It’s time to prioritize mental health care in Massachusetts "Many of our CBHC (community behavioral health center) services were previously offered in different locations," Dunn said "Pending licensure from the Department of Health we’ll be offering most of our CBHC services at the new location in Framingham later this month Our adult community crisis stabilization program will move to our new location in March and our youth community crisis stabilization program will open in the spring." Framingham Deputy Police Chief Sean Riley spoke during Thursday's open house noting the success that the Framingham Police Department has had in working with Advocates and other mental health partners Riley said statistics associated with mental health are alarming and the entire community needs to be on alert if they observe any issues it's a really big problem in our nation today," Riley said I heard on the news that 57% of the female teenage population noted that they felt persistently depressed we need to take that into account each and every day when we are out there as residents of the community and really watch over our kids our co-workers and our loved ones every day." The Framingham facility contains dozens of rooms of various sizes for individual and group therapy and recovery work The newly renovated property is near Framingham State University and is easily accessible via public transportation Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Director Brooke Doyle praised the new facility for leading the way in the state's mental health iniatives I'm so grateful for everybody for taking the spirit of what we were trying to do a Framingham resident who is an Advocates client originally used the service while getting help with his stepchildren But following several serious medical challenges the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of his marriage Bullerjahn turned to Advocates for his own support "Getting through these challenges would be one of the hardest courses I've ever had to navigate but Advocates was there with me through it all," he said "During the two-year period during the pandemic but Advocates was always a candle on the water and it remains so today I still look forward to the various Zoom meetings that keep me centered For more information on the new Community Behavioral Health Center and the services offered by Advocates, visit www.advocates.org Boston Medical Center is committed to empowering all patients to thrive and teaching is driving the future of care BMC physicians are leaders in their fields with the most advanced medical technology at their fingertips and working alongside a highly skilled nursing and professional staff Search Departments We offer diagnosis and treatment in over 70 specialties and subspecialties and support to help you stay well throughout your lifetime Search Conditions We are committed to providing the best experience possible for our patients and visitors BMC is here to ensure you have everything you need to make your visit a success Whether you’re a current employee or looking to refer a patient we have the tools and resources you need to help you care for patients effectively and efficiently we are devoted to training future generations of health professionals in our wide range of residency and fellowship programs research efforts are imperative in allowing us to provide our patients with quality care Framingham Study is a population-based observational cohort study that was initiated by the United States Public Health Service in 1948 to prospectively investigate the epidemiology and risk factors for cardiovascular disease longitudinal study gathering prospective data on a wide variety of biological and lifestyle risk factors and on cardiovascular neurological and other types of disease outcomes across 3 generations of participants While initially focused on the clinical assessment of risk factors and disease incorporating advances in medical science (newer diagnostic criteria biomarker assays and imaging technologies) as these became available Extensive genotyping data is available on over 60% of all participants (including over 90% of persons attending examinations after 1990) and samples of sera and plasma from successive exams have been stored for future studies The Study began in 1948-50 with the recruitment of the Original cohort (5209 participants; 2,873 women mean age 45 years) comprising two-thirds of the adult population then residing in the town of Framingham These persons have been evaluated biennially and are currently undergoing the 29th biennial examination children of the Original cohort members and their spouses were assembled into the Offspring cohort (5124 persons mean age 37 years; 3514 biological offspring) Members of this cohort have been reassessed 7 times a third generation has been recruited and this Gen 3 cohort comprises 4095 individuals (2183 women 1912 men; mean age 40 years) who have undergone an initial examination At each study examination participants are evaluated with medical histories laboratory tests for vascular risk factors and at some examinations with cognitive test batteries and brain imaging At the initial examination 25 persons in the Original cohort and 7 persons in the Offspring cohort had prevalent stroke Follow-up through 2004 of the remaining 5,184 Original cohort and 5 117 Offspring has yielded 1132 incident strokes (920 in the Original cohort) and an additional 240 incident TIAs (160 in the Original cohort) that were not preceded by stroke a dementia-free cohort of 2,842 Original cohort members was established based on neurological and detailed neuropsychological examination of the entire cohort and of these 450 persons had developed incident dementia by 2004 The entire Offspring cohort has been followed for incident dementia since their first examination and 23 persons had developed dementia by 2004 372 survivors of the Original cohort and 2307 Offspring underwent volumetric brain MRI and neuropsychological testing between 1999 and 2004 and are currently undergoing a second round of testing mean 90) and 4,123 Offspring cohort (aged 38-93 The Framingham Study has assembled a dense and complex database over the past 50+ years Want to keep up with the latest news from Boston Medical Center Sign up for our monthly patient newsletter Tucker says the driving force behind her 14-year career as a historian and museum curator is the importance of a community knowing its own history.  She plans to bring that inspiration to the Framingham History Center where she takes over as executive director on May 23.  What is now a lifelong passion started as a teenager’s curiosity she went on a trip to Isreal for young adults of Jewish heritage and organized by the nonprofit Birthright While there, she discovered a connection that convinced her to abandon her aspiration to become a concert pianist “I ended up shifting my career into history because I became so fascinated by the connections that people have to both their history but also the history of their community,” said Tucker “I saw how history was a way that people could really talk about their contemporary issues as well it's just become a lifelong passion.”  Tucker lived her early years in Maine and Rhode Island she earned a bachelor's degree in history from Berry College in Mount Berry Tucker said she had started to find special interest in the field of public history the branch that communicates history to the public through museums or historical sites She went on to serve as assistant museum manager for the Museum of History and Holocaust Education at Kennesaw State University becoming part of the executive team that foresaw the Department of Museums she gathered significant experience in curating artifacts “This was really the first time that I had an opportunity to work with a museum itself,” said Tucker “There I worked from tours to facilities to operations and it was there that I met so many incredible leaders in the field including my own mentor Exploring southern Jewish historyTucker said that while working at the university she earned a master’s degree in history from Georgia State University where she tailored her thesis to explore Southern Jewish history.  the city of New Orleans intended to reopen the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience after it had closed its doors in 2012 at its previous location in Jackson The position of the curator was posted, presenting a chance for Tucker to combine her academic research curation experience and interest in the history of Jews in the American South.  “Living in the South for so many years I realized that there are so many histories that are often overlooked and the Southern Jewish history is exactly one of those,” said Tucker “When you start investigating some of these communities that are overlooked by the history books you start seeing all of these instances of community support and really ways of understanding the broader (Jewish) experience."  Tucker said the process to reopen the museum started from “dirt floors” and took two years to complete From the summer of 2019 until the opening day in May 2021 which according to the museum’s website include objects of Jewish rituals she will be very far from New Orleans and Georgia but in another sense closer to familiar grounds.  In January, Framingham History Center Executive Director Annie Murphy announced her intention to retire in May after 17 years She was instrumental in making the center accessible to residents starting with a name change from Framingham Historical Society.  “I feel when you learn stories about what has gone on in your community it connects you to that community,” said Murphy at the time of her announcement so I love opportunities to give people new information about how amazing the history of this place is because I think history is the bedrock of the culture of a place.”  Despite having to leave the studies of the Southern Jewish experience Tucker said she will find a comfortable place working at an institution that values the history of its community.  "She's really a forward-looking a person who wants to be part part of the community," said Christine Tibor president of the Framingham History Center's board of directors her sense of place (showed) that she's not one who in any way shape or form is going to work in a vacuum — she's someone who makes connections." the board of directors introduced a program that aims to make the center more inclusive for residents by holding storytelling events collecting objects and stories from residents and providing historical information using QR codes and banners throughout the city Tucker said this program will become her priority to build a connection between the community and its residents.  “I suppose after I buy a snow shovel my next step is really to become a part of the community,” she said “When people come in (the Center) they will be encouraged not only for the rich history of Framingham but also for their own personal history.  and find ways to make sure that they feel that they are an essential part of the history center.”   Toni Caushi is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News FRAMINGHAM — Ruthann Tomassini was a young girl when Shoppers World opened in 1951.  She remembers going to the shopping mall with her family. It was the first shopping mall "east of the Rockies," according to the Framingham History Center.  "The kingpin" of the mall was Jordan Marsh a New England retail mainstay whose store was covered by a dome that many looked at as a grounded flying saucer. The plaza originally had 44 stores in all including a cinema that could seat 1,432 people a records and greeting card store; Dorothea's a ladies' clothing store; Sears; a Stop & Shop grocery store; Framingham Trust Co "I can remember the excitement of it." said Tomassini "It really was a family stopping place."  Shoppers World still exists today but in a much different form Gone is the shopping plaza's garden and walking paths replaced with a large parking lot for big box stores such Best Buy said at the time of the shopping center's arrival in 1951 World War II had ended only a few years before. Development was booming alongside Rte in what would become known first as the "Golden Mile," and later the "Golden Triangle" — a commercial area around Exit 13 of the Massachusetts Turnpike that includes the Natick Mall The shopping center was pedestrian-friendly Its open courtyard setting allowed for shoppers to enjoy both the weather and the flowers planted at the shopping center the shopping center was designed for those coming in by car.   "It became a center for commerce and restaurants," Wallace said.  In the early 1950s, a shopping mall was a novel concept.  But it made sense to bring the concept to this part of the country It is said to be the country's second-oldest mall Dana Dauterman Riccardi was the Framingham History Center's curator in 2013 when it made an exhibit celebrating the history of the shopping plaza. She did a lot of research to understand what Framingham was like in the early 1950s.  "It was growing steadily in the years after World War II it 9 drew locals and travelers," Ricarrdi wrote on a slide that was included in the exhibit.  From the archive: Framingham History Center mounts fun, nostalgic exhibit about Shoppers World back in 2013. Wallace said the mall "was a magnet for people."  it "almost became the 20th-century town green for Framingham and surrounding communities," he said.  there were benches to sit on and flowers to smell Wallace said it wasn't uncommon for people just to go to the shopping center to chat.  "They had something going on in that area year-round," he said it was kind of a playground and park area where kids could play."  the shopping center would also be decked out in décor.  who made the iconic wooden soldiers that could be seen at the plaza He was the official carpenter for the shopping center 'Could you make us some wooden soldiers?'"  Purington created multiple wooden soldiers she said. While the toy soldiers are now maintained by the city's Department of Public Works it's been said that the captain soldier is buried under Shoppers World Riccardi said. A call seeking confirmation of that theory was not returned by the DPW.  remembers going to Shoppers World regularly "They had the most fantastic blueberry muffin that you've ever had in your life not to be found anywhere else since," she said.  She also enjoyed going to the stationery store buying clothes and catching a flick.  the shopping center continued to attract customers as places such as downtown Framingham dwindled 9 becomes the Golden MileThe Shopping Center helped attract new business along Rte Red Coach Grille and others," reads a slide from the history center exhibit.  While the plaza was helping attract business to Framingham it dealt with financial struggles as early as three years after it opened The shopping plaza was the brainchild of Huston Rawl who established the real estate trust that developed the plaza.  shoppers and sales could not save Huston Rawls’ empire from crumbling when poorly written leases and a reduction in the loan by the lending agency took their toll on the bottom line of the enterprise," she wrote.  Shoppers World owners Allied Stores agreed to sell its interest to Melvin Simon and Associates There were plans to tear down the shopping plaza and replace it with an enclosed mall That plan was approved by the Planning Board but that faced a legal challenge by the Natick Mall.  as the shopping center began to show its age Homart Development Company (Sears' real estate division) The original plan was to build a new enclosed mall at Shoppers World and an open shopping plaza where the Natick Mall was.  a department store that was proposed to be an anchor at the new Shoppers World had recently remodeled its Natick store and didn't want to build a new one "Homart then reversed the plans. The new Natick Mall opened in late 1994; the original Shoppers’ World in Framingham closed in August 1994 It would be replaced by a 'power center' consisting mostly of large discount retailers."    Efforts to save the Jordan Marsh domeThere was an effort to save the iconic Jordan Marsh dome just months before the plaza was set to be demolished Framingham Building Commissioner Lew Colten inspected the dome and found it to be in excellent condition.     "Is there a more recognizable symbol of Framingham than that dome?" he asked Colten was able to raise about $10,000 in private pledges to save the dome He had proposed a plan to move the dome and make it a hockey rink  He estimated it would cost about $300,000.  There were other suggestions to make it a carousel a tourist information center or a "theater in the round."  But efforts to save the dome fell short "It was Lew Colten’s understanding that Homart officials would give him until December 15th to come up with a plan to save the dome," she wrote the outer layer of the dome was being peeled off MetroWest Daily News columnist Tom Moroney was among the loudest voices seeking to save the dome dedicating several columns urging developers to preserve it Today, the old Shoppers World is remembered fondly. A Facebook group titled "The Old Shoppers World was Better" has more than 10,000 members Old advertisements and photos from inside the mall are posted regularly.  Cesareo Contreras can be reached at 508-626-3957 or ccontreras@wickedlocal.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.