Framingham mourns its fiercest advocate for the disabled, Karen Foran Dempsey
FRAMINGHAM Karen Foran Dempsey hated words like wheelchair-bound and wheelchair-restricted.
Dempsey saw her motorized scooter as a gift, not a burden, according to her sister, City Councilor Janet Leombruno. It helped get her to places she needed to go.
“Karen would say, ‘No, I’m not restricted to a wheelchair. These are my wheels. These are my legs. This is my freedom,’” Leombruno recalled.
For the past few decades, Dempsey made a name for herself in Framingham as a tenacious advocate for the disability community, using her various roles in public office to make her hometown a more accessible place.
NEXT Episode 230: New England s Most Famous R&B Family Reflects On Race In America capeandislands.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from capeandislands.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A family affair: Newly elected state Rep. Jake Oliveira ready to roll in 7th Hampden District
JAKE OLIVEIRA
Jake Oliveira, 34, of Ludlow will be sworn in on Jan. 6, 2021, to represent the Massachusetts House of Representatives 7th Hampden District. STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN GUTTING
Jake Oliveira, 34, of Ludlow will be sworn in on Jan. 6, 2021, to represent the Massachusetts House of Representatives 7th Hampden District, which includes three of Belchertown’s four precincts as well as parts of Ludlow, Chicopee and Springfield. His predecessor, Thomas Petrolati, held the seat for 34 years. Photographed outside Belchertown Town Hall on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN GUTTING
The move is expected to be approved by the Board of Trustees in January. The pandemic has put such a burden on so many of us and many people are struggling,” says Framingham State President F. Javier Cevallos in a statement. “With the support of our Board of Trustees, I’m happy to say that we are fully committed to keeping the price of attending Framingham State University flat for the upcoming academic year.”
Departments across campus have been asked to tighten their budgets and target efficiencies in order to offset deficits created by holding tuition and fees flat. Current in-state tuition and fees at the university are $11,380 per year.
A family affair: Newly elected state Rep. Jake Oliveira ready to roll in 7th Hampden District
Jake Oliveira, 34, of Ludlow will be sworn in on Jan. 6, 2021, to represent the Massachusetts House of Representatives 7th Hampden District, which includes three of Belchertown’s four precincts as well as parts of Ludlow, Chicopee and Springfield. His predecessor, Thomas Petrolati, held the seat for 34 years. Photographed in Belchertown on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN GUTTING
Jake Oliveira, 34, of Ludlow will be sworn in on Jan. 6, 2021, to represent the Massachusetts House of Representatives 7th Hampden District, which includes three of Belchertown’s four precincts as well as parts of Ludlow, Chicopee and Springfield. His predecessor, Thomas Petrolati, held the seat for 34 years. Photographed at Belchertown Town Hall on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN GUTTING