"market the property to small businesses"

The Milford Daily News reports on the Downtown Partnership meeting Thursday morning:

An entertainment club, a quaint hotel, a lush park — when it comes to the question of how to develop the former Town Hall on Emmons Street, the downtown business community has more than a few suggestions. 

Nearly 40 business leaders crowded into a conference room at Dean College Thursday morning to shop ideas for the property’s future. 

The hour-long session, part of the Franklin Downtown Partnership’s monthly meeting, illuminated two potential scenarios for the town: sell or lease the building for commercial use or turn the entire property into green space for the public.

- See more at: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140110/NEWS/140119987/1994/NEWS#sthash.PfGBSq7K.dpuf

Emmons St - file photo from March 2009

If you have any ideas about the Emmons St building, you can participate in the public hearing on Tuesday Jan 21 in the 3rd Floor Training Room at the Municipal Building at 7:00 PM.

Zentangle Class Wednesday January 15th at Jane's Frames

Zentangle Class Dear Steve, Wednesday ,  January 15th, 6:00-8:30 at Jane's Frames. Zentangle is a meditative artform that anyone can do!  No art experience is needed.   The cost of this 2 hour class is $35.00, it includes the Zentangle kit, so you can continue creating your tangles at home. Please RSVP soon as the class  fills up quickly! When you call or e-mail, I will send you additional information about the class.  After 14 months of enjoying the relaxing and inspiring process of creating Zen-tangles,  in June  2012 , I was fortunate enough to attend a  three and a half day long course, along with over 100 attendees from all over the world, in order to become a certified Zentangle teacher. The instructors,  Marie Thomas and Rick Roberts, are the co-founders of Zentangle.   I am so pleased to be a Certified Zentangle Teacher,  and I now am proud to add CZT after my name!  What is Zentangle? Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.  Almost anyone can use it to create beautiful images. It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well being. The Zentangle method is enjoyed all over this world across a wide range of skills, interests and ages. For more information go to QUICK LINKS A very Special Thank you goes to my friend Cathy Corcoran, a true Angel on earth, who introduced me to Zentangle over 16 months ago. I have been enjoying this relaxing and inspiring process ever since. It was through Cathy's joy of presenting what she loves, generosity of spirit and inspiration that drew me into the world of tangling. I am forever grateful! Joyfully and Thankfully Yours, Jane Curran, CZT Jane's Frames Zentangle Class Relaxing & Eye Opening Quick Links www.zentangle.com www.janesframes.com www.tanglepatters.com A sample of creations from an Zentangle Class of first time tanglers.

Forward this email Jane's Frames | 11 East Central Street | Franklin | MA | 02038

Franklin Library: Book Sale Jan 18-19

The Library is hold a book sale on Saturday, Jan 18th and a Bag Sale on Sunday, January 19th

Library Book Sale - Jan 18th, Jan 19th

This was initially posted to the Library webpage
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-sale.html

"an opportunity to both tell HMEA’s story and help a local business"

The Milford Daily News reports on new videos produced by Six One Seven Studios for HMEA.

When directors from Six One Seven Studios first sat down with the Horace Mann Education Associates to discuss a series of short promotional films, they wanted to learn everything they could about the nonprofit. 

The production team was quickly overwhelmed. 

They struggled to grasp how one company could do so much for so many people, from the children with autism trying to make it through school, to the mentally disabled adults grasping for some semblance of independence. 

But after spending 15 days last summer with the people of HMEA, the directors, Peter Jacelone, Joe Palumbo and Bryan Roberts, not only understood the company’s story, but learned from it, too. 

"They have such a powerful story to tell," Palumbo said. "It helped us grow."

- See more at: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140110/NEWS/140119986#sthash.R8K6R5qD.dpuf


One of the videos currently on the HMEA webpage: (not likely one of the new videos mentioned in the article, once those are posted, I'll share them here too)




For more about the HMEA, you can visit their webpage at http://www.hmea.org/

Annual Report 2013: Recreation

The Recreation Department is located at 150 Emmons Street. The Recreation Department offers Franklin and Medway residents a variety of programs and events for youths and adults as well as coordination of youth sports organizations field use and coordination of maintenance at athletic fields. The department operates and schedules activities for Chilson Beach at Beaver Pond, Fletcher Field, Dennis Pisani Field (formally Theron Metcalf), Henry “Ski” Faenza Tot Lot (Nason Street Tot Lot), King Street Memorial Field, Dacey Community Field, and Meadowlark Lane Athletic Fields. The department is also responsible for scheduling the use of all school athletic fields during the summer, when school is not in session. Our department works closely with the various town youth sports organizations and Athletic Director Brad Sidwell to schedule all youth sports activities around the high school team practices and games.

This year, Chilson Beach was a busy place with over 3000 visitors utilizing the many functions of the pond. Canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, and hiking were some of the activities available at Chilson Beach. We continue to operate soccer, football, boys lacrosse and cross country running on and around the turf field. The turf field was used for NFL Flag football, Pop Warner football, soccer, and lacrosse, as well as yoga for senior citizens, tai chi, boot camp, and many other recreational activities. A portable recycled plastic walkway was installed for handicap accessibility to the water and playground area. The Franklin High School soccer, lacrosse and field hockey programs play all of their home games on the turf field as well.

Summer Playground Program
An eight week playground program was held at Fletcher Field & Medway’s Choate Park from June 24-August 19 2012. The program hours were Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm daily. Activities included: organized games, arts and crafts, water activities, sports, and weekly visitors. The themed weeks featured water slide Tuesday, a trip to Regal Cinema on Wednesdays, a giant slip and slide every Thursday, and Pizza day Fridays. The program grew this summer to over 800 registrants.

The Franklin Summer Playground Program Director this year was Kaitlyn Williamson. The Franklin Summer Playground Program staff included: Stefan and Erik Herlitz, Paul O’Donahue, Anne Versprille, Nicole Ellin, Jake Versprille, Brandon Kuzio and Vicky Rondeau.

The Medway Summer Playground Program Director was Becky Tingley. Their staff included, Arianna Burke, Bryany Burke, Kelly Dubowski, Alec Marshall and Matthew Harrington.

Youth Basketball Program
The Youth Basketball program continues to grow and now involves over 1,500 children, 162 teams, 310 coaches, and utilizes every school gymnasium in town. The Recreation department expanded its basketball program to include High School aged kids looking to
continue playing. This intramural program gives kids in grades 9-12 a chance to continue playing pick up basketball on Saturday nights. The program utilizes school gyms at Parmenter, Davis Thayer, Horace Mann Middle School, Remington Elementary, J.F.
Kennedy School, Keller Sullivan Middle School, and Franklin High School auxiliary gym.

This year the youth basketball program ran from November 11th-March 3rd on Saturdays. The FYBL is divided into ten divisions: Kindergarten (co-ed), 1st & 2nd Grade Boys, 1st & 2nd Grade Girls, 3rd & 4th Grade Boys, 3rd & 4th Grade Girls, 5th & 6th Grade
Boys & 5th & 6th Grade Girls, 7th & 8th Grade Boys, 7th & 8th Grade Girls and High School Intramural division.

This year, our coordinators were Steve Ellin 3rd and 4th Boys, Mike Vinson 3rd and 4th Girls, Mike Canesi and John Jette 5th and 6th Girls, Tim Saunders and Kevin O’Connell 5th and 6th Boys, Mark Marinelli 7th and 8th Girls, Steve Skaza 7th and 8th Boys, and Mike Vinson  It is because of these individuals and the volunteer coaches, that this program is a success. The K-4th grade leagues are set up as a non-competitive learning experience for the children with the focus on fundamental basketball skills. Grades 5th-8th grade basketball leagues start to teach the kids different rules, zone defense, pressing, and traits of competitive basketball. Ten players are drafted to each team and games are played weekly on Saturdays. Participation trophies are awarded to all Kindergarten through 4th grade players, and a “breakup” pizza party is held for all K-2nd grade players after the final game of the season.

Pee Wee Baseball
The Pee Wee Baseball program was created in 1999 by Director, Ryan Jette. Since then, the program has grown from 26 kids to 300 kids annually. Taking his lifelong baseball coaching experience coupled with past employment with Major League Baseball International, Ryan created a beginners baseball program that teaches kids the proper techniques of hitting, fielding, base running and throwing. This fun league features 4 practice sessions and 8 controlled games. The use of tees, soft bats and spongy balls make this program a safe and enjoyable start children ages 4-6 years old. Head Instructors Mike Massuer and Chris Reagan will be on site to run the drills, organize the scrimmages, and support the volunteer coaching staff.

Kid Care Babysitting
The Recreation Department continues to offer this 6-hour training program for kids ages 11-16 years old. Kelley Brooks teaches kids the business of babysitting while coordinating lectures on childcare, fire and police safety, nutrition, and diapering. Classes were offered monthly throughout the year and over 300 kids were introduced to the business of babysitting.

NFL Flag Football
The Recreation Department teamed up with the NFL to bring this non-contact flag football league to kids aged 6-14 years old. 482 kids signed up to play each Tuesday & Thursday evening at the Beaver Pond Turf Field. Reversible NFL game jerseys, playbooks, wristbands, belt/flag setup and access to the NFL Kids website gives kids the opportunity to follow their favorite player or team. Players learned the fundamentals of throwing, catching, running and teamwork. Punt, pass, and kick competition will allow
kids to showcase their skills in a competition against area youths.

Tennis Program
The Tennis program was expanded from a summer program to a three season (summer, fall and winter) program. The youth tennis instructional program was offered at the Franklin High School Courts. The six week program was under the supervision of Diane Reinertson, Drew Reinertson and Tighe Poirier. Classes were run at the Franklin High School tennis courts, Monday through Thursday for all skill levels. Over 300 children participated in our tennis program.

Golf Lessons
The Recreation Department expanded the golf lessons offered into the summer months, by offering a full or half day camp in the summer. The Recreation Department, in conjunction with Golf Professional, Mark Copithorne, offered Adult and Junior Golf instruction at the New England Country Club in South Bellingham. The lessons covered all aspects of the game of golf (putting, chipping, bunkers, irons, and woods). Registrants met one day a week for 6 weeks to practice their skills. Lessons were offered during the summer and fall season for over 340 residents attending. Express 2 day lessons were offered over April Vacation. Participants enjoyed playing the course following the six-week lesson to see what they learned.

The Recreation Department has been running the Girls lacrosse program since 2005. The program has grown from 28 girls to over 280 girls. Our teams participate in the Massachusetts Bay Girls Lacrosse League. There were four teams at the 1st-2nd grade division which was coached by Greg Tracy, Mike Wright, Mike Ryan, Kim Carney, Michelle Hess, Renee Tolonen, and Matt Hawkins. There were five teams at the 3rd and 4th Grade division, which were coached by Barry Regan, Mike Grasso, Ryan Jette, Tom O’Rourke, Matt Hawkins, Kevin O’Connor, Rob Atkinson, and Mark Goguen. There were three teams at the 5th and
6th Grade level, which was coached by John Jette, Heather MacCallum, Ted Mazukina, Mike Hanson, Charlie Clark, Kinjal Patel, John Grace, Mark Goguen and Rob Atkinson . And three teams at the 7th and 8th Grade level, which were coached by Roger Jette, Pete Lounsbury, Todd MacCallum, Jack Reardon, Paul DeStefano, Chris Schmidt and lots of FHS players . All levels had successful seasons and played in 8 regular season games. Franklin Girls Lacrosse is the largest girls lacrosse program in the state of Massachusetts.

Respectfully submitted,

Ryan Jette

Director of Recreation
Girls Lacrosse

Dacey Field

The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf

Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

"a training exercise as realistic"

What was happening at Dean College on Wednesday when the police were swarming all over the campus?

The Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council’s SWAT division performed a training exercise Wednesday at the college. Known as MetroLEC, the council— a consortium of 43 police and sheriff departments that work together to offer unique and highly specialized law enforcement resources — simulated a crisis involving a sole shooter roaming the campus. 

"At the time we arrived, we did not know where exactly the person was located on the campus," said Medway Police Sgt. Jason Brennan, one of the commanders of the SWAT unit. "We identified two buildings that we wanted to work in, and the teams worked to clear both of those buildings and extricate anyone trapped inside, escorting them off campus." 

Such exercises introduce the tactical team to different environs, each calling for different responses, Brennan said. 

"We focus on running these drills with the mentality that, the more we do this, and in some cases the more mistakes we make, the better prepared we’ll be God forbid we ever have to actually come to the campus."

Read more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/franklin/news/x1266955428/SWAT-team-trains-at-Dean-College-in-Franklin#ixzz2pzb5HC67

Networking Workshop-Fisher College on Thursday January 23rd from 6-7:30 PM

What is the YPO? The YPO is THE place for young professionals who have an interest in social and business networking, community involvement, and professional development.   Come meet other young professionals in your area and check out the YPO!        YPO Now Accepting New Members The YPO Membership Application is now available! For your convenience, you can download the application here, or you can complete it online at our new website: www.unitedregionalypo.org/join. Membership fees are $50 per person, annually. If your business is a member of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce (URCC), your first year of membership into the YPO is free! Applications can be returned: Online: unitedregionalypo.org/join Email:unitedregionalypo@ymail.com Fax: (508) 223-5220 Mail: 42 Union Street, Attleboro, MA 02703  Thank You to our Event Sponsor       Patriot Place, Foxboro, MA  Networking Workshop Tips and Techniques to Make More Connections   Join the United Regional YPO and our guest Ed McDonough for our 1st quarterly workshop of 2014 at Fisher College on Thursday January 23rd from 6-7:30 PM. This workshop will be held in Room 3 of the North Attleboro campus at 451 Elm St. Ed will share how tips on how to engage the person or audience you are speaking to and cover the do's and don'ts to networking effectively. He'll also show you how to create a 30 second "elevator" speech that gets you noticed! Ed McDonough is a Business Growth Expert, certified Business Coach, a respected Marketing Consultant and the founder of Executive Coaching in Walpole, MA. Since 2001 Ed has been a successful entrepreneur and multi-business owner who has a unique talent for developing and implementing long-term profitable marketing strategies. In addition to his business owner experience, Mr. McDonough spent over 25 years as a top-level Information Technology professional and Project Management Consultant in Corporate America, making him well versed in all facets of the business environment. His real-world brick and mortar business experience combined with his passion for effective web-based marketing has lead him to coach business owners throughout North America to success from the ground up.      Be sure to check out our upcoming events on our website and stay up to date with everything YPO by connecting with us online. We look forward to seeing you at our next event!    Kind Regards, United Regional YPO Important *Must be at least 21 years old to attend events For more info call 508-488-9761 or e-mail unitedregionalypo@ymail.com .

Forward email United Regional YPO | 42 Union Street | Attleboro | MA | 02703

Annual Report 2013: Public Library

In FY2013, the Franklin Public Library continued to strengthen its programs and services.

The Library welcomed Allison Meideros, Youth Services Librarian. Allison has brought a fresh perspective and boundless energy to programming. This enthusiasm is reflected in the number of new regularly scheduled programs, special programs and new collaborations with Downtown Partnerships, the Franklin School of Performing Arts, Community Partnerships and the Mom’s Club. This fall, Community Partnerships will introduce a new Science Friday program and a special music story time.

You found value in our many services.

1. Annual Circulation
Total circulation in FY2013 stood at 310,897, up 1,090 from FY2012. The graph below depicts these numbers.

2. Weekly Internet Usage
The library experienced a tremendous increase in internet usage between FY2013 and FY2012. In 2012, the weekly internet usage was 167. This number increased almost two fold (174% increase) to 457 in FY2013.

3. Library Visits
Library usage continues to increase steadily – a clear testament to the quality and depth of programming and services that the library continues to offer. In FY2013 library visits increased by 16,009 to 193,333 over FY 2012 visits of 177,324 – a 9% annual increase.

4 Children’s Programs Attendance
Attendance in children’s program has seen a phenomenal increase for FY2013. In FY2012, children’s programs attendance stood at 5,328. In FY2013, this number increased by 1,540 or 29% to 6,868. The library continues to expand its programs to meet the needs of its young patrons and this increase is a clear evidence of the attractiveness of these programs.

Student Assistance Center
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, our commitment providing homework assistance to students in grades 1-8 had another successful year.

You asked for an ongoing used book sale in the library and we provided two for your convenience, one for our young patrons on the ground floor and another for tweens, teens and adults on the second floor.

Ben Franklin statue outside the Library on a sunny day

Moving Forward: Assessing the Future
You engaged us with constructive feedback and invaluable suggestions for the future. For all of you participated in the focus group interviews and the online survey we say, thank you. Your input will help identify service priorities and guide the allocation of resources.

I attribute our growth and strength to an incredible group:
• The Board of Directors for their commitment to service excellence and responsible stewardship,
• The Town Administrator and elected officials who make library funding possible,
• The hard-working staff,
• The Friends, volunteers and generous donors,
• The Franklin School of performing Arts for entertaining many patrons with plays and dance this summer,
• Kyle Perry for organizing and soliciting donations for a week long Lego challenge,
• The Teen Advisory Board for their time and outreach efforts.
• Andrea Burke and her programming committee for their hard work in planning adult programs,
• And our patrons whose insights and strong, consistent use of the library’s varied collections and services make us better.

Respectfully submitted,

F.Oti, Library Director


Note: given the layout and use of photos in this section of the report, the full section (available on the Library page) is also shared here:




The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf

Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

"Lifelong Learning has been busy with all things SUMMER"

... Lifelong Learning has been busy with all things SUMMER. The Math Academy, Summer Music, Summer Art Institute, Solutions Summer Adventure, High School Academics, the High School Experience, Ready ... Set ... Kindergarten, Oceans of Fun, and STAR are returning with another summer of interesting courses. 

Numerous course proposals for STAR have been submitted and are in the process of being reviewed. This summer STAR offerings will include: art, science, sports & fitness, crafts, STEM, cooking, adventures, and more.Watch for the course registration to go "live" after the middle of January. If you have any questions about the summer programs email us: lifelong@franklin.k12.ma.us.

Read the full article on the Lifelong Learning website here
http://lifelonglearningfps.blogspot.com/2014/01/wednesday-january-8-2014.html

"To see smiles coming off the ice it was exciting"

HockomockSports.com reports on the Franklin boys hockey team game vs. Stoughton:

Franklin scored six goals in the second period, sandwiched between a one goal first period and a two goal third period to blank Stoughton, 9-0, on the road Wednesday evening. Franklin picks up just their third win of the season after having to battle some of the best teams from Massachusetts as well as other states. For the Panthers, it was all about getting back on track.

"That was the only mindset we had," Franklin head coach Chris Spillane said. "Coming in 2-4, we just needed to play some hockey and score some goals. The first period was a little disappointing, we came out a little slow. Their goaltender had a great game, everything we threw on net he stopped. The second period I think we got more selective with our shots. It's a good win to have.

Read the full article here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2014/01/franklin-gets-back-on-track-with-offensive-outburst.html

"Single cigars account for about 80 percent of all tobacco sales"

The Board of Health tabled approval of their proposed revision to the tobacco regulations until the Feb 4th meeting. This action came after the public hearing during which testimony from multiple parties was presented. One of the advocates proposing to raise the age to buy tobacco fell short in his presentation:

Dr. Lester Hartman, a Westwood pediatrician and advocate for increasing the age limit to buy tobacco products to 21 statewide, said that 90 percent of underage smokers purchase cigarettes from fellow teens between the ages of 18 and 20. 

The idea, he said, is raising the age to 21 cuts out those teenagers buying cigarettes for their younger high school friends. 

"You take the distributorship out of the high school," he said, acknowledging, however, that he lacks data to support the theory.

- See more at: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140107/NEWS/140109804/?tag=1#sthash.V0CQYB9n.dpuf


If you missed reading the proposed regulations you can find the listing here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/01/regulations-tighten-towns-rules-on.html

FYI: Police Training Exercise

Training Notice/Police Activity

January 8th, between the hours of 8am and 1pm, members of the FPD along with other departments, will be conducting a training exercise on Dean Campus property. You will see many officers and police vehicles in the area. There is NO need for concern; it is a training exercise only.

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Friends Of Franklin Library: Meeting Agenda - Jan 8, 2014

FOFL Meeting Agenda for Wednesday January 8, 2014

Meeting time: 7PM
Meeting place: Franklin Library, Community Room


Welcome and introductions

Library Director’s report, and request(s) for funds

• Request for $10,000.00 for purchase of library materials (books, DVDs, and E-books)
• FY2014 budget status update

Comments and updates from the Library Board of Directors

• Overview of Strategic Plan

Acceptance of minutes from last (December 4) meeting

Treasurer’s report

• Discussion and vote on library funds requested

Committee updates

• Membership
• Outreach – Facebook/Twitter
• Downtown Partnership

Continuing items

• Memorial Scholarship
• Meetings with MBLC and MFOL representatives
• FoFL Bulletin board content
• Fundraising opportunities

New Items

• Passes requested by members
• Program suggestions
• Other (open forum)

Companion Caregiver Program available

Have you considered the companion caregiver program currently offered by the Franklin Senior Center?

The grant funded program is designed to provide full time caregivers who are 60 years of age and older, some respite care from one of our trained companions. It is designed for the caregiver caring for someone with a major medical illness or dementia. We can offer 2-4 hours per week for each family.

While currently focused on caregivers over 60, there is hope that with continued success of the program, and additional grant funding, it may be expanded to include those caregivers under 60 who are also providing care for their senior parents and relatives.

The program flyer is shown here. You can download and print your own copy.



For other services offered by the Senior Center, you can visit the Senior Center online
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Senior/index

Women in Negotiation: internal views and external responses

Tuesday, January 14

6:30 PM

Learn how a woman’s internal views on negotiation, and her own negotiation style, may have an impact on her personal and professional life.


GUEST SPEAKER: Jennifer Lampi
A specialist in negotiation techniques, Ms. Lampi has worked closely with Professor Linda Babcock, author of Women Don’t Ask, researching the impacts of gender on negotiation. At Accenture, she has advised teams, coached female executives, and trained people on how to practice and utilize different negotiation techniques.


Location: Dean College - Campus Center.
Free parking on campus at 100 West Central Street, Franklin

FREE ADMISSION

RSVP alumni@dean.edu

SPEAKER’S FORUM - Franklin Water Supply

SPEAKER’S FORUM

The first in a series of public speaking engagements hosted by the Franklin Odd Fellows:
Franklin Water Supply Presentation

Presenter: Laurie Ruszala, Water and Sewer Superintendent

Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Franklin Public Library, Community Room (Downstairs)


Agenda:

1. General Overview of water system and regulatory agencies
2. Production
3. Treatment
4. Distribution
5. Water Quality
6. Cross Connection
7. Meter Reading (water conservation/waste)
Questions and Answer Period

Information from the town website:

Currently the Town of Franklin obtains its drinking water from 12 groundwater supply wells. In addition to the 12 water supply wells, the Town operates 6 booster pump stations, 6 water storage tanks, over 2,000 hydrants, 157 miles of water main and approximately 9,000 water services. The Town of Franklin sanitary sewer system is comprised of 137 miles of sewer pipe, over 3,400 manholes and 23 pump stations.

www.franklinmassoddfellows.org

"a celebration at the restaurant when it reopens"

The kitchen at Guru will need to be re-done and take up to 4 weeks due to the fire on Sunday.

The manager of the Guru Bar and Grill said Tuesday the Main Street restaurant will remain closed for up to four weeks after a grease fire on Sunday tore through its kitchen. 

Sandeep Sidhu said the restaurant, which opened at 30 Main St. a little more than a year ago, sustained heavy damage to the kitchen, though he had not received a complete estimate from his insurance company. 

The dining room sustained minor smoke damage, he said. And indeed, the stink left in the two-alarm fire’s wake was still fresh there on Tuesday afternoon.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x407167000/Main-Street-restaurant-in-Franklin-closed-after-Sunday-fire#ixzz2pnoajWdX

"regulations tighten the town’s rules on smoking in public places"

The proposed regulations are set for a public hearing today at 10:00 AM.

The Board of Health’s public hearing on new tobacco regulations, written by Health Director David McKearney, is set for Tuesday. 

The three-member board will meet at 10 a.m. at the Municipal Building, 355 East Central St. 

The regulations call for raising the legal age to purchase tobacco products to 19 and establish a tobacco and nicotine delivery products permit, administered by the board. The town has never had a local tobacco permit, though businesses selling tobacco products must still acquire a license from the state Department of Revenue.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/blog/healthconscious/x407166500/Franklin-Board-of-Health-hearing-on-tobacco-regs-slated#ixzz2phzM2RNJ

You can read the proposed regulations here:




Or find this document on the Franklin Board of Health webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_HealthNews/01C3F009-000F8513 

(Note: The BoH revised their proposed regulations and posted the new set (1/23/14), took down the old. You'll need to figure out what the difference between the two sets are, there are no revision marking on the new document.)
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_HealthNews/01C7D47D-000F8513

Children's Center - Open House Tours - Jan 14th

The Children's Center at Dean College will be holding Open House tours on Tuesday, January 14th.

Details in the postcard shown here:

Dean College Children's Center - Open House Tours

For more about the Children's Center you can visit their webpage here
http://www.dean.edu/pre_school.aspx

Annual Report 2013: Housing Authority

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
The following Officers were duly elected at the annual organizational meeting of the Franklin Housing Authority held on April 8, 2013.
George A. Danello, Chairman
Christopher K. Feeley, Vice Chairperson
Peter L. Brunelli, Treasurer
Mark A. Teehan, Assistant Treasurer
John R. Padula, Commissioner

Commissioner Peter L. Brunelli and Commissioner John R. Padula have served on the Board for many years. During their service, they were instrumental in assisting the housing authority receive five ‘Outstanding Agency Awards’ from the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials MassNAHRO), including the most recent for obtaining a duplex for the affordable housing of single, low-income persons in the Franklin area. Both Commissioners have been highly respected for their diligent work in providing safe and affordable housing to persons of low income.

Commissioner Brunelli left the Board after serving 18 years and Commissioner Padula left the Board after 22 years of service. Sincere thanks to both from the Franklin Housing Authority.

Diane Padula-O’Neill has been sworn in by the Town Clerk as a new commissioner for the housing authority. We look forward to working with Commissioner O’Neill in the upcoming year.

FHA STAFF
Lisa M. Audette, Executive Director
Candice Day, Administrative Assistant
Carole Blanchard, Office Assistant
Michael Gilligan, Maintenance Supervisor
Frank McAvoy, Maintenance Laborer
James Brunelli, Maintenance Groundskeeper
Anne Ayotte, Service Coordinator

Three highly regarded staff members retired from their positions in the past year. Melva Jackson worked as Office Clerk for 12 years. Diane Lamoureux worked as Office Assistant then Administrative Assistant and retired after 16 years. William Pizzi work as Maintenance Laborer for 10 years. The best of health and happiness is wished for their retirement years.

Modernization of the Franklin Housing Authority Properties
A Contract for Funding Assistance from the Department of Housing & Community Development for the purpose of repairing components of the aged agency for their fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. Several projects were completed using this very timely and important funding including the following: 667 development - roof replacement, catch basin repairs, electric panel replacement, installation of GFCI outlets and common room furniture replacement. 200 and 705 developments – roof replacement, concrete repairs and drain repairs. 689 development received new appliances.

Also, Franklin Housing Authority was awarded $22,500 in Health & Safety funds for the placement of the community room floor, foyer floors and stair treads. The Auditor’s Office did an audit of the modernization and procurement activity since 2010. After 3 months of review, no mistakes were found.

FHA Property
The Franklin Housing Authority manages 161 units of State Aided Elderly/Disabled Housing, 33 units of low income Family Housing and an 8-unit Group Home. Additionally, the Housing Authority is responsible for a four bedroom congregate facility. This program provides a shared living environment for its residents who maintain private bedrooms. Congregate housing was established for residents who are self-reliant, however may need limited support.

Franklin Housing Authority also owns two single family homes and one duplex in Franklin. These properties are reserved for lease to low-income persons and afford these families the opportunity to reside in a residential neighborhood.

Additionally, Franklin Housing Authority is hoping to develop another Chapter 689 housing facility. Chapter 689 housing is reserved for mentally challenged adults and will be overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. We have secured a suitable site for this development on Plain Street. Approval has been granted from the Town of Franklin Zoning Board of Appeals and the Design Commission. We anxiously await funding for this very important development.

Special Events Noted with Appreciation
• Rotary Club members served their annual spaghetti dinner to FHA residents and area seniors complete with all the fixings. Commissioner John Padula was the head Chef and also provided some entertainment. Rotary members cooked, served, entertained and picked up after. Rotarians always comment that the smiles and the kind words of appreciation received make their time and efforts very rewarding.
• Boy Scouts of America – Troop 126 - Eagle Scout Candidate Lucas Barrett constructed an agency sign and went on to achieve Eagle Scout status.
• Franklin Youth Hockey League – Under the supervision of Ryan Jette and parents, the Franklin Youth Hockey League raked and removed leaves from the FHA Senior property. About 60 volunteers worked to remove over 100 bags of leaves.

Special Thanks
The Board of Commissioners, Staff and Residents of the Franklin Housing Authority wish to express their thanks and appreciation to the following:
• The Clergy, a continuous support and comfort in the time of need and always.
• Franklin Senior Association Members:
Suzanne Wade, President
Linda Doonan, Vice President
Joyce Hutchinson, Treasurer
Evelyn Pelletier, Secretary
Evelyn Mucciarone, Member at Large
This Association plans pizza parties, holiday gatherings, morning coffee and donuts, card parties and many more events for the enjoyment of all Franklin Seniors.
• Chairman Bob Vallee and all of the Franklin Town Council Members, Town Administrator, Jeffrey Nutting and his staff for their continued support and assistance.
• Council on Aging, Veterans Agent, SHINE Program and Food Pantry for assisting residents with health care concerns and working with the Authority to recognize needs and provide activities, nourishment and specialized services.
• Franklin Police Department, Chief Semerjian and the entire Franklin Police Department for continuous concern, attention and response to the needs of the Authority and its Residents.
• Franklin Fire and Rescue, Chief Gary McCarraher and his department are always professional and respectful.
• Senator Karen Spilka, Senator Richard Ross, Representative Jeffery Roy, U.S. Congressmen Joseph Kennedy III and Senators Elizabeth Warren & Edward Markey for their relentless support of the Housing Programs and Bills with the best interest of our residents at heart.
• Governor Patrick for his support of Massachusetts public housing.
• Norfolk County Sherriff’s Department and Sherriff Michael Bellotti for including FHA in their inmate community service program.
• Dean Bank for the donation to our Senior Community Hall and Senior Tenants Group.

Through the years, the community and the housing authority are finding ways to improve the quality of life for our area seniors and low-income families. With the support of the Commissioners and the community the Franklin Housing Authority continues to be a great, safe and affordable community living opportunity.

Respectfully submitted,
Lisa M. Audette, PHM, Executive Director

Franklin Municipal Building

The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf

Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

Franklin Trash/Christmas Tree Schedule

During a holiday week, the trash pickup schedule is adjust by one day. So last week, Monday and Tuesday were normal pickups. Wednesday as the holiday (New Year's Day) was scheduled for pickup Thursday, Thursday became Friday, and so on.

However, the snow storm arrived Friday so there was no pickup for those from Thursday. They were rescheduled for Saturday. Which meant that those who normally would get picked up on Friday, didn't get picked up at all last week and should get get picked up twice this week.

Friday is scheduled for Monday
Monday - Tuesday
Tuesday - Wednesday
Wednesday - Thursday
Thursday - Friday
Friday - Saturday

This schedule assumes that there won't be another weather event this week to disturb the revised schedule.

This is also the week that Christmas trees are scheduled to be picked up on your day of pickup.

Franklin Public Library: Board of Directors Meeting - Agenda

Franklin Public Library Board of Directors Meeting
January 6, 2014
7:00 PM
Library Meeting Room


1. Call to Order

2. Public Comments

3. Minutes

4. Report of Board Members
Strategic Plan

5. Report of Library Director
One Book, One Community – Book Selection
Book Sale Revenues
Book Sale Coordinator
Renovation/Construction

6. Agenda Items February

7. Adjourn

YPO Networking - Jan 15th

The United Regional Young Professionals Organization (YPO) will be holding its first event of 2014 at Twenty8 Foods and Spirits in Foxboro located in the Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel and Spa at  Patriot Place, in Foxboro on Wednesday, January 15th from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. The event will be the first of 3
monthly networking events to support The Julia Cekala Charitable Foundation. Subsequent events will also be held at Twenty8 on the 3rd Wednesday of February and March from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m..

Young Professionals Organization 

The Julia Cekala Charitable Foundation was created by her parents to support the community through recreation, education and medical assistance. Among those efforts are making long and short term stays
more comfortable for patients and their families at both Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s
Hospital in Boston. They have created Julia’s Playground and Julia’s Garden, a memorial park in North Attleboro to provide peace and play for children and their families in the community. Their fundraising helps to support the continued expansion and maintenance of the park as well educating the community about autism and kidney donation and transplantation.

The cover charge is $5.00 with pre-registration on the YPO website or $10 at the door. Half of the event
proceeds will be donated directly to The Julia Cekala Charitable Foundation. Additional cash donations will also be accepted at the event.

Networking will be from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and light appetizers will be provided. Don’t miss the opportunity to make connections, build relationships and support a great local charity!

The United Regional YPO consists of a diverse group of young professionals who have an interest in social and business networking, community involvement and professional development.

You may register for this event on the YPO’s website unitedregionalypo.org or by contacting 508-488-YPO1 (9761).

Annual Report 2013: Fire Dept

The Franklin Fire Department is divided into two divisions: Operations and Maintenance, which is the largest and responsible for dispatch, emergency medical services, fire suppression and hazardous materials response. Administration and Support Services is responsible for personnel, budget and finance, training, code compliance and coordinating the Town’s emergency preparedness.

Our Mission

The mission of the Franklin Fire Department is to: Have a positive impact in the lives of citizens and visitors of Franklin in their time of crisis by providing compassionate, contemporary, community driven services.

Safeguard human life from the perils of fire, sudden illness, injury or other emergency medical condition, natural and man-made disasters as well as preserve the environment and property from ensuing destruction.

Be responsible for a safe, productive and pleasant work environment for our employees, and provide them opportunities to gain new skills and advance their personal career goals.

Operational Objectives

• Initiating advanced life support to patients within 8 minutes of receiving the telephone call at our communications center.
• To access, extricate, treat and transport and transport trauma patients to a level one trauma medical facility within one hour of the occurrence of the injury.
• Interrupt the progression of fires in structures within 8 minutes of open flame ignition.
• To insure response readiness remains greater than 70%.
• Provide safety and survival skills for all school students in grade K through 5 consistent with the Student Awareness Fire Education (SAFE) initiative of the Commonwealth.
• Provide educational opportunities for department members to insure optimal performance and safety.
• To develop and maintain “best practice” to insure personnel and citizen safety.
• Insure fire safety through timely, consistent code compliance services to all external customers.
• Provide all department services in a manner that satisfies the needs of our customers.

Message from the Fire Chief

Fiscal Year 2013 has been a very difficult year in maintaining a high level of emergency services for the
community. Reductions in authorized staffing levels experienced in Fiscal Year 2009 have reached their
natural and predicted impact. During the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2013, the department suffered a number
of duty related injuries and extended injuries. (We believe there is a causal relationship between years of
diminished staffing levels and increases duty related injuries.) As a result, we were unable to sustain, either
financially or by staffing, sufficient minimum daily staffing levels (10 personnel) to provide the level of
emergency services the community had previously enjoyed. In November of 2012, we these conditions
forced the department to reduce minimum daily staffing to 9 personnel. The effect on service level has
been negative, with a decrease in response time in the King Street District by 5%, increase in on-scene times
by over 50% and an increase in overall time of incident, department-wide by 9%.

This challenged the safety level for our citizens and firefighter alike. In terms of positive outcomes for medical related emergencies, we know that a one minute increase in response time can increase patient morbidity by 13% one year after the incidents. Additionally, I believe the reduced staffing has had a negative impact on our employees. The department’s loss time accident rate has increased by 40% since down staffing occurred in 2009. In addition to the rate increase, loss time has increase 5 fold, to nearly 3,400 work hours lost in Fiscal Year 2013 due to duty related injury.

This year the department also marked a milestone with the retirement of Lieutenant Paul Beach. Lieutenant Beach began his employment with the department in 1983 as a Call Firefighter and was appointed as a Career Firefighter in 1985. During his nearly 27 years of service to the Town, Paul served in many capacities, serving his last 15 years as the Department’s Technology Officer, leading the department’s transition from paper to the digital age. We wish him and his wife Jean a long, happy and healthy retirement.

This year the department responded to more than 3,400 emergency responses – an overall increase of less than 1% from last year. This modest increase reflected no major increase in any call type category from Fiscal Year 2012.

In addition to emergency response, the department also continued to try to expand its fire prevention education activities, providing safety and survival education to the most vulnerable population to fire – our children and seniors. Through the dedicated efforts of SAFE Officer Robert Donovan, the department continued to educate over 100 children per month as well as attend various activities at the Senior Center. Lieutenant Tom Carlucci with Firefighter Keith Darling and Doug Perro provide dedicated assistance in completing this important service to our citizens.

Our employees continue to be the chief reason for maintaining our current the level of success and level of services we provide our citizens. They continue to work tirelessly to protect life and property within Franklin. In addition to their on-duty responses, our employees commit countless hours in continuing education and training targeted to maintain and improved upon their emergency skills.

Additionally, they continue to press forward in attempt to provide the highest level of service to the
community based upon advancement in the fire-rescue field and advancements in technology. These efforts
have yielded significant and broad insight into the requirements necessary to maintain and improve upon
the services we provide to the citizens of Franklin.

Respectfully Submitted,

Gary B. McCarraher, Fire Chief

Franklin Fire Dept - Tower 1 unit at the downtown fire station

The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf

Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

Fallen Hero: John Emidio Pasquantonio

Lance Corporal John Emidio Pasquantonio was born in Franklin on March 14, 1949, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Carlo Pasquantonio. John lived with his parents and 3 sisters on Grove St. while attending the Franklin Schools. John enlisted in the Marines, at age 17. 

John was married to the former Jacqueline Mucciarone of Franklin and he left a son, John Carlo, who currently lives here in Franklin. 

Corporal Pasquantonio, assigned to the USS Iwo Jima, had been sent ashore as a forward observer for the Navy guns on the coast of Vietnam, in Quang Tri province, when he was struck by a mortar shell and killed instantly on April 30, 1968. Prior to his death, John had repeatedly volunteered for this hazardous duty landing on the coast by helicopter. Cpl. Pasquantonio was award the Cross of Gallantry Medal, which compares with America's bronze star award, by the South Vietnam government. 

Lance Corporal John E. Pasquantonio was 19 years old at the time of his death in Vietnam.

Note: as I was updating links I realized that I had skipped this one when I was putting the series together in November.  The full set of Fallen Heroes from the Vietnam War have been added to the Fallen Hero collection.  http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/franklin-fallen-heroes-series.html

Helen Owens Fitness - Open House - Jan 11

My name is Helen Owens and I am a Fitness Instructor. I am a resident of Franklin and I just recently started my own little business, Helen Owens Fitness, teaching fitness classes here in Franklin. I rent the studio space located at 835 W. Central St. #3, right next to Kingdom Cuts and behind the 99 Restaurant.

My friend subscribes to your newsletter/blog and suggested that I reach out to you in hopes that you might consider my new, small business interesting or useful enough for Franklin residents to take advantage of, to include in your postings.

Helen Owens Fitness

I offer Zumba, dance-FIT, and Total Body Conditioning classes. I welcome people of all fitness levels! My objective is to show that fitness can be FUN and doesn't have to be dreaded. So I try to provide a FUN, FRIENDLY and WELCOMING fitness experience for all!

Classes are pay-as-you-go, so no contracts or monthly fees. Your 1st class is FREE. After that, drop in any class, any time for $10. Or you can get discounted class packages (6x classes for $50; 10x classes for $75).

I am also having an OPEN HOUSE party on Saturday, January 11, starting 9am. I am offering a FREE 1-hour Zumba/dance-FIT combo class. There will also be chances to WIN raffle prizes with purchase of a class package. It's a good opportunity for people to come meet me, try a class, and have some fun!

I've attached information about my classes for you to review and share, if you choose. I will be running my first ad in THE SHOPPER next week, which will hit households in Franklin, Bellingham, Wrentham and Norfolk!

Helen Owens Fitness

(617)680-4885

dancingmama75@gmail.com

LIKE my Facebook page: facebook.com/helenowensfitness