Friday, July 31, 2015

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 7/31/15 - THU 8/6/15

FRIDAY 7/31/15
12-6pm   Franklin Farmers Market at The Town Common
1pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Davey the Clown at Franklin Public Library
2-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Student Art and Music Performances at the FHS
4-8pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Music and Art at Jane’s Frames
6:30pm   Art Night Uncorked at Franklin Art Center
8-9:50pm   Frozen Friday DJ Public Skate at Pirelli Arena
8pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Shakespeare on The Common

SATURDAY 8/1/15
12-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Art and Photography at Franklin United Methodist Church
12-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Fashion Design with Newspaper and Dance for Children and Adults at Franklin Town Common
12-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Robots and Magical Machines at Franklin United Methodist Church
12-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Watercolor and Mural Painting for Adults and Children at The Town Common
12 and 1pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Dean College Palladino School of Dance and Franklin Art Center at The Sculpture Park (two tours of the park followed by craft to paint fish)
12-2pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Kevin T. Wolfe Band at The Town Common
12-2pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Ceramic Bowl Fundraiser for Franklin Food Pantry on the Town Common
1-2pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: All Hands Drumming at Franklin Public Library
2:30pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Preview The Wiz at The Town Common
4:00pm   FPAC performs "School House Rock" at THE BLACK BOX (ticket purchase required)
7:30pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: FPAC One Acts at The Black Box

SUNDAY 8/2/15
12-5pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Circle of Friends Performances at The Black Box
12-5pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Taste of Franklin at The Black Box
12-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Art and Photography at the Franklin United Methodist Church
12-5pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Ceramic Bowl Fundraiser for Franklin Food Pantry at The Black Box
12-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: FAA Art and Photography at The Black Box
12-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Robots and Magical Machines at the Franklin United Methodist Church
12-4pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Wool Spinning, Rug and Straw Braiding, Historical Film at the Franklin Historical Museum
5pm   Franklin Cultural Festival: Closing Ceremony at The Black Box

MONDAY 8/3/15
1pm   Drop In Craft at Franklin Public Library
7pm   Make a Wall/Desk Organizer (grades 5-12) at Franklin Public Library

TUESDAY 8/4/15
10:30am   Get Ready For Kindergarten (ages 3-5) at Franklin Public Library
6pm   FREE Outdoor Concert at Franklin Public Library: Classic Rock with MidLife Crisis

WEDNESDAY 8/5/15
10:30am   Terrific Toddlers (18 months to 3 years) at Franklin Public Library
1pm   Family Concert with David Polansky at Franklin Public Library
6pm   Concerts on The Common: DJ Mike Rutkowski

THURSDAY 8/6/15
10:30am   Story and Craft (ages 3-6) at Franklin Public Library
1pm   Teddy Bear Picnic at Franklin Public Library

For all the Town of Franklin Public Meetings click HERE.

For event details click HERE.

For Summer Programs details at the Franklin Public Library click HERE.

For Franklin Cultural Festival event details click HERE.

*If you have any suggestions or events for the calendar, please email Renata@BetterLivingRE.com

Franklin Cultural Festival - Friday Schedule

Friday, July 31 

  • 11:00 AM - Student art and music performances, Franklin High School

  • 1:00 PM - Davey the Clown, Franklin Library 
 
Davey the Clown
Davey the Clown

  • 4:00 – 8:00 PM - Music and art, Jane’s Frames 

  • 6:30 - 7:30 PM - Laughter Yoga, Town Common 
Laughter Yoga on the Town Common
Laughter Yoga on the Town Common


  • 8:00 – 9:30 PM - Shakespeare on The Common
 
an abridged version of Shakespeare's Henry IV, part 1
an abridged version of Shakespeare's Henry IV, part 1


Franklin Cultural Festival - Arts Happen Here
Franklin Cultural Festival - Arts Happen Here


Schedule subject to change, any changes will be updated as soon as known


Check the webpage for any updates (especially in case of weather)

http://www.franklinsculturalfestival.org/ 



Traffic Alert: expect delays on 140 downtown


From the Franklin Police Twitter feed:

construction on 140
construction on 140

Legislature Reaffirms Commitment to Education, Local Aid


House and Senate Votes Reaffirm Commitment to Education, Local Assistance

Legislature Addresses Gubernatorial Vetoes

BOSTON – The Legislature today took final action on the Fiscal Year 2016 budget, Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chair Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland) announced. These veto overrides will enhance support for Massachusetts residents and municipalities, and ensure that local programs, education funding and economic development initiatives are well funded by the legislature.

"This final budget reflects a modest spending increase over last year that is within revenue projections," said Senator Spilka. "Over the past two days, we restored funding to critical programs and services, especially in areas related to education, homelessness, substance abuse and our innovation economy. This is a balanced budget that covers expected costs for the coming year and makes strategic investments to lift families across the Commonwealth."

Through the FY16 budget, the Legislature advanced its standing as the national leader in education for students of all ages. Recognizing the importance of providing statewide access to full-day kindergarten the Legislature overrode a cut to kindergarten expansion grants, reaffirming its support for funding in the amount of $18.6 million.

The Legislature also took action to emphasize its ongoing dedication to higher education, restoring cuts to the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges. This week's overrides include the restoration of $5.25 million for UMass. As the university continues to distinguish itself as a pillar of excellence in public education and an economic driver for the Commonwealth, the Legislature remains committed to supporting its growth.

Understanding the vital role that community colleges and state universities have in educating individuals of diverse backgrounds, buoying workforce development efforts and improving local economies, the Legislature overrode more than $2.6M in cuts made to these institutions. The Legislature's budget as sent to the Governor also included a strong focus on early education and care (EEC). That commitment was reaffirmed through the restoration of $3.4 million in vetoes that support EEC programs and services.

Recognizing that education and economic development are intrinsically paired, the budget enhances the Legislature's focus on bolstering job opportunities for residents of all skillsets in diverse regions of the Commonwealth. Following action on the Administration's vetoes, the below programs are now funded at:

  • MassCAN: $1.7 million to establish widespread, progressive computer science curriculum in public school through a public-private match program;
  • Talent Pipeline: $1.5 million to encourage young innovators to get a head start on their futures by matching stipends for interns at innovation start-ups, and to provide mentoring opportunities for new entrepreneurs;
  • STEM Starter Academy: $4.75 million to promote STEM careers at the Commonwealth's community colleges;
  • Mass Tech Collaborative: $750K for the Mass Tech Collaborative Tech and Innovation Entrepreneurship program to establish entrepreneur and startup mentoring.

Travel and tourism, one of the state's largest industries, provides an opportunity for communities to bolster their economies in a way which is unique and appropriate for each region. The Legislature restored $5.17 million in cuts to the Office of Travel and Tourism and $2.37 million to the Massachusetts Cultural Council.    

Additional priorities include:

  • $500,000 for a prostate cancer awareness and education program;
  • More than $2.2 million for substance abuse treatment programs across the Commonwealth;
  • Restoration of funding for unaccompanied homeless youth housing services;
  • $3 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program for a total of $82.9M to support 900 to 1050 new vouchers for families at risk of homelessness;
  • $2 million for the Early Education and Care Waitlist for a total of $12M to take 2,000 children off the waitlist for these critical services;
  • $1.2 million for the Gateway Cities English Language Learners program.

Norfolk County Deeds: Will you join us at our next Computer Seminar?




Free Computer Seminar!
  
Norfolk County Register of Deeds
William P. O'Donnell
to Host Free Computer Seminar
on
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
4:30pm to 5:30pm
at the
Registry of Deeds
649 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026
Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell will host a free informational seminar on computer assisted land records research at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street in Dedham from 4:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. on Wednesday, September 23, 2015.  The seminar is intended for both real estate professionals and the general public.

Register O'Donnell noted that the program will include a brief presentation complete with reference materials and hands-on exercises. There will also be opportunities to ask both basic and advanced questions.

Computer assisted land records research is currently available both at the Registry and on the Internet at www.norfolkdeeds.org.

"These services have proven to be invaluable tools for our customers. We hope that this seminar will be both helpful and informative," said Register of Deeds Bill O'Donnell.  There is no charge for the seminar, but anyone planning to attend is asked to register by calling Alicia Gardner at 781-461-6104 or by email to agardner@norfolkdeeds.org.  Please include your name, address, email and a daytime phone number when you register.

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street in Dedham.  It is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County, amassing approximately a half of million land records dating back to 1793.

The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information.  Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center via telephone at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org. To learn more about this and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives like us at Facebook.com/Norfolk Deeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds.

Forward this email


Norfolk County Registry of Deeds | 649 High Street | Dedham, | MA | 02026-1831

In the News: S.A.F.E. coalition meeting, helmet saves boy



The Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment or S.A.F.E coalition will meet at 7 p.m., Aug. 12 at Franklin High School. More than 100 people attended the group’s first meeting, which saw doctors, law enforcement officials and treatment counselors discuss the state’s opioid epidemic. 
The coalition will serve as a local resource for residents searching for information or help - for themselves, family members and friends - as it follows the lead of the 20 other town groups working closely with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office. 
The second meeting will feature Dr. John Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital in Boston. Kelly, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is expected to cover the genetics of addiction and the need to frame the dialogue on the opioid epidemic as a public health crisis rather than a drug problem.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150730/NEWS/150739295/1994/NEWS



A 3-year-old Franklin boy was taken to a hospital via medical helicopter after a vehicle struck the ride-a-long trailer attached to his father’s bicycle Thursday morning. 
According to police, several frantic callers reported the accident at 6:53 a.m., which occurred at the intersection of Sanford and Village streets. 
The child was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester and was in stable condition Thursday afternoon. 
The boy was riding in a trailer attached to the bike of his 33-year-old father’s bicycle, which was traveling north on Sanford Street in the center of the roadway when it was “waiting to make a left hand turn onto Village Street," police said in a press release.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150730/NEWS/150739360/1994/NEWS

Traffic Alert: Saturday morning - PanMass Challenge make a stop at Remington-Jefferson School


Be aware there will be hundreds of bicyclists on the roads early Saturday morning as the riders for the PanMass Challenge make a stop at Remington-Jefferson School. The water stop is a favorite spot full of energy and fun. If you haven't been, I would suggest making a visit sometime.


Photos from 2013:

PMC riders arrive at Remington-Jefferson water stop
PMC riders arrive at Remington-Jefferson water stop

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Franklin Cultural Festival - Thursday Schedule

Thursday, July 30 

  • 7:00 PM - Ben Gardner’s Boat Band, THE BLACK BOX 
 
Ben Gardner's Boat performing for Best Buddies fund raiser
Ben Gardner's Boat performing for Best Buddies fund raiser


  •  8:00 PM - Shakespeare on the Common
    an abridged version of Henry IV, Part 1 will be performed
    an abridged version of Henry IV, Part 1 will be performed


Franklin Cultural Festival - Arts Happen Here
Franklin Cultural Festival - Arts Happen Here


Schedule subject to change, any changes will be updated as soon as known


The full schedule of performances and events for the first annual Franklin Cultural Festival can be found here http://www.franklinsculturalfestival.org/

Why support a Cultural District for Franklin, MA


From Warren Reynolds writing at 02038.com, we share this excellent summary:

Franklin, MA’s first Cultural Festival is up and running now through Sunday, August 2, offering five consecutive days of artistic performances and fun events staged throughout the Franklin downtown area.
Franklin Cultural Festival
Franklin Cultural Festival - Arts Happen Here!
It’s great to see another family oriented celebration in Franklin taking its place on a roster of quite a number of annual festivals and events hosted in this Massachusetts town of some 32,000. Here’s just a partial list of the events in town that Franklin residents already enjoy every year: summertime Concerts on the Common, the Strawberry Festival, the 4th of July Celebration, the Feast of St. Rocco, the Harvest Festival, and the Holiday Stroll.
Cultural districts help communities thrive
But the importance of this new Festival to the Franklin community extends well beyond the inauguration of another fun thing to do in town.  The Franklin Cultural Festival is a key component of a joint effort by town officials, local businesses and Franklin educational institutions to have a Franklin Cultural District in the downtown area officially recognized (or “designated”) by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) under its Cultural Districts Initiative.
MA Cultural Council
MA Cultural Council
The goal of the MCC’s Cultural District Initiative is to help artists, cultural organizations, and arts-related businesses to locate and thrive in the approximately 30 designated cultural districts that already exist throughout the Bay State. The Initiative seeks to spur economic growth and foster tourism in each district, helping promote the reuse and revitalization of older urban centers while increasing property values throughout the communities in which each district is located. 
MCC designated cultural districts can receive support and assistance under certain programs established or identified by the MCC and draw on existing cultural resources to encourage artists to live and work in the host communities. 
If Franklin is successful in getting an officially designated district, it could become another major step forward in the ongoing revitalization of the Franklin downtown area.
Can’t have a cultural district without a lot of “culture” already in place
The key to a successful effort in obtaining official designation of a cultural district is demonstrable community participation in the arts. The Franklin community has many valuable building blocks already in place that will support a vibrant culture district and should help the Franklin Cultural District get designation from the MCC. 
These resources include educational institutions such as the Dean College School of the Artsand Dean’s respected Palladino School of Dance.
Franklin’s downtown is also home to the nationally recognized Franklin School for the Performing Arts.
Franklin School for the Performing Arts
Franklin School for the Performing Arts
Having a Franklin Cultural District in place should encourage some of the students at these educational institutions to decide to stay in town after graduation and practice their crafts in locally.

Other supports for a Franklin Cultural District
Main Stage Theater Dean College
Dean College's Main Stage







Franklin is home to performance venues such as the BLACK BOX Theater, the Circle of Friends Coffee House, and the Main Stage Theater at Dean College. In addition, the Franklin Town Common is eminently walk-able from the downtown area and hosts summertime concerts and many annual community events. The auditorium at the new Franklin High School is stunning and should be an asset to the community for years to come.  
All these venues would help sustain the Franklin Cultural District by giving performing artists stages on which to put their talents on display.
Tourism and business good for Franklin
Franklin abounds with good places to eat and drink, which is important for the tourism aspect of the proposed Franklin Cultural District. Here are the eateries scheduled to participate in the “Taste of Franklin” event Sunday during the Franklin Cultural Festival in Franklin, MA.

A "Taste of Franklin" - Sunday - Aug 2
A "Taste of Franklin" - Sunday - Aug 2
The Franklin Historical Museum is another asset to the downtown’s intellectual life and is a good tourist destination.
Franklin Historical Museum
Franklin Historical Museum


If you are looking for more proof of an economic rationale for a Franklin Cultural District,Jane’s Frames is a stalwart of the arts in the heart of downtown Franklin. The Franklin Art Center opened in town within the last five years and has become a successful supporter of the visual arts in Franklin. The Franklin Art Center was instrumental in the recent establishment of the Franklin Sculpture Park.

Franklin Sculpture Park
Franklin Sculpture Park



A Franklin Cultural District should encourage more such arts-related businesses to open in Franklin, MA.
Increasing the appeal of Franklin as a place in which to live and grow
This post has reviewed some of the significant cultural resources that exist in Franklin, Massachusetts.  These help make Franklin, MA a great place to call home! 
The Franklin Cultural District would help tie all those cultural resources together and augment their beneficial impact on the Franklin community. Having a designated Franklin Cultural District would also further cement Franklin’s growing recognition among Massachusetts home buyers as a “destination community” on the I-495 corridor. The District would help Franklin compete for business and attract more educated, affluent home buyers. Franklin residents have so many reasons to support the establishment Franklin Cultural District! 
Contact Franklin broker Warren Reynolds for help with buying or selling a home in Franklin, Massachusetts!
Copyright ©2015 02038.com
Warren approved sharing of this post. You can view the original on his page here
http://02038.com/2015/07/franklin-ma-cultural-district/

Note: a couple of photos were substituted from the Franklin Matters files.


In the News: Pond St developers, election papers available Aug 3


"This is probably the most important and most influential commercial site the town of Franklin has," said Judith Pond Pfeffer 
Richard McCarthy, an engineer with Kearsarge’s partner on the project, Innovative Engineering Solutions Inc., reasoned that solar projects do not cause the same headaches as large commercial ones. 
“The people of Franklin need to say, ‘OK, we’re going to get $125,000 a year, but what do we then get? Do we get more traffic? No. Do we get more kids in the schools? No. Do we get more lights? No. Do we get more signs? No,’” McCarthy said. “You get a very passive neighbor that basically sits there and doesn’t do much of anything to anybody.”
Continue reading the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150729/NEWS/150726277



Residents interested in running in the November town election will be able to take out nomination papers starting next week. 
Papers for the Nov. 3 election will be available from Monday, Aug. 3, to Monday, Sept. 14, from Town Clerk Deborah Pellegri, whose office is located on the first floor of the Franklin Municipal Building, 355 East Central St. 
Residents will need to return signed papers by Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 4 p.m. 
All nine seats on the Town Council are up for election, as well as seven seats on the School Committee. 
Voters will choose a new town clerk, as Pellegri is retiring from the four-year paid position. At least two people have already shown interest in running: Assistant town clerk Teresa Burr is considering pulling nomination papers; Diane Padula-O'Neill in late March said she would pursue the seat. 
The ballot also includes seats on the Board of Assessors, Board of Health and Planning Board.
Continue reading the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150729/NEWS/150726233/1994/NEWS

Access Northeast is proposing a “similar loop”


Although the project is in the early stages of development, a proposed natural gas pipeline would bring 21.2 miles of pipeline through Milford, Medway, Franklin, Bellingham and several other area towns. 
The Access Northeast project, announced by Spectra Energy last fall, will reportedly bring up to 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas to the region’s gas-fired power plants each day to help keep costs low and save electric customers $1 billion each year. 
The $3 billion project would directly connect to up to 70 percent of New England’s power plants helping to lower electricity rates as early as winter 2018.

http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150729/NEWS/150726273/1994/NEWS

screen grab from Spectra Energy Access Northeast page
screen grab from Spectra Energy Access Northeast page


The Spectra Energy Access Northeast project page can be found here
http://www.spectraenergy.com/Operations/New-Projects-and-Our-Process/New-Projects-in-US/Access-Northeast/

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

"another RFP (Request for Proposal) for hotel and commercial space" ???

Via Peg Forbes who participated in the Economic Development Committee meeting on Monday and provided this summary:

At 5:00 Monday evening, Franklin’s Economic Development Committee had a meeting during which three companies presented their proposals for development of the town owned land on Pond Street. Two of the proposals were from solar companies proposing solar farms, one proposal was from a real estate developer proposing an 85+ unit condominium development.  
The members did not like the proposals, so this will most likely go out for another RFP (Request for Proposal) for hotel and commercial space. The concerns raised about increased traffic congestion were dismissed, the reason given was that “A traffic study will be conducted by interested developers”. In relation to the existing and available 246,000 square feet of commercial/office space for rent in Franklin (a quick calculation/approximation made by adding up what is currently on loopnet.com), according to some members of the sub-committee, that inventory has no impact. The reason given was that if the land is sold to a developer, commercial space is built and then remains empty, the owner is still responsible for the taxes.  
The overall take-away that I got from this evenings EDC meeting was that the low community attendance (two) is perceived by a good amount of the elected board members as low community interest. (This was mentioned in relation to the meeting this evening as well as other town meetings.)  
They will ultimately make their decision based on what they personally view what would be best for Franklin overall, not taking into consideration the potential negative impacts the proposed projects may have on the immediate surrounding area.  
The only way to ensure that concerns are heard is better attendance by the community (significant, if at all possible), as well as communicating with the elected members via emails or phone calls stating the concerns about proposed projects.  
The fewer people that attend, the more they are seen as "squeaky wheels" who do not represent the community as a whole.
The Town Council is scheduled to meet on August 7th. Their agenda will be published later this week.


Pond St aerial view - Town of Franklin photo
Pond St aerial view - Town of Franklin photo

Goodbye modulars, hello open space!

Via Glenn Jones, the Davis Thayer modular space is now back to 'almost normal'. Almost because the ground will be seeded, grass grown, some plants returned and that takes time.

In the meantime, the space is open and more welcoming!

Davis Thayer after the modulars are removed - 1
Davis Thayer after the modulars are removed - 1

Davis Thayer after the modulars are removed - 2
Davis Thayer after the modulars are removed - 2

The 'last' photos I took of the modulars last week can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/07/davis-thayer-modular-units-to-be-removed.html