Franklin Senior Center: Remains closed through Feb 24, check schedule for activities thru Feb 24; Café opens Feb 27

SENIOR CENTER CLOSED 2/21-2/24

The Franklin Senior Center is unfortunately going to be closed another week (February 20th-24th) for construction, but in the meantime we have planned a variety of programs for you at the Town Hall and Library! In better news, we will be opening the Common Grounds Café and the attached multipurpose room on the following Monday, February 27th!

The programming schedule for next week is posted on our website as well as our social media- so please take a look and join us next week. 

We are also sad to announce, our deputy director Christina LaRose will be leaving us for a wonderful opportunity for the town of Foxboro, so we will be having a goodbye party for her at the Franklin Library next Friday 2/24 at 11:30am.

Hope you all are doing well, and please reach out to us at 508-520-4945 if you have any questions or concerns! We miss you all and have a wonderful presidential weekend!

Thank you for your understanding and support

Danielle Hopkins, Franklin Senior Center Director

Shared from ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-senior-center/news/senior-center-closed-221-224

Download the schedule for Feb 20 - 24 ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gPMcp5C7D02q02WGnuJ1l5hW3gG-9C--/view?usp=share_link

One correction to the schedule: the Senior Scribblers will meet at the Franklin TV studio as they normally would for the last Wednesday of the month to record their radio episode for March.

Franklin Senior Center: Remains closed through Feb 24

Franklin Senior Center: check schedule for activities thru Feb 24

Franklin (MA) Senior Center is Closed for the Entire Upcoming Week Feb 6 to Feb 10, 2023

Senior Center Closed The Entire Upcoming Week 2/6-2/10

Unfortunately the Franklin Senior Center will be closed for this entire upcoming week due to a leak in the sprinkler system Saturday evening, which has caused some damage. We apologize for the inconvenience and will continue to keep the community updated throughout the week!

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-senior-center/news/senior-center-closed-entire-upcoming-week-26-210

Franklin (MA) Senior Center Closed the Entire Upcoming Week Feb 6 to Feb 10, 2023

In the News: Keller-Sullivan sprinkler work underway; Gender "X" bill moving in MA Senate

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Keller-Sullivan sprinkler problem fixed again

"It is often iterated at this time of year that April showers bring May flowers. But at the Helen Keller-Annie Sullivan school complex, the experience has been given new meaning this month: “Showers” coming from a burst sprinkler head on April 3 are bringing new rugs, cabinetry and paint jobs to several elementary classrooms. 

Schools Superintendent Sara Ahern recently told the School Committee that repairs to the classrooms would be undertaken this week during spring break, and students will be returning to mostly fixed-up classrooms. 

On April 3, nine Helen Keller School classrooms were damaged by water after a sprinkler head on the second floor burst late in the afternoon, Ahern reported at the School Committee’s April 9 meeting. Classes were temporarily displaced as the rooms were sealed off for the remainder of that week. 

“Water damaged materials including carpets, drywalls and cabinets were removed,” Ahern said, noting that over the weekend of April 6 and April 7, Servicemaster worked late hours “in order to ensure that all rooms had been properly mitigated.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190418/fixes-under-way-after-water-damage-at-franklin-school

This is the third sprinkler incident at the Keller-Sullivan complex 
2017 = https://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/12/they-did-remarkable-job.html
2014 = https://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/11/asms-keller-status-update.html

Keller - Sullivan Schools

"Spilka’s ‘Gender X’ bill moving in Senate"

"The Senate plans next week to take up legislation that has become a signature priority for Senate President Karen Spilka, a bill that would allow an adult to change state identification records to reflect a gender of “X.” 

The so-called “Gender X” bill would require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to make a third, gender-neutral option available to applicants for a license or learner’s permit and would allow anyone over 18, an emancipated minor or the parents of a minor to request a change in the sex listed on someone’s birth certificate to male, female or X. 

“This bill is very special to me,” said Spilka, D-Ashland, earlier this month during an interview on WGBH radio. 

The Senate president got involved after receiving a letter from a constituent from Natick who was feeling stress as they prepared to decide which box to check on their driving learner’s permit. Spilka has since grown close to the family while working on this bill, and almost pushed it across the finish line last year."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190418/spilkas-gender-x-bill-moving-in-senate

Real Time Reporting - School Committee - Dec 12, 2017

A collection via Storify of the Twitter posts during the School Committee meeting held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building on Dec 12, 2017.

Be sure to scroll within the Storify widget to view all the posts.

screen grab of the broadcast with Superintendent Ahern providing an update

“They did a remarkable job”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A sprinkler burst at Helen Keller Elementary School on Monday morning, forcing administrators to cancel school since. 

The school was closed on Monday and Tuesday because of the damage, but will reopen Wednesday. The cause of the break is unclear, but Superintendent Sara Ahern said the sprinklers will be inspected and the problem assessed after damages are fixed. It is also unclear when or if the students will make up those lost school days. 

While the one sprinkler causing the damage was contained, water did spread into other classrooms on the floor below. 

There are eight known affected classrooms, four on the top floor and four on the main floor near the entrance. The damage in the walls will take some weeks to fix, while some cabinets were damaged and may take longer to replace."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20171212/burst-sprinkler-closes-franklin-elementary-school

Superintendent Sara Ahern said the sprinklers will be inspected

This is the second time a burst sprinkler has closed the building. This also occurred in Nov 2014
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/11/asms-keller-status-update.html

The Senior Center will be Closed Until Monday - March 13

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A plumbing issue over the weekend closed the town's senior center, but officials are hoping to re-open it shortly. 

Town Councilor Thomas Mercer, the chairman of the Senior Center Building Committee, said the building had a sprinkler head break on Sunday. The sprinkler, he said, was located in a first-floor closet, which suffered water damage as a result. 

According to Mercer, the town has been cleaning up the damage, and plans to once again open the center to the public by next week. 

The center recently underwent a renovation of its second floor, holding a grand opening for the area last month. Mercer said the renovated area was not affected by the problem."

http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170308/water-damage-closes-franklin-senior-center

photo of a conference room at the Senior Center taken on the recent open house tour
to celebrate the renovation of the 2nd floor

And from the Senior Center page on the Town of Franklin site:

"A pipe burst last weekend during the cold snap, flooding the first floor. We are drying the carpets and replacing the floor molding. We anticipate reopening on Monday March 13 at 8:30am. Thank you for your patience!"

http://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-senior-center/urgent-alerts/senior-center-will-be-closed-until-monday-313

Franklin, MA: FY 2014 Capital Plan - draft

As reported during the Finance Committee meeting last week, the draft capital plan was reviewed. My notes can be found here:  http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/04/live-reporting-finance-committee.html

The official memo from Town Administrator Jeff Nutting is shown here. It walks through the highlights of what is proposed to fund for the capital plan. There are two speadsheets at the back that work through the numbers on what is proposed as well as the source of funds.

While the Finance Committee has approved the plan, the numbers won't be final until the snow/ice expense totals are complete. The winter storms have caused an overspending in the snow/ice budget so some of the 'free cash' will cover that shortfall. The remaining amount of 'free cash' will then be split among the proposed items.

You may recall that Franklin using their 'free cash' as their source of funds for the capital plan. You should recall that the 'free cash' is not really cash, nor is it 'free'. It is an accounting function for an annual budget. At the beginning of the year, amounts are budgeted for revenue and expenses.

When revenues exceed what is forecasted (which is a good thing and something Franklin does regularly) that becomes an amount that would contribute to 'free cash'.
When one or more departments spend less than their budget during that annual budget period, that amount also contributes to 'free cash'.

The state DOR validates the amount of 'free cash' for each community and releases the final number by about Nov/Dec. This is money that the community can use for one-time expenses and thereby Franklin uses for their capital budget.

Why not use 'free cash' for something else? 
The money is available this year but there is no guarantee of it recurring. If the amount was added to a departments regular budget, then that amount would be committed to and need to be funded which would raise a priority question or potentially force a raise in property taxes.

Links for additional info on 'free cash' from the MA.gov website

• DOR certification

http://www.mass.gov/dor/local-officials/local-information-technology/gateway-help/taxrate/b-1-free-cash-certification-and-appropriation.html

• Data bank reports on 'free cash'

http://www.mass.gov/dor/local-officials/municipal-data-and-financial-management/data-bank-reports/debtfinancial-indicators.html

Capital Plan draft for FY 2014
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczV1FPWU1pMXg1bzA/view?usp=sharing




One of the more interesting items in the proposal is that of a 'sprinkler park' to be added to Fletcher Field. Specifically where remains to be determined. The $150,000 amount is estimated to be 75% reimbursed by the state with a grant. The money does need to be spent up front however.

What would the sprinkler park look like?
The photo below is a sample of what it could look like.

possible sprinkler park for Fletcher Field

Sprinkler Law Taking affect

The Fire Safety Act, signed into law by former Gov. Mitt Romney in 2004, requires all bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues that hold 100 people or more to have automatic sprinklers. The legislation was passed in the wake of The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, which killed 100 people in February 2003.

Gee, why are some folks complaining now? It is not like this just came out yesterday. For those in business prior to the law being signed, they have had time to get their act together.

Ira Cantor's writing in the Franklin Gazette has details on the three establishments in Franklin required to put them in. (I think there might be a couple more but they are already not operating for a variety of reasons so the count is skewed.)