"We have a unique social environment here"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 16, 2008 @ 08:30 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Raye Lynn Mercer is a pianist, director, producer and choreographer, but it is her vision that's taking the Franklin School for Performing Arts to new heights.

Mercer, who founded the regional school in 1985, is creating a "cultural destination" by combining the school with the Franklin Performing Arts Company to form the New England Center for the Performing Arts, a nonprofit organization.

The move should help the school, which is used by about 1,000 performing artists in 45 local communities, Mercer said.

Plans are in the works for a new building which will have three times the space as the existing building at 38 Main St., and which should triple the number of people involved, she said.

"It's ambitious, I know. My vision is to have the venues that we've always needed to showcase our talent," Mercer said.

Currently, the school holds all of its performances, except small recitals, at other locations, such as middle school auditoriums, said Mercer.

"The scheduling of the auditorium is extraordinarily difficult because of the demands for that space, and extremely difficult to put up professional productions. We look forward to having a state-of-the-art performance space," said Mercer.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Statue ceremony 11/19/08

The new statue at the Museum will be unvealed Wednesday, 11/19/08.

Mobile post sent by shersteve using Utterli. Replies.

Fund raiser pick up

Parmenter announces their fund raiser pickup for 11/18/08

Mobile post sent by shersteve using Utterli. Replies.

Franklin Art Association awards

FRANKLIN - The Franklin Art Association’s "Fall Into Art" festival, presented Nov. 8 and 9, with a gala on Saturday evening, consisted of an open exhibit of more than 140 works of art, bins of members’ artwork and cards for sale, a silent auction of donated paintings and a raffle of artwork donated by members and well-known artists who have demonstrated their talent during the past year, and a gift certificate and gift basket donated by local businesses.

Proceeds from the raffle go to the scholarship fund. Those eligible to receive the annual scholarship are graduating seniors who live and/or attend school in Franklin or who are children or grandchildren of Franklin Art Association members. More than half of the members of the association are from Franklin and the rest are from the greater MetroWest area.

More than 500 people attended the event. Entertainment was provided by members of the Newton Symphony Orchestra and music students of Franklin High School. A variety of food was donated by area restaurants and FAA members.

Read the full article to see all the awards in the Franklin Gazette here

"He’s done a wonderful job for us"

Franklin teen works building handicapped walkway

By By Heather McCarron, STAFF WRITER

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FRANKLIN - Growing up with a handicapped aunt, and spending time as a volunteer at a hospital, 17-year-old Andrew Turgeon has a pretty good idea about the challenges faced by the physically and mentally disabled.

So when he noticed a heavily traveled sidewalk at the Wrentham Developmental Center was showing some disrepair, and posing difficulty for the center’s handicapped residents, he decided to do something about it.

A member of Franklin Boy Scouts Troop 126, Turgeon spent the last couple of months planning and realizing a sidewalk repair project in his quest to attain Boy Scouting’s highest status, Eagle Scout.

And while he was at it, he decided he’d also build a walkway from the campus building out to an existing covered patio area, to make access to that favored warm-weather spot easier for the center’s clients and their caregivers.

The finishing touches were done on Monday — with winter approaching, good timing especially for the main sidewalk.

"The main walkway coming out of the (WDC) campus building was sunk in the middle, so all winter long it’s been covered with ice," explained Turgeon, who spent last Saturday morning overseeing fellow scouts in undertaking the work.

Read the full article in the Franklin Gazette here.

In the News - new rail trail, MBTA parking rates

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 13, 2008 @ 09:54 PM

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BLACKSTONE —

Standing among a crowd of conservation enthusiasts at Daniels Farmstead yesterday, Bellingham Conservation Commission Chairman Cliff Matthews presented his town's vision for developing a bike trail that would start at Franklin State Forest and end in Willimantic, Conn.

The planned trail is one of several projects that will benefit from $2.5 million in environmental bond funding that state Rep. Jennifer Callahan, D-Sutton, recently secured for her district. Callahan organized a tour yesterday of one site that could benefit, Daniels Farmstead on Mendon Street, where the bike path and other projects were discussed.

Matthews explained that he, the rest of the Conservation Commission, and Town Administrator Denis Fraine want to convert an abandoned railroad bed into a bike path. The old line goes through the Grove Street entrance at Franklin State Forest, to Bellingham, Blackstone, Millville, Douglas, Webster, and into Connecticut.

read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

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By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 13, 2008 @ 09:51 PM

Last update Nov 13, 2008 @ 11:34 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Local commuters are miffed the MBTA is doubling the daily parking fee as of tomorrow, particularly in the souring economy, with some saying they will stop parking in the lots.

The MBTA's price hike bumps up Boston-area parking fees from $3 to $6 a day, and parking at Franklin's two stops, Dean College/495 and Forge Park, from $2 to $4 daily.

"I just started taking the commuter rail. I'm not very happy about it,'' said Bellingham resident Vanessa Kaupelis, as she got ready to leave the Forge Park parking lot yesterday afternoon.

"It's $4 to park - that's a bit insane. I wish I could grandfather-in one big pass. Of all the times to be doing this, we're in the middle of a recession, and they're raising the prices?'' she said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Gallery 218 - Warm/Cool - opens 11/18/08

FRANKLIN -

Franklin Public Schools’ newest art exhibit, "Warm/Cool," is set to open at the school system’s Gallery 218 on Nov. 18.

The opening will be at the gallery, located at 218 Oak St. inside Franklin High School, from 5-7 p.m.

Many of the young artist will be there. The opening will also feature free food and live music provided by the music students at the high school.

This is a K-12 exhibit and all the schools in the district will be represented.

This was originally posted here

"I haven't seen one penny"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 11, 2008 @ 10:08 PM

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FRANKLIN —

While the town has made great strides in increasing recycling in schools and other public places, as well as individual homes, Franklin still needs to do more, the Franklin Recycling Committee concluded in a recent report to the Town Council.

Raising consciousness would be a good start, suggested committee member Lynne Narum, a passionate advocate for recycling.

The committee wanted to see all Franklin schools have a full recycling program in place by September, but that is a work-in-progress at this point, said Chairman Gene Grella.

The group made four other recommendations, which included having the Department of Public Works maintain recycling bins at all public open spaces, athletic fields and recreational areas. They also recommended the town switch from a solid waste contract to a single stream recycling program, and establish a redeemable can and bottle program at the transfer station.

The group also wants a littering awareness program developed for the entire town and schools to educate the public about the problem of littering. As part of the initiative, the town should post anti-littering signs in public areas and fully enforce the littering bylaw, which fines litterers $50.

Councilor Judith Pond Pfeffer proposed putting together "a little environmental posse to deputize people," giving out $50 fines for littering.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

You can also refer to the live reporting from the Town Council meeting of 11/5/08 here.

"Jeff Nutting really had vision"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 12, 2008 @ 12:03 AM

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FRANKLIN —

The town is extending the first invitation to residents to the new Franklin Historical Museum Nov. 19 for the unveiling of a life-sized bronze sculpture of a 19th century Franklin boy who waves to visitors, welcoming them to the facility.

"It's amazing. It's just truly everything we dreamed of and more. The town is very fortunate to have had (artist) Marcia (Billig) available to do this piece," said Lisa Piana, executive director for the Franklin Downtown Partnership.

The statue was designed to reflect Franklin's history, she said; the boy's straw hat hints at the town's strong involvement in the straw hat industry at the turn of the century, and the pile of books he sits on is also symbolic.

"A lot of thought went into which books (were included) to reflect what was in the museum," said Piana, noting that one book featured railroads and another highlights the town's old newspaper, The Sentinel.

The unveiling of the sculpture, titled "Hats Off to Franklin," starts at 9 a.m. next Wednesday at 80 West Central St., the former Senior Center.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

FPAC - "The Nutcracker"

FRANKLIN -

In its 18th season, the Franklin Performing Arts Company will present its popular holiday classic, "The Nutcracker," Dec. 6 and 7, featuring a professional 27-piece orchestra under the direction of Boston’s Peter Cokkinias.

With a cast of more than 100 local area performers, special guest artists Cheryl Madeux Abbott will play the role of "Sugar Plum Fairy" and Vitali Krauchenka will portray "Cavalier."

.....

Tickets are now on sale at the FPAC box office. Call 508-528-8668 or visit the FPAC box office at 34 Main St. The Nutcracker will take place at the Thomas D. Mercer Auditorium, 224 Oak St. For information about featured guests and FPAC’s presentation of "The Nutcracker," visit www.FPAConline.com.

Read the full article online here and likely in this week's Gazette

Peter Cokkinias is an excellent conductor. He is on the faculty at Berklee and the conductor of the neighboring Metrowest Symphony Orchestra. My daughter played with Metrowest while a student at Franklin High and he was very welcoming of the high schoolers playing in this fine orchestra. It was a great experience for her.

“Energy $ense” Series - 11/13/08

“Energy $ense” Series in November at the Franklin Public Library

The Friends of the Franklin Public Library are pleased to sponsor the 2nd installment of The Franklin Area Climate Team’s “Energy $ense” Series for residents on Thursday, November 13th. The title of the seminar is “How Businesses Get Help Going Green” with speaker Jen Boudrie, Sustainable Business Leader Program Director.

The Sustainable Business Leader Program offers assistance to small to medium sized businesses in Franklin and the surrounding towns to improve their current practices in energy and water conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, transportation efficiency and sustainability management. The program provides: guidance in assessing your company’s current sustainability condition, help in developing an Action Plan to improve it and on-going assistance and monitoring.

The program starts at 7:00 pm in the community room, lower level of The Franklin Public Library. The library is located at 118 Main Street. For more information, please email Ted McIntyre at emcintyre1@comcast.net or call 508-528-7765

Veteran's Day

Veterans Day, 2008

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.

From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.

Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2008, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15, 2008, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

"Somebody's mad at somebody"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 10, 2008 @ 09:09 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Police do not have any leads into who slashed the tires on 42 cars last weekend or what motivated the malicious action, said Deputy Police Chief Stephan H. Semerjian.

As far as police know, nobody witnessed the crimes, which occurred late Friday night and early Saturday morning, Semerjian said.

Police have not received any new reports of slashings since Saturday, Semerjian said.

In total, 42 car owners, all at 301 Union Place, an apartment complex, reported their tires had been slashed, said Semerjian.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Ed Cafasso - Letter 11/2/08

Note: this is late posting. It got lost in my "things to do" box.

Hello Everyone!

I hope you had a good weekend and enjoyed that extra hour of sleep! Here’s a brief update on recent school issues in Franklin…

New Superintendent: The Franklin School Committee moved closer to appointing a new Superintendent last week, unanimously endorsing the candidacy of Deputy Supt. Maureen Sabolinski. Ms. Sabolinski has been a resident of the Franklin for 16 years, and has worked for the Franklin schools for most of that time, starting in special education and eventually working her way up to become second in command. Her children went through our schools, and Maureen has experienced just about every issue one can imagine as both a parent and as an administrator – budget challenges, redistricting, the opening of new schools, personnel evaluations, etc. The next step for the Committee is to work out a smooth transition for Ms. Sabolinski to officially take over for outgoing Supt. Wayne Ogden.

Two Milford Daily News stories are available regarding our consideration of Maureen’s candidacy: http://tinyurl.com/5wm6k8 (Oct. 29) and http://tinyurl.com/557p8b (Oct. 15)

School Calendar Survey: So many parents have expressed strong feelings about the fact that classes in Franklin begin before Labor Day that the Superintendent’s office has launched an online survey on the topic. Parents are strongly encouraged to make their views known at: http://tinyurl.com/576yjn. With only eight questions, completing the survey should be quick and easy. Please feel free to pass along the link to others in the school community. The survey will remain open until November 24.

Field House Advertising: Last week, after months of study, the School Committee voted unanimously to authorize a pilot program allowing advertising within the Field House at Franklin High School. Ads in the style of 4’ x 6’ vinyl banners (navy blue with white lettering) will be available for sale at $40/month with a minimum three-month advertising commitment. The banner ads will be hung along area where the curved roof meets the building’s long walls. By conservative estimates, some 45,000 adults attend or participate in events at the Field House each year, and potential advertisers began coming forward within hours of the Committee vote. The success of the pilot will be evaluated in six months. Local businesses and boosters can learn more about this inexpensive marketing opportunity by visiting: http://www.franklin.k12.ma.us/co/supt/FHAdvGuidelines.pdf.

School Enrollment: The total number of students enrolled in the Franklin Public Schools declined by 26 to 6,232 as of September, compared to the 6,260 students on the books when the 2007-08 school year ended in June. Elementary enrollment declined by 63 students during the period, and the number of middle school students decreased by eight. Franklin High began the 2008-09 school year with 43 more students than last year, bringing the student body at FHS to 1,617. In case you are wondering, total Franklin Public School enrollment has increased from 5,962 in May 2005 to 6,232 as of September 2008. That's an increase of 270 students (4.5 percent) during the course of the last four school years.

FEF Casino Night: The Franklin Education Foundation is holding its Third Annual Casino Night on Friday, November 21 at 7 p.m. the Elks Hall in Franklin. This has become a much-anticipated fun, adult event. As with the popular FEF Trivia Bee, proceeds from Casino Night go directly into grants for teacher initiatives at all levels of the Franklin Public Schools. This year’s event will feature Blackjack tables, Roulette, a Money Spinning Wheel, and a Silent Auction. A limited number of tickets are available at $25 each, or six tickets for the price of five. You can learn more about the FEF and Casino Night at: http://www.franklined.org/.

Commuter Rail Parking Rate Hike: As many of you know, parking fees at MBTA commuter rail stations are scheduled to double as of November 15. If you’re a daily commuter rail user like me, the proposed hike is maddening. It’s insensitive to the needs of working families during the worst economy since the Great Depression; it sends the wrong environmental message at a time when we all want to use less fossil fuels; and, it targets just one class of MBTA customers, the commuter rail riders who have already absorbed recent fares hikes and who play a big role in the capital city’s workforce.

Unless the cost of painting yellow lines on tar has dramatically skyrocketed, I feel certain the T is already making a sizable profit on commuter rail riders. You can express your opinion on this unfair rate hike at http://www.mbta.com/customer_support/write_to_top/ or by filling out the Commuter Rail Customer Comment Form at http://www.mbta.com/customer_support/feedback/. Or, you can write directly to MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 3910, Boston, MA 02116

These e-mails are provided as a constituent service. I try to distribute at least one e-mail update each month during the school year, as issues warrant. As always, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. If you are receiving duplicate e-mails or if you no longer wish to receive these e-mails, please let me know and I will remove you from the distribution list. If you know of someone you would like to add to the list, please send along their e-mail address.

Don’t forget to vote Tuesday! Thanks!

Ed Cafasso, Member

Franklin School Committee

edcafasso@comcast.net

Parmenter Elementary School

From the Parmenter Elementary School sign on Sunday we find:

Davis Thayer Elementary School

The Davis Thayer sign on Sunday:

School signs

The sign view from the Franklin High School side:





The sign view from the Horace Mann / Oak St side:

GATRA "free ride" coupon

Don't forget to grab the free ride coupon from this week's home delivery of the Gazette.

If you don't think you'll get to take a ride before 12/20/08, you can give it to a neighbor or some one that will use it.

Why not take a free ride? I am looking forward to some Saturday when I can take a ride.

Mobile post sent by shersteve using Utterli. Replies.

In local TV - vandalism at Franklin Landing

Two TV stations, one from Boston, one from Providence are covering the tire slashing incident Friday night at the Franklin Landing apartment complex on Union St.

ABC Channel 6 - Providence

ABC Channel 5 - Boston

Video is available on both links

"it's walking on sacred ground"

Image by shersteve via Flickr

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 09, 2008 @ 12:00 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Thursday afternoon, a group of veterans hovered over the bar at the Elks Lodge, drinking beer, teasing each other about hitting on women and badgering the manager for socializing instead of staying in the office.

But when talk turned to the reason for their gathering - their trip to Washington, D.C. to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., the men quickly became solemn, nostalgic and filled with pride.

"I had a brother, William, in the Air Force who passed. I want to see all the different memorials while I still can. I'm excited about it," said Frank DeRose, 83, a World War II vet who fought as an infantryman in the Normandy invasion.

DeRose said he was discharged with a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, "etc., etc.," after shrapnel slammed into his chest and right arm.

"I decided I wanted to see the memorial before ... any more years go by," he said, laughing.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

In addition to the Elks, there is also a group called the Honor Flight Network that pays for the travel expenses of veterans to make the trip to Washington, DC. You can read more about Honor Flight here and here.

In the News - veterans, modular classrooms

By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 08, 2008 @ 12:11 AM

Last update Nov 08, 2008 @ 12:15 AM

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FRANKLIN —

With bronze medals, citations, a proclamation and lots of applause, the town honored its war veterans yesterday, paying special tribute to "The 90s Brigade."

About 150 veterans celebrated at the eighth annual Veterans Day breakfast, a ceremony featuring two local lawmakers who are also Army National Guard lieutenant colonels as keynote speakers: Sen. Scott Brown and Rep. James Vallee.

"It's people like you that inspired me to join the military and serve our country," Vallee told the crowd, which gathered at the Senior Center.

Vallee, D-Franklin, read a proclamation from Gov. Deval Patrick, and presented House resolutions to the eight men and women sitting on the stage, a special group of World War II veterans from Franklin.

read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

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By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 08, 2008 @ 12:07 AM

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FRANKLIN —

After touring the district's 20 modular classrooms twice, School Committee members concluded the structures are nearing the end of their useful lives.

"We jumped on the floors, etc.," said Cora Armenio, a member of a subcommittee with Ed Cafasso and School Committee Vice Chairwoman Paul Mullen.

"The larger (older) the child, the bigger the impact. They've been through the ringer," Armenio said.

All of the district's modular classrooms are about 10 years old, and their maximum life expectancy is 15 years, Superintendent Wayne Ogden has said.

Modular classrooms are used at Jefferson Elementary School, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Gerald M. Parmenter School, Davis Thayer Elementary School and Franklin High School. The town's first modular classrooms were built in 1998 at Parmenter and Davis Thayer.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

Read about all the items that the School Committee discussed at their meeting on October 28th check here, including the live reporting on the modular status here.

Franklin WWII Veterans

FRANKLIN -

Emma Tobias was in her car, driving, in December of 1941 when the attack that launched the United States into World War II was first being reported to the public.

"I remember, I was coming home from the grocery store and I heard it on the car radio Pearl Harbor was attacked," said Tobias, sitting on Monday at a table overlooking the back yard of the Franklin home she shares with her daughter, Toby Skelly.

Details sometimes escape the recently turned 91-year-old, but she clearly remembers that moment on that day, Dec. 7, 1941.

"I don’t recall that there was any fear ... I just didn’t really know what it meant," she said.

But by the next day, she knew. The U.S. and Britain officially declared war, joining the conflict that began overseas in 1939.

And nearly two years later, Tobias was herself part of the war effort, an enlisted member of the United States Navy working at the Navy’s San Francisco headquarters.

Read the full article in the Franklin Gazette here

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FRANKLIN -

Emma Tobias was amongst the first women to enlist in the Navy in World War II, a few months after the WAVES — Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service — division was formed.

She is now among Franklin’s 11 oldest surviving WWII veterans whose service is being honored this Veterans Day.

The 91-year-old is in good company, too.

Among her fellow senior most WWII veterans, there is Zeffro Gianetti, who served in the U.S. Army under Gen. George S. Patton, from 1941-1945.

"General Patton was one of the top and most famous generals in World War II," noted Franklin veterans agent Bob Fahey.

There is also Paul Egan, who was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked Dec. 7, 1941, launching the United States and Britain into the conflict that began in Europe in 1939.

Read the full article here

Franklin Planning Committee - meeting canceled 11/6/08

Received the word via email notification today from the Chair. Thank you, Doug! This saves a trip and time tonight.

I was also inspired to write a sherku on the train home:


Other Writing

meeting canceled; no need for
live reporting; can
catch up on other writing

What is a sherku?

"it sounds like a very good program"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 06, 2008 @ 12:27 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Town Council last night looked favorably upon a proposal from the Department of Public Works to start an automated trash collection program featuring single-stream recycling.

The new program would save residents the trouble of separating recyclables, theoretically increasing recycling rates, reduce waste tonnage, and would cost residents nothing or just a small increase in their trash fee, said officials last night.

With single-stream recycling, people can put all recyclables in one container, said DPW Director Brutus Cantoreggi.

"This is kind of like a no-brainer to us," said Cantoreggi.

The program would take effect when Franklin's current contract with Wheelabrator expires on June 30, 2010, said Cantoreggi.

The town would provide residents a container for trash, which would be maintained by the hauler, said Cantoreggi.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Read all that occurred during this Town Council meeting here.

Town Council Mtg Summary 11/05/08

The collection of posts from the Town Council meeting 11/5/08

• Live reporting - Councilor Comments
• Live reporting - Town Administrator's report
• live reporting - rezoning
• Live reporting - Brick lease
• Live reporting - DPW re-org
• Live reporting - DPW Solid Waste & Recycling
• Live reporting - Fire Station Bldg Committee disol...
• Recycling update
• Live reporting - Recycle committee report
• Live reporting - License transfer
• Live reporting - opening items
• Live reporting - Town Council Meeting

Phishing scams in plain english

In our continuing series on understanding Web 2.0, one of the drawbacks of free and easy email is found with multiple scams. The folks at Common Craft have come up with a video to explain phishing scams. Very well done. Be careful what you click on in email!





Note: For those subscribers to this blog, this is one link that you can trust.

Live reporting - Councilor Comments

Zollo:
Streamline recycling
property rezoning (increase tax base)
lease Brick School
consolidation of janitorial services

Town Council does look for efficiencies where possible

Pfeffer - congratulations to Maureen Sabolinski on her selection and to the School Committee for a good and timely choice

Live reporting - Town Administrator's report

Old Norfolk water issue resolved.
Story from September 2007 can be found here and here
Recent update on this - September meeting


Rock pile at Chestnut/RT 140 purchased by Sovereign Bank, Town inquiring to see what the bank plans to do with it.


Dedication of Museum and new sculpture November 19th, 9:00AM.


Some capital planning coming in future meeting, also with "free cash" being certified soon, he'll being some proposals to look at adding some funds to the Stabilization Fund.

live reporting - rezoning

Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5, Town Code: Zoning Map – Business to Commercial II – 2nd Reading (Tabled on 10/15/08)

Approved 7-1 (Doak no, Vallee absent)

Live reporting - Brick lease

The lease was signed with the Charter School for the Brick facility for $1 per year with the knowledge that these donations were available to offset the facility costs.

Resolution 08-72: Acceptance of Gifts for the Red Brick School

Approved 8-0

Live reporting - DPW re-org

Proposal to create a "grounds" division within the DPW.

Feeley - no vote on it tonight, open for questions

Would cost about $20,000: $10,000 to the General Fund and another $10,000 to the Water/Sewer revolving account.

The proposal adds a "real" deputy to the Director of Operations.

More efficient operations. Need to start succession planning, capturing the extensive knowledge that they have built over the years to handle things as well as they do. Uses existing folks. Eliminates assistant positions.

Live reporting - DPW Solid Waste & Recycling

Image via WikipediaRobert Cantoreggi and Denise Zambrowski presenting

Approx 1 ton of trash per household in Franklin per year.

Under the single stream proposal:
Residents would be provided a "toter", it would be maintained by the hauler. This would reduce the amount of trash imported to Franklin. Overflow options: an additional toter for a fee or purchase 33 gallon overflow bags.

Current program of one bulk burnable item with trash per week would be replaced by a small fee and a sticker with a scheduled pick up. This would avoid the importing of trash from other areas into Franklin to be disposed of here for "free".

Single Stream recycling - no limit on recyclables

Nutting - Looking to see if there is general consensus amongst the Council to move ahead with RFP for the single stream processing.

Nutting requested to handle the following resolution out of order:


Resolution 08-71: Authorization for Intermunicipal Agreement – Town of Blackstone

Approved 8-0

Live reporting - Fire Station Bldg Committee disolved

Resolution 08-59: Dissolution of Fire Station Building Committee (Tabled on 10/15/08)

Approved 8-0

Ken Norman representative of the committee this evening along with Fire Chief McCarraher.

Recycling update

The Recycling Committee provides an update to the Town Council

Mobile post sent by shersteve using Utterli. Replies.

Live reporting - Recycle committee report

Image by shersteve via FlickrImprovements in recycling town wide. Increased from 21% to 25% for the past quarter compared to last year.

Discussion on recycling at the high school. The Green Team is the largest group at the high school. They are active. The grade of C is meant to reflect the overall town effort/performance against the overall town recycling goals. We need to encourage their effort.

There are no recycling bins at Beaver Street. There should be waste and recycle receptacles to separate the trash and recyclables.

Town needs to set an example and model the good recycling behavior.

Proposal to audit trash and leave a door hanger notice on the results. This as a follow up to an announcement letter to everyone letting the know what the opportunities are.

(editorial note - I should talk with them about my idea of using the folks walking around town to bend and stretch to pick up recycling. The picture included here is from one of my weekend morning walks. I posted about this back in February 2008)

Single stream possible for the future. What is it? Put everything in one container and the waste handler with updated technology can do the separation at their end.

Current trash contract good through 2010. Single Stream and other enhancements could be incorporated as part of the new contract.

Franklin's Earth Day should be the Saturday closest to the official Earth Day which is always April 22. 300 volunteers picked up 6000 pounds of recyclables on that one day.

DPW did a great job helping with Earth Day. Especially on a Saturday!

Two major issues;

• Receptacles are not readily available.
• The consciousness (about recycling) it not present in the community.

Build a sense of community pride!

Councilor Pfeffer wants to deputize folks to start issuing the $50 fines to folks littering at the fields.

Franklin is recycling at 25% and most of our neighbor towns are at 50%.

The Recycling Committee web page on the new Town site can be found here.

Live reporting - License transfer

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS –
Teppanyaki Restaurant – Change of Manager

issue with new manager has not completed the bartender training as required

motion amended to make the transfer contingent upon receipt of the training completion (scheduled for Monday 11/10/08).

approved 8-0

Live reporting - opening items

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 1, 2008, October 15, 2008
approved 8-0

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

(will update later from recording)

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

(none)

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

Ken Norman raised an objection to the music being played in the background on Channel 11. He finds it difficult to try and follow what is going on with the music distracting and objectionable. Can the administrator find another alternative?

E. APPOINTMENTS
Design Review Commission
Council on Aging

(will add names from recording later)

Live reporting - Town Council Meeting

Added to agenda: motion made and approved to organize the Council for the next year.

Feeley - Chair
Bartlett - Vice-Chair
Pfeffer - Clerk

all motions made and voted 8-0 (Vallee not attending)

GATRA "free ride" coupons

Yes, it is true, there is a "free ride" coupon coming for the GATRA Franklin bus.

Where do you get a coupon?

This Friday’s (November 7, 2008) edition of The Country Gazette will have a 2” x 2” orange coupon also known as an “Ad Note” affixed to the front page of 10,000 copies of the paper. The “Ad Note” is a “peel off” good for a FREE RIDE. The “coupon” is good immediately up to and including Saturday, December 20, 2008.

If your neighbor doesn't want to use it, ask them for it?

If you can't use it, give it to some one who will use it!

That's helping someone get at least one ride free.

In the News - 2010 Budget planing starting

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 05, 2008 @ 01:35 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Thanks to the sour economy, Franklin is looking at a possible shortfall of several million dollars for fiscal 2010, and a subsequent "major reduction in force ... townwide," Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting told the Finance Committee last night.

It is still too early to estimate how much the shortfall will be, said Nutting.

That figure, he said, depends on the result of Question 1 (to repeal the state income tax), and assuming there aren't any changes in revenue projections. According to last night's numbers, Massachusetts voters shot down the effort to repeal the income tax.

Nutting's projection was not discussed at length, as it was not an issue on last night's meeting agenda, but he mentioned it when he told the board he will ask department heads to submit budgets in early December.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Fall Into Art - November 8 & 9

Read more about this event put on by the Franklin Art Association here.

"the school system is going to need it"

Michael Doherty, a member of the board of directors of the Franklin Education Foundation, said he is worried about the economy's effect on the foundation. "Local businesses have been feeling the pinch for well over a year and it is harder for them to be as generous to us as they have in the past,'' he said. "We still get a lot of support but some of the small businesses have really suffered.''

The Franklin Educational Foundation will hold its third annual casino night on Nov. 21, but on a smaller scale than in the past, Doherty said. He said he thinks people are waiting until later to purchase tickets for the event.

"We hope to get a large turnout for it, the event was well supported in the last two years,'' he said. "People who are not gamblers come out and understand its just a fun event and everyone knows what they spend will benefit a great cause.''

Doherty said another casualty of the economy is that people have less and less time to volunteer for the foundation. "People are working more, but we are always accepting new members and donations for the cause,'' he said. And with state budget cuts and less revenue from other sources, the school system is going to need it, Doherty said.

"We cannot make up the entire gap but we hope to provide whatever assistance we can,'' he said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

"They're both really smart,"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GateHouse News Service

Posted Nov 03, 2008 @ 10:37 PM

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FRANKLIN —

If the voting pattern of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at Horace Mann Middle School is any reflection of the way the rest of the country will vote today, Barack Obama will win by a landslide.

The final tally: Barack Obama, 329; John McCain, 181; Ralph Nader, 17.

'Our motto today is: `As Horace Mann goes, so goes the nation,''' said sixth-grade math teacher Patricia Metrick, who helped organize the mock election.

"Twenty, 30 years from now, this election's going to be in our textbooks. Their children will be learning about it. It gives (today's students) a chance to participate, even though they're only young adults,'' said Metrick.

Although the school has held mock elections in the past, this was "by far the snazziest, most authentic one,'' said sixth-grade English/social studies teacher Joseph Corey, who directed the video news team yesterday with sixth-grade math and science teacher Noreen Langmeyer.

"They're very excited, they're waiting for their turn to vote,'' Langmeyer said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Voting is Patriotic (USA)

Voting is Patriotic (USA), originally uploaded by farlane.

Not just patriotic, is it a democratic society's duty.

Please get out and vote today!

Town Council Agenda - 11/5/08

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 1, 2008, October 15, 2008

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS - Design Review Commission
Council on Aging

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS – Teppanyaki Restaurant – Change of Manager

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Recycling Committee Presentation
DPW Presentation – Rubbish/Recycling
DPW Reorganization

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 08-59: Dissolution of Fire Station Building Committee (Tabled on 10/15/08)
2. Resolution 08-71: Authorization for Intermunicipal Agreement – Town of Blackstone
3. Resolution 08-72: Acceptance of Gifts for the Red Brick School
4. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5, Town Code: Zoning Map – Business to Commercial II – 2nd Reading (Tabled on 10/15/08)

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN

"Doc, can you help me study?"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

Sun Nov 02, 2008, 06:39 PM EST

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FRANKLIN -

Don Roemer, affectionately known as "Doc" to his students and colleagues, spent 37 years in a job he loved.

"I loved it. I loved teaching," said Roemer, a Franklin resident who worked for 27 years as an English teacher at Wayland High School, and 10 years prior as an English professor at Northwestern University and Northeastern University.

Life felt a bit empty when he retired three years ago, so he decided to fill that hole by returning to his passion, he said.

For the past year, he has volunteered as a part-time teacher working alongside a few full-timers at Franklin High School, in a pilot program he proposed last October to Franklin Superintendent of Schools Wayne Ogden. Ogden is the former assistant superintendent of Wayland Public Schools.

"I really wanted very much to have something to do with education. I missed being with the kids. I may be old, but I have a lot of experience, a lot to offer," Roemer said.

"I never got tired of the teaching, I never got tired of the kids, but I did get tired of correcting papers," Roemer said.

As a volunteer, he gets the best of both worlds: giving students one-on-one academic attention, without having to pour through essays and tests, as well as a flexible, albeit, confusing rotating schedule, he said.

Read the full article in the Franklin Gazette here

A video clip by Joyce Kelly interviewing Doc can be seen here:

T-Alerts were active on the Franklin Line Monday morning

Franklin/Forge Park Nov 3, 5:41 a.m. (Inactive)

Franklin/FrgPrk #790 (5:05am ib) will not service Forge Park. #702 (5:45am ib) will run on time from Forge Park. 11/3/2008 5:31 AM This alert is no longer active at mbta.com. Likely the issue has been resolved.

Franklin/Forge Park Nov 3, 6:31 a.m. (Inactive)

Franklin/FrgPrk #790 (5:05am ib) will not service Forge Park. #702 (5:45am ib) will run 20 minutes late. 11/3/2008 5:31 AM This alert is no longer active at mbta.com. Likely the issue has been resolved.

Franklin/Forge Park Nov 3, 6:41 a.m. (Inactive) Franklin/FrgPrk #704 (6:15am ib) experiencing 20-25 min delay 11/3/2008 6:34 AM This alert is no longer active at mbta.com. Likely the issue has been resolved.

Franklin/Forge Park Nov 3, 7:21 a.m. (Inactive)

Franklin/FrgPrk #706 (6:35am ib) experiencing 15-20 min delay 11/3/2008 7:14 AM This alert is no longer active at mbta.com. Likely the issue has been resolved.

Franklin/Forge Park Nov 3, 8:21 a.m. (Inactive)

Franklin/FrgPrk #732 (7:54am ib) experiencing 20-25 min delay 11/3/2008 8:20 AM This alert is no longer active at mbta.com. Likely the issue has been resolved.

-------

If you haven't signed up for a T-Alert, you can do so here.

You can also join Clever Commute where the riders share the updates.

FM #19 - 4 things to know

FM #19 podcast provides the 4 things you should know about Franklin, MA this week.

Time: 8 minutes, 18 seconds



MP3 File

Session Notes:

This podcast for Franklin Matters will focus on the 4 things you should know about what happened this week.

In the prior two sessions, we spent time listening to Assistant Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski as she was interviewed by the School Committee during their meeting Tuesday Oct 14th. In podcast 17 Maureen told her life story. How she started teaching in NY City, moved to the Buffalo NY area, to Rockaway, NJ and then to Franklin. She reviews her resume detailing how she has prepared to cover all aspects of the superintendent’s role in her own development.

In podcast 18, we’ll listened to the School Committee as they asked Maureen follow-up questions and get into a discussion to clarify her goals, objectives, and vision for Franklin’s school. If you have not listened to these yet, I strongly encourage you to go back and do so at some point in time. All the podcasts can be found within the Important links section on the right hand column.

The first thing you should know about from this week’s events was that the school committee did vote unanimously 6-0 (Matt Kelley was absent) to enter into contract negotiations with Maureen. We should hear in a future meeting about the contract terms and transition with Wayne as he is scheduled to step aside on June 30th 2009.

The second thing you should know about this week is that the pilot to sell advertising banners in the field house was proposed and accepted. During the pilot period, the banner content will need to be reviewed by the Superintendent of Schools, High School Principal and the chair of the School Committee. The cost for the banner would be $480 year and available for a minimum period of three months (at a prorated cost).

The third thing you should know about this week is that if you area parent of school age children there is a survey on the Franklin Schools homepage looking for your input on how to create the calendar for the school year; for example, should the school year begin before Labor Day or after? Your input is welcomed until November 24th. The link to the survey will be available on Franklin Matters here. Jeff Roy has also created a posting at the School Committee blog with a link to the survey. Let your voice be heard.

The fourth thing you should know this week, on the contract front, the Police Department settled their contract with the Town. They had been working under an expired contract since June 2007. This one will cover through June 2010.

The new contract, which expires in June 2010, gives officers a 2 percent raise retroactive to October 2007, a 2.5 percent raise as of October 2008 and a 3 percent raise in October 2009, Nutting said.

Sergeants' pay will increase to 17 percent above the top patrol officer salary step in the first year of the contract, to 18 percent in the second year, and to 19 percent above in the third year.

This was reported in the Milford Daily News and Franklin Gazette this week.

---- ---- ----

This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow Franklin citizens and voters by Steve Sherlock

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music

Where have all the flowers gone?

It is that time of year!




To read more about "Where have all the flowers gone?" click here

In the news - redistricting, online video lectures

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Oct 31, 2008 @ 11:49 PM

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FRANKLIN —

In recent meetings, the School Committee has broached the possibility of redistricting local schools, but officials say it is a long way off, and any changes will be minor.

"The most important thing for parents to know is, neither the School Committee nor I anticipate any redistricting this year or next year," said Superintendent Wayne Ogden.

Leaders are considering redistricting because some schools, such as Sullivan Middle, are overcrowded, while others like Jefferson Elementary, have available space. The imbalance has resulted in the need to ship some kids around, said School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.

"It's just trying to balance out the schools and make sure we're maximizing space in every building," said Roy.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

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Want a free education? A brief guide to the burgeoning world of online video lectures.

By Jeffrey MacIntyre November 2, 2008

RESERVE ANOTHER LAUREL for Edward O. Wilson, the Pellegrino University Professor emeritus at Harvard, serial Pulitzer winner, and prominent intellectual: online celebrity.

Forget Charlie Rose - Wilson has Google for a soapbox. Amid the amateur-hour piffle of YouTube "talent" and skateboarding dogs, the famed botanist stands in bold relief, with more than 500 Google video search results to his credit: Interviews ranging far afield of TV shows to a spate of appearances on several Web-only video platforms such as Meaningoflife.tv, Bigthink.com, Fora.tv, and the online home of the Technology Entertainment Design (TED) conference.

Read the full article in the Boston Globe here

Museum entrance taking shape

The entrance to the new museum is really taking shape. The brickwork appears complete. The pedestal is in place and ready for the sculpture.






This will be a nice entrance to Franklin's historical treasures.

In the news - field lights campaign, Police union contract

GateHouse News Service

Posted Oct 31, 2008 @ 04:21 PM

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FRANKLIN —

To help raise money for field lights for youth football, Franklin Chargers Football Organization has announced NorthEast-Eagle Electrical Distributors, in conjunction with WEEI, has begun "New Friday Night Lights 2008 Sweepstakes.''

Cities and towns all over New England have the chance to enter into the sweepstakes with hopes to win a brand new installed sports lighting system for their youth football league field.

For over 5 years, Franklin's Recreation Department and the Franklin Chargers Football Organization have used the Remington Jefferson School fields to house their football programs. The facility is used six days a week by more than 400 football players. The facility does not currently have lights, so the use of portable lights has been very costly for both organizations. Between rental, gas to run the lights and set up break down, it is estimated that this expense around $3,000 per month.

You can help the kids of Franklin obtain lights for their football teams, by voting today.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

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After sometimes "frustrating" negotiations, the town and its police union signed a three-year contract this week, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting and Police Association President John Maloney.

"Overall, once we worked certain issues out - we definitely weren't happy with the process or sequence of events - but at the end, it's a pretty fair contract," said Maloney.

Nutting also called the contract (currently in memorandum of understanding form only) "fair" and in line with agreements other unions have with the town.

"I think it was a fair deal for everybody involved," said Nutting, adding that part of his aim was to ensure equality among public employees.

The deal is retroactive to June 2007, when the last one expired.

The new contract, which expires in June 2010, gives officers a 2 percent raise retroactive to October 2007, a 2.5 percent raise as of October 2008 and a 3 percent raise in October 2009, Nutting said.

Read the full article in the Franklin Gazette here