"Parent involvement is key"

The forum, sponsored by the Community Health Council, will feature a range of speakers who say drug abuse starts as early as middle school.

"Middle school is probably one of the most vulnerable times for a young teen because it's a huge shift from elementary to middle school. There's a shift in the structure of the day, and students are functioning more independently - not as coddled (as they might've been)," said Vicky Grauer, a child and adolescent therapist and director of Arbour Counseling Services in Franklin.

"It's a very vulnerable time, and a lot of kids are ill-equipped to handle that transition."

Forum aims to help parents keep kids from getting 'wasted'

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

"working with the very young is often more effective than waiting"

“When you’re 3, your life is hard,” the mother says. “You get angry.” Now the boy is 7 and in the first grade, and the daily battles are over. His mother says she believes her son’s behavior improved in part because he matured, but also because she and the boy’s father learned to respond better when he became upset. “He’s still a sensitive kid, and he still gets mad,” she says. “Now he’ll go, ‘Grrr,’ but he doesn’t slam a door.” Expectations are that he will flourish. And as for the mother, “I understand him better,” she says.

Read the full article in the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine here:

Little kids, big problems

from Boston Globe -- Globe Magazine by Linda K. Wertheimer

Why early-childhood mental health services make sense.


This effort is aligned with that of the Early Childhood Development Center in the Franklin, MA school system and discussed further as part of the kindergarten program that can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/04/full-day-kindergarten-free-or-tuition.html

FM #65 Week Ending 4/25/10

Let's spend less than ten minutes to find out what matters in Franklin, MA as the week ends April 25, 2010.

Time: 6 minutes, 4 seconds



MP3 File

Session Notes:

This internet radio show or podcast is number 65 in the series for Franklin Matters.

Let's take about 10 minutes to review what matters in Franklin, MA as this week comes to a close on Sunday April 25th.

In this session I'll cover Earth Day activities on Saturday April 17th , Saturday April 24th and look ahead to both the School Committee meeting on April 27th and the Town Council meeting on April 28th

Earth Day on April 17th was not good weather and also the first day of some folks school vacation week so both those factors may have contributed to only about 100 or so folks helping clean up around Franklin. I also was out of town for a wedding on that weekend and unable to participate myself.

The raised garden beds were set up. I did manage to get pictures of those at the Senior Center, ECDC and Charter School on Monday. A link to that posting will be in the show notes.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/04/franklin-ma-raised-garden-beds-in.html

The Charles River Watershed Cleanup was held on Saturday the 24th. I stopped by Whole Foods Market in Bellingham to see how David Dobrzynski was doing as the local coordinator. He had over 300 folks scattered amongst his area and many good stories to tell. He suggested I head off to the VFW Post 3402 on Pond St where I could see the BSA Venture Crew 22 which had retrieved 125 tires from along Mine Brook.

The details and photos of their great work will be included in the show notes.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/04/there-be-tires.html

In preparation for the budget discussion at both the School Committee and Town Council meetings this week, I have a number of items to share:

You may recall that I recorded the budget workshop conducted back in January. The audio recordings and worksheets from each of the budget sections are available here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/budget-workshop-collection-12510.html

The Financial Planning Committee is updating the Long term or 5 Year Plan for presentation at the Council meeting on the 28th. You can review their prior plan here:
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_BComm/financial%20planning%20committee%20report/

I have worked with the Franklin Town Clerk, Debbie Pellegri, to compile a comprehensive listing of all the debt exclusion and operational override votes that Franklin has had the opportunity to vote on over the years. The listing is available for your review.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkwjbnXDBhczdHp1bjBJSF9sOVY1ZXlERmFPNHkxZnc&hl=en

The School Committee agenda references a discussion on the budget but there are no documents to indicate what options to balance the budget are up for discussion. So if you recall from their meeting on the 13th that everything would be on the table, it still sounds like everything is on the table.

The Town Council agenda includes the update from the Financial Planning Committee and an action item for an override question. The amount itself is open and remains to be determined by the discussion.

These two meetings will be critical to understanding what choice we will have, if we are provided the choice to vote on an override. Word is already on the street that there may not be enough votes for that.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/04/franklin-ma-role-of-town-council.html

If you think you should have an opportunity to vote on an override, then I would suggest that you let the Town Council know or show up to the meeting in person on the 28th.

Whether you are in favor of an override passing or not, having the opportunity to vote on one I think is key!


As I close this session this week, let me remind you that
If you like what I am doing here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don’t like something, please tell me
Thank you for listening!

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 music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission

I hope you enjoy!



Note: email subscribers will need to click through to listen to the audio recording

Letter from Ed Cafasso

Hello everyone,

I hope you had a pleasant school vacation week. The end of vacation means getting back to work, and this week the School Committee and Town Council have their work cut out for them.

Two crucial evening meetings are on the agenda that I hope you will at least follow closely if not attend in person. On Tuesday at 7 p.m., the School Committee will meet at the Municipal Building to make key decisions on the fiscal 2011 school budget.

Flat-lining local and state revenues combined with increased costs have created an estimated $1.8 million shortfall in the school budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Three factors are driving the higher costs – a 36% increase in mandated special education costs; a 10% hike in health insurance costs; and, contractual salary hikes (keeping mind that school administrators and employees voluntarily accepted a pay freeze during the current fiscal year.)

In reality, our costs are higher than the $1.8 million, but we are hoping to keep the requested budget increase to the bare minimum by using more than $750,000 in one-time federal and special local funds to close the gap. The $1.8 million your schools need would ensure that we can provide your children and the community the same level of service next year as we are this year.

To get all the details, I urge you to visit the School Department’s budget page at: http://www.franklin.k12.ma.us/co/supt/budget/FY2011Budgetbook.pdf. There you will find a complete overview of the district’s budget, the factors driving it, our academic performance, enrollment data, and individual proposed budgets for each school.

The presentation also details the many cuts and efficiency moves the School Committee and school administration have made in the last decade to try to keep costs down and to live within our means. Equally as important, the presentation shows how Franklin has fallen far below the state average for spending on all facets of education.

Tuesday night, the School Committee has two objectives: The first is to ask the Town Council to fund our proposed, level service fiscal 2011 budget, which is likely to mean that the Council will ask the community to support an override of the limits imposed by Proposition 2 ½.

The second is to discuss possible budget cuts and program reductions if the Council fails to put an override on the ballot or if one fails to win a majority from the voters. The Franklin Public Schools remain a fantastic bargain in a community that offers a nice quality of life with incredibly low property tax rates. Your schools spend well below average in every cost category, but your students consistently score well above average on every academic benchmark. It’s a record to be proud of, but it’s highly unlikely to continue unless we provide more financial support.

On Wednesday night, also at 7 p.m., the Town Council will consider our budget request and also discuss the municipal budget and the town revenue picture. Members of the Long Range Financial Planning Committee, which released a fantastic analysis of town finances last year, also will present information.

The town budget is reportedly facing a deficit of $200,000, but even that amount is artificially low since it appears many positions are being left vacant in departments like fire, public works and the library in an effort to make ends meet.

Many times over the many years of my service on the School Committee, I have asked you to let your voices be heard on issues that directly impact your children’s futures, your property values and your quality of life.

This Tuesday and Wednesday night, you will once again have the opportunity to ask your elected officials to protect those things by taking the steps necessary to seeking adequate financial support.

Your schools have worked hard with far less funds than they need to give the young people of this community the kind of education that hundreds of other communities in the state wish they could provide. This week, I hope you will actively and publicly support our honest effort to continue that same level of service to you, your friends and your neighbors.

This e-mail reflects my opinion alone and is provided as a constituent service. 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.

Thank you!

Ed Cafasso, Member
Franklin School Committee
edcafasso@comcast.net

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - 4/27/10

1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the April 13, 2010 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn
Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: none

2. Guests/Presentations

a. Latin Awards
1. HMMS – Outstanding Achievement

1. Patrick Milne
2. Mark Mooney
3. Adam Lynch
4. Haven Butler

2. HMMS - Achievement

1. Nithya Sridhar
2. Lipee Vora
3. Kristen Brandenburg
4. Liam Devine
5. Ben Mednack
6. Justin Collins
7. Julia Birely
8. Katherine Donahue
9. Niharkia Singh

3. RMS – Outstanding Achievement

1. Chris Cannon
2. Collin Chen
3. Nicholas Chieng
4. James Lavoie

4. RMS – Achievement

1. Troy Donahue
2. Bridget Gallo
3. Dylan Martin
4. Andrew Petit
5. Carolyn Hoye
6. Allison Klowan

5. ASMS – Outstanding Achievement

1. Lauren Irvine
2. Aaron Kaplan
3. Michael Labine
4. Joshua Hall
5. Margaret Streeter
6. Lauren Altobelli

6. ASMS – Achievement

1. Kaitlin Dinmore
2. Emily Hood
3. Edward Sullivan
4. Joseph Tobin
5. Alexandra Wolfe
6. Vincent Nazaretian
7. Kelly Morgan
8. Alexandra Quinn
9. Rebecca Vickery
10. Benjamin Zogby
11. Christopher Hu
12. Danielle Dupont
13. Carly Burgess

b. ASMS Comuniteen Fundraiser – Pennies for Patients – Raised $5,020.22 for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:
1. Emily Bellavance, Cheyenne Esposito, Ashley Gatchell, Anya Sternadore and Celia Sternadore.

c. HMMS Math Team: Placed 1st in our Division

1. Akshat Agrawal - Top Score in the 8th Grade in our division
2. Sanjay Batchu
3. Abhilasha Boruah
4. Chrisopher Danksewicz
5. Filip DaSilva
6. Alex Fischer
7. Brendan Lewis
8. Panat Gaurab
9. Ajey Panday – Top Score in the 7th Grade in our Division
10. Nikki Singh
11. Nithya Sridhar
12. Lipee Vorah
13. Emily Waite

3. Discussion Only Items

Budget to Actual
School Committee proposed 2010-2011 Schedule
FY2011 Budget

4. Action Items

a. I recommend approval of the request of Nancy Schoen for a field trip for the Music Students to Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH on Friday, June 11, 2010 as detailed.
b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $125.00 from the JFK PCC for RN fees for a field trip.
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $218.75 from the JFK PCC for RN fees for two field trips.
d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $4,000.00 from the Jefferson PCC for two field trips.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $639.03 from Follett for Supplemental Curriculum Materials for Jefferson Elementary – check from surplus books.
f. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1969.60 from the Parmenter PCC for field trips.
g. I recommend acceptance of the donation of supplies from staples for the Solutions Program.
h. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1748.00 from the Keller PCC for two tables as detailed.
i. I recommend adoption of the proposed 2010-2011 Meeting Schedule for the Franklin School Committee.
j. I recommend declaring microfiche machines at the FHS surplus to be donated to the Franklin Historical Commission as detailed.

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report
a. FHS End of Year Activities
b. Principal’s Search Process – Sally Winslow

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Non-Union Salary Discussion

8. Adjourn

In the News - Rainwater, softball

Students get look at project to clean up rainwater pollutants

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

Tip of the cap to retiring softball president in Franklin

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Krista Perry/Daily News staff

There be tires!

It starts with one person. Dave Dobrzynski, local coordinator for the Charles River Watershed Cleanup activities. Dave is at the Whole Foods Market in Bellingham, handing out t-shirts, coordinating assignments for the 300 plus volunteers working to clean the junk along the Charles.

He gets off the phone and says, I have a story for you. The BSA Venture Crew 22 has just pulled 125 tires from along Mine Brook to fill a dumpster at the VFW Post on Pond St. Dave had talked with Brutus Cantoreggi earlier to get a dumpster positioned there and to have a Bobcat clear out some of the prickly underbrush to enable volunteers to get in close to the brook. All that was successful! Dave adds: "A special thanks also to Ken Gormley in the Highway Division of the Franklin DPW for handling all the logistics of getting me the dumpster and clearing out the brush for us."

I headed to the VFW Post 3402 on Pond St.

As I approach, the parking lot has a bunch of cars, a full dumpster, and there is a group of folks with the Charles River clean up blue t-shirts.

Linda Rafuse, leads the Venture Crew. This group was founded about four years ago, has had up to 28 members and currently has 12, half of whom should up to do the volunteer work today.

The work wasn't easy. The tires and other junk has accumulated over the years. Some of the tires actually has small trees growing around or in them.

The photo on the left is deceptive but there is a slope down from the area on the parking lot to the wet lands long Mine Brook.

The work was dirty as evidenced by this close up of Laura Rafuse's jeans.

They used to be a nice clean blue. Not now, after moving the tires and junk up they are filthy!

Yes, there be tires. 125 of them by their count.


I'll validate that the dumpster is indeed full.


Great work folks!



Here is the happy group: (from left to right, front row: David Johnson, Linda Rafuse, Larry Bederian - VPW Post Comander; from left to right, back row: Laura Rafuse, Eric Harden, Robert Marini, Erica Pollock, Nadia Johnson, and Chris Johnson)

Great work folks, Mine Brook thanks you!


If you are between 14 and 20 and would like to join the BSA Venture Crew, you can find additional information on their activities on Facebook here
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15419337901

and here
http://www.americantowns.com/ma/franklin/organization/bsa-venture-crew-22

DPW News: new trash/recycling carts

The new Trash/Recycling carts have been placed around the town for residents to see, feel and try  during the regular business hours at the following locations:

Town Hall

Senior Center

Recreation Center

Police Station

This is a great opportunity for people to see and feel the new carts. One of the reasons these carts were picked is they are easy to handle.


This was originally posted on the Franklin, MA web page here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01562E42-000F8513

"A key challenge is the fundamental structure of the K-12 education establishment."

Continuing to entice you to dive in and read the 2010 Horizon Report: K12 Edition:

• A key challenge is the fundamental structure of the K-12 education establishment. As long as maintaining the basic elements of the existing system remains the focus of efforts to support education, there will be resistance to any profound change in practice. Learners have increasing opportunities to take their education into their own hands, and options like informal education, online education, and home-based learning are attracting students away from traditional educational settings. If the system is to remain relevant it must adapt, but major change comes hard in education.

Many activities related to learning and education take place outside the walls of the classroom — but these experiences are often undervalued or unacknowledged. Beyond the classroom walls, students can take advantage of online resources, explore ideas and practice skills using games and other programs they may have on systems at home, and interact with their extensive — and constantly available — social networks. Within the classroom, learning that incorporates real life experiences like these is not occurring enough and is too often undervalued when it does take place. This challenge is an important one in K-12 schools, because it results in a lack of engagement in learning on the part of students who are seeking some connection between their world, their own lives, and their experience in school.

These trends and challenges are having a profound effect on the way we experiment with, adopt, and use emerging technologies. These aspects of the world that surround and permeate education serve as a frame for considering the probable impacts of the emerging technologies listed in the sections that follow.

Franklin, MA

"we try that and we see if that works"

GIST: I think that for far too long we have just tinkered around the edges of our schools that have struggled. Central Falls High School is an example of a school like that. For over eight years, [it] has been on various lists of needing to improve. There are wonderful people in that school, there are excellent teachers in the school. They’ve had strong leadership. They’ve tried different models for reform. But we tend to do one thing, and then we wait and see if that works. And when it doesn’t or maybe it’s incremental, we say, OK, let’s try some new professional development for the teachers. And then we try that and we see if that works, and a few more years go by, and then we say, obviously we need a new principal because that one’s not doing the job. So we bring in new leadership, and we try that. We bring in new materials. We try that.

We just try one thing after another instead of recognizing that it’s not just one thing, it’s actually the combination of all of those things and the way they fit together. When you look at high-performing schools, it isn’t just one thing that they’re doing. It’s a combination of many things, and at the center of all that are high expectations for students. And so part of the work is to change the culture in the school to one where everyone expects that students will achieve and raises the bar for performance.

Read the full article including an interview with Deborah Gist, the RI Commissioner of Education, who has been the subject of much headlines on the Central Falls High School situation. Very interesting reading:
http://www.commonwealthmagazine.org/Voices/Conversation/2010/Spring/Putting-teachers-on-notice.aspx

Curbside Yard Waste Collection

Franklin’s Curbside Yard Waste Collection will be held on Saturday May 1^st and May 15^th. 

Be sure to have all material in paper bags, trash barrels or cardboard boxes.  

Brush must be bundled and shall not be more than 4 feet in length and 6–inches in diameter.  

DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS THEY WILL BE REJECTED



Franklin, MA

HMEA 5K Race/Walk - May 23rd

What happens on May 23rd?

Who is HMEA?

Why you should help?

These questions and more can be answered in this brief video.




If you'd like to register to run or walk, you can go to HMEA.org.
If you'd like to contribute as part of my fund raising page, there is a widget on this page or here: http://www.firstgiving.com/stephensherlock

I hope to see you on May 23rd!

Franklin, MA: Role of the Town Council

From the Town Council page on the Franklin website comes the following:

1. A member of the Council, in relation to his/her community should:

A. Realize that his/her basic function is to make policy, with administration delegated to the Administrator.

B. Realize that he/she is one of a team and should abide by, and carry out, all Council decisions once they are made.

C. Be well-informed concerning the duties of a Council member on both local and state levels.

D. Remember that he/she represents the entire community at all times.

E. Accept the office as a means of unselfish service, not benefit personally or politically from his/her Council activities.

F. In all appointments, avoid political patronage by judging all candidates on merit, experience, and qualifications only.

G. Abide by the ethics established by the State and not use the position to obtain inside information on matters which may benefit someone personally.


2. A member of the Council, in his/her relations with administrative officers of the Town, should:

A. Endeavor to establish sound, clearly defined policies that will direct and support the administration for the benefit of the people of the community.

B. Recognize and support the administrative chain of command and refuse to act on complaints as an individual outside the administration.

C. Give the Administrator full responsibility for discharging the duties of his/her office.

3. A member of the Council, in his/her relations with fellow Council members, should:

A. Recognize that action at official legal meetings is binding and that he/she alone cannot bind the Council outside of such meetings.

B. Not make statements or promises of how he/she will vote on matters that will come before the Council until he/she has had an opportunity to hear the pros and cons of the issue during a Council meeting.

C. Uphold the intent of executive session and respect the privileged communication that exists in executive session.

D. Make decisions only after all facts on a question have been presented and discussed.

E. Treat with respect the rights of all members of the Council despite differences of opinion.

This is all good information. Let's hope all of the Councilors actually have recently read and actually follow this. The key for me is "Remember that he/she represents the entire community at all times."

Why?
Word already is around that some councilors don't want to put an override question before the voters. No matter whether they think it should be passed is not the question. The voters are the ones who should make that final pass/fail decision with their votes. All we ask is to be given the opportunity, then let the majority rule.

To already have word that there is not a majority on the Council who would put the question before the voters, seems to be flying against the precept:
"Not make statements or promises of how he/she will vote on matters that will come before the Council until he/she has had an opportunity to hear the pros and cons of the issue during a Council meeting."

As citizens and voters, we should be well informed of what could occur during the Town Council meeting on April 28th. This meeting may be one to attend in person rather than from the couch watching the cable feed.

There is plenty of information amongst these pages on the budget and budget drivers.

You can review all or parts of the 3 hour budget workshop held in January
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/budget-workshop-collection-12510.html

You can review the Financial Planning Committee report here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_BComm/financial%20planning%20committee%20report/

You can find out the latest on the School budget by either attending (or watching) the School Committee meeting Tuesday April 27th or visiting here later that night or Wednesday morning for the recap.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/


Be informed! Ask for the opportunity to vote on an override!  
Your vote should determine the services this Town will offer to all of us.

"there is little agreement as to what a new model of education might look like"

Continuing to entice you to dive in and read the 2010 Horizon Report: K12 Edition:

• Many policy makers and educators believe that deep reform is needed, but at the same time, there is little agreement as to what a new model of education might look like. It is difficult to envision profound change in a system as firmly established as K-12 education is today. Proponents of change promote more learner-centered approaches; open content; programs for continuing teacher professional development in partnership with higher education institutions; and the use of social networking tools to increase access to peers and professionals for both teachers and students, but not everyone is in agreement. Opinions also differ on how to make (and measure) progress at all and whether it is better to build success slowly, using pilots and small proof-of-concept classrooms, or to push for rapid and radical change on a broader scale.

Franklin, MA

Martin's fundraiser needs your help!

Dear Steve, Marty Rides the Pan-Mass Challenge (Marty's PMC Profile) still needs your help! Buy some flowers, fight cancer. Simple as that. Remember, money raised from this effort we will help cancer patients by supporting life-saving cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, Massachusetts (via The Jimmy Fund). If you've already made a purchase, thank you! If not, please take a moment to make a purchase or refer a friend to our fundraising offers. We're getting closer to our goal and your help could put us over the top. The program offers a terrific assortment of flower bulbs and perennials guaranteed to grow and bring beauty to your yard and garden for years to come. Top reasons to buy: You can help me raise money for my great cause Marty Rides the Pan-Mass Challenge gets 50% of every sale Only top-quality plants will be shipped to you Flower Power ships directly to your doorstep 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back! Please don't delay we need your help today. Want to Help More? Send this message to friends, family and co-workers. Thank you so much for your support. Martin Middelmann Marty Rides the Pan-Mass Challenge Marty Rides the Pan-Mass Challenge Fundraising Drive So far we've earned $162 Featured Product: Summer Garden Collection Your Price — Just $20

You are currently receiving email solicitations from Flower Power Fundraising on behalf of Martin Middelmann who is trying to raise funds for Marty Rides the Pan-Mass Challenge. If you would like to have these solicitations stopped and not participate in their fundraising program, click here. Flower Power Fundraising Inc., 160 Intervale Rd, Burlington, VT 05401 | 1-866-223-8831

"Students are different, but educational practice and the materials that support it are changing only slowly"

Continuing to entice you to dive in and read the 2010 Horizon Report: K12 Edition:

• Students are different, but educational practice and the materials that support it are changing only slowly. Schools are still using materials developed to teach the students of decades ago, but today’s students are actually very different in the way they think and work. Schools need to adapt to current student needs and identify new learning models that are engaging to younger generations. Many education professionals feel that a shift to a more learner-centered model focused on the development of individual potential instead of the imposition of a body of knowledge would lead to deeper and more sustained learning across the curriculum. To support such a change, both teaching practice and the tools used in the classroom must adapt. Assessment has also not kept pace with new modes of working, and must change along with teaching methods, tools, and materials.

Franklin, MA

14th Annual FEF Trivia Bee - April 29 - 7:00 PM

14th Annual FEF Trivia Bee…Still Time to Enter Your Team!


On Thursday, April 29, 2010, the Franklin Education Foundation (FEF) will hold its 14th Annual Trivia Bee at the Horace Mann Middle School starting at 7:00 p.m. This year’s theme is history. 


We are thrilled to say that we have a impressive number of teams already signed up as well as some awesome auction items ... including Red Sox tickets!


THERE IS STILL TIME TO ENTER YOUR TEAM OR DONATE TO THE AUCTION!!!!


FEF is still accepting Team Sponsors and item donations for a special raffle. Companies, organizations, parents and individuals can enter a 3-person team of their own or sponsor a team of Franklin students. Team sponsorships are $300 each. The event is well known as a fun evening out with friends and neighbors, all while contributing to a worthwhile cause. It’s a great way to show your commitment to education in Franklin.


To sponsor a team or donate a raffle item please contact Maureen Roy at 508-528-5170 or MaurRoy@aol.com. For more information visit www.franklined.org.


Admission for spectators is free. Be sure to attend on April 29, and test your knowledge of history!




Franklin, MA

"Unfortunately it's the nature of the society we live in"

Q: How did it feel to win the award?

A: I was kind of surprised when I got the phone call because I know they've had some volunteers for many years ... I was very pleased, surprised and honored.

Read the full article here:

Q&A with Charles River volunteer David Dobrzynski

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News correspondent 

Related posts:


http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/03/david-dobrzynski-of-franklin-recognized.html


http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/04/charles-river-watershed-cleanup-42410.html

Parmenter 5K Race/Walk - Sunday May 16th

The Parmenter Elementary School will be the start and finish for their 2nd Annual 5K Race/Walk on Sunday, May 16th.

You can visit the event website for detailed information here
http://parmenter5k.weebly.com/index.html

You can also register at Active.com here
http://www.active.com/running/franklin-ma/2nd-annual-parmenter-5k-for-all-ages-2010

Franklin, MA

"No matter what we do, it's not going to be good,"

"If we continue town business this way, we will dismantle town government and the school system," said Horn. "As of May 1 there will be no Saturday ambulance ... there will be uncovered (police) shifts. It's a substantial reduction in services. People who think we have money are not looking at the facts."

Mendon is facing similar budget problems to Franklin, the difference right now is we don't know how deep or where the cuts are proposed to occur. You can read more about Mendon's issues here:

Mendon plans cuts if override fails

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Krista Perry/Daily News staff

You can review the budget workshop held in January to get a better understanding of the factors in Franklin's overall  budget.

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/budget-workshop-collection-12510.html

You can review the Financial Planning Committee report. They have the long term plan that says we have a systemic problem and outline several options for resolving the issue. Many of those have been tried in the past year, the one other option left to us is to consider an override. The override discussion will be on the Town Council agenda for Wednesday Apr 28th.