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Saturday, October 15, 2011
Library book sale: today - 9:00 to 4:00
Bring a donation for the Franklin Food Pantry and you get a coupon for a book (up to $1).
There are lots of books laid out on tables
The prices of books are shown on signs in each book section
I know at least one kindergarten teacher who finds some good additions to the school library
Giraffes can't dance? Why not?
If you are looking for a good laugh, there is a section of books for you!
Looking to travel? Check out this section
Books on tape to listen to for your commute.
Pets and nature
"Beyond risk" is one title about climbing shear rock walls in the Sports and Hobbies section
Biographies of Barbara Bush and Bill Clinton sit among the selection
And last but not least, the Friends of the Franklin Library thank their sponsors!
Enjoy!
In the News - Ranieri
Meet the Franklin Candidate: Donald Ranieri Jr., Board of Health
Remember that all the information for the election Nov 8th is being collected in one place for you
LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE: OCTOBER 19, 2011 at 8:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office, First Floor, 355 East Central Street, Municipal Building.
Absentee Ballot Information: Absentee ballots are now available in the Town Clerk’s office. A registered voter who will be unable to vote at the polls on election day due to the following reasons may vote absentee up to 12:00 noon Monday, November 7, 2011:
(1) absence from your city or town during normal polling hours; or
(2) physical disability preventing you from going to the polling place; or
(3) religious belief.
All absentee requests must be made in writing with an original signature (no faxes or e-mails are accepted). If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call Deborah L. Pellegri, Town Clerk, at 508-520-4900
Route 2 Repairs Update, Detour Map
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
Repairs are moving forward along the section of Route 2 damaged significantly by Tropical Storm Irene.
As seen at left in North Adams and below in Florida, work is well underway to repair the man-made roadway slopes, including excavation and relocation of utilities.
MassDOT Secretary Richard A. Davey at the end of September announced that work to reconstruct the six-mile section of Route 2 linking North Adams, Florida, Savoy, and Charlemont would proceed on an expedited schedule under an accelerated bidding process.
The roadway is expected to re-open to traffic by mid-December.
MassDOT has assembled a map showing the closed portion of Route 2 that suffered significant damage due to flooding from Tropical Storm Irene and outlining the current posted detour.
Route 2 is closed from Mile Marker 21.6 in Florida to Mile Marker 27.5 in Charlemont.
MassDOT Highway Administrator Frank DePaola said that because of the combination of roadway washout and substantial damage to retaining walls and man-made slopes, MassDOT is using an innovative approach by separating the repairs into multiple jobs that can proceed simultaneously to safely reduce the work timeline.
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Open House Walnut Hill Farm Plainville MA 10/15/2011 2-4
Walnut Hill Farm Open House
Hosted by Merrill Lynch
Nothing could be better than a fall Saturday afternoon in the country! Come join us for a wonderful afternoon at Walnut Hill Farm on October 15 from 2:00 to 4:oo.
Kellie Monahan Head trainer and owner of Walnut Hill Farm and Bill Lippincott of Merrill Lynch will be your hosts for the afternoon.
Come see the state-of-the-art equestrian facility situated on 15 beautiful acres of grassy paddocks. New this fall is the Derby Field. Pony rides for the kids at 2:00, Show jumping at 3:00, tour the barns anytime and get to know some of the farms storied residents! To keep you toasty warm enjoy a hot cup of mulled cider.
Walnut Hill farm is located at 86 Walnut Street Plainville MA. See you rain or Shine!
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.
Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks. Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.
Investment products:
Are Not FDIC Insured | Are Not Bank Guaranteed | May Lose Value |
MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.
William C. Lippincott
Financial Advisor
Merrill Lynch
Global Wealth Management
One Citizens Plaza, Suite 1000
Providence, RI 02903
401-863-8726, Direct
401-863-8718, Fax
http://fa.ml.com/william.lippincott
Read our latest issue of Merrill Lynch Advisor magazine:
Licensed Mortgage Broker
NMLS #697785
Emergency Alert System (EAS) test - Nov 9
Emergency Alert System (EAS). The nationwide test will occur on Wednesday,November 9 at 2 p.m. eastern time and may last up to three and a half minutes. The public will hear a message indicating that "This is a test."
EAS Test Press Release
Friday, October 14, 2011
Farmer's Market: noon to 6:00 PM
Reminder that the Farmers' Market now accepts SNAP dollars and can double your purchasing power.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/07/franklin-farmers-market-doubles-food.html
Visit the Franklin Food Pantry tent at the Farmers' Market for details.
In the News - Bartlett, casino bill, national park
Meet the Franklin Candidate: Deborah Bartlett, town clerk
Some object as Senate passes casino bill
U.S. senators file bill to create National Historical Park
Help blind pedestrians while you drive
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Health and Human Services using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Attention Downtown Franklin Businesses: Holiday Stroll coming up in Dec
If you don't have a Facebook account you can download and print the file from here.
This was originally posted on the Franklin Downtown Partnership website
SNETT Trail Clean-Up Day
What is SNETT? SNETT is the Southern New England Trunk Trail, a former rail road that is being converted to a biking/walking trail. In Franklin, it starts along Grove St and runs to Bellingham and eventually to Palmer.An email from the Franklin Citizens Rail Trail Committee alerts us to this trail clean up in Bellingham.
Kathy Wicks is organizing a trail clean-up day on the SNETT in Bellingham at the Lake St crossing on Saturday, November 5, 2011 from 8:00 am to Noon. Please see the details below and contact Kathy at kwicks34@comcast.net if you have any questions.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Subject: Re: Clean Up Day
Details are:
Trail Workday on the SNETT at Lake St. crossing in Bellingham, Saturday November 5th 8AM- Noon, rain date is 11/19.
Volunteers should bring work gloves as much of the debris is construction material.
Wheelbarrows would be helpful for hauling, I plan to bring 2.
Shovels and heavy rakes if you have them.
I have someone who will take away any metal but we still need a dumpster, still hopeful Bellingham will help with this. Ron mentioned if we can't get one we can haul the stuff to his dumpster in Foxboro.
For recycleable trash such as plastic bottles I will bring large plastic bags, these can go to the recycling center in Bellingham.
I appreciate your helping with this.
Thank you.
Kathy
Taste of the Region - Oct 25th
The United Regional Chamber of Commerce | 42 Union Street | Attleboro | MA | 02703 |
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Library book sale: Sat 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
In conjunction with the book sale, there will be a collection of dry goods for the Franklin Food Pantry
If you are looking to give something the Food Pantry has on the current needs list, the list can be found here
The book sale will be held at the DPW garage off Hayward St
View Larger Map
In the News - Pellegri, scrapbooking
Meet the Franklin Candidate: Deborah Pellegri, town clerk
St. Mary's Catholic club to offer scrapbooking lesson
In the News - FHS cabaret, art center, distinguished
Franklin High theater to host cabaret, Oct. 18 and 20
Franklin Art Center offers kids' art
Gazette named a ‘distinguished newspaper’ in New England
Race to Nowhere
The film will play at the Mercer Auditorium at Horace Mann Middle School on Oak Street. A panel discussion will follow the screening.
Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people who have been pushed to the brink and educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills needed for the global economy, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic running rampant in our schools. The film is the product of Vicki Abeles, a concerned mother turned filmmaker, who aims her camera at the culture of hollow achievement and pressure to perform that has invaded America’s schools. As Abeles notes, “it is destroying our children’s love of learning and feeding an epidemic of unprepared, disengaged, and unhealthy students.” The film is a call to families, educators, experts and policy makers to examine current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become the healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens in the 21st century. You can learn more about the film athttp://www.racetonowhere.com/.
The event is free and open to the general public. However, those who wish to attend the screening must register online for tickets at http://
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Finance Committee - 10/11/11
Jim Roche continues as Chair.
Chris Quinn was voted as Vice Chair.
Phyllis Messere was elected Clerk.
Jeff Nutting, Susan Gagne and Jim Dacey participated to help inform the new committee of the various financial process, procedures and issues that the FinCom will be facing.
Several action items were discussed in detail to provide some background for the new members before they voted. The details for the meeting are contained in the following links.
After the meeting, the committee took a new photo to update their page on the Franklin website. The listing of members will also be updated to show the current membership.
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Finance/index
"I see growth and I see improvement"
Each of the schools, Remington, Horace Mann, and Annie Sullivan, had similar struggles with their annual yearly progress goals under the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System this past year. None of them met their math or special education and low-income student requirements.
The principals noted that this failure was not a reflection of the school system or their students, but rather somewhat unrealistic goals on the part of the state for high-performing schools like Franklin.
"When you're in a successful district, once you get into that 90th percentile, (it becomes harder)," said Paul Peri, principal of Remington Middle School. Peri added that Franklin is in the top two levels of seven that the state sets.
"The way the formula is set up ... the better you do, the harder it is to reach that goal," said Beth Witcoff, principal at Annie Sullivan Middle School.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1092316431/Franklin-board-extends-superintendents-contract#ixzz1aYhM5wlZ
In the News - Norman, film
Meet the Franklin candidate: Ken Norman, Board of Assessors
Franklin screens film about stressed out students
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Live reporting - FinCom - Action items and closing
Partridge St Culvert Emergency Repairs - $150,000
funding: raise and appropriate (until the tax rate is set)
already passed by Council
NuStyle - $165,000 - a placeholder for the correct amount
Jeff re-tells the story of the building
hazardous waste site or brownfield, out to bid to demolish the site
bids are being opened on Oct 27th, wants to get the item to the Council in November
once the building is demolished, we can sell the property, maybe make a little, maybe not
this amount is in addition to the $200,000 from the EPA
couple of weeks to sign contract, assuming no bid protest
so maybe in the winter
motion to raise and appropriate, passed 9-0
Roads - $400,000
Funding: raise and appropriate (Hotel/Meal Tax)
don't have enough from other sources to cover our 200 miles of roads
the money in the open space account is sitting there
DelCarte property could be a use for it but the Council has chosen so far not to do so
suggestion to use the current year's new revenue for the purpose of repairing the roads
Daniels and Lincoln are scheduled for a new water line in 2013
master 'road' spreadsheet to be updated now after the construction has been mostly completed on the roads
do have a game plan based upon a 2000 study of the water system
cast iron pipes are really old, mostly in the downtown sections
goal is to do 2-3 miles every year and to eventually replace the entire system over the years
in the long run the only way to overcome this is with a dedicated revenue source, and that is not on the table anytime soon
)Jeff told story on Bellingham got the Pulaski Blvd project over our Pleasant St project (estimated at $9M)
motion to raise and appropriate, passed 9-0
OPEB Actuary Study - $12,500
Funding from free cash
unfunded liability was last estimated at $79M, need the study to find out what it currently
need to set up an irrevocable trust so that the money currently in hand can be invested and generate a good return (another town did an override to bring their fund to fully funded -at $3M per year)
looking also to get the money
motion to approve use from free cash, passed 9-0
Fire Salaries - $85,000
see letter from Fire Chief
vacancy now at a fire fighter position due to the move up of folks to replace the Captain replacing the Chief
when we had 12 guys on a shift, it wasn't an issue to get backfills, now that we have 11 guys on a shift it becomes more critical. Everybody has been around long enough to get the top vacation amount so spread it around and there is someone out all the time
new firefighter gets 20 weeks of training before going to fight a fire
this amount is not the full amount of the Chief's letter, being conservative
firefighting is an insurance policy, it depends upon how big a deductible you want
motion to raise and appropriate, passed 9-0
Transfers
Planning Board salaries - $8,000
Board of Health salaries - $9,000
restoring part-time, non-benefit positions as the work is there and required
the positions had been full-time and moved a couple of years ago to part-time
then the people left so the positions were vacant
two motions to approve transfers, passed 9-0 for both
UnPaid Bills
Prior year bills - from Library/Recreation $716.94 from FY 2012 into prior year budget
motion to approve transfer, passed 9-0
Discussion items
Budget workshop
Open Meeting law - reminders on use of email for discussion (no) can share info but not get into a debate
Finance Committee handbook on CD
Annual meeting of Town Finance Committees (Oct 15th)
staggered terms being implemented, some for one year now
re-opening this year's budget
a joint budget subcommittee meeting
Town Council, FinCom and SchCom will be meeting
more to come on this, nothing to do just now
getting into the budget vs. actual to help prepare
SchCom funding of the teach contract was not one time money, it was recurring funding
Jeff Nutting provided an update on the high school design, now awaiting word from MSBA on size of the school, model school already built four times, can move very quickly
can have designed for approval for Jan 2012, if MSBA approves then
the Council would have 120 days to get a vote to the voters
if missing the Jan timeline, it would slip 2 months as they only meet every 2 months
MSBA would pay about 59% of the total, Franklin would contribute to the remainder
Building Committee about to put up 'frequently asked questions' on Franklin website
another big item on the agenda will be storm water
due to a pending EPA edict, no funding source to take on the work
capital requirements estimated at $75M, likely to be more like $100M
do we establish a storm water utility? how does that work?
the EPA has not yet finalized their regulation, once they do, we'll know the timeline
we have 1600 catch basins, probably cleaned 200
we have killed more trees with printing that the EPA would like
Fiscal 2013 budget around the corner, dept head requests coming in Dec, review in Jan/Feb
State Aid numbers comes in Mar, so we'll know the gap
and can budget accordingly
Long Range Fiscal Planning Committee is looking at roads and OPEB
an engineering study is being done on the dams, could go to bid next spring
has the $1.3M estimate gone up or down, don't know, may now next spring
a big deal but less than the new school or budget or OPEB or storm water issues
3.5% funding available within the budget for capacity to borrow and without asking the voters
if the new school debt exclusion passes, the funding ($1.4M) for that would go into the debt exclusion bucket and we would have more capacity within the 3.5% of our plan
space for DPW as some equipment is currently kept at the high school
Jim Dacey -
opportunity to refund 2 bonds
callable in 2012-2013
opportunity to save about 400,000 in interest cost spread over several years
won't see lot each year, but it does add up to 400,000 over the course of this opportunity
Council needs to approve authorization to refinance
Live reporting - Finance Committee - 10/11/11
Absent: none
Debbie Pellegri - swore in the committee members present
meeting called to order
meeting being recorded by Franklin Matters
motion to accept minutes of May 2, passed 5-0, 3 abstain
motion to accept minutes of May 3, passed 5-0, 3 abstain
motion to accept minutes of May 5, passed 3-0, 4 abstain
motion to accept minutes of May 9, passed 5-0, 3 abstain
re-organization; to re-elect Chair, Vice Chair and Clerk
Roche, nominated to be Chair - seconded, passed 8-0
Quinn, nominated to be Vice Chair, passed 8-0
Meserve, nominated to be Clark, passed 8-0
Jeff Nutting, Susan Gagner, Jim Dacey - the finance team
B Feldman joined meeting (he got sworn in before coming into the meeting)
$100 million dollar business, call if you have questions
Town Admin submits budget, FinCom makes recommendation, Town Council makes their final decision
Fiscal policies on various matters, one for stabilization fund to be about 5% of budget
getting about 2.5-3 percent interest today, has been more in the past
Jeff provided an overview on the status of the general accounts
"free cash" revenues in excess of those budgeted, and expenses less than those budgeted
averages about 2.7M has been as high as 7M
about 2-3% of budget, it is not free
used for capital budget, some held in reserve (for snow/ice etc.)
don't use free cash to balance the budget
capital budget for recurring expenses like police cars, equipment, etc.
fiscal year, Jul to Jun
Free cash calculated from prior year budget, books closed at June 30th, then certified by State before being used locally
a big chunk is kept for snow/ice, that budget has been bumped up gradually
what gets cut first in the budget, capital?
free cash was used during the 90's to balance the budget, Jeff weaned us off that over 2-3 years after he came in
competing interests with the budget, weigh the choices, is it reasonable and rational?
Rich Aucoin answers 3 questions
Rich - I was born and raised in Waltham, youngest of 5. Moved to Franklin 5 years ago. I have worked in Franklin since 1992 as a mechanical designer.
My spare time is spent working with friends and neighbors on local community projects and political advocacy, particularly in the areas of civil rights and government transparency and accountability.
I have run for local office twice before, in 2001 and 2003.
FM - What experience or background will help you to serve in this role? or What do you think makes you a good candidate to fulfill this role?
Rich - My research and experience in the area of civil rights is needed on the Franklin Board of Health.
Boards of Health are responsible for more than just disease prevention and environmental protection. Just as importantly, per Chapter 111 of MA Gen Laws, local health boards are the only governmental bodies in the commonwealth with the power to enforce the individual's right to Informed Consent. Or said another way, local health boards are the only authority in the state that can legally take away this important right and force you and your family to take a drug against your will.
Such a remarkable government power must be exercised with the utmost deliberation and care.
But having attended several Franklin health board meetings over the past two years, it is clear to me that the current board lacks sufficient appreciation for the seriousness of Informed Consent rights. The board needs at least one member who will represent the individual or parent wishing to control her own family's medical decisions.
Two immediate areas of concern for Franklin residents regarding their right to Informed Consent:
.
1.) The current board is medicating residents with uncontrolled dosages of fluoride through our drinking water, without accepting accountability for the potential side effects of the practice. Even worse than dispensing uncontrolled dosages of fluoride is doing so without even the benefit of studies showing the practice is safe or effective. The board has admitted that it has no data whatsoever backing the safety or effectiveness of uncontrolled dosages of ingested fluoride. (Note that topical use of fluoride [brushing] is safe because it is not swallowed.)
.
2.) The current board is far too eager to dispense controversial new vaccines that have been rushed to market by Big Pharma without first providing residents the good, bad and ugly facts needed to make an informed decision. E.g., in 2009, the board moved forward with the hastily readied H1N1 vaccination program without accepting any responsibility for the potentially harmful side effects. The justification given by the board was that it was just following state recommendations. This answer was a clear abdication of its Chapter 111 authority and, worse, demonstrated a disturbing lack of reverence for our town's home rule charter. Let us face it: dispensing vaccines is a very serious business due to the known risks of injury. We need a local board that will either take responsibility for its actions or step aside completely. If your doctor were to give you a treatment that caused you injury, you would at least have recourse in the courts. But if an unlicensed health board gives your child a vaccine that goes terribly wrong, the town lawyer will simply claim the board enjoys civil and legal immunity. That is wrong. I believe that if the board is going to dispense any medication, it must take responsibility for the consequences just as any licensed physician must. Otherwise, the board should stop practicing medicine and leave it to real doctors.
FM - What do you see as your role’s biggest challenge and do you have any suggestions on how we can resolve it?
Rich - The biggest challenge to my role as defender of individual rights on the health board would be persuading other town officials that enforcing Informed Consent law is good for both residents and for the town. Some town officials have a reflexive tendency to do whatever the state says. But given the influence peddling and corruption on Beacon Hill, we need local officials who will stand up for what is right when special interests at the state level try to steer us wrong.
Restoring Informed Consent will be good for Franklin's residents because it will ensure their right to make knowledgeable medical decisions without worrying that they or their child might be punished or ridiculed for making the "wrong" choice. And it's good for the town because it puts an end to civil rights abuses that could eventually lead to messy and costly civil suits.
A vote for Rich Aucoin is a vote for medical freedom and Informed Consent rights for Franklin families.
Franklin Citizens Rail Trail Committee - Meeting 10/11/11 - 7:30 PM
II. Approval of Minutes
III. Report from Treasurer
IV. Strategic Goals
a. Grants/Funding
Update on YMCA Grant Application
Approval of Date for 2012 Road Race (Labonte)
Update on List of Grants (Labonte)
Discussion of Associated Grant Makers membership (Labonte)
b. Organizational Review of Committee
Name and Mission
Discussion of Proposed Bylaws
c. Alliances
Update on SWAP and Met Land Trust meetings
Review of Committee's PowerPoint Presentation (Barth)
d. Trail Development Update from Ron Clough, DCR
e. Awareness/Outreach
Discussion of Potential Outreach/Awareness Ideas
V. Adjournment (9:00)
The meeting will be held at the Franklin YMCA 45 Forge Hill Road
Minutes from Sep meeting FCRTC - Minutes - Sep 2011 Draft mission statements FCRTC - Draft Missions