Saturday, July 28, 2012

Blueberry time

Gianetti's is open on Fri and Sat from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Blueberry pickin'

Related post with additional information
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/07/gianettis-u-pick-blueberries-newsletter.html

"Is tooth health more important than brain health?"

From the Franklin Fluoride Council via email this week:



Big news. The truth about artificial fluoridation is finally coming to light. And it is much worse than we thought.

Harvard Study Finds Fluoride Lowers IQ

Excerpt 1:
NEW YORK, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Harvard University researchers' review of fluoride/brain studies concludes "our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children's neurodevelopment." It was published online July 20 in Environmental Health Perspectives, a US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' journal (1), reports the NYS Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. (NYSCOF)
 
Excerpt 2:
"It is senseless to keep subjecting our children to this ongoing fluoridation experiment to satisfy the political agenda of special-interest groups," says attorney Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President. "Even if fluoridation reduced cavities, is tooth health more important than brain health? It's time to put politics aside and stop artificial fluoridation everywhere," says Beeber.
 
Watch for Franklin Fluoride Council's upcoming mailings to Franklin parents warning them about the now-documented dangers of administering uncontrolled dosages of industrial-grade sodium fluoride to children, without parental consent and without even a minimum of medical best practices observed.
 
The Board of Health is administering a controversial drug without a license and without even the patients' consent. This is a clear violation of Nuremberg principles and basic human rights.

It is time for the Town of Franklin's Board of Health to do the right thing. Lift their risky fluoridation order so we can start drinking our water without worry like our neighbors do.


More about the Franklin Fluoride Council can be found on their web page


In the News: art auction


Franklin artist’s work to be featured in art auction

Friday, July 27, 2012

Franklin Farmers Market: noon to 6:00 PM



The Farmers Market is open today on the Town Common from noon to 6:00 PM.

Franklin, MA: Farmers Market

Where in Franklin is the Town Common?


View Larger Map

"for the good of the whole"

On my commute to work, I used to be able to open my laptop, read a book, or take a nap when I used the commuter rail. Using my car is the only practical option these days so I have found some internet radio shows or podcasts to listen to while driving. One of the regular listens is to Krista Tippett and her On Being podcast. In this show she talks with David Sloan Wilson about the evolution of a city. Binghamton, NY is where he lives and works. Binghamton has a population of about 50,000. Not too much larger than Franklin which is reported to be about 33,000.
Ms. Tippett: Again, this is another thing that you point out that just makes logical sense, but it's a thought that I hadn't quite conceptualized before. You know, you say cities decay like other organisms and Binghamton, as you said before, is a place that's like many places and has some of the same issues now that many American cities are struggling with, unemployment, an industrial base that's shifted. You say cities decay like other organisms and also the people take their cues from environments and that they behave in disorderly ways when they're in a disorderly environment. 
Dr. Wilson: Yeah, that's a great point and there's a lot of science which is showing that our instincts for what we do are largely subconscious. So our conscious decisions about how to behave are the tip of an iceberg of decisions that take place below the surface of consciousness.
They talk of an experiment and the insights it provides into how our first impressions, instincts, help to drive our behavior. Not terribly surprising if you really think about it. The implications of this and how it can be used in his 'pro-social' terms are interesting.

Later in their conversation, David outlines the 8 design features for well functioning social group. If you only review this listing, it should be worth your time.


The full text transcript of the podcast can be found here
http://www.onbeing.org/program/transcript/4726#main_content

You can listen to the audio podcast here
http://www.onbeing.org/program/evolving-city/4720/audio

Additional information and more links can be found here
http://www.onbeing.org/program/evolving-city/4720

In the News: debate date, Gillette boxing, airsoft shooting



Democratic candidates for 10th Norfolk District state rep to debate

Thursday, July 26, 2012

10th Norfolk - Democratic candidate debate - Jul 30, 2012

Mark your calendar! Hold the date!
Democratic candidates for the 10th Norfolk District, Jeffrey Roy and Peter Padula, will hold a debate on Monday, July 30, 2012, at the Thomas H Mercer Auditorium, Horace Mann Middle School, located at 224 Oak Street Franklin, MA. The debate will be from 7:30p.m. to 8:45p.m. and will be moderated by Franklin Chief of Police Stephan Semerjian. 
The debate will be broadcast on cable television and WMRC radio. The public is welcome to attend to meet the candidates. 
A second debate is scheduled for August 21, 2012 in Medway.

For additional information on the candidates, you can visit their websites

Peter Padula  http://padulaforrep.com/

Jeff Roy  http://jeffreyroy.com/


Note: yours truly is honored to be one of the panelists asking questions of the candidates. If you would like to add a question to the potential listing, feel free to do so here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/07/what-would-you-ask-candidate.html

In the News: Class of '37, performing arts, cancer patient


Franklin High, Class of '37, seeks members




Worlds apart, kids bond at Franklin arts school


Supporters of fired cancer patient from Franklin to picket

David Rottenberg and Gwendolyn Goes Hollywood

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:


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Massachusetts Second in Nation for Child Well-Being



MassBudget    Information.
   Participation.
 Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy.
Mass. Second in Nation For Child Well-Being, Economic Challenges Persist


Massachusetts leads the nation in Education and ranks second in child Health (with the highest percentage of insured children), according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book Like so many across the nation, however, children in Massachusetts face significant economic hurdles.
  • Fourteen percent of all Massachusetts children--200,000 children--are currently living in poverty.
  • Twice that many—424,000 children--live in families where no parent has full-time, year-round work.
  • Even parents who can find work face very high housing costs.
The Data Book evaluates all 50 states on a range of different measures, all organized into four domains (in each case, one is best and 50 worst.)
  • Economic Well-Being: Massachusetts ranks 11th overall, but it has a large number of households with high housing costs.
  • Education: Massachusetts ranks first overall, thanks to top ratings for reading and math proficiency.
  • Health: Massachusetts ranks second overall, and first in health care coverage.
  • Family and Community: Massachusetts ranks 10th overall—third in teen birth rate but 21st for children in high-poverty areas.
The Data Book is the signature report of The Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT initiative, and MassBudget is now the KIDS COUNT group for Massachusetts. That means that in addition to our long-standing work on economic and fiscal issues affecting low- and middle-income people, we are going to produce additional research on the well-being of children in Massachusetts. If you want to learn more about our role with KIDS COUNT, visit the KIDS COUNT area of our website.

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER
15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700
BOSTON, MA 02108
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This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com by nberger@massbudget.org |  

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Candy is not banned, can't be thrown!

Candy is not banned from the Franklin 4th of July parade. It can be handed out. It can not be thrown. Did you miss the candy incident? It was mentioned in two "letters to the editor" published by the Milford Daily News here and here.

Jeff Nutting clarified with this note:
Apparently thowing candy to kids watching the pararde has not been allowed for some time. In the past young kids would run out into the street which caused safety concerns as well as delays in the parade. The folks that run the parade ( warren revelle) explained to all the participants about this policy. Apparently one person did not get the message and was ask to stop by the police.
And Jeff also sent along this email from Warren Revill representing the July 4th Coalition Parade Committee
For years now, the "no throwing candy" in the Franklin 4th July parade has been the rule ever since a young boy in New Hampshire slid under a float chasing candy and was killed. To avoid this and similar tragedies , the rule was put into effect. 
Participants are advised of this and other rules when they register, however the Callahans did not register this year, they just showed up. 
It's hard at" Staging Area" to review all the rules with everyone, especially when the participants are out of sight of parade management, they do what they want (i.e. throw candy). 
The Franklin Police did what was asked of them by enforcing that rule and seeing to they safety of the public. Sometimes one has to sound forceful to make people understand rules. (and be heard above the Parade noise.) 
We applaud the Franklin Police for all they do during the 4th of July Celebration (and the rest of the year). 
The "no throwing candy" rule will not change. The safety of the public and participants is our major concern, not candy! 
Franklin July 4th Coalition
Parade Committee
Warren Revell
Mike Kelly

National Grid provides power poorly

If you felt you lost power frequently, the report from National Grid has confirmed your experience, Coincidentally, our house briefly lost power during the day on Tuesday before the storms rolled through in the afternoon and evening.
Consistently underperforming feeders are ranked by DPU in a category called "Poor Performing Circuits." The ranking system allows DPU to monitor the feeders and address reliability issues they may be having. 
The report also addresses the amount of time Franklin residents were without power in those years. In 2010, the report says, the average Franklin resident lost electricity more frequently than any other National Grid customer in the state. 
Last year, Franklin residents were without power longer than the average customer — 2.5 days compared to 1.5 days — in part due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x814447576/Franklin-officials-upset-with-National-Grid-report#ixzz21cn64q3o

Temple Etz Chaim slates pizza, ice cream event

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 7/24/12

Temple Etz Chaim of Franklin is holding a pizza and ice cream fundraiser to benefit its religious school.
Everyone is welcome to join the effort at Spruce Pond Creamery, King Street, Franklin, on Sunday, Aug. 12 from 5-9 p.m.

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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

“It’s a win-win for the town"

A solar farm could be coming to Franklin.
Kearsarge Energy, a renewable energy firm founded in 2009, approached town officials last fall with a proposal to construct the 6-megawatt farm on land owned by Mount St. Mary’s Trappistine Abbey. 
The farm would provide the town’s municipal buildings and schools with 60 percent of their power. 
In the deal, Franklin would receive net metering credits through the farm. With net metering, the town would offset electrical usage by generating its own electricity, and, in this case, it would be reducing the amount of electricity purchased from National Grid.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1073621464/Franklin-looks-at-large-solar-farm#ixzz21X9lg4JY

In the News: airsoft rifle, art classes, triathlon



Police: Man shoots at cars, people with airsoft rifle

Monday, July 23, 2012

Schools website changes underway

Franklin upgraded its website a couple of years ago and at the time, the School Dept did not follow to the new software. This summer a transition appears to be underway to a new website design. This seems to be the same package as the 'virtual town hall' that the town portion of the website is using.


The top level page is currently showing the School Committee although when you follow a link to the "District" that is where you end up. This will likely get resolved as work progresses. The School Committee subcommittee page is updated with a description of each subcommittee and the members.



The District Profile link will bring you to the official MA DOE ESE page for Franklin. The School Committee Members page is complete. Following the link to the individual school pages still brings you to the old pages. Word of caution: there are still some broken links (i.e. links that take you to pages that error out) but it is summer time and the work is underway!

TED Talks: Jane McGonigal - add 7.5 minutes to your life


Summer time, time to be busy about doing something different while school is out. wouldn't it be nice to have some extra time anytime? In this TED Talk, Jane McGonigal shares a way to gain sometime.
When game designer Jane McGonigal found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, SuperBetter. In this moving talk, McGonigal explains how a game can boost resilience -- and promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life.




Enjoy!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Rockland Trust generosity helps the Franklin Food Pantry


For the third year Rockland Trust has donated the use of its building located at 43 West Central Street in Franklin, Mass. to the Franklin Food Pantry. The two-story building, located adjacent to Rockland Trust’s Main Street branch serves as a valuable resource to the Franklin community and provides between 2,600 and 3,200 pounds of food to area citizens each week.


Accepting the $43,200 donation check, Linda Sottile, Pantry Manager of the Food Pantry stated, “This generous donation from Rockland Trust ensures that we can continue to serve the people of the Franklin area. Local residents need our help now more than ever. The space offers plenty of storage space for food and allows us to provide private meeting space for support services.”

“At Rockland Trust, we believe in strengthening the communities in which we work and live,” stated Laurel Katsaros, Vice President and manager of the Rockland Trust Main Street branch. “Rockland Trust is proud to support the Franklin Food Pantry and its efforts to help individuals and families in need.”

About Rockland Trust
Rockland Trust Company is a full-service community bank headquartered in Massachusetts, with approximately $5 billion in assets. Rockland Trust provides a wide range of consumer, business, investment, and insurance products and services. Rockland Trust’s network consists of 67 retail branches, nine commercial lending centers, three Investment Management Group offices, and four residential lending centers located throughout Eastern Massachusetts, and one commercial lending center and investment management office in Rhode Island. To find out why Rockland Trust is the bank “Where Each Relationship Matters®,” please visit www.RocklandTrust.com.

Photo: Ann-Marie Corriveau, Rockland Trust Universal Representative; Linda Sottile, Pantry Manager of the Franklin Food Pantry; and Laurel Katsaros, Vice President and manager of the Rockland Trust Main Street branch stand in front of the Franklin Food Pantry.

What do I do with needles now?

A new state law effective July 1, bans "hypodermic needles, syringes and lancets from household trash". So now how do you dispose of them?

Franklin has purchased a kiosk and positioned it at the Fire Station downtown where it is available all day, every day.

Additional information on the kiosk and new law was published earlier this month and available here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/07/franklin-sets-up-medical-sharp-disposal.html

PHOTOS: A fine balancing act in Franklin

The Kennedy School has a new playground thanks to the work coordinated by the Playground Committee and the generosity of Franklin residents and businesses. The Playground Committee effort is one other groups should consider to modal after. The way they marshalled social media (Facebook) and feet on the street was quite impressive and quite effective. They exceed their original fund raising target and ended up with over $114,000!

A job well done and a playground to be enjoyed safely!


 
 

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

 
 

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by John Thornton/for the Daily News and Wicked Local on 7/21/12

phoMDfrank1_721.jpg

It was all hands on deck yesterday for the opening of a new playground at Kennedy Elementary School in Franklin, as several families showed up with their children to try out the new equipment.


 
 

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LaFrance: Didn’t feel welcome at Franklin July 4th parade

 
 

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

 
 

via Wicked Local Franklin Opinions RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 7/21/12

As a life long resident of Franklin, I have been a participant in the Franklin parade for the last 15 years with one of two classic convertibles I own.


 
 

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