Saturday, November 2, 2019

Franklin in Focus: Candidate Query (video)

The Candidate Query hosted by Franklin in Focus on Tuesday, Oct 22, 2019 at the Franklin Senior Center

Recorded and edited by Franklin TV

Candidates for Constable, Town Council, and School Committee in the Town of Franklin biennial election were invited to participate.





The audio or podcast version is also available
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/10/franklin-in-focus-candidate-query-oct.html

Franklin Candidate Interview: Mary Jane Scofield

This interview with Mary Jane Scofield, candidate for Franklin School Committee in 2019, was collaborated on via email. We reviewed the following questions, some of them were ‘crowd sourced.’ Some of you may remember the call for input solicited in August 2019 for this election. Thank you for your contributions.

Hopefully, the information provided here, and in the other interviews, will enable the Franklin voters to make a good choice among the candidates for each position.

For the following FM presents the question. MJS represents Mart Jane’s response.
FM = There are and have been many opportunities to volunteer with community groups in Franklin. Have you taken advantage of any of these? Which ones, and why did you choose that/those? 
MJS = When I arrived in Franklin in 1989 I started out by attending PCC meetings at Horace Mann when Mr. Colace was the Principal. The people that I met were fabulous! This led to participating in activities at Oak Street, when it occupied a couple of wings at FHS. When redistricting took place, I and others took ourselves to Davis-Thayer, back to Horace Mann, and FHS for the second or third time for many of us. Through the years I’ve participated in Scouts, taught CCD, and helped with the Fourth of July. 

I participated in the activities of the Franklin Youth Soccer Association, being on the Board of Directors for many years, serving as President for two. With FYSA I coached many teams, from Instructional to Travel, most years without having a child on a team. It was heartbreaking to me a couple of years when I couldn’t coach due to personal circumstances. However, I continue to volunteer my time to be involved with soccer by being the Secretary of the BAYS (Boston Area Youth Soccer) Board of Directors. There is nothing like taking part in any organization that promotes the sport, and the building of relationships that may last forever. 

In 1997 I was elected to the School Committee, and for ten years I was the Chair of the Policy Subcommittee, served on several contract negotiation teams, and was the School Committee representative to the Keller-Sullivan Building Committee. I also had the opportunity to be a member of the Mass Association of School Committees (MASC) Student Assessment Committee, Athletic Advisory Committee, Game Officials Committee, and the MIAA State Soccer Committee.
FM = Where do you get your news about Franklin?
MJS = Franklin Matters, of course! The Gazette is a must read each week. The Milford Daily News could do a better job of reporting what goes on in town. Email alerts from the Town are also helpful.
FM = The possibility of a change in school start times was a recent controversial topic taken up by the School Committee. Where do you stand on the issue of school start times in Franklin and what actions do you plan to take around this issue during the next term of the School Committee?
MJS = I was a member of the School Start Time Advisory Committee, and was one of two that voted against sending the final proposal to the School Committee. While it appears that the research shows that a later start time would be beneficial for MS/HS students, there wasn’t much consideration for the elementary students. I think that the decision to pause on implementation is the right way to go.
FM = While the current School Committee has attempted to reach the community through various forms of communication including coffee chats, email newsletters, attending events such as the farmers market, etc., they have been generally unsuccessful at increasing the engagement with important issues related to the schools. What actions will you take to increase citizen engagement with the School Committee?
MJS = I wouldn’t say that the methods of communication have been unsuccessful. These methods didn’t exist a few years ago. As volunteers, School Committee members have demonstrated that they are available to the public at events in town. The events were well publicized, and it’s unfortunate that some see the lack of participation by citizens as a failure. I would encourage School Committee members to continue to participate in local events, and schedule educational events related to topics of high interest/concern. I commend the School Committee for their efforts thus far.
FM = The Town Administrator has suggested that the School Committee investigate the possibility of closing Davis Thayer Elementary as a possible cost-saving mechanism for the town in these tight economic times. Where do you stand on this issue and what actions will you take to support your stance?
MJS = The independent study that was authorized by the School Committee, and funded by the Town is the right thing to do. This is not a new topic. When the study is complete the School Committee will have to make a tough decision, with input from all stakeholders.
FM = Why should I vote for you?
For the past four years it has truly been an honor to serve the citizens of Franklin. My stepchildren and my son are beneficiaries of an excellent educational system. It is my hope to continue to serve on the School Committee to ensure that all students leave the system with the foundation to be curious, confident, and productive citizens. 

Find the election and candidate information gathered in one place on the Election Collection
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html


 
Franklin Candidate Interview: Mary Jane Scofield
Franklin Candidate Interview: Mary Jane Scofield

FHS football win 14-0, advance in playoffs to play Brockton

Josh Perry, Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com, provides the recap for the FHS football win over Attleboro 14-0 on Friday.
"Franklin has made a name for itself this season with a high-powered offense that is capable of a big play at any time, but in Friday’s Div. 1 South quarterfinal at Pisini Stadium the Panthers showed that there is another side to their game as well.

The Franklin defense only allowed Attleboro to cross midfield once all night, allowing the Panthers to grind out a 14-0 victory on a pair of second half touchdowns and book a second straight appearance in the sectional semifinal.

“What I told the kids at halftime is this is going to be a character test,” said Franklin coach Eian Bain. “We’re going to define out character right here and you have to win these types of games this time of year.”

He added, “We needed to call a better game and get our guys in better positions, but I think once we went into the half we felt more comfortable with what they were in so we felt better about the calls we were making and had a better idea of how to attack them.”

Continue reading the game recap
https://hockomocksports.com/franklin-football-defense-grinds-out-win-against-attleboro/

For a photo gallery from this game
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2019-2020/Fall-2019/Franklin-Attleboro-Football-11-1-19/

Jake Davis (23) and the Franklin offense struggled to get going against Attleboro but managed to score twice in the second half to secure a 14-0 win. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
Jake Davis (23) and the Franklin offense struggled to get going against Attleboro but managed to score twice in the second half to secure a 14-0 win. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
The MIAA football bracket info  http://miaa.statebrackets.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=5348

MIAA - D1 South football bracket
MIAA - D1 South football bracket

FHS soccer teams slated to play first round games away on Monday, Nov 4


D1 South
#9 Franklin (12-4-1) will travel to #8 Oliver Ames (13-4-1) Monday, 11/4 at 2:30 PM

D1 South
#11 Franklin (8-6-4) will travel to #6 Natick (8-2-6) Monday, 11/4 at 3:45 PM


For other seeds posted by HockomockSports.com:
  • Girls
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-girls-soccer-playoff-seeds-matchups-2019/
  • Boys
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-boys-soccer-playoff-seeds-matchups-2019/


For the MIAA bracket 

for girls D1 South  http://miaa.statebrackets.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=5413

for boys D1 South  http://miaa.statebrackets.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=5412
 
D1 South Boys Fall 2019
D1 South Boys Fall 2019

D1 South Girls Fall 2019
D1 South Girls Fall 2019

Business Roundtable - November 14

Good Morning: As you hopefully already know, the Town of Franklin has scheduled a Business Roundtable for November 14th at Dean College. (See embedded file below.) The workshop is in support of an economic development study focused on three of Franklin's older commercial areas:
  • The Downtown Franklin Commercial District;
  • The Crossing, a smaller commercial village near Union and Cottage Streets; and
  • The Mixed Business Innovation District (Hayward & Fisher Streets Priority Development Area), an industrial neighborhood recently rezoned to increase the number and type businesses.
I hope you are able to attend. It doesn't matter if your business is in one of the three commercial districts mentioned above. Among other things, we'll be discussing how the Town can better support and grow local businesses, so any business owner or manager, property owner, organization, or individual interested in Franklin's economic future are invited to attend. If you can think of an individual or business that should be at the event please contact them directly or let me know and I'll send an invite.

If you know for sure you'll be attending please RSVP by email to me (btaberner@franklinma.gov), or Raul Gonzalez of MAPC (RGonzalez@mapc.org). I'm trying to get a rough number of probable attendees for planning purposes. Whether you RSVP or not I hope to see you at the Business Roundtable. Let me know if you have questions. 

Thank you. 
Bryan.

Bryan W. Taberner, AICP
Director of Planning and Community Development
355 East Central Street
Franklin, MA 02038-1352

Phone: 508-520-4907
Fax: 508-520-4906
Email: btaberner@franklinma.gov

Business Roundtable - November 14
Business Roundtable - November 14
Get your copy of the flyer shown here as a reminder
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczQjJTaDBtZlNrTG84RWJEbzFrTTBCQVVuWTRR/view?usp=sharing


Peter Willis Photography - show and items for sale - Nov 3

Need to get Gifts for The Holidays? The Vendor Fair this Sunday, Nov 3 can help.

Sponsored by The Lions Club Franklin MA
Raffle Basket and Vendors from 10 AM to 3 PM

$5 Entry Fee, Children under 12 Free

The 2020 calendar is available for purchase, $20 dollars for the calendar. Notecards and coasters are also available too

Can’t make it to the event, you can still chat with Peter and place your order at https://www.peterwillisphotography.com anytime and get you favorite image delivered to your door.

Thank you in advance for your support!!!! 😃📸

The address for the VFW
1034 Pond St
Franklin, MA 02038

Peter Willis Photography
https://www.peterwillisphotography.com/


 Peter Willis Photography  - show and items for sale - Nov 3
 Peter Willis Photography  - show and items for sale - Nov 3

"we allow our signs to share our message"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"As the 2020 presidential election year nears, Democrats in Franklin and those who share their views are continuing to mount demonstrations in protest of the Trump administration. And they’re not the only ones, as like-minded people in neighboring Medway have begun to speak up, too.

Members of the Franklin Democratic Town Committee began occasionally holding peaceful protests earlier this year, and are planning their next gathering on Nov. 16. The effort has now been taken up by the Medway Democratic Town Committee, which held its first demonstration on Oct. 6 and is organizing a second from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday on the sidewalk in front of the Medway Place shopping plaza.

“It looks as if our protest efforts are becoming contagious,” said Sue Cass, a member of the Franklin Democrats who has been a lead organizer of the Franklin efforts."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191101/franklin-medway-democrats-speaking-out-in-protest-of-trump-administration

Friday, November 1, 2019

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI - Nov 1 to THU - Nov 7

Thu Nov 7, 2019
9:30am
10am
10:30am
4pm
5:45pm
6pm

For the interactive version, please visit
For the Town of Franklin Public Meeting Calendar
https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar

Submit an event for the Community Calendar, please use this link

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI - Nov  1 to THU - Nov  7
Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI - Nov  1 to THU - Nov  7

Franklin Downtown Partnership - General Meeting - Nov 7

Plan to spend an hour with the Franklin Downtown Partnership (FDP) on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 8:30 AM for the next FDP general meeting. The meeting will be held in the Campanella Board Room in the Dean College Campus Center.

Meet Partnership members, network with other business owners, and hear updates about the town, state, and Downtown Partnership. If you're concerned you don't have time, remember the meeting only lasts an hour, from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM. The hour will be well worth your time investment!


Franklin Downtown Partnership - General Meeting - Nov 7
Franklin Downtown Partnership - General Meeting - Nov 7

This was shared from the FDP web page

Did you know residents can be members? You do not need to be a business owner. Individual membership costs only $25 per year. $15 for students and senior citizens. Additional member info and application found on the FDP web page

Franklin Candidate Interview: Ann Bergen

This interview with Dr Ann Bergen, candidate for Franklin School Committee in 2019, was collaborated on via email. We reviewed the following questions, some of them were ‘crowd sourced.’ Some of you may remember the call for input solicited in August 2019 for this election. Thank you for your contributions.

Hopefully, the information provided here, and in the other interviews, will enable the Franklin voters to make a good choice among the candidates for each position.

For the following FM presents the question. AB represents Ann’s response.


FM = There are and have been many opportunities to volunteer with community groups in Franklin. Have you taken advantage of any of these? Which ones, and why did you choose that/those?
AB = I have been a School Committee member for two terms; the last term (2 years) as its chair. I ran because my whole professional life has been devoted to advocacy of public schools. I truly believe that education is the great equalizer.

Social/emotional well-being is the foundation of a happy and fulfilling life; to that end I created and host a cable access TV show: It Takes a Village: Raising Resilient Kids in Today’s World. Because the disease of substance use disorder is impacting so many young lives, I joined forces with Jim Derick from the Safe Coalition and co-host a Franklin a cable access TV show: SAFE COALITION: Confronting our Crisis. In addition, I am part of the Franklin Public Schools Substance Abuse Task Force. 

I will also be serving on the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Task Force on Juvenile Substance Abuse and Mental Health. The Franklin YMCA is the largest charitable organization in our community. The work they do in our community is incredible. Because I believe so much in all they do, I serve on the Board of Managers.  More and more people are living with the disease of Dementia; Karen Alves and Maggie Gundersen from the Senior Center are committed to raising awareness and inspiring empathy and compassion. I serve with them on the Dementia Friendly Franklin Steering Committee.  In addition, I believe there must be a place in our community for local programming on TV and radio. We are so fortunate to have a state of the art cable access studio in our community. I serve on the Board of Directors of Franklin Cable Access TV.


FM = Where do you get your news about Franklin?
AB = I check in with Franklin Matters every day; read the Gazette and the monthly Franklin Town News.


FM = The possibility of a change in school start times was a recent controversial topic taken up by the School Committee. Where do you stand on the issue of school start times in Franklin and what actions do you plan to take around this issue during the next term of the School Committee?
AB = When virtually every major medical and psychological association in the country recommends adjusting start times for our adolescents, our School Committee along with so many across the country and the state voted to investigate; it would have been irresponsible not to. A task force made up of educators, parents, business leaders, etc. spent over a year researching this issue and made a recommendation. 

Based on community impact and our own study of the ramifications of the recommendation, we decided as a committee that we were not yet ready to move forward. For me there were too many unanswered questions (impact on teams, clubs, after school activities). I was left confused by the panel who presented on “the research”. They actually did not address the sleep research, but spoke anecdotally. 

I am looking forward to getting more information from Dr. Judith Owens, a well-known expert on the sleep research. She will be speaking on November 19. We are gathering more data from our schools relative to tardies/absences and are exploring the impact of social media and homework demands on sleep as well. 

We have never been able to match school times to work schedules; that will always be an issue. Just ask the hundreds of families who drop off their kids in day care every day. We have to do the best we can to mitigate the impact on families, but our main goal must always be on what is best for the emotional, social and physical well-being of our students.


FM = While the current School Committee has attempted to reach the community through various forms of communication including coffee chats, email newsletters, attending events such as the farmers market, etc., they have been generally unsuccessful at increasing the engagement with important issues related to the schools. What actions will you take to increase citizen engagement with the School Committee?
AB = It is very important for people to understand that a School Committee is bound by the Open Meeting Law to conduct all business at public meetings. We must deliberate as an entire committee in public, not through social media. We meet twice a month and encourage people to come and engage with us directly. Franklin Cable Access TV broadcasts all of our meetings and rebroadcasts during the week. Franklin Matters also reports on our meetings. Unfortunately, the local newspapers no longer cover our meetings. We have updated our website and all of our contact information is available. We encourage direct contact. We send out a newsletter to the community at least four times a year.

It should be noted that since January alone of this past year, we have provided more than TWENTY-SIX opportunities to engage with us. We have held community coffee hours every month at different times to accommodate work schedules! We have been at the Harvest Festival, Farmer’s Market, Strawberry Stroll, Senior Center, and sporting events! 

We already met twice with Davis Thayer families to address concerns relative to the closing study! We arranged for our state senators and state representative to address concerns relative to funding and issues such as time on learning ; we have arranged for them to return on Feb. 4, 2020. I say with great pride that this past committee has provided unprecedented opportunity for community engagement!!! 

We have been open to address any concern, answer any and all questions. If I have the honor of being reelected, I hope we continue to engage to this extent with the public!


FM = The Town Administrator has suggested that the School Committee investigate the possibility of closing Davis Thayer Elementary as a possible cost-saving mechanism for the town in these tight economic times. Where do you stand on this issue and what actions will you take to support your stance?
AB = Actually, we as a School Committee following our own policy relative to retirement of facilities based on the recommendation of the Superintendent voted to study the potential closing of Davis Thayer. We did not do this on the recommendation of the Town Administrator but based on our own evaluation of the fiscal issues facing us as a school department. That is the responsibility of the School Committee. 

I truly understand the emotional ramifications of closing Davis Thayer as it was my professional home for many years (teacher, reading specialist, and principal in that very building!!). I loved working there; I loved the community. 

The enrollment there has dwindled to about 200 students. We have to take a hard look at the numbers associated with maintaining such a large building for so few students. Davis Thayer was built and designed as a three-story high school facility (with no elevator). It was renovated as an open space school when I began teaching there. When walls were eventually put up to divide the space, classrooms were left very small! 

There are other limitations which we must consider. It is time, at least, to study, as painful as that is for such a devoted school community. It is one of those tough decisions, but part of our fiscal responsibility.


FM = Why should I vote for you?
AB = We are facing some tough fiscal times. I believe firmly that as a School Committee, it is imperative we are open and transparent about the budget issues facing our schools. We must work cooperatively with the Town Council, Finance Committee, and Town Administrator. We are one community and must all work together to make sure Franklin remains a thriving, safe and vibrant community. I am committed to that partnership. 

We hired an extraordinary superintendent and implemented the rigorous and powerful evaluation process in order to monitor the implementation of our District Goals. Dr. Ahern is working with the representatives from across the community to create A Portrait of a Graduate; a powerful vision of what skills, habits and attitudes that we wish for all of our students to obtain upon graduation. I am committed to supporting that vision. 

Social Emotional well-being of both staff and students must remain a major focus. I am a passionate advocate for public schools and like all of the candidates running for office wish to give back, to serve. I firmly believe that it is so important to use whatever talents we have to serve the greater good. I would love that opportunity and would greatly appreciate your vote on November 5.

Find the election and candidate information gathered in one place on the Election Collection
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html


Franklin Candidate Interview: Ann Bergen
Franklin Candidate Interview: Ann Bergen

MassBudget: Statement on Proposed Gas Tax Increase



  MASSBudget     
October 30, 2019
Statement on Proposed Gas Tax Increase 
Statement by Marie-Frances Rivera, Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center President, in response to discussions on increasing the gas tax: 

With congested highways, antiquated public transit, and limited transit options outside of Greater Boston, the Legislature and business community are debating the merits of increasing the gas tax to modernize our state's transportation system. It is critically important to understand that not only would this increase hit low and middle income communities the hardest but it would draw on a source of transportation revenue that will likely decline over the long term.

Our report, 14 Options for Raising Progressive Revenue, outlines a variety of fair and sustainable ways we can raise revenue, including raising corporate taxes. These options ask those who are benefiting most from economic growth to contribute a little more to help bring our transportation system into the 21st century.

If policymakers decide to raise the gas tax, increasing and expanding worker tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, can create a financial buffer for some who would be hardest hit by a gas tax increase.


Interested in learning more about the pros and cons of higher gas taxes? Read our latest report here.
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
1 STATE STREET, SUITE 1250
BOSTON, MA 02109


Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 1 State Street, Suite 1250, Boston, MA 02109

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