 |
| the DelCarte playground will be covered up during the winter |
 |
| on the northern pond at DelCarte |
"The town has released the final version of a study of ponds at the DelCarte property as conservation efforts move forward.
The study was conducted by Rhode Island firm ESS Group and examines the four ponds on the conservation property. Its draft - which stated that invasive plant and fish species pose a threat to the ponds - was released in February.
Town Conservation Agent George Russell said the final version of the document was unchanged from the draft. Town officials, he said, had reviewed the study and determined that no changes to its text were needed."
 |
| the fall foliage along the DelCarte property |
 |
| A recent photo shows the spread of water lilies and other plants over the water surface at DelCarte |
Rain has delayed repair work on the playground at the DelCarte conservation property, town officials said.
Workers were slated to perform structural repairs to the equipment at the end of last week, but the poor weather has halted the project.
Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said, since a portion of the work involves pouring concrete, the rain led to delays. Work will likely begin when more sunny days are in the forecast.
At a recent Town Council meeting, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said the project itself will likely take two to three days. After the concrete is poured and the playground structure is welded, the Department of Public Works will place mulch at its base.
 |
| the kids playground at DelCarte is currently closed for repairs |
A microgravity scale designed by students at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School received second-place honors in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Future Innovator Award competition.
Engineering Technology seniors Kevin Kohls, of Millis, Tyler Thomas, of North Attleborough, and Thomas Vagnini, of Medfield, traveled to St. Louis on April 28 to represent their classmates as finalists in the national competition.
The FIRST Future Innovator Award is open to all FIRST Robotics teams. The award recognizes students who invent a product that effectively solves a real-world, complex problem. Competitors were asked to submit a summary of the problem and an explanation of their invention. Submissions were judged based on the complexity of the problem and effectiveness of the invention in solving that problem.
FMC Ice Sports’ Pirelli Veterans Arena, 910 Panthers Way, Franklin, will present summer skating academies Aug. 1-5.
The academies will bundle practice and instruction to provide every skater the opportunity to experience various skating disciplines while focusing on the overall development of the skater. Each day will offer 4 hours of on-ice class instruction and 1 hour of off-ice teaching with the arena’s team of experienced instructors.
Participants must be at least 6 years of age by July 1, and have passed the Ice Skating Institute Alpha test or U.S. Figure Skating pre-preliminary test. Skaters will be grouped by ability and age and should bring skates, bottled water, clothing for on-ice activities, sneakers for off-ice training and lunch.
To register or for more information, visit http://fmcicesports.com/program/advanced-figure-skating-academy.
"The town held a volunteer cleanup of its DelCarte Conservation Property on Saturday in what officials hope will become an annual tradition.
The event - which ran from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Pleasant Street property - had people picking up trash, planting and raking.
Conservation Commission member Tara Henrichon, who helped organize the cleanup, said the event was going "amazingly well."
"We have about 20 to 25 people so far," she said. "There are a bunch of projects - we're adding natural plants to the rain garden and about 10 to 12 people are out on the trails... We're also clearing out invasive plants."Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
 |
| Folks out and about cleaning up at DelCarte |
 |
| The ladies from Starbucks with full trash bags |
 |
| Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen helped to knock down and spread out a pile of mulch |
"The School Committee heard an extensive presentation on district counseling efforts this week.
The committee at its Tuesday night meeting listened to several members of the counseling staff - as well as some students - as they outlined initiatives at the elementary, middle school and high school levels.
Committee Chairman Kevin O'Malley said the role of school counselors had changed dramatically from the days when the focus was college and job preparedness.
"School counseling is not what it used to be," he said. "It has never been more involved or far-reaching."
"Attorney General Maura Healey calculates that she could have purchased 1 million cups of coffee with the additional wages she would have earned if she were paid the same as her male co-workers.
“It is long past the time to get this done,” said Healey, who joined with state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, State Auditor Suzanne Bump and dozens of male and female legislators by the Statehouse’s Grand Staircase for Equal Pay Day, which was Tuesday.
Chief among the topics was a pay equity bill (S 983) that prohibits employers from discriminating on wages based on gender.
The bill would make it illegal for a company to ask what a job applicant made in a previous job, which Healey said often used as a way to keep women’s salaries down. The legislation would also bar any prohibitions against employees discussing their wages with each other."
"The Conservation Commission is seeking volunteers for a cleanup of the DelCarte Conservation property next weekend.
The cleanup - scheduled for 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 23 - is the first such event at the 136-acre Pleasant Street property, which the town has opened up for recreational uses.
Town Conservation Agent George Russell said the work that day would likely involve mostly trash pick-up.
"It's more a maintenance issue than anything," he said, adding that the work would take place along the property's trails and picnic areas."
|
| the playground at DelCarte is currently closed for repair but scheduled to be re-opened for May |
Dear Franklin residents:
We are writing to invite you to participate in an Earth Day trails project at the DelCarte Recreation area on Pleasant Street in Franklin.
DelCarte is a 136 acre conservation area, managed by the Conservation Commission. This unique property offers multiple recreation opportunities for our Town residents including picnicking, birding, fishing, canoeing/kayaking or hiking along the dam, meandering past wetlands and through wooded upland trails.
With spring’s arrival, it is a perfect time to refresh the trails and picnic areas, pruning back fallen branches, raking leaves, making sure trail markers are in place and low lying trails are passable.
On Saturday, April 23rd , the Commission will be hosting a 1st annual clean-up of DelCarte, from 8am – 11am. The morning will include projects led by Conservation Commissioners familiar with the trails, light snacks, and an informative talk on our local wildlife led by Mass Audubon Sanctuary Director, Doug Williams.
For more information call Conservation Commission at 508-520-4929
Thanks so much for your participation.
Sincerely,
George Russell, AICP
Town of Franklin Conservation Agent
355 East Central Street
Franklin, MA 02038
conservation@franklin.ma.us
 |
| an early morning view from the MBTA Franklin train to Boston |
"Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting, speaking at last week's Town Council meeting, said officials have met with the playground manufacturer.
"We had a very productive meeting," he said. "They made a proposal to move forward on testing the concrete and the soil, and to come back and disassemble a portion of it and weld it back together, so it doesn't keep popping from the ice."
Nutting said company representatives expect they can do the work at the end of April - assuming the weather is fair. The job would take two or three days.
"They'll bear all expenses in this matter," he said. "Any final decision would be contingent on having a warranty, so we're not doing this over and over again."
 |
| DelCarte playground - currently closed for repairs that are scheduled for the end of April |
"Exelon’s project represents a much larger proposal at a cost of about $240 million, according to an environmental report.
The company hopes to build a 200-megawatt expansion of its existing Summer Street power plant, which currently only produces about 117 megawatts of energy via three oil-fired turbines.
Two new turbines are proposed, along with two 160-foot-tall stacks, a 1-million-gallon fuel oil tank, a 500,000-gallon water tank, a 450,000-gallon demineralized water tank and a 12,000-gallon aqueous ammonia storage tank.
The board is restricted to only dealing with engineering and site design issues, as the state Energy Facilities Siting Board has the final say as to whether the company can build."
 |
| from the south end of the southern basin at DelCarte |
"It concluded that the major problem is invasive plant life," he said. "Until that is addressed, all other life will be choked out."
The study, conducted to evaluate obstacles to the ponds' recreational use, stated that non-native aquatic plants (milfoil and water chestnut) and invasive carp are threats to the native life at DelCarte.
"Those fish (carp) will eventually take over the whole water body," Russell said. "A single-species ecosystem is unhealthy."
Russell said the town's three-year plan - based on the study's recommendations - would call for the application of herbicides in years one and two and bolstering the ponds' spawning habitat in year three.
 |
| DelCarte in autumn color |
Ashland Town Clerk Tara Ward remembers the spring town election of 2014.
All day and into the evening, Ward and her staff manned voting stations.
When the polls closed, it didn't take long to tally the results: Only 211 people voted.
"I was telling my election workers to vote," said Ward. "I was floored."
Ward's experience isn't unique in MetroWest, where residents come out in droves for presidential and state elections, but skip local races.
 |
| A member of the Conservation Commission and the Franklin Conservation Agent George Russell |
The playground at the DelCarte Conservation Area - which was closed for much of last summer - is once again facing problems, town officials said.
The Pleasant Street playground - notable for its slide that resembles a tree - first opened in fall 2014, but was shut down for some time last year.
"Last winter or early spring, we discovered the playground had structural issues," said Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting. "It was closed off for many, many months."
 |
| DelCarte playground as closed in May 2015 |
The Franklin Youth Hockey Association will hold a Try Hockey for Free event from 1:30 to 2:20 p.m. Feb. 20 at Veteran’s Arena, 910 Panther Way. The event will provide ages 4-9 a free experience to try youth hockey.
A limited amount of equipment is available to borrow, and children do not need any previous skating or hockey experience.The event is sponsored by USA Hockey and will be supported by the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins will send their youth hockey coaches, street team and mascot, Blades.
To register, visit tryhockeyforfree.com/register.php?e=6315.
The town released the results of a study on the ponds at the DelCarte Conservation Area last week.
The study, conducted by the Rhode Island firm ESS Group, lays out the challenges faced by the four ponds on the property and the best ways to address them. It concludes that the bodies of water do have threats to their ecological health.
"Opportunities that are currently afforded by the pond system include fishing, canoeing, hiking and wildlife viewing," the report reads. "The system is significantly impacted by non-native aquatic plants (milfoil and water chestnut), which are reducing the ponds' capacity to provide the ecologically healthy habitat that these activities rely upon."
|
| The north pond at DelCarte |
The Town Council is considering a proposal that would require training for anyone who serves alcohol in town.
Town officials have written a draft bylaw requiring managers, bartenders and all employees who sell or serve alcohol to undergo "safe service of alcohol" training. The town will circulate the draft among affected parties and the council is set to take up the subject at a future meeting.
Town Councilor Andrew Bissanti had raised the matter at several council meetings, as he said the current system - in which some businesses train of their own volition - is insufficient.
"A lot of times, bartenders and servers have no alcohol-awareness training," he said Monday. "It just made no sense to me."
|
| fall color along the north pond at DelCarte, Oct 2015 |
|
| DelCarte in full fall color |
"Prior to November 1 of each year, the Town Clerk shall cause to be prepared and made available to the inhabitants of the Town an annual report for the preceding fiscal year which shall include: the annual Town budget, the reports of all Town officers, the records of all Town Council bylaw amendments and resolutions, an abstract of births, marriages and deaths, and the wages, salaries, or other compensation of all Town employees." [Added 5-2-2012 by Bylaw Amendment 12-681]
 |
| bocci court at the Senior Center |
"After being closed for much of the season, the playground at the DelCarte Conservation Area reopened on Saturday.
The Pleasant Street playground, which fits into the surrounding park with its resemblance to a tree, first opened in fall 2014, said Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting.
"We discovered this spring that a couple of cracks had developed in and around the playground equipment," he said. "We were concerned about what went wrong, so we called the company to fix it."
Nutting said, after some time, the company came out do the needed repairs.
"It's been closed all summer," Nutting said, noting that, while there was no warranty, the company did cover the cost of the work."
 |
| DelCarte playground has reopened after being repaired |
"Fletcher Field was packed with Wiffle ball players Saturday, with a several simultaneous games occurring side by side.
The players were taking part in the Random Smile Project's Third Annual Wiffle Ball Tournament, an event designed to benefit the local charity.
Colleen Swenson, one of the members of Random Smiles, said participation in this year's tournament was strong.
"Right now, we have about 30 teams," she said. "Every year, we add on a few teams.""Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
They are finishing the repairs to the Del Carte Playground and it will reopen on Saturday. Please spread the word
|
| DelCarte playground |
