Sun Chronicle: "'It is falling apart': Supporters say new Tri-County building project sorely needed, vote scheduled for Oct. 24"

"Holes in walls. Leaky plumbing. Aging systems. Outdated educational facilities.

These are just a few of the issues supporters say plague the nearly 50-year-old Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School, a facility tasked with training students in modern, high-tech vocational education.

Not only is the school district’s original building outdated for educational purposes, the facility and its systems are well beyond their life expectancy and need $165 million-plus in repairs, school officials say.

Voters in the 11 school district communities, including North Attleboro, Plainville, Wrentham, Norfolk, Seekonk and Franklin, will vote on a planned new $286 million school at a special election Oct. 24."

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https://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/it-is-falling-apart-supporters-say-new-tri-county-building-project-sorely-needed-vote-scheduled/article_33e86abb-b22f-5caa-91f7-d702884cf60b.html

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Tri-County Superintendent-Director Karen Maguire says the nearly 50-year-old Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School building is in need of replacement. “The facility is failing,” Maguire said.  MARK STOCKWELL/THE SUN CHRONICLE

The Sun Chronicle: "Hockomock Area YMCA theater groups will present shows in early December"

From The Sun Chronicle, we share an article of interest for Franklin:

"Students in the Hockomock Area YMCA's Broad-Y Academy and Theatre Institute will in early December present virtual productions they have been preparing for the last few months.

The Broad-Y Academy will present "A Virtual Christmas Carol" at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 and 1 p.m. Dec. 6. It’s the classic Dickens story with a modern twist -- all the scenes take place via phone or video call.Twenty local youth ages 7-14 rehearsed and prerecorded the play on Zoom from their own homes. “It was so fun to see how each student took the time to set up and decorate their individual performance space to make it special even though we were physically apart,” says Director Julia Paolino.

Simultaneously, The Theatre Institute, an intensive pre-professional training program for high school students, has been hard at work crafting their annual musical theater showcase, which will be streamed at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5. This year’s showcase is titled “Together Apart” and features songs in which the characters exist in physically separate spaces, but connect with each other nonetheless."

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The Sun Chronicle: "Hockomock Area YMCA theater groups will present shows in early December"

In the News: "staffed entirely by volunteers"

From the Sun Chronicle, articles of interest for Franklin:

"After years of borrowing space for meetings and support groups to help people with substance abuse disorders, the SAFE Coalition will finally have a home soon.

Next month, the grassroots organization will hold an open house at its first permanent office: 206 Dedham St., Suite E, at the corner of routes 1A and 115 in Norfolk.

The open house will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13.

“Opening this office and conference space will allow us to grow and more efficiently provide services to those communities that mean so much to us. We will no longer have to store our materials in our collective garages. We are now able to centralize many of our services,” Steve Spiewakowski, the secretary of the board of directors for SAFE, said in an email."

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https://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/anti-drug-coalition-to-open-first-permanent-office-in-norfolk/article_92a427c4-eede-5f9a-9625-133c0288033e.html

For more about the SAFE Coalition, visit their web page   https://www.safecoalitionma.org/

In the News:  "staffed entirely by volunteers"

In the News: Cantoreggi remains in Franklin; MA House debates rules and transparency

From the Sun Chronicle and the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Cantoreggi decides to stay in Franklin

"Selectmen had planned to approve a contract for a new town administrator Tuesday, but learned that morning the winning candidate no longer wanted the job. 

Robert “Brutus” Cantoreggi, director of the department of public works in neighboring Franklin since 2005, informed town officials he had decided to remain in his present post. 

“It happens sometimes,” selectmen Chairman James Lehan said. “We were in the process of negotiating a contract. He was well established in Franklin, a longtime employee there and enjoyed his job. He said it was a family decision and he thought he wanted to stay in Franklin.”

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http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/norfolk-has-to-restart-search-for-top-administrator/article_67693d3d-d69d-56e9-a469-bb46ab10e993.html

DPW Director Robert Cantoreggi presenting to the Franklin Town Council Jan 30

MA House debates rules and transparency

"People come up to Somerville Rep. Denise Provost at parties, she says, asking her to explain what an informal session is. 

Rep. Jack Lewis of Framingham starts his week at a senior center, where he freezes up when he’s asked, “Jack, what do you think is coming up?” and doesn’t know what bill he’ll be voting on two days later. 

And freshman Rep. Maria Robinson, also of Framingham, says she gets questions during YMCA visits about how a bill becomes a law. 

House lawmakers shared these and other stories of constituent encounters as they made the case Wednesday for new rules they said would add transparency to state government, ultimately coming up short in most of their efforts during a session that stretched into the evening and featured spirited debate on House operations."

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https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190203/rules-trigger-house-debate-over-transparency