Voices of Franklin: Raymond Milici -"Have You Noticed, l Have"

"Have You Noticed, l Have"

A recent letter to the editor published in the Milford Daily News accusing Matt Kelly of using misleading campaign tactics,  specifically, "a violation of copyright and campaign integrity," got me thinking about what's happening here in Franklin. It seems to be much of the same.

In Kelly's campaign mailings circulating throughout the district, you would get the impression that Jeffrey Roy. a Democrat. is endorsing Kelly. Representative Roy was asked and his answer was no. However photos of Kelly and Roy are prominently displayed on campaign mailings. This is an obvious attempt to attract Democrats to Kelly's campaign. This is not the person I would want representing me in the State Senate.

 

Link to article mentioned: www.milforddailynews.com/opinion/20201015/opinionletter-violation-of-copyright-and-campaign-integrity


Raymond D Milici 

Franklin

If you have something to say, you can find the guidelines here
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

 

Voices of Franklin: Raymond D Milici for Senator Becca Rausch

Throughout the Norfolk Bristol Middlesex District you will find Becca everywhere, especially here in Franklin. It was great seeing and talking to Senator Rausch at the 2019 Fourth of July celebration on the commons and again at the Harvest Festival, enjoying the people and the rich culture of Franklin. Whether it be in person practicing social distancing or on zoom, it’s nice to have her in our community.

She is one of the hardest working senators on Beacon Hill today. Her record is impressive. She is a leader on issues such as expanding voting access, fighting for reproductive health and justice, child care, education, equal rights and more.

There are issues that are especially important to me. The first is transparency and government accountability. I want to know how legislators are voting, whether it’s a voice vote on the chamber floor or who’s voting on what issues in committee, Senator Rausch wants change. The other issue is climate. Our planet is on fire and hurricanes are causing havoc to our coastlines. The Senator is in the battle to save our planet, cosponsoring a number of climate legislative acts and signing the no fossil fuel money pledge.

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican you have to appreciate Senator Rausch’s competency and commitment to her constituents. The proof of that was evident in Her debate performance on October 6. It became clear to me that there is no reason to go back to the same mediocre politics of the past. We don’t need any more so-called moderate Republicans that seem to be okay with President Trump, no matter what he says or does, not here in Franklin or anywhere in the Norfolk Bristol Middlesex District. I’m voting for Becca.

Raymond D Milici

Franklin

If you have something to say, you can find the guidelines here
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Voices of Franklin: Maria Lucier for Senator Becca Rausch

I’ve been thinking about Becca Rausch, the incumbent state senator from the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District, which includes the part of Franklin where I live.

I’m a registered Democrat, so I was inclined to vote for Rausch because she’s the Democrat in the race.  But I realized that I was being a little unfair to Becca Rausch, so I thought about the times I’ve met her.

I met her at Franklin’s Harvest Festival and at the Strawberry Festival with her kids.

I met her at the Black Lives Matter demonstration on the Franklin Common.

I met her at three different sessions of the Franklin Democratic Town Committee, some in person, virtual.

I met her at the Democrats’ holiday party.

I met her at Franklin High when she spoke about higher education.

I watched her when she defended her legislation on vaccinations.

I realized that this state senator of mine has been a very hard-working office holder.  She really puts in the time.

I have a friend who complains that she can never get her own senator to answer her letters.  Becca Rausch, on the other hand, never fails to reply.  That means something.

I read Rausch’s on-line bio.  She seems focused mostly on issues that matter to me—elder affairs;  problems of children, families, and people with disabilities; issues in social justice, equality before the law, election reform.

And no one can fail to see a great deal of competent work, done in the public interest, in the long series of COVID bulletins that Rausch has published.

Clearly, this is a hard-working, accessible, and capable woman.  

So I’m glad I thought about her.  Turns out, I have better reasons to vote for her than I realized.

Maria Lucier, Franklin 

If you have something to submit for Voices of Franklin, follow the guidelines published here https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Voices of Franklin: Six Combine Voices for Markey

Voting in the Massachusetts Primary Election closes at 8:00 p.m. on September 1.  A few Franklin residents explain why they support Ed Markey as U.S. Senator in this primary.

These respondents are impressed by Sen. Markey’s record as a legislator.  Karen Landers notes  that he has long been known for his leadership and productivity.  He entered national politics in 1974.  In the succeeding 46 years he has been re-elected more than 20 times, first to the House (1974-2013) and subsequently to the Senate (2013 to present).  Clearly the Democrats in Massachusetts have recognized him as an effective congressman.  

These Franklin voters also admire Markey’s character.  They see in him a strong and visionary leader, and author of the Green New Deal, which may be the most important legislation before the Congress in our time.  Yet they also like his unpretentious, blue-collar origins and his personal modesty.  Karen Landers and Mara Downie found themselves standing beside Markey in the crowd at the Youth Climate Strike in Boston last year.  They noticed that he came to support the young strikers, not to grab the limelight.  

Markey’s causes resonate with these voters.  As Sue Cass puts it, Markey “has been indefatigable, participating on diverse committees and authoring or sponsoring hundreds of bills on diverse subjects, always focusing on improving American circumstances.”  More particularly, these voters applaud the senator’s support of racial justice, net neutrality, gun control, health care for all, women’s rights, the COVID-19 Relief Bill, and especially the Green New Deal with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  This bill addresses the twin crises of climate change and economic inequality.

There are also strategic reasons to support Markey.  Jayson Joyce admires him because, in drafting the COVID-19 Relief Bill with Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, Markey brought both wings of the Democratic party to the table.  Likewise, the senator commands inter-generational support from both ends of the age spectrum, from young Gen Z voters to aging Baby Boomers.  According to Joyce, Markey is a visionary leader who constantly challenges the status quo.  Or as Chorr-yi Chin puts it, Markey legislates with compassion for all, including future generations.  Colin Cass thinks it’s naive to trust what politicians say.  He judges them by what they actually do.  He believes that Markey “is committed to action on the most pressing issues of our time.”

Finally, there is the uniqueness of this moment.  As Joyce says, during this pandemic when many people have lost their jobs and their health insurance; when economic depression threatens and many are facing evictions, foreclosures, and heavy debts, the moment calls for strong leadership and moral authority.  Or as Chin puts it, “The demands of today require somebody who understands the hardships we face.”   

Ed Markey has spent his life as a prolific, principled, and successful legislator.  This man has earned his place as our senator, and the voters of Massachusetts should keep him in office.

Voices of Franklin: State Rep Jeff Roy, State Rep Brian Murray "We are with Joe Kennedy"

We are with Joe Kennedy in his campaign for the United States Senate because he cares, he shows up and he leads.
 
We first saw Joe in 2010, talking about the need for civility in government. That speech captured our moral imagination and we sure hoped that he would run for office.
 
In 2012, he was in our communities talking with us and our friends about what he would do in Congress.
 
While a member of Congress, he has been a champion on  such very important issues as health care, manufacturing, substance use disorder, energy, the environment and civil rights,
 
We have witnessed firsthand his dedication, thoughtfulness and energy. His ability to work across the aisle with those who may have different beliefs is impressive, as is his ability to clearly see complex issues and get to the heart of the matter. And he does it all with a strong sense of empathy, a trait possessed by truly great leaders.
 
His service to our District is unparalleled. His commitment to constituent services for the folks throughout our communities has been exceptional.  His belief that everyone counts and should be counted is his high watermark.
 
At this moment in the history of our nation, we need his commitment, compassion and leadership on the floor of the United States Senate now more than ever.
 
Joe has been with all of  us, he is one of us and he has the vision to lead us.
 
That is why we hope you will join us in voting for Joe Kennedy for the U.S. Senate on September 1st. It is a vote not only for a better Commonwealth, but for a better country as well.
 

Jeffrey N. Roy
State Representative – Franklin & Medway

Brian W. Murray
State Representative – Milford, Medway Hopedale, & Mendon

Voices of Franklin: Raymond D Milici - "Kennedy Supporter! Not Anymore"

In 2012, at a house party here in Franklin Massachusetts, I met a young man who wanted to get into politics and run as a US Representative in the 4th congressional district. I listened to him and I was quite impressed with what he was saying. He seemed to be compassionate, concerned and wanted to do good for the people in the state and country. His name happened to be Joe Kennedy. I've been a strong supporter of Representative Kennedy and was happy and proud to have helped in his campaign. 

That has changed for me since his decision to run for the Senate in the Democratic primary, challenging Senator Edward Markey. Even in politics, there should be a moral code of what's right and what's wrong. Running against Senator Markey is just plain wrong. The Senator is a well respected public servant who has been fighting for racial, economic and environmental justice. He is a proven effective leader. There is no good reason why Representative Kennedy should run against Senator Markey.

His decision to challenge Senator Markey has given me a totally different perspective of who Kennedy is. I thought I was supporting a different kind of politician. An idealistic young man who could rise in the Democratic Party with patience and persistence without hurting anyone. I guess I was just being naïve. It turns out he is one of those typical politicians, ready to step on and step over anyone that gets in the way. 

At a time when Democrats should be focused on winning the White House, the Kennedy campaign has managed to divide the Democrats, spending precious time and resources on an unnecessary primary election. But that doesn't seem to matter. After all, he's a Kennedy, a man of wealth and privilege, who thinks the senate seat belongs to the Kennedy family, not a guy from a working class family in Malden. I decided to vote for the working class guy. I hope my fellow Democrats will do the same.

Raymond D Milici,
75 Grey Wolf Dr,
Franklin MA 02038

Voices of Franklin: Colin Cass on voting in the Primary Election

 Voting in primary elections is very important, yet voter turnout in primaries is usually low.  (Embarrassingly so:  in 2016 the Franklin primary turnout was only 4.1 % of the eligible voters.)  But even conscientious voters probably think, “The real show is the general election.  I’ll vote then.  I know who I like.  What’s the difference?”

One difference is that who you can vote for in the general election is not settled until the primary has occurred.  If the people you like have primary challengers, of course, they must defeat the challengers to get on the general ballot.  So they will need your help in both elections, not just the general.

And even if the ones you really like have no primary challengers, you may still be wise to vote in the primary.  Remember, your favorites will not be alone on the general ballot.  Many offices must be filled.  Say you are a straight-ticket, one-party voter.  You do not want to find yourself obliged to vote for people you dislike just because, on a thin plurality,  they squeaked by the primary that you skipped.

And since primary turnouts are low, a few votes can make an outsized difference.  Impact per voter is greatly magnified.  And naturally, the bigger the field, the more crucial every primary vote is.  There are nine contestants in the Fourth Congressional District, for example, for the one place for a Democratic candidate on the general ballot.  If voter support were divided equally among the nine and turnout were at 2016 levels, then each candidate would have about 97 supporters in Franklin.  In such a race, every primary vote really counts, and could decide who goes to Washington.

The primary is September 1.  You can vote in person, vote early, or apply by August 26 to vote by mail.

Colin Cass

146 Longhill Road

Franklin, MA 02038

If you have interest in "Voices of Franklin" please read the guidelines here  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Voices of Franklin: Pandemic Poetry by Faith Flaherty

Here is a couple of acrostic, pandemic poetry. An acrostic poem is a poem where certain letters in each line spell out a word.

Faith

Contrary to fear, let’s relish our family time.
Ours to do what we always wanted:
Rest, read, do whatever enters our mind,
Only walk wherever our feet led.
No one to impress, no one to care.
Alone. We can go most anywhere!

***********************************************************

Can I throw kisses
Over fences and through doors,
Very heartfelt messages?
Isolated and alone, catch them,
Destined to outlast a virus.

"Voices of Franklin" is open to all residents and reader of Franklin Matters. Details can be found  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Pantherbook: FHS "Student Finds Her Voice in Black Lives Matter Movement"

From Pantherbook we share the following:

"Many Franklin residents gathered at the Common on June 2nd, to peacefully show support for the Black Lives Matter movement and stand against police brutality.

At the protest, people knelt for nine minutes to honor George Floyd, a Black man who recently died at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

After the nine minutes of silence, several speakers came up to talk about Black Lives Matter. Two of these were FHS students Ndoumbe Ndoye and Kianna Thomas."

Continue reading the article online at Pantherbook:
https://franklinpanthers.us/news/2020/06/25/franklin-student-for-blm/#photo

Picked up by the Franklin radar via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/FHSPantherbook/status/1276178113437761536?s=09

Kianna Thomas Speaks at the Common. Credit: Kianna Thomas

Voices of Franklin: Ashley Papadopoulos - running Boston for a cause

Christina Tocci and I have been running together for over 5 years. We have both run one other marathon, but this will be our first time running Boston.

Christina writes...

"I have lived in Franklin for 7 years but my husband Mark was born and raised here. We are so happy to be raising our children in the same wonderful community he was brought up in. My daughter, Izzie (7) attends Oak Street Elementary and my son Nicholas (4) is in preschool at Franklin Children's School."

I have lived in Franklin for 13 years. I have worked in FPS since 2006 and am currently a first grade teacher at Davis Thayer. This town has been such a wonderful place to raise my family - Theo (9) and Alex (5) attend the Keller school.

Voices of Franklin: Ashley Papadopoulos - running Boston for a cause

We were able to secure bibs through Dell/EMC (my husband works here) to run for the Michael Lisnow Respite Center in Hopkinton, MA - located about a mile from the marathon start line. They have been open for almost 20 years and providing emotional and physical support for individuals with disabilities and their families.

http://www.hopkintonrespite.com

Ashley Papadopoulos, Christina Tocci

Our long training runs are usually done early on Saturday mornings, we normally meet around 5 AM and have been running all over Franklin, but hope to practice on the course soon too.

Boston Marathon has always been a topic we have discussed as we trained for our first marathons or half marathons - we have taken our families to watch the Boston Marathon together. It is pretty awesome that all this "talk" and "dreaming" about running Boston is actually happening! We are feeling so thankful for the opportunity to run this race and raise money for the Respite Center. The donations Michael's Miracle Team raise help the youngest children at the center. Ages birth to 3 years.

I have met my fundraising goal already, but Christina is still working on hers. 

Here is her link:
https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/michael-lisnow-respite-center-boston-2019/christinatocci

If you can help, your support is appreciated!
Ashley Papadopoulos

Voices of Franklin: Raymond Milici - Yes on Question 1

In 2010 I retired after 50 years of service at Yale New Haven Hospital, a large nonprofit community hospital in Connecticut. All though I was not directly involved with patient care, I had many friends and acquaintances that were nurses and nurses aids. As hospital employees we all had similar problems on the job. We often heard about costs and budget concerns from hospital administrators. That usually meant austerity measures, that lead to more work with less people.

In the meantime, I witnessed large salary increases for hospital administrators and executive staff. By the time I retired, the hospital administrator was earning close to $1 million a year. According to the Boston Business Journal, Massachusetts hospital executives received double digit raises last year. In 2016 some hospital administrators salaries were well over $1 million to well over $3 million a year. And according to NBC Business News, some of the largest nonprofit hospitals have earned a collective 21 billion in investments on wall street last year.

So who is telling you to vote no on question one, those same hospital executives and business interests here in the state of Massachusetts. Hospital employees have been complaining about short staffing and overloaded work assignments for years, nobody was listening. Now they are facing required staffing levels and they don't like it. If you listen to hospital executives, it's the most diabolical thing that could happen to healthcare.

Suddenly patient care is a priority and they are claiming more nurses well mean less care for patients, figure that one out. Let's cut through the falsehoods, for the business interests in Massachusetts, it's not about patient care, it's about control and the bottom line. Hospitals just don't want to spend that nonprofit money to employ more nurses. They need to stop telling us they can't afford it. This is a classic fight between corporate interests and what's best for the public and hospital employees. So which side are you on. I'm sticking with the nurses and voting yes on question one.


Raymond D Milici
75 Grey Wolf Dr
Franklin MA 02038


Guidelines for Voices of Franklin:
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Election Information for Nov 2018

Voices of Franklin: Simon - "Today was about being positive and hopeful"

Today (Wednesday) was a proud day at work! 

I work at Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin MA. The students at our three middle schools and high school were able to show support for families whose lives were affected by school shootings and we able to voice their opinion through a walkout. This was organized by the students at the schools. We have a wonderful program here called A World of Difference and those students helped to organize this. This was all student led with guidance from staff and administration. They presented their ideas to administration and staff and worked with them as well as local law enforcement to make it work and to be safe. We all wanted to give all students a voice, to let them own this and let them know we are listening.

It was very powerful. It gave many of us chills as we watched them handle this with such maturity and grace. You should be proud! I know I am and remembering all of those who cannot do this, who don't have a voice anymore.

The peer leaders also came up with a solution for those students who did not want to participate which was wonderful because they too have that right. It was so wonderful and powerful because it shows that they took time to think of others and respect them.

This is a time to show our children that we support them, show them love, compassion and understanding. Again, so proud.

Remember, we come to work and students come to school with the possibility that something tragic could happen at our school. This has become our new reality. It is sad.

Le't show respect to all. Let's come together to come up with solutions, let's talk face-to-face and let these students how we can help them make changes. Let's get this generation to vote and become an ever greater voice! 

If you saw what happened today, you would know they CAN do it and WILL do it. They conducted themselves in a mature, brave, thoughtful and very reflective manner. Today was about being positive and hopeful, nothing else.

It made me hopeful and with tears in my eyes.

Love to all

Beth Simon


Note: Beth had shared this to a Facebook group and gladly granted permission to share more broadly here.

Voices of Franklin: Simon - "Today was about being positive and hopeful"

Voices of Franklin: Ed Hurley - President, Hockomock Area YMCA

At the Hockomock Area YMCA we are proud of our cause driven mission to enhance the quality of life of our members and enrich the communities we serve through partnership and collaboration. Our doors are open to everyone in the 15 communities we serve regardless of ability to pay and at our core we are about kids and families.

From November 20th – November 26th YMCAs across the country will recognize and celebrate National Family Week. At all of the branches of our Hockomock Area YMCA we will be acknowledging and celebrate not only the families that are members of our Y, but any family who would like to experience what our Y has to offer.

During this week all families in our service area are invited to come to our Y at no charge and enjoy a sense of belonging, and the benefits of membership. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a place where cause meets community, where family moments matter, where camaraderie thrives, where inclusion is welcome, and where you belong.

Please visit our website hockymca.org to see the schedule of special family week offerings at all our branches. All families are welcome.

So from November 17th through November 26th let our family be part of your family. For more information and to enjoy this free week of membership, visit the member service desk of any of our branches in North Attleboro, Foxboro and Franklin.

Ed Hurley
President
Hockomock Area YMCA

Voices of Franklin: Vanessa Bilello

Dear Town of Franklin voters-

Community members may not realize the incredible time commitment that all who hold local, elected positions on School Committee or Town Council make to our town. Workshops, subcommittees, and other responsibilities extend far beyond an every other week meeting in Council Chambers. 

Being an active, engaged member requires not only passion for the issues, but also a willingness to balance professional and personal needs with intense demands of public service volunteer work. Several months ago, with elections quickly approaching, I announced my decision to not seek re-election for the Franklin School Committee. The demands were too much given my hectic life as a new public school principal and mom to two middle schoolers. 

In the Town of Franklin, all seven seats on School Committee (and Town Council) roll over every election. For this reason, I urge voters of Franklin to re-elect Mrs. Denise Schultz and Dr. Anne Bergen to the Franklin School Committee, so that they can continue the efforts that they began two years ago and serve as leaders for the newly-formed Committee.

I'm incredibly proud of the hard work and accomplishments during the last two years through the collaboration of our Franklin School Committee and the educators in our schools. Strong District and School Improvement Plans, successful labor negotiations and most critically, the hiring of our new Superintendent, Dr. Sara Ahern are highlights. 

I’m also especially proud of the addition of our active Community Relations subcommittee, which has been instrumental in facilitating dialogue between the community and school leaders on a variety of issues. A huge “thank you” must go out to Denise Schultz and Anne Bergen- for initiating and setting up avenues to engage with the citizens of Franklin through regular coffees and conversations around our town. 

Two-way dialogue is going to be key moving forward in the challenging budget times that Franklin is facing. Anne and Denise- through their dedication, outreach and partnership with other groups, such as the Joint PCCs and MASC, are models for integrated collaboration.

As a School Committee, we’ve established a new liaison role- to promote dialogue with state leadership, which will be critical moving ahead with the challenges of public school funding in our state. Denise Schultz has been instrumental in opening these avenues up and I do believe that while local involvement and budgeting are essential, partnering with area towns and state officials are paramount as we face the growing budgetary challenges of Massachusetts public schools. 

Additionally- improvements to several key policies. Denise has also played a huge role in ensuring that our Policy Sub-Committee tackled such issues as dress code, handbooks, school vacations, and homework. Her dedication and passion for these issues (as well as school start times, social-emotional welfare of our students, and nutrition in schools) make her an ideal choice to continue on the Committee.

I’d like to say thank you to the Franklin educators- teachers, administrators and staff of our district. Having been a colleague of theirs for years as a special educator, I know how incredibly hard they work to give our children the high quality education they benefit from. Despite being in the bottom 30 or so school districts across MA for funding, the education they provide our children is top notch. However, they are asked to do too much with too little. 

Increasing mandates upon our schools along with other budgetary demands, especially combined with the approximately $4.1 million we lose yearly to our area charter have resulted in cut after painful cut - foreign language, music, librarians, kindergarten support aides, so many more. These were not nice to haves- they were needs- and we’ve lost them. 

Mandates are not all bad as people think- they include new technology standards, more rigorous science standards, required mental health screenings, wellness curriculum and improvements to educator evaluation and supervision. I could go on and on. Many of these mandates require more time- and more money. Teaching digital learning and digital citizenship, for example, are expensive- and critical for our children entering the workforce of the future.

As an elementary school principal I can tell you two things we never have enough of- money and time. I would love to have foreign language for fourth graders- or more even just time to immerse students in lessons about kindness - but what do we give up in our packed schedules. And where do we find the money- there is not a growing pot to pull for these increasing needs.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Franklin Schools- please stay active and informed! Our schools need an active community behind them. I look forward to encouraging my fellow current School committee as they continue this critical work with proven leaders like Mrs. Schultz and Dr. Bergen. 

Alongside some new, incoming members and district leadership I know that they will create a strategic plan to set goals for our district and manage these budgetary constraints. Creative fixes are valiant, but the reality is our schools need more if we want to continue to provide high quality education for all our students- from the highest performing students in need of enrichment and extension, to the most challenged student who so greatly benefit from the various specialized support programs within our district. 

We cannot address the needs of our schools without a commitment to do whatever it takes to provide that to our children. The plight of our public schools here in Franklin are not unique. But given how low we are in terms of funding make these challenges especially alarming. 

So I implore my fellow Franklin citizens- get involved, learn about the needs of our schools and support our talented and dedicated educators in the public schools- with your support and commitment- through most importantly, with your pocketbooks, but also involvement, activism and engagement. 

It is essential that everyone who cares about the future of our town- and especially our children sitting in Franklin Public Schools, get out and vote on Tuesday, November 7th.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Bilello
Outgoing Member of the Franklin School Committee

Voices of Franklin: Ed Hurley on Child Abuse Prevention month

April is Child Abuse Prevention month. And once again YMCAs in Massachusetts and across the country are engaged in raising awareness and education in a campaign called Five Days of Action for Child Abuse Prevention.

From April 24 – April 28, our Y will highlight information, resources, and methods on how to prevent, recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.

Research reveals that 1 in every 10 children in the United States will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday.

Sadly, in more than 90% of the cases reported, this abuse happens by someone the child knows and trusts. This threat to children represents a health risk that can only be described as an epidemic based on the disturbing prevalence of abuse that exists in all elements of our society.

Equally disturbing is that it doesn’t have to happen. Child sexual abuse can be prevented through community wide efforts and vigilance. A predator seeks three things for abuse to occur. Access, privacy and control. With proper policies, procedures and protocols, all youth serving organizations can minimize the risk and deny an offender the access to harm children.

For the past five years our YMCA is proud to have partnered and collaborated with school systems, municipalities and other human service organizations throughout our service area to help bring awareness, education and training regarding this issue to the forefront. We remain committed to this collaborative cause and our effort to be part of a community based prevention movement. 

Please join us.

While we place a special emphasis on this topic during the month of April, child safety and child protection remains our Y’s number one priority every single day of the year. For more information, please visit our website for resources, training and how you can become involved at www.hockymca.org.

At our branches next week, we will be asking members, staff and volunteers to sign pledges to protect children. We will be displaying these signed pledges throughout our branches during the week to promote and emphasize the importance of community based prevention.

The safety of children is the responsibility of all adults. Children represent our hope for a bright and promising future. Let’s work together to protect our kids and help ensure that promising future and protect their only childhood.

Ed Hurley
President and CEO
Hockomock Area YMCA

Voices of Franklin: Sarah Mabardy on the proposal for Summer St rezoning

Dear Town Council,

As a Franklin resident, I am reaching out to express my opposition to the proposed zoning changes for the Summer Street property. While I appreciate a private land owner's desire to maximize personal gain from privately owned land, it is my opinion that the Franklin Town Council and Planning Board should not be complicit in making opportunistic changes that directly contradict the Franklin Master Plan and compromise Franklin's finite resources and infrastructure.

As outlined in Jeff Nutting's letter to council in October 2016 in response to this very subject, there are over 800+ units proposed in Franklin in the not so distant future. Administrator Nutting asks "Does the Town Council want to maintain the zoning plan adopted in the Master Plan or make changes to the plan?" I would amend this question to ask 'Does the Town Council represent the residents of Franklin in their desire to maintain the zoning plan adopted in the Master Plan or make changes to the plan?'

Please take this opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to serving the entire Franklin community in your role as an elected Town Councilor.

Thank you sincerely for your service and for your commitment to our city.

Sarah Mabardy
resident


The Jeff Nutting letter referred to:
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/10/jeff-nuttings-letter-to-town-council.html

Sarah's letter was shared from Facebook with her permission
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1551606135109407/permalink/1864863610450323/


The recap of the Residential 7 zoning was covered in a 5 part Special Series published earlier this year

Part 1

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/01/part-1-residential-vii-area-on-summer.html

Part 2

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/01/part-2-residential-vii-proposal-for.html

Part 3
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/01/part-3-residential-vii-processing.html


Part 4
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/01/part-4-following-residential-vii-bylaw.html

Part 5
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/01/part-5-full-residential-vii-timeline.html

Cook's Farm is being built  on RT 140 as the first Residential VII development in Franklin

Voices of Franklin: Jim Hill - "Pipe Dreams"

Pipe Dreams

When I was a child in the 1950s my parents and grandparents bought new homes with gas heat. Since then I’ve lived in several other homes with gas. Like most of my generation natural gas has been part of our lives for a long time. So what’s wrong with that? 

Well the more I learn the more it concerns me. The very word “natural” implies that it must be good for us, but arsenic is natural too. Even the commercials look beautiful and squeaky clean, so it must be good. Right? 

But, if we dig deeper, the truth is revealed. The commercials are so effective that I sometimes forget that natural gas (NG) is a fossil fuel and that it’s really methane and that when leaked increases global warming. Or that most domestic gas is extracted by fracking, a method that uses high pressure chemical infused water to fracture shale polluting air, water, and linked to earthquakes. 

The natural gas industry tells us that fracking is safe and that it’s producing all the gas we could possibly need. They’re excited. This could produce immense profits especially when it’s exported. But what will it cost us and is there really a NG shortage due to a lack of more pipelines? Why did we have a shortage in 2014 but not in 2015. After all 2015 was colder. 

Carol Churchill at Distrigas, the company that ships liquefied natural gas into Boston, told me that her company can supply all the gas New England needs during peak demand winter days without adding pipelines. She also says the problem in 2014 was that electric utilities didn’t have enough contracts for LNG to cover peak times and in 2015 they did. 

Electric companies now imply that that the sky will fall without a pipeline. Another obscure issue is that the new pipelines will be used to export fracked gas from Nova Scotia. Spectra Energy of Houston, the pipeline builder, denies this, but here’s the evidence. Fracking is really big in Pennsylvania, home of the Marcellus shale fields. To get the fracked gas to Nova Scotia it would travel through an 889 mile pipeline that runs from Dracut through Maine. 

The proposed pipeline through Franklin and eight other towns would dramatically increase NG that would travel under Boston Harbor to Beverly on to Dracut. Spectra has already received permission to reverse the direction from Dracut to reach the Maritime Provinces. 

The following excerpt was posted by Sutherland LNG on Feb 9, 2016. 

“Bear Head LNG and Pieridae Energy each announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted them separate authority to export as LNG gas imported from the United States to each company’s proposed liquefaction and LNG export terminal in Nova Scotia, Canada. DOE’s orders authorize Bear Head LNG and Pieridae Energy to export the LNG produced from gas imported into Canada from the United States via pipeline to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement with the United States.” 

Once the pipeline gas hits the world market where prices are much higher our costs will rise negating any implied savings. In addition, Eversource and National Grid expect electric rate payers to pay a $3 billion tariff on their electric bills to pay for the project. 

Eversouce has a 40% interest in the project and National Grid has a 20% interest. Basically they want to sell their gas to themselves and have us pay for it. Sweet deal for them and their shareholders. They get the profit, we assume the risk. 

According to Representative Roy, if 17% of the worst of the 20,000+ Massachusetts leaks were repaired we could save 40% of escaped gas reducing our bills and decreasing global warming. Isn’t this a better idea? 

But these companies have no motivation to fix leaks because consumers pay for the escaped gas. Yes, demand for electricity will increase, but fortunately offshore wind, solar and Quebec hydroelectricity are renewable options that will easily satisfy our future needs. 

According to the Attorney General’s independent study there’s no need for additional pipelines if we increase conservation efforts and improve demand response. Yes, we can save money and the planet without more NG. So why would we want to pay for the pipeline and more for fracked gas? This gas may be natural but so is arsenic.

James F Hill, Franklin

No Spectra gas pipeline sign on a Franklin lawn

“Voices of Franklin” - update

We are only a few days away from Nov 3rd when we will determine who will sit and decide for us on the Town Council, School Committee, Board of Health, and serve in the Town Clerk's office to mention just the contested elections.

While the newspapers offer a “letters to the editor”, Franklin Matters has “Voices of Franklin”. If you would like to express your thoughts on a hot topic, or what it is like to live in Franklin, this is for you. Perhaps on the way things were, or the way things should be. There are any number of topics that matter to Franklin. 

You do the writing and we can help you can share your story here.

Franklin Matters

--------------


If you

• have time to write a couple of paragraphs
• access to email
• your voice can be published here in a new “Voices of Franklin” section. 

Your written submission will need to abide by the editorial guidelines found below. You'll also need to be aware that anything published on Franklin Matters is subject to the Creative Commons License 3.0 for USA. Specifically, what is published can be shared with attribution but not for profit.

More information about the editorial guidelines and creative commons license are found in the links below. If you would like to clarify something before sending your writing in, you can reach out to me (shersteve at gmail dot com).

Email address to send to shersteve.FMn3ws@blogger.com 

Editorial/comment guidelines
 http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2007/12/comment-policy.html 

Creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ 

Voices of Franklin: Sean Slater on a Tax Override Question

Hello fellow Franklin residents 

My name is Sean Patrick Slater and I am running as a 1st time candidate for the Town Council. There has been a couple of hot topics that have come up recently in the social media forums. While collecting signatures I was asked if I would support an override. Given the informal discussions around this issue you would think it would be a complicated issue. It is not, it is simple. 

There is no such thing as an “unexpected” or “emergency” expense. A tax increase request in the form of an override is an admission to an unbalanced budget. Proper planning eliminates the need to ask for more money due to unscheduled expenses. I believe citizens, including myself, recognize that managing a budget for 33,000 residents is a massive responsibility. I also believe those involved with the budget process start out with nothing but the best intentions. That being said, the size of the budget and the unmet demand for services should not be used as override rhetoric. 

If you hear we need an override to pay for road repairs and/or to help fund a $93M OPEB unfunded obligation, I would follow that up with a question; with a budget of approximately $113M, where specifically were these dollars allocated? Trust then verify. If we are saying $113M is not enough to run this town then I would humbly ask to validate each line item in the town budget that looks questionable. There is a reason overrides have been repeatedly voted down, Franklin residents are intelligent enough to use common sense. 

The other question I was asked was “if the question does surprisingly make the ballot, would the outcome of the vote change how you would conduct business on behalf of the town? Regardless of an override outcome, our priority is always to be as fiscally responsible as necessary in carrying out the will of the people. We do not change our approach or behavior based on a vote. The way we allocate or prioritize may change in respect to budget items. 

However, we, as a Council, should not be using the results of a vote to compromise our commitment to fiscal discipline. Both scenarios will require an open and honest communication among the Council, Town Administrator, finance committee and department heads. A collaborative and common sense approach is the best way to move forward with an issue that is this controversial. 

Chalk it up to my experience in corporate America but in my current job, if I know I am unable to keep the project on budget they will find somebody else who can. If I ask my SVP for more money without any legitimate evidence to validate that request then he would tell me to take some time off after laughing me out of his office. In the private sector this is known as the chicken little defense. The sky is not falling just because we are not receiving more funds, rather the confidence is falling because we are abandoning reason and logic in asking for those funds. 

Thank you for your time. 

Thanks
Sean P. Slater, PMP

Sean's email address =  seanp.slater_pmp@yahoo.com

Franklin Matters - Voices of Franklin

Guidelines for submission to "Voices of Franklin" can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Voices of Franklin: Tara Gurge For Board of Health

Franklin’s Dr. Ronald Gurge says the candidate would work to improve health in Franklin. 

I am writing in support of candidate Tara Gurge for a position on the Franklin Board of Health. Mrs. Gurge is a creative problem-solver who is passionate about public health. She offers a wealth of experience on a variety of health-related issues and possesses the skills and abilities to facilitate health-related improvements in our community. 

Mrs. Gurge earned a Masters of Science degree in public health from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has more than fifteen years’ experience working full-time as the public health agent for the Town of Needham and has a registered sanitarian license. She has been a resident of Franklin for 14 years, along with her family and three children. 

With a solid background in the field of public health, Tara has long had a very serious interest in local health issues. She endorses a proposal for more substance abuse prevention and education, would offer a unique perspective and help offer and share successful public health prevention measures/resources that have been proven successful in her current position. She would work to provide more smoking cessation and drug and alcohol rehabilitation center access to the Franklin community, and also strive to provide more childhood obesity prevention programs, and would use her resources to identify alternative sources of funding for health initiatives. 

Tara would bring a fresh perspective and creative solutions to the Board of Health and work to enhance the well-being of all Franklin residents. I highly recommend Mrs. Gurge for this position and I urge all Franklin voters to support her. 

Please support Tara Gurge when you vote in our town elections on November 3 — she will be a great asset to our community.

Franklin Matters

Dr. Ronald Gurge

you can reach Dr Ronald Gurge via email at Gurgefmly@gmail.com



Guidelines for submitting a "Voices of Franklin" entry can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html