Franklin featured in AAA

A photo you saw here first was selected for the small article about Franklin in the monthly AAA Horizons publication.

photo of the Horizon's issue with my photo

Thanks to Cindy Cornwall for prompting AAA to include this article which in turn sent them scouring for pictures of the Town Common where the opportunity fell to me to provide some photos. I sent them several and they chose this one.

screen view of Franklin article on the Southern New England AAA site

If you are not a AAA member you should still be able to view the Franklin article online here
http://www.aaahorizons.com/content.cfm?a=2573

For more info about AAA you can visit their website here:   AAA.com

And the original full photo of the World War I Memorial on the Town Common

World War I memorial 'doughboy'

Did you see Franklin's new website?

With little fanfare, Franklin has introduced a re-design of the town website.  http://town.franklin.ma.us/

re-designed Franklin website

The new layout is clean and better than before. Most of the common items are more visible and easier to get to. However, there is still room for improvement. The 'Town News' section is shorter and revealing less info than before.

The 'Contacts Directory' and the 'Hours of Operation' go to the same page. Considering that the 'Departments' tab on the top navigation bar also takes you to the same page, that is effectively a waste of prime real estate.

Contact Directory and Hours of Operation links go to the same place

The biggest drawback for me is that there still is no RSS feed. Yes, that maybe a little techie for some but it is a feature of most websites and enables an easy notification if something changes. Without such notification, if you want to find out when the agenda for a committee meeting is posted, you need to go to the site, click through to the page and view if there is an update or not. The website software could tell you via the RSS notification automatically.

Franklin just implemented Twitter to help with their notifications. Do you think the webpage has the info on how to follow Franklin on Twitter? It should but I couldn't find it. The page could also display the Twitter feed in a widget (tech term for a small window) to help showcase what is being sent out via Twitter.

BTW - if you do want to follow Franklin on Twitter you can find their profile page here  https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA

Check out the new Franklin website here  http://town.franklin.ma.us/  or here http://franklin.ma.us/

What else would you like to see on the page?

Alternate path to Franklin website

If you tried to get to the official Franklin webpage
http://franklin.ma.us/    as I did most of Monday, you were likely unsuccessful.

webpage is unavailable message

I was able to reach the site Monday night via this link:
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/

Town of Franklin, MA webpage

FHS Boys lose, Girls win in playoffs

Baseball
#8 Franklin, 3 @ #1 Wellesley, 6 - Final

- Senior Drew Inglesi went 3-3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base and classmate Pat O'Reilly went 1-3 with a run scored, walk, stolen base and an RBI.

Softball
#18 Franklin, 4 @ #10 Weymouth, 3 - Final

- Maddie Connelly (1-2, RBI, stolen base) knocked in Sammy Rondeau (1-3, run) in the top of the seventh for the go-ahead run. Erin Hanley went 1-3 with a stolen base and a run scored and Sabrina LoMonaco scored a run and had a sacrifice fly RBI. Lilly Criscione picked up the win, tossing a complete game, striking out four.

FHS Softball

Franklin advances to the D1 South Semifinals to play #6 North Attleboro on a date and time to be announced. The game will be at Taunton High School.

For all the Hockomock League results from the Spring playoffs, you can visit this page
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-060214

Easy Walks in Franklin: Collection

This is the collection of "Easy Walks in Franklin"

Franklin Town Common

From Marjorie Turner Hollman's book - "Easy Walks in Massachusetts"


Dacey Fields
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/easy-walks-in-franklin-dacey-fields.html

Chilson Beach - Beaver Pond
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/easy-walks-in-franklin-beaver-pond.html

Committee openings

The following Committees have openings

Library Board of Directors - Felicia Oti 508-520-4940 

Franklin Housing Trust Fund - Maxine Kinhart 508-553-4886

If you are interested in serving on the committee, please complete the form
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01B2AF2D-000F8513.0/TOWN%20OF%20FRANKLIN%20VOLUNTEER%20FORM.pdf

and return to the Town Administrator's Office

Pay your Franklin water/sewer/trash bills online

Did you know you could pay your Franklin bills online?
You can also get notification of the bill via email. This saves paper and can be more efficient for Franklin and you.

This one page handout was on the table in the entrance area at the Municipal Building.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczM09Kd2NuRTlBakE/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-ip_bGQiAFQEBqKAjmeD_-A



You can pay your Franklin bills online here
https://unipaygold.unibank.com/customerinfo.aspx

Note the link is available from the official Franklin home page. You can find the link in the lower left corner of the menu.  http://town.franklin.ma.us/

Free holiday parking downtown Franklin (video)

The practice instituted last year with free parking for the holiday season in downtown Franklin has returned this year.

Last year, the parking meter covers were not quite as festive as this years.

This year, the meter covers fit the season nicely!

parking meter cover

And if you haven't seen the sign with the scrolling message, you can view it here:

Saturday in and around Franklin

My bike ride around Franklin on Saturday found lots of good things happening.

The colorful flowers on sale at Agway caught my eye

autumn colors at Agway

There will be a craft show at the Elks Lodge today, Oct 20th

Elks - craft show

At the corner of West Central and Union the red trees framed the green light

red trees, green light

The Ladybug 5K brought families with runners and walkers to the Kennedy School to register for the 5K or the kids fun runs.

registration line

The Music Boosters held their mattress sale at FHS in the field house

music booster mattress sale

Wednesday, Oct 23 will be the Panther Pride night where current 8th graders and parents get to see and here what to expect next year

Panther Pride night - Oct 23, 2013

Drive safely where ever you go around Franklin. On Main St just passed St Mary's before you get to the split with Maple St going left and Lincoln St continuing, the police have the mobile speed marker out to remind you of how fast you are and should be traveling.

Main St speed notice

The playground foundation is poured at the DelCarte Open Space

playground foundation at DelCarte

Franklin Federated Church held yard sale

yard sale at Franklin Federated Church

With the annual St Rocco's Festival cleared out of ground on the Hayward Manor, you can find

a basketball court

In case you did not know what the mascot of Dean College was, "Boomer" the Bulldog was out and around campus living large!

Dean College bulldog "Boomer"

What else did you do in and around Franklin on Saturday?

Five Year Fiscal Forecast: The sky is not falling (but it is getting lower)

Franklin Town Administrator Jeff Nutting's letter to the Town Council, School Committee and Finance Committee with the "Five Year Fiscal Forecast: The sky is not falling (but it is getting lower)"

Another #1 for Franklin

From the Neighborhood Scout:

Our research reveals the 100 safest cities in America with 25,000 or more people, based on the total number of property and violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, murder, forcible rape, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. Data used for this research are 1) the number of total crimes reported to the FBI to have occurred in each city, and 2) the population of each city. See our FAQ on how we rank the safest cities in America

You can view the full listing of 100 communities to find Franklin at #1
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/neighborhoods/crime-rates/top100safest/

The Franklin report can be found here  http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ma/franklin/crime/

Make sure to read the Overview tab, interesting stuff!

The Olivia Act

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

The Olivia Act

via Aubrey B Greene Photography Blog on 1/4/13

I have sort of avoided writing about what happened in Newtown, CT.  Partly because the press was all over it and pushing it through my pores.  But mostly because it really shook me up.  Let's be real here.  I cried for days.  I cried in my bedroom, my kitchen, the grocery store parking lot and even in the produce section.  It really hit me hard.  There have been far to many other school shootings, even one in my hometown in Vermont, but this one was different for me.  It was little, itty-bitty, helpless babies and I HAVE a little, itty-bitty, helpless baby.  Even now as I try to write this I can't grasp all the reasoning behind why I have felt the way I have.  But it makes me sad.  I don't know anything about the heartbreak one must feel losing a child, but I do know about loving a child.  I held Max extra tight that night and every night since.  I stare deep in to his beautiful hazel eyes just a little longer when I say "bye-bye" and even "good morning".  I am so blessed to have Max in my life and I cherish every day.  I hope the families of those children, those babies, those teachers, cherished every day and know that they too are so blessed to of had them in their lives.  

This past September, we had our family pictures taken by my friend and colleague, Deb.  I am so glad that we have that moment in our life captured forever.  Years from now, we will look back on it and laugh and love and squeal (because Max was just too darn cute with that red balloon!).  I truly believe in the importance of documenting life and from that I was put in touch with The Olivia Act.  The Olivia Act was set up by a Connecticut photographer as a way to encourage other photographers to give back.  We were asked to offer a free 30 minute session to a family in need who may not have gotten a professional photography session otherwise.  The family is chosen through nominations written by their family, friends and neighbors within that family's town.

So, I am joining in and offering a free, 30 minute session to one family, along with a DVD of the images and an 8X10 print that they can frame and have in their home forever.  If you would like to nominate a Franklin/Boston area family, please e-mail me personally at aubrey@aubreybgreene.com and tell me why this family should be the ones to receive this gift.  I will be accepting nominations via e-mail until January 18, 2013.

Please spread the word however you can :)  If you would like to find a participating photographer in your area, please check out The Olivia Act blog here.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Aubrey B Greene Photography Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Franklin: From Puritan Precinct to 21st Century ‘Edge City’

VIA APPIA PRESS has announced the release of Franklin: From Puritan Precinct to 21st Century ‘Edge City.’

Welcome to Franklin, Massachusetts, a town that to a casual visitor might appear to be nothing more than an ‘ordinary’ Greater Boston suburb; maybe even the kind of place where, “Nothing much ever happens.” But don’t be fooled. This is the entirely true story of how one town transformed from a small hamlet – a precinct in a frontier community -- into one of the fastest growing municipalities in America; an ‘edge city’ built around an Interstate. It’s a story of religious extremists, farmers, factory workers, entrepreneurs, anarchists, and eccentrics. It’s a story more than 300 years in the making and it has never been told before in one volume...until now.

Franklin: From Puritan Precinct to 21st Century ‘Edge City’ is 204 pages in length, featuring more than 70 illustrations, and retails for $19.99. The book can be ordered through www.viaappiapress.com.


About the Author
Eamon McCarthy Earls is a longtime resident of Franklin, and a graduate of Franklin High School, Class of 2012. Eamon has been involved with the Franklin Historical Commission since 2010. Realizing the need for a new, updated history of Franklin, Eamon built on his experience in writing and researching his previous book; Wachusetts: How Boston’s Quest for Water Changed Four Towns and a Way of Life and tapped a wide range of sources, including extensive interviews with local residents, to complete Franklin: From Puritan Precinct to 21st Century ‘Edge City.’

Franklin Liquor - Wine Tasting - 4:00 - 7:00 PM

Please Join Us For An In Store Wine Tasting

Friday November 9th 4-7PM

Featuring

New Wine Finds

This Will Be A Biodynamic FRUIT Day.

Great To Taste And Drink Wine!

For a listing of the wines featured in this tasting event please visit their Facebook page here
http://www.facebook.com/events/434344316624912/

For more about Franklin Liquors, you can visit their Facebook page here
http://www.facebook.com/FranklinLiquorsMA

or their webpage here  http://www.franklinliquors.com/

Will Anya represent the Patriots?

I wanted to share a story about my daughter, Anya Zub, and her participation in the NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick Competition.

"NFL Punt, Pass & Kick is the oldest grassroots initiative at the NFL.  With last year's age-group expansion to include the 6-7 division, the program will continue to reach children of a younger age and allow them to experience the fun of learning football fundamentals in an engaging and supportive non-contact environment. PPK is about kids, the parents who support their kids to come out and play and about the volunteers who give their time to organize events.   Every NFL team will host the Team Championship level of the NFL Punt, Pass and Kick.  Team Championship will have 4 Participants in each age group. Participants are determined by the top 4 scores from the qualifying Sectional Competitions "

Anya participated in the local PPK competition through our Franklin NFL Flag Football program and came in 1st for girls aged 6-7.  From there, she went to RI to compete in a local Sectional Competition and came in 1st for girls aged 6-7.  They then look at all the Sectionals that fall under the New England Patriots...and Anya was one of the top 4 results.  So, she now gets to compete in the Team Championship.

She will be going to Gillette on Saturday November 11th to participate in the competition.  It happens prior to the game and Anya will be able to stay for the game.  If she were to come in 1st in her group, she would be announced to the crowd during the game.

As you can imagine, we are very excited and proud of our daughter and would love to share this story through Franklin Matters and local papers.

Let me know if you'd like any further information or have any questions.

Thank you,
Gigi Zub

photo credit = "official PPK photo"
http://www.nflppk.com/media/media/gallery/official_ppk_photos/T2ZmaWNpYWwgUFBLIFBob3Rvcw==

What's happening to the building downtown?

What are all the fences doing around the old building downtown?

Wasn't that supposed to get replaced by a new building like the one behind it to go along with the one across the street?

Given the economic status, renovation is the least cost option.

Portions of the building interior has been gutted. The exterior in the back is being redone

Access to the lower level and parking behind is still available from either Summer St or Cottage St

Franklin Pizza was located on the corner before moving around to Cottage St.

Florentina's was located in back on the lower level before moving out to RT 140

MelDivas Coffehouse, of course, was located in the center.

Printsmart Office Products did have space there before returning to an online only business that still delivers office products.

What other businesses inhabited these spaces?

From the feed reader

I have several tools to capture information being published about Franklin, MA. One of my key tools is Google Reader http://googlereader.blogspot.com/ In today's reader, I find several good articles about what is happening in and around Franklin.


1 - Warren Reynolds publishes regularly at 02038.com. He has his write up for the FHS ground breaking event held last week

New Franklin High School ground breaking celebrated

by Warren Reynolds

2 - Amanda Spittell writing for Berry Insurance lets us know about the Jack-o-lantern spectacular at Roger Williams Park in Providence, RI

Roger Williams Park Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular 2012

by aspittell

3 - Mary writes about the new items that have arrived for the Mill Store on Union St located at the railroad crossing.

Autumn awesomeness

by Mary

Enjoy!

news and subscription options

Franklin uses its webpage to post important news from each of its departments. There are two good examples of this type of announcement to share today:

• The Dept of Health has learned that the number of cases of West Nile and EEE viruses has increased and re-issues their caution about contact with mosquitoes.

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/019410D9-000F8513

• The Cultural Council awards grants to deserving organizations and programs each year. This years application deadline is approaching October 15th.

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01979013-000F8513

For information on how to make an application visit http://www.mass-culture.org/


Note: Franklin could elect to turn on or enable an RSS service so that finding out about these announcements would be easier. Franklin could also use these kinds of announcements in their own email notifications. They have explored email notifications and seem to have stopped. As noted elsewhere on this page today, to be successful requires persistence.


In the meantime, you need to visit the Franklin page regularly to find new items on the front page. Trying to find new items buried within each department or committee page takes far too much time.

Of course, regular readers of Franklin Matters have multiple options to find out what is happening. You can

• subscribe to the daily newsletter
• subscribe to the RSS feed
• our get a selection each day on Facebook

You can subscribe to your choice of notification here http://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html

Mixed results in region on latest MCAS

From the Spring 2012 MCAS Tests: Summary of State Results:

Executive Summary
The fifteenth administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests took
place in spring 2012.

Participation
A total of 552,549 Massachusetts public school students in grades 3–10 participated in a total of 17
MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering
(STE). Participation rates remained very high, ranging from 98 to 100 percent across the grades and
subjects tested. In 2012, 9,457 students with disabilities participated in the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) by submitting portfolios documenting their academic achievement in one or more subjects in grades 3–12.

Overall Achievement
Student achievement statewide improved on nine of the 17 MCAS tests administered in 2012. Between
2011 and 2012, the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher improved in ELA at grades 4, 8,
and 10; in Mathematics at grades 4, 6, and 10; and in STE at grades 5, 8, and 10.

Trends in Achievement
Because measures of student achievement often change incrementally over short periods of time, the
Department is presenting a series of five-year views in this report in order to reveal achievement trends
that have occurred over multiple years. Over the five-year period from 2008 to 2012, an increase of five
or more percentage points indicates improvement that has been sustained. The grades and subject areas in
which the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher increased by five or more points over the
last five years are shown in Figure E-1.

The full report (PDF) can be found here
http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/2012/results/summary.pdf

The detailed information for the Franklin Public School District can be found here
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/profiles/general.aspx?topNavId=1&orgcode=01010000&orgtypecode=5&

From this link, you can select among the Franklin schools including Tri-County and the Charter School.
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/search/search.aspx?leftNavId=

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Mixed results in region on latest MCAS

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Scott O'Connell/Daily News staff on 9/19/12

The number of students scoring proficient or higher on the 2012 MCAS went down in Framingham and Marlborough and up in Hopkinton and Southborough, according to district- and school-level results released by the state today.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to The Milford Daily News News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Navigating school information

Realtor Warren Reynolds website 02038.com is full of good information about Franklin in addition to the homes for sale in the area. Two recent additions to his page are helpful to navigate around the school department website and the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).


He points out the key entry pages for the School Dept and School Committee. He gets you to the key comparison sections for each school district within the DESE page. Warren provides some screen shots and links to help you find the pages. Once there, you are free to explore further.

Official Sites for Franklin, MA Public Schools

by Warren Reynolds

School rankings: how do the public schools in Franklin, MA fare?

by Warren Reynolds

Thanks for sharing this information Warren!