"giving back and giving thanks"

Students at the Remington Middle School prepared a Thanksgiving meal for their parents as reported in the Milford Daily News:

"We tell them over and over again, ‘You are going to have to work really hard,’" said Kristen DeSimone, a seventh- and eighth-grade special education teacher who for the past seven years has planned Remington’s annual Thanksgiving Harvest Luncheon. 

The mouth-watering event, DeSimone said, teaches the 18 students who participate valuable social and life skills, while challenging them to put to use some of the lessons they’ve learned in class. 

For instance, math came up during the shopping spree last week, she said. Students had to bargain hunt, identify the best prices and manage their food budget. 

On Monday, they had to measure just the right amount of ingredients while baking pies for dessert. 

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x719495966/Franklin-middle-schoolers-celebrate-Thanksgiving-early#ixzz2CrDssT7U

2012 Annual St John's Christmas Fair - Dec 1

This year St. John’s Christmas Fair will be held Saturday, December 1st from 9am - 3pm in the St. John’s Parish Hall located at 237 Pleasant Street in Franklin, MA.

There will be homemade gift baskets, Cookie Walk, pastry table, as well as hot soup and coffee to enjoy.

Pictures with Santa as well as other activities for the kids! Join us for a fun day!

Coles Tavern: Fund Raising for NJ Hurricane Sandy survivors

Please join us in an effort to give back! On November 29th at Coles Tavern in Franklin. From 7:30pm ~1:00 … make a simple donation to the Red Cross of New Jersey.

Hurricane Sandy is NOT over! The rebuliding has just begun. Please give a little. People just like you, without homes or electricity and all of their possessions have been washed away.

Every little bit counts.

There will be raffles, 50/50 and wonderful prizes like jewelry from Tiffany’s, a Booze Basket, Celtics Tickets, a beautiful painting from Simons Furniture.

hThe donations have been overwhelming and the support has been unforgettable. So with just $5 at the door, you can make a HUGE difference to these people affected by the hurricane.

So Please, please, please spread the word and help out your fellow human beings by giving back.

Rebuliding has begun but they need all the help they can get. Come to Coles Tavern on the 29th and make that dream possible!

Join us for a fun night of dancing and drinking….all for a great cause! Look forward to seeing you there. Spread the word and we can bring a little peace of mind back to New Jersey! Thanks for your support!

MassBudget: Building a Better Future Together

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Building a Better Future Together Our state budget is a statement of our priorities, a reflection of the choices we make together to strengthen our communities, support vulnerable residents, and build a vibrant economy. MassBudget's new online slideshow, Our State Budget: Building a Better Future Together, describes the ongoing fiscal crisis, recent budget cuts, our tax system, and the choices we will face moving forward. In most of our emails, this is the point when we would tell you to GO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW. This time, as part of our ongoing effort to reach new audiences, we would also like to encourage you to: LIKE the slideshow on our Facebook page (and LIKE the page while you're there). SHARE the Facebook post with friends who care about the condition of the Commonwealth. COMMENT on how you see the budget choices that will shape our future. In general, email will remain our core method for communicating with you--whenever we release a report, finish a factsheet, or update our budget browser. But we will also be using social media to share shorter pieces, research highlights, and information about interesting reports from other organizations. VIEW OUR BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE TOGETHER SLIDESHOW VISIT US ON FACEBOOK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 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 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

"This is a very active town"

The Milford Daily News reports on Meghan White the new program coordinator for the Franklin Recreation  department.

Recreation Director Ryan Jette said losing Reagan was difficult, given how long he worked for the department, but that White’s background in athletics and education makes the transition easier. 

"We just started our winter registration, so it’s a busy time for us," Jette said. "Around here, winter is arguably the biggest time of the year. Megan is picking up real quick, learning very fast. I’ve had a lot of compliments about her already. She’s going to be a good fit." 

White's experience as a student athlete and coach lends her a unique set of skills. 

"As an athlete, I feel that thinking about programs, how they need to be ran and how to interact with the different players, comes naturally," she said, adding, "Any athlete wants to work in a sports-related job. If they aren’t, then they don’t like their job."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1107412889/Meet-the-new-Franklin-Recreation-program-director#ixzz2Cl2c0I00

Slowing Revenue Growth Derails Automatic Income Tax Cut

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Slowing Revenue Growth Derails Automatic Income Tax Cut

via Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue by Ann Dufresne-DOR Communications Director on 11/19/12

The State Department of Revenue (DOR) recently certified that there is insufficient tax revenue growth under the terms of a  2002 state law that would trigger a 0.05 percentage point cut in the Part B indivdual income tax rate beginning in 2013. As part of the legal process determined by the Legislature, an automatic tax cut would go into effect if the following thresholds in revenue growth were exceeded:

• Inflation-adjusted baseline revenue growth for the previous fiscal year surpassed 2.5% and,
• There was positive inflation-adjusted baseline revenue growth in each of the consecutive three-month periods starting in August and ending in November in the current calendar year compared to the same consecutive three-month periods in the previous calendar year.

DOR certified on September 6th that FY2012 inflation-adjusted baseline revenue increased 2.77% over the previous fiscal year. The agency also certified that revenue growth was 4.12% for the first growth period and 1.88% for the second growth period. However, revenue growth was negative (-1.29%) during the third period so the 5.25% Part B individual income tax rate will remain the same for 2013.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue using Google Reader
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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.’

"things changed pretty quickly"

The destruction left by Hurricane Sandy in the NY and NJ area is immense. Two Franklin fire fighters got to help at a shelter in Brooklyn, NY recently and the Milford Daily News recaps their experience with this article.

In New York City, Smith said, the darkness was eerie and disquieting. 

"I didn’t expect that," he said. 

Smith said he never realized the scope of Sandy’s wrath. 

"While we were deployed, I saw no news; I heard no news, so I wasn’t even aware of how bad the devastation was until I got home," he said.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1107412492/Franklin-firefighters-help-out-after-Hurricane-Sandy#ixzz2CfArD0yf


To contribute to the relief effort you can donate to the American Red Cross here or to this Occupy Sandy effort for those in New Jersey.

"looking forward to a new legislative session"

Roy, who spent 14 years as a Franklin town official, serving on the Town Council, as well as the Master Plan Committee and School Committee, said his main focus will be jobs and the economy. 

He also wants to help speed completion of the Franklin High School project and to increase local aid during the upcoming session. 

Roy hopes to serve on the education and criminal justice committees. 

"I am delighted to be a part of the team and I hope to make it stronger," he said.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1107412470/Milford-area-lawmakers-setting-new-goals#ixzz2CfDlIc8S

DCR issues ice safety tips

Given the variations in weather we have seen, it is not too early to prepare for ice.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

DCR issues ice safety tips

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 11/18/12

As winter approaches, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has issued safety tips about ice.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

FHS Girls Soccer - Championship game highlights (video)

Here are video highlights of the game Friday night. The Franklin High School girls team won the state championship with a 2-1 victory!





Thanks to Marianne Lonati for sharing this on Facebook

Related post on the game
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/11/franklin-high-school-girls-soccer-2012.html

Reminder: Turkey Trot Family 5K Fun Run - Thanksgiving morning

There is still time to register to run on Thursday morning. I like to do a race on Thanksgiving, not so much to race, but to get out for a good run and have a reason to eat well later.

Thanks to the efforts of Feed the Need, this event is a win-win. You get to run or walk and the proceeds go to help the Franklin Food Pantry.

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If you are a runner, or walker you can help the Franklin Food Pantry.

Registration, course map and additional race information can be found at http://www.feedtheneed.org/

If you would like to organize a collection in your neighborhood, you can print out this flyer to use

"The The Impotence of Proofreading," by TAYLOR MALI

Time for a little fun with language. Words are important. Using the right one at the right time is so critical for success. Taylor's performance takes liberty with proof reading to an extreme (and is full of double entendres).



On the stage with Taylor Mali is Billy Collins, a good and humorous poet in his own right.

Free flu clinic - Tuesday - Nov 20

There is a free flu clinic being offered on Tuesday, Nov 20th. Details about the clinic at the Milford Senior Center are shown in the attached flyer.

In the News: vacant homes

Franklin is listed as having 15 of these properties

Vacant homes cause problems for towns and the market

by Lindsay Corcoran/Daily News staff