Virtual high school planning advances
In preparation for the launch of its Virtual High School initiative in the spring, the Milford School Department has hired former webmaster Karen Healey to serve as the program’s coordinator.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
In the Globe - virtual high school
Milford is exploring use of online courses. Franklin does this with their use of Moodle. As I understand it, the Moodle classes are taught by Franklin teachers and can be open to student from around the world (maybe even down the road in Milford). This brief article in the Globe West seems to imply that the virtual courses would be taught by others around the world and access by Milford students with a teacher facilitating the overall process.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Franklin's Express Line
The current Franklin Express Line has just been published.
You can subscribe on the Town website to receive your own copy here.
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
You can subscribe on the Town website to receive your own copy here.
In the News - Pulaski Blvd, Tegra Medical
The update promised for "tomorrow" made it to the paper today
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A good news story on the business front.
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Pulaski Boulevard to be improved
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A good news story on the business front.
Franklin's Tegra Medical wins award
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Friday, October 16, 2009
2009 Election Collection
The collection of posts covering the Franklin election on Nov 3rd
Audio of Election Results in Franklin HS field house
Milford Daily News summary of the Town Council and Board of Health candidates
School Committee candidate - Jeff Roy
Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones
FM #47 Tina Powderly
audio recording and text
Register to vote by October 14th
Town Council Candidate - Judith Pond Pfeffer
FM #46 - Scott Mason
audio recording and text
Town Council Candidate - Tina Powderly
Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones
November Election Line up
Note: this is not an endorsement of these candidates. This is an information sharing exercise to enable you, the voters, to prepare an informed decision when you enter the polling place (Franklin High School field house) on November 3rd.
Audio of Election Results in Franklin HS field house
Milford Daily News summary of the Town Council and Board of Health candidates
School Committee candidate - Jeff Roy
Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones
FM #47 Tina Powderly
audio recording and text
Register to vote by October 14th
Town Council Candidate - Judith Pond Pfeffer
FM #46 - Scott Mason
audio recording and text
Town Council Candidate - Tina Powderly
Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones
November Election Line up
Note: this is not an endorsement of these candidates. This is an information sharing exercise to enable you, the voters, to prepare an informed decision when you enter the polling place (Franklin High School field house) on November 3rd.
In the News - local aid cuts, Universalist music
In the details of this announcement local aid cuts are coming. 40% of the Franklin budget comes from local aid, from the State. Any dollar cut by the State will affect our services here.
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Governor calls for emergency budget cuts
from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Jim O'Sullivan/State House News Service
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Franklin's Universalist Society is a sanctuary for music
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones
Glenn and I had the opportunity to sit together a couple of times (1) to discuss his candidacy for Town Council and (2) to discuss the four questions that follows.
Franklin Matters:
1. - What is Franklin’s big issue? What steps should we take to resolve it?
Glenn Jones:
Franklin’s biggest issue is the budget. Every year Franklin tries to balance a budget of almost 100 Million dollars to support some 33 thousand residents. It’s a daunting task. Services are bare bone, schools are struggling to provide on less each year, and our residents are facing one of the largest un-employment rates in years. If we intend to provide exemplary services to our residents it’s going to take a viable, well thought out, long-term plan. A plan needs to be presented to Franklin residents with hard understandable facts. It should be the Town Councils goal to reach out to the people of Franklin and highlight the options that will help Franklin stay on track to a sustainable future.
Franklin Matters:
2. - What is your position on the proposed Charter Revisions?
Glenn Jones:
The Charter is Franklin’s Constitution and sets the guidelines for our form of government. For that reason alone any revisions to the Charter need to be taken very seriously.
The Charter Review Committee has noted several recommended changes. These potential changes are presented to the Town Council for review and if acceptable gets forwarded to the State Legislature for approval, it can then be presented back to the Residents of Franklin for their final approval.
One of the many recommendations presented in a minority report is to change the position of ‘Town Clerk’ from an elected position to an appointed position. I personally feel that the ‘Town Clerk’ should remain as an elected position. The ‘Town Clerk’ is the main interface between the people of Franklin and the Town’s Administration. When you interact with our ‘Town Clerk’ you are truly talking to a person whose whole heart is for and from Franklin, MA. She is not a cog in the Town’s administration; she is the face of all the residents of Franklin. It’s true our Town Clerk requires a certain level of expertise that our current Town Clerk has acquired during her tenure, but with diligent tutoring and proper procedures, any well intended intelligent Franklin resident can repeat her contributions and execute the job of ‘Town Clerk’.
One other potential change is that of ‘Town Treasurer’ from an elected position to appointed position. On this issue I feel the “Town Treasurer” is not so much a public position as it is a professional one. So, with that being said, the position of “Town Treasurer” should be an appointed position. However, I feel there should be a stipulation that all appointed positions should be offered to Franklin residents first.
“Staggered terms for our elected officials” is also a topic that has come up during the charter review. All Town Council members should be able to sit no longer than 3 years before having to be re-elected. Maintaining continuity in our government is paramount and some restructuring is probably necessary in the future in order to better meet the needs of the Town of Franklin and its residents. A workable plan will need to be efficient and effective in order to preserve the stability of our form of government.
Franklin Matters:
3 - What use do you envision for the Open Space Fund?
Glenn Jones:
With potentially millions of dollars in our Open Space Fund, we as a Town should be concerned about the preservation of any open space we can acquire. Franklin has seen enough development in the past 2 decades to make anyone’s head spin. So, if we have the means and funding to keep a reasonable amount of open space in Franklin we should. However, since the Open Space Fund is a capital fund, many people have wondered if that money could be better spent on other important, under prioritized, capital issues in town, such as the school facilities, roadways, library, and other town assets. It will be a large responsibility of the new Town Council to review all available funds and decide which items are more of a priority than others. The people of Franklin should indeed voice their opinions on these matters and require transparency and accountability of their new Town Council to act in their best interests. If elected to the Town Council I will be honored to help shoulder this responsibility and bring the topical results back to the people.
Franklin Matters:
4 - What is your position on the Financial Planning Committee report?
Glenn Jones:
First off, let me say the Long-Range Financial Planning Committee (LRFPC) has done a tremendous job of trying to bring all of the major issues that do and will affect our community to the citizens of Franklin. I think Franklin as a whole greatly benefits from superb municipal services with a comparably low tax burden. As the report indicates we are the #1 recipient of State Aid to schools, comparable to 31 peer towns, and that aid amounts to a large portion of our budget. Without this aid, we would be in a considerably difficult place. That being said, it is well known that the Massachusetts is also having some of the most difficult budget issues that it has ever had and as the trickle down effect dictates we would chance to lose a good portion of our state aid. That is a portion of our budget we can not afford to lose. We will, as the data suggest in the report, have to maintain a minimum level of school spending in order to meet state mandates. We as a town will have to find that money or the services we enjoy everyday, like plowed roads, clean town, and public safety will start to deteriorate. That is a serious shock.
This all leads back to my further point of a ‘plan’. We lack a viable, sustainable plan that holds our government accountable to the decisions that it makes. I feel that there should be no further tax increases until such a plan is in place. In these trying times it will take all of the hard working citizens of Franklin to step up to the plate and decide what ‘we’ want our standards to be and how ‘we’ intend to get ourselves thru some of the most trying times in our history.
I want to be the voice for these citizens and this is why I chose to run for Town Council. I always express a certainty to my young children: “Never give up, never give in”. Together the people of Franklin will persevere.
Biographical Info:
My Campaign Slogan: “Leadership through Teamwork”
Parents: William and Mary Jones
Youngest of 4 children
Wife: Nicole
Children: 4
Age: 39
Born: Cambridge, MA
Raised: Watertown, MA
Franklin Resident: 11 years
Education:
Watertown High School
Northeastern University – Electrical Engineering
Profession:
Electrician and Sr. Engineering technician
Specialties: computers, energy management, audio/visual and automation
Volunteering:
Franklin Youth Soccer – Coach
Franklin Youth Softball – Coach
New England Chapel – Facilities Team Leader
Davis Thayer Elementary School PCC events and activities
Website: www.glennfjones.com
Franklin Matters:
1. - What is Franklin’s big issue? What steps should we take to resolve it?
Glenn Jones:
Franklin’s biggest issue is the budget. Every year Franklin tries to balance a budget of almost 100 Million dollars to support some 33 thousand residents. It’s a daunting task. Services are bare bone, schools are struggling to provide on less each year, and our residents are facing one of the largest un-employment rates in years. If we intend to provide exemplary services to our residents it’s going to take a viable, well thought out, long-term plan. A plan needs to be presented to Franklin residents with hard understandable facts. It should be the Town Councils goal to reach out to the people of Franklin and highlight the options that will help Franklin stay on track to a sustainable future.
Franklin Matters:
2. - What is your position on the proposed Charter Revisions?
Glenn Jones:
The Charter is Franklin’s Constitution and sets the guidelines for our form of government. For that reason alone any revisions to the Charter need to be taken very seriously.
The Charter Review Committee has noted several recommended changes. These potential changes are presented to the Town Council for review and if acceptable gets forwarded to the State Legislature for approval, it can then be presented back to the Residents of Franklin for their final approval.
One of the many recommendations presented in a minority report is to change the position of ‘Town Clerk’ from an elected position to an appointed position. I personally feel that the ‘Town Clerk’ should remain as an elected position. The ‘Town Clerk’ is the main interface between the people of Franklin and the Town’s Administration. When you interact with our ‘Town Clerk’ you are truly talking to a person whose whole heart is for and from Franklin, MA. She is not a cog in the Town’s administration; she is the face of all the residents of Franklin. It’s true our Town Clerk requires a certain level of expertise that our current Town Clerk has acquired during her tenure, but with diligent tutoring and proper procedures, any well intended intelligent Franklin resident can repeat her contributions and execute the job of ‘Town Clerk’.
One other potential change is that of ‘Town Treasurer’ from an elected position to appointed position. On this issue I feel the “Town Treasurer” is not so much a public position as it is a professional one. So, with that being said, the position of “Town Treasurer” should be an appointed position. However, I feel there should be a stipulation that all appointed positions should be offered to Franklin residents first.
“Staggered terms for our elected officials” is also a topic that has come up during the charter review. All Town Council members should be able to sit no longer than 3 years before having to be re-elected. Maintaining continuity in our government is paramount and some restructuring is probably necessary in the future in order to better meet the needs of the Town of Franklin and its residents. A workable plan will need to be efficient and effective in order to preserve the stability of our form of government.
Franklin Matters:
3 - What use do you envision for the Open Space Fund?
Glenn Jones:
With potentially millions of dollars in our Open Space Fund, we as a Town should be concerned about the preservation of any open space we can acquire. Franklin has seen enough development in the past 2 decades to make anyone’s head spin. So, if we have the means and funding to keep a reasonable amount of open space in Franklin we should. However, since the Open Space Fund is a capital fund, many people have wondered if that money could be better spent on other important, under prioritized, capital issues in town, such as the school facilities, roadways, library, and other town assets. It will be a large responsibility of the new Town Council to review all available funds and decide which items are more of a priority than others. The people of Franklin should indeed voice their opinions on these matters and require transparency and accountability of their new Town Council to act in their best interests. If elected to the Town Council I will be honored to help shoulder this responsibility and bring the topical results back to the people.
Franklin Matters:
4 - What is your position on the Financial Planning Committee report?
Glenn Jones:
First off, let me say the Long-Range Financial Planning Committee (LRFPC) has done a tremendous job of trying to bring all of the major issues that do and will affect our community to the citizens of Franklin. I think Franklin as a whole greatly benefits from superb municipal services with a comparably low tax burden. As the report indicates we are the #1 recipient of State Aid to schools, comparable to 31 peer towns, and that aid amounts to a large portion of our budget. Without this aid, we would be in a considerably difficult place. That being said, it is well known that the Massachusetts is also having some of the most difficult budget issues that it has ever had and as the trickle down effect dictates we would chance to lose a good portion of our state aid. That is a portion of our budget we can not afford to lose. We will, as the data suggest in the report, have to maintain a minimum level of school spending in order to meet state mandates. We as a town will have to find that money or the services we enjoy everyday, like plowed roads, clean town, and public safety will start to deteriorate. That is a serious shock.
This all leads back to my further point of a ‘plan’. We lack a viable, sustainable plan that holds our government accountable to the decisions that it makes. I feel that there should be no further tax increases until such a plan is in place. In these trying times it will take all of the hard working citizens of Franklin to step up to the plate and decide what ‘we’ want our standards to be and how ‘we’ intend to get ourselves thru some of the most trying times in our history.
I want to be the voice for these citizens and this is why I chose to run for Town Council. I always express a certainty to my young children: “Never give up, never give in”. Together the people of Franklin will persevere.
Biographical Info:
My Campaign Slogan: “Leadership through Teamwork”
Parents: William and Mary Jones
Youngest of 4 children
Wife: Nicole
Children: 4
Age: 39
Born: Cambridge, MA
Raised: Watertown, MA
Franklin Resident: 11 years
Education:
Watertown High School
Northeastern University – Electrical Engineering
Profession:
Electrician and Sr. Engineering technician
Specialties: computers, energy management, audio/visual and automation
Volunteering:
Franklin Youth Soccer – Coach
Franklin Youth Softball – Coach
New England Chapel – Facilities Team Leader
Davis Thayer Elementary School PCC events and activities
Website: www.glennfjones.com
NewBCamp - Saturday - October 17th
NEWBCAMP AT NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Date: October 17th, 2009
Time: 9am to 3pm
Where:
Cost: FREE (Donation of $10+ is helpful)
Registration is available here
Note: This link will bring you to the page with more information on the event and the link to register.
Date: October 17th, 2009
Time: 9am to 3pm
Where:
New England Institute of Technology, Student Union
2840 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02888
Cost: FREE (Donation of $10+ is helpful)
Registration is available here
Note: This link will bring you to the page with more information on the event and the link to register.
Vallee set local office hours for Friday 10/16/09
State Rep. James E. Vallee, D-Franklin, will hold monthly local walk-in office hours on Friday, Oct. 16, at two locations in his legislative district. Vallee, or a member of his staff, will be available
at the Medway town administrator's office, 155 Village St., 9-10 a.m.,
and his Franklin office at 4 West St., 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Vallee welcomes and encourages residents to visit him during these times to voice concerns or questions they may have regarding any state-related issue. He encourages those constituents unable to attend the district hours to call his State House office to schedule a more convenient appointment.
Vallee and his staff may be reached at 617-722-2600 or Rep.JamesVallee@hou.state.ma.us.
This was initially posted in the Franklin Gazette here
at the Medway town administrator's office, 155 Village St., 9-10 a.m.,
and his Franklin office at 4 West St., 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Vallee welcomes and encourages residents to visit him during these times to voice concerns or questions they may have regarding any state-related issue. He encourages those constituents unable to attend the district hours to call his State House office to schedule a more convenient appointment.
Vallee and his staff may be reached at 617-722-2600 or Rep.JamesVallee@hou.state.ma.us.
This was initially posted in the Franklin Gazette here
Bellingham's Pulaski Boulevard construction receives funding
King St runs south into Washington St which in turn runs into Pulaski Blvd. Three different names, two towns, one road. For anyone taking this southern route to Woonsocket or RT 146 to Providence beware of construction to resume.
The Pulaski Boulevard road improvement project has received $13 million in state and federal funding. The project was included in the 2010-2013 Traffic Improvement Plan (TIP).
Pulaski Boulevard was one of many plans in eastern Massachusetts considered for state roadway improvement funding, including hundreds of projects in Boston. If Pulaski Boulevard had not been placed on fiscal 2010 list, the town would have had to wait until 2014 for funding.
The $13 million will be in addition to the $4 million already invested by the town.
The estimated two year project plans to rebuild 2.3 miles of Pulaski Boulevard, spanning from the Franklin town line to Orchard Street, including work at the Crooks Corner, Lake Street and Center Street intersections.
Also in the construction plan is road widening, added sidewalks and storm drain improvements.
MassHighway is currently in the bid process for the Pulaski Boulevard projects.
For more details on the project, read tomorrow's Milford Daily News.
Note: While the article references more information in tomorrows Milford Daily News, that particular tomorrow has not arrived yet. Stay tuned for an update sometime.
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Melanie Graham/Daily News staff on 10/12/09
The Pulaski Boulevard road improvement project has received $13 million in state and federal funding. The project was included in the 2010-2013 Traffic Improvement Plan (TIP).
Pulaski Boulevard was one of many plans in eastern Massachusetts considered for state roadway improvement funding, including hundreds of projects in Boston. If Pulaski Boulevard had not been placed on fiscal 2010 list, the town would have had to wait until 2014 for funding.
The $13 million will be in addition to the $4 million already invested by the town.
The estimated two year project plans to rebuild 2.3 miles of Pulaski Boulevard, spanning from the Franklin town line to Orchard Street, including work at the Crooks Corner, Lake Street and Center Street intersections.
Also in the construction plan is road widening, added sidewalks and storm drain improvements.
MassHighway is currently in the bid process for the Pulaski Boulevard projects.
For more details on the project, read tomorrow's Milford Daily News.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Note: While the article references more information in tomorrows Milford Daily News, that particular tomorrow has not arrived yet. Stay tuned for an update sometime.
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Franklin Library Book Sale
Saturday, October 17th
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
At the DPW facilties on
25 Public Works Way off Hayward St.