Watertown Multi-Use Path Construction Set

This should be of interest to Franklin area walking enthusiasts, in particular the Franklin Citizens Rail Trail Committee:

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Watertown Multi-Use Path Construction Set

via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 1/15/10

Governor Deval Patrick today announced construction of a multi-use path and intersection improvements in Watertown will move forward this spring.
The Charles River/Alewife Connector project in Watertown will construct a multi-use path along an abandoned rail corridor, left, from School Street to the Arlington Street intersection at Nichols Avenue, Coolidge Hill Road and Crawford Street, with a spur connecting the new path to Arsenal Street across from the Watertown Mall parking lot.
The $847,000 project will include removal of existing railroad rails and ties followed by construction of a ten-foot wide asphalt path with grass shoulders over a distance of approximately two-thirds of a mile. 
In addition, a $1.4 million project approved in late December will resurface the intersections of Spring and Summer, Mount Auburn and Summer, and Arlington and Nichols at the eastern limit of the new multi-use path, including new traffic sensing devices and more accessible sidewalks with wheelchair ramps.

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In the News - two connections with Haiti

Recent candidate for Board of Health, Koren Kanadanian, is on his way to Haiti

Franklin man rushes to the rescue

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

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Communications with four members New England Chapel which operates in Franklin have been confirmed. 

Hearing from loved ones in Haiti

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

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Audit comes out clean and with praise

The text of this posted was updated and replaced by the text here:


http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/school-dept-fiscal-review-comes-out.html

School Committee Mtg 01/12/10

The collection of live reporting from the School Committee meeting of Jan 12, 2010 can be found here. The order is in reverse order of the meeting, earliest points of the meeting on the bottom of this listing, ending points of the meeting on the top.

• Live reporting - Information matters
• Live reporting - Action items
• Live reporting - Budget desires
• Live reporting - Race To The Top Program
• Live reporting - Discussion only items
• Live reporting - World Challenge
• Live reporting - Teen Angels
• Live reporting - Best Buddies
• Live reporting - Recognitions
• Live reporting - School Committee Mtg

Teen Angels pledge can be found here http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/teen-angels-pledge-text-think-send.html

Teenangels - Pledge "Text ... Think ... Send"

The pledge as presented at the School Committee meeting Jan 12, 2010 along with some background information on the local chapter of Teenangels can be found in this document.

TeenAngel Notes Pledge


The remainder of the Teenangels presentation was covered in this
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-reporting-teen-angels.html


Note: email subscribers will need to click through to the Franklin Matters website to view the document.

In the News - crash on Pond St, Grant program, absentee ballots

Driver hurt in Franklin crash

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

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Franklin schools to skip grant program

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

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Friday deadline for Franklin absentee voters

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Live reporting - Information matters/Closing

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report
a. Race To The Top  (covered already)

b. H1N1 approx 1200 residents attended the recent clinic

c. DESE Financial Review
When the DESE visited they also did a financial audit. Miriam had only a few hours of notice. They liked the policies and procedures put into place. Thanks to Miriam for the credibility and integrity for the procedures you have put into place to make the Business office a success.

d. Snow Fallout / Sidewalks

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
Cafasso - T Raposa gathering options on a web site solution, would be good to have as part of the budget discussions

School Committee Liaison Reports
Trahan on Community Health Council - this committee has been taking on important topics and would encourage parents to come forward and take part. Thanks to Lisa Keohane for her work with the Teen Angels.

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

Trahan - April 29th - FEF Trivia Bee - themed for a focus on history

motion to move to executive session, not to return to open meeting
passed 7-0 by roll call

Live reporting - Action items

4. Action Items
a. I recommend acceptance of a check for $300.85 from Barnes & Noble for the Horace Mann for In-house enrichment.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

b. I recommend acceptance of the donation of 3 cameras & a Recorder/VCR valued at $2496.48 from Mr. Robert Salzberg of Resh, Inc. for the Davis Thayer Elementary School.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

c. I recommend approval of the proposed trip to Peru in June/July 2011 as detailed.  motion to approve, passed 6-0  (Mullen abstained)

d. I recommend adoption of Policy BIBA – School Committee Conferences, Conventions & Workshops.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

e. I recommend adoption of Policy BID – School Committee Member Compensation & Expenses  motion to approve, passed 7-0

f. I recommend adoption of Policy BGF –Suspension of Policies.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

g. I recommend adoption of Policy DJA – Purchasing Authority.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

h. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1877.32 from Lifetouch for the Remington Gift Account for supplies.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

i. I recommend acceptance of a check for $250.00 from Maura Schaeffer-Tobin for the Jacqueline A Schaeffer Memorial Theatre Arts Scholarship Fund at the FHS.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

j. I recommend approval of the request of Brad Sidwell for the recurring field trip for the FHS Wrestling Team Competition in Eason, PA from 1/22-23/2010 as detailed.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

k. I recommend acceptance of two checks for $414.29 and $70.96 (totaling $485.25) from Follett for Library & Supplemental Curriculum Materials for the JF Kennedy Elementary School.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

l. I recommend acceptance of the Best Buddies Grants as detailed.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

m. I recommend acceptance of a check for $200.00 from the Franklin Democratic Town Committee for the FHS Young Democrats’ Club.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

n. I recommend that Franklin not participate in the Race To The Top Program.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

o. I recommend approval of the request of the HMMS Ski Club for their recurring trip to Mt. Sunapee, NH on January 23, 2010 as detailed.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

p. I recommend approval of the request of Ms. Neal for 5 ALP students to travel to the RI Rock Wall in Lincoln, RI to participate in a leadership program with the YMCA.  motion to approve, passed 7-0

Live reporting - Budget desires

Mullen - would like to see a listing of the cuts made in the last ten years
one page summary that gets repeated at each budget discussion (my idea, yea!)

Trahan - there are so many changes and be clear about what is coming forward

Cafasso - the decade of cuts list would be good. Miriam had put together a great apples to apples comparison to provide some context to the budget. Enrollment corresponding to the budget years. Some historical data on the cost drivers, i.e insurance, special ed, transportation, etc. Recap on how this current years budget was funded?

Rohrbach - the process will discuss a level service vs. a level funded budget. In the past we have also discussed philosophies that should be discussed. We should have a general discussion on what our approach should be. The decisions will be virtiually impossible as we have already cut so much.

Roy - district statistics, # of teachers, # of students, # of schools, decrease in staff vs. increase in students, information on when the schools came on line, per pupil expenditures per the State numbers. Need to begin putting on the table what options are available to bridge budget gaps. Need to share that early on, it is not just cutting bodies. Reviewing the cost saving measures already implemented. Helpful to highlight some of the great things that are happening at the schools, programs, strengths, what makes Franklin a high performing district?

Cafasso - show MCAS or SAT or graduation rates to show barometers of student achievement, the staff have been good about that performance without much resources

Live reporting - Race To The Top Program

The Race To The Top Program

if school districts in MA would like to apply, the application would need to be submitted by midnight Wednesday 1/13/10.

approx. $19,000 possible available
MTA has signed off on the Memorandum of Understanding
36 districts have committed thus far to proceed
there was an indication of significant funding early on, but realistically $19,000 won't go very far.

The investment of accountability may not cover the amount


recommendation to not pursue at this time

the money would be for new initiatives
the bulk of the money would be targeted to under-performing districts (which we are not)
According to the latest ranking we are rated 1, the districts rated 4 or 5 would get the bulk of the money

vocational, charter and 36 public school districts have committed thus far

The funding and administrative support are unrealistic given our challenges with a level funded budgeted.