Fallen Hero: Private Charles E. Mason, U.S. Army

Private Charles E. Mason, U.S. Army Signal Corps, was born on February 24, 1916, son of Fred and Minta Mason. Charles lived at 62 Pleasant Street with his parents and sister. Charles attended the Franklin Public Schools graduating from Franklin High School in 1934. During his high school years, he participated in the Memorial Day ceremonies on the Common by reciting the Gettysburg Address. 

Prior to entering the army, Charles was a member of a Naval Reserve Unit located here in Franklin and served under the command of Fred Cook. David Bullukian, another one of our Fallen 23, also served in this Franklin unit. 

Charles attended Boston Radio and Television School prior to his induction in July of 1941. PVT Charles Mason used this special interest in ham radios and used this skill to converse with people in the area while in the army. 

Private Charles E. Mason died of injuries received in an automobile accident at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey on December 28, 1941 at the age of 25.

Fallen Hero: Private Mason

For the full series of Fallen Heroes you can visit this link
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/franklin-fallen-heroes-series.html

Fallen Hero: Ensign William O. Martello, U.S. Navy

Ensign William Olindo Martello, U.S. Navy, was born on April 14, 1920, son of Theresa and Olindo Martelli. Willam was raised by Theresa and her second husband, Nicholas Martello, at 17 Howard Street with his four sisters and one brother. “Willie” attended the Franklin Schools and graduated from Franklin High School in 1937. William went on to Boston University where he graduated with honors with an A.B. degree and was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. 

William Martello was a student, artist and musician as well as a fighting man. “Willie” was an accomplished concert pianist and was rated as one of the most promising young pianists in New England. Prior to his naval service “Lindy” traveled on the Grace cruise line to South American as an onboard pianist. 

William O. Martello enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserves on April 17, 1942 and later began his active naval service on April 8, 1943. William O. Martello attended Columbia’s naval officers training program and was commissioned an ensign upon completion of the program on July 28, 1943. He served as second in command aboard an invasion craft off the coast of the Anzio beachhead below Rome. Survivors of Ensign Martello’s landing craft, which had struck a mine in the waters off Anzio, reported that Ensign Martello had refused to heed the order to abandon ship, had fitted out a life raft with provisions, and when last seen, just as the ship turned over and went down, was hurling life belts into the sea for his crewmen swimming in the water. 

A month before his death Ensign William O. Martello wrote to his mother the following lines in a letter to her: 

“As for the war, we had to adjust ourselves to the personal problems it brought, and if a guy can’t take it, then his life is a failure. That is why I am not even afraid of death. If I did one thing that indicated cowardness, the rest of my life would be miserable.” 

Ensign William O. Martello, U.S. Navy, was lost at sea off Anzio on January 26, 1944 at the age of 23.

Fallen Hero: Ensign Martello

For the full series of Fallen Heroes you can visit this link
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/franklin-fallen-heroes-series.html

Survey says: Treasurer/Collector should be appointed

The sample size is small (only 15) so this may or may not be a good barometer for how the real ballot question will be answered in November.

Question: Should the Treasurer/Collector position be changed from elected to appointed?
Yes - 9
No - 6

The question opened on August 4 and closed on August 18.

Other survey question results over the years that you have participated in Franklin Matters can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/12/survey-says.html

"It just needs an extra million bucks a year"

The Milford Daily News catches up to the Franklin DPW Initiative '14 plan introduced at the Town Council meeting earlier this month. It is anticipated that the plan will be part of a funding discussion sometime in the near future. It may come up before the current Council, if not, it should be part of the budget process for FY 2015 with the new Town Council.

"The residents know the roads that are really, really bad, and we know because we get calls about them all the time," said Cantoreggi. "Those roads are very expensive to fix." 

The town faces a roughly $50 million backlog of necessary road projects. And while the DPW plan would not immediately lift that burden, it would kick-start the effort. 

"We won’t get every road," Cantoreggi noted. "On the other hand, it will move things along a whole lot faster. 

"If we get the additional money, we will have a solid five-year plan," he added. "If we don’t, it’s going to take another 50 years (to tackle the backlog)."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x369949646/Franklin-DPW-touts-5-year-roads-improvement-plan#ixzz2cPIIcCwR


You can find my reporting from the Town Council meeting here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/it-will-take-lots-of-money-to-fix-roads.html

You can review the full road plan here.
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/dpw-initiative-14-plan.html

DCR "added the Southern New England Trunkline Trail to its online database of state parks and trails"

Milford Daily News reports on a significant milestone for the SNETT trail, it is now included in the MA Dept of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) webpage.

"One of our major goals has been for DCR to create a website for the SNETT," said Jean Keyes, of Bellingham, a member of the group. "It’s their property, but it has never been mentioned on any of their sites listing options for recreation. We were really fighting hard to get that on there." 

In the last two years, volunteers have coordinated projects along the trail, from installing signs and gates to grading or widening certain sections. Starting at the Franklin State Forest, the SNETT stretches east to west, winding through Bellingham, Uxbridge, Blackstone, Millville and, finally, Douglas. 

Depending on available funding, there are plans to link the trial to the Blackstone River Bikeway, a proposed 48-mile trail that would travel from Worcester to Providence, R.I.

SNETT sign at Grove St entrance

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x369949648/DCR-recognizes-SNETT-trail-with-listing-on-website#ixzz2cPEQrhFd

You can find the listing for SNETT here
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-central/southern-new-england-trunkline-trail.html

Or find the top link to all the state parks here
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/

Find out about the Davis Thayer Proposal

There are two School Building Committee meetings this week that will be important. The first, on Monday will discuss the proposal to renovation Davis Thayer Elementary School. The second, on Wednesday will  review the construction phases on the high school project and review the new traffic patterns expected in September.

Monday's meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM in the 3rd Fl Training Room at the Municipal Bldg.

Davis Thayer renovation plaque 1973

Wednesday's meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Bldg.

Current entrance from Oak St

Fallen Hero: Technical Sergeant Baldo S. Lazzerini, U.S. Army

Technical Sgt Baldo S. Lazzerini was born on January 29, 1913 in Franklin son of Quinto and Julia Lazzerini. Baldo made his home here in Franklin from age 16 with the Pacifico and Amelia Gianetti Family of 57 Hutchinson Street. Baldo’s active duty began upon his enlistment on March 20, 1941. 

Technical Sergeant Baldo S. Lazzerini served with the U.S. 5th Army, G-2 Intelligence service in Italy as an interpreter for General Mark Clark. T/Sgt Lazzerini was involved in the heaviest of fighting in Italy and had personally witnessed the surrender of Italian generals to Allied generals, with whose staff he was connected. T/Sgt Baldo Lazzerini’s brilliance in military operations, coupled with his knowledge of the Italian language gave him rapid rise in rank. 

T/Sgt Baldo S. Lazzerini died as a result of a military vehicle accident in Italy on June 24, 1945. 

Technical Sgt Baldo S. Lazzerini was 32 years old at the time of his death in service during World War II.

Fallen Hero: T/Sgt Lazzerini

For the full series of Fallen Heroes you can visit this link
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/franklin-fallen-heroes-series.html

Fallen Hero: Corporal David Laughlan III, U. S. Marine Corps

Corporal David Laughlan III, U.S. Marine Corps, was born on March 20, 1923 son of David and Elsie Laughlan. David lived with his parents, a sister and a brother at 55 North Park Street. David attended the Franklin Public Schools and graduated from Franklin High School, Class of 1941. David joined the Marine Corps two months before Pearl Harbor. 

Corporal David Laughlan III saw a great deal of action as a member of a rifle company fighting against the enemy on Saipan, the Marianas Islands on June 30 and again on July 1, 1944. CPL Laughlan volunteered to lead patrols into enemy territory obtaining valuable information of great value to his company commander. The information was used by his commander in planning the company’s many subsequent successful attacks against the enemy. Corporal David Laughlan III was injured on Saipan and was awarded the Bronze Star for his performance of valor. 

Corporal David Laughlan III later returned to action for the torrid battle on Iowa Jima and lost his life there on February 24, 1945. 

Corporal David Laughlan III was 21 years old when he became a battle casualty while in combat during WWII.

Fallen Hero: Corporal Laughlan

For the full series of Fallen Heroes you can visit this link
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/franklin-fallen-heroes-series.html

Franklin Library: Petting Zoo

The end of summer party will be held at the Library on Wednesday from 1:00 to 2:30 PM.

Barn babies petting zoo

Thanks to one eagle eyed reader who was paying attention to the 'petty' when it should have been "petting"

"a good way to do it"

The Franklin Food Pantry is not the only one to benefit from local gardens. The Milford Daily News reports on a garden that Raytheon employees care for that serves the Marlborough Food Pantry.

While making their thrice-weekly trip to the Marlborough Food Pantry to deliver lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, Raytheon employees Gretel Anspach and Don Jordan encountered a young girl who beamed with excitement about the new produce. 

"She said ‘Gee, mom, we get to have salad tonight,’" said Jordan, an electrical engineer from Franklin. "You hear something like that and it makes it all worthwhile." 

Each week for upwards of 10 hours, Anspach and Jordan leave their air-conditioned offices at Raytheon during their lunch break or at the end of the day to head to the company’s garden to plant and harvest vegetables, which are donated to the Marlborough Food Pantry.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x369949553/Raytheon-garden-grows-veggies-for-food-pantry#ixzz2cJzTKmhw