Jane's Frames - Inventory Sale

On Monday (3/16) and Tuesday (3/17), Jane's Frames will be conducting an Inventory Sale offering discounts of 50-80%.





The inventory needs to move to prepare for a juried art show to be held on Thursday (3/19/09)

Additional information on the juried show can be found here:

Slideshow: Government and its role in the economy

Pictures from the panel discussion on Government and its role in the economy are now available.




The audio recordings were posted previously here.

ENERGY BOARD VOTES TO APPROVE CAPE WIND ‘COMPOSITE CERTIFICATE’

On the renewable energy front, we find this press release:

MASSACHUSETTS ENERGY BOARD VOTES TO APPROVE CAPE WIND ‘COMPOSITE CERTIFICATE’
Friday, March 13, 2009

Cape Wind News Release

MASSACHUSETTS ENERGY BOARD VOTES TO APPROVE CAPE WIND ‘COMPOSITE CERTIFICATE’

MARCH 13, 2009, BOSTON, MA – In a unanimous vote, the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (Siting Board), the agency created by the Legislature to ensure the siting of needed and least environmental impact energy facilities, voted yesterday to grant Cape Wind a Certificate of Environmental Impact and Public Interest (Certificate) that effectively rolls up all nine state and local permits related to the electric cables into one ‘composite certificate’.

Note: The official transcript of the Siting Board's Hearing yesterday is available for download at:
http://www.capewind.org/transcript.pdf

Cape Wind President Jim Gordon said, “This decision represents a major victory for the people of Massachusetts who are waiting for the clean energy jobs from Cape Wind which will help us become more energy independent and make Massachusetts a global leader in clean offshore wind energy production.” “I am grateful for the assistance that the attorneys representing Clean Power Now and the Conservation Law Foundation provided as participants in the Siting Board process”, Gordon continued.

The Siting Board instructed Cape Wind to work with the Towns of Yarmouth and Barnstable to reach an agreement on reasonable and customary conditions for town permits related to Cape Wind’s buried electric cables and to present this agreement to the Siting Board. In the event parties cannot agree on conditions, the Siting Board will decide on what conditions are reasonable to include. The Siting Board expects to complete this process and take its final vote within 60-days which will conclude Cape Wind’s permitting at the state and local level.

Cape Wind was compelled to file for this Certificate following a denial by the Cape Cod Commission in 2007. The Siting Board also has the statutory authority to grant a comprehensive approval to an energy facility it has previously approved, where that facility has been denied a permit by any other state or local agency in the Commonwealth.

In 2005, the Siting Board approved Cape Wind’s electrical interconnection at the conclusion of a 32-month review of unprecedented length that included 2,900 pages of transcripts, 923 exhibits and 50,000 pages of documentary evidence. The Siting Board found that Cape Wind would meet an identified need for electricity and would provide a reliable energy supply for Massachusetts, with a minimum impact on the environment. The Siting Board’s approval of Cape Wind’s electrical interconnection was upheld by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Cape Wind’s proposal to build America’s first offshore wind farm on Horseshoe Shoal would provide three-quarters of the electricity used on Cape Cod and the Islands from clean, renewable energy - reducing this region’s need to import oil, coal and gas. Cape Wind will create new jobs, stable electric costs, contribute to a healthier environment, increase energy independence and establish Massachusetts as a leader in offshore wind power. For more information visit www.capewind.org.

Slideshow: Harlem Wizards vs Sullivan Rockets

The Annie Sullivan PCC held a fund raiser at Tri-County on Friday night featuring their own Sullivan Rockets basketball team playing the Harlem Wizards.

It was quite a night of entertainment. The picture slide show should capture some of the fun.




Enjoy!

School Committee meeting - pictures added

Pictures have been added to the following live reporting posts from the School Committee meeting on 3/10/09.

• Live reporting - Horace Mann Enrichment Model
• Live reporting - Presentations

Parmenter School notice on half days this week

Parmenter School notice on half days this week reports cards come out Tuesday, originally uploaded by shersteve.

I believe report cards come out Tuesday.

The elementary schools will have half-days to provide time for parent conferences on the Thursday (3/19) and Friday (3/20).

Be resourceful, as you walk pick up recyclables along the way.

Be resourceful as you walk pick up recycleables along the way., originally uploaded by shersteve.

With spring coming up this week on the calendar, and hopefully in reality just as soon, there will be more time to get outside to walk and enjoy the fresh air.

Franklin will celebrate Earth Day on April 18th. You can help clean up Franklin without waiting for Earth Day.

When you go for a walk, take a plastic bag (or two) with you.

Walking is good exercise. Bending and stretching to pick up a bottle or aluminum can for the bag is even better. This is the one bag that I came back with from Saturday's walk. Sometimes I end up with two or three.

If all the walkers in Franklin added this to their walk, Franklin would be a cleaner place.

Tip - to the bend and stretch, add a stomp on the can to squish it and make it more compact for the bag. You'll be able to fit more that way.

Sell out for Harlem Wizards!

The Tri-County gym sold all its seats for the fund raiser for Annie Sullivan School on Friday night.

The Sullivan Rockets gave a valiant effort in holding the Harlem Wizards to under 100 points.

A basketball game? Not really from the purest sense but there was great family entertainment!

The Sullivan PCC must be pleased with the turnout.

I should have some pictures up to show some of the action later this weekend!

"chickens are going to come home to roost"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 13, 2009 @ 11:14 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

After learning the town spends $2,700 less per pupil than the state average, Superintendent Wayne Ogden said he is growing increasingly worried Franklin will soon reach the state's minimum spending threshold.

The per-pupil statistics can be viewed as either "very positive or very depressing," depending on one's perspective, Ogden said.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Education Web site, Franklin spends $9,750 per pupil, and the state average is $12,497 per pupil.

Despite Franklin's comparatively low spending per pupil, the district performs at an above-average level in all categories, Ogden said.

"Your teachers and kids continue to do a great job with the resources available," he said.

Read the full story on the low cost per student and high performance in the Milford Daily News here

Andro's Pizza - worth stopping for

I stopped at Andro's Pizza for a late lunch Friday afternoon. Their small cheese calzone was decadently delicious. I'll need to stop back for their pizza sometime.



Have you tried Andro's yet?

Sap running on Town Common

Out for a walk on Friday, it was a good day for pictures.

Thank you!

thank you for taking the time to return my running wallet containing my ID and e, originally uploaded by shersteve.

To whomever picked this up downtown and took the time to return it to me. This is much appreciated.

I had dropped it when running last Thursday morning. I know I had it in my pocket at the corner of Summer and East Central. When I checked again on Wachusett it was gone. I completed my run, got into the car and retraced my route. As I went along Union, I was dismayed to find that the DPW crews were out street sweeping. Good for them and cleaning up the town but that also meant that if I had dropped it on Union, I had no chance of getting it back. It would have been gobbled up in the sweeper.

With it returned, it must have fallen out somewhere along East Central before I turned on Union.

Anyway, my thanks to the person who picked it up and was kind enough to return it. Franklin does have fine people living here. Don't let anyone say otherwise!

"its report would be totally transparent, objective and accurate"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 13, 2009 @ 12:22 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

The longterm fiscal planning committee is nearly ready to present its multi-year financial projections, and is aiming for an audience of hundreds at an April 27 presentation at Horace Mann Middle School.

"I feel a hugely important objective is education, to inform the public as to why we're under (financial) pressure on a yearly basis," said Councilor Stephen Whalen.

As part of its efforts to dispel some misconceptions, the group last night emphasized the importance of making the town's finances understandable.

For instance, while reviewing Franklin's relatively low per-pupil spending, which is $2,700 below the state average, members commented that many residents don't realize the value they get for their educational dollar.

"There are so many people in town who think this town wastes money and is poorly run, but there is no evidence" to support that, Whalen said.

Read the full article from the Financial Planning Committee meeting in the Milford Daily News here

"merit pay that is based on student performance"

By Aaron Wasserman/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 12, 2009 @ 10:21 PM

---

Following President Obama's support of linking teacher pay to student performance and his promotion of charter schools, area educators say they are willing to listen. But, they say, they want to hear more specifics from him first.

"He's got a lot of good ideas for education," said Massachusetts Teachers Association President Anne Wass, though she noted that the state association disagrees with Obama on teacher pay and charter schools.

Teachers unions, a key force in Democratic party politics, have in the past vehemently opposed both of those ideas. Obama acknowledged that conflict.

-----

Chandler Creedon, president of the Franklin Education Association, said school districts vary widely on per-student funding, and any talk of merit pay also needs a discussion of how districts would fund it.

Franklin's expense per student is roughly $9,500, about $3,000 less than the state average, he said, and the schools might lay off 60 teachers and raise class sizes.

"We certainly don't have a level playing field to make these comparisons," said Creedon.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Fun Friday - How much is one trillion?

Let's have a little fun as the week closes this Friday the 13th.

How much is one trillion?

What does one trillion look like?

The slideshow put together using Google Docs starts with a familiar object, the size of a dollar bill and puts together what one trillion looks like.

Quite impressive!



Enjoy!


Thanks to Ms Meyer, an English teacher from Conroe, TX for putting this together to share.

Financial Plng Comm 03/12/09

The live reporting for the Financial Planning Committee meeting on March 12, 2009 can be found here:

• Live reporting - Financial Plng Comm - cont'd
• Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee

Panel on Government and its role in the Economy (Summary)

The panel discussion on Monday morning, Mar 9, 2009 at Franklin High school was an instructional moment in politics and civics. The discussion was recorded and is available for listening in three parts.

Part One

Vice Principal Joe DiLorenzo provided the welcoming remarks and the introduction of the panel.
The panel included:

• Congressman James McGovern
• State Senator Scott Brown
• State Senator Karen Spilka
• Majority Leader of the House, Representative Jim Vallee
• Town Administrator Jeff Nutting
• Town Council Chairperson Chris Feeley

The moderator for the discussion was Franklin High School Senior April Crehan.

The first question that everyone on the panel got to answer was summarized as: "What is the proper role of government in our economy?" They spoke in the following order so you can make out who's voice belong to who. McGovern, Spilka, Brown, Vallee, Nutting, and Feeley.

Listen to Part One here

Part Two

Question - Senator Brown, you spoke of reform in your response, indicating that Governor Patrick has been in office for 2.5 years and has not done any meaningful reform, if you were in charge what reform would you make?

Answered by Brown, Spilka

Question - How do you think that market panic has contributed to the economic downturn?

Answered by Feeley, Nutting, Vallee

Question - How do we help people with mortgage foreclosures and business on Wall Street with bailouts?

Answered by McGovern, Brown, Spilka

Listen to Part Two here

Part Three

Question - When you are creating bills to help people in the foreclosure crisis, do you plan on differentiating between predator lenders, those who made poor choices and those with unfortunate circumstances? or do you plan on doing so?

Answered by Brown

Question - Have you agreed to a salary freeze for next year?

Answered by Nutting, McGovern, Vallee, Brown, Spilka, Feeley

Question - What's your opinion on the stimulus package that was recently passed?

Answered by McGovern, Brown, Spilka

Interesting side note: Brown challenged McGovern on the number of earmarks supposedly in the package. McGovern came right back with "There are none." Brown insisted there are and that they would take it offline to resolve. This occurs about 9:50 into the recording.

Senator Spilka gets cut short as the bell rings.

Listen to Part Three here

Pictures from this event can be found here

FM #35 - Panel on Gov't and Economy - P3

This is #35 in the series of podcasts on what matters in Franklin MA. This is the third part of a three part panel discussion recorded at Franklin High School on Monday Mar 9, 2009.

Time: 13 minutes, 57 seconds



MP3 File


Session Notes: FM #35

Music intro
My intro

This internet radio show or podcast for Franklin Matters is number 35 in the series.

This session is a special one. On Monday morning, March 9, 2009, there was a panel discussion on the government and its role in the economy. The panel included Congressman James McGovern, State Senator Scott Brown, State Senator Karen Spilka, Majority Leader of the House, our own Jim Vallee, Town Administrator Jeff Nutting, and Town Council Chairperson Chris Feeley. The panel was held at Franklin High School and put together by Michael Walsh. The moderator was FHS Senior April Crehan. The session was well attended by students but only a handful of citizens took part.

Now you can share in that opportunity. What follows is the audio recording of the panel discussion split into three parts.

The first part covers the introduction of the panel and moderator and the first question which all had a chance to talk to.

The second part covers three questions. This third part also covers three questions and the closing is cut off by the bell for the students to change class periods.

Thanks to all the panelists for sharing their thoughts in this forum.

Thanks also to Mike Walsh for the opportunity to provide this recording for those who missed to take part.

--------------

This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow citizens of Franklin, MA

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music

Live reporting - Financial Plng Comm - cont'd

Data integrity checks; keeping the original sources marked and separate to come back to when the deck is complete

always took the conservative number and one that could be reasonably justified

bulk of employment has gone down from the schools but the school population has still increased

the town employment side has lost employment while the number of roads, houses, population has all increased

there are a lot of interesting things that aren't going to make the cut

one of the key values of the chart showing the overall per pupil cost in comparison to other relative communities, is that we are not overspending

The state aid will be a variable within a range, what reasonable conclusions can we draw about the possible ranges for state aid? Could it be flat, sure. When will the recovery occur? Anyone's guess but when it does come back, all the revenue streams, income tax, excise tax, etc. will increase and help.

The best guess is the most conservative, flat next year, and modest increases thereafter.

It could go below flat if we don't get a recovery for 2011

Next meeting: March 26th
Focus group: April 2nd

Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee

Attending: Cameron, Hardesty, Whalen, Bartlett, Nutting, Zollo, Wilschek
Absent: Kelly, Trahan, Roche, Ogden,

Discussion on override history added to one table but while the numbers are not completely accurate, even if it were, it doesn't add much of relevance to the discussion.

Some handouts for review, not all the package was reprinted.

Objectives for tonight:

• revisit the assumptions from last week's draft
• objectivity of the process
• ensure accuracy of the data and report

discussion on relevance of data that is directly from the DOR Franklin at a Glance section

FM #34 - Panel on Gov't and Economy P2

This is #34 in the series of podcasts on Franklin, MA Matters. This is the second part of the panel discussion on government and their role in the economy recorded at Franklin High School, Monday, March 9, 2009

Time: 21 minutes, 32 seconds



MP3 File

Session Notes: FM #34

Music intro
My intro

This internet radio show or podcast for Franklin Matters is number 34 in the series.

This session is a special one. On Monday morning, March 9, 2009, there was a panel discussion on the government and its role in the economy. The panel included Congressman James McGovern, State Senator Scott Brown, State Senator Karen Spilka, Majority Leader of the House, our own Jim Vallee, Town Administrator Jeff Nutting, and Town Council Chairperson Chris Feeley. The panel was held at Franklin High School and put together by Michael Walsh. The moderator was FHS Senior April Crehan. The session was well attended by students but only a handful of citizens took part.

Now you can share in that opportunity. What follows is the audio recording of the panel discussion split into three parts.

The first part covers the introduction of the panel and moderator and the first question which all had a chance to talk to.

This second part covers three questions. The third part also covers three questions and the closing is cut off by the bell for the students to change class periods.

Thanks to all the panelists for sharing their thoughts in this forum. Thanks also to Mike Walsh for the opportunity to provide this recording for those who missed to take part.

--------------

This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow citizens of Franklin, MA

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music

FM #33 - Panel on Government and the Economy

This is #33 in the series of podcasts for Franklin Matters. The panel discussion was recorded at Franklin High School on Monday Mar 9, 2009 and split into three parts for ease of listening. This is part one of three.

Time: 24 minutes, 12 seconds


MP3 File



Session Notes: FM #33

Music intro
My intro

This internet radio show or podcast for Franklin Matters is number 33 in the series.

This session is a special one. On Monday morning, March 9, 2009, there was a panel discussion on the government and its role in the economy. The panel included Congressman James McGovern, State Senator Scott Brown, State Senator Karen Spilka, Majority Leader of the House, our own Representative Jim Vallee, Town Administrator Jeff Nutting, and Town Council Chairperson Chris Feeley. The panel was held at Franklin High School and put together by Michael Walsh. The moderator was FHS Senior April Crehan. The session was well attended by students but only a handful of citizens took part.

Now you can share in that opportunity. What follows is the audio recording of the panel discussion split into three parts.

The first part covers the introduction of the panel/moderator and the first question which all had a chance to talk to.

The second part covers three questions. The third part also covers three questions and the closing is cut off by the bell for the students to change class periods.

Thanks to all the panelists for sharing their thoughts in this forum. Thanks also to Mike Walsh for the opportunity to provide this recording for those who missed to take part.

--------------

This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow citizens of Franklin, MA

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music

Free US History Course from Stanford via iTunes

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Free US History Course from Stanford via iTunes

via Free Technology for Teachers by rbyrnetech@hotmail.com (Mr. Byrne) on 3/11/09

Once again through the great Open Culture blog, I learned about a free Stanford University course being published on iTunes U. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jack Rakove is teaching a course about Colonial and Revolutionary America. The course will cover all of the topics typical of early American history survey courses. You can find the course here or look in the Stanford section of iTunes U. When the course is complete there will be 30 lectures available, currently there are seven lecutures posted.

Applications for Education
This course will cover topics that students have heard about from elementary school history teachers through high school history teachers. iTunes U provides high school students with an opportunity to learn in more depth about topics with which they are already familiar.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Free Technology for Teachers using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Franklin high school capital projects

I am trying a new service to share files in their original format and enable a conversation around their contents. Follow the link below to view the original PDF file format of Mike D'Angelo's memo to Wayne Ogden summarizing each of the capital projects where the projects were greater than $10,000. The sum total of all the projects was $6.5 million.

http://drop.io/FranklinMatters/asset/franklinhighschoolcapitalprojects-20090310-pdf

As you click through to view the file, you will also be able to comment on the document there (drop.io) or feel free to return to comment here.

sent via drop.io

NEED - National Energy Education Development

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

NEED - National Energy Education Development

via Free Technology for Teachers by rbyrnetech@hotmail.com (Mr. Byrne) on 3/11/09

The NEED Project is an educational program designed to teach students about energy consumption, energy sources, and the energy industry in general. NEED provides curriculum and lesson plans for teachers in all grades form elementary school through high school. The educators section of NEED makes all of their lessons with require materials available as PDF files.

The student section of NEED offers students science fair project ideas, games, and puzzles.

Applications for Education
NEED provides a wide range of activities for students in all grades to learn about the science of energy consumption and energy sources.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Free Technology for Teachers using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

"going to whichever one was open"

By Krista Perry/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

Posted Mar 12, 2009 @ 01:12 AM

---

MEDWAY —

Selectmen said last night that Medway is in talks with Franklin about regionalizing library services.

During a discussion about the municipal budget, selectmen Chairman Glenn Trindade mentioned that the board wants to add $42,000 to the town budget to pay for expenses related to a merger.

"This is only a recommendation," said Selectman Dennis Crowley. "The library trustees have to vote to approve this amount."

Trindade said that in the tentative plan, the libraries would alternate their operating days so that they would each be open three days a week, but residents of both towns would have access to a library six hours a day, six days a week by going to whichever one was open.

Read the full article on this next step in merging services between the two communities, Franklin and Medway, in the Milford Daily News here

"It's a significant sacrifice they're making"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 12, 2009 @ 01:40 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

In a move that has thrilled town officials, members of the Franklin Police Association have unanimously voted to freeze their salaries until July 2010. Union President John Maloney called the decision "a no-brainer."

The 41-member union also voted Tuesday to change its health care coverage and take higher co-payments to save the town money, said Officer David Gove.

"That is excellent, that's outstanding," said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.

"That's going to save police jobs (up to three). As far as I'm concerned, there will be no need to reduce the police force in 2010 because of the money they're going to save," which exceeds $100,000, Nutting said.

The union, which was due to receive a 3 percent raise in October, voted to forgo that increase until July, mainly to avoid layoffs, Maloney said.

"If you can defer a raise for eight or nine months to save at least one officer's job, it's a no-brainer," he said.

Read the full article about the Police Union actions in the Milford Daily News here

School Committee Mtg 03/10/09

The live reporting from the School Committee meeting on March 10th can be found here

• Live reporting - closing
• Live reporting - Superintendent update
• live reporting - action items
• Live reporting - Discussion only items
• Live reporting - Horace Mann Enrichment Model
• Live reporting - Presentations
• Live reporting - School Committee 3/10/09

• School Committee - Agenda - 3/10/09

"Franklin High School will still be a great place to get an education"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 11, 2009 @ 01:23 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

Superintendent Wayne Ogden said he anticipates local schools will receive about $1.3 million in federal stimulus money.

That funding, along with $125,000 in increased circuit breaker aid and the money saved by 51 staff members forgoing raises, will help close a projected $3.3 million gap in next year's budget, Ogden said.

The School Department should get the stimulus money over the next 24-48 months, Ogden said, but it is not yet clear how it can be spent.

Ogden said he hopes to use it to save teaching jobs.

Though many financial variables are still up in the air, Ogden and School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy promise to keep parents and school staff up to speed on the numbers.

"It's a very dynamic budget, we're still waiting for the federal stimulus money," Ogden said.

Read the full article from the School Committee meeting in the Milford Daily News here.

"You just gotta believe it's going to happen"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 11, 2009 @ 01:18 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

Despite some rocky relations in the past, the general sentiment among downtown businesses and town officials is one of sympathy for developer John Marini, whose plans were halted by the recession.

On Monday night, Marini told the Planning Board he has not been able to sell any of his 27 upscale condos in the 2 1/2 months they've been on the market, and cannot secure financing to demolish and rebuild 12-28 East Central St., as originally planned.

Instead, he will put $100,000 worth of repairs into the property and lease the first floor spaces for a three-year period.

"I promise to make it look presentable," he told the board.

This article follows up on the presentation to the Planning Board Monday night revealing a revised schedule for completion of the Center Commons project. Marini will be back to the Planning Board in April to file the formal paperwork. You can read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Live reporting - closing

The meeting is going into executive session and not to return

Live reporting - Superintendent update

5. Information Matters
• Superintendent’s Report

• Enrollment Comparison
• FY08 Per Pupil Expenditure Comparison to State Average

expenses per state average below across all eleven categories counted at the state level
a year ago we were below in 10 of the 11, and forecasted that we would be below in all 11
If we continue this trend, we will be below the state minimum level and the town will be forced to cut from the town side to fund the schools at the minimum level

actually one of the 11, we do want to be below the state average. In that one category, special ed students sent out of district, we are below the state average and should be, that is a good number to be

While we are still meeting scholastic performance and are performing above average, I don't know who long that will last. 2 of our middle schools are one year into a performance plan for not meeting the annual performance requirements

• FHS Building Projects

live reporting - action items

4. Action Items

1. I recommend acceptance of a check for $3,000.00 from the Jefferson PCC for field trips for the Jefferson 1st grade to Southwick and the 5th grade to Freedom Trail. approved 6-0
   
2. I recommend approval of the FHS Art Department’s request for a field trip to NY Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 16, 2009 as detailed. approved 6-0
3. I recommend appointment of Sally Winslow to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Student Services effective July 1, 2009. approved 6-0
4. I recommend approval of the FHS’s request for a recurring field trip for 20 students to the University of New Hampshire on March 14, 2009 for their annual Jazz Festival on March 14, 2009 as detailed. approved 6-0
5. I recommend acceptance of a check for $501.02 from the FHS Class of 1942 for a scholarship for the FHS Class of 2009. approved 6-0
6. I recommend approval of the FHS recurring field trip to Providence Place Mall for Remington Middle School students as detailed. tabled to be brought back next meeting with clarifications
   

Live reporting - Discussion only items

3. Discussion Only Items

• FY 2010 Budget Matters

Ogden - Maureen and I are making the rounds
$200,000 increased circuit breaker
$125,000 central office, administration wage freeze
We are still waiting to receive Federal Stimulus money, possible to get just over a $1 M
Not sure how we can use it yet, the Federal level has not determined the usage yet

Meal tax, etc still being worked in Boston, those could add $1 M to the overall Franklin budget of which some of that would come to the Schools

Budget hearing schedule tentative dependent upon when the final numbers are ready from the State and Federal sources

• Ten-Year Summary of Capitol Projects at FHS

The PDF File of Mike D'Angelo's memo to Wayne Ogden with the listing of capital projects can be found here.

in essence, there is documentation for approx. $4 million of improvements and repairs to the high school over the past 10 years

There is an additional $2.5 million associated with the new field and the repairs of the other fields

EPA grant to clean out chemical storage, etc. Because it is a grant, that is not on this listing

This listing is those items of $10,000 or more.
Replacement of eye wash stations would not meet that criteria so there are additional expenses not reflected here

Live reporting - Horace Mann Enrichment Model

c. Horace Mann Middle School Enrichment Model Presentation

• Anne Bergen
• Rob Vacca
• Jacqui Berger
• Trich Metrick
• Bert Garr
• Mark Brady
• Dr Bergen
  

Wrote a grant to obtain funds to support the program
Gave up some of their Saturday's to take course on gifted and talented curriculum
Expose the kids to exciting things so they will want to read


Mr Garr - enrichment clusters
connecting kids to their passions, get them involved with experiential learning

• One cluster on architectural design, formed a relationship with Harvard on design/CAD
• One on WWI and the Holocaust
• A parent came forward with interest on the JFK Assassination
• Most kids don't mind writing, they just need an opportunity to write about things they like
• A group worked on an on-line music review blog

The showcase will be on Horace Mann's final day of school (whatever it calculates out to be)

Jacqui Berger

• Visited Raythenon, NitroPlastics
• New England Laborers Training Academy (for building and construction)
• With Northeastern and other local universities
• Visited the MIT Museum, spoke with MIT students
• BU Medical, City Lab, 8th graders working on experiments in a real lab environment

main initiative to get kids interested in science


Mr Vacca

NCTA - traveled with 19 other educators to Southeast Asia
made connections with those teachers and continue to share/learn
Professor and 4-5 graduate students scheduled to visit Horace Mann in May
will cost only the gas expense for the graduate students


Mr Brady

Direction of this is to break out of the classroom to make the learning very real
International robotics competition, has two teams at Horace Mann
Find out Sep 5th, the research project behind the project is a great deal of work not seen by others as the focus in on the robots and the competition
Introduce student on personal finance, entrepreneurship
Investing, focus on the assumptions behind how and why you do so, we don't think strategically anymore, 18 months is not strategic
More students in the 18-26 age group actually declare bankruptcy than graduate

Student lead yard sale - May 9th
Any items for sale, please contact the school office

Armenio - I find this fascinating, anything that can make the education ore real is good
Anything you can do to get the community into the classroom is great

Live reporting - Presentations

Rachel Porter – 100 points Girls Ice Hockey




HMMS – Math Counts Competition – Most Improved Team Certificates (Teacher/Coach: Andi Ridley)

• Askshat Agrawal
• Azmina Aysha
• Rachel Balon
• Sanjay Batchu
• Abhilahsa Boruah
• Ben Burke
• Rachita Chaudhury
• Brendan Lewis
• Ajey Pandey
• Nithya Sridhar

Live reporting - School Committee 3/10/09

Attending: Armenio, Kelly, Mullen, Roy, Rohrbach, Trahan
Missing: Cafasso


1. Routine Business

• Citizen’s Comments - none
  
• Review of Agenda - none
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the February 24, 2009 School Committee Meeting. motion to approve - passed 6-0
  
• Payment of Bills - Mr. Kelly motion to approve - passed 6-0
• Payroll - Ms. Armenio
  
• FHS Student Representatives

Music Dept Concert at Horace Mann 7:00 PM Wednesday 3/11/09
Senior Awards night - June 1
The Wrestling team won the State Championship
Raised $5,000 for the Tomorrow Fund

• Correspondence:

1. Budget to Actual
2. Transfers

"I think it'll help everybody"

The two communities will begin by sharing the first flag football game of the year, in Medway in late April or early May, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.

Franklin has recreational staff and extensive programs and activities, and Medway has residents willing to pay the fees to participate, since the town only offers minimal recreational activities.

"It's a win-win for everyone," Nutting said.

"It gives us revenue to keep our fees down" by contributing to overhead costs, he said.

Franklin Recreation Department Director Ryan Jette said about 5,800 kids in Franklin participate and Nutting said the department has revenue of about $400,000 per year.

"We're not going to get rich off this, but if we can make $10,000 for a little bit of work, it's worth a try," Nutting said.

Under the agreement, Medway residents can participate in a Franklin Recreation Department program or activity after Franklin residents have been given a chance to register.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Read all the live reporting from the Town Council meeting March 4th here

"optimistic the economy will rebound in three years"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 09, 2009 @ 11:54 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

Developer John Marini will not be completing the final leg of his downtown project for at least three years because banks are refusing to finance the work, he told the Planning Board last night.

Instead of his original plan to demolish, rebuild, and sell 12-28 West Central St. this year, Marini said he will put $100,000 worth of repairs into the building and lease the spaces for a three-year period.

Marini blames his difficulties on the recession.

"I've been in this business 40 years, and I've never had things happen this way. It's impossible to get financing, it's impossible to get tenants, it's impossible to sell. It's just a crazy situation," Marini said.

Read the full article on the trouble delaying the downtown development in the Milford Daily News here.

Harlem Wizards vs. Sullivan Rockets

Anxious to get out of the house? Looking for a fun, affordable, local family activity? Want to get in the mood for March Madness?



The Harlem Wizards are coming to Franklin!

The Harlem Wizards, one of the greatest basketball show-team organizations to ever “lace it up and let’em fly”, will play our own Sullivan Rockets. This will be an entertaining night for kids of all ages (and adults too)!

Date:

Friday, March 13th, 2009, 7:00 PM
Doors Open 6:30, Game Time 7:00

Location:

Tri-County Regional High School
147 Pond St, Franklin MA

Tickets:

Click through to order form here on the Annie Sullivan PCC website

Contacts:

ayotte_k at verizon.net or erinclong at comcast.net

Sponsored By:

Annie Sullivan Middle School PCC
www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/sullivan/pcc

You may also order tickets online for a minimum fee:
www.harlemwizards.com

School Committee - Agenda - 3/10/09

1. Routine Business

• Citizen’s Comments
• Review of Agenda
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the February 24, 2009 School Committee Meeting.
• Payment of Bills - Mr. Kelly
• Payroll - Ms. Armenio
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence:

1. Budget to Actual
2. Transfers

2. Guests/Presentations:

Rachel Porter – 100 points Girls Ice Hockey (with Peter Light)

HMMS – Math Counts Competition – Most Improved Team Certificates (Teacher/Coach: Andi Ridley)

• Askshat Agrawal
• Azmina Aysha
• Rachel Balon
• Sanjay Batchu
• Abhilahsa Boruah
• Ben Burke
• Rachita Chaudhury
• Brendan Lewis
• Ajey Pandey
• Nithya Sridhar

c. HMMS Enrichment Model Presentation

• Anne Bergen
• Rob Vacca
• Jacqui Berger
• Trich Metrick
• Bert Garr

3. Discussion Only Items

• FY 2010 Budget Matters
• Ten-Year Summary of Capitol Projects at FHS

4. Action Items

1. I recommend acceptance of a check for $3,000.00 from the Jefferson PCC for field trips for the Jefferson 1st grade to Southwick and the 5th grade to Freedom Trail.
2. I recommend approval of the FHS Art Department’s request for a field trip to NY Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 16, 2009 as detailed.
3. I recommend appointment of Sally Winslow to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Student Services effective July 1, 2009.
4. I recommend approval of the FHS’s request for a recurring field trip for 20 students to the University of New Hampshire on March 14, 2009 for their annual Jazz Festival on March 14, 2009 as detailed.
5. I recommend acceptance of a check for $501.02 from the FHS Class of 1942 for a scholarship for the FHS Class of 2009.
6. I recommend approval of the FHS recurring field trip to Providence Place Mall for Remington Middle School students as detailed.

5. Information Matters
• Superintendent’s Report

• Enrollment Comparison
• FY08 Per Pupil Expenditure Comparison to State Average
• FHS Building Projects

• School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
• School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business

• To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session

• Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn

"Merging two positions seems efficient"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 08, 2009 @ 09:06 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

She hasn't yet officially taken the reins from Superintendent Wayne Ogden, but Maureen Sabolinski is already making moves to save a top position without expanding the budget.

"Looking at the workload and budgetary needs, I opted to reorganize" a few roles, said Sabolinski, now assistant superintendent.

Sabolinski said she will continue her current duties, plus heap on the job of superintendent. She is also one of 51 school staff who volunteered to forgo a pay increase next year.

And in place of an assistant superintendent and a director of pupil personnel services, she created a new position, assistant superintendent for student services.

Read the full article about this change in the Milford Daily News here

Read the live reporting from the School Committee meeting held on Feb 24th here

helping people get together

A slide show following the social networking phenomenon ends up concluding that the networking tools available today are helping people get together. From my own use of the social media tools, I have learned enough about someone so that when I do meet them in person, the conversation doesn't have that expectant pause. After we have greeted each other, the question "where do we go from here?" doesn't come up. We are already deep into a conversation.

The Micro-Sociology of Networks

View more presentations from David Armano. (tags: behavior human)

Enjoy!


Thanks for the link to Education Innovation and in particular to Angela Maiers for the tweet tip.

consolidation was 'generally negative'

In these days of tight budgets and looking in all corners for opportunities, one area I think has some possibilities to explore is in the area of combining services. Mendon, Millville and Hopedale are exploring the combination of their dispatch services. According to this story in the Boston Globe today, one area that won't work is combining school districts.

But a wave of research from around the country shows that consolidation does not improve schools or lead to better academic results. Spending on education does not go down; indeed, budgets often balloon with increased transportation costs and more administrators to run enlarged districts. Consolidation leads to schools closing and to bigger schools, with less parental involvement and community participation. And, in many parts of the United States, it has led to children on unconscionable bus rides lasting several hours a day.

"There is either no advantage or actually a disadvantage to making these enormous uber-districts," says Andrew J. Coulson, director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., who has conducted two major studies on consolidation. "They just don't help kids."

Read the full story on the learning obtained from other states who tried combining school district in the Boston Globe article here

So my eyes will be turned to other areas.

"how far can you sacrifice before it doesn't make sense"

By Rachel Lebeaux Globe Correspondent / March 8, 2009

Officials in Franklin, Milford, and Holliston have offered to forgo raises to help close ballooning deficits as tax revenue and state aid to communities plummet. In some cases, administrators are hoping that unionized employees will follow suit.

But unions - particularly those representing school teachers, the largest group of municipal workers in most communities - might not be so quick to follow.

Read the full article on efforts to control budgets with salary freezes in the Boston Globe West section here

Spring forward?

I trust you turned your clocks ahead one hour to stay current on Daylight Savings Time

"the bigger cost is that we’re navigating blindly"

Dr Scott McLeod completes his week of posting on the state of education in Iowa. He raises some great questions about the data that is currently not collected by the state. A sample (only the first four questions) are as follows:

Here are some questions that we should be asking in Iowa:

• What percentage of Iowa schools and districts have a technology plan? For those that do, what do those plans cover?
• What percentage of Iowa schools and districts have technology teams that advise the organization on technology-related concerns? Who’s on those teams?
• What are schools purchasing with their hardware and software money? What proportion of expenditures goes to teacher-centric technologies versus student-centric technologies? What proportion goes to software that provides powerful learning opportunities for students versus software that simply focuses on drill-and-kill remediation?
• How new are the computers in Iowa schools? What percentage of Iowa hardware and software is more than 2 years old?

I would recommend substituting "Franklin, MA" for Iowa as you read through these questions and the full listing on his page here

Do we already collect this data for MA? I do not know as I sit here but will spend some time in the coming weeks to go looking. If you know in the meantime, please let me know.

I want to play with these blocks!

From TED, we get a glimpse of what computers and human interaction can really do. No, not the kind where some one sits in front of a screen and uses a keyboard or mouse.

Watch, this is delightfully exciting!




Now that is a good use of computer technology for educational purposes!

How would you use these Shiftables?

Thanks to the folks at Free Technology for Teachers for the pointer to this!

Stop in to see/buy Spring in vase

stop in to see/buy Spring in vase, originally uploaded by shersteve.

This is good to know!

oh no, the start of a sink hole! and King Street was just recently redone

oh no, the start of a sink hole! and the street was just recently redone, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Found on King St heading towards RT 140, between Summer St and Summer St.

I'll come back later to try and measure how deep it is.

Updated 3/8/09 - I did measure it and it is 8" deep, deceiving but potentially dangerous.

"they were very brave"

By By Joyce Kelly, DAILY NEWS STAFF

GHS

Posted Mar 06, 2009 @ 11:39 PM

---

FRANKLIN - Standing tall with her flashcards, fourth-grader Beatrice Riley told Clara Barton's life story 12 times yesterday.

Wearing a white dress and signature giant red cross to portray Barton, delivered Barton's story six times to second and third-graders and another six times to parents by day's end.

"I was shy and I overcame my shyness ... I was intelligent and curious, and most important, I founded the Red Cross in the United States," she explained again and again, tirelessly retelling the highlights of Barton's life.

Riley and 22 other students transformed Davis Thayer Elementary School's cafeteria to a living wax museum of historical figures, including Mozart, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Neil Armstrong, Anne Frank, Marie Curie and more modern icons such as Bill Gates and Elvis.

Read the full article about the living wax museum in the Milford Daily News here

Harlem Wizards vs. Sullivan Rockets

Anxious to get out of the house? Looking for a fun, affordable, local family activity? Want to get in the mood for March Madness?



The Harlem Wizards are coming to Franklin!

The Harlem Wizards, one of the greatest basketball show-team organizations to ever “lace it up and let’em fly”, will play our own Sullivan Rockets. This will be an entertaining night for kids of all ages (and adults too)!

Date:

Friday, March 13th, 2009, 7:00 PM
Doors Open 6:30, Game Time 7:00

Location:

Tri-County Regional High School
147 Pond St, Franklin MA

Tickets:

Click through to order form here on the Annie Sullivan PCC website

Contacts:

ayotte_k at verizon.net or erinclong at comcast.net

Sponsored By:

Annie Sullivan Middle School PCC
www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/sullivan/pcc

You may also order tickets online for a minimum fee:
www.harlemwizards.com

"invest accordingly"

Dr Scott McLeod writes:

Leadership is absolutely critical to the success of any organization. Whether it be a school, corporation, government, faith institution, non-profit agency, or local community group, every organization lives and dies by its leadership. Organizations with effective, visionary leaders thrive. Organizations with lackluster, ineffective leaders muddle along or decline.

This is the 4th in his continuing series on education in Iowa. I have already referenced his earlier posts here, here and here.

One benefit that the Franklin school district has is with it's leadership. The School Committee is a good bunch of folks exploring the new media web, willing to go paperless (and go green in the process). They have had the foresight to bring in Superintendent Wayne Ogden. He was great for Franklin. What hurt him and caused him to tender his resignation for the end of this school year was our budget problems.

They were fortunate to backfill Wayne with Asst Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski. She has years of experience in Franklin and will be able to step right in so the district won't miss a beat. The administration and School Committee are making good progress on a suitable replacement for Maureen. They have been doing this at other levels within the district getting good relacements for principals and other key personnel. This is a hallmark of a good organization.

The one area that remains is the budget. Franklin as a whole needs to step up to the plate and properly fund the schools. We have been living off the largesse from the state and that won't last.

It is time that Franklin paid a fair share for the education of their own children.

T, can you hear me?

Facebook has a group collecting membership to help direct the MBTA to use Google Transit and improve the information available on the T operations.

Google has a site called Google Transit, that acts as a Google Maps of sorts for buses and trains in rural and urban areas of the United States. If you've never seen it before, go check it out on the link posted below. The program has been adopted by the New York City transit authority (Metro), among many others. More importantly, for those of you with iPhones, if you go to the maps application, you can get transit (bus, train) directions to your destinations. This feature uses Google Transit data and maps.

Unfortunately, for some reason the MBTA is still not on the program. All that needs to happen is for the MBTA to get in touch with Google to list their buses and trains on the website.

I've created this group to raise support, interest, and awareness for the fact that people want the MBTA on Google Transit. It seems so simple and frankly, the Boston area as a whole looks a little silly for not having their transit authority's buses and trains listed on the website.

So... invite all your friends, anyone who rides the T, or simply someone who feels that this is a logical and simple step to more accessibility for the MBTA and Boston.

If you have a Facebook account and would like to join the group, click through here

If you don't have a Facebook account but would still like to join the group, click through and you can create an account quickly.

To view the info on Google Transit, click here

A student's view

We shared the viewpoint of several key educators and thinkers yesterday. Today, let's share the view of a student:




Thanks to Dr Scott McLeod for the link

Financial Plng Comm 03/05/09

The collection of live reporting for the Financial Planning Committee meeting on 3/5/09:

• Live reporting - FPC continued
• Live reporting - Financial Planning (continued)
• Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee

Live reporting - FPC continued

Teacher compensation needs to be understood to develop the assumptions. A percent makes a difference when the schools account for 33% of the overall budget.

Big discussion on how to present the data to create the proper conversation.

Jeff will look at the revenue and expense assumptions to see if there would be any changes.
The assumptions will be critical as these numbers will be what will drive the model.

Meeting next week on the 12th

Doug will update the changes and we'll pick up from there.

Live reporting - Financial Planning (continued)

When doing the benchmarks with other communities, need to define why which towns are used for which categories. For school comparisons, the number of students needs to be similar. When you get to Police, Fire, and DPW, they get problematic as they are not an apples to apples comparison.

Discussion on the teacher salary percent increases, mixing the cost of living and the step/lane changes is confusing, need to be more clear.

Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee

Attending: Roche, Cameron, Hardesty, Ogden, Trahan, Whalen, Wilschek (late), Bartlett (late), Nutting (late)
Absent: Kelly, Zollo,

Review of Steve Whalen's charts/tables. He updated the numbers he has prepared for the past two years. He has two new charts, one that shows Franklin is third from the bottom in percent of revenue from property taxes (~46%). Another shows Franklin at the top of the listing in terms of the percent of revenue from the state (~30%)

Need to look at the past history across the state for operational vs. debt override results, what does that show, would be good to have.

Reviewing the draft compiled by Doug Hardesty: Working through the draft, page by page, looking carefully for the wording and what it conveys to try and get the message tight and accurate.

"Take a deep breath; you can do this"

The world is changing because of social web technologies. Our kids are using them. No one is teaching them how to use them to their full learning potential, and ultimately, as teachers and learners, that’s our responsibility. To do that, we need to be able to learn in these contexts for ourselves.

Well said!

This is Wil Richardson writing about a new report from the Harvard Graduate School Of Education. You can find Wil's complete posting here. He also has the link to the Harvard report or you go directly to the report here, and then go to Wil's page.

Recommended viewing

Technology has created a world where learning takes place here and now.

How do we want to prepare our children for the future?

one laptop per student

Dr Scott McLeod is continuing his series on recommendations for the Iowa schools. In part 3, he writes:

In addition to funding, numerous other challenges exist as well. One of the biggest is the current predisposition of schools to invest in teacher-centric technologies like televisions, DVD/VCR players, projectors, electronic whiteboards, and document cameras. They’re important and useful but they’re also primarily used as yet another way for teachers to push out information to students. In contrast, laptops, netbooks, digital cameras, small high-definition camcorders, digital voice recorders, webcams, digital scientific probes or sensors, and other devices are primarily used by students to facilitate their own academic learning. If we want Iowa students to gain the technology skills they will need to be productive citizens and workers, schools should be making as many investments in these latter, student-centric devices as possible. There also are a number of free or low-cost online software and tools that students and teachers can use in creative and productive ways.

You can read the full article here. It is rich with links and additional media (pictures and video).

Interesting court case in CT on schools

A court case from Connecticut is stirring a debate over where to draw the line on what schools can or should do about things students say online. High school student Avery Doninger railed online against the “douchebags” in her school district and urged her classmates to bombard the superintendent with complaints to “piss her off more.” When the school said that this was inappropriate for a student government leader and told her she couldn’t run for senior class secretary, she sued.

The lawsuit has gone up and down in the courts, but so far the student has lost. All the legal nitty-gritty on the Doninger case is available starting here, courtesy of NSBA’s Legal Clips e-newsletter.

You can read the full posting on the National School Board Association website here

"town helps create favorable conditions for business expansion"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 05, 2009 @ 12:43 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

In its ongoing efforts to reel in some extra cash, Town Council last night voted unanimously to establish Forge Park and Franklin Industrial Park as economic opportunity areas.

Designating the two parks as economic opportunity areas will provide significant incentives for businesses and property owners wishing to sell, lease, develop or redevelop their properties, said Bryan Taberner, director of the Department of Planning and Community Development.

In turn, the business expansions and developments will bring more tax revenue, he said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

For everything that occurred during the Town Council meeting on 3/4/09, check my live reporting here

Town Council Mtg 03/04/09

Here is the summary of live reporting posts for the meeting 3/4/09

• Live reporting - Administrator, and closing
• Live reporting - action items
• live reporting - action items
• Live reporting - Planning update
• Live reporting - Town Council 3/4/09

• Town Council - Agenda - 3/4/09

Live reporting - Administrator, and closing

Thanks to the DPW for the never-ending winter we are having.

Thanks to Jim Dacey and Susan Gagner for their work to gain us an upgrade on our bond rating which saves us $100,000 in interest.

Compliment Allen Earl's new book on Franklin, available in local bookstores

Group working to make the rail trail a reality as an other recreation use in Franklin, contact Jeff Nutting if interested in helping out.


Food Pantry met with Chris Feeley, a pretty positive meeting. We are looking for a new location.

Old business - none
New business -
Vallee - are delinquencies up in this economy?
Nutting - actually no, the banks are tending to pay to protect their property

Councilor Comments
Bartlett - TV Trivia is the theme for the next FEF Trivia Bee is coming March 19th


Move to executive session
roll call - unanimous

Live reporting - action items

2. Resolution 09-10: Authorization for Intermunicipal Agreement with Town of Medway
Motion to approve 7-0

A joint agreement that Franklin will administer the program and gain the fees from Medway to offset the overall administration overhead. A win-win move to trial until Dec 2010. Will come back with status updates.

3. Resolution 09-11: Appropriation – Capital – Fire Dept Ladder Truck
Motion to approve 7-0


4. Resolution 09-12: Appropriation – Capital – DPW Lawn mower
Motion to approve 7-0

The new one is $75K, a used one is $35K, this is a good buy to save the town money
This is a wider cut machine replacing a 15 year old unit


7. Bylaw Amendment 09-630:Amendment to Chapter 37, Town Properties - 1st Reading
Motion to move to second reading 7-0

live reporting - action items

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 09-09: Appropriation – Survey on 30+ Acres on Pond Street
discussion on the survey details

Motion approved 7-0

Live reporting - Town Council 3/4/09

Attending: Whalen, Mason, Vallee, Bartlett, Feeley, Pfeffer, Doak
Missing: McGann, Zollo


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – February 4, 11, 2009
Motion approved - 7-0

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chris Feeley read an announcement formally acknowledging the state's interest in purchasing land to expand the Franklin Forest as reported earlier.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - None

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - None

E. APPOINTMENTS - Public Land Use Committee

• Timothy Twardowski
• James Estabrook

Motion approved 7-0


F. HEARINGS - None

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - None