Dean to build performing arts center, dining hall
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Franklin Harvest Festival is Sunday
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Comedy night to raise funds to honor Franklin soldier who died
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Saturday, September 19, 2009
Franklin's new "Express Line"
Subscribe to the Town News to receive an email update at least monthly.
This is what the first issue looks like:
You can subscribe to the Town's newsletter via this link
This is what the first issue looks like:
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
You can subscribe to the Town's newsletter via this link
Friday, September 18, 2009
Franklin: Farmers Market
The Farmers Market is open today. One of the regular local farms represented is Tangerini's from Millis.
Tangerini's offers fresh produce at the stand on the Town Common each Friday. It also offers shares in their CSA program.
Tangerini's offers fresh produce at the stand on the Town Common each Friday. It also offers shares in their CSA program.
Franklin: Anniversary Specials at Jane's Frames
Do you have some photos collecting dust that really should be displayed?
What about that award, why is it sitting in the drawer and not hanging on your wall?
Oh, you never got around to finding the proper frame for those items.
Now is the time to visit Jane's Frames. Celebrating its 15th year operating in Franklin, there are daily specials that may just help you find the right frame for that photo or award.
There is still time this month to visit and ask about the daily specials.
What about that award, why is it sitting in the drawer and not hanging on your wall?
Oh, you never got around to finding the proper frame for those items.
Now is the time to visit Jane's Frames. Celebrating its 15th year operating in Franklin, there are daily specials that may just help you find the right frame for that photo or award.
There is still time this month to visit and ask about the daily specials.
Franklin: Cheryl Vendetti Benefit
There will be a chicken BBQ dinner and silent auction at the Franklin Rod & Gun Club to benefit Cheryl Vendetti.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sep 20, from noon to 3:00 PM
Tickets are $20 and are available at
The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sep 20, from noon to 3:00 PM
Tickets are $20 and are available at
- Ferrara's Market
- Franklin Tire & Auto
- The Rome Restaurant
Harvest Festival
Come to downtown Franklin for the Harvest Festival, Sunday, Sep 20th!
Sunday, Sep 20th - 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sunday, Sep 20th - 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Thursday, September 17, 2009
In the News - charter proposals
Should you care about the Town Charter?
Does the US Constitution matter to you? It should. It provides the guidelines within which our Federal government operates. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are generally referred to as the "Bill of Rights".
The Town Charter is the same document but focused on how our the local government will operate. The Preamble to the US Constitution reads:
The Milford Daily News covers the charter discussion from the Town Council meeting here:
Does the US Constitution matter to you? It should. It provides the guidelines within which our Federal government operates. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are generally referred to as the "Bill of Rights".
The Town Charter is the same document but focused on how our the local government will operate. The Preamble to the US Constitution reads:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.The Preamble to our town charter reads:
We, the people of the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts, in order to form a more perfect community, reaffirm the customary and traditional liberties of the people with respect to the conduct of our local government and take fullest advantage of the Home Rule Amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, do ordain and adopt this Home Rule Charter for our Town.
The Milford Daily News covers the charter discussion from the Town Council meeting here:
Franklin may make some positions appointed
from The Milford Daily News News RSS
Town Council Mtg Smry 09/16/09
The live reporting for the Town Council meeting on Wednesday Sep 16, 2009 are collected here:
- Live reporting - closing items
- Live reporting - Administrator's report
- Live reporting - legislation
- Live reporting - Charter changes
- Live reporting - Town Council - 9/16/09
Secretary of Elder Affairs - visits Senior Center Thursday, Sep 17
Meet the Newly Appointed
Secretary of Elder Affairs,
Ann Hartstein
Secretary of Elder Affairs,
Ann Hartstein
at
the Franklin Senior Center
On
Thursday, Sept. 17
At 12:30 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend to ask questions
and offer feedback
about elder issues!
the Franklin Senior Center
On
Thursday, Sept. 17
At 12:30 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend to ask questions
and offer feedback
about elder issues!
Originally posted on the Town website (doc)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Live reporting - closing items
L. OLD BUSINESS - none
M. NEW BUSINESS - none
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
McGann - went to an Eagle Scout ceremony for three scouts at the Elks
What is the duty.legal option for dealing with a coyote. He has a number of coyotes coming up to his door, he doesn't want to loose his golden retriever to a coyote.
Doak - omitted from earlier report on the Charter Commission, did not look at the people currently in the position
Pfeffer - New Secretary of Elder Affairs will be at the Senior Center Thursday.
motion to adjourn - passed 8-0
M. NEW BUSINESS - none
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
McGann - went to an Eagle Scout ceremony for three scouts at the Elks
What is the duty.legal option for dealing with a coyote. He has a number of coyotes coming up to his door, he doesn't want to loose his golden retriever to a coyote.
Doak - omitted from earlier report on the Charter Commission, did not look at the people currently in the position
Pfeffer - New Secretary of Elder Affairs will be at the Senior Center Thursday.
motion to adjourn - passed 8-0
Live reporting - Administrator's report
K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Thanks to everyone's patience, the roads that were to be paved, have now been, some stripping remains.
The first newsletter has been sent out via email. You can sign up at the Town Administrators web page.
Live cable show available for on-demand viewing on the H1N1 virus update.
Thanks to everyone's patience, the roads that were to be paved, have now been, some stripping remains.
The first newsletter has been sent out via email. You can sign up at the Town Administrators web page.
Live cable show available for on-demand viewing on the H1N1 virus update.
Live reporting - legislation
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1 - balancing the budget with some minor adjustments now that the State budget numbers settled. This is a known adjustment, expected since the original budget was passed in June. About 1.4 million dollars was saved with salary deferments and co-pay adjustments.
2 - resolution added related to dissolving the Housing Partnership, the town would use the money to buy some housing and mark them for affordable housing forever.Looking to obtain smaller homes with this approach.
3 - A problem with consistency between the state level requirement and the local bylaw. This will provide some extensions one year at a time to bring the two into alingment.
4 - goes hand in hand with #5, the existing bylaw for personnel would be removed and replaced by a new bylaw to cover Human Resource issues. The Town Council would still be involved for approval as requried for the check and balence but to streamline the process for approvals to changes.
The one significant change is in the time off policy where it would provide more flexibility to the employee to use time but more responsibility and accountability.
Very few municipal governments do this, so they tried to account for the long term employees and still make it workable for the new employees. It is competitive.
Questions to clarify how this would be used, some of the questions are more to the day-to-day management of the personnel rather than the overall procedures being proposed. There are transition coverage items to help the existing employees move from the old way to the new way.
Suggestion to correct the document for the next reading to reflect the proper wording around the 30 days as discussed earlier.
6 and 7 go hand in hand, these had come before the Town Council previously, have been revised and are now being looked for to go to the Planning Board for further hearings and approval before coming back to the Town Council for final approval.
Discussion on need for "fulltime" in the definition, Per M Cerel, the text needs to be as tight as possible to put the onus on the resident to make the proof rather than the town having the burden of proof.
The resolution that was added reads as follows:
- Resolution 09-59: Amendment of FY 2010 Budget motion to accept - passed 8-0
- Resolution 09-60 Endorsement of the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust motion to accept - passed 8-0
- Bylaw Amendment 09-634: Amendment to the Franklin Conservation Bylaw Chapter 181-8D: Term of Years- 1st Reading motion to accept - passed 8-0
- Bylaw Amendment 09-635: Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin, Chapter 25 – Personnel Regulations – 1st Reading motion to move to second reading - passed 8-0
- Bylaw Amendment 09-636: Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin, Chapter 25 – Human Resource Management – 1st Reading motion to move to second reading - passed 8-0
- Zoning Bylaw Amendment 09-637: Amendment to Chapter 185-3. Definitions – Referral to Planning Board motion to refer, passed 8-0
- Zoning Bylaw Amendment 09-638: Amendment to Chapter 185-39. Uses Accessory to Dwelling – Referral to Planning Board motion to refer, passed 8-0
1 - balancing the budget with some minor adjustments now that the State budget numbers settled. This is a known adjustment, expected since the original budget was passed in June. About 1.4 million dollars was saved with salary deferments and co-pay adjustments.
2 - resolution added related to dissolving the Housing Partnership, the town would use the money to buy some housing and mark them for affordable housing forever.Looking to obtain smaller homes with this approach.
3 - A problem with consistency between the state level requirement and the local bylaw. This will provide some extensions one year at a time to bring the two into alingment.
4 - goes hand in hand with #5, the existing bylaw for personnel would be removed and replaced by a new bylaw to cover Human Resource issues. The Town Council would still be involved for approval as requried for the check and balence but to streamline the process for approvals to changes.
The one significant change is in the time off policy where it would provide more flexibility to the employee to use time but more responsibility and accountability.
Very few municipal governments do this, so they tried to account for the long term employees and still make it workable for the new employees. It is competitive.
Questions to clarify how this would be used, some of the questions are more to the day-to-day management of the personnel rather than the overall procedures being proposed. There are transition coverage items to help the existing employees move from the old way to the new way.
Suggestion to correct the document for the next reading to reflect the proper wording around the 30 days as discussed earlier.
6 and 7 go hand in hand, these had come before the Town Council previously, have been revised and are now being looked for to go to the Planning Board for further hearings and approval before coming back to the Town Council for final approval.
Discussion on need for "fulltime" in the definition, Per M Cerel, the text needs to be as tight as possible to put the onus on the resident to make the proof rather than the town having the burden of proof.
The resolution that was added reads as follows:
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
Live reporting - Charter changes
Subcommittee - Doak, Whalen, Zollo
the page of changes to be added later, there are a number of minor changes to reflect better language
One change would remove from the Charter the requirement for the Town Council to meet twice a month and change it to meeting once a month. The Town Council should have the ability via other Town Council procedures to hold meetings.
cleaning up conflicts within the charter and to remove ambiguities
Change of the Finance Committee from 11 to 9, and change the term to 2 (from 1).
Section 7-7 - to be removed, these items should really be covered in a human resources section.
The three page handout from the subcommittee follows:
--- page 2 ---
--- page 3 ---
the page of changes to be added later, there are a number of minor changes to reflect better language
One change would remove from the Charter the requirement for the Town Council to meet twice a month and change it to meeting once a month. The Town Council should have the ability via other Town Council procedures to hold meetings.
cleaning up conflicts within the charter and to remove ambiguities
Change of the Finance Committee from 11 to 9, and change the term to 2 (from 1).
Section 7-7 - to be removed, these items should really be covered in a human resources section.
The three page handout from the subcommittee follows:
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
--- page 2 ---
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
--- page 3 ---
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
Live reporting - Town Council - 9/16/09
Attending: Whalen, Vallee, Bartlett, Feeley, Pfeffer, Doak, McGann, Zollo
Missing: Mason
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – August 19, 2009, September 2, 2009
motion to approve - passed 8-0
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Harvest Festival this Sunday, 9/20/09 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none
E. APPOINTMENTS - none
F. HEARINGS - none
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - none
H. DISCUSSIONS - none
Missing: Mason
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – August 19, 2009, September 2, 2009
motion to approve - passed 8-0
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Harvest Festival this Sunday, 9/20/09 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none
E. APPOINTMENTS - none
F. HEARINGS - none
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - none
H. DISCUSSIONS - none
Open offer to candidates for Franklin's Election - November 3rd
As there are several new candidates for election this November, let me re-post my offer.
The Milford Daily News covers the current candidate line up in their article today.
To the candidates for Franklin's election on November 3, 2009:
I extend an offer to conduct and post an interview with you here. The interview can be either text or audio.
You are running to conduct business on behalf of Franklin. Together, we can share your views, your objectives, and help to spread the word to create an informed voter.
Send me an email (shersteve at gmail dot com) and we can arrange a mutually convenient time.
Be aware that this is my public service effort conducted solely to create an informed electorate here in Franklin.
I do this for fun and education. If it stops being that way, I will stop. This is not an advertising site. This is an information sharing site.
My disclosure statement can be found here.
The Milford Daily News covers the current candidate line up in their article today.
November Election Line up
The line up for the November 3rd election finally has settled and looks like this:
Board of Assessors - 1 Position (For 4 years)
no candidates
Board of Health - 1 Position (For 4 years)
Bruce Hunchard
Koren Kanadanian - new
Planning Board - 2 Position (For 4 years)
Anthony Padula
Joseph Halligan - new
Planning Board (Associate) - 1 vacant position (For 4 Years)
John Carroll - new
Town Council - 9 Positions (For 2 Years)
Joseph McGann
R. Scott Mason
Judith Pond Pfeffer
Shannon Zollo
Robert Vallee
Stephen Whalen
Glenn Jones - new
Daniel Ballinger - new
Bryce Kuchs - new - due to changes at his work, he would be unable to fulfill the duties if elected*
Robert Avakian (switch from Board of Assessors)
Matthew Kelly (switch from School Committee)
Tina Powderly - new
Glenna Richards - new
School Committee - 7 Positions (For 2 Years)
Susan Rohrbach
Paula Mullen
Edward Cafasso
Roberta Trahan
Jeffrey Roy
William Glynn - new
Cynthia Douglas - new
* Kuchs name will still appear on the ballot as it has already been printed.
Board of Assessors - 1 Position (For 4 years)
no candidates
updated 10/28/09
Chris Feeley has announced his intention to run as a "write-in" candidate for the Board of AssessorsBoard of Health - 1 Position (For 4 years)
Bruce Hunchard
Koren Kanadanian - new
Planning Board - 2 Position (For 4 years)
Anthony Padula
Joseph Halligan - new
Planning Board (Associate) - 1 vacant position (For 4 Years)
John Carroll - new
Town Council - 9 Positions (For 2 Years)
Joseph McGann
R. Scott Mason
Judith Pond Pfeffer
Shannon Zollo
Robert Vallee
Stephen Whalen
Glenn Jones - new
Daniel Ballinger - new
Robert Avakian (switch from Board of Assessors)
Matthew Kelly (switch from School Committee)
Tina Powderly - new
Glenna Richards - new
School Committee - 7 Positions (For 2 Years)
Susan Rohrbach
Paula Mullen
Edward Cafasso
Roberta Trahan
Jeffrey Roy
William Glynn - new
Cynthia Douglas - new
* Kuchs name will still appear on the ballot as it has already been printed.
Third Thursday - 9/17/09
Yes, Third Thursday has rolled around for September already. Here are the details for the events scheduled to occur this Thursday evening in downtown Franklin:
Thursday, September 17 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM
hosted by Artbeat, The Creativity Store
Meet identical twin sisters (and Bellingham residents) Heather Kempskie and Lisa Hanson this Thursday, September 17th at ARTBEAT from 4:30 to 6:00 PM when we feature their award-winning "The Siblings' Busy Book: 200 Fun Activities for Kids of Different Ages." Heather and Lisa will share tips with parents, and kids will have the chance to try some fun activities that help turn sibling rivalry into harmony.
Theme: It's All About Time
Emma's Quilt Cupboard, It's Time to get started on your Holiday Gifts. Come see our beautiful fall/holiday samples and take advantage of our new class offerings
Jane's Frames, 11 E. Central St. It's Time for Celebrating 15 years in business. Daily specials with lots of 15% off savings!
H & R Block, 9 E. Central St. It's Time for Tax Planning! Tax talks every 15 minutes. Topics: education, making work pay credit, first time home buyers credit, home energy credits
Hair at Nail It, 20 Main St. Free wash & blow dry & new customer coupon
Franklin Pizza, 18 Cottage Street, Free 2 liter soda with large pizza purchase
Pretty is Pink, 9 Summer Street, It's Time for You. Shop for yourself, enter free drawing for Gift Certificate
Rick's Restaurant 28 W. Central St., It's Time for Taste, 3rd Thursday participants: Diners enjoy free homemade onion rings.
Sarapaan, 17 E. Central St , It's Time for a new look! Design your earrings and let us finish it for you.
Salon Sorella, 9 Summer St. It's Time to relax! Receive a free 10 minute back massage.
Get full details at each participating business
So much is happening Downtown/Uptown Franklin
Come join the Fun!
Thursday, September 17 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM
hosted by Artbeat, The Creativity Store
Turning Sibling Rivalry into Harmony
Meet identical twin sisters (and Bellingham residents) Heather Kempskie and Lisa Hanson this Thursday, September 17th at ARTBEAT from 4:30 to 6:00 PM when we feature their award-winning "The Siblings' Busy Book: 200 Fun Activities for Kids of Different Ages." Heather and Lisa will share tips with parents, and kids will have the chance to try some fun activities that help turn sibling rivalry into harmony.
Theme: It's All About Time
Emma's Quilt Cupboard, It's Time to get started on your Holiday Gifts. Come see our beautiful fall/holiday samples and take advantage of our new class offerings
Jane's Frames, 11 E. Central St. It's Time for Celebrating 15 years in business. Daily specials with lots of 15% off savings!
H & R Block, 9 E. Central St. It's Time for Tax Planning! Tax talks every 15 minutes. Topics: education, making work pay credit, first time home buyers credit, home energy credits
Hair at Nail It, 20 Main St. Free wash & blow dry & new customer coupon
Franklin Pizza, 18 Cottage Street, Free 2 liter soda with large pizza purchase
Pretty is Pink, 9 Summer Street, It's Time for You. Shop for yourself, enter free drawing for Gift Certificate
Rick's Restaurant 28 W. Central St., It's Time for Taste, 3rd Thursday participants: Diners enjoy free homemade onion rings.
Sarapaan, 17 E. Central St , It's Time for a new look! Design your earrings and let us finish it for you.
Salon Sorella, 9 Summer St. It's Time to relax! Receive a free 10 minute back massage.
Get full details at each participating business
So much is happening Downtown/Uptown Franklin
Come join the Fun!
You can also mark your calendar for October 15th and November 19th for the next Third Thursdays!
Boston Globe introduces "Budget Blues", a new blog
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Override Central on 9/15/09
We're launching a new blog, Budget Blues, to cover the financial struggles facing Massachusetts communities and their tax payers. We'll write about property tax overrides, budget cuts and some of the spending priorities cities and towns make.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Override Central using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
College Cost webinar - Thu Sep 17 - 7:00 PM
The word "college" can trigger a lot of stress, but here's a solution...
One of the country's leading experts in college admissions and financial aid, author and speaker Paul Hemphill, will be conducting a live seminar online Thursday evening, Sept 17, at 7 PM. Topics will include:
• How to cut $42,000 from college costs without a parent taking out a single loan
• The financial advantages to applying to 10 colleges instead of 5
• Why a student should apply Early Action and NOT Early Decision
• The 4 questions to ask to get the most financial aid
• The money advantage of appealing a financial aid award
• The financial advantages of going to college during high school
• The college application – why answers to innocent questions can cause rejections
• Financial aid forms – why you must be cautious
Paul provides 60-70 minutes of pure stress relief. Be sure your high school student is watching - Paul will set their minds - and yours - at ease.
Paul has a fact-filled and fast-paced program that will produce a few laughs from true stories that will really hit home.
Go ahead and register now, and be sure to send this notice of the webinar to 4 of your friends who have high school students.
Here's a free YouTube video Paul created, which has become the second most-watched video on college essays: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ago6tIEnL0g
Click through to register here
One of the country's leading experts in college admissions and financial aid, author and speaker Paul Hemphill, will be conducting a live seminar online Thursday evening, Sept 17, at 7 PM. Topics will include:
• How to cut $42,000 from college costs without a parent taking out a single loan
• The financial advantages to applying to 10 colleges instead of 5
• Why a student should apply Early Action and NOT Early Decision
• The 4 questions to ask to get the most financial aid
• The money advantage of appealing a financial aid award
• The financial advantages of going to college during high school
• The college application – why answers to innocent questions can cause rejections
• Financial aid forms – why you must be cautious
Paul provides 60-70 minutes of pure stress relief. Be sure your high school student is watching - Paul will set their minds - and yours - at ease.
Paul has a fact-filled and fast-paced program that will produce a few laughs from true stories that will really hit home.
Go ahead and register now, and be sure to send this notice of the webinar to 4 of your friends who have high school students.
Here's a free YouTube video Paul created, which has become the second most-watched video on college essays: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ago6tIEnL0g
Click through to register here
Open Learning Initiative - Great Courses
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Free Technology for Teachers by noreply@blogger.com (Mr. Byrne) on 9/11/09
The Open Learning Initiative offers free high-quality courses created by Carnegie Mellon University. There are courses available in Statistics, Engineering, Science, Economics, French, and more. All of the courses are open to anyone that wants to give the courses a try. Users can create an account to track their progress or users can just jump into the course materials without creating an account.In addition to offering open learning opportunities to students, the Open Learning Initiative provides instructors with course packages that they can use for free. To explore the free options offered to educators, request an OLI Instructor Account.
Applications for Education
The Open Learning Initiative provides high school students with the opportunity explore their interests and get a sense of what is required by collegiate level courses. If you're school allows you to create independent study opportunities, the OLI instructor resources could be starting place for creating those opportunities.
Here are some related items that may be of interest to you:
100 Awesome Open Courses
Lectures and Courses from Great Universities
Yale Open Courses Added to iTunes
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
Who Gets the Money? Your Vote Decides for Dean Bank!
Who Gets the Money? Your Vote Decides!
Dean Bank will be hosting a fundraiser and would like you to help choose which Franklin-based non-profit organization will be the beneficiary.
On Saturday, October 10th, Dean Bank will host an E-Waste Recycling Collection behind its Main Office in Franklin. Local residents will be able to pay reasonable fees to drop off their old, used and unwanted electronics, which will be hauled away to a recycling facility. All profits will be donated to the Franklin-based non-profit that the community selects by voting at Dean Bank's website.
Dean Bank employees collectively nominated the following five organizations to be voted on: The Franklin Food Pantry, The Franklin Library, The Franklin Downtown Partnership, The Franklin 2010 July 4th Celebration, and Random Smile Project.
Tell us. . . Who do you support? The voting period will end on Monday, September 21st at 4:00pm. The organization that receives the most votes will be announced by Dean Bank as the fundraiser beneficiary. Voting is limited to one per computer.
To VOTE on who you think should get the money and see current results, click HERE!
To LEARN MORE about the E-Waste Recycling Collection fundraiser, click HERE!
Dean Bank will be hosting a fundraiser and would like you to help choose which Franklin-based non-profit organization will be the beneficiary.
On Saturday, October 10th, Dean Bank will host an E-Waste Recycling Collection behind its Main Office in Franklin. Local residents will be able to pay reasonable fees to drop off their old, used and unwanted electronics, which will be hauled away to a recycling facility. All profits will be donated to the Franklin-based non-profit that the community selects by voting at Dean Bank's website.
Dean Bank employees collectively nominated the following five organizations to be voted on: The Franklin Food Pantry, The Franklin Library, The Franklin Downtown Partnership, The Franklin 2010 July 4th Celebration, and Random Smile Project.
Tell us. . . Who do you support? The voting period will end on Monday, September 21st at 4:00pm. The organization that receives the most votes will be announced by Dean Bank as the fundraiser beneficiary. Voting is limited to one per computer.
To VOTE on who you think should get the money and see current results, click HERE!
To LEARN MORE about the E-Waste Recycling Collection fundraiser, click HERE!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Town Council - Agenda - 9/16/09
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – August 19, 2009, September 2, 2009
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
E. APPOINTMENTS
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
H. DISCUSSIONS
I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS – Charter Review Subcommittee
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
L. OLD BUSINESS
M. NEW BUSINESS
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required
P. ADJOURN
The documents supporting the pertinent agenda items can be found on the Town website here (PDF)
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
E. APPOINTMENTS
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
H. DISCUSSIONS
I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS – Charter Review Subcommittee
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
- Resolution 09-59: Amendment of FY 2010 Budget
- Bylaw Amendment 09-634: Amendment to the Franklin Conservation Bylaw Chapter 181-8D: Term of Years- 1st Reading
- Bylaw Amendment 09-635: Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin, Chapter 25 – Personnel Regulations – 1st Reading
- Bylaw Amendment 09-636: Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin, Chapter 25 – Human Resource Management – 1st Reading
- Zoning Bylaw Amendment 09-637: Amendment to Chapter 185-3. Definitions – Referral to Planning Board
- Zoning Bylaw Amendment 09-638: Amendment to Chapter 185-39. Uses Accessory to Dwelling – Referral to Planning Board
K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
L. OLD BUSINESS
M. NEW BUSINESS
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required
P. ADJOURN
The documents supporting the pertinent agenda items can be found on the Town website here (PDF)
School Committee duties
With some potential new members coming to the School Committee, I thought it would be a good idea to find out what the School Committee duties are. The following comes from the School Committee policy library.
-----------
Policy BBAA
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER AUTHORITY
Authority
Because all powers of the Franklin School Committee derived from state laws are granted in terms of action as a group, members of the School Committee have authority only when acting as a committee legally in session.
The School Committee will not be bound in any way by any statement or action on the part of an individual member except when such statement or action is a result of specific instructions of the committee.
No member of the committee, by virtue of his/her office, will exercise any administrative responsibility with respect to the schools or command the services of any school employee.
The School Committee will function as a body and all policy decisions and other matters, as required by law, will be settled by an official vote of the committee sitting on formal session.
Duties
The duties and obligations of the individual committee member may be enumerated as follows:
1. To become familiar with the General Laws of the Commonwealth relating to educational and School Committee operations, regulations of the Massachusetts Board of Education, policies and procedures of this School Committee and the school department.
2. To keep abreast of new laws and the latest trends in education.
3. To have general knowledge of the goals, objectives, and programs of the town's public schools.
4. To work harmoniously with other committee members without trying either to dominate the committee or neglect his/her share of work.
5. To respect the privileged communication that exists in executive sessions by maintaining strict confidentiality on matters discussed in these sessions, except that which becomes part of the public record, once it has been approved for release.
6. To vote and act in committee impartially in the best interest of the students of the town of Franklin.
7. To accept the will of the majority vote in all cases, and to remember that he/she is one of a team and must abide by, and carry out, all committee decisions once they are made.
8. To represent the committee and the schools to the public in a way that promotes interest and support.
9. To refer questions and complaints to the proper school authorities.
10. To comply with the accepted code of ethics for School Committee members.
This policy statement can be found online with all the School Committee policies here
-----------
Policy BBAA
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER AUTHORITY
Authority
Because all powers of the Franklin School Committee derived from state laws are granted in terms of action as a group, members of the School Committee have authority only when acting as a committee legally in session.
The School Committee will not be bound in any way by any statement or action on the part of an individual member except when such statement or action is a result of specific instructions of the committee.
No member of the committee, by virtue of his/her office, will exercise any administrative responsibility with respect to the schools or command the services of any school employee.
The School Committee will function as a body and all policy decisions and other matters, as required by law, will be settled by an official vote of the committee sitting on formal session.
Duties
The duties and obligations of the individual committee member may be enumerated as follows:
1. To become familiar with the General Laws of the Commonwealth relating to educational and School Committee operations, regulations of the Massachusetts Board of Education, policies and procedures of this School Committee and the school department.
2. To keep abreast of new laws and the latest trends in education.
3. To have general knowledge of the goals, objectives, and programs of the town's public schools.
4. To work harmoniously with other committee members without trying either to dominate the committee or neglect his/her share of work.
5. To respect the privileged communication that exists in executive sessions by maintaining strict confidentiality on matters discussed in these sessions, except that which becomes part of the public record, once it has been approved for release.
6. To vote and act in committee impartially in the best interest of the students of the town of Franklin.
7. To accept the will of the majority vote in all cases, and to remember that he/she is one of a team and must abide by, and carry out, all committee decisions once they are made.
8. To represent the committee and the schools to the public in a way that promotes interest and support.
9. To refer questions and complaints to the proper school authorities.
10. To comply with the accepted code of ethics for School Committee members.
This policy statement can be found online with all the School Committee policies here
Secretary of Elder Affairs - visits Senior Center Thursday, Sep 17
Meet the Newly Appointed
Secretary of Elder Affairs,
Ann Hartstein
Secretary of Elder Affairs,
Ann Hartstein
at
the Franklin Senior Center
On
Thursday, Sept. 17
At 12:30 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend to ask questions
and offer feedback
about elder issues!
the Franklin Senior Center
On
Thursday, Sept. 17
At 12:30 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend to ask questions
and offer feedback
about elder issues!
Originally posted on the Town website (doc)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The walls at Walgreens are rising
The sun hadn't broken through the clouds yet on Sunday morning but some workers were busy about the rising structure. Likely playing catch up the schedule due to the recent rainy spells we have had.
Swine flu/H1N1 updates from Franklin Public Schools
If you haven't seen the update from the School Dept, you can find the latest from Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski here (PDF)
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has published information on "Preparing for the Flu" Read More
Franklin Public Schools has also published a "Symptoms Flow Chart" for parents Read More
I think that Franklin's Emergency Management Team is going to be prepared for whatever happens.
And for a little video entertainment Bill Nye, the Science Guy, has this video on washing your hands.
Thanks to Mr Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers for the link
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the video,
Town Council duties
With the potential for a number of new Town Council members, the Charter outlines in Article 2 the Town Council.
Of special interest is item 2-1-3. I guess those who have asked how much the Town Council is paid for their service are not aware of this section of the Charter.
Of special interest is item 2-1-3. I guess those who have asked how much the Town Council is paid for their service are not aware of this section of the Charter.
THE TOWN COUNCIL
Section l Composition and membership
2-1-1 The legislative body of the Town shall be a Town Council whose members shall be elected to meet, deliberate, act and vote in exercise of the corporate pokers of the Town.
2-1-2 Nine (9) council members shall be nominated and elected from the Town at large, all for two year concurrent terms of office.
2-1-3 Town Council members shall receive no compensation for service but may be allowed expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.
2-1-4 The term of office of the Town Council shall begin on the first Wednesday following the election and continuing until their successors are qualified.
Section 2 Eligibility
2-2-1 Any registered voter of the Town shall be eligible for election to Town Council membership. However, no person holding an elective office of the Town as established in general law, Article Three of this charter, or bylaw, shall take the oath or affirmation of office as a Town Councillor.
2-2-2 No town councillor shall, while a member of the town council, hold any other compensated town office or position. No former councillor shall hold any compensated appointive office or employment until one year after the expiration of service on the town council. This provision shall not prevent a town officer or employee who has taken a leave of absence from such duties in order to serve as a member of the town council from returning to such office or employment following service as a member of the town council.
Section 3 Chairman, Vice Chair-on and Clerk
2-3-1 At the first Council meeting following each regular town election, the Council shall choose from its membership a Chairman and Vice-chairman each to serve for a one-year term of office. The Chairman shall preside at meetings of the Council and perform such other duties as provided by this Charter, by-law, or Council vote. The Vice-chairman shall act as Chairman during the absence or disability of the Chairman.
2-3-2 The Council shall also appoint a Clerk of the Council, who shall give notice of all Council meetings to it's members and to the public, maintain a journal of all Council proceedings and perform such other duties as may be assigned by this Charter, bylaw or other vote of the Council.
2-3-3 Vacancies which occur in the offices of Chairman, Vice
Chairman or Clerk shall be filled at the next regular Council
meeting following the vacancy. Al1 appointments to fill vacancies
in Council offices shall be for the remainder of the original one-
year term of office.
Section 4 General powers and duties
2-4-1 Except as otherwise may be provided by this Charter, all general, corporate, legislative and appropriations powers of the Town shall be vested in the Town Council.
2-4-2 The Council may enact bylaws, rules, regulations, and other orders, not inconsistent with this Charter, governing its own proceedings, town functions, and all matters bearing on the exercise of its powers and duties.
2-4-3 The Council shall provide for a journal of its proceedings to be kept and maintained as a public record in the office of the town clerk.
2-4-4 The Council shall have the power to appoint the following:
(a) a Town Administrator, as provided in Article Four; (b) a Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council, as provided in Section 2-3-1; (c) a Clerk of the Council,. as provided in Section 2-3-2; (d) a Finance Committee, as provided in Article Six; and (e) special study committees the composition of which shall be determined by the Council.
Section 5 Procedures
2-5-1 The Town Council shall meet regularly at least twice in each month. Special meetings may be held at any time if called by the Chairman or by four (4) members of the Council, provided that for any special meeting at least twenty-four (24) hours personal notice shall be given to each Council member. A1l Council meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the open meeting provisions of general law.
2-5-2 A majority of the full Council membership shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting business.
2-5-3 Except as otherwise may be provided by general law provisions respecting closed sessions, all meetings of the Council shall be open to the public, and residents and employees of the Town shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard at any such meeting.
Section 6 Town bylaws
2-6-1 Proposed bylaws shall deal with one (1) subject only andshall be introduced in writing and in the form necessary for finaladoption.
2-6-2 Any bylaw which amends or repeals a portion of the Town bylaws shall set out in full the portion to be so amended or repealed, by the use of strikeout type, brackets or underscoring.
2-6-3 Prior to final passage, each introduced bylaw shall be read at two (2) separate Council meetings, except in cases of special emergency involving the health or safety of the people or their property. No bylaw shall be declared an emergency unless such an emergency is defined and declared in a preamble thereto, separately voted on and receiving the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the full Council membership.
2-6-4 The affirmative vote of a majority of the full Councilmembership, except as otherwise provided by general law or thisCharter, shall be necessary for the final passage of any bylaw.
2-6-5 A1l votes on regular and emergency bylaws shall be taken byroll call and shall be recorded in the journal.
Section 7 Action requiring a bylaw
2-7-1 In addition to other acts required by statute or this Charterto be accomplished through bylaw, those acts of the Town Councilshall be through bylaw which: (a) adopt or amend administrativebylaws or establish, alter or abolish any town department, office or agency; and (b) provide for a fine or other penalty, or establish a rule or regulation for the violation of which a fine or other penalty is imposed; and (c) establish all fees which are not set by general law.
Section 8 Vacancy
2-8-1 Unless recalled in accordance with Article Five, Section 4 of this charter, a vacancy in the office of Councillor at Large shall be declared by the Town Clerk following notification of the death, permanent disability to serve, resignation, and/or failure to maintain a permanent residency within the Town of Franklin.
2-8-2 Vacancies shall be filled by special election to be called within ninety (90) days of said vacancy unless a regular or special town election shall occur within one hundred twenty (120) days.
Franklin Families with Food Allergic Children and Teens
Franklin Families with Food Allergic Children and Teens (Franklin F.A.C.T.) will hold a welcome back meeting in the conference room at
Franklin Fire Station #2,
600 King St.,
Franklin,
7-9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14.
Visit www.franklinfact.org for complete details and contact info. Parents only, please
Yard Sale: 210 Chestnut St, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Due to the rain Saturday, the yard sale for the Charles River Chorale was postponed to Sunday, Sep 13.
The piano studio, a dining room and are two cars filled with LOTS of books for adults and children, toys, games, jewelry for little girls and big girls, luggage, beautiful canister sets, kitchen wares, stationary sets, and much more.
Where: 210 Chestnut St, Franklin
When: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Benefits: Charles River Chorale
The piano studio, a dining room and are two cars filled with LOTS of books for adults and children, toys, games, jewelry for little girls and big girls, luggage, beautiful canister sets, kitchen wares, stationary sets, and much more.
Where: 210 Chestnut St, Franklin
When: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Benefits: Charles River Chorale
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Election line up card - penultimate update
A phone call to the Town Clerk's office resulted in a number of updates as the deadline approached for drawing papers for election this November 3rd.
This is the penultimate listing as the final listing will be available after Sep 15th. All the papers draw thus far need to be returned and certified by then to provide the final candidate list for the ballot.
Prior updates can be found here, here and here
------
Table below shows the positions available for election this November.
The Candidates column initially showed just the incumbents.
Those who have confirmed taking out papers are marked with a * and bold.
New candidates have their name in bold with -new.
The incumbents who have confirmed not to be running again have been marked in red text.
The existing position holders who have not yet taken out papers are listed for reference to keep track of the "line up card"
This is the penultimate listing as the final listing will be available after Sep 15th. All the papers draw thus far need to be returned and certified by then to provide the final candidate list for the ballot.
Prior updates can be found here, here and here
------
Table below shows the positions available for election this November.
The Candidates column initially showed just the incumbents.
Those who have confirmed taking out papers are marked with a * and bold.
New candidates have their name in bold with -new.
The incumbents who have confirmed not to be running again have been marked in red text.
The existing position holders who have not yet taken out papers are listed for reference to keep track of the "line up card"
| Name | # of Openings | Candidates | Term of Office |
| Board of Assessors | 1 Position (For 4 years) | Robert Avakian* | 2009 to 2013 |
| Board of Health | 1 Position (For 4 years) | Bruce Hunchard* Koren Kanadanian-new | 2009 to 2013 |
| Planning Board | 2 Position (For 4 years) | Anthony Padula* | 2009 to 2013 |
| * 1Vacant | Joseph Halligan-new | 2009 to 2013 | |
| Planning Board (Associate) | * 1 vacant position (For 4 Years) | John Carroll - new | 2009 to 2013 |
| Town Council | 9 Positions (For 2 Years) | Joseph McGann* | 2009 to 2011 |
| Deborah Bartlett - not running again | |||
| R. Scott Mason* | |||
| Christopher Feeley | |||
| Judith Pond Pfeffer* | |||
| Thomas Doak - not running again | |||
| Shannon Zollo* | |||
| Robert Vallee* | |||
| Stephen Whalen* | |||
| Glenn Jones- new Daniel Ballinger-new Bryce Kuchs - new Robert Avakian - new Matthew Kelly (switch from School Committee) Tina Powderly - new Glenna Richards - new | |||
| School Committee | 7 Positions (For 2 Years) | Cora Armenio* | 2009 to 2011 |
| Susan Rohrbach* | |||
| Paula Mullen* | |||
| Edward Cafasso* | |||
| Roberta Trahan* | |||
| Matthew Kelly - switch to Town Council | |||
| Jeffrey Roy* William Glynn - new Cynthia Douglas - new |
In the News - election races shaping up
With the last day to pull papers to run for election this November, the Milford Daily News provides the latest update.
Town Council, School Committee races shaping up in Franklin
Friday, September 11, 2009
Cafe Dolce offers catering (updated)
Cafe Dolce, the new coffee shop in downtown Franklin has expanded into catering. Open since April 2009, Cafe Dolce has established a good morning and lunch business. After 3:00 PM, though things tend to get quieter. Catering is one way to leverage the business operation that owners BJ Carlucci and Dave Purpura have established.
BJ and I reviewed the current plan. A meeting, event, or party for 10 or more is what Cafe Dolce will look to help you with. They will start with the sandwiches and salads that Cafe Dolce offers. A customized menu could include food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The menu can be extended as far and wide (within reason) as necessary to create a great experience.
Cafe Dolce wants to make the presentation appropriate for a catered event by serving in fine crafted wicker baskets in addition to trays. Call BJ and he will work out the menu together with you. What is the occasion? How many people? What special dietary requirements are there?
BJ hesitates to provide per item pricing for catering. “Say you have had the Cranberry Turkey Breast Panini and wanted to serve that at your event. You don't need to order 10 individual paninis for the group. We prefer to price for the total quantity of the food provided rather than by the piece. This method will work out better for you in the long run.” They do use a formula to determine how much food per person would be required adjusting to cover portions for any kids.
The catering package can either be delivered or picked up. Depending upon the type of drop off, or drop-off/setup, there may be a delivery charge included. You could also rent the space at Cafe Dolce to hold your event.
They have already served a party of 75, have some events scheduled on site, and others scheduled for delivery off site. When your next catering event comes up, consider contacting BJ Carlucci, at 774-248-4321 or via email at dolce dot 1 at live dot com.
Note: Cafe Dolce is also exploring social media tools to spread the word on what they do and to help communicate with their customers and fans. You can join Cafe Dolce on Facebook here
Prior writing about Cafe Dolce:
BJ and I reviewed the current plan. A meeting, event, or party for 10 or more is what Cafe Dolce will look to help you with. They will start with the sandwiches and salads that Cafe Dolce offers. A customized menu could include food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The menu can be extended as far and wide (within reason) as necessary to create a great experience.Cafe Dolce wants to make the presentation appropriate for a catered event by serving in fine crafted wicker baskets in addition to trays. Call BJ and he will work out the menu together with you. What is the occasion? How many people? What special dietary requirements are there?
BJ hesitates to provide per item pricing for catering. “Say you have had the Cranberry Turkey Breast Panini and wanted to serve that at your event. You don't need to order 10 individual paninis for the group. We prefer to price for the total quantity of the food provided rather than by the piece. This method will work out better for you in the long run.” They do use a formula to determine how much food per person would be required adjusting to cover portions for any kids.
The catering package can either be delivered or picked up. Depending upon the type of drop off, or drop-off/setup, there may be a delivery charge included. You could also rent the space at Cafe Dolce to hold your event.
They have already served a party of 75, have some events scheduled on site, and others scheduled for delivery off site. When your next catering event comes up, consider contacting BJ Carlucci, at 774-248-4321 or via email at dolce dot 1 at live dot com.
Note: Cafe Dolce is also exploring social media tools to spread the word on what they do and to help communicate with their customers and fans. You can join Cafe Dolce on Facebook here
Prior writing about Cafe Dolce:
- My talk with BJ and Dave prior to opening
- My write up about the opening
- Picture slide show from the grand opening
- The original catering article can be found here
Job Fair: Monday Workshops/Seminars: Sunday
The United Regional Chamber of Commerce Job Fair will be held Sep 13-14 at the Living Waters location in North Attleboro. The updated schedule of events looks like this:
For more information (and to register for this free event) check here
Note: newsletter subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document.
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
For more information (and to register for this free event) check here
Note: newsletter subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document.
Farmers Market: Smalley's Cookies
One of my visits to the Farmer's Market I stopped by the tent to talk with the folks at Smalley's Cookies. The Farmer's Market is open today from noon to 6:00 PM.
Their web site is under construction so I can't provide a link to it now. Once available, I'll update this.
In the meantime, the decadent cookies they sell can be purchased with info contained in this document. The cookies are frozen and ready to bake.
For the full menu of cookies that they provide, you can view this document.
Note: for the newsletter subscribers, you will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the documents.
Their web site is under construction so I can't provide a link to it now. Once available, I'll update this.
In the meantime, the decadent cookies they sell can be purchased with info contained in this document. The cookies are frozen and ready to bake.
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
For the full menu of cookies that they provide, you can view this document.
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
Note: for the newsletter subscribers, you will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the documents.
In the News - grant money for downtown
The Million dollar grant announced as received by the Town during the Town Council meeting on 9/2/09 is discussed in more detail here
Franklin to revamp downtown
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Kathi Meyer on teen drinking
The Taylor Meyer tragedy has lead to an increase awareness of teen drinking. Kathi Meyer is interviewed in this video from the Norfolk County District Attorney, William Keating.
Note: Email subscribers will need to click through to the web site to view the video.
Other info on teen drinking:
The W.A.S.T.E.D presentation at Franklin High School
Other videos from the Norfolk District Attorney can be found here
Note: Email subscribers will need to click through to the web site to view the video.
Other info on teen drinking:
The W.A.S.T.E.D presentation at Franklin High School
Other videos from the Norfolk District Attorney can be found here
Friday, Sep 11 - Jack Murray Performs at Cafe Dolce
Friday, September 11th
Jack Murray, a Downtown Partnership member, will be performing at Cafe Dolce, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
All donations will be given to the Dana Farber Cancer Center at Milford Regional Medical Center.
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What is a CSA?
Community supported agriculture. You buy a share in advance and can receive produce from the farm regularly. More information on this program which helps to support the farm's operation can be found on the Tangerini's web site here