Dean College commencement set for May 9, street closings planned

 

 

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Dean College commencement set for May 9, street closings planned

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 5/3/09

Dean College's 143rd commencement exercises will take place Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m., at Grant Field, School Street. More than 300 graduates are Associate's degree and Bachelor's degree candidates.

Walter J. Handelsman, Class of 1977, delivers the Commencement Address. Handelsman is a Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist based at Newsday in Long Island.

During the  commencement procession from the Campus Center to Grant Field, the section of Main Street between School and Emmons Street will be closed to traffic from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 to 1:50 p.m.

In addition, School Street to Hillside Avenue will be closed from 10:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Emergency vehicles will be allowed access at all times.
 

 

 

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School Committee message to FEA

Jeff Roy, School Committee Chairman, addresses the FEA membership via this 2-part video message.

Part 1




Part 2:



My notes and analysis of the two sides in this discussion can be found here.

Message to FEA membership

 

 

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Message to FEA membership

via Franklin School Committee by Jeffrey Roy on 5/2/09

Several weeks ago, the School Committee requested an opportunity to speak directly with the Franklin Education Association (FEA) membership at its meeting on April 28. We did not get that opportunity. Through the two video segments below, the Franklin School Committee reaches out directly to the rank and file membership of the education union in [...]

 

 

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Parmenter PCC seeking volunteers, sponsors for 5K event

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Parmenter PCC seeking volunteers, sponsors for 5K event

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 5/2/09

The Parmenter Run for All Ages 5K Run/Walk and Kids Panda Dash will be held on Sunday, May 31.

The 5K looped course will begin and end at Parmenter Elementary School, 235 Wachusett St. Franklin. Race start time is 10 a.m.; registration begins at 8 a.m.

A free Kids Panda Dash is set for 9 a.m.

The road race will be professionally timed by Spitler Race Systems. This event includes tee-shirts to the first 150 registered participants, awards to the top three to finish in each male/female age division, time splits and water stops. All proceeds will benefit the Parmenter PCC, which funds school-based student activities.

Organizers are seeking volunteers and local businesses/sponsors to support this community family fitness event.

For additional information go to: parmenter5K.weebly.com; contact Karen Mahon @ parmenter5K@gmail.com; call 508-528-1286.

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Cafe Dolce - Kai Olsson

Enjoy some music at Cafe Dolce with Kai Olsson

Saturday 5/2/09 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM

Click through to listen to some samples on Kai's MySpace page

"a community treasure"

FRANKLIN -

The Franklin public school system is one of the best in the nation. It has always stood high in national and state testing. All of this has not been an accident. It is the solid result of some damned good teaching over the last five decades.

I joined the Franklin school system as a teacher some 43 years ago when I graduated from college. For the next 34 years, I observed some truly dynamic growth both intellectually and in the physical school environment.

The students of Franklin have always been special. They have always had a wonderful sense of community and have always, in my experience, responded to any problem with kindness and understanding. As time passed, I saw each new generation growing in toleration and understanding. It is my considered opinion that the young people of Franklin are very special.

I have seen hundreds of gifted and dedicated people serving as faculty over the past five decades giving of themselves and to their students unselfishly.

Read the remainder of James Johnston's essay here

Monument Mosaic

In addition to the World War I monument on the Town Common, the other war monuments also have a place.



A new monument to honor the veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan conflict will be unveiled on Memorial Day, 2009.

Monument: World War I

The WW I "doughboy" has been cleaned up. The bronze looks brand new.



Actually since this photo was taken, the small trees directly behind the monument have already been removed as the preparation for the new monument to be unveiled on Memorial Day continue.

If you haven't visited the monuments on the Town Common, please consider doing so.

"car crash in Bellingham"

Jenna L. Pasquino, 20, of Franklin died early this morning when the car she was driving crashed into a telephone pole, police said.

Pasquino was traveling south on North Main Street at about 2:19 a.m. when her 1998 Toyota Avalon crossed the double line, hit a telephone pole on the opposite side of the road, and flipped over, police said.

Read the remainder of the article in the Franklin Gazette here

"it is the library's slowest day"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Apr 30, 2009 @ 12:23 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

This year's budget crunch will mean the public library will be closed on Fridays beginning the first week of July, but no staff members will lose their jobs, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting told the Finance Committee last night.

Following the hearing, Library Director Felicia Oti left with a big smile - most likely, Nutting said, due to the fact that the library got a better deal than anyone had expected.

Initially, he and Oti feared the library would have to lay off staff and reduce hours even further - possibly leaving the library open only three or four days a week.

Friday was chosen because it is the library's slowest day, Oti said. Monday, then Saturday, are the busiest days, she said.

The library avoided layoffs because the union volunteered to defer salary increases, one employee asked to reduce her hours from 35 to 18 per week, the assistant director's hours were cut from 35 to 15, and because two people retired, Nutting said. Those positions will not be filled.

Read the full article on the Library budget in the Milford Daily News here

Slidecast: Strategic Plan Overview (audio)

The Strategic Planning Overview is now available as a slide cast. The slide show has been synchronized with audio to create a complete listening and viewing experience.

This was the presentation to the Town Council on Wednesday, April 15th.

Strategic Planning Process Overview (audio) 4/15/09

View more presentations from Steve Sherlock.

The slidecast without audio is available here

If you have any questions, you can contact me via email (see link on right column) or via a comment.

Updated the survey is available here

FY 2010 Budget schedule

The Town website has not been updated with agendas or meeting minutes for the current series of the Finance Committee FY 2010 budget hearings. During the meeting Wednesday 4/29/09, I was able to confirm that:

There was a budget hearing on Tuesday 4/28/09 that covered the Police, Fire, Planning and Recreation budgets.

The meeting currently scheduled for next Tuesday 5/5/09 will review the School Dept, Tri-County, and IT budgets to complete the FY 2010 hearings.

The committee has their regular meeting scheduled for the first Tuesday in June at which, depending upon the State revenue numbers, they may be able to vote on the final FY 2010 budget.

If that happens, the Town Council is scheduled to do their budget hearings on June 10th and 11th. Worse case, the Town Council may need to meet on June 24th to finalize a balanced budget before June 30th.

This schedule is subject to change. The State revenue numbers are still very fluid.

Finance Committee 04/29/09

The collection of live reports for the Finance Committee meeting of Wednesday 4/29/09 are located here:

• Live reporting - Enterprise Funds
• Live reporting - DPW Street lights
• Live reporting - DPW Highway
• Live reporting - Facilities
• Live reporting - Finance Committee 04/29/09 (Library)
  

Live reporting - Enterprise Funds

Cantoreggi

157 miles of water pipe
the business is heavily regulated, EPA, etc.

Water rate had not increased in years. It did increase due to our conservation success, we are selling less but the infrastructure has not decreased and still needs to be maintained.

Chemical cost have been increasing, part of the treatment we do is pH.

$155,000 to 500,000 in the last year, due to the cost of the fluoride chemical

Roche - storm water regulations, how may that bite us?
Cantorregi - storm water monitoring for the whole system and what you can do with it. The Charles River basin catches the run off, into the Charles, then into the ocean. Ideally the water should go into the ground to replenish our aquifer. we have to do a lot more mapping, a lot more testing. Franklin, Bellingham, Milford are targeted for special planning for commercial buildings where they would be required for anything at two acres. The rest of the state is at five acres.

motion for solid waste - approved
motion for sewer - approved
motion for water - approved

Live reporting - DPW Street lights

DPW Street Lights - Acct 424

Nutting have made great savings to own and maintain our street lights, it used to be about 200,000 and this year we are only 140,000.

Roche - this is electricity?
Nutting - this is all, electricity, repair, and maintenance. We added the school parking lot and wall unit lights. We anticipate additional savings there.

Nutting - this budget should stay relatively stable. The only unknown is in some subdivisions, the street lights were not put in underground with the proper conduit, so a backhoe is sometimes needed.

Nutting - we have a committee that reviews street light criteria so we have a lot less than some other places. Not having to turn off the lights would require paying the electric company. If we wanted to shut them off, we can do so. We have about 1600 street lights.

Cantoreggi - We have a contract with the Police to survey the lights and report which ones are out. They are already out and about around the town.