Friday, March 16, 2012
Town clerks head to Boston for seminars Monday
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports on 3/15/12
The Town Clerk's office in Franklin will be closed Monday, as Town Clerk's across the Commonwealth head to a day-long workshop in Boston.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to The Milford Daily News News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Franklin Police: Crash Reports Online
The Franklin Police Department is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Police Reports.US to provide a service that allows our crash reports to be purchased on line. PoliceReports.US is now the industry leader in Massachusetts for on line accident report distribution.
- It reduces the cost to the insurance company who wants to process the claim faster
- Citizens have the convenience of access to reports 24/7 and no longer need to drive to the Police Department for a copy of the report
http://franklinma.policereports.us/
Additional information can be found on the Franklin Police page
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Police/index
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Vote - March 27
No matter what your position is on the debt exclusion for the proposed New High School, whether you are against:
or whether you are for the proposal, your vote counts!
Mark the calendar to get out an vote Tuesday, March 27th. The polls open at 6:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM. All voting will take place at Franklin High School.
Absentee ballots are available at the Town Clerks office if you will be out of town on that day, you can still vote.
Bill would help communities create quiet zones downtown
A nice idea but not very practical. The money could be better used elsewhere.
You sit down to eat at a downtown restaurant, a local band begins to play, then ... HOOOOONK! The blaring horn of a train barreling through downtown disrupts your evening.
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by Laura Krantz/Daily News staff on 3/14/12
You sit down to eat at a downtown restaurant, a local band begins to play, then ... HOOOOONK! The blaring horn of a train barreling through downtown disrupts your evening.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Last few days to Win 2 FREE Southwest Airlines Tickets!
*
- REGISTER online at: http://www.firstgiving.com/hmea
- ***NEW THIS YEAR*** when you register online you will have an opportunity to create your very own personal or team tee shirt(s)...
- Register ONLINE before March 17, 2012, RAISE a minimum of $100 and YOU will be entered to win 2 FREE Southwest Airline tickets!
(The winner will be announced at the event! No need to be present to receive the prize)
- And, there's even more...the more money you raise the more opportunity you have to WIN A PRIZE for your fundraising efforts. Take a look at the prizes you could win!
DON'T DELAY...Register and design your own fundraising page TODAY!See you on May 20th!Address postal inquiries to:HMEADoug MacPherson
8 Forge Park EastFranklin, MA 02038Powered By
Informational Meeting on the Proposed New Franklin High School
Open to the Public!
Informational Meeting on the Proposed New Franklin High School
Wednesday, March 14th
7:15 pm
Franklin YMCA Community Room
Guest speakers include Maureen Sabolinski , Superintendent of Schools and Jeff Nutting, Town Administrator
15th Annual Trivia Bee - March 15th
Yes, you read that correctly.
The 15th Annual Trivia Bee will be held on March 15th! How cool is that?
FEF Trivia Bee Flyer 2012
Hold the date on your calendar!
Note: Email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document
Franklin Panthers 5th grade boys win Metro West Tournament
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 3/13/12
The Franklin Panthers Metro West 5th Grade Boys Basketball team won the D4 Metro West Tournament this year on Sunday, March 11, in double overtime against Sudbury.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
MassDOT, MBTA Letter to Customers
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 3/13/12
Over the last nine weeks we have engaged in a public process to allow our riders to weigh in on recommendations for closing a $159 million budget gap next year. As we conclude that process this week, we want to take a minute to thank you for the unprecedented level of engagement you demonstrated over this period.
Since January, nearly 6,000 of you attended our 31 public meetings, with nearly 2,000 individuals offering public comment. In addition, we received 5,850 emails from you about the importance of the MBTA in your lives. By comparison, the last time the MBTA raised fares in 2007 just 800 people attended a public hearing.
The choices before us are difficult, to be sure. Hearing your individual stories only makes them more so. We know that a quality, reliable public transit system is essential to getting our customers to work, school, doctor's appointments and other activities. We know a public transit option makes our air cleaner and roads less congested. And we know that it is a lifeline for many of you.
We have been honest about our financial problems and we thank you for your willingness to listen. Massive debt costs, coupled with increased operating expenses for things like energy and health care are overburdening our system. The system we have today we cannot afford and the system we want is well beyond reach.
Before our April 4th Board Meeting, we will lay out our final recommendation for closing the Fiscal Year 2013 gap. We continue to work on identifying prudent one-time revenues that will allow us to stave off some of the proposed service cuts for one year. Our final proposal will include both cuts and a fare increase, however.
Unfortunately, without a new dedicated revenue source, we know we will be back in this very place next year. Many legislators attended our public hearings, acknowledging the need for a new solution. The Governor also heard your voices at the hearing he attended in Revere. Our hope is that we may continue these discussions in the coming weeks and months so that we can collectively figure out a way to continue to provide a world-class public transit system to you.
This is your system. Long after we're gone, customers will still have a need and desire for a public transit option. The decisions we make today will have a lasting impact on this system, and we thank you for remaining engaged in this process.
Sincerely,
Richard A. Davey, Secretary and CEO
MassDOT
Jonathan Davis, Acting General Manager
MBTA
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation using Google Reader
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Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Franklin played the defense
“It really hit me about halfway through the trial that no matter the outcome, we proved we belonged,” the team’s coach and high school teacher Michael Walsh wrote in an email yesterday. “When (Franklin student) John Wiech succeeded in blocking admission of the Plaintiff’s key piece of evidence, it was some of the finest argumentation I have seen in 14 years of mock trial.”
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x770708198/Franklin-mock-trial-team-falls-to-ex-champs#ixzz1ozHEDPEF
Related posts:
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/01/in-news-library-mock-trial.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2010/02/franklin-mock-trial-team-beats.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/03/franklin-takes-down-boston-latin-in.html
Lori McKenna
The Boston Globe Magazine on Sunday featured singer/song writer Lori McKenna on the cover. Lori appears regularly at the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2012/03/11/lori-mckenna-writing-her-heart-out/zxXbmVKZmSzEK2foxB9hrO/story.html
For McKenna, 43, self-deprecation has long been her nature. The I’m-no-good shtick, though, gets crazier every day. Fifteen years after she broke into the Boston folk scene with her raw, honest lyrics and unique vocal style, her songs keep getting better and keep blowing people away. Even longtime collaborators, family members, and fans can’t make it through certain ones without choking up, if not weeping.
The power of McKenna’s music lies in her artful pairing of intimacy and universality. With her own experience as a template, she explores and dignifies the many corners of domestic life, the hopes of small-town dreamers, and the emotional voids that aren’t easily filled. McKenna, whose mother died young, is especially moving when she’s wrestling with that wounding loss.Read the full article online
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2012/03/11/lori-mckenna-writing-her-heart-out/zxXbmVKZmSzEK2foxB9hrO/story.html
Monday, March 12, 2012
Tidbits
- During the Councilor Comments section of the last week's Town Council meeting, some folks were wishing a speedy recovery to Bob Dean. He has been heavily involved with the broadcast and video operations for Franklin meetings. I wonder if that is why all of a sudden meetings since Feb 15th have not been posted to the video archive section?
- The Planning Board is scheduled for a meeting on Monday night. There may be a meeting agenda posted on the window at the Town Clerk's office but there is nothing on the Franklin website (yet).
- Bloomburg Businessweek was another one to line up and say Franklin is a good place to raise kids. http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20111115/the-best-places-to-raise-your-kids-2012/slides/22.
- There won't be a weekly summary this week. Two family funerals over the last three weeks has taken the 'free time on the weekend' away I would have had to prepare such. The family is doing well through this period. The support has been great. Time is reinforced as all that more precious.
Ensuring Food Stamp Integrity
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via USDA Blog by Kevin Concannon, Undersecretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, USDA on 3/8/12
Cross posted from Politico:
As agriculture undersecretary and a former director of state Health and Human Services departments in Maine, Oregon and Iowa, I know the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. In today's difficult economic times, this vital program helps families across the nation put food on the table.
Despite a rash of recent stories about food stamp fraud, the facts are that the Agriculture Department has a zero tolerance policy on this. We aggressively pursue those trying to take advantage of America's compassion for people in need.
First-quarter results of our anti-fraud efforts demonstrate this commitment. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2011, we penalized — with fines or temporary disqualifications — more than 225 stores that violated program rules and permanently disqualified more than 350 stores caught trafficking food stamp benefits.
We're now stepping up our efforts. I announced in December new anti-fraud initiatives. We awarded a 10-year contract to SRA International to develop the next generation of fraud-detection systems.
We plan even stronger penalties for retailers that misuse the program. We recently updated our policies to clarify that advertising the sale of benefits through social media is a violation and can result in disqualification from the food stamp program.
In addition, we're finalizing rules to deter the practice of buying and discarding food to get money-back deposits; or reselling and exchanging products bought with food stamp benefits to obtain cash or other noneligible items.
The Agriculture Department's efforts to combat SNAP trafficking have been particularly successful. Trafficking — the sale or purchase of benefits for cash — is an illegal activity punishable by criminal prosecution. Over the past 15 years, department and state agencies administering the program have sharply reduced such trafficking — from 4 percent to 1 percent.
But we cannot be content with that success — the people taking unfair advantage constantly change their tactics. We remain vigilant, working to stay ahead of these new forms of program abuse. We have stepped up documentation requirements and background checks on retailers who participate, or seek to participate, in food stamps. Stores that falsify information will be denied or disqualified and may face a $10,000 fine or imprisonment for as long as five years, or both.
The Agriculture Department recently launched a website (www.fns.usda.gov/fightingsnapfraud) to get the word out about our efforts to deter fraudulent food stamp activity and enlist the public's help in fighting it. We will continue to use all tools available, including the latest technology, to combat fraud.
Some perspective on this is crucial. There are 46 million eligible Americans who depend on food stamps, largely because of income, age, disability or job circumstances. Nearly half are children, 8 percent are elderly and 20 percent of food stamp households include a person who is disabled. The great majority abide by program rules.
The fact is fraud is a limited problem in SNAP — though no amount is acceptable. Stores violating the program represent less than one-half of 1 percent of the more than 230,000 food stores authorized to redeem benefits. And the recent fraud stories indicate enforcement efforts are working — as those who would abuse the program are being caught and prosecuted.
This is good news for all U.S. taxpayers and good news for those who use the program — including millions of children and older Americans — who depend on food stamps. Which, in turn, is why the Agriculture Department is committed to assuring the integrity of this vital program.
As agriculture undersecretary and a former director of state Health and Human Services departments in Maine, Oregon and Iowa, I know the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. In today's difficult economic times, this vital program helps families across the nation put food on the table.
Despite a rash of recent stories about food stamp fraud, the facts are that the Agriculture Department has a zero tolerance policy on this. We aggressively pursue those trying to take advantage of America's compassion for people in need.
First-quarter results of our anti-fraud efforts demonstrate this commitment. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2011, we penalized — with fines or temporary disqualifications — more than 225 stores that violated program rules and permanently disqualified more than 350 stores caught trafficking food stamp benefits.
We're now stepping up our efforts. I announced in December new anti-fraud initiatives. We awarded a 10-year contract to SRA International to develop the next generation of fraud-detection systems.
We plan even stronger penalties for retailers that misuse the program. We recently updated our policies to clarify that advertising the sale of benefits through social media is a violation and can result in disqualification from the food stamp program.
In addition, we're finalizing rules to deter the practice of buying and discarding food to get money-back deposits; or reselling and exchanging products bought with food stamp benefits to obtain cash or other noneligible items.
The Agriculture Department's efforts to combat SNAP trafficking have been particularly successful. Trafficking — the sale or purchase of benefits for cash — is an illegal activity punishable by criminal prosecution. Over the past 15 years, department and state agencies administering the program have sharply reduced such trafficking — from 4 percent to 1 percent.
But we cannot be content with that success — the people taking unfair advantage constantly change their tactics. We remain vigilant, working to stay ahead of these new forms of program abuse. We have stepped up documentation requirements and background checks on retailers who participate, or seek to participate, in food stamps. Stores that falsify information will be denied or disqualified and may face a $10,000 fine or imprisonment for as long as five years, or both.
The Agriculture Department recently launched a website (www.fns.usda.gov/fightingsnapfraud) to get the word out about our efforts to deter fraudulent food stamp activity and enlist the public's help in fighting it. We will continue to use all tools available, including the latest technology, to combat fraud.
Some perspective on this is crucial. There are 46 million eligible Americans who depend on food stamps, largely because of income, age, disability or job circumstances. Nearly half are children, 8 percent are elderly and 20 percent of food stamp households include a person who is disabled. The great majority abide by program rules.
The fact is fraud is a limited problem in SNAP — though no amount is acceptable. Stores violating the program represent less than one-half of 1 percent of the more than 230,000 food stores authorized to redeem benefits. And the recent fraud stories indicate enforcement efforts are working — as those who would abuse the program are being caught and prosecuted.
This is good news for all U.S. taxpayers and good news for those who use the program — including millions of children and older Americans — who depend on food stamps. Which, in turn, is why the Agriculture Department is committed to assuring the integrity of this vital program.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to USDA Blog using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
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