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Friday, September 21, 2012
Franklin Library: Resume Writing Review
MassBudget: New Data on Income, Poverty, Health Coverage in MA
According to information released today by the U.S. Census Bureau, the median income in Massachusetts fell 1.7 percent between 2010 and 2011--part of a trend of falling median income across the nation.
In spite of the decline, Massachusetts remains among the states with the highest median income: $63,000 as compared to $51,000 nationwide.
Along with this income data, the Census also included updated details on poverty, child poverty, and health coverage in Massachusetts.
To provide fuller analysis, MassBudget is releasing separate factsheets for each of these measures: poverty, child poverty, income, and health coverage.
Read our FACTSHEETS
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Real time reporting: Town Council highlights
Via the cable feed, I managed to catch the Town Council meeting Wednesday night missing only the first 30 minutes. As it turns out, I would have been better off in the room but that is usually why I do go to the meetings. It is so much better to be in the room than watching remotely. The Dept of Health section of the meeting is recapped here. Other key points of the meeting are as follows:
NationalGrid had a meeting with Jeff Roy, Jeff Nutting and others to review their progress. We will not see a major upgrade to their infrastructure, it is not in their budget unfortunately. We will continue to see work removing tree limbs from the power lines. In some cases, they may need to replace poles and put the lines above the tree limbs. They will look more closely at the data on our 'reported' frequent outages and see if the data confirms that the situation is getting worse or is it due to our 'perception'. (side note - if they were really attentive, they should have already had this data and made it available. To the extent that they haven't done this, they could be afraid of what it would show.)
The bids for the new high school will be opened in the Council chambers next Tuesday. There was acknowledgement from Dean College and others that the athletic fields at Dean would be used in the period during the construction of the new Franklin High although work remains to be done to confirm the specific schedules.
Kudos for the professionalism and quick work of the Fire Dept to put out the King St fire were mentioned by Jeff Nutting and several councilors. According to Andy Bissanti, Robert Catalano (the home owner) will be getting back into the house soon. The reason the tower truck did not show up in response to the fire and instead units from Wrentham and Bellingham did was two-fold. One, as mentioned in a number of presentations by Fire Chief McCarragher, 44% of the calls to action for the Fire Dept come when one unit is already out on a call. They are staffed for two calls, and did not have the additional staff to use the tower. Additional staff were being called in but there is a time delay in the calling out before the staff arrives. This is something Franklin will continue to live with under these budget conditions. Council Chair Vallee says health and safety should be number 1 and no one disagrees with that but there are only so many dollars to go around. Every department is doing more with less.
NationalGrid had a meeting with Jeff Roy, Jeff Nutting and others to review their progress. We will not see a major upgrade to their infrastructure, it is not in their budget unfortunately. We will continue to see work removing tree limbs from the power lines. In some cases, they may need to replace poles and put the lines above the tree limbs. They will look more closely at the data on our 'reported' frequent outages and see if the data confirms that the situation is getting worse or is it due to our 'perception'. (side note - if they were really attentive, they should have already had this data and made it available. To the extent that they haven't done this, they could be afraid of what it would show.)
The bids for the new high school will be opened in the Council chambers next Tuesday. There was acknowledgement from Dean College and others that the athletic fields at Dean would be used in the period during the construction of the new Franklin High although work remains to be done to confirm the specific schedules.
Kudos for the professionalism and quick work of the Fire Dept to put out the King St fire were mentioned by Jeff Nutting and several councilors. According to Andy Bissanti, Robert Catalano (the home owner) will be getting back into the house soon. The reason the tower truck did not show up in response to the fire and instead units from Wrentham and Bellingham did was two-fold. One, as mentioned in a number of presentations by Fire Chief McCarragher, 44% of the calls to action for the Fire Dept come when one unit is already out on a call. They are staffed for two calls, and did not have the additional staff to use the tower. Additional staff were being called in but there is a time delay in the calling out before the staff arrives. This is something Franklin will continue to live with under these budget conditions. Council Chair Vallee says health and safety should be number 1 and no one disagrees with that but there are only so many dollars to go around. Every department is doing more with less.
Real time reporting: from food inspections to beavers
I managed to catch some of the Town Council meeting via the cable broadcast on Wednesday night. I tuned in as Dean College President Paula Rooney was reviewing how much Dean provides for Franklin and its students. Next on the agenda was David McKearney from the Dept of Health. The one item I expected him to talk about was the relocation of the needle disposal kiosk from the fire station to the DPW and it wasn't mentioned. Since I was remote and no one else asked, it was one of those times when being there really mattered.
The Milford Daily News spent most of its article on David's section and barely mentioned the Dean presentation.
The Dept of Health work was important during the two major storm related power outages as the food in businesses without power was checked to ensure that anything spoiled was discarded appropriately.
One odd item on the Dept of Health's list of things to do is to issue licenses for beavers. This responsibility is somewhat misplaced but defined by the Legislature. The only beaver permits issued thus far have been to the DPW to address situations where the beaver dams are interfering with the water supply.
During the Q&A with the Town Council after his lengthy review of the departments operations, he elaborated on the difficulty of enforcing some 'public health issues'. What defines a public health issue? The example he used was if a neighbor has a pile of grass clippings that is decomposing and smelling, he can't do much backed by the applicable regulations. If the same neighbor had a pool that was not maintained and contributing to the mosquito population, he could take action.
David was careful to discuss that his action is not as effective as 'waving a magic wand'. He can write an enforcement letter but it is still up to the homeowner, or family members or applicable agencies to help correct the situation. He is frustrated with how little he can do and how many he sees are recurring situations.
For the Milford Daily News write up, http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1505344789/Franklin-health-director-say-department-does-more-with-less#ixzz2707ASBqa
The Milford Daily News spent most of its article on David's section and barely mentioned the Dean presentation.
"During the past 12 calendar months, we have had 10 new food establishments come to Franklin," he said. "As we continue to get more and more restaurants, we are not going to be able to keep up."
There are 135 restaurants and 33 retail food stores here, including the new Big Y supermarket, every one requiring two inspections a year, McKearney said. "Right now we are holding our own," he said. "We work very hard and very aggressively."
Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting extolled McKearney and his staff for their working so well with less. "We generally have a health staff that’s half the size of other communities," Nutting said.
The Dept of Health work was important during the two major storm related power outages as the food in businesses without power was checked to ensure that anything spoiled was discarded appropriately.
One odd item on the Dept of Health's list of things to do is to issue licenses for beavers. This responsibility is somewhat misplaced but defined by the Legislature. The only beaver permits issued thus far have been to the DPW to address situations where the beaver dams are interfering with the water supply.
During the Q&A with the Town Council after his lengthy review of the departments operations, he elaborated on the difficulty of enforcing some 'public health issues'. What defines a public health issue? The example he used was if a neighbor has a pile of grass clippings that is decomposing and smelling, he can't do much backed by the applicable regulations. If the same neighbor had a pool that was not maintained and contributing to the mosquito population, he could take action.
David was careful to discuss that his action is not as effective as 'waving a magic wand'. He can write an enforcement letter but it is still up to the homeowner, or family members or applicable agencies to help correct the situation. He is frustrated with how little he can do and how many he sees are recurring situations.
For the Milford Daily News write up, http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1505344789/Franklin-health-director-say-department-does-more-with-less#ixzz2707ASBqa
Mixed results in region on latest MCAS
From the Spring 2012 MCAS Tests: Summary of State Results:
Executive Summary
The fifteenth administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests took
place in spring 2012.
Participation
A total of 552,549 Massachusetts public school students in grades 3–10 participated in a total of 17
MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering
(STE). Participation rates remained very high, ranging from 98 to 100 percent across the grades and
subjects tested. In 2012, 9,457 students with disabilities participated in the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) by submitting portfolios documenting their academic achievement in one or more subjects in grades 3–12.
Overall Achievement
Student achievement statewide improved on nine of the 17 MCAS tests administered in 2012. Between
2011 and 2012, the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher improved in ELA at grades 4, 8,
and 10; in Mathematics at grades 4, 6, and 10; and in STE at grades 5, 8, and 10.
Trends in Achievement
Because measures of student achievement often change incrementally over short periods of time, the
Department is presenting a series of five-year views in this report in order to reveal achievement trends
that have occurred over multiple years. Over the five-year period from 2008 to 2012, an increase of five
or more percentage points indicates improvement that has been sustained. The grades and subject areas in
which the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher increased by five or more points over the
last five years are shown in Figure E-1.
The full report (PDF) can be found here
http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/2012/results/summary.pdf
The detailed information for the Franklin Public School District can be found here
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/profiles/general.aspx?topNavId=1&orgcode=01010000&orgtypecode=5&
From this link, you can select among the Franklin schools including Tri-County and the Charter School.
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/search/search.aspx?leftNavId=
The number of students scoring proficient or higher on the 2012 MCAS went down in Framingham and Marlborough and up in Hopkinton and Southborough, according to district- and school-level results released by the state today.
Executive Summary
The fifteenth administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests took
place in spring 2012.
Participation
A total of 552,549 Massachusetts public school students in grades 3–10 participated in a total of 17
MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering
(STE). Participation rates remained very high, ranging from 98 to 100 percent across the grades and
subjects tested. In 2012, 9,457 students with disabilities participated in the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) by submitting portfolios documenting their academic achievement in one or more subjects in grades 3–12.
Overall Achievement
Student achievement statewide improved on nine of the 17 MCAS tests administered in 2012. Between
2011 and 2012, the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher improved in ELA at grades 4, 8,
and 10; in Mathematics at grades 4, 6, and 10; and in STE at grades 5, 8, and 10.
Trends in Achievement
Because measures of student achievement often change incrementally over short periods of time, the
Department is presenting a series of five-year views in this report in order to reveal achievement trends
that have occurred over multiple years. Over the five-year period from 2008 to 2012, an increase of five
or more percentage points indicates improvement that has been sustained. The grades and subject areas in
which the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher increased by five or more points over the
last five years are shown in Figure E-1.
The full report (PDF) can be found here
http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/2012/results/summary.pdf
The detailed information for the Franklin Public School District can be found here
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/profiles/general.aspx?topNavId=1&orgcode=01010000&orgtypecode=5&
From this link, you can select among the Franklin schools including Tri-County and the Charter School.
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/search/search.aspx?leftNavId=
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Scott O'Connell/Daily News staff on 9/19/12
The number of students scoring proficient or higher on the 2012 MCAS went down in Framingham and Marlborough and up in Hopkinton and Southborough, according to district- and school-level results released by the state today.
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Tri-County students offer services to the public
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 9/19/12
Tri-County RVTHS Superintendent-Director Stephen Dockray has announced that the school's Career Technical Program students are now offering a full complement of services to the public for nominal fees.Things you can do from here:
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Do you know Franklin's muscle man?
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by Matt Tota/Daily News staff on 9/19/12
Last year, representatives of the "Guinness Book of World Records" traveled here from London to measure Moustafa Ismail's Herculean 31-inch biceps. The local bodybuilder, who said he benches up to 500 pounds, was told he had a slim chance to make it into Guinness' 57th book of records for having the biggest biceps and triceps in the world.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Town Council meeting - Sep 19, 2012, 7:00 PM
Friendly reminder that the Town Council meeting is Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers.
The agenda and associated documents were posted here on Sunday
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/09/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-sep-19.html
On the agenda:
An appointment of a constable. There are five candidates one will be appointed to fulfill the unexpired term of Robert Jarvis who has recently passed away. At the next election, the seat will be open for vote.
Transfer of the liquor license for the liquor store in the small plaza at exit 16, next to Dunkin Donuts which will do business as Pour Richard's Wine and Spirits.
An update from Dean College. Dean sits in the middle of Franklin, how involved is it in the community?
Dept of Health David McKearney - likely an update on the move of the needle kiosk from the fire station downtown where it was available 24 hours a day to the DPW headquarters on Fisher St where it is now only available during DPW business hours.
The only legislative vote comes on a measure to assess some homeowners along Summer St for the extension of the sewer line to their property.
Note: I have a conflict with a Food Pantry meeting so I'll catch up on what happens later. If you do attend or watch via either the web broadcast or cable, and what to share what you learn from the meeting, please do so.
The agenda and associated documents were posted here on Sunday
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/09/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-sep-19.html
On the agenda:
An appointment of a constable. There are five candidates one will be appointed to fulfill the unexpired term of Robert Jarvis who has recently passed away. At the next election, the seat will be open for vote.
Transfer of the liquor license for the liquor store in the small plaza at exit 16, next to Dunkin Donuts which will do business as Pour Richard's Wine and Spirits.
An update from Dean College. Dean sits in the middle of Franklin, how involved is it in the community?
Dept of Health David McKearney - likely an update on the move of the needle kiosk from the fire station downtown where it was available 24 hours a day to the DPW headquarters on Fisher St where it is now only available during DPW business hours.
The only legislative vote comes on a measure to assess some homeowners along Summer St for the extension of the sewer line to their property.
Note: I have a conflict with a Food Pantry meeting so I'll catch up on what happens later. If you do attend or watch via either the web broadcast or cable, and what to share what you learn from the meeting, please do so.
"I want to use those resources to help Jeff."
The Milford Daily News attended as former Rep Jim Vallee endorsed Jeff Roy for the 10th Norfolk seat that he left vacant.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1803417259/Vallee-endorses-Roy-for-House-seat#ixzz26uFr9rj6
"Jeff's somebody who's very energetic," Vallee said to a small crowd of Roy supporters gathered inside the Franklin headquarters of the Clark-Cutler-McDermott Co., a manufacturer of textile products for the automotive industry. "He's a great listener, which I think is important to this job."
An 18-year veteran of the State House, Vallee said he waited until after the Sept. 6 primary before publicly endorsing a candidate because he wanted to respect the voters' right to choose.
"My interest is ensuring that whomever steps into that seat cares as much as I did about Franklin and Medway," he said, calling his endorsement of Roy "a very difficult decision."
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1803417259/Vallee-endorses-Roy-for-House-seat#ixzz26uFr9rj6
State Rail Network Progress
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 9/18/12
Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray this week released a progress report, "Transforming the Rail Network for Economic and Community Development", describing accomplishments achieved as a result of the historic agreement with CSX Corporation."Transportation is the enabling network of our economy – it's about getting people and businesses from one location to another," said Lieutenant Governor Murray. "I have worked closely with many critical partners and stakeholders to advance the CSX agreement and invest in improved freight and commuter rail service. This progress report outlines how our rail system is evolving across the state, and simultaneously highlights the need to have continued conversations to enhance economic and community development in impacted regions."
Improving the state's transportation infrastructure has been a key priority of the Patrick-Murray Administration. As part of the Massachusetts State Rail Plan, the Administration has strategically invested close to $1 billion in the state's rail system through competitive grants, public funds and private sector capital. These investments, some ongoing, represent the most significant improvements in the Commonwealth's rail system as a whole in decades.
The historic agreement with CSX Corporation offers significant impacts to freight and rail service in Central Massachusetts, Metrowest, Western Massachusetts, Boston and South Coast regions. The compact is being finalized in two parts, beginning with an initial closing in June of 2010, which set in motion the permitting processes and infrastructure work needed to allow for the relocation of CSX operations.
The second closing, scheduled for early October will complete the full transaction. Details after the break.
The second closing will allow for:
- Expanding commuter rail service to the Metrowest/Worcester areas by taking ownership and control of the rail line between Framingham and Worcester.
- Raising the railroad bridge clearances from Westborough to the New York State line to allow, for the first time in state history, the double-stacking of full-size freight containers on trains serving Massachusetts. This will increase freight capacity, reduce costs, and give Massachusetts companies better access to national and Asian markets.
- Making possible the eventual restoration of commuter rail service to the South Coast by taking ownership of the rail lines that run from Boston to New Bedford and Fall River.
- Relocating the CSX freight rail operations now in Boston at the Beacon Park Yard, to rail yards in Westborough, Worcester and West Springfield. This relocation will allow for the redevelopment of an 80+- acre parcel along the Charles River to serve as a new gateway district for the city.
- 45 miles of the Framingham/Worcester Commuter Rail line between Boston and Worcester
- 37 miles of rail lines running south from Taunton to Fall River and New Bedford
- 8 miles known as the Grand Junction, which runs from Allston, across the Charles River, through Cambridge, Charlestown, Everett and Chelsea
- 2 miles known as the Boston Terminal Running Track which extends from Dorchester to South Boston, including the West First Street Yard
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Who eats the crusts of bread?
In this TED Talk, Tristram tells us something we don't normally hear or talk about.
If America really has 4 times the food that we need, then the Food Pantry and others in this space are clearly in the redistribution business, and there is still plenty to do.
Approximately 15 minutes and well worth watching!
For more information on Tristram's Feeding the 5,000 http://www.feeding5k.org/
For more on his book http://www.amazon.com/Waste-Uncovering-Global-Food-Scandal/dp/0393068366/ref=la_B001ITTVXE_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347742133&sr=1-1
Western countries throw out nearly half of their food, not because it’s inedible -- but because it doesn’t look appealing. Tristram Stuart delves into the shocking data of wasted food, calling for a more responsible use of global resources.
Tristram Stuart sounds the warning bell on global food waste, calling for us to change the systems whereby large quantities of produce and other foods end up in trash heaps.
If America really has 4 times the food that we need, then the Food Pantry and others in this space are clearly in the redistribution business, and there is still plenty to do.
Approximately 15 minutes and well worth watching!
For more information on Tristram's Feeding the 5,000 http://www.feeding5k.org/
For more on his book http://www.amazon.com/Waste-Uncovering-Global-Food-Scandal/dp/0393068366/ref=la_B001ITTVXE_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347742133&sr=1-1
Parmenter modulars: 3 down, 1 to go!
More progress
Only one modular unit left on site now, with some landscaping work to do
Only one modular unit left on site now, with some landscaping work to do
"Foreclosure deeds statewide dropped"
Current numbers show the rate of foreclosure deeds declining although the activity year to date still exceeds the prior year. The article by Milford Daily News reports:
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x726713880/Foreclosure-activity-falls-in-July#ixzz26oO9b1vS
Franklin real estate agent Andrew Bissanti said the declining statistics are also a result of banks offering more short-sale opportunities.
Bissanti said declining foreclosure activity may also help the overall real estate market.
"A lot of people are waiting for things to get worse," he said. "Maybe if they start seeing things get better, they’ll get out there and be more active in the market."
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x726713880/Foreclosure-activity-falls-in-July#ixzz26oO9b1vS
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