Franklin Schools: Sunday Events Canceled

The schools are being proactive....

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Date: Fri, Feb 8, 2013 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Sunday Events Canceled

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Hello Due to weather conditions, all school and community activities scheduled for Sunday, February 10 are canceled. This includes all athletic practices and games. Maureen Sabolinski Superintendent of Schools To listen to the above message, you will need audio software and speakers on your computer. This e-mail has been sent to you by FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at (508) 613-1777.

NationalGrid out ahead of this one

According to this press release NationalGrid is getting out ahead of the storm. And that is a good thing, one - they are doing the press release which they had not done previously, and two, spelling out how prepared they are. They may have been so in prior storms (although experience tells us otherwise) so they are making improvements!

Franklin Food Pantry updates

1 - The Franklin Food Pantry is closed today, Friday, Feb 8th. The Food Pantry follows the school schedule of storm closures.

2 - Due to the storm this weekend, the first day for the Pantry phone-a-thon has been canceled; Saturday, Feb 9th. The phone-a-thon will be held as scheduled on Saturday, Feb 16th.

If you would like to volunteer to help with the phone-a-thon, please contact Bob Hamilton via email at bob@franklinfoodpantry.org or by calling the Pantry at 508-528-3115 and using option 5 on the voicemail.

RMV Attleboro Branch Adds Permit Testing

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

RMV Attleboro Branch Adds Permit Testing

via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 2/7/13

MassDOT Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprielian today joined local officials and announced the availability of driver's license permit testing at the Attleboro RMV Branch, located at 75 Park Street. 

The Attleboro Branch is one of two express branches in the Commonwealth that provide limited license and registration transactions. The availability of the permit testing in Attleboro will help the RMV manage an anticipated influx of test takers during the busy school vacation period.

"The City has been a great partner and has made it possible to bring permit testing to Attleboro," said Registrar Kaprielian. "Teens and new drivers may now complete this important step in the licensing process closer to home."

The Registry delivered existing automated testing equipment to provide six testing stations in Attleboro. The move will save area residents from traveling to Taunton, Milford or Brockton to complete the 20 minute test.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles administered approximately 45,000 permit tests across the Commonwealth in 2012. There are 4.73 million licensed drivers in Massachusetts.  To perform many basic transactions, visit the RMV online today at its new web address:  http://www.massrmv.com

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

"many friendships ... will blossom in this building"

The new dormitory for Dean College was the scene for an official and ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Administrators named the 32,000-square-foot dorm after Dorothy and Glendon Horne. Glendon Horne graduated from the college in 1931. His wife left Dean her estate, a donation of about $2 million — the college’s largest single gift in its history. 

"It is something in our wildest dreams we never thought would happen," said Rooney of the gift. "It made the particulars of this building possible." 

Noting the building’s location along West Central Street, Rooney said, "In some ways, it will attach us to Franklin in a very different way."

New Dean College dorm on Christmas morning 2012

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x898127413/Ribbon-cut-on-Deans-new-dorm#ixzz2KIvte278

In the News: Tri-County, Democrats, MBTA, police

Restaurant competition for Tri-County is rescheduled

by Staff reports

Tri-County students preparing for the Massachusetts Restaurant Association’s annual culinary and restaurant management competition have another few weeks to hone their business plans and master their dishes thanks to Nor’easter Nemo.

Franklin Democratic Town Committee Caucus is postponed

by Staff reports

The Franklin Democratic Town Committee Caucus planned for this Saturday, Feb. 9th at 9 am at Alumni Restaurant in Franklin has been POSTPONED due to the weather.

MBTA to suspend all transportation 3:30 p.m. on Friday

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Due to the severe winter storm, the MBTA will suspend all modes of service effective at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013.

Franklin Police: Robber’s own unmasking is his undoing

by Matt Tota/Daily News staff

A suspected robber provided detectives with all they needed to find him when he removed his disguise during a robbery last month, authorities said.

National Grid: Blizzard update

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "National Grid"
Date: Feb 7, 2013 8:00 PM
Subject: National Grid: Blizzard update

To view this email as a web page, click here. February blizzard update With a severe winter storm on the way that some weather forecasters already are calling a storm of historic proportions, National Grid has started preparing for widespread, prolonged power outages that could result from the predicted blizzard-like conditions. Although the path of the storm is still being monitored, we are taking steps to ensure we are prepared for this storm and we want to make sure that you are too. Be prepared by creating an emergency kit: Water. The American Red Cross recommends one gallon of water per person per day Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food) Battery-powered or hand - crank radio Flashlight and extra batteries First aid kit Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities Local maps Cell phone with chargers Please remember that should you lose power during the storm, restoration may not happen immediately. Given the scale of the storm , with high wind and deep snow conditions , we must first ensure the safety of our crews and linemen. We will have hundreds of additional crews and support resources able to begin work around the clock to restore service but only once it is safe for them to do so. Please be prepared for extended outages by having the items listed above and also by staying connected. We urge you to stay connected In addition to Outage Central, National Grid offers a number of ways for customers to report outages or learn about restoration efforts and important safety information.  Here's how: Outage reporting hotline - Call 1-800-465-1212 to report an outage. Text messages - Customers can receive text message alerts by texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743). Customers can opt out at any time by texting the word STOP to NGRID (64743).  Find us on Facebook  or Twitter to connect with us and other customers. You can also view images from the field, get safety tips and the latest updates on our restoration efforts. Remember, if your power goes out, you can access our mobile website by going to nationalgrid.com on your mobile phone. There you will be able to report outages, check the status of your outage, view outage maps, view important messages and access safety tips. National Grid Here with you. Here for you. © 2012 National Grid USA Service Company, Inc. This email was sent by: National Grid One MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, U.S.A.

February 2013 Snow Storm

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "TOWN OF FRANKLIN"
Date: Feb 7, 2013 6:18 PM
Subject: February 2013 Snow Storm

Hello.  This is Gary Premo calling with information on the pending snow storm.  There will be regular pick up of trash and recycling on Friday Feb 8.  However, the recycling center on Beaver St will be closed both Friday and Saturday.  The parking ban will become active on Friday at 6pm through the duration of the storm.  School Officials are in constant contact with Public Safety and Town Officials regarding the possibility of cancellation/early dismissal for Friday, and will be sending out a message once a decision is made.  Thank you for listening, stay safe, goodbye.

This e-mail has been sent to you by TOWN OF FRANKLIN. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform TOWN OF FRANKLIN either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 508-520-4938 or REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

Note: Schools in Franklin are closed on Friday, Feb 8th

Attention: Franklin MBTA Commuter Rail Riders

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "T-Alerts Notification"
Date: Feb 7, 2013 7:23 PM
Subject: All Southside Lines/Routes Alert
To: "T-Alerts Notification"
Cc:

Due to severe weather, the last trains from South Station on Friday, February 8th, are the following:

 Fairmont Line: No. 759  3:30 PM
 Framingham/Worcester: No. P517 2:45 PM
 Franklin: No. 713  2:40 PM
 Greenbush: No. 079  2:27 PM
 Kingston/Plymouth: No. 041  2:47 PM
 Middleboro/Lakeville: No. 015  2:10 PM
 Needham: No. 617      3:00 PM
 Providence: No. 811   3:30 PM

 Inbound service to Boston will be suspended at 3:30 PM

Franklin Schools Closed, Friday, February 8

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Date: Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 4:37 PM
Subject: School Closing

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Hello: This is a message from Superintendent of Schools, Maureen Sabolinski, to inform you that after consulting with state and local public safety officials, all Franklin Schools will be closed on Friday due to inclement weather. All activities on Friday and Saturday are canceled. The administration offices will be open. Stay safe To listen to the above message, you will need audio software and speakers on your computer. This e-mail has been sent to you by FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at (508) 613-1777.

Town Council - 02/06/13

The discussion of the Town Council around the proposal to move the Treasurer/Collector position from elected to appointed continued during this session. If I were to read how the Council would vote, most would not individually vote to approve of the change. They all seem to be in favor putting the proposal before the voters to decide.

The question and charter change would simply call for an appointment by the Town Administrator and ratification (approval or denial) by the Town Council. How the selection process for the candidate is conducted is still not defined. Should it be more like a school principal? or more like the current practice for the other appointed positions; fire chief, police chief, etc.

Letting folks have a say in the process and having a defined process before the vote is something that I think would make the voter's decision an easy one.

• If the voter feels comfortable with the process to select the most qualified person with a preference for a Franklin resident, then I think they would be more likely to go for it. 
• If the voters have no idea how the selection is made, the fear, uncertainty and doubt about the quality of selection and lack of participation in the selection will likely doom the vote.

The second major item on the agenda Wednesday evening was the annual auditor's report. It is worthy of note that this is occurring earlier than normal. From my own records reporting on this meeting, except for the forensic audit report to the joint Town Council and School Committee meeting in Jan of 2008, this is the earliest the report has been available. That the report is clean and early is a good indication that the internal processes with Franklin are in a good state of affairs. Are they perfect? No.

As mentioned in the Management Letter, there are some fine tuning possibilities. The formal risk assessment process is one. The separation of duties for the ambulance accounting is another. It is interesting that this separation of duties issue has cropped up and apparently is due to the budget cuts reducing personnel. If you recall, it was also a position reduction in 2005 that lead to the accounting error discovered in 2007 and resulted in the forensic audit. Of note, the best thing to come out of that audit was that the Town finances finally got on the same set of books. Prior to that the School and Town books were separate.

The third major item on the agenda was the final passing of the bylaw changes to the site plan process. You may recall that there had been a great deal of hullabaloo over this when it first came before the Council. More than one Councilor had angry words and cutting comments. A workshop was held to clear the air, help with their understanding, resolve their miss understandings and as a result, last night there was nary a whisper as the roll call voted to approve the measures. Council Chair Vallee voted against one measure and Council Pfeffer voted against one also, the third passed with an 8-0 vote (Roy was absent).


The individual reports from the meeting on Wednesday:

• Live reporting - Closing
• Live reporting - Legislation
• Live reporting: Audit for 2012
• Live reporting: Treasurer/Collector
• Live Reporting - Town Council - Feb 6, 2013

 The full set of documents released with the agenda can be found on the Franklin Town Council webpage

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2013/020613.pdf

Blizzard watch issued for eastern Massachusetts; 12-24 inches possible

By all accounts Friday afternoon into evening is going to be the toughest time with the most snow fall. According to what is being shared by the various news and weather outlets this morning, the snow will last into Saturday.

Stay tuned for a decision on the Franklin Food Pantry phone-a-thon which has been scheduled for this Saturday (Feb 9) and next (Feb 16). We may decide to not make any calls this Saturday. The Food Pantry Board of Directors should have a decision to share on Friday morning.

Be safe!

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Blizzard watch issued for eastern Massachusetts; 12-24 inches possible

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 2/6/13

The National Weather Service office in Taunton has issued a blizzard watch for eastern Massachusetts for late Thursday night through Saturday morning.

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

In the News: charter amendment, culinary competition, Governor's case

Franklin council considers charter amendments

by Matt Tota/Daily News staff

Town Council on Wednesday night mulled amending the charter to pave the way for a November ballot question on whether the treasurer/collector job should be appointed.

Tri-County prepares for state culinary competition

by Matt Tota/Daily News staff

For more than a month, Seamus Geehan spent hours after school cutting smoked salmon into paper-thin slices, then rolling them into the shape of petite pink orchards.

Governor makes case for tax hikes, spending

by David Riley/Daily News staff

Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday said consensus is building around his major new transportation initiatives, but his equally ambitious education plan could prove to be a "harder lift."

Live reporting - Closing

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT 

L. OLD BUSINESS
none

M. NEW BUSINESS
Pfeffer - has the Senior Center had another leak?
Mercer - There have been three different freeze ups since the Senior Ctr opened, all due to design flaws, there are fixes being put into place to avoid this in the future

Vallee - I got a call from the Globe about another community that is withdrawing from the Norfolk County Association
Nutting - we pay a lot of money to belong to the County. I can't really comment without fully understanding what the reporter was saying. I don't know how to get rid of a County. The assessment comes on the Cherry Sheet

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Pfeffer - a number recieved anonymous letters, if you can't put a name to the letter we can and won't respond

Mercer - we are starting to go vertical, exactly on schedule

Kelly - we seem to be getting more of them than ever before, we also have a microphone here, without a name on it, we cannot respond to it

Vallee - parking meters, she is giving tickets 24x7, is what she is saying,please look at this issue
Bissanti - does she have a uniform?
Nutting, yes in winter it is covered


O. EXECUTIVE SESSION 
Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN
motion to adjourn

Live reporting - Legislation

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS 
none

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 13-05: Hoffmann Farms, A Private Definitive Subdivision Acceptance of Covenant with Owner
motion to approve, passed 8-0

2. Resolution 13-06: Appropriation: Town Clerk - Advertising
motion to approve, passed 8-0

3. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 12-695:Changes to § 185-31. Site Plan and Design Review – 2nd Reading
motion to approve, passed 8-0 via roll call

streamlining the site plan for the developers and the Town

4. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 12-696:Changes to § 185-20. H. Signs. Sign Approvals - 2nd Reading
motion to approve, passed 7-1 via roll call (no - Vallee)

5. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 12-697:Changes to § 185-45. N. Administration and Enforcement. Design Review Commission - 2nd Reading
motion to approve, passed 7-1 via roll call (no - Pfeffer)