Then and Now - Parmenter Nature Trail

On my weekly walks, one of the frequent side trips I make is along the Parmenter Nature Trail. I live a block from school and the Nature Trail is easily accessible across the playing fields behind the school.

Parmenter Nature Trail

The woods are lovely in the morning

 The trail is soft pine needles and slopes down quickly but easily

old stone wall

trail platform

split rock by water side

 The stream that runs from Spruce Pond on King St runs down here and then continues on to Mine Brook

side view of the split rock

what goes down, eventually goes back up

ah, daffodils!

bird house on tree behind the Parmenter School building as the trail ends

The Parmenter Nature Trail in August 2008
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157606926154439/

There was a "story walk" along the trail that I captured with photos in October 2010
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157625155278049/


Where is the Parmenter Nature Trail?
The trail is found at the edge of the playing fields and runs through the green section of this map along the water and back up to the school building

Aubuchon Hardware - Flash Sale - Apr 19th

From Aubuchon Hardware:

Please join us for some refreshments and help support the Franklin Food Pantry. We will have our grills set up and be cooking hot dogs and offering other treats for you to enjoy. In lieu
of payment for refreshments we will be accepting monetary donations for the Franklin Food Pantry.

Franklin Food Pantry

The Franklin Food Pantry helps our neighbors throughout the community obtain the food they need. During their last year, approximately 1,590 individuals were served by the Franklin Food Pantry, over 35% are children. Also the Pantry distributed more than 186,000 pounds of food, which was an increase of 35,000 pounds from the prior year.

Saturday, Apr 19 - 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Franklin spring sports results - 4/14/14

HockomockSports reports on the spring results from Monday, Apr 14th

BaseballTaunton, 9 @ Franklin, 16 - Final - Senior Pat O'Reilly was 3-5 with a triple and six RBI, junior Anthony Chaiton was 3-5, including a three-run home run, and had four RBI and four runs scored. Sophomore Nick Santucci was 3-4 with an RBI, walk, and three runs scored and Kyle Skidmore pitched 3.2 innings in relief for the win. Taunton's Zach Bowden had two hits, including a two-run home run and a total of four RBI.

SoftballFranklin, 3 @ Taunton, 7 - Final - Jordan Wade was 2-3 with three RBI, MacKenzie Navarro was 2-3 with a double, two RBI and a stolen base and Meghan Navarro had a double and RBI. Jesse Aleixo picked up the win, tossing seven innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out two. Franklin's Olivia DiGiacomo was 2-2 for the day with two RBI for the Panthers.

FHS Panthers

Boys lacrosseFranklin, 10 @ Foxboro, 7 - Final - Jack Vail netted two goals and added three helps and Austin Kent scored a hat trick for the Panthers. Kyle Lundgren picked up three points as well, scoring twice and adding an assist.

Girls lacrosseFoxboro, 6 @ Franklin, 14 - Final - Marta Vesprille scored five goals for Franklin and Emily Jeffries and Julia Jette each scored hat tricks as the Panthers stayed unbeaten. Katie Notarangelo had a hat trick for Foxboro and Morgan Ames, Marybeth Sweeney and Carrie Long each scored once for the Warriors.

Girls tennisFranklin, 2 @ Taunton, 3 - Final - Hannah Sweeney (Franklin) won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles, Anna Humphreys (Franklin) won 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 at second singles and Olivia Sweeney (Taunton) won 7-5, 6-4 at third singles. The team of Kim McNeil and Jess Grey (Taunton) won 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 at first doubles and Shawna LaPlante and Jordan Pagliuca (Taunton) won 6-1, 6-1 at second doubles.

For all the results from Monday, Apr 14 across the Hockomock League, check here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2014/04/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-041414.html

Important Franklin Downtown Partnership (FDP) Information

Important FDP Reminders:

Please read all the way to the bottom so you don't

miss out on important dates.....

MEMBERSHIP

2014 membership due APRIL 30th

You need to have membership paid in order to receive

a free business listing in the New Franklin Brochure.

Click here to download and print your 2014 FDP Membership Application 

Franklin Downtown Partnership

SPONSORSHIP

Beautification and Strawberry Stroll sponsorships

are due in May.  Please see attached forms. If you are planning to sponsor, please e-mail the FDP office so we can include you on the flyers.

Click here to see our list of Sponsorship Opportunities.

Click here to download and print a Sponsorship Registration Form

Steering Committee for Emmons Street Property

If you are interested in participating in the

Steering Committee that will be developing ideas

for the Emmons Street property please contact

deniselynnschultz@gmail.com or the FDP office.

Economic Development Meeting

Wednesday, April 16th 5:30 pm

Town Hall

Town Council Meeting

Wednesday, April 16th 7:00 pm

Town Hall

Town Cultural District Meeting

Thursday, April 24th at 7PM in the Community Room of the Franklin Public Library. Note: Rescheduled from April 17thThe primary pupose of the meeting will be for the Cultural District Partnership (governance/management structure) to form and begin moving forward as its own entity. This meeting will also serve as a means for continued discussion about the Cultural District's geographic location (map critique) and discussion about the purpose and function of the Cultural District in general for the Town. Contact: btaberner@franklin.ma.us

FDP General Meeting

Thursday, May 1st

8:30 am at Dean College

Agenda will be posted on website shortly

Beautification Day

Saturday, May 17th 9:00 am

All businesses should remove holiday greens from their barrels this week. Contact Eileen Mason if you plan to volunteer at emason11@verizon.net

Franklin Brochure Map

All paid 2014 FDP businesses will receive a free listing.  Terri Frank will be emailing advertising options. Please note there is very limited space to advertise, so if you are interested you should contact Terri as soon as you receive this information. Since the brochure will be printed by the end

of May, we will Not be able to include any members who pay their membership Late.

Harvest Festival

The booth form will be posted on the FDP website June 15th.  Terri Frank will

be the contact this year and will be sending out information to current members. 2014 members will get a chance to sign up early before non-members.

Have a nice Easter.....

See you all soon

Franklin Historical Museum - updated website

The website link in the "Other Resources" column has been updated to direct you to FranklinHistoricalMuseum.org rather than the FranklinHistoricalMuseum.com it used to use.

Even if you continue to use the .com address, you'll still end up in the right place.

Franklin Historical Museum

Not all the tabs and features of the updated have been completed. It is still a work in progress.

4th of July Parade in Franklin in the 1900's

Do stop by from time to time to see what has been updated. For their current event calendar, visit their Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/FHM02038

Senior Center - parking expansion underway

You may recall that the Senior Center parking is going to be expanded before the 2nd floor of the center itself is finished. Yes, there is a second floor to the Senior Center. The elevator to it and the finishing work were left incomplete when the Senior Center opened in 2007.

How will the parking be expanded?
The property on Beaver St became available and Franklin purchased it, torn it down and is now getting ready to fill in to add another 30 or so parking spaces.

The house that was there

the house as it was

 It's gone

The house is gone

And now the ground work is underway, removing trees, getting ready to add about 30 or so parking spaces.

some fill will be required

at the edge of the property

photographer's back to Beaver St, looking to the Senior Center

One of the Capital budget items on the agenda for Wednesday's Town Council meeting is to add to the fund for the expansion of the 2nd floor of the Senior Center. You can find the full agenda documents as released here  http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/04/franklin-ma-town-council-apr-16-2014.html


Photos from the Grand Opening of the Senior Center on Nov 11, 2007 can be found here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157612392922276/

Elizabeth Smart will speak at Foxborough High School

Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped on June 5, 2002 and reunited with her family on March 12, 2003. In more than 75% of all abductions, children are killed within three hours. 

Elizabeth survived 6,720 hours. 

What makes her story so compelling is not that she survived against all odds, but what she’s done since hour 6,721. She is working to make our communities safer for children. Through the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, she strives to empower children, parents, and educators to protect children and stand up to abusers. 

MetroLEC

The Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council, a consortium of 43 communities, is one of only 19 certified Child Abduction Response Teams in the United States. The Hockomock Area YMCA is pleased that the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council has chosen to support this event. 

Strengthening families and preventing child abuse requires a shared commitment of individuals and organizations in every community. In response, the Hockomock Area YMCA developed a community-wide child abuse protection initiative in 2011. 

Hockomock YMCA

Tickets for this event are for sale at the Hockomock Area YMCA’s branches in Foxboro, Franklin, and North Attleboro for $20 each. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Marge Kraskouskas at 508-643-5239 or margek@hockymca.org.

When - Thursday, May 8th at 7:00pm
Where - Foxborough High School
Tickets - $20/per person (not available at the door)

Voices of Franklin: Rich Aucoin - Franklin Town Council Stands Down

From Rich Aucoin

Town Council's Broken Oath to Constitutions Betrays our Military Veterans, Endangers Public Safety

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

-- Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963

I, _________, promise to uphold and defend Constitutional governance.-- Oath made by every Franklin Town Councilor, November 13, 2013 (officially broken March 18, 2014)

Why Are Local Officials Required to Swear an Oath to Uphold and Defend Constitutional Governance?

A vital part of the Oath sworn by local officials here in the U.S. is their pledge to uphold and defend our Constitutions. The Founders mandated that the Constitutional Oath be administered even to local office holders because they knew that federal and state legislators were only human and would sometimes make laws that violate our most basic, inalienable rights. In such cases, local officials would be duty-bound to step up and restore the nullified rights within their jurisdictional authority. This bottom-up system of Constitution enforcement is what made America different and special in the world; it ensured that we the people would always retain the power.

A Cradle of Liberty

Massachusetts has a proud history of enforcing basic rights. Five years after the U.S. Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act requiring states to kidnap and ship escaped slaves back to their "rightful owners," Beacon Hill passed the Personal Liberty Act, making it a crime to kidnap slaves in Massachusetts. Even a subsequent Supreme Court ruling upholding the federal law was ignored by our state legislature and kidnapping remained illegal here.

Modern-day kidnapping in the name of 'fighting terrorism'

Today's equivalent of the Fugitive Slave Act is the dangerously vague 2012 NDAA, which authorizes kidnappings of anyone merely suspected of terrorism, including U.S. citizens. No right to counsel. No right to face her accuser. No trial by jury. Just prison.

Fortunately, a national movement of concerned citizens is banning NDAA kidnappings at the state, county and local levels. Successes are piling up, including in the nearby towns of Webster and Oxford, while the City of Albany has become the nation's first Capital City to ban NDAA indefinite detentions.

Franklin Town Council: Cradle of Cowardice

But sadly, despite their public promise last November to stand up for our Constitutions, the Franklin Town Council is choosing to stand down. On March 18th a proposed resolution to ban NDAA kidnappings in the Town of Franklin was blocked by Chairman Bob Vallee. According to Council rules, a majority of members can override the chair to uphold the rights of the people, but to date no council member has been willing.

Returning Veterans Most at Risk

In 2011 the Department of Homeland Security listed returning veterans a domestic terror threat. And with a second Fort Hood tragedy now haunting the nation, the Franklin Town Council and other NDAA followers will more easily be able to justify their targeting of our returning veterans.

To those who will say NDAA kidnappings could never happen here, tell that to the people of Watertown, MA, who, one year ago would never have imagined full-on martial law descending on their city, complete with a paramilitary lockdown and Iraq-style house-to-house warrantless searches featuring entire families rousted out of their homes at gunpoint. The sobering reality is that the expanding post-9/11 militarized police state has put us all one incident away from legal chaos, where our Constitutions and Bill of Rights will no longer protect us, unless our local officials keep their promise to serve as our last line of legal defense.

   

   Irony of Ironies

Benjamin Franklin's famous counsel against trading essential liberty for false security has played a key role in passing every successful anti-NDAA resolution in the U.S. Yet, here in the town that so proudly bears his name, Franklin's wisdom is shamefully discarded, hidden away like some cheap pair of shoes beneath a council chair and eight broken promises.

Bob Vallee: (508) 528-1936
vallee480@aol.com

Matt Kelly: (508) 528-1036
matt@TeamKelly.net

Judith Pond Pfeffer: (508) 528-0428

judpfeffer@verizon.net

Andy Bissanti: (508) 528-7111

Andrew@bissantirealty.com

Glenn Jones: (508) 520-0069

gf_jones@verizon.net

Tom Mercer: (508) 528-9084

tdmercer@verizon.net

Peter Padula: (508) 528-9744

votepadula@gmail.com

Steve Williams (508) 528-6013

stw611@gmail.com

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Apr 16, 2014 - Agenda

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
March 5, 2014

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by Franklin Matters.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS
Design Review Commission
Library Board of Directors

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Gary McCarraher/Ambulance Information
Solarize Franklin
Library Board/Director

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

1. Resolution 14-16: Authorization to Borrow – Water Infrastructure Improvements - Requires 2/3 Vote

2. Resolution 14-17: Appropriation Athletic Fields Capital Improvement Stabilization Fund- Requires 2/3 Vote

3. Resolution 14-18: Appropriation OPEB Stabilization Fund - Requires 2/3 Vote

4. Resolution 14-19: Appropriation Sewer Enterprise Capital FY 14

5. Resolution 14-20: Appropriation Water Enterprise Capital FY 14

6. Resolution 14-21:Appropriation Fire Truck Stabilization Fund - Requires 2/3 Vote

7. Resolution 14-23: Senior Center Capital Improvement Stabilization Fund- Requires 2/3 Vote

8. Resolution 14-24: Appropriation Capital FY 14

9. Resolution 14-25: Appropriation Recreation – Spray Park

10. Resolution 14-22: Direction for Issuance of Request for Expressions of Interest for Town Property at 150 Emmons Street

11. Bylaw Amendment 14-731:Amendment to Chapter 82, Appendix A, List of Service Fee Rates – 2nd Reading

12. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 14-733: Changes to 185-5, Zoning Map, changes from Commercial 1 to Downtown Commercial District in an Area on or Near Alpine Row - Referral to Planning Board

13. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 14-734: Changes to 185-5, Zoning Map, changes from Industrial to General Residential V District in an Area on or Near Josephine Street - Referral to Planning Board

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Real Property

P. ADJOURN

Franklin Municipal Building

The full set of documents released for this agenda can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2014/041614.pdf

Franklin TV studio - renovation progress

The future Franklin.TV studio will be located on Hutchinson St (between Wachusett and Union).

future home of Franklin TV

They are operating from the trailer in the parking lot while the interior is renovated and the addition is built. On my walk Saturday morning, I took these photos of the building's addition. They broke ground and have the foundation poured.

yes, there is a foundation!

side view of foundation

foundation and positioning to original building

redoing the exterior (entrance to front left, foundation in rear)

Be sure to visit Franklin.tv online  They broadcast your local Franklin channels for both Verizon and Comcast.

"You tap into your humanity. I mean, would you want to go there?"

Franklin's discussion about what to do with Emmons St is not a unique discussion. Other communities have this discussion around development vs. green space or community space. Amanda Burden the former New York City urban planner spoke at the TED Conference in March. Right about the same time as the Town Council hosted the second discussion on Emmons St.

"When we think of cities, we think of buildings and skyscrapers and stray cats. For Amanda Burden, who spent 12 years as New York City’s director of urban planning, they’re primarily about people. They’re about where people go and where they meet – that’s the core of how cities work. And for the people, even more important than the buildings are the public spaces in between them. Those, to Burden, are what makes the cities come alive. 

The central question she asks is, “What makes a public space work? What is it about unsuccessful places that keeps people away?” Burden, it turns out, was trained as an animal behaviorist, but she uses those skills to study how people interact with their spaces."

From the TED blog
http://blog.ted.com/2014/03/18/public-spaces-have-power-amanda-burden-at-ted2014/


Spend about 18 minutes with Amanda and listen to what she has to say about city spaces and what they can do for people. What she says about New York translates well to what we can and should do here in Franklin.





Good quotes:

Now, open spaces in cities are opportunities. Yes, they are opportunities for commercial investment, but they are also opportunities for the common good of the city, and those two goals are often not aligned with one another, and therein lies the conflict.

So how was I going to get this done? By listening. So I began listening, in fact, thousands of hours of listening just to establish trust. You know, communities can tell whether or not you understand their neighborhoods. It's not something you can just fake. And so I began walking. I can't tell you how many blocks I walked, in sweltering summers, in freezing winters, year after year, just so I could get to understand the DNA of each neighborhood and know what each street felt like. I became an incredibly geeky zoning expert, finding ways that zoning could address communities' concerns.

So what's the trick? How do you turn a park into a place that people want to be? Well, it's up to you, not as a city planner but as a human being. You don't tap into your design expertise. You tap into your humanity. I mean, would you want to go there? Would you want to stay there? Can you see into it and out of it? Are there other people there? Does it seem green and friendly? Can you find your very own seat?

These and other quotes from directly from the transcript
http://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_burden_how_public_spaces_make_cities_work/transcript


So how does the discussion on Emmons St continue? Should the Town Council issue the "Expression of Interest"?

DIRECTION FOR ISSUANCE OF REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF
INTEREST FOR TOWN PROPERTY AT 150 EMMONS STREET 

WHEREAS, the Town owns improved property at 150 Emmons Street which
previously housed the municipal administrative offices (hereinafter “Property”), and 

WHEREAS, the Franklin Town Council, by Resolution 04-75, previously declared
Property to be surplus and available for disposition, and 

WHEREAS, Town, pursuant to said resolution, issued a Request for Proposals
with a minimum bid price, but failed to receive any responsive proposals, and 

WHEREAS, the Town Council is cognizant of public interest in and concern for
reuse and/or redevelopment of Property as a “Gateway” to and integral part of the
Downtown, and has held public hearings to solicit public comments, and 

WHEREAS, Town Council remains desirous of disposing of Property and seeks
additional input as to potential reuse and/or redevelopment to provide it with guidance in
the preparation of a new Request for Proposals, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town of Franklin acting by and
through its Town Council: 

1. Directs the Town Administrator to cause a Request for Expressions of
Interest be prepared and issued for Property with responses due no
later than July 31, 2014. 

2. Directs the Economic Development Committee to review and evaluate
all responses and to provide the Town Council with a written report of
its evaluation at the Council’s first meeting this coming September.

 This resolution is on the agenda for the Town Council meeting Wednesday, Apr 16

Emmons St building

Real property values are positively affected

Two other sources of information on how public spaces can help the economic development of communities were shared by the Dept of Community Development and Planning.

Key Point #1
Real property values are positively affected. 

Key Point #2
Municipal revenues are increased.

There are additional points made in this paper but for me, the additional revenue is key. Read the full article here:




In the Introduction to this paper we read:

"Too often we hear that communities cannot afford to “grow smart” by conserving open space. But accumulating evidence indicates that open space conservation is not an expense but an investment that produces important economic benefits."

Why are these papers shared? Good information to have for the Emmons St building discussion

Emmons St this past winter

PodCamp WesternMass 6

Where do I learn how to do what I do here for Franklin Matters? I managed to attend the first PodCamp in 2006 in Boston and have been continuing to learn something new at unconference event since then.

PodCamp WesternMass 6 - Saturday, April 19, 2014 

Where: The Kittredge Center, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA 

When: Saturday, April 19, 2014 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Tickets are $30 plus processing, or $10 with a valid student ID, and includes a full day of PCWM6, lunch, admission to our after party, and so much more! 

At PodCamp, everyone's a rock star. 

PodCamp is an un-conference about social media and online networking. It is an open and collaborative event with discussions and interaction from attendees. Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to join. Some sessions will be planned ahead of the event, but plenty of spaces will be open for the topics YOU want to discuss and learn. You can participate by giving a presentation, demo, or joining into another cooperative event, being on a panel/roundtable, or in other ways helping out on event day. 

PodCamp is NOT just about podcasting, but about all social media/networking, and its relevance and usefulness to community, business and otherwise. This PodCamp is all about blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, podcasting, videocasting/YouTube, and any other online community tools. 

Western Mass entered the Social Media age with the inaugural PodCamp WesternMass in early 2009. We have a thriving community here of some truly amazing people. This is a chance for Western Mass bloggers, business people, artists, and academics, to get together, make connections, and for everyone to learn how social media can enhance their business, cause or organization. This is also a chance to celebrate the cornucopia of Western Mass. culture, a joyous blend of urban and rural; business, artistic and academic; near enough to other large metro areas, but small enough to hear yourself think. 

There will also be a Post-PodCamp Party on Saturday after the event, at Sláinte.

To get your ticket, follow this link  pcwm6.eventbrite.com/

The schedule of sessions for PodCamp WesternMass 5

The Recycle Center

The Recycle Center - Hours of Recycling Operation:
Tuesday 12-3 p.m. (April – Nov) Fri, Sat 8-3 p.m. 


USER PERMIT FEE: $25
Permits valid July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 attached to windshield – no exceptions

• The recycle center also accepts rigid plastic items. ex: plastic lawn furniture, empty garage cans, plastic shelving, milk/soda crates and more. Please see the Town of Franklin website for more information.
• Recycling Center permits can now be purchased via telephone by calling the DPW office during business hours. DPW - 508.553.5500
• Cash is not accepted at the Recycling Center. Payments can be made by check, credit or debit card (Visa or Mastercard).
• The town’s new needle/syringe disposal kiosk is located in the lobby of the DPW office at 257 Fisher Street. The kiosk will be available to residents during normal DPW business hours.

Yard Waste
Leaves and brush will be collected curbside. Beaver Street Recycling Facility also accepts yard waste.
Check calendar for schedule.

Bulk Items

• Large indoor furniture Pickup Fee: There is a fee per item (limit 1 per week). ex. mattress, box spring, carpet, (per 108sqft, 9x12), wood table & chairs, sofas, etc.
• Oil-based paints, thinners, shellac and turpentine are accepted at the Recycling Center
• The Recycling Center now accepts mattresses, box springs and carpeting.
• Most appliances are $25 • Disposal of TV's start at $25 • Freon Appliances - $30
• All pickups done on Thursdays. Call Waste Management by Tuesday 3 pm for Thursday pick up! 1.800.972.4545. Please call Waste Management for pricing on other items.

Franklin trash and recycle bins or totters

The Recycling Flyer can be viewed here:





The recycling flyer can also be found on the Franklin webpage here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01D2465A-000F8513.0/Recycling%20Flyer.pdf

BJ's Intersection

The improved signage for the intersection of Forge Parkway and West Central St has apparently reduced the number of traffic incidents. You may recall that for a period of time, the neighborhood was quite upset when  traffic signals were removed by the state. Several accidents occurred some of them with significant injury. Franklin worked with MassDOT to improve the stop signs at the intersection.

In my own use of the intersection, it seems much better behaved than the 'wild west' it used to be.

early warning stop sign ahead

stop sign has blinking lights all around the edge

the intersection is a wide one with good views