Franklin Matters

Friday, February 20, 2015

Franklin Library - Book Sale / Bag Sale - Feb 21 - 22

Get out of the house Saturday and spend some time at the monthly Library Book Sale.

The book sale happens Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
The bag sale happens on Sunday from 9:00 AM to noon.

Library Book Sale - Feb 21 - 22

This was shared from the Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/02/library-book-sale.html

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Town of Franklin $6,920,000 Bonds Net 1.931%; Refunding saves $603,906

James Dacey, Town Treasurer, announced that the Town received competitive bids from bond underwriters on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, for a $6,920,000 12-year bond issue. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC was the winning bidder on the Bonds with an average interest rate of 1.931%. The Town received 5 bids on the Bonds. Bond proceeds will be used to refinance bonds of the Town originally issued March 15, 2006 and April 1, 2007.

The refinancing will generate total savings of $603,906 over the remaining life of the Bonds.

Prior to the sale, Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, a municipal credit rating agency, affirmed the Town’s AA+ bond rating. The rating agency cited the

Town’s very strong economy
strong management with good financial policies
strong budgetary flexibility
very strong liquidity
very strong debt and contingent liability position
and strong institutional framework

as positive credit factors

The bids for the Bonds were accepted at the offices of the Town’s Financial Advisor, First Southwest Company, at 54 Canal Street in Boston, Massachusetts.

Franklin Municipal Building in better weather

"let us say with our actions that every life matters"

From Trevor Clement:

A few years ago, when my wife was pregnant, we made the decision to find a new home. We wanted to give our child the best educational opportunities, and it became clear that the Franklin school system would do just that. I ran for a seat on School Committee because I wanted to help Franklin’s schools continue their excellence and high standards. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve, and I greatly enjoy the work.

The School Committee recently had the first of two votes on a proposed change to the policy concerning memorials. At our most recent meeting, I voiced my objections to the proposed policy. Because this is such a sensitive issue, I wanted to lay out my position in more detail. The current policy does not allow for the donation of memorials bearing the name of a person. The proposed policy would allow such individualized memorials.

The proposed policy was written with the input of Franklin resident Rita Graci. I have nothing but respect and sympathy for the Graci family. Their loss is unfathomable and their strength and determination are extraordinary. I have had several conversations with Rita, and while we may disagree, she has always been polite, thoughtful, and considerate of other views.

I am not opposed to having memorials in the school. In fact, I favor a policy where every loss is commemorated at the district’s expense. The memorials could be paving stones with names carved into them, or plaques that the family can personalize and which hang on a Wall of Remembrance. Whatever the method, the scope and nature of the memorials should be the same for everyone.

What I am opposed to is valuing one life differently than another. Our schools are a place where all students are welcomed as equals, where they are treated with respect, and where they are given the same opportunities to succeed. When there is a loss, it affects the entire school community, and we should grieve that loss in a way that maintains our message of universal respect and the inherent value of every life. Every student is loved, every loss is a tragedy, and everyone should be given the same honor and recognition.

We shouldn't have a policy that allows those with means or influence to have special consideration for their loved one. To allow one family to erect a statue creates the impression that one student’s life, and one family’s loss, is more worthy of respect and remembrance than others. We should be commemorating all those whom we have lost, not just those who can afford to be remembered. No family should be made to feel like their child is less important. No child should go through school wondering why their sibling didn’t deserve to be remembered.

Some people are going to say that this doesn’t reflect how things are usually done; that the real world selects who is remembered. My response to that is: schools are different.

School is where we teach our children how we want the world to be, not just how it is. We are preparing our students not only to be part of the world, but also to shape it and improve it. Great schools don’t sit on the floor of how things are; they strain against the ceiling of how things should be. The world may not be fair, but in this briefest time, when our children are our students and our actions speak so loudly, let us say with our actions that every life matters, and every life is worth remembering.

Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts. I can be reached at
clementt@franklin.k12.ma.us and welcome all comments and feedback.

the proposed Kristin Graci Class of 2007 Memorial

The current and proposed policy revision documents can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/02/franklin-public-schools-memorial-policy.html

My notes from the Feb 10th School Committee meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/02/local-and-state-policy-dominate.html

The second reading of the policy revision is likely to be on the agenda for the Feb 24th School Committee. When the agenda is published, it will be made available here.

Saving Lives - Get Formally Trained In CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), as we all know is needed when a person is suffering from cardiac arrest. CPR is the first thing that we rely on in such situations; it is actually a first aid method. If we have to believe on the statistical data then it says, about 92 percent victims of the cardiac arrest die well before they see a hospital. The data even mentions that only if people knew what CPR is, it would make a huge difference. This method increases almost 50 per cent chances of survival. The best thing is, you need not be a medical expert to know about CPR.

Imagine if you could save somebody from dying, would not that be a thing of achievement for you? The six minutes after an individual suffers a heart attack are the most crucial moments of his life. These moments can take his life or can start his second innings. Therefore, CPR training is a must for one and all.

National Medical Academy

Irrespective of what profession one belongs to, a person can take cpr training classes. This is one thing that does not have any eligibility criteria. You can be of any age or any profession, you will still be able to get trained in CPR.

If you get formally trained in CPR, you can be ready to save many lives. There are many institutes that offer this course. National Medical Academy offers you a cpr certification at the end. This training cannot be forced on everyone but, it is highly recommended. You never know who will need it. It could be anybody, starting from your family member to your colleague. And, at that time, there is no point in feeling helpless!

It is a myth people believe in that only individuals with medical background need to know about CPR or can perform CPR. The fact is, you just need to be humane enough to be able to learn to save somebody's life. The cpr training classes will resolve all your doubts and teach you techniques that are easily understandable and adaptable. You will not have any inhibitions left to ponder upon. Many think that even if they know about CPR, they still will not be able to do it properly. It is not like that, you cannot afford to be any less confident in this. And therefore, you need to go to the experts who can teach you this in theory and in practical.

The people who teach you need to have sound knowledge of this field. If they are naive, you cannot expect them to offer you training to make you a perfectionist. This is a very responsible job and hence, needs thorough study of every detail. For some, CPR may look very easy, but that should not be their over confidence. No matter what, if you are trained under the experts, you will be equipped with right knowledge and techniques!

If you are interested in attending a CPR certification class, please visit National Medical Academy on their website, https://www.nationalmedicalacademy.com, for more information and to register for a training.

National Medical Academy is formally Act First CPR.
They are located at 247 E Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038. (508) 440-5698

Open Mic Night at The Cake Bar

The next OPEN MIC NIGHT at the Cake Bar will be held this Thursday!

We plan on holding this event on the THIRD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH from 6:30PM - 8:30PM.

If you're interested in performing you can either call and sign up in advance for a guaranteed spot or walk in and perform as time allows.

Friends and family are encouraged to attend! We hope to see you there!

Open Mic Night at The Cake Bar

The Mac Deli is open for business!

After a brief closed period for additional staff training, the Mac Deli is open again!

Mac Deli is open and excited to serve delicious Macaroni and Cheese, Awesome Sandwiches and Fresh Salads.

We are currently still hiring super people to be part of our amazing team. Please contact Eric at 508-346-3219 if you are interested in working - we are looking for counter help and sandwich makers. Mother's hours available, part and full time shifts available.

The Mac Deli - 13 W Central St

You can find them on Facebook here
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mac-Deli/927409410612158

or on the web here http://www.themacdeli.com/

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

#shopFranklin has folks taking action

Approx 20 folks gathered at The Cake Bar Wednesday night energized around #shopFranklin. Ideas were brought up and captureed on the wall. Some were discussed in detail, some started getting solved, some started getting combined with other ideas as the conversation flowed.

It was a good meeting. Lots of the folks were recognizing each other from their Facebook profile. Meeting in real life for the first time, picking up where they left off on line.

A combined ad. A quarterly mailer. Exploring collaborative marketing efforts. Use WMRC 1490 radio. Do a progressive event. Do a cash mob. What is a cash mob? Maybe a #shopFranklin keychain tag.

Discussion around the relationship with the Downtown Partnership. The Partnership is funded by their memberships and from the events they run. have gronw to about 200 members. Membership is reasonable. Forms available at meeting and on partnership website. They are interested in the energy of this group. This is not an us versus them, this is about what is good for Franklin and what is good for businesses in Franklin.

#shopFranklin - supporting small business

Discussion about #shopFranklin page. Still forming and figuring out how it will work. Seeming to be a consumer based place to discuss and collabroate wth local businesses.

What will the construction downtown do to the Harvest Festival? Will it disrupt the Festival this year? Maybe a trade show? How about a passport? Could tie it to fund raising effort for a non-profit. Rockland Trust has a couple of tables for business with accounts at the bank that can be used for helping to spread the word about that business for a month.

Maybe a speaker series. There are topics that small businesses need help with. Improviing health care options? How to prepare for the new sick time law coming into effect in July? Womens Success Network has an event coming up March 4th. PDF of the info to be sent to a number of folks.

Need to be able to communicate among the group. Set up a Google group. It acts as a distribution listing and provides some thing Facebook doesn't do; it will get the messsage to everyone in the list. Can use the group to confirm additional topics. Can use the group to spread the listing of ideas.

Some of the ideas resulted in action items with assignments. March 11th targeted for next meeting also at the Cake Bar beginning at 7:00 PM.

It was good to see a bunch of folks energized about #shopFranklin and willing to do something about it. This is a good start!

Senior Center: A new edition of The Franklin Connection is available

A new edition of The Franklin Connection has been published on the Town of Franklin web site.

Click the link below to read the latest edition.

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Senior/Mar15connection.pdf

Franklin Senior Center

_______________________________________________
You are subscribed to the The Franklin Connection - Senior Newsletter mailing list.

Organizational Meeting: Franklin Small Business Marketing Co-Op

Reminder: What was canceled due to the weather last week is on (finally) for tonight!

Forming a Franklin small business marketing Co-Op was agreed to in yesterday's Franklin Downtown Partnership meeting, and many folks indicated they would participate in a brainstorming working session next week on WEDNESDAY, February 18th from 7:00PM to 8:30PM at The Cake Bar.

For those small business owners, as well as Franklin consumers that are interested in attending, we'd welcome as many as we can get! I've attached a flyer that you can feel free to circulate to anybody and everybody that may be interested. The more the merrier!

#shopFranklin

FHS winter sports results for Tuesday, Feb 17

From Hockomock Sports we can share the results of Tuesday's winter sports competitions

Boys Basketball

Franklin, 51 vs. Newton North, 47 - Final - Marcus Giese scored 16 points on his way to Comcast Tournament MVP honors. Dylan Reno added 17 points and played strong defense on Newton North's Tommy Mobley.

FHS Panthers

Girls Basketball

Franklin, 60 vs. Shepherd Hill, 31 - Final - Lexi Martin led Franklin with 15 points, Jillian Spolidoro added nine points and Caroline Maguire chipped in with eight points. The Panthers will play in the championship of the Westboro Tournament on Thursday against Acton-Boxboro.

Boys Hockey

Franklin, 8 @ Taunton, 0 - Final

Girls Hockey

Franklin, 2 @ Westwood, 5 - Final

For all the results of the Hockomock League
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-021715

Ribbon Cutting March 3 in Franklin: REAL LIVING REALTY GROUP

REAL LIVING REALTY GROUP TO HOLD RIBBON CUTTING

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting event to celebrate the new office of Real Living Realty Group, 55 West Central St., Franklin, on March 3 at 1 p.m.

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit, business support organization serving the communities of Attleboro, Bellingham, Blackstone, Foxborough, Franklin, Mansfield, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Norton, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Wrentham.

new location, new sign - Real Living Realty Group (Facebook page image)

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

MBTA: Update - Commuter Rail schedule changes through Friday, Feb 20th

All Commuter Rail Lines will operate a modified weekday schedule through Friday, February 20. Schedules for each line are at www.mbta.com/winter.

Passengers should expect significant delays and several canceled trips.

Providence/Stoughton Line trains will not serve TF Green and Wickford and all service will begin and end in Providence.

Kingston/Plymouth Line trains will not service Plymouth and all service will begin and end in Kingston.

Greenbush Line trains will not service Weymouth Landing.

Last updated: Feb 17 2015 08:41 PM

Sent by the MBTA.

Franklin Line following trains will NOT operate 2/18/2015.6701,702,703,790,706,710,733,732,793,734,709,716,715,737,736,721,725,726. Train 719 will make all stops.

Last updated: Feb 18 2015 05:58 AM

Franklin/Dean Station

THE BLACK BOX Sets The Stage For Culinary Cabaret Signature Food And Wine Event

The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) presents Culinary Cabaret 2015 on Friday, March 6, from 7-11 p.m. at THE BLACK BOX, 15 West Central Street, in downtown Franklin. The fourth annual signature food and wine event showcases the culinary and performing arts, featuring masterful dishes and gourmet specialties. A culinary-themed silent auction will feature quality cookware, wine and experiences for the food lover. The evening includes music and entertainment by FPAC special guest artists and Electric Youth.

FPAC is pleased to partner with exceptional area chefs and restaurants to present an innovative evening of inspired cuisine. Savor fine wines, craft beer, and delicious appetizers, desserts and dishes from Annie’s Just Desserts, The Cake Bar, Campania Ristorante, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, Genji Sushi, Incontro, J & L Catering, Pour Richard’s Wine & Spirits, Salt & Olive, Tavolino, Twelve Fine Food & Spirits, Whole Foods Market, 3 Restaurant and more. THE BLACK BOX, FPAC’s new theater, music and event venue, provides a dynamic setting to eat, drink, learn and celebrate.

Pictured from Franklin's 3 Restaurant are
Executive Chef Chad Terry and General Manager Brian Ravella

With the return of Culinary Cabaret 2015, FPAC is proud to once again spotlight some of the finest culinary talent in Boston’s MetroWest region, pairing food and art of outstanding creative caliber, with an impressive roster of vendors.

This year’s event welcomes back several founding partners, including Davio’s, Tavolino and Whole Foods Market. Led by General Manager Tom Perruna and Executive Chef Greg Galano, Tavolino treated guests to seared Ahi tuna and braised calamari at Culinary Cabaret's launch in 2012. This year, the team will prepare pan-seared scallops, crushed cashews and local seaweed salad, as well as duck confit ravioli served with a toasted walnut risotto and a port wine reduction. Davio’s Executive Chef Paul King will serve up prime beef short rib and butternut squash purée, garnished with crispy leeks. Among the 2015 new event partners, Incontro will present guests with several selections, including pork rillette with pickles, mustard, herbs and micro greens with crusty bread, as well as house-made lemon ricotta and grilled asparagus.

Culinary Cabaret

Pour Richard’s will partner restaurant stations with representatives from wineries and distributors, who will pour wines specifically chosen to complement the chef-prepared specialties. Reflecting Pour Richard’s “Never Drink Ordinary” motto, beverages will feature small producers, high quality and eclectic selection, including wines from Carol Shelton Vineyards, Sine Metu, Wente Vineyards, Pedroncelli Vineyards, Tiefenbrunner and many more, as well as craft beer, Irish Whiskey, Coole Swan Irish Cream and a signature cocktail created by Ipswich's own Privateer Rum. Pour Richard’s will also feature a single cask, single malt Scotch tasting, led by Scotch Master Charlie Tower, representing Douglas of Drumlanrig, Old Malt Cask and Malt Man selections. These are rare and delicious whiskies, many produced in lots of only 150 total bottles.

Tickets for Culinary Cabaret are $75 and fully inclusive of the evening’s food, wine, beer and entertainment. Purchase tickets online at www.theblackboxonline.com or by phone at 508-528-3370. Event proceeds support Electric Youth’s 2015 European summer concert tour and EY’s mission to give back through musical performance, education and ambassadorship. Culinary Cabaret 2015 media sponsors are The Milford Daily News and WMRC.

The direct link for tickets via THE BLACK BOX is here

Franklin in Snow

Even I'll admit that the snow is getting tiresome. It is pretty and we have been very fortunate not to lose power through all these storms (and I hope this doesn't jinx us). But it is also disrupting life. I stuck to mostly the sideroads as the side walks are buried while making my morning exercise walk around Franklin on Monday.

cars are now hidden in driveways with the snow piling up so high on either side

Be careful driving on side streets and expecially coming out from the side streets on to the main roads. What you used to be able to see may not allow you that view today

fortunately school is out this week so DPW has time to catch up to clearing them

the new tot lot is getting buried deeper and deeper in the snow

even the sign at Dean is getting hidden by the snow

While the sign gets buried, the Library stands tall above the snow

a monster icicle at Clark Cutler on Fisher St

The train hadn't gone to Forge Park yet that morning

the wind has added its influence to the snow piles

Wachusett St is shining in the sunlight

the wind creates its own sculptures