Warrant issued for Franklin man
Former Franklin museum's fate yet to be determined
Franklin Senior Center programs
Franklin, MA
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Patrick proposes $65M local aid cut in Mass.
Hey, when the numbers and details on the Governors proposed budget comes out Jan 26th, we'll be able to see what it looks like and begin to understand how realistically the chance is that the Legislature will be providing the relief - there may be hope down the road.
Why not help now?
The Legislature has to act real soon to get something enacted to help this budget cycle. Then it has to go to the communities for them to incorporate into their business. Franklin has 13 unions, the current contract negotiations have been underway for some time. A couple have already reached agreement. How close the others are is not publicly known yet. It might very well be the next cycle that this would have an effect.
Gov. Deval Patrick told Massachusetts city and town leaders today he will cut some of their local aid in the fiscal 2012 budget he proposes next week, but attempt to offset the reduction with legislation granting them long-sought power to trim municipal employee health insurance costs.
Why not help now?
The Legislature has to act real soon to get something enacted to help this budget cycle. Then it has to go to the communities for them to incorporate into their business. Franklin has 13 unions, the current contract negotiations have been underway for some time. A couple have already reached agreement. How close the others are is not publicly known yet. It might very well be the next cycle that this would have an effect.
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Glen Johnson on 1/21/11
Gov. Deval Patrick told Massachusetts city and town leaders today he will cut some of their local aid in the fiscal 2012 budget he proposes next week, but attempt to offset the reduction with legislation granting them long-sought power to trim municipal employee health insurance costs.
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
"help people who don't have the time, money, or opportunity to eat better"
Corby Kummer writes in The Atlantic:
Walmart will be making changes to what food it sells. It will be moving to provide healthier choices.
What kind of changes?
Franklin, MA
Before getting into the particulars of today's announcement, it's worth noting two things. First, no one at the White House can be unaware of ongoing controversy over Walmart's labor practices. And the very public support for Walmart will not mean that the White House nutrition team, led by Sam Kass, will stop the work it is already deep into with other corporations and food manufacturers, and with many federal and state agencies, to improve access to fresher food and opportunities to exercise. But Walmart has a power across the entire supply chain, from farm to transportation to store, that no other marketer or grocer has. If and when it can choose to be a force for good—and if that impulse is largely the result of market demand and market share it doesn't want competitors to claim—the First Lady's team (and anyone else who cares about the country's health) would be foolish not to try to guide the company in the directions it wants to see the whole food industry head.What is the big news?
Walmart will be making changes to what food it sells. It will be moving to provide healthier choices.
What kind of changes?
Of the "key elements" Walmart announced, several are ones I reported on last March: shorten travel distances between farm and distribution centers, support smaller farmers than it had previously bought from, bring back staple crops to areas where they had vanished because of competition from California and Florida, and bring fresh food into "food deserts" both in cities and, importantly, rural areas without supermarkets.Read the full article about Walmart's announcement here
Franklin, MA
Where is that fire hydrant?
The Chief has a good point to make.
Franklin, MA
Hi, this is Franklin Fire Chief Gary McCarraher with an important request which may affect your safety and that of your neighbors. The heavy snow storms over the past few weeks, have buried most of the more than 1,700 fire hydrants throughout the Town. You may have seen in recent new accounts where buried fire hydrant severely hampered area firefighters in combating building fires. Accordingly we are seeking your help to shovel clear the fire hydrant closest to your home. With your assistance we can insure that firefighters will have unimpeded access to the fire hydrant closest to your home in the event of an emergency. On behalf of the members of the Franklin Fire Department, I would like to thank you for your continued support and have a safe day!With more snow arriving today, please take some time to find a fire hydrant in your neighborhood and shovel it out. The life or house you save may be your own.
Franklin, MA
How to be truly awesome!
Neil Pasricha's blog 1000 Awesome Things savors life's simple pleasures, from free refills to clean sheets. In this heartfelt talk from TEDxToronto, he reveals the 3 secrets (attitude, awareness, authenticity) to leading a life that's truly awesome.
Good words for your job search! Watch and enjoy!
Now, go out and take the next step to find your best opportunity!
If you can make it to the PodCamp WesternMA in Westfield St Univ, you can practice being awesome there.
If you can go, you should see if you can go for free. The details can be found here
Good words for your job search! Watch and enjoy!
Now, go out and take the next step to find your best opportunity!
If you can make it to the PodCamp WesternMA in Westfield St Univ, you can practice being awesome there.
If you can go, you should see if you can go for free. The details can be found here
"give us the ability to manage ourselves"
"Everybody in the room was pretty much on the same page," Holliston selectmen Chairman Andy Porter said yesterday. "We are frustrated and want to bring these issues to the forefront."
Medfield Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said officials want to band together to send a message to the state and to the public that changes are necessary to give towns and cities more control in dealing with rising costs.
"We're all facing the same problems, and we are getting very little help from the Legislature," he said.
Sullivan said officials at the meeting were frustrated that they are unable to change health care plans for public employees and retirees to save money. Cities and towns must first negotiate with unions to change plan designs, which officials say makes the job harder.
This topic was also discussed at the Town Council goal setting meeting Wednesday evening. Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Franklin, MA
Thursday, January 20, 2011
"the gift of cooking knowledge"
Michelle writes on The Clueless Gardner:
You can contribute recipes to Michelle, or send them to me. Via email is best for now.
Franklin, MA
I asked Steve: wouldn’t it make more sense to stock the pantry with staples that are generally cheaper, and more nutritious? And I wandered away toying with the notion of writing recipes to submit to the food pantry along with donations of such staples - because in all likelihood if people aren’t cooking from staples, it is because they don’t know how.
Steve replied: “Michelle, I understand your desire for more of a healthy food request. We are heading in that direction. The Food Pantry instituted a farmer's market on Monday's last year to distribute the fresh produce we were able to obtain. We are working as part of the Community Gardens project to further that effort this year. By re-doing the Food Pantry website, we intend to incorporate a blog which will also feature healthy recipes. You also give me an idea that we can solicit recipes from the community (like yourself) as well as from other food and health writers. Thanks!”
Well, we certainly seem to be thinking along the same lines! So I’ve started writing down recipes. And not just recipes: I’m sticking to explaining the basics. What do you do with dry beans, uncooked rice, fresh kale, whole chicken, and the like? And perhaps just as important: how to you go about managing the often lengthy process of cooking from scratch with a hectic lifestyle in which the chefs may be working multiple jobs and raising children all at once?You can read her full posting here
You can contribute recipes to Michelle, or send them to me. Via email is best for now.
Franklin, MA
"town leaders need to look at ways to reduce expenses"
Nutting suggested a $20 per sport fee per person added to the normal registration costs, although the amount could change and the fee could be structured differently. He said many local towns charge for field use.
Nutting estimated that the town could gain $100,000 per year to repair fields if the estimated 5,000 people who participate in sports paid a $20 fee.
Town Councilor Stephen Whalen said charging a fee for field maintenance would be a fair balance since the entire town paid for the construction of the fields.
"I think we should do it," Whalen said, adding "in our situation, I think we have to look at things like this."
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Participate in the budget priority survey here
Franklin, MA
No books, please
Friends not accepting book donations
Hopefully, this is just a temporary situation. It was raised earlier this week according to the discussion at the Town Council meeting Wednesday evening and Jeff Nutting is working to find some space for this effort.
Yes, there is some irony involved. Here is the Library stopping their volunteer group from working to prepare their major fund raiser which provides financial aid to the Library.
Franklin, MA
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Creative thinking
This video clip from TEDx shows Charles Lamb sharing some interesting research that he is doing on the brain. By analyzing the brain activity when performing music, he is attempting to answer some significant questions on creativity.
Watch here:
For me, the initial take away was this quote:
Franklin, MA
Watch here:
For me, the initial take away was this quote:
But we have this combination of an area that's thought to be involved in self-monitoring, turning off, and this area that's thought to be autobiographical, or self-expressive, turning on.
In order to be creative, the brain needs to shut some aspects off and turn others on. There is a reason for having brain storming sessions. They may not have worked so well due to how they were set up but maybe with this new research they can find the way to set a good stage for being creative.
- Put aside your bias for a moment.
- Put on your wide open 'thinking' cap.
- Participate in the budget priority survey here
Franklin, MA
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Town Council - Agenda - 1/19/11 (not yet)
The Town Council is scheduled to meet on Weds, Jan 19th. Check the Franklin website later today to see if the agenda has been posted. It is not there yet.
Franklin, MA
Franklin, MA
Monday, January 17, 2011
Franklin, MA: Financial Impact Full-Day vs Tuition-based Kindergarten
This internet radio show or podcast is number 83 in the series for Franklin Matters.
This is a special session. The audio has been synchronized with the presentation to create a complete package. The package will provide the update by Miriam Goodman, Franklin School Business Administrator, on full day vs. half-day kindergarten. The presentation and discussion occurred at the School Committee meeting on Jan 11, 2011.
You can also review the meeting video on the Franklin website.
The link to the Kindergarten presentation is here:
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?indexPointSKU=suY%2bgbIOkRUfeduJ9u%2f2aw%3d%3d/
The full meeting can be viewed here:
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?ecm=634307043717953928&indexSessionSKU=bV0o80oxKwE2UUa+RXKE4A%3D%3D&siteSKU=L7qhQ46xin/r3Z0jcDVCNw%3D%3D/
During the presentation you will hear the voices of Miriam Goodman and Maureen Sabolinski, Superintendent. In the question and answer period, questions and comments will be asked by School Committee members – Ed Cafasso, Sue Rohrbach, Chairperson Jeff Roy, and Bill Glynn in order of their voices.
My keyboard and that of Brian Benson, the Milford Daily News reporter, is heard in the background as we type away reporting on the meeting. Hopefully, you won't find it too intrusive.
Without further ado, here is the presentation:
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin. I can use your help.
How can you help, you ask?
If you have an interest in covering the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and or the Zoning Board of Appeals meetings in Franklin, please let me know.
And as always -
It will be via your feedback that I can improve this for you.
Thank you for listening.
-----
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission
I hope you enjoy!
Franklin, MA
This is a special session. The audio has been synchronized with the presentation to create a complete package. The package will provide the update by Miriam Goodman, Franklin School Business Administrator, on full day vs. half-day kindergarten. The presentation and discussion occurred at the School Committee meeting on Jan 11, 2011.
You can also review the meeting video on the Franklin website.
The link to the Kindergarten presentation is here:
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?indexPointSKU=suY%2bgbIOkRUfeduJ9u%2f2aw%3d%3d/
The full meeting can be viewed here:
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?ecm=634307043717953928&indexSessionSKU=bV0o80oxKwE2UUa+RXKE4A%3D%3D&siteSKU=L7qhQ46xin/r3Z0jcDVCNw%3D%3D/
During the presentation you will hear the voices of Miriam Goodman and Maureen Sabolinski, Superintendent. In the question and answer period, questions and comments will be asked by School Committee members – Ed Cafasso, Sue Rohrbach, Chairperson Jeff Roy, and Bill Glynn in order of their voices.
My keyboard and that of Brian Benson, the Milford Daily News reporter, is heard in the background as we type away reporting on the meeting. Hopefully, you won't find it too intrusive.
Without further ado, here is the presentation:
Franklin MA - Financial Impact Full-day vs Tuition-based Kindergarten
View more webinars from Franklin Matters.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin. I can use your help.
How can you help, you ask?
If you have an interest in covering the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and or the Zoning Board of Appeals meetings in Franklin, please let me know.
And as always -
- If you like this, please tell your friends and neighbors
- If you don't like this, please tell me.
It will be via your feedback that I can improve this for you.
Thank you for listening.
-----
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission
I hope you enjoy!
Franklin, MA
In the News - 1st book, enrollment drops
Franklin woman publishes her first book
Laura Spinella's blog has been added to the Franklin Area Blog section.
Franklin school enrollment predicted to fall
You can view the full report on the Enrollment Projections here
Franklin, MA
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Help determine the priority list
In the January issue of the new Franklin newspaper delivered to your mail box, I wrote about setting priorities for the services that Franklin provides. This survey intends to develop a list of services that you would consider discontinuing and of services that you think we should continue.
The survey will remain open for your input through Saturday, Jan 29th.
The results of the survey will be published Sunday, Jan 30, 2011.
Note: use the scroll bar in form to get to the second question and "Submit".
You can provide an answer for both questions or chose to answer only one question.
For this kind of 'list building' exercise, there is no limit on entries. The survey results will provide two lists for further discussion.
Franklin, MA
The survey will remain open for your input through Saturday, Jan 29th.
The results of the survey will be published Sunday, Jan 30, 2011.
Note: use the scroll bar in form to get to the second question and "Submit".
You can provide an answer for both questions or chose to answer only one question.
For this kind of 'list building' exercise, there is no limit on entries. The survey results will provide two lists for further discussion.
Franklin, MA
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