Franklin scout creates butterfly garden for school
Franklin, MA
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Other streets expected to be improved this year include all or part of Mill Street, Anchorage Road, Summer Street, Partridge Street, Daniels Street, Dover Circle and Winterberry Drive.
Workers will narrow some roads, such as Sahlin Circle and Anchorage Road, by several feet to reduce the amount of surface impervious to water, helping keep pollutants out of surface water, Cantoreggi said.
Streets are selected based on the amount of traffic, safety considerations, drainage problems and the overall condition of the road and utilities that run underneath it, Cantoreggi said.
"I've gotten calls from every area of town, and we have limited funds," he said. "We try to spread out the work throughout town."
Franklin's nonprofit idea is not new. The first nonprofit access stations were formed in the early 1970s as cable television grew in popularity and regulations required cable companies to fund local programming. Other stations were run by the towns themselves or by the cable companies.
In the past 10 years, Comcast has stopped running many cable access stations it inherited when it purchased AT&T Broadband, leaving towns to figure out how to keep providing those services, said Amy Palmerino, vice chairman of the Board of Directors of MassAccess, a statewide organization that advocates for public access television.
Many communities, including Milford and Hopkinton, created nonprofit stations when a cable company stopped running their studios, a move Palmerino said increases community participation and creates separation between the town and one of its primary media outlets.
FRANKLIN - The Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10:45 a.m. on Monday in downtown Franklin.
Marchers will line-up at the Historical Museum, 80 West Central St. The parade will travel on Main, School, Union, West Central and Beaver streets, ending at the war memorial on the Town Common.
Marchers will stop at Dean College, Union Street Cemetery, St. Mary's Cemetery and the war memorial.
Any veteran who wishes to march should meet at the Historical Museum at 10:15 a.m. Vehicles will be available for veterans who do not want to walk the route.
The parade is sponsored by the Franklin Rotary.
Town Council Chairman Scott Mason said after the meeting he had received about 20 emails from residents and library advocates questioning a budget that would cut 5.5 positions and require the town to seek a waiver from the state for the library to remain certified.
"When it comes to what gets cut, given that we have to make cuts, I am going to support cutting the library over police, fire and DPW every day of the week," Mason said.
He said that is a reflection of dangerously low staffing in those departments and not the library.
Greetings, Franklin residents!
From May 4th through June 14th, 2011, Liberty Mutual Insurance is hosting Bring Back the 4th™, an online contest that Franklin community members can enter for a chance to win one of ten $10,000 grants to support our town’s official Fourth of July celebration!
All our community members need to do is visit www.BringBackThe4th.com between May 4th and June 14th and take a brief multiple choice quiz on “Responsible Moments in U.S. History.” Each completed quiz counts as one credit towards a city or town’s total score.
Towns with the highest quiz participation will be eligible to win one of 10 Bring Back the 4th™ grants, distributed via three population-based categories: small (4 grants), medium (3 grants) and large (3 grants).
Please note the contest allows for one quiz per person, and winners will be announced the week of June 20th. Official contest rules can be found on the Bring Back the 4th™ website.
So visit www.BringBackthe4th.com today, to take the quiz and find helpful tools for spreading the word in our community!
Sincerely,
Thomas Duval
Executive Sales Representative
Liberty Mutual
For teens ages 15 to 19 looking to build solid workplace skills, while helping others, the Franklin YMCA invites them to join the Teen Corps as it prepares for its 3rd summer. Accepted applicants will be given responsibilities in areas from summer camp or member services, to fitness, integration or childwatch. Mentoring and training classes will be offered in the areas of active listening, dressing for success, resume building, professionalism and interviewing skills, among others.
“When young can set themselves apart when they enter the workforce by learning how to conduct themselves with managers and co-workers and develop basic workplace competencies,” says Bartt Pinchuck, Franklin branch director. “Teen Corps provides participants with the opportunity to gain job experience as well as develop professional skills and good working habits.”
Because of the potential difficulty teens find searching for summer positions, the YMCA saw the opportunity to help community teens hone their skills for the job market while doing good for an organization that welcomes strong volunteers. Through the free program, participants gain volunteer experience in a real job setting and participate in work skills and job readiness trainings.
The program also appeals to parents who encourage their kids to learn through volunteerism and hands-on experience.
According to abcnewsgo.com, more than one in four teens nationwide does some type of volunteer work, such as bringing hope to sick children, beauty to their own neighborhoods, and safety to the homes of seniors.
But the giving gives back. Research confirms that teens who learn early to be social, caring, and responsible perform better in school. Volunteering improves their chances of graduating at the top of their class, armed with critical leadership skills.
“Parents can encourage their teens to volunteer at the YMCA knowing that the YMCA is about developing strong youth, instilling values as well as building solid skills,” says Dawn DaCosta, Teen & Community Director. “The teens who currently volunteer for us are very focused, dedicated to the Y and enjoy what they do.”
Employment among the nation’s teens 16-19 years old has declined considerably over the past seven years they have fared far worse than any other age group. Teen Corps is designed to address this challenge by enhancing the capacity of teens to participate in the labor market.
Since the YMCA offers classes and programs based around families and children in a safe environment, participants are also required to train for other life skills such as child abuse prevention, CPR and first aid training as well as program specific training.
Participants must pass a CORI and SORI check, provide three positive references, interview with the Teen Corps coordinator, commit to an eight-week program including eight hours of volunteer service per week, and commit to all training.
Last year, participants enjoyed trainings in CPR, First Aid, Child Abuse Prevention, Customer Service 101, Landing the Job, Professionalism, and Working with Children. Each participant also underwent a mock interview with a senior staff member.
For more information, call Bartt Pinchuck at 774-235-2756 or email barttp@hockymca.org.
Applications will be accepted until June 10th
"The fears are that students are out in cars and really engaging in risky behaviors," Sabolinski said, noting alcohol can cause increased drug use and violence.
Kristin Cerce, the district's director of health and physical education, said administrators hope to offer more programs on Friday nights next year in an effort to curb drinking. They also hold a mock crash before prom and are planning to bring a distracted driving simulator to the high school next fall.
School Committee member Roberta Trahan, who works as a critical care nurse, said she is especially concerned about tobacco and alcohol statistics because teenagers who use those substances can become addicted later in life.
"I'm at a loss to try to comprehend (the data)," Trahan said after the meeting. "Students just don't seem to understand the implications of these behaviors."