What grows in your garden? Do you have tomatoes and peas , or are you like Mary here
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With peppers, beans, and lots of greens,
And tall sweet corn in a row!
Have you considered planting a row in your garden for the Franklin Food Pantry? Modeled after the national “Plant a Row” program, this is a good way for gardeners to contribute. Grow some fresh and healthy food to share. Then, when it is ready, take those healthy fruits, herbs, and veggies to the Food Pantry, where they will be distributed to your neighbors and families.
Why Plant a Row? Plant a Row is rooted in the heartfelt tradition of gardeners sharing a bountiful harvest with others. Sharing can happen on many levels. Home gardeners, schools, church groups, youth and community organizations, and even area businesses can all help make a difference for their neighbors who experience hunger or the threat of hunger.
Nothing beats the taste and nutrition of fresh-picked vegetables. Growing and eating from your own garden can improve your health, save you money, increase your sustainability, and decrease your carbon footprint. And most important, your Franklin Food Pantry announces garden can help your Franklin neighbors.
You can sign up by emailing PlantARow@franklinfoodpantry.org or visit Franklin’s Plant a Row website http://www.plantarowfranklin.org/
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
"You're never going to have 100 percent perfection"
The state Department of Environmental Protection "wants us to try to figure out what was wrong," he said. "We're doing that by eliminating those possibilities."
A routine water sample taken last Tuesday from a well on East Central Street tested positive for fecal bacteria, either E. coli or enterococci. The well was immediately taken offline and the town notified the public through a mass recorded phone call and a press release on its website.
No other samples have come back positive and residents do not need to boil water or take other precautions, Perrotta said.
Perrotta emphasized that the sample was taken before the water had gone through treatment.
"I think the important thing is that the treated water did not have a problem," he said. "That's why we treat it."
Before the sample was taken last week, a blockage developed in the culvert, which is under an access road to the well. A small stream goes through the culvert. The blockage caused water to build up, potentially making it easier for bacteria to enter the well. The culvert broke late last week, Perrotta said.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1757338925/Franklin-workers-hope-culvert-repair-solves-water-contamination#ixzz1Pu51jxMW
"needs to open its doors in Franklin within 18 months"
Steve Senna, a project manager with National Development in Newton, said Hamilton Storage Technologies wants to combine its Hopkinton and Milford offices into a new, 50,000-square-foot building at the intersection of Rte. 140 and Forge Parkway.
"We thank you for the opportunity to present what we think is a very exciting and in these times very rare development opportunity," Senna told the board.
The company, which manufacturers refrigerators used in laboratories and also has its European headquarters in Switzerland, was attracted to the 8-acre, 3 Forge Parkway lot because it is close to Interstate 495, commuter rail and a hotel, Senna said.
Many of Hamilton Storage Technologies' employees live nearby and its clients often come from out-of-state for a week to see how its refrigerators operate, he said.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1757338933/High-technology-company-eyes-move-to-Franklin#ixzz1Pu42d2CG
Monday, June 20, 2011
MBTA readies crackdown on parking delinquents
Wow - if you park at either of the Franklin MBTA lots, please take care. $21 is pretty steep for missing to pay!
The state is about to drop the hammer on parking scofflaws at its 95 parking facilities throughout the commonwealth. Starting July 1, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will assess a $21 fine for delinquent payments made by commuters at its network of parking lots and garages. The current penalty for nonpayment of daily parking charges at MBTA lots is $1. Jonathan Davis, the MBTA's chief financial officer since the mid 1990s, said the move was endorsed by the authority's board to enhance collection rates and incentivize commuters to pay parking fees in a timely...
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
The state is about to drop the hammer on parking scofflaws at its 95 parking facilities throughout the commonwealth. Starting July 1, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will assess a $21 fine for delinquent payments made by commuters at its network of parking lots and garages. The current penalty for nonpayment of daily parking charges at MBTA lots is $1. Jonathan Davis, the MBTA's chief financial officer since the mid 1990s, said the move was endorsed by the authority's board to enhance collection rates and incentivize commuters to pay parking fees in a timely...
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Franklin, MA: 4th of July Schedule
The schedule of events for Franklin's 4th of July celebration is available:
Thursday, June 30th:
• 6pm-10pm Rides and food booths open
• 7pm-10pm DJ and local youth bands
Friday, July 1st:
• 6pm-10pm Rides and food booths open
• 7pm-10pm Corvairs Oldie Band
Saturday, July 2nd:
Children's Day
• 10am-10pm Rides and food booths open
• AM road races by Rec. Dept
• 12 noon Children’s Parade
• 1pm-2pm Lisa & Friends Puppets
• 2pm-3pm Flippo the Clown
• 3pm-4pm TBA
• 4pm-7pm Franklin Idol
• 7pm-10pm "Groove Doctors" Band
• 10pm FIREWORKS!!! Franklin High School
Sunday, July 3rd:
• 1pm-10pm Rides and food booths open
• 2pm-3:30pm PARADE
• 4pm-7pm Franklin has talent
• 7pm-10pm Digger Dawg Band
Monday, July 4th:
• 10am-7pm Rides and food booths open
• 10am-2pm DJ
• 2pm Talent winners announced
• 5pm-7pm DJ
• 6pm Drawings to be drawn
The 4th of July celebration is supported by volunteers, and donor contributions. You can contribute by mailing a check or by using your credit card in a secure online transaction here: http://july4thfranklinma.com/donations.asp
Thursday, June 30th:
• 6pm-10pm Rides and food booths open
• 7pm-10pm DJ and local youth bands
Friday, July 1st:
• 6pm-10pm Rides and food booths open
• 7pm-10pm Corvairs Oldie Band
Saturday, July 2nd:
Children's Day
• 10am-10pm Rides and food booths open
• AM road races by Rec. Dept
• 12 noon Children’s Parade
• 1pm-2pm Lisa & Friends Puppets
• 2pm-3pm Flippo the Clown
• 3pm-4pm TBA
• 4pm-7pm Franklin Idol
• 7pm-10pm "Groove Doctors" Band
• 10pm FIREWORKS!!! Franklin High School
Sunday, July 3rd:
• 1pm-10pm Rides and food booths open
• 2pm-3:30pm PARADE
• 4pm-7pm Franklin has talent
• 7pm-10pm Digger Dawg Band
Monday, July 4th:
• 10am-7pm Rides and food booths open
• 10am-2pm DJ
• 2pm Talent winners announced
• 5pm-7pm DJ
• 6pm Drawings to be drawn
The 4th of July celebration is supported by volunteers, and donor contributions. You can contribute by mailing a check or by using your credit card in a secure online transaction here: http://july4thfranklinma.com/donations.asp
Sunday, June 19, 2011
"just don't have the means to purchase food"
The food assistance program is meant to help families and individuals who live near the poverty line put healthy food on the table. To qualify, a household of two with children can make no more than $2,429 in gross income per month, $3,052 for a household of three or $3,675 for a household of four, according to a state website on the program. SNAP also has limits on savings and other resources to qualify.
Benefits, which total more than $107 million a month in Massachusetts, are federally funded. The national and state governments split the cost of administering the program. Recipients receive benefits on Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, cards, which limit what the money can be spent on.
Kehoe said the state has worked over the past few years to improve access to the SNAP program. Eight to 10 years ago, Massachusetts ranked 48th in the nation for the number of residents who were eligible and had actually signed up for food stamps, she said. Today, the state ranks eighth.
The state has taken steps such as shortening applications for seniors, allowing a medical deduction aimed at helping the elderly and disabled, lowering how often participants have to recertify that they qualify and holding outreach and health expos, Kehoe said. The agency has especially targeted seniors, many of whom saw a stigma attached to accepting food assistance, she said.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1425876941/Food-stamp-use-jumps-85-percent-in-four-years#ixzz1Pis1gm7M
Franklin should have a choice on fluoride
In case you missed Rich Aucoin's Letter to the Editor, it is reprinted in full here. Thanks for sharing Rich!
Rich Aucoin,
Franklin resident
Helpful links:
Kidney Foundation Drops Fluoridation Support
http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/06/09/idUS123736+09-Jun-2008+PRN20080609
Civil Rights Leaders Oppose Fluoridation on the Grounds that it Harms the Poor
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/idUS192420+14-Apr-2011+PRN20110414
Franklin Board of Health: 508-520-4905
To the Editor:
The US Dept of Health & Human Services warned in January that American children are overdosing on fluoride, causing an increase in dental fluorosis. A group of Franklin residents investigated Franklin's water supply and learned that in 1970 the Board of Health ordered fluoridation, making Franklin families take fluoride every day whether they want to or not.
Most MA towns remain Pro-choice on Fluoride. Nearby towns like Milford, Bellingham, Hopedale, Blackstone, Mendon and Plainville, for example, all remain Pro-choice. Just as with all other common household medications, if people want fluoride they can easily get it. There's no reason to force it on everyone.
Even licensed physicians cannot force their patients to take a medication, nor would any responsible doctor recommend ingesting a drug in uncontrolled dosages. So it stands to reason that unlicensed practitioners such as the Board of Health members should not be doing these things either.
Even though the Board members don't dispute that individuals have a basic human right to choose their own meds, they nonetheless refused a request last month by concerned Franklin residents to restore Fluoride Choice to Franklin. The Board said it lacks the authority to end its own policy and referred the residents to the Attorney General.
However, Chief AG Attorney Margaret Hurley disagreed with the Board on May 6th, saying that Mass Gen Law Chapter 111 makes local health officials responsible for enforcing medical freedom. Still the Board said no to Choice.
By blindly continuing an unfair and outdated fluoridation policy even as fluorosis rates are on the rise, the Board members are exposing the town to unnecessary health and legal risks.
It is time to bring Fluoride Choice back to Franklin, which will also save taxpayers $35,880 every year in fluoridation-related costs.
Rich Aucoin,
Franklin resident
Helpful links:
Kidney Foundation Drops Fluoridation Support
http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/06/09/idUS123736+09-Jun-2008+PRN20080609
Civil Rights Leaders Oppose Fluoridation on the Grounds that it Harms the Poor
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/idUS192420+14-Apr-2011+PRN20110414
Franklin Board of Health: 508-520-4905
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Why Franklin, MA public schools deserve your financial support
If you need proof that your local tax dollars are being spent well at the Franklin, MA public schools, please take a few seconds to look at the following repost from the 02038.com blog.
The post covers the recent art festival held at the Franklin High School by the school’s Franklin Arts Academy (FAA). The FAA functions as a school within a school. It helps boost the academic achievements of artistically talented Franklin students who might otherwise struggle in a traditional school environment.
Why Franklin public schools deserve your financial support
As I said in the 02038.com post: Franklin High School’s excellence in action
You can read the whole post here.
The post covers the recent art festival held at the Franklin High School by the school’s Franklin Arts Academy (FAA). The FAA functions as a school within a school. It helps boost the academic achievements of artistically talented Franklin students who might otherwise struggle in a traditional school environment.
Video of the FAA’s art festival
Here’s a short video of the art festival:
Why Franklin public schools deserve your financial support
I brought my two young sons to the art festival thinking I’d be showing them some typical high school art. Instead I came away excited about the vision and dedication of Franklin High’s teaching and administrative staff and very encouraged about the future of Franklin’s public schools. We have something special in the Franklin public schools and we’d be smart to dedicate the funding needed in coming years to maintain the outstanding services we are getting from the system.
As I said in the 02038.com post: Franklin High School’s excellence in action
It says a lot about the quality and dedication of the educators in the Franklin Public School system that the High School has implemented such a forward-thinking and creative program that truly helps students.
In these times of budget cuts and municipal layoffs, it is refreshing to see such dedication to the ideals of public education. Please remember this the next time you hear complaints about local real estate taxes and municipal spending. Support your public schools!
You can read the whole post here.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Water alert
We received an automated phone call yesterday from the Franklin DPW notifying us about a test on Well #9 that returned bad results. The well was taken off line. No action on our part is required. This is a normal part of the daily effort to deliver clean water to Franklin.
There was a presentation on the water supply recently and recapped in this article
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/they-didnt-know-how-much-time-is-spent.html
Franklin water sample contains bacteria
There was a presentation on the water supply recently and recapped in this article
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/they-didnt-know-how-much-time-is-spent.html
ALERT: Public Redistricting Hearing - This Saturday!
The following is an email from Senator Karen Spilka about the redistricting being done in MA.
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This message was sent to shersteve@gmail.com from: Office of Karen Spilka | Office of State Senator Karen E. Spilka, Room 511-C, State House | Boston, MA 02133 | Email Marketing by |
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Time to bring back fluoride choice in Franklin
Franklin resident Rich Aucoin has his "Letter to the Editor" published in the Country Gazette:
Aucoin: Time to bring back fluoride choice in Franklin
"a stipulation forcing town officials to notify the public after testing positive"
Between 2006 and 2009, for instance, Chilson Beach at Beaver Pond in Franklin was closed 12 times for E. coli - the most of all MetroWest and Milford-area beaches during that time.
Since those closings, a Franklin Parks and Recreation Department staff person said the town had not taken any extra precautions other than continuing to test for the substance.
Condon sympathized with town officials.
"You can't really control mother nature," she said.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1648848389/Beaches-need-to-be-clean-to-allow-swimming#ixzz1PWjHy7cH
Related post about Well #9
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/06/water-alert.html
Note: related to the Chilson Beach results, Franklin's drinking water comes from wells around town. Nature will normally produce E.coli (where do the animals go?).
Thursday, June 16, 2011
New England Transformed - 2010
The Boston Federal Reserve Bank has just published its annual report for 2010.
Well worth spending a few minutes to read!
Boston Federal Reserve Bank: New England Transformed 2010
The feature essay of the 2010 annual report discusses some of the changes that have occurred in New England over the past four decades, comparing the challenges we faced in the mid-1970s with those we face today.
Well worth spending a few minutes to read!
Boston Federal Reserve Bank: New England Transformed 2010
Franklin fire fighters finally get a contract!
The contract with International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2637 covers fiscal 2008 through fiscal 2011 and gives members a 7.5 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2010.
The raise is on par with what other unions received over that time, Nutting said after the meeting, noting the firefighters had not received a salary increase during those four years.
Ratification of the contract was delayed for about three years by negotiations, he said.
The union agreed to drop grievances with the town about vacation scheduling, training and other issues upon ratification of the contract, according to the contract.
Nutting's contract covers fiscal 2011 through 2013 and keeps his salary at $131,300. Town Council Chairman Scott Mason said the contract was similar to other town administrators' agreements to oversee communities that are smaller than Franklin.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1781764793/Franklin-OKs-7-5-percent-raise-for-firefighters#ixzz1PQnLVwNP
"thinks the new plan will help with traffic concerns"
Daddario would also be required to make improvements to the Franklin Village Plaza traffic light, since that intersection would have increased use from drivers making U-turns to head toward downtown.
After meeting with the state, which owns that stretch of West Central Street, Daddario learned that upgrades there would be more involved and expensive than originally thought.
That expense, coupled with tenants' concerns about the restrictions, led Daddario to reconsider the project, he said.
Town Engineer William Yadisernia said his major concern with the initial project was that it had two restaurants - both of which would have their busiest periods at the same time of day.
"Even a full-service restaurant would be fine," Yadisernia said.
Town Planner Beth Dahlstrom said the Planning Board expects to hold a public hearing on the revised plan at its July 11 meeting.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1781764811/Taco-Bell-Wendys-plan-may-lose-a-restaurant#ixzz1PQmT9SwI
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