When you have an election ballot in front of you, you have a list of positions, a listing of candidates and a marker to fill in a circle next to one or more names. Or you may have a ballot question to answer yes or no. How do you decide to cast your vote?
To help you make your choice, I have offered to meet with all the candidates. My purpose is to hear directly from them about their background and their views on the issues Franklin faces that that they will work to resolve on our behalf.
This is not an endorsement of any candidate. This is an information sharing exercise.
I will ask the same set of questions of each candidate so that you should have some common ground to make your decision. The questions I propose to start with are as follows:
1 - Tell me a bit about yourself, your family and your life here in Franklin?
2 - What experience or background will help you to serve in this role? or What do you think makes you a good candidate to fulfill this role?
3 - What do you see as your role’s biggest challenge and do you have any suggestions on how we can resolve it?
If you have some suggestions, I’d like to hear them. I may find during the course of the interviews that I should tweak the questions. If I do that, I’ll post the updated questions here.
Election information
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/08/franklin-election-details-are-now.html
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Drop off, Donate and Volunteer - Stuff Harvest
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Stuff Harvest Fest
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2011 from 9:00am - 1:00pm
8 Aurora Street Providence, RI 02908 MapA special event is coming up that may interest you - a great opportunity to bring in donations, volunteer and show your support of Free Geek Providence.
Stuff Harvest Fest is our name for a recycling/donation day organized in partnership with the Furniture Bank, a non-profit that takes in furniture and other household items to redistribute. It's a day when we can rescue those unwanted items from the dump and turn them into real treasures for needy families.
We will accept all kinds of household furnishings and electronics including beds, bureaus, tables, computers, laptops, PDAs, cell phones, mice, keyboards, and other peripherals,networking equipment, cabling, flat screens, CRT monitors, stereo equipment, telephones, cordless phones, wide screen / tube televisions, batteries (car or gel cells), and other appliances and just about anything else you wish to donate.
Free Geek Providence rescues computers from the landfill by restoring them with open source software and donating them to organizations and individuals who cannot otherwise afford them.
The Furniture Bank operates as a redistribution center by soliciting donations of good quality furniture and household items from individuals and businesses statewide. These items are passed on to qualified individuals and families who have been referred to our program by a member network of more than 85 social service agencies which include homeless and domestic violence centers, CAP agencies, drug/alcohol rehab programs and community centers.
A $10 disposal fee is charged for mini-fridges, household air conditioners and dehumidifiers. WE CANNOT ACCEPT hazardous materials, such as paint, firearms, mattresses, or any type of light bulb or disposable alkaline batteries.
Drop off, donate, volunteer - and make a difference!
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Saturday, August 27, 2011
All Commuter Rail Lines/Routes Alert
All service on all Commuter Rail Lines/Routes has been suspended for Sunday, 8/28/2011 due to Hurricane Irene. Full service is expected to resume on Monday, August 29, 2011.
Current updates can be found on http://www.mbta.com/
NationalGrid: Hurricane Irene Preparedness
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Big Y takes some action
When running along East Central St one morning this week, I found that it looks like the Big Y is finally starting to do something with their proposed location.
A public auction of the restaurant contents will be held on Aug 31, 2011. This is probably to help clear out the building so the remainder of the demolition steps can proceed.
A public auction of the restaurant contents will be held on Aug 31, 2011. This is probably to help clear out the building so the remainder of the demolition steps can proceed.
Community Garden Walkabout - August 27th 9am-11am
Hello Everyone,
This Saturday August 27th the garden coordinator Chris Clay will be in the garden from 9am-11am to give tours of the garden for community members and answer any questions gardeners may have. If you want to know what the spots on your tomato leaves mean, what that bug on your broccoli is, or anything else this is your chance to ask!
Cheers,
Chris Clay
--
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US Congressman Jim McGovern: Hurricane Irene: Be Prepared
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State Senator Karen Spilka: Staying Safe During Hurricane Irene
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Making a purchase!
Franklin Farmers Market, Friday, 12:00pm to 6:00pm
Located on the Town Common
Reminder that the Farmers' Market now accepts SNAP dollars and can double your purchasing power.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/07/franklin-farmers-market-doubles-food.html
Visit the Food Pantry tent at the Farmers' Market for details.
Where is the Town Common?
View Larger Map
Making strides - yes or no?
Catching up to the Boston Globe article from Thursday. Turns out that a website has ranked Franklin amongst the least walkable communities in MA. One may quibble with the ranking or methodology, but when you think about it, the ranking I think is fair. There are more streets with no sidewalks than with, and those that have them are not all in good condition, never mind tip top condition. That's my 2 cents accumulated from spending quite a bit of time running the roads around town and some of them are far safer than others.
Meanwhile, Franklin - along with Milford and Northborough - will soon be getting some guidance and training from the nonprofit Walk Boston, through funding from the Metrowest Community Health Care Foundation.
The project is just getting started, according to Wendy Landman, executive director of Walk Boston - which has worked with about 50 communities in various capacities, from creating walking maps to providing pedestrian safety education.
The plan is to perform “walk audits’’ in each community. Those involve walking around and examining various factors, she explained, including sidewalk conditions, intersection placement and geometry, efficiency of pedestrian lights, presence of trees, and availability of shade.Read the full article in the Boston Globe here
Making a race!
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports on 8/25/11
Four more people have taken out papers for the November town election since last week, upping the list of potential candidates to 26.
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
Making the way for dogs!
A dog park has been part of Franklin's open space plan since 2009, said Town Planner Beth Dahlstrom, but hasn't been a priority in past years. When Goulet began work on the project about five months ago, she contacted Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting, who helped her figure out where to put the park, and to which departments she needed to talk.
"It's something that's been in our master plan for some time and she's taking the initiative. That's great," said Nutting. "We hope she can move ahead with this in the next several months."
To get the park opened, Goulet coordinated volunteers to help her clear the proposed space in Dacey Field, on the far side of the walking path between the sport field and playground; sought donations from local businesses and price quotes on fencing, mulch, trash bins and signs; and built a website, franklindogpark.webs.com, where people can go for more information.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1752170060/Girl-helping-Franklin-establish-dog-park#ixzz1W7v3QfOE
Making a drop off (for the can drive slated on Sept. 10)
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 8/25/11
The 9th Annual Franklin High School Boys Hockey Bottle &;Can Drive has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept 10, 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Franklin High School parking lot.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Thursday, August 25, 2011
FHS Wrestlers recognized
Facing the end of the north bound i495 exit ramp on to King St is this sign:
Nice to see!
"This is not a partisan issue ... This is a money issue"
"We want a clean river. Ultimately a drinkable, swimmable river is of great value to the community," Fernandes said. "I think we do need to look at continuing to slow the (regulatory) process down. We've got to look at alternative means."
One alternative would be to pass legislation requiring phosphorus-free fertilizers, he said.
Complying with the proposed EPA mandate could cost $66 million to $111 million in Milford, based on an EPA-funded study for the three towns, Town Engineer Michael Santora said.
It could cost $75 million to implement in Franklin and $35 million in Bellingham, Franklin Department of Public Works Director Robert Cantoreggi said.
"I'm very concerned about the economic fallout of trying to attract and retain businesses," Franklin Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1752169906/Officials-to-fight-EPA-stormwater-mandate#ixzz1W22vX2eX
Related posts on the EPA Proposal
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/06/epa-storm-water-proposal-information.html
(includes links to a meeting video and presentation handout)
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/epa-storm-water-proposal-information.html
(includes EPA summary doc and presentation)
Mapping Wrentham
In the category of being aware of our surroundings, as well as wasn't Franklin once part of Wrentham anyway, comes this item from fellow 'local blogger' Patrick Coleman:
The Wrentham Cultural Council and the Wrentham Historical Commission will sponsor an exhibit "Mapping Wrentham" including maps and historical objects from their collections at Wrentham Day on September 10, 2011. The exhibit, open at the Old Fiske Museum from 9 am to 4pm, will feature a variety of maps (topographical maps, roadmaps, hand-drawn maps, and aerial photos) accompanied by representative artifacts such as postcards, vintage clothing, straw hats, and hand-made quilts, chronicling the history of Wrentham from its incorporation in 1673 to 1990.
One display will feature an 1830 reproduction of a painting of the town center (pictured) whose exact location is not eminently clear to contemporary viewers. Visitors will be invited to contribute their ideas about the painting, specifically the present day location of the figures pictured. Also featured will be a map of the hastily-prepared campsite of Rochambeau, just one of fifty-four camps of the French army used its march from Yorktown to Boston. Each of the four divisions of the army remained at the site between Lake Archer and Main Street only one night, the first division arriving on December 1, 1782, before marching to Dedham, the last stop before Boston. Incidentally, an officer in the French army, Ludovici Cornette, who married a woman from town, is buried in a plot in the East Street cemetery easily viewed from the window of the Old Fiske.
In addition, visitors may mark the location of their homes on a reproduction of another map on display, thus creating a census of visitorship to the exhibition. The cotton bathing costume (pictured) that may have been worn by a young lady visiting Lake Pearl Park at the turn of the 20th century, will be juxtaposed with a map dated to that period. Other articles of clothing such as a Sheldonville baseball uniform and jersey and straw hats made in Wrentham will also be displayed with appropriately dated maps. A quilt constructed by Mrs. Patricia Shea's practical arts class at the King Philip North Junior High School depicting the town seal, historical structures, and important figures will hang over the newly restored fireplace mantle in the museum. Commission and Council members will be on hand all day with narratives and explanations to enhance the visitor's experience. The public is welcome!
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Wrentham Times by Patrick Coleman on 8/24/11
The Wrentham Cultural Council and the Wrentham Historical Commission will sponsor an exhibit "Mapping Wrentham" including maps and historical objects from their collections at Wrentham Day on September 10, 2011. The exhibit, open at the Old Fiske Museum from 9 am to 4pm, will feature a variety of maps (topographical maps, roadmaps, hand-drawn maps, and aerial photos) accompanied by representative artifacts such as postcards, vintage clothing, straw hats, and hand-made quilts, chronicling the history of Wrentham from its incorporation in 1673 to 1990. One display will feature an 1830 reproduction of a painting of the town center (pictured) whose exact location is not eminently clear to contemporary viewers. Visitors will be invited to contribute their ideas about the painting, specifically the present day location of the figures pictured. Also featured will be a map of the hastily-prepared campsite of Rochambeau, just one of fifty-four camps of the French army used its march from Yorktown to Boston. Each of the four divisions of the army remained at the site between Lake Archer and Main Street only one night, the first division arriving on December 1, 1782, before marching to Dedham, the last stop before Boston. Incidentally, an officer in the French army, Ludovici Cornette, who married a woman from town, is buried in a plot in the East Street cemetery easily viewed from the window of the Old Fiske. In addition, visitors may mark the location of their homes on a reproduction of another map on display, thus creating a census of visitorship to the exhibition. The cotton bathing costume (pictured) that may have been worn by a young lady visiting Lake Pearl Park at the turn of the 20th century, will be juxtaposed with a map dated to that period. Other articles of clothing such as a Sheldonville baseball uniform and jersey and straw hats made in Wrentham will also be displayed with appropriately dated maps. A quilt constructed by Mrs. Patricia Shea's practical arts class at the King Philip North Junior High School depicting the town seal, historical structures, and important figures will hang over the newly restored fireplace mantle in the museum. Commission and Council members will be on hand all day with narratives and explanations to enhance the visitor's experience. The public is welcome!Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to The Wrentham Times using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Franklin Schools' 2011-2012 Bus Routes
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 8/24/11
The 2011-2012 Franklin Schools bus routes are now available HERE
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Say Something Nice!
The folks at ImprovEverywhere put up a megaphone on a street corner in NYC and let anyone come up to "Say Something Nice". Here is what happened! (a three minutes summary)
What would happen if a megaphone were put up in Franklin? say by the Post Office?
Say something nice!
Note: Email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the video.
What would happen if a megaphone were put up in Franklin? say by the Post Office?
Say something nice!
Note: Email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the video.
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