Hello Everyone,
Sorry for the short notice, but I will be moving my office hours to Sunday the 25th from 3-5pm. I'll be in the garden helping to weed, and will be available for any questions.
Cheers,
Chris
--
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Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Friday, September 23, 2011
Garden Office Hours - changed
2 upcoming volunteer opportunities for Franklin Community Gardens!
Hello to our Franklin Community Garden Supporters, Gardeners, and Friends!
We'd like to share some upcoming volunteer opportunities with all of you.
Opportunity 1:This coming Monday, September 26, from 4 pm until 7 pm, Whole Foods Market Bellingham will be having its last Farmers' Market of the season.
In addition to the usual farm-fresh goodies one finds at a farmers' market, this particular one has a grill station serving up a variety of hot foods, just in time for dinner. Location: the parking lot in front of the store.
Whole Foods Market has generously offered to donate to our community garden nonprofit (Friends of Franklin Community Gardens, Inc.) proceeds from the sale of food from the grill!!!
Thank you, Whole Foods Market!
There is a catch, and we need your help: We (the community garden supporters) must prepare and serve the food. Of course we will!
How great is that? Totally. Are you with us? Yea!
Please sign up for an hour (or three!) by clicking (or copy/paste) the link below:
If you can not work the grill, then please consider your dinner plans that evening----you could shop the market and buy dinner from the grill knowing that proceeds from dinner go directly back into our garden nonprofit fund (more gardens, more tools, more programs!)
I believe that the items we will be cooking and serving are burgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers, surely the healthy ones considering the venue.
More info on the Bellingham Whole Foods Market: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/bellingham/
Opportunity 2:
King Street Memorial Community Garden Workdays WeekendAll are welcome! No signup needed.
Saturday, Sept 24, 9 am -11 am with King St Garden Coordinator Chris Clay (bring your garden questions!)
Sunday, Sept. 25, 3 pm -5 pm with Amy Acevedo
We will be composting & weeding & generally making the entire garden and surrounding area as neat and tidy as a working garden can be.
Please bring your own labeled shovels, rakes, and tools. (And your awesome, sunny selves)
Check website for weather-related cancellations, I'll post it if we need to cancel---A.
Thank you for putting us on your calendar!
In Autumn and Abundance,
The Franklin Community Garden Committee & Friends of Franklin Community Gardens, Inc.--
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7th annual Run for Bob
5k Run/Walk
$20 / adult ($25 after 9/26)
Ways to register: runforbob.org or hockymca.org
In the News - Matthew Glass Found Alive
http://www.milforddailynews.com/topstories/x985874800/UPDATE-Matthew-Glass-found
Matthew's truck was found in Boston
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x438806412/Missing-Wrentham-teen-Matthew-Glass-truck-found-in-Boston
MassBudget: Three new fact sheets on health insurance, poverty and income
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Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108
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Thursday, September 22, 2011
Board of Health alert: EEE September 2011
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "TOWN OF FRANKLIN"
Date: Sep 22, 2011 7:08 PM
Subject: EEE September 2011
To:
Hello. This is a public Health Alert from the Franklin Health Department. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has found bird-biting mosquitoes infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis in the Broad Street area of Medway. Triple-E is a serious virus with a very high mortality rate.
Although no EEE has been found in Franklin yet this season, residents in North Franklin along the Medway border should take all steps necessary to avoid mosquito bites. If you have questions regarding this alert, please contact the Franklin Health Department at 508-520-4905. Thank you, good night.
This e-mail has been sent to you by TOWN OF FRANKLIN. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform TOWN OF FRANKLIN either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at (508) 520-4938. THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS IS NOT MONITORED. Please do not reply to this e-mail as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.
FDP Board Member Diane Glass's son (Matt) is missing.
Thank you for your assistance. We need your help.
Franklin's Harvest Festival - Sun, Oct 2
The Harvest Festival held in Franklin and sponsored by the Downtown Partnership is coming up Sunday, Oct 2.
What organizations will be there?
Where will the booths be located?
Questions like these can be answered by reviewing the layout prepared by the Downtown Partnership:.
2011 Harvest Festival Map
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document
Eat at Five Guys Burgers and Fries on Thurs. Oct. 13th
On Thursday October 13th from 4:00 to 10:00 PM Five Guys Burgers and Fries in the Franklin Village Mall will once again generously donate 10% of ALL their sales to the Franklin Music Boosters, Inc.
Franklin Music Boosters is a parent organization which supports the entire Franklin Public School Music Program grades 6-12. Through volunteer support and fundraising, the Music Boosters help provide transportation for performance trips, competitions and outings; sponsor concerts and special events; finance the purchase of musical equipment and uniforms; fund private lessons and scholarships, as well as support the music department with volunteer help.
For more information about getting involved with the Franklin Music Boosters, contact Amy Czuba, amyczuba@gmail.com.
Advertising Opportunity for Local Businesses
Advertising Opportunity for Local Businesses with Franklin Music Boosters, Inc.
The Franklin Music Boosters, Inc. is once again producing its annual Ad Book, which is handed out at every concert conducted in the Franklin Public Schools during the 2011-2012 school year. For as little as $50 your company’s message can be before the eyes of thousands of local residents throughout the year. Business card, half page and full page ads are available.
Franklin Music Boosters is a parent organization which supports the entire Franklin Public School Music Program grades 6-12. Through volunteer support and fundraising, the Music Boosters help provide transportation for performance trips, competitions and outings; sponsor concerts and special events; finance the purchase of musical equipment and uniforms; fund private lessons and scholarships, as well as support the music department with volunteer help.
To advertise in the Ad Book, contact Robin Dao, robindao3@gmail.com. For more information about getting involved with the Franklin Music Boosters, contact Amy Czuba, amyczuba@gmail.com.
Sparky's Puppets
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Franklin Public Library using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
What would you like to know?
To help you make your choice, I have offered to meet with all the candidates. My purpose is hear directly from them about their background. To listen and share their views on the issues that that they will work to resolve on our behalf for Franklin.
This is not an endorsement of any candidate. This is an information sharing exercise.
I’ll ask the same set of questions of each candidate so that you will 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?If you have some questions you'd like to ask, I’d like to hear them. Send me an email or leave a comment here.
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?
I may find during the course of the interviews that I 'tweak' the questions. If I do that, I’ll post the updated questions here.
I have five candidates lined up thus far. Up to 37 total for this election are possible so we'll see how many take advantage of this.
The Election 2011 collection of posts can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/08/election-2011-summary.html
Town Council and School Committee attendance records (Nov 2009 to present)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkwjbnXDBhczdEZSWlZLTFVqNmcxZWFTNDNxNk5PZkE&hl=en#gid=0
FIGHT HUNGER Paintball Challenge
FIGHT HUNGER Paintball Challenge
To Benefit the Franklin Food Pantry
Sat. Sept. 24th, 2011 -
9 am
FOX 4 Paintball Field
159 Milford St.
UPTON, MA
Donations of Non-Perishable Items will be collected during the Match.
Additional information can be found in the flyer:
Fight Hunger Poster
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document
In the News - choice of yard sales
First Universalist Society hosts indoor yard sale
Franklin academy holding yard sale
Route 2 Closure and Detour Map
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
Route 2 is closed from Mile Marker 21.6 in Florida to Mile Marker 27.5 in Charlemont, with damage including severe slope failures, roadway undermining and instability, eroded bridge approaches, mud slides, and culvert and retaining wall damage.
The significant damage and necessary repairs require an extended period of time to restore the roadway, and MassDOT is committed to an accelerated repair process.
Please review the Route 2 damage and detour route map to learn more and view photos of the damage.
The Detour Route is also listed below.
From North Adams:
Route 8, Adams, to Route 116 through Adams, Savoy, Plainfield, and Ashfield,
to Route 112 through Ashfield and Buckland,
to Route 2, East Charlemont.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
November 8: Election Line up
The line up is being completed for the Nov 8th election. Candidates have until Oct 6th to change their mind and the Town Clerk's office has until Oct 4th to certify the signatures for each of the candidates are in fact valid and from Franklin.
Town Clerk:
Deborah Pellgri, Deborah Bartlett
Treasurer:
James Dacey, Mark Denommee
Town Council: 9 positions
Incumbents: Matt Kelly, Glenn Jones, Robert Vallee, Judith Pfeffer, Joe McGann, Tina Powderly
Challengers: Juan Ramon Rivera (Finance Committee), Jeffrey Roy (School Committee), Thomas Mercer (High School Building Committee), Ronald Calabrese (Planning Board), Andrew Bissanti and Robert Dellorco
(Parenthesis indicates previous board or committee position held)
School Committee: 7 positions
Incumbents: Cynthia Douglas, Susan Rohrbach, Paula Mullen, Edward Cafasso, Roberta Trahan,
Challengers: Sean Donahue, John Jewell and Pamela McIntyre
Board of Assessors: 2 positions
Ken Norman, Vincent DeBaggis
Board of Health: 2 positions
Philip Brunelli, Richard Aucoin and incumbent Donald Ranieri Jr.
Constable: 3 positions
Incumbents: Robert Jarvis, Philip Brunelli, Richard Delfino
Challengers: Charles Delfino Jr. , John Power
Planning Board: 3 positions
John Carroll, Greg Ballarino, William David
Planning Board Associate
no one applied for (hence Town Council will need to approve appointment of someone)
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x2137969832/Races-fill-up-for-Franklin-election#ixzz1YU9rWO49
The collection of posts related to Franklin's Election 2011 can be found here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/08/election-2011-summary.html
Schedule changes
The Town Council meeting that had been scheduled for Sep 21 was announced at last week's meeting to be moved to Weds, Sep 28th
Resources for alcohol retailers
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
Launching this year's "We Don't Serve Teens" campaign, the FTC and a coalition of private and public groups have materials available for businesses, parents, and others that support the legal drinking age of 21. If you're an alcohol retailer — or have clients in the industry — you know that underage alcohol sales are illegal. But how can store owners and managers build compliance into the day-to-day operation of their business? Here are some tips from the FTC:
1. Create and maintain a written policy that lists steps your staff has to take for every alcohol sales transaction. Subjects to cover: when an ID check needs to be done, what a valid ID looks like, and when — and how — to refuse a sale.
2. Train all managers and staff on your alcohol sales policy. The best training includes role-playing on how to ask for an ID and how to deny a sale in a non-confrontational manner.
3. Use tools that make it easy. Program cash registers to recognize alcohol sales and prompt cashiers to require ID. If electronic ID verification isn't possible, use a specialty calendar showing birth dates eligible to buy.
4. Monitor staff conduct through review of point-of-sale videos and private "mystery shopper" inspections.
5. Keep records that show training dates, unusual occurrences, and the results of compliance checks. Use these records during employee reviews to prevent recurring problems — and to give credit to employees that follow company policies.
6. Communicate with the public. Alcohol retailers help their communities when they post information about the legal purchase age and the importance of preventing teen access to alcohol. Free signs in English and Spanish about the legal drinking age are available from the FTC's bulk order site.
7. Looking for more information? Visit the Don't Serve Teens site and bookmark the BCP Business Center page for members of the alcohol industry.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to BCP Business Center | Blog Feed using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites