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Office of Karen Spilka | Office of State Senator Karen E. Spilka, Room 511-C, State House | Boston, MA 02133
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Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Senator Spilka: Updates from the State House
In the News: testing equipment, Sunday sales, FHS performance
ProVerde has purchased most of its testing equipment from Waters. The Franklin location, while not ideal, has given DesLauriers and Hudalla a place to refine the many procedures, from testing for heavy metals to creating profiles for different strains.
The marijuana they have used as samples came from licensed caregivers or people with permission from their doctor to use it, such as DesLauriers, because their staff cannot legally handle the drug. The state Department of Health has not released guidelines yet for the laboratories.Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140311/NEWS/140319564/1994/NEWS
On voice vote and without debate, the House last Wednesday approved a bill (H 228) that would legalize Sunday morning alcohol sales starting at 10 a.m. - two hours earlier than allowed under current law.
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The bill, also sponsored by Rep. Kevin Kuros (R-Uxbridge) and Rep. Steven Howitt (R-Seekonk), is now before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules, chaired by Sen. Stanley Rosenberg of Amherst.
Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140310/NEWS/140319683/1994/NEWS
Franklin High School students will perform "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" on March 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. at the Horace Mann auditorium, Oak Street.
Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.
Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140311/NEWS/140319568/1994/NEWS
Monday, March 10, 2014
Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - first Budget Hearing - Agenda
Franklin gets the budget hearing season underway Tuesday evening with the Finance Committee meeting at 7:00 PM in the 3rd Fl Training Room.
The listing of the mostly small and central administration budgets to be reviewed on Tuesday can be found here. The actual budget document has not yet been posted to the Franklin webpage. Once it is available, I will share it.
What is the budget process?
Jeff Nutting, Town Administrator (TA) and Susan Gagner, Town Comptroller, gather all the requirements from each of the departments and make a recommendation. The working budget document usually displays the last several years of budget for each department, this years request, and then the TA recommendation.
The Finance Committee does its review of the budget meeting with each of the department managers to get into a detail discussion of their operation as it relates to the budget. What is driving the increase (if any)?
After the Finance Committee hears all the budget details, it makes its recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council used to go through a similar process of meeting with the department heads but the last couple of years has gotten away from that. They simply read the budget line items, a member has an opportunity to put a 'hold' on any item which they then come back to for a discussion.
So if you do want to find out what is really in the budget, you need to follow the Finance Committee meetings. This is where the details are revealed.
Dept - Budget - Page
Employee Benefits 910 G-10
Human Resources 152 A-21
Town Council 111 A-1
Town Administrator 123 A-2
Finance Committee 131 A-4
Comptroller 135 A-5
Assessors 141 A-10
Treasurer/Collector 147 A-14
Legal 151 A-19
Appeals Board 176 A-37
Central Services 196 A-50
Animal Control 292 B-56
Parking Meter 293 B-58
Memorial Day 692 F-12
Cultural Council 695 F-13
Debt 710/750 G-1
General Insurance 945 G-22
The listing of the mostly small and central administration budgets to be reviewed on Tuesday can be found here. The actual budget document has not yet been posted to the Franklin webpage. Once it is available, I will share it.
What is the budget process?
Jeff Nutting, Town Administrator (TA) and Susan Gagner, Town Comptroller, gather all the requirements from each of the departments and make a recommendation. The working budget document usually displays the last several years of budget for each department, this years request, and then the TA recommendation.
The Finance Committee does its review of the budget meeting with each of the department managers to get into a detail discussion of their operation as it relates to the budget. What is driving the increase (if any)?
After the Finance Committee hears all the budget details, it makes its recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council used to go through a similar process of meeting with the department heads but the last couple of years has gotten away from that. They simply read the budget line items, a member has an opportunity to put a 'hold' on any item which they then come back to for a discussion.
So if you do want to find out what is really in the budget, you need to follow the Finance Committee meetings. This is where the details are revealed.
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| Franklin Municipal Building |
Dept - Budget - Page
Employee Benefits 910 G-10
Human Resources 152 A-21
Town Council 111 A-1
Town Administrator 123 A-2
Finance Committee 131 A-4
Comptroller 135 A-5
Assessors 141 A-10
Treasurer/Collector 147 A-14
Legal 151 A-19
Appeals Board 176 A-37
Central Services 196 A-50
Animal Control 292 B-56
Parking Meter 293 B-58
Memorial Day 692 F-12
Cultural Council 695 F-13
Debt 710/750 G-1
General Insurance 945 G-22
Franklin Newcomers Club: Jeffrey Roy to speak
From the Franklin Newcomers Club:
When and where does the Newcomers Club meet?
The meeting will be in the upstairs function room at '3' Restaurant Wednesday, Mar 12 at 7:30 PM. Light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages will be available as will a cash bar.
'3' Restaurant
461 West Central Street, Franklin
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| Franklin Newcomers Club |
Our March speaker is our own State Representative, Jeffrey Roy. In addition, he is Chairman of the Master Plan Committee for an updated vision of Franklin. He will join us to speak about the vision for Franklin and to take any questions about what's new and exciting in our town. If there are any specific items that you would like him to address (i.e., any bills of interest at the State House), send him an email prior to our meeting at Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov and he will be sure to address it that night.
When and where does the Newcomers Club meet?
The meeting will be in the upstairs function room at '3' Restaurant Wednesday, Mar 12 at 7:30 PM. Light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages will be available as will a cash bar.
'3' Restaurant
461 West Central Street, Franklin
Hockomock League Basketball All Stars
Hockomocksports.com has announced the girls basketball all stars
To see the full listing of all stars
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2014/03/hockomock-league-girls-basketball-all-stars.html
Hockomocksports.com has announced the boys basketball all stars
To see the full listing of all stars
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2014/03/hockomock-league-boys-basketball-all-stars.html
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| Franklin High School - home of the Panthers |
Price Reduced - How to Hire a Top Performing Salesperson
In our series on what businesses are based in Franklin, here is an email with an offer for help with your human resources needs.
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Sunday, March 9, 2014
RBWA - new term for the day (photo essay)
There is a management practice called 'managing by walking around' or MBWA. When I worked in a distribution center, responsible for the supply and inventory, this was critical to our success. By walking around, I was able to see folks in operations and if they had any questions, I could begin to address them right there on the spot.
For my regular readers, my weekend walks provide me the same opportunity. One to see what is going on in and around Franklin. Two to capture some of the sights so I can practice my photography and be able to share with you what I find. Come along as I do my "reporting by walking around" this time.
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| future home of Franklin TV |
Located on Hutchinson St, the new Franklin TV studios are under construction. There will also be a small garage and studio building added to the property directly behind this one.
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| Nason St playground tree shadows |
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| Nason St playground |
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| Nason St side view of playground |
The Nason St playground is one of the better ones I have seen in providing some shade. There is a balance between sunlight and shade but the Dacey Field playground is not usable when in direct sunlight as the equipment heats up in the sun. The tree shadows (even without leaves) show there is some sun cover available here.
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| Making whoopie |
In addition to the Cake Bar (which also was originally located in this space before moving downtown), Making Whoopie bakes all sorts of decadent whoopie pies. Some big, some small, all delicious!
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| Emmons St building |
The building was the subject of Tuesday's meeting. There will be more discussion before a decision is made. The building was originally a school and renovated to become the municipal building. The Town Council chambers were located in the left section looking at it from here. As one of the prime spots entering downtown Franklin what is will be is a good discussion.
More photos will be shared from my walk on Saturday. As the weather gets better, I'll schedule some time for a you to join me on the walk. We can meet somewhere around town at 9:00 AM and spend some time walking and talking.
Representative Roy Announces Office Hours for March
State Representative Jeffrey Roy (D-Franklin) announced today that constituent office hours will be held in Medway and Franklin for the Month of March on the following days:
Medway – Saturday March 22nd, 9:00-10:00AM, Coffee Sensations – 116 Main St. Medway, MA
Franklin – Thursday March 27th, 9:00-10:00AM, Franklin Food Pantry – 43 W Central St. Franklin, MA
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| Franklin Food Pantry |
Christopher Yancich, his legislative aide, will be accompanying him.
Representative Roy stated that all office hours are open to any residents of Franklin and Medway who may have questions or concerns that they wish to bring to his attention. Walk-ins are welcome; no appointment necessary. He looks forward to hearing from you.
He also invites all constituents to call him at his State House office at (617) 722-2400, stop by Room 134 in the State House, or email him at Jeffrey.Roy@MAhouse.gov.
Make a placeholder: Last walk through of FHS - TBD
via Facebook from Ed Cafasso:
Good morning everyone. As a member of the Building Committee for the new Franklin High School, I wanted to let you know that there are plans in the works to have an open house at the current high school after this academic year ends. Many FHS alumni are hoping for a last chance to walk the halls. As soon as a date and schedule are finalized, I will be sure it's posted here.
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| Beatles mural in H wing of FHS |
Franklin can use your help
May be you have just the background and interest to help on one of the following Committees:
If you are interested in serving on the committee, please complete the form (shown in the link below) and return to the Town Administrator's Office.
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01B2AF2D-000F8513.0/TOWN%20OF%20FRANKLIN%20VOLUNTEER%20FORM.pdf
- Library Board of Directors - Felicia Oti 508-520-4940
- Franklin Housing Trust Fund - Maxine Kinhart 508-553-4886
- Zoning Board of Appeals - Send letter of interest and resume to Town Administrator Jeff Nutting, 355 East Central Street
If you are interested in serving on the committee, please complete the form (shown in the link below) and return to the Town Administrator's Office.
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01B2AF2D-000F8513.0/TOWN%20OF%20FRANKLIN%20VOLUNTEER%20FORM.pdf
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| Franklin Municipal Building |
Summer Camps Around Franklin, MA
Looking for a summer camp in Franklin, MA area? Renata has the answers for you.
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| Summer camps |
Many registrations are open now. Check out her listing of Franklin area summer camps
http://franklinliving.blogspot.com/2014/03/summer-camps-around-franklin-ma.html
Casino Night - Franklin Youth Baseball - Mar 21
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| Franklin Youth Baseball |
Franklin Youth Baseball (FYBO) is holding a Casino Night on March 21.
Tickets are $20 in advance and can be purchased from any board member.
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| Franklin Youth Baseball |
Find Franklin Youth Baseball on the web here
http://www.franklinyouthbaseball.com/
or on Facebook here
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Franklin-Youth-Baseball-Organization/297843190245685
In the News: assault at Dean
Police arrested a 20-year-old man on Friday after receiving a report of a sexual assault at Dean College.
Connor W. Elliott, 20, of 55 Pinewood Road, Plymouth, was charged after police were called by Dean College at 10:55 a.m. to address a report of an assault.
Elliott was charged with rape, indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over and assault and battery, police said.Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140308/NEWS/140306694
Note: The MDN website is still experiencing script errors and inconsistencies. While they may be trying to implement a 'paywall', they are having trouble doing so. I will keep the paywall and my readers experience in mind as I think about how to handle this situation.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Citizen Advisory - Fraud Alert
The Franklin Police Department would like to remind all citizens to be cautious of any phone
calls, mailings or individuals who knock at your door and request that you provide personal
information, data or ask that you send money by any means such as a gift card, debit card, money order or check to any person, entity, business or company that you do not have a personal knowledge of, or a business relationship with.
We cannot stress strongly enough just how clever and deceitful these individuals who are trying to get your money from you can be. They will telephone you repeatedly hoping to engage you in conversation because as long as they can keep you talking they may be able to get you to provide them the information they want.
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| Franklin Police |
Let me give you an example. Franklin Detective's are currently involved in an investigation where, innocently enough, the victim provided Franklin as their hometown. The caller, who had identified himself as an FBI agent in an attempt to gain the confidence of the victim stated that he knew the Franklin Police Chief and provided my name. All of this information is available via computer and was obviously searched while talking on the phone.
This "FBI agent" has repeatedly called the victim back and the caller ID now shows the 528-1212 phone number of the Franklin Police which is also easily done by using computer applications. Again, be very cautious as these callers have no conscience or remorse for what they are trying to do.
They will represent themselves as a representative of a Government Agency, Insurance Company, a Bank, a Law Enforcement Agency, or tell you that you have won a prize or anything else to gain your trust. They are aided by computer applications and programs that will automatically dial phone numbers, screen or disguise who they really are and where they are calling from in an effort to get you to disclose personal information about yourself or to send them money through and untraceable means to an untraceable location.
The bottom line is this. If you have doubts or concerns at all about anyone who calls or otherwise contacts you looking for information or promising you anything that you have no knowledge of hang up the phone and immediately call your local police department.
Stephan H. Semerjian, Chief
To subscribe you can sign up here http://town.franklin.ma.us/subscriber-news
This was also posted to the Franklin Police webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_PoliceNews/01CD9EDC-000F8513.0/Fraud%20Alert%202014.pdf
Spring forward!
Remember to turn the clocks ahead one hour tonight!
The wikipedia page has some good background info on Daylight Savings Time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time
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| Spring forward one hour |
The wikipedia page has some good background info on Daylight Savings Time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time
Reach Out For Youth and Families Breakfast
Good Morning Healthy Futures Franklin!
Attached is an invitation to our Reach Out for Youth and Families Breakfast. The Hockomock Area YMCA's annual Reach Out for Youth in Families Breakfast benefits our Annual Campaign. This year's breakfast is on Thursday, March 27th at Gillette Stadium (Putnam Club). I hope you can join me as a guest and hear the powerful stories of our Y's impact and how our number one priority is being there for our community.
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| Hockomock Ymca |
Through our Annual Campaign, our Y supports youth, adults, seniors, and families on a daily basis. Whether a family has been stricken with an illness and finds themselves needing childcare or a sports class to keep the children busy, or an older adult finds themselves looking for a way to connect with others and find social interaction, we are there for all ages. We do not turn away anyone from YMCA services or programs, regardless of their ability to pay. Our Health Innovation Team specifically works with our partner school districts and community groups in increasing physical activity and nutrition and supporting individuals with, or at risk for, a chronic disease through our Healthy Futures Initiative and our Prescription for a Healthy Lifestyle Program. Our Adventures in Respect and Darkness to Light Initiatives are a couple of the other powerful ways in which our Y gives back to our local partners and community members.
In 2013, we gave out over $1.5 million in financial assistance. All of that stayed in our 15 communities, directly helping kids, families and adults that needed it most. This year, our goal is to raise over $1 million as we expect the need in our communities to continue.
I hope you will consider joining me on Thursday, March 27th as we kick off this year's campaign and continue to support our efforts to help even more kids and families through our 2014 Reach Out for Youth and Families Campaign.
Please forward to anyone you think would be interested in joining us at the breakfast and I ask that you either RSVP to me or the email/phone number included on the invitation (realimpact@hockymca.org or 508-643-5278). If you cannot make the breakfast we are having our post event in Franklin at 3 Restaurant on April 1st.
Hope to see you there!
Marissa L. Garofano MPH, CHES
Director of Community Wellness
Hockomock Area YMCA
Library - Book and Bag Sale - Mar 15-16
The monthly Library Book and Bag sale is scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday, Mar 15-16
For additional info on Library events visit their blog here http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/
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| Franklin Library - Book and Bag sale |
For additional info on Library events visit their blog here http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/
In the News: job gains for MA, upskirt law revision
Massachusetts posted its largest single-year jobs gain in 2013 since the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. But it still has an unemployment rate above the national average.
The state’s employers added 55,200 jobs in 2013, the biggest annual gain since 2000 when the economy grew by 95,500 jobs.
But the state also shed 4,500 jobs in January. The state finished January with an unemployment rate of 6.8 percent, according to data released Thursday morning, a drop from 7.1 percent a month earlier, but still higher than the 6.6 percent national average.Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140307/NEWS/140307277/1994/NEWS
Governor Deval Patrick on Friday signed a bill passed by the Legislature to close a loophole in state law that the Supreme Judicial Court said made it legal to take cellphone pictures up a woman’s skirt.
“I’m hard-pressed to think that a person doesn’t have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their own clothes,” Sen. Brian Joyce, D-Milton, said after the Senate unanimously passed an amendment sent over from the House that now makes it illegal for someone to photograph the “sexual or other intimate parts” of an unsuspecting person.
“It’s sad and somewhat bizarre that we even have to pass such a law,” Joyce said. “Clearly there are some twisted individuals.”Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140307/NEWS/140307275
Note: if the Legislature had craft the previous law properly, the Supreme Judicial Court would not have been in a position to overturn it. It is good to see the Legislature turn around so quickly. They can really accomplish something when they want to.
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