Blackstone Corridor News

Any one looking for an outdoor excursion could find something in this listing!

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Volume 2 Issue 6/ June 2014 In This Issue Video of the Month Community Meeting Self-guided Tours Ranger Walkabouts Get on the Blackstone River Connect on Facebook Become a Corridor Keeper Quick Links Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Volunteer Bike Path Share Your Photos & Stories about the Blackstone Valley! We want to feature your photos and personal stories in a future issue of Corridor Currents! Have you taken a cool photo in the Blackstone Valley? Or, do you have a story to share related to the Valley? If so, we want to hear from you.  Send us your stuff! Enjoy the Blackstone Valley on the go with our mobile Web app.  And, it's free! Click on the image above to get the free web app Paddling along the Blackstone River   VIDEO OF THE MONTH Blackstone Canal Tours Click on the image to watch the video The Wagon Tours are BACK for a sixth straight year! Join trained interpreters from South High School for a riveting journey through Worcester's Canal District as they tell the farm to factory story of the Industrial Revolution and the immigrants that made it happen. Read more about the Blackstone Canal Tours. NEWS From the community meeting in May at Quinsigamond Elementary School   Thank you to all who participated in our community meeting. We had lots of good discussion. Take a look at our website for details. EXPLORE SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOURS FOR YOUR MOBILE DEVICE We have several self-guided tours available. Now, we are working to make these available for your mobile device. Tours for your mobile device: Great Road Driving Tour (Lincoln, RI) Chepachet (Glocester) RI Walking Tour To access the tours: Download the app: Locacious Open and app and search for the tour (see above) using the magnifying glass or click on 'near me' to look for tours near you Check it out and email us (brvnhc@gmail.com) to let us know what you think! JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT RANGER WALKABOUT ON THURSDAY, JUNE 26  A Walking Tour of the Civilian Conservation Camp at Upton State Forest Upton State Forest, Westboro Road, Upton, MA  It was the "worse, hard time" ever - The Great Depression, thousands out of work and a nation in despair. Yet, America has always been a place where new ideas and new ways of thinking have gained traction. As a way to deal with the huge unemployment rolls and a despairing nation, Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps, and it changed everything.  Join Ranger Chuck Arning and Ellen Arnold, Friends of Upton State Forest, for a tour of one of the few remaining CCC camp sites and learn how these young men put their mark on the America we know today. Parking: Park right by the camp inside Upton State Forest. Take the Westboro Road off the Hopkinton Street by Pratt Pond. Follow Westboro Road to park on right. View the Walkabouts schedule (through August 28). GET ON THE BLACKSTONE RIVER We have several self-guided paddling tours available: Massachusetts Blackstone Gorge to Millville Lock Northbridge River Bend Farm to Blackstone Gorge Rhode Island Lincoln Woonsocket to Manville Valley Falls  Email us (brvnhc@gmail.com) with your suggestions for other tours. CONNECT WITH US ON FACEBOOK      GET INVOLVED   Become a Corridor Keeper Today! The success of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor has always been due, in large part, to public support and active participation by the people and communities of the Blackstone Valley. People like you! For more than 25 years, the people of the valley have shared in rediscovering their roots, their heritage and their common identity. They have supported the Corridor by speaking or writing to their elected officials, by showing up at public events, and by participating in numerous projects and programs. Join Today! Become a Sponsor! About the Blackstone Heritage Corridor  Congress established the National Heritage Corridor in 1986 to restore and preserve the nationally significant heritage of the Blackstone River Valley, where the industrialization of America began. It has become a successful program of partnerships between federal, state and local government agencies, as well as nongovernment organizations pooling their resources and pursuing a common agenda of preservation and revitalization.  Ongoing Corridor programs and projects include historic preservation, river cleanup, land conservation and stewardship, visitor centers, ranger walks, programs with schools, recreational programs and events, support for arts and cultural events, training for partners and volunteers and assistance to towns trying to preserve their heritage while also improving the local and regional economy. Read more

Forward this email  Privacy Policy. Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor | One Depot Square | Woonsocket | RI | 02895

Giant Yard Sale - Fall River, MA

On Saturday, June 28th, The New England Diocese of the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas will have a giant yard sale at their Diocese offices located at Saint Joseph Cupertino Parish 742 Rock Street Fall River, MA from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 

Featured will be items for the home, clothing, religious items, The Friars Florals by the Franciscans of Divine Mercy whose office is located in Franklin MA, and much more. 

Come by and peruse all that we have and meet our Franciscan family, the faith community members of St. Joseph Cupertino Parish in Fall River and help us in raising funds for our ministries that serve Nursing homes, hospices and shut-ins in the Worcester area, Metro West area, Fall River, Rehoboth, Providence and other regions of New England.

FHS Last Tour: Field House - Small Gym (photos)

As I mentioned, I spent some time on Saturday walking around Franklin High School taking photos to capture the scenes. Continuing the sharing process, here are some more from the Field House and the Small Gym.

field house entrance

well worn stair leading to the school

small gym

time for a free throw

is someone keeping score?

center court - small gym

Additional photos can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/fhs-last-tour-field-house-photos.html

Franklin Library: Summer Reading Kickoff

The Library will host the Summer Reading Kickoff party on the lawn today, Wednesday, June 25 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

summer reading kickoff party

Face painting, animal balloons and an opportunity to draw on the sidewalk with chalk are planned activities.


This was shared from the Franklin Library blog
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2014/06/summer-reading-kick-off-party.html

Patriots Alumni's Free "Football for YOU" Clinic Featuring Hockomock YMCA's Integrated Program Coming to Foxborough June 26

New England Patriots Alumni

                                                    

Free 'Football for YOU' Youth Clinic Featuring Hockomock Area YMCA's Integrated Program Hosted by New England Patriots Alumni Coming to Foxborough Thursday, June 26

WHO:           Former Patriots offensive lineman Pete Brock

                    Patriots Alumni players
Individuals from Hockomock Area YMCA Integration Initiative Program
Individuals from East Greenwich, R.I. Unified Sports

                   

WHAT:       Former Patriots offensive lineman Pete Brock will team up with other Patriots alumni to host a FREE youth football clinic on Thursday, June 26, inside the Dana-Farber Field House behind Gillette Stadium. This is one of 16 clinics being hosted by Patriots Alumni this spring and summer across New England. Boys and girls, ages 11-14, are invited to join individuals with special needs from the Hockomock Area YMCA Integration Initiative Program and East Greenwich, R.I. High School Unified Sports.

This unique program seeks to provide individuals with special needs an opportunity to participate with typically developing peers. This is a one-day, free, non-contact clinic that teaches leadership, teamwork, and commitment. In addition to being coached by former Patriots players, the young athletes will also learn from St. John's Shrewsbury's high school football coaching staff.

The clinic begins at 3:30 p.m. with registration and ends at 7 p.m. The day includes a complimentary snack and dinner. The clinic will feature educational stations for parents and discuss topics including concussion awareness, proper nutrition, strength and conditioning and teamwork. Visit www.patriotsalumni.com for more details and online registration.

"Football for YOU" is a program created by the New England Patriots Alumni Club in partnership with the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and the NFL Foundation to teach the fundamentals of football in 16 locations throughout New England.

The Patriots Alumni Club is teaming up with Fuel Up to Play 60, the nation's largest in-school wellness program that empowers students to drive change and make their school a healthier place. During the clinics, Fuel Up to Play 60 will host interactive nutrition education sessions for parents/guardians interested in learning techniques for encouraging active kids to fuel up with nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy.

WHEN:        Thursday, June 26

        3:30pm: Registration begins.

        4:15pm: Skills clinic begins.

        6:30pm: Alumni speaker and group photo

       

WHERE:        Dana-Farber Field House, Gillette Stadium

                    One Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035

About the New England Patriots Alumni Club

The New England Patriots Alumni Club's mission is to provide an opportunity for former Patriot players to remain actively involved with each other, the Patriots organization and the community by supporting and funding youth football throughout New England. Their programs emphasize leadership, teamwork and achievement through lessons learned on the football field.  The New England Patriots Alumni Club, Inc. is recognized as a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Learn more about all the 'Football for YOU' 16 sites at www.patriotsalumni.com.

About the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation

The purpose of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation is to support programs that aid the youth and families of the New England region by assisting programs that foster cultural diversity, education, family and health and fitness. To learn more, visit www.patriots.com/community.

Schools are out for the summer

With Keller/Sullivan finishing their last day of school on Monday, the Franklin School District is now off for the summer.

summer time for Franklin Schools

However, while school is out, there is still plenty going on.

Life Long Learning has a number of programs scheduled
http://cfweb.smartedu.net/lll/

The new high school will be finished, the old will be emptied and demolition will begin. Tours for students who will be attending the new high school are scheduled for August. You can view the schedule here
http://franklinhigh.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinHS_News/01DA8BA5-000F8513

While the move from the old to the new is underway, the FHS Administration offices will be open at the Oak St and Horace Mann School Complex. Specific offices and hours can be found here
http://franklinhigh.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinHS_WebDocs/FHS%20Summer%20Information.pdf


Note: The tour of the new school for the general public is scheduled for Sep 20

Franklin Police: House Breaks

June 23, 2014

From the Office of the Chief of Police

NOTICE TO FRANKLIN RESIDENTS
RECENT RESIDENTIAL HOUSEBREAKS

Over the last several weeks the Town has experienced an increase in residential house break activity, not rampant activity, but enough to be of concern to us. The housebreaks are committed during the daytime hours and have been occurring in the more remote and outlying areas of the Town. 

One piece of information that has been received is the description of a Chevrolet HHR (see attached image) color white with a Rhode Island registration plate. The Franklin Police Department would like all residents to report any suspicious vehicle or activity in their neighborhood immediately to us by telephone or flag down a police car if one is in your area. 

suspect vehicle

Be vigilant securing your homes, motor vehicles and any adjacent garage or shed to deter easy access to unwanted persons. We need your help and extra eyes to provide us the information we will need to successfully solve these cases. 

Thank you.

Respectfully, 

Stephan H. Semerjian
Chief of Police

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 or REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

FHS Last Tour - Field House (photos)

I spent some time on Saturday walking around Franklin High School taking photos to capture the scenes. I'll be sharing them over the next several weeks. I'll start with the Field House. It will be one of the first sections demolished to make way for the Panther Way connection and parking lot configuration work that remains to be done.

field house exterior

field house entrance

mobile bleachers

FHS Track Honor Roll placeholder

inside the field house 'cage' - "Franklin Athletes Never Quit"

Panther mural

The Guide to Child Support in the Commonwealth

The Mass.GOV blog has a new post on "The Guide to Child Support in the Commonwealth."

Divorce or legal separation can put both emotional and financial strain on a family. When the parents of a child no longer live together, child support must be paid by one of the parents to ensure a child’s financial needs are met to facilitate growth, security, and mental development. 

The parent with whom the child lives most of the time is called the custodial parent and the other parent is non-custodial. Often, it is the non-custodial parent who pays child support to the custodial parent. The process is straightforward whether you’re the parent who pays child support or the parent who receives child support.

screen shot of the Mass.Gov webpage

Continue reading the "Guide to Child Support" here
http://blog.mass.gov/blog/children-families/a-guide-to-child-support-in-the-commonwealth/

Should a nursing facility be located in a residential area?

From a reader:

I love your emails. I was wondering if you could help spread the word about the Athena Health proposed 138-bed nursing facility at 864 Lincoln St. 

The location is currently a residential rural zone 1, the faculty would need a zoning ordinance to proceed. 

Only those with property touching the proposed site were notified of the meeting.

agenda item - Athena Health

The Zoning Board of Appeals agendas can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_ZBAAgendas/Agendas%202014/


The video of the meeting is not yet available for replay. If someone knows what occurred at the meeting, please let me know.

Update:

I did go to the meeting.
Many voiced opposing opinions.
The board continued until July 24 at 7:30.
They requested a full traffic study be done on Lincoln St.
The fire chief sent a memo but was not in attendance. The memo opposed the building permit as it would put addition strain on the Emergency Response which would affect all residence. He also cited poor response times for that area of Franklin would put home residents at at potential risk.

Senior Center: Concert and ice cream social - July 21

SOUTHEASTERN MA COMMUNITY CONCERT BAND 

and ICE CREAM SOCIAL

on Monday, July 21, at 6:00 p.m

concert and ice cream social - July 21

This free concert is funded by the Franklin Cultural Council. Call the Senior Center to sign up. 508-520-4945

Other events and programs at the Senior Center can be found in their monthly newsletter

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Senior/June14connection.pdf

In the News: final walk through, emergency medial care

For the last time in its 43 year history, the halls of Franklin High School were filled with students.
But some of these students haven’t set foot in the school in years, and came back to catch one final glimpse of the school that they spent four years in.
With a brand new 300,000-square-foot building approaching completion that will open in time for next school year, administration opened the school to the public for the last time Saturday.

You can read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140621/NEWS/140629196/1994/NEWS

Two town councilors held a closed-door meeting with officials from Milford Regional Medical Center this week to discuss Franklin’s urgent care needs and the prospect of bringing in a medical clinic. 

Peter Padula and Judith Pfeffer met privately Thursday afternoon with Milford Regional CEO Frank Saba, among other hospital officials. Council Chairman Robert Vallee has asked Padula and Pfeffer to research outpatient options for the town, such as a satellite emergency room, because he said it takes too long to take Franklin patients in need of critical care to area hospitals like Milford Regional. 

"We’re one of the biggest towns in the Milford area that brings patients to their hospital," Pfeffer said. "They want to make sure we’re being treated and handled as well as possible." 

According to Milford Regional, the ambulance times from Franklin fall within national standards. "But it all depends what section of Franklin you’re going to," Pfeffer noted.

You can read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140621/NEWS/140629318/1994/NEWS

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - June 24, 2014

Vision Statement

The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to

find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

AGENDA

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."

Franklin Public Schools

1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the June 10, 2014 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Clement
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: none

2. Guests/Presentations
a. School Wellness Advisory Council Update – Sally Winslow, Miriam Goodman
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/franklin-public-schools-student.html

b. Student Success Team Update – Sally Winslow, Paul Peri, Peter Light
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/franklin-public-schools-student-success.html

3. Discussion Only Items
Policy – First Readings
a) New or Revised Policies:

1. (New) JJE – Student Fundraising Activities
2. (Revised) AC – Discrimination Harassment
3. (Revised) CHCA – Approval of Student Handbooks
4. (Revised) IJOAA – Field Trips
5. (Revised) JICFB – Bullying
6. (Revised) JII – Student Complaints and Grievances
7. (Revised) JLCD – Self-Administration Medication

b) Elimination of Policies:

1. AC-E – Public Discrimination Complaints
2. AC-R – Harassment Discrimination Investigation Checklist
3. ACA – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender
4. ACAB – Sexual Harassment Policy for Students
5. ACE – Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability
6. ACE-R – Rights of Handicapped Persons

4. Action Items
a. I recommend approval of the Budget Transfers as detailed.
b. I recommend the Franklin Public Schools implement PARCC as the district assessment system for the 2014-2015 school year.
c. I recommend moving the following revised/new policies to a second reading:

1. (New) JJE – Student Fundraising Activities
2. (Revised) AC – Discrimination Harassment
3. (Revised) CHCA – Approval of Student Handbooks
4. (Revised) IJOAA – Field Trips
5. (Revised) JICFB – Bullying
6. (Revised) JII – Student Complaints and Grievances
7. (Revised) JLCD – Self-Administration Medication

d. I recommend moving the following elimination policies to a second reading:

1. AC-E – Public Discrimination Complaints
2. AC-R – Harassment Discrimination Investigation Checklist
3. ACA – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender
4. ACAB – Sexual Harassment Policy for Students
5. ACE – Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability
6. ACE-R – Rights of Handicapped Persons

e. I recommend approval to declare instruments listed as surplus for FHS.
f. I recommend acceptance of checks totaling $574.00 for FHS in-house enrichment ($130.68 from Follett; $262.66 from Wells Fargo; $130.66 from Stop and Shop A+ School Rewards; and $30.00 in memory of Joseph DeNapoli from Pauline Carlson)

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn

Franklin Public Schools: Student Wellness Advisory Committee update

The Student Wellness Advisory Committee report scheduled for presentation and update for the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 24, 2014.




The full agenda for the School Committee meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda.html

Franklin Public Schools: Student Success

The Student Success Committee update is scheduled for the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 24:



The full agenda for the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 24 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda.html

Franklin Food Pantry Fundraiser - June 26

Pour Richard's Wine and Spirits Connecting good friends with great wine! Never Drink Ordinary! Pour Richard's Franklin Food Pantry Fundraiser!    Thursday, June 26 6-8:30 PM Delicious Wines, Craft Beers, Food from Whole Foods Bellingham, and local musician Ken Barney to entertain us. And best of all? This fun evening is a benefit for the Franklin Food Pantry. Tickets are just $10, with 100% of ticket sales to FFP. Pour Richard's will also donate 20% of profits from sales of beer, wine, and spirits. This is a great chance to stock up for July 4th cookouts, summer vacation rentals, etc, while also assisting the Food Pantry.  Tickets are available at the door, at the Food Pantry during normal business hours, or online HERE. See you there! Never Drink Ordinary! -Ann and John Please share this email with friends who are enthusiastic about great wine, beer, and spirits. (Keeping all the good stuff for yourself is bad karma.) [Insert social links here - select the logos from the toolbar on the left side.]

Forward this email Privacy Policy. Pour Richard's Wine and Spirits | 14 Grove Street | Franklin | MA | 02038

Sign up for electronic payment of your Franklin bills

Are you tired of receiving bills in the mail, putting them down somewhere until you cannot find them when you are ready to pay them? Have you ever paid a late fee and/or interest charges because you misplaced a bill? Then you are ready to take the next step to bill presentment or paperless billing.

The Town of Franklin offers you the convenience of paperless billing through UniPay’s new electronic billing feature. Managing your bills online has now become faster and easier. With electronic bill presentment you will receive an email notice as soon as your bill is available for payment. With paperless billing you will no longer receive those paper bills to save.

It’s easy as 1, 2, 3~ …. Register, view, and pay….. And you are using the same trusted, dependable UniPay product. Your bills are stored electronically on UniPay and your payment history is also available. You can retrieve them by logging in. If you need a copy, just print it out. If you need to know what you paid for taxes for income tax purposes, just look them up.

No searching for paper copies.
No forgetting to pay.
No hassle.

And it is available 24 hours a day/365 days a year so you can manage your Real Estate and water/sewer/trash bills when you want to.

Use our on-line bill payment link to get you there to register. The link is on the Town of Franklin Home page. http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/index

welcome page for Franklin's e-bill service UniPay Gold

Go directly to UniPay Gold via this link:
https://unipaygold.unibank.com/Default.aspx?customerid=721

It is easy to “be green”.


Note: there is a $0.25 service charge that is applied to each payment. When you consider the cost of a stamp is currently twice the service charge, this is a good deal.  I have used the online bill pay successfully.



If you have questions, you can contact the Treasurer's office

Town of Franklin
Treasurer-Collector
355 East Central Street
Franklin, MA 02038
(508) 520-4950

Seven Safety Tips for the 4th of July

The Mass.Gov blog has a good posting with safety tips for the 4th of July celebrations:

In 1776, the first shots at Lexington and Concord were fired, marking the beginnings of the American Revolution. Today, Americans take time each year on July 4th to celebrate the birth of our nation and commemorate those who fought for our freedom. On this day of backyard barbecues, fireworks, and outdoor fun, remember to keep a few safety tips in mind: 

1. Leave Fireworks to the Professionals

Massachusetts law prohibits private citizens from using, selling, or possessing fireworks. Additionally, fireworks purchased legally elsewhere and then transported into the state are strictly prohibited. There are a variety of fireworks displays supervised by professionals to enjoy in Massachusetts instead. 

2. Keep Children Safe

Whether on the playground or at a campground, make sure children are supervised while celebrating outside during the holiday. Keep fireworks and sparklers out of reach of children at all times. Removepieces of small toys, balloons, , and other items that may be potential choking hazards or dangerous to small children.

Mass.GOV webpage

Continue reading the safety tips by following this link:

http://blog.mass.gov/blog/safety/seven-safety-tips-for-the-4th-of-july/