8th Annual WMRC Radiothon is TODAY!

8th Annual WMRC Radiothon is TODAY! Call Now 508-473-1490 or Text a donation! Text "OLIVA" to 20222 Paul Braza will donate $1 per new "like" up to $500!!!  Please share and "like"!!! WMRC Daily News 258 Main Street Milford, Massachusetts 01757 info.wmrcdailynews.com@gmail.com 2014 8th Annual WMRC Radiothon Each year WMRC partners with Milford Regional Medical Center to raise money with the WMRC Radiothon, a 10 hour live broadcast from Franklin Country Club, to raise money for the Oliva Fund for Cancer Care. The Oliva Fund for Cancer Care was established in honor of the Milford's Oliva family for their ongoing commitment and generous support to Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford Regional Healthcare Foundation and our community through charitable donations. The Oliva Fund for Cancer Care helps support expenses related to services beyond medical treatment for cancer patients at Milford Regional Medical Center and the Dana-Farber Brigham and Women's Cancer Center at Milford Regional. Some of the services and comfort items currently provided by the fund includes... Reflexology Pastoral Care Palliative Care Gift cards for Target, Stop and Shop and CVS Taxi vouchers Bras, wigs, cosmetics, lotions, prosthetics Support and writing groups and counseling The Oliva Fund Food Cart And more WMRC would like to thank our generous Radiothon supporters... Edaville USA Liberty Mutual Insurance The Sardinha Family of Dunkin Donuts Arbella Insurance Tony Khoury and the entire Khoury Family Borislow Insurance Frank's Appliance Steve and Debby Frohbieter Gallo Moving and Storage Grafton Suburban Credit Union  Jensen Sheehan Insurance Marathon Door and Glass  Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Page Realty Cornerstone at Milford Milford Nissan Baystate Financial Services New Tech, Inc. Braza Construction and Braza and Mancini, Inc. Red Rock Grill and Bar Lioce Properties Richardson and Company  Richard Heller 2014 WMRC Radiothon - Stories 1 2014 WMRC Radiothon -  Stories 2014 WMRC Radiothon - Martin Richman 2014 WMRC Radiothon - Reflexology

WMRC Daily News | 258 Main Street | Milford | MA | 01757

high school training and demolition

Saturday morning's walk found the FHS boys and girls cross country team doing a workout on the Town Common.

FHS cross country workout on the Town Common

The walk included checking on the demolition of the old high school building. Looking towards where the field house used to be. It is gone, the small gym is gone and most of the two wings directly behind.

old high school building coming down 1

 What is left of the entrance to the field house and the main corridor shows here

old high school building coming down 2

 The section that the DPW used is partially gone.

old high school building coming down 3

What does remain are piles of steel collected here and there for recycling.

old high school building coming down 4

"Get your learn on!"

A good pep talk for those teachers and students returning to school from Kid President.

"Get your learn on!"





Find out more about Kid President here   http://www.kidpresident.com/whoweare.html

Kid President

City & Town - August 21st, 2014

Good summer reading for those interested in the details of calculating the property tax levy and the levy limit. Admittedly not for everyone, but for those interested this is the real deal from the MA Dept of Revenue Division of Local Services.

When will  Franklin set the tax rate for next year?

Depending upon the calendar and their meeting schedule, it usually is the first meeting in December.


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City and Town - August 21st, 2014

Local Officials Directory Municipal Calendar IGR's & Bulletins Workshops, Seminars & Events What's New DOR 360       City & Town is published by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services (DLS) and is designed to address matters of interest to local officials. Editor: Dan Bertrand Editorial Board: Robert Nunes, Robert Bliss, Zack Blake, Tony Rassias, Tom Dawley, Linda Bradley and Patricia Hunt	In this Issue: Part 3: Proposition 2 1/2's Levy Limit Components and a Statistical Review Over the Last Decade: Does Your Community "Tax to the Max?" BLA Updates Register Now for "What's New in Municipal Law" $3M in Community Innovation Challenge Grant Funding Now Available Part 3: Proposition 2 1/2's Levy Limit Components and a Statistical Review Over the Last Decade: Does Your Community "Tax to the Max?" Joe Markarian - Former MDM/TAB Director of Financial Management Assistance, Tom Guilfoyle - BOA Supervisor of Accounting and Tony Rassias - BOA Deputy Director This is the third and final part in this series reviewing Prop 2 1/2's levy limitation components along with statistics from FY2004 to FY2013. Part Three will focus on the maximum allowable levy, the common and not-so-common exclusions that allow the levy limit and levy ceiling to be exceeded, completion of an FY2014 maximum allowable levy calculation, and finally tax levies and "excess levy capacity." The levy limit calculation shown in all parts is organized on the basis of the levy limit worksheet found on Gateway's levy limit report page. The passage of Proposition 2 1/2 on the November 1980 ballot was enormous. The new law changed the way cities, towns and districts budget to the present day. - A Sketch of the History of the Massachusetts Bureau of Accounts and Related Matters in the Growth and Development of Municipal Finance by Anthony A. Rassias In November of 1980, the people of Massachusetts passed by ballot vote Proposition 2 1/2 (Chapter 580 of 1980), a law that, among other things, placed constraints on city and town property tax levies beginning in FY1982. Since that time, these levies have been limited by the law's provisions and approved by the Bureau of Accounts as part of the annual tax rate certification process. Even 33 years since its passage, Prop 2 1/2 initiates considerable discussion and debate. The Maximum Allowable Levy The property tax levy is the revenue a community raises through real and personal property taxes each fiscal year when it sets its tax rate. The law established three types of annual levy limits: a levy limit, a levy ceiling and a maximum allowable levy. The levy limit is incremental and allows a permanent but controlled annual increase to the tax levy. The levy ceiling caps the levy limit for that fiscal year at 2.5 percent of the current fiscal year's total assessed full and fair cash value for real and personal property. The levy limit may be increased or decreased by locally adopted referenda, but may not exceed the levy ceiling. The levy ceiling may be increased temporarily by certain locally adopted exclusions. The maximum allowable levy is the maximum amount of property tax a community may raise in a fiscal year. The maximum allowable levy may or may not be greater than the levy ceiling. If the community has not voted any locally adopted exclusions to the levy limit, the lesser of the levy limit or levy ceiling becomes the maximum allowable levy. In any case, the actual tax levy for the fiscal year, as reported on the annual Tax Rate Recapitulation form, cannot exceed the maximum allowable levy. Exclusions that Impact the Maximum Allowable Levy Apart from the debt and capital expenditure exclusions, the other maximum allowable levy components are not-so-commonly used. All of these components are considered "temporary" because the applicable dollar amounts (a) are included in the annual total of tax dollars to be raised, but are not included in the Base (prior year levy limit) for calculating the following fiscal year's tax limitation and (b) have a future end date, although that date may be one year or well into the future. Debt Exclusion: MGL c. 59, s. 21C(j,k) The two types of debt exclusions that may be voted are: 1. For debt service on city, town and assessed regional debt incurred prior to November 4, 1980 (called Pre-Prop 2 1/2 debt); 2. For debt service on city, town or assessed regional debt issued after November 4, 1980, (initially called Post-Prop 2 1/2 debt, now simply called the debt exclusion). This section will review only Post-Prop 2 1/2 debt exclusion votes. Few pre - Prop 2 1/2 debt exclusion votes were taken and none since the mid-1980s. The debt exclusion has been and continues to be by far the most frequently used form of exclusion. A debt exclusion requires a two-thirds vote of the board of selectmen, or town or city council (with the mayor's approval if required by law) to be placed on a ballot. A majority vote of the electorate is required for approval. Once voted, the debt exclusion allows the community to raise the additional tax revenue needed to pay debt service for each fiscal year on the borrowing issued to fund the specified project until the debt is retired. The excluded amount is offset by any reimbursements and certain premiums received per Bureau instruction. See Bulletin 2013-01B. The debt exclusion: must be presented using wording specified by the law which includes only the borrowing purpose; . applies to temporary or permanent debt service; . may be negative if reimbursements in any year exceed debt service; . must be reserved for the following fiscal year if the amount of debt service excluded exceeded the amount expended; . is reduced if excluded debt proceeds are transferred to a non-excluded project. Chart 1 indicates debt exclusion votes taken between FY2004 and FY2013. There were 1,512 debt exclusion votes taken, of which 1,165 or 77 percent were wins and 347 or 23 percent were losses. Chart 1 - Debt Exclusion Wins and Losses: FY2004 to FY2013 . .. . Source: DLS Data Bank Fiscal Facts: Total excluded dollars grew about 25 percent from $314 million in FY2004 to $391.7 million in FY2013; . For the decade, the largest total debt exclusion was in FY2013 for Wellesley ($10,322,960) and the smallest, also in FY2013, was for Wakefield ($120); . Of the 120 winning votes for FY2013, 65 were for schools, 17 for public safety, 15 for construction and repairs to town owned buildings, 12 for public works and 11 for assorted other purposes; . Of the 33 losing votes for FY2013, eight were for schools, seven for public works, five for public safety, six for construction and repairs to town buildings, and seven for assorted other purposes; . For FY2013, 287 or 82 percent of all cities and towns had at least one active debt exclusion, which when combined, totaled about $391.7 million. Let's assume an FY2014 debt exclusion of $550,000. Capital Expenditure Exclusion - MGL c. 59, s. 21C (i1/2) Enacted by Chapter 562 of 1986, this exclusion has been less popular than the debt exclusion, but has been used more often than other maximum allowable levy components. It allows additional funds to be raised for any item for which the city or town could borrow, but has chosen to fund by appropriation, or for the city or town's apportioned share of a regional capital expenditure. This exclusion requires a two-thirds vote of the board of selectmen, or town or city council (with the mayor's approval if required by law) to be placed on a ballot. A majority vote of the electorate is required for approval. Once voted, the capital expenditure exclusion allows the community to raise the amount included in the vote, or the amount appropriated, whichever is less, minus any state or federal reimbursement received for the acquisition or purpose for the year voted. In addition, the capital expenditure exclusion: must be presented using wording specified by law including a dollar amount, purpose(s) and fiscal year; . authorizes a temporary tax increase to the lesser of the levy limit or levy ceiling; . has the same wording as an override and must be properly distinguished to the electorate. Table 1 indicates capital expenditure exclusion votes taken between FY2004 and FY2013. In total, there were 318 votes taken; 219 or 69 percent were wins and 99 or 31 percent were losses. Table 1: FY04 - FY13 - Capital Expenditure Exclusion Wins and Losses . . Source: DLS Data Bank Fiscal Facts: For the decade, the largest number of capital exclusion votes was in FY2009 at $5,770,361 and the smallest in FY2004 at $2,200,283; . For the decade, about 67 percent of wins were for public safety, public works, schools and road repairs; . For the decade, the largest capital exclusion vote was $2,360,000 for Dennis in FY2009 and the least was $5,000 for Cummington in both FY2011 and FY2012; . For FY2013, there were 11 winning votes taken by 10 towns totaling $3,050,000; . For FY2013, winning votes included three for public safety, two for library, two for public works and three for assorted other purposes. The lone loss involved renovation of an athletic field. Let's assume an FY2014 capital expenditure exclusion of $100,000. Other Adjustment - Cape Cod Commission Chapter 716 of the Acts of 1989 created the Cape Cod Commission, a regional planning and land-use regulatory agency that serves Barnstable county. All Barnstable county towns have individually voted to become members of the Commission. Pursuant to s. 18 of the enabling Act, the annual assessment by the Commission to a member is exempt from Prop 2 1/2 and no further local action is necessary. Let's assume for FY2014 that this provision is not applicable, $0. Other Adjustment - Chapter 111 s. 127B1/2 and Other Special Legislation Chapter 111, s.127B 1/2 exempts from Prop 2 1/2 any city or town tax levy appropriation or debt service for the purpose of municipal removal of a residential underground fuel storage tank, the removal of dangerous levels of lead paint as determined by MGL c. 111 s. 194, or repair, replacement or upgrade of a home's septic system required by MGL c. 21A s. 13. No further local action is necessary. For FY2013, only Marion and Wrentham used the Chapter 111 exclusion. Special legislation approved for Wellesley in 2007 excluded funding for its Other Post-Employment Benefits obligations. Let's assume for FY2014 that these provisions are not applicable, $0. Other Adjustment - Regional Refuse Management Districts The Greater New Bedford Refuse Management District (Chapter 652 of 1987) and the Martha's Vineyard Regional Refuse Disposal District (Chapter 303 of 1985) assess debt service upon their respective member communities and pursuant to their legislation, their debt service assessments are excluded from Prop 2 1/2. No further local action is necessary. For FY2013, Dartmouth, a member of the Greater New Bedford District and four members of the Martha's Vineyard District used this exclusion. Let's assume for FY2014 that these provisions are not applicable, $0. The Water/Sewer Rate Shift, MGL c. 59 s. 21C(n) The board of selectmen, the town or city council (with the mayor's approval where required by law) may vote to exclude water and sewer debt service. No further local action is required. If voted, the city or town: recovers water and sewer debt service costs from the property tax rather than from user charges; . must then reduce its water and sewer charges by the amount of the debt service being transferred to the tax levy; . may choose either an all taxpayers or residential taxpayers only option. Once adopted, the percentage or stated amount of the exclusion remains the same unless changed by a new vote of the board of selectmen, town or city council (with the mayor's approval where required by law). IGR 93-207 has further details. For FY2013, there were 13 Water/Sewer Rate Shifts totaling about $13.3 million. One community, Winchester, used the residential taxpayers-only option. Let's assume that the FY2014 water/sewer debt shift was voted as $150,000. . . . The Tax Levy and Excess Levy Capacity The tax levy is the annual amount of taxes assessed upon real and personal property in the city or town as reported on the Tax Rate Recapitulation form. The levy cannot exceed the maximum allowable levy as calculated above. The dollar difference, or "excess levy capacity," is the amount by which the community may have legally levied, but chose not to do so. Depending upon the actual tax levy amount, excess levy capacity may or may not be forever lost. For example, if this fiscal year's actual tax levy is $10,500,000, this fiscal year's excess levy capacity is $811,994 ($11,311,994 - $10,500,000). The difference between $10,511,994 and $10,500,000, or $11,994, is lost for the current fiscal year but returns in the following fiscal year as part of the Base that begins with $10,511,994. The remainder, $800,000, is lost forever. Chart 2 shows the growth in excess levy capacity from FY2004 to FY2013. The greatest amount of excess levy capacity during this decade was in FY2013 at $345.2 million and the least amount in FY2005 at $172.4 million. Chart 2 - Excess Levy Capacity: FY2004 to FY2013 . Source: DLS Data Bank Fiscal Facts: For the decade, the greatest amount of excess levy capacity was for Cambridge, in FY2013, at $104,103,959 and the least was for Freetown, in FY2006, at $11; . For the decade, the median average for excess levy capacity was about $24,000; . For FY2013, the median average for excess levy capacity was about $52,000; . For FY2013, five communities had excess levy capacity greater than $10,000,000; Marlborough had greater than $20,000,000 and Cambridge had greater than $100,000,000. Conclusion This concludes the three Part series on Prop 2 1/2's levy limit components along with statistics from FY2004 to FY2013. Please visit the Division of Local Services' website and create your own customized financial, demographic and economic reports. You can also review publications such as Informational Guideline Releases, Bulletins and other annual guidance for more details on tax levies, levy limits, levy ceilings, new growth, ballot questions and more. For further information, see the Division of Local Services Publications Levy Limits: A Primer on Proposition 2 1/2 and Proposition 2 1/2 Ballot Questions - Requirements and Procedures. For Part One of this series, click here. For Part Two, click here. BLA Updates Bureau of Local Assessment Last week, Chris Reidy, Assessment Director of the Town of Shrewsbury, arranged a tour for Bureau of Local Assessment staff at the ConEdison Development, Shrewsbury Solar LLC solar farm, with a nameplate capacity of 3.326 megawatts. Many commercial scale farms are being built throughout the state and there have been many questions from local assessors about them. The onsite tour provided staff a clear picture of the operations and will assist us with further understanding the complexity and issues of this industry. Many thanks to company representative Dennis Brennan for his assistance with the tour. Local Assessment staff Debra Joyce and Donna Demirai recently taught a specialty course at the 59th Annual School for Massachusetts Assessing Officers held at UMASS Amherst. It covered updating and reviewing procedures with assessors on required forms for Non-Certification communities - Interim Year Forms, LA3 Sales Coding, LA15 Analysis, LA4 & New Growth. A copy of the slides from this very informative presentation can be found by clicking here. Register Now for "What's New in Municipal Law" The Division of Local Services Legal Staff will offer its annual seminar "What's New in Municipal Law" for local officials on Thursday, September 25, 2014 at The Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke and Thursday, October 2, 2014 at The Lantana in Randolph. The general session in the morning will review new legislation and recent court decisions pertaining to local government. The afternoon session will consist of three concurrent workshops on the following topics: (1) qualification of charitable, religious and other non-profit organizations for local tax exemptions, (2) expenditures for public purposes and administration of trust funds, and (3) potential pitfalls when local officials or employees wear multiple hats. Please click the following for the agenda and registration form. Registrations must be received by Wednesday, September 17, 2014. Pre-registration is required. If you have any questions about these seminars, please contact DLS Training Coordinator Donna Quinn at 617-626-3838 or by email at dlsregistration@dor.state.ma.us. $3M in Community Innovation Challenge Grant Funding Now Available Executive Office for Administration and Finance Recently, Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor announced the fourth round of Community Innovation Challenge (CIC) grants for Fiscal Year 2015. Building upon the success of the three previous rounds of CIC grants, up to $3 million will be made available to support local government innovations through regional collaborations. "Over the past three years, the Patrick Administration has supported our municipal partners in driving change and developing new and efficient models of service delivery," said Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor. "This additional funding provides municipalities with another opportunity to participate in the CIC program to further highlight best practices for all 351 of our cities and towns." CIC grants provide financial support for one-time or transition costs related to innovative regionalization and other efficiency initiatives in local governments. By improving effectiveness and efficiency of services, the Commonwealth is able to spend taxpayer money more efficiently, maximizing the impact of every dollar spent. Since the launch of the CIC program in 2012, the Patrick Administration has invested $10.25 million in 74 unique projects which involve 242 cities and towns, or 69 percent of the Commonwealth's municipalities. In addition to enabling savings, the program has allowed cities and towns to continue or restore core services and increase the efficiency of their operations. Nearly four million Massachusetts residents live in a city or town that participates in the CIC program. Along with the announcement of a fourth round of funding, Secretary Shor also announced that FY 2013 project success stories are now available on the CIC program website. "These reports, along with the 27 reports for FY 2012 projects, will provide all municipal officials in the Commonwealth with roadmaps to develop innovative, regional projects," said Secretary Shor. The reports include step-by-step implementation guides, line item budgets, measurable outcomes and discussions of challenges faced and solutions achieved. Regionalization efforts have been increasingly critical on the local level. Providing municipalities with the resources to collaborate on shared initiatives allows for reduced costs, improved services and increased efficiency in the delivery of services. "The Community Innovation Challenge grant project facilitated by the City of Chelsea in partnership with Revere and Everett benefits our communities as funding allows for outside - impartial resources- to assist us with problem identification and solution development related to the quality of crime data. Crime data is a critical element for government officials to consider as we attempt to increase quality of life in our communities. Funding for this project is allowing the cities to conduct pilot data audits to identify and correct crime data reporting discrepancies that will establish a process for adoption by other municipalities in the Commonwealth - ultimately leading to enhanced data driven decision-making strategies and use of data for performance management that are comparable form community to community," said Brian Kyes, Chief of Police for the City of Chelsea. "The CIC program has enabled Hawlemont Regional Elementary School to accelerate the development of an innovative agriculturally-based curriculum. The students are buzzing with excitement about school at an unprecedented level. I anticipate Hawlemont will lead the way for other rural elementary schools across the Commonwealth and beyond," said Michael Buoniconti, Superintendent for the Hawlemont Regional School District. How to Apply Applications, information session dates and times, and guidelines are now available on the CIC program website: www.mass.gov/ANF/CIC.
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August Municipal Calendar August 1 Taxpayer Quarterly Tax Bills - Deadline for Paying 1st Quarterly Tax Bill Without Interest According to M.G.L. Ch. 59, Sec. 57C, this is the deadline for receipt of the 1st Quarter preliminary tax payment without interest, unless the preliminary bills were mailed after July 1. If mailed by August 1, the 1st Quarterly payment is due August 1, or 30 days after the bills were mailed, whichever is later, and the 2nd Quarterly payment is due November 1. If mailed after August 1, the preliminary tax is due as a single installment on November 1, or 30 days after the bills were mailed, whichever is later. August 1 Taxpayer Annual Boat Excise Return Due   August 1 Accountant Notification of Total Receipts of Preceding Year The total actual local receipts (e.g., motor vehicle excise, fines, fees, water/sewer charges) of the previous fiscal year must be included on Schedule A of the Tax Rate Recapitulation Sheet (Recap) which is submitted by the Assessors to DOR. On the Recap, the Accountant certifies the previous fiscal year's actual revenues, and the Assessors use this information to project the next fiscal year's revenues. Any estimates of local receipts on the Recap that differ significantly from the previous year's actual receipts must be accompanied by documentation justifying the change in order to be approved by the Commissioner of Revenue. August 10 Assessors Deadline for Appealing EQVs to ATB (even numbered years only)   August 10 Assessors Deadline for Appealing SOL Valuations to ATB (every fourth year after 2005)   August 15 Assessors Deadline to Vote to Seek Approval for Authorization to Issue Optional Preliminary Tax Bills For semi-annual communities issuing optional preliminary property tax bills, the Assessors must vote to seek authorization to issue the bills from DOR by this date. After receiving approval, Assessors must submit a Pro-forma Tax Rate Recap Sheet to DOR for review and issue the tax bills by October 1.   August 31 DOR/BOA Issue Instructions for Determining Local and District Tax Rates A copy of the Tax Rate Recap Sheet and its instructions are forwarded to the community.   August 31 Assessors Begin Work on Tax Rate Recapitulation Sheet (to set tax rate for semi-annual bills) Until the Tax Rate Recap Sheet is completed and certified by the Commissioner of Revenue, the community may not set a tax rate nor send out its property tax bills (unless it issues preliminary quarterly tax bills or requests from DOR the authority to send out preliminary tax notices if DOR requirements are met). Communities should begin gathering the information in enough time for the tax rate to be set and tax bills mailed by October 1. The Tax Rate Recap Sheet provides Mayors or Selectmen with a ready-made financial management tool because the town's most important financial management information is summarized on this form. The Mayor or Selectmen should review the Recap Sheet in preliminary form in order to understand the following financial information: Page 1 (Tax Rate Summary) - The proposed tax levy should be compared to the levy limit. If a community does not levy to its limit, the remaining levy is referred to as excess levy capacity. Excess levy capacity is lost to the community for the current fiscal year although it will always remain in the levy limit calculation. Page 2 (Amount To Be Raised) - This section includes appropriations and other local expenditures not appropriated. These include overlay deficits, revenue deficits, state and county charges, Cherry Sheet offset items, and the allowance for abatements and exemptions. By comparing this information to the prior year(s), any significant changes can be determined. Page 2 (Estimated Receipts & Revenues From Other Sources) - In particular, Section C shows the amount appropriated from free cash and other available funds. By comparing the amounts appropriated to the balances in these accounts (available from the Accountant/Auditor), the Mayor or Selectmen can get a sense of how their non-property tax revenues are being used. Page 3, Schedule A (Local Receipts Not Allocated) - By comparing these figures to prior year(s), the Mayor or Selectmen can determine any changes in these revenues. Page 4, Schedule B (Certification of Appropriations and Source of Funding) - This section includes financial votes of City/Town Council or Town Meeting not previously reported on last year's recap.   Final Day of Each Month State Treasurer Notification of monthly local aid distribution. Click www.mass.gov/treasury/cash-management to view distribution breakdown. To unsubscribe to City & Town and all other DLS Alerts, please click here.

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Stephen Sherlock

Community Information Director (volunteer) for FranklinMAtters.blogspot.com/
Steves2Cents.blogspot.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephensherlock

"the power of individuals who are so tightly connected to a cause can really make a difference"

Since the ALS Association began tracking the campaign's progress on July 29, it has raised more than $53.3 million from 1.1 million new donors in what is one of the most viral philanthropic social media campaigns in history. 

Thousands of people, including celebrities like Taylor Swift and Oprah Winfrey, have posted videos of themselves getting buckets of ice water dumped over their heads and challenging others to do the same — or donate money to The ALS Association, which raises money for Lou Gehrig's disease research and assistance. 

The ice bucket challenge has shown it's OK to be silly for a good cause, says Brian Mittendorf, a professor at the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, who teaches courses in nonprofit finance. 

"Normally the model is to find people who are passionate about a cause and then ask for donations or to educate people and then seek out donations. (The ice bucket challenge is) something that's fun that people can do ... people are taking part in it and then taking the info and donating."

Continue reading the article here (subscription maybe required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140823/NEWS/140828269/1994/NEWS

Franklin Chargers ice bucket challenge

The Franklin Chargers posted their response to the ice bucket challenge. You can view this either clicking on the photo or following this link:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10204728574879328

Sara Lewis: The loves and lies of fireflies

When I spent some time in Central Pennsylvania this summer, the fireflies amazed me as they do every summer. Fortunately, this TED Talk provides some wonderful insights about fireflies, their life and how they create the light we have come to love.

"It's amazing to think that the luminous displays we admire here and in fact everywhere around the world are actually the silent love songs of male fireflies. They're flying and flashing their hearts out. I still find it very romantic."

screen capture of Sara Lewis's TED Talk

The link to the TED Talk page where you can find the author bio, the interactive transcript and more
http://www.ted.com/talks/sara_lewis_the_loves_and_lies_of_fireflies

Did you know that there is a registry of home improvement contractors?

If you run into trouble with your contractor doing home improvements, did you know that there was an arbitration process?

Did you know that there is a registry of home improvement contractors? A recent post from the MA Gov blog is worthy of sharing as it covers this topic well.

The Home Improvement Contractor Arbitration Program promotes speedy, efficient, and fair resolutions to disputes between homeowners and registered contractors and/or subcontractors regarding home improvements. It is part of the Home Improvement Contractor Act, which became Massachusetts law in 1992.

Continue reading the article on the MA Gov site here
http://blog.mass.gov/blog/safety/the-massachusetts-home-improvement-contractor-hic-arbitration-program/

screen capture of home improvement arbitration article

3rd annual Run, Walk and Score Road Race - Sep 21

The Franklin Girl's Ice Hockey Boosters Club is holding a fund raiser in September.

The 3rd annual Run, Walk and Score Road Race! takes place in the safe neighborhood of Jefferson Road in Franklin. It starts in the roadway of Jefferson Elementary school and takes a left onto Jefferson Road. The 2K race splits from the 5K when the 2K runners turn left onto Skipper Circle while the 5K runners continue until they turn right onto Peters Lane and again onto Jackson Circle. Both races finish at the same point in the parking area of Jefferson School. The routes are both USATF certified. 

The proceeds from the race support scholarships, equipment, team activities and transportation.
Event details and schedule 

Runners should be registered by 9am in order to have a timely start at 9:30am. Questions about the race can be sent to FHSGirlsHockey@gmail.com. The lobby and restrooms of the Jefferson Elementary School will be available for race participants

3rd annual Run, Walk and Score Road Race - Sep 21

You can register online at this link:
http://www.active.com/franklin-ma/running/distance-running-races/run-walk-and-score-5k-and-2k-2014?int=

In the News: Franklin hiking group

The Milford Daily News has a nice write up on the Franklin Area Kids Hiking group:

The idea came to her while she read comments left on the "Friends of Franklin" Facebook group. Many came from moms who discussed trying to fit in outdoor activities for their children in between work and chores, Mercurio said. She suggested hiking. 

Not knowing what to expect, she created the Franklin Area Kids Hiking Group on a whim: In four days, more than 100 parents had joined. And the number has doubled since then. 

Mercurio usually plans two to three hikes each week, two of which tailor to specific themes.

Continue reading the article here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140823/NEWS/140828300/1994/NEWS

screen capture of Franklin Area Kids Hiking Group Facebook page

For additional info on the Kids Hiking Group you can review the article in the Franklin Town News
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/08/franklin-kids-hiking-group.html


and of course visit their Facebook page here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/830232910335361/

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 8/22/14 - THU 8/28/14

FRI 8/22   10:30am   Liquid Nitrogen Demonstrations at Franklin Public Library
FRI 8/22  12-6pm   Farmers Market at Franklin Common
FRI 8/22   3pm   Whale Mobile at Franklin Public Library. Registration required.
FRI 8/22   6:30pm   Art Night Uncorked at Franklin Art Center

SAT 8/23   1-4pm   Farm to table cocktails with Corey Bunnewith and Akin Bak Farm at Pour Richard's in Franklin

SUN 8/24   8am   Yoga on the beach - free event at Beaver Pond, Franklin

MON 8/25   4-7pm   Farmer’s Market at Whole Foods Plaza in Bellingham

WED 8/27   3pm   End of Summer Party at Franklin Public Library. Barn Babies, Balloon Animals, Glitter tattoos and more.  (Teen end of summer party on 8/29)
WED 8/27   4-8pm   FSPA Open House, 38 Main St., Franklin.
WED 8/27   5pm   Grand Opening of Franklin Sculpture Park  (Panther Way next to the Police Station)

For all the Town of Franklin Public Meetings click HERE.

FHS - new policy on Food in School

A posting by Elizabeth's Bagels is making its way around Facebook. I saw it on Thursday and answered one of the points as to why outside food is being restricted at the new FHS building by posting the following:

FOOD IN SCHOOL AND CAFETERIA POLICY 

Outside of the cafeteria and the designated area in the Media Center food and drink WILL NOT be allowed in the classrooms or hallways. Students will not be allowed to bring any outside beverage other than water into the school. 

The school cafeteria is a vital part of the daily operation of our school.
The following regulations govern student behavior during the lunch period:
(Violations of cafeteria rules will result in progressive discipline.) 

1. Food or drink may not be taken from the cafeteria.
2. When lunch period is over, students are to deposit paper and other trash in the proper
receptacles. ALL STUDENTS SEATED AT A TABLE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEANLINESS OF THAT TABLE.
3. Students are expected to enter the cafeteria at the beginning of their assigned lunch and
remain for the entire lunch period.
4. Students are not to throw anything at any time in the cafeteria.
5. Cutting in lunch lines is prohibited.
6. The consumption of food in the halls and classes will not be tolerated.

You can find this text on page 76 in the PDF copy here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczNmVkZjBIWExtcU0/edit?usp=sharing

Video Replay of School Committee meeting

The video replay of the School Committee meeting on Aug 12 is available from the Franklin webpage. You can go directly via this link
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?ecm=635442513005685000&indexSessionSKU=aspL9zlrD2nqnB/uBCAisQ%3D%3D&siteSKU=L7qhQ46xin/r3Z0jcDVCNw%3D%3D

(Note: the high school portion of the handbook discussion begins approx. 17 minutes.
The food discussion begins at about 35 minutes)

You can also navigate via the new layout of the Franklin webpage. Choose "Live Meetings and Video", select August and then choose the School Committee meeting for Aug 12.

screen image of the re-designed Franklin webpage

Sep 9 - Primary Election

While the official tours of the new High School will be held on September 20, 2014, those who are registered and choose to vote in the Primary Election on Sep 9 will be able to get a close up view as they use the school to cast their ballot.

STATE PRIMARY ELECTION

DATE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

TIME: 6:00a.m. – 8:00p.m.

PLACE: NEW FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL ON OAK STREET

Absentee ballots are available from the Town Clerk:
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/2014%20Sept.%20Primary%20Absentee%20Notice.pdf

The Democratic candidates for the Sep 9 primary can be found here
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele14/democratic14.htm

The Republican candidates for the Sep 9 primary can be found here
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele14/republican14.htm

Sec of the Commonwealth's Elections page

Security concern? Odd solicitations

From our Franklin Facebook network:

Security concern?
This car was spotted in the Miller St/Briarwood/Blueberry Lane/Silver Fox area. The 2 individuals stopped at several locations and at at least one house claimed to be soliciting for Verizon. They are not registered as solicitors with the Franklin police as required. Their behavior was odd and I personally find it strange that Verizon would employ door-to-door salespeople (who do not give prior notice or appointment) in this day and age. 

Keep a lookout and let the Franklin PD know if you see them behaving suspiciously... dark gray 4-door Ford, license plate 172 ZT8.

Franklin Police station on Panther Way

In the News: Emmons St

The Milford Daily News reports on some changes in the proposal for what the RFP should look like for the Emmons St property:

"At what point did you decide this?" said Jane Curran, owner of the downtown business Jane’s Frames. "When the meeting ended and the public left?" 

Susan Sheridan, a member of the Franklin Art Association, noted, "We had pie in the sky dreams in the beginning, but little by little it’s been chipped away." 

Gateway Committee members in a recent petition lobbied the town to consider developing the parcel into a public space to bring out the best of Franklin’s art and food. 

That idea has not been well received, though, with one member of the Economic Development Committee remarking Wednesday that the property will "undoubtedly" become a bank.

You can read the full article here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140822/NEWS/140828737/1994/NEWS