Senator Ross: May 2015 State House Update

Senator Richard J. Ross, State House Update, May 2015 View this email in your browser Facebook Twitter Website LinkedIn State Senator Richard J. Ross (R-Wrentham) proudly serving the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District. State House Room 419 Boston, MA 02133 Ph: 617-722-1555 Fax: 617-722-1054 Email:richard.ross@masenate.gov Dear Friends, This month, we remember our fallen heroes who gave everything for their country. The heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and our livelihood. The Senate also took up the FY16 budget this month, passing the legislation unanimously. Now the legislation moves to a six person conference committee that will work out the differences to then be voted on and sent to the Governor's desk. This year's budget included several key policy measures pertaining to the MBTA, Boston 2024, among others, but it also included critical investments for our cities and towns. Please read/share my monthly newsletter for more information on the budget as well as what is going on right in your backyard. It is my honor to serve you. Sincerely, View this newsletter in your browser

Blackstone River Theatre Summer Solstice Festival is just 20 days away!

ARE YOU READY FOR THE 5th annual BRT SUMMER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL? WE ARE! Fundraising and planning is almost over ...now it's time to make it happen! In just 18 days, more than 75 incredible volunteers will begin to transform a beautiful but underused park in Cumberland into a world class festival space... FIVE stages, a session tent, and 40 food and craft vendors will be set up, ready for YOU to enjoy an amazing day of music, dance and culture! PLEASE JOIN US  SATURDAY June 20!  FOOD VENDORS  Mickey G's Clam Shack, GottaQ BBQ, The Salad Man & Juice Bar, Del's Lemonade, and the Ice Cream Machine. CRAFT VENDORS Tom and Alice Apiaries, Doodle Paintings, Scentsy, Thirty-One Gifts, Pins with Personality, Bonnie Lee's Creations, Renewal by Andersen, Silver 'N Such, Celtic Revival, Jewels by Crissy B, Premiere Water Systems, Reclectic Design, Starlite Jewelry Designs, Tupperware, Mommie's Hobbie Designs, SilverLeaf Studios, La Wren's Nest, Celtic Beat, mpic studios, Tir Na Nog Irish Dance, Pocasset Wampanoag Creations, BoydHomes, The Glass Heron, R.I. Home Improvement, Sandra-Lynn Custom Jewelry Designs, Daren Rathbun Nature Photography, Sassy Classy Clay Creations, Massage Envy We are still seeking more vendors! Contact russell@riverfolk.org IT'S ALMOST FESTIVAL TIME! We have an amazing time planned for you! Full details can be found at: www.riverfolk.org/brtssf 1. We are still looking for a few more craft vendors, artisans, home-based businesses. Email russell@riverfolk.org 2. Purchase advance tickets today via check for both the festival and the after-festival session! We are working on setting up a PayPal account for the festival! 3. HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! And don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook to get late-breaking news! please share what we do with your friends! www.facebook.com/pages/Blackstone-River-Theatre/165592431396    Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday! Russell Gusetti, Executive Director   5th annual BRT Summer Solstice Festival Looking for a great family-friendly outdoor music festival without having to travel hours to find it? Blackstone River Theatre has your solution as we move our programming outside to present the  5th annual Blackstone River Theatre Summer Solstice Festival at Diamond Hill Park, Rte. 114, Cumberland, on Saturday, June 20. The Summer Solstice Festival will run from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with five stages that focus on Celtic and world music, dance and culture. There will also be more than 40 craft and food vendors and a new session tent area where attendees are encouraged to bring instruments to play with some of the festival musicians. Featured entertainers include long-time BRT favorites as well as several acts that will be new to area audiences. This year sees three music stages plus stages dedicated to both Irish dance traditions and children's entertainment, all running continuously throughout the day. Festival performers - most doing two sets each - include Calan (from Wales), Eastern Medicine Singers, The Gnomes, The Gothard Sisters, Cassie & Maggie MacDonald, Robbie O'Connell & Dan Milner, Pendragon, RUNA, The Vox Hunters with Torrin Ryan, and Will Woodson and Joey Abarta. There will also be nonstop Irish step dance featuring 50 dancers from Tir Na Nog Irish Dance. A children's stage will feature Irish magic shows with Debbie O'Carroll, Mary King & Phil Edmonds, Art on the Spot Face Painting and henna, and Marvelous Marvin's Circus Arts.  Admission is only $15 adults, $10 seniors, $5 children ages 6-15, children under 5 free. Festival sponsors include the Town of Cumberland, Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc., Navigant Credit Union, Valley Breeze, Tir Na Nog Irish Dance, Open MRI of New England, Ocean State Urgent Care and Angelo's Palace Pizza.  And the music continues Saturday night!... One of the highlights of each year's Solstice Festival is the after-festival music session held at Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad St. "It's designed to be an intimate, informal evening that allows attendees the chance to mingle with performers and hear some great music in a casual atmosphere," Russell Gusetti, Festival producer, explains. "We sell only 80 tickets to the event, and it has sold out the past two years, so we encourage folks to reserve a spot ahead of time. If any tickets remain, we'll sell them at the Festival information booth during the day." E-mail russell@riverfolk.org to reserve your spot! The after-festival music session takes place Saturday, June 20, 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., and is sponsored by Angelo's Palace Pizza. The session features virtually all of the festival performers. There will be a cash bar and complimentary food will be available at the evening event. Tickets are $20.00 per person and advance purchase is highly recommended. Blackstone River Theatre is located at 549 Broad Street, Cumberland, RI. Telephone is (401) 725-9272. "One of the nicest things that happens is the great mixture of songs and tunes along with some incredible dancing," Gusetti added. "It's really a magical time when musicians are relaxed and playing in combinations that are usually not possible and that audiences rarely see. At times, we have more than 30 musicians and dancers performing at once!"

Forward email to a friend! Blackstone River Theatre | 549 Broad Street | Cumberland | RI | 02864

FHS Spring Playoff schedules for Tennis, Baseball, and Softball

From Hockomock Sports we share the Tennis, Baseball and Softball playoff schedules.

Boys Tennis

#5 Franklin (13-3) will play #12 Mansfield (10-7) at Medway on Thursday, 6/4 at 3:45.

FHS Panthers

Girls Tennis

#7 Franklin (12-4) will play #10 Mansfield (12-6) at King Philip on Thursday, 6/4 at 3:45.

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-tennis-playoff-seeds-match-ups

Baseball

#4 Franklin (13-7) will host #5 Brookline (14-8) on a date and time to be announced.

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-baseball-playoff-seeds-match-ups

Softball

#14 Franklin (13-7) will host #19 Somerset Berkley (10-10) on Wednesday, 6/3 at 3:30.

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-softball-playoff-seeds-match-ups

#ShopFranklin: Ed Szymanski - The PC Handyman

Via Kiernan Reed, we share a new series touting #ShopFranklin:

No matter what your computer needs happen to be, the PC Handyman can handle them. Ed named his business after the work he used to do as a home handyman, since his approach to computer work is similar; “it’s a little bit of everything that people need.” From repairs and parts replacement to installation and configuration, Ed serves individuals and small businesses in the Franklin area both on the road and from his home workshop. 

When you first contact Ed, he will discuss with you whether a house call or a workshop visit makes more sense, based on what you need. According to Ed, he can be “more efficient working here in the shop time-wise” for something like a virus removal, “which means more efficient with people’s money.”

PC Handyman

Ed also specializes in “problems that aren’t easily solved,” even to the point where other businesses have tried and failed to fix the problem. Although difficult computer issues can sometimes take more time to solve than Ed is willing to charge his client for, he would rather put in the extra time to solve the problem than to give the computer back unfixed. 

While Ed’s background is in mechanical engineering, his computer skills were developed through years of maintaining the network at his former company and helping other users with their computer issues. In 2002, when his employer relocated, Ed worked on computer repairs “here and there” and eventually developed that skill into his own full-time business. 

Ed loves working from home, not only because it gives him the flexibility to work with clients on the road when needed, but also because he can work around his outdoor schedule. Contrary to the popular perception that computer guys don’t ever go outside, Ed is an avid gardener and homesteader. Ed and his wife “started with a small garden and just grew and grew,” and at this point they “have no grass.” Ed’s front yard produces fruits, vegetables, berries, and flowers, and in the back he has twenty-five raised garden beds and other garden areas, including several nut trees. 

Ed and his wife grow a little bit of everything, and produce just about all of what they need. Ed also raises bees and chickens, and currently serves as the president of the Norfolk County Beekeepers’ Association. Ed’s advice for anyone interested in keeping backyard bees or chickens is to learn all you can about caring for them so that you can do a good job, since “it’s a lot more fun when everybody’s healthy.” 

Ed says that homesteaders tend to talk to each other and get to know each other, and share tips and advice at farmers’ markets and other local gatherings. Lately, that way of life has been spilling over into Ed’s business as well. As a small business owner, Ed has become increasingly involved in business networking groups and efforts like the #ShopFranklin initiative. “I didn’t know how much it would benefit a business like mine but it turns out that it really is because you’re reaching a lot more people,” Ed says. 

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to advertise, and Ed works hard to connect with others, not only to receive referrals but also to give them. “I believe that when you help other people with getting business and doing things for their business then they are going to help you in return.” 

Since starting the PC Handyman, Ed has found that the Town of Franklin has been especially friendly to small businesses, and he appreciates that it has retained its community, small-town feeling despite its accessibility to the big cities. 

Franklin is large enough to have a thriving business community, but not so large that there are too many competing businesses; Ed can succeed here as the “computer guy that makes house calls,” and when clients come to Ed’s workshop, they get to know him on a more personal level. “When people see the regular guy things that I’m doing they tend to remember me and they come back, and to also add to that the fact that I actually can fix their computers… it all works.”

Visit Ed's website here  http://www.pchman.com/

This was originally posted to the #ShopFranklin Facebook page and on
http://livinginfranklin.com/2015/03/19/pc-handyman-computer-safety-class-march-26/

PMC Kids Ride - Jun 14

The PMC Kids Ride gives us the opportunity to work together with the Franklin community and make a significant impact in the fight against cancer. We have all been touched in some way with someone who has had cancer. This ride gives children an opportunity to feel that they can make a difference. 

It empowers kids to become part of the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) mission of raising money for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund. This ride also teaches children the value of riding for the benefit of others.

PMC Kids Ride Franklin - June 14th

• Jefferson Elementary School, Franklin, MA

• Sunday, June 14, 2015 8:00am-12:00pm

• Ages 3-14

• Registration fee: $10 - Required fundraising minimum: $25, suggested: $40

balloon arch for starting line 2014

Additional photos from 2014 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/fund-raising-weekend-for-cancer-photo.html

To register or donate visit the website here  http://www.kids.pmc.org/franklin.aspx

FHS girls lacrosse top KP 12-6

From Hockomock Sports we find and share the result of the playoff action on Monday.

Girls Lacrosse

FHS Panthers

D1 East
#14 King Philip, 6 @ #3 Franklin, 12 - Final 

- Emily Jeffries led Franklin with four goals while Kenzie Pleshaw added a hat trick and goalie Dani Lonati made six saves. Head coach Kristin Igoe said Grace McDermott and Olivia Truenow each played well defensively.

For the other Hockomock results on Monday
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-060115

"the nurturing environment ... found at Tri-County"

Two Franklin students end up #1 and #2 at Tri-County

Valedictorian Laura Auerbach and Salutatorian Christopher Lenzi are preparing for their graduation ceremony at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School on Sunday, June 7.  

Tri-County Regional Voc Tech HS

Auerbach, of Franklin, said she was "excited" knowing she finished at the top of her class. 

"It meant all the hard work paid off," Lenzi added. 

Auerbach was a member of the math team, National Honor Society, as well as the captain of the soccer team. 

Lenzi, also of Franklin, was a member of National Honor Society, the student council and worked on the school yearbook.

Continue reading the article in the Sun Chronicle
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/wrentham/schools/hard-work-adds-up-for-tri-county-s-top-duo/article_5e818439-8da8-5798-9b93-714abf915ffe.html

Sen. Spilka District Office Hours - 6/19 & 6/26

Senator Spilka Announces District Office Hours

Senator Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) or representatives from her staff will be available for district office hours in Franklin and Medway on Friday, June 19^th and in Natick and Holliston on Friday, June 26^th. Constituents are invited to share their concerns, questions and policy priorities and hear updates on the latest news and events from the State House and in the district.

Friday, June 19^th

Franklin Office Hours

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Cake Bar

17 E Central St., Franklin

Medway Office Hours

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Muffin House Café

116 Main St., Medway

Friday June 26^th

Natick Office Hours

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Zaftigs

1298 Worcester St., Natick

Holliston Office Hours

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Coffee Haven

76 Railroad St., Holliston

Residents who are unable to attend or are interested in scheduling an appointment should contact Senator Spilka's office at (617) 722-1640 at any time.

In the News: Cookies for a cause, clothing theft repeats

On Saturday, Cathleen Bryan of Franklin and her best friend Jena Johnson of Blackstone held their 6th Annual Cookies 4 A Cause sale at the Famous House of Pizza, 40 N Main St., Bellingham, pulling in more than $1,000 for cystic fibrosis and Jena’s fight against the disease. 

Cathleen, 11, has been organizing the sale for the past six years in honor of her friend, also 11. The money is raised to help with Jena’s medical expenses and to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 

“Cathleen and Jena worked their magic and the cookie sale went great. We did not sell out of cookies but were still able to raise over $1,800 and Famous House Of Pizza will continue to sell them and collect donations,” noted Laureen Bryan, Cathleen’s mom. “The girls stayed until 10 p.m. and it was a wonderful day. I am so grateful for friends, family, strangers and, most of all, Famous House of Pizza, for letting us hold the sale there year after year.”

Continue reading the article
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150601/NEWS/150609558/1994/NEWS

A Rhode Island man was held on $5,000 bail Monday after he allegedly took bags of clothing from the same Society of St. Vincent de Paul collection bin that police caught him stealing from last month. 

Valdir Barros, 27, of Central Falls, Rhode Island, was arrested Saturday on charges of breaking into a depository and larceny over $250. He and another man are accused of loading several bags of clothes into a U-Haul van before fleeing the area, Franklin police said. 

On May 4, Barros was charged with stealing from the bin after police found him hiding inside of it. 

Police Saturday also arrested Bruce Ribeiro, 29, of Brockton, and charged him with breaking into a depository, giving a false name and disturbing the peace, as well as larceny over $250 and witness intimidation.

Continue reading the article
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150602/NEWS/150609513/1994/NEWS

Tri-County students continue with interior carpentry work at Beaver Court

A recent walk took me by Beaver Court to grab a photo of the house that the Tri-County students have built for Franklin. The students were recognized by the Town Council for their work on this affordable housing project.

affordable house being built by Tri-County students

Students began installing kitchen cabinets this past week. 

Tri-County Facebook photo of cabinets being installed at Beaver Court house

For additional photos of the work being done, check out the Tri-County Facebook page here
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.773075882813839.1073741875.620249754763120&type=1

Annual Franklin Post 75 and Medway Post 367 Scholarship Run - June 20

The Annual Franklin Post 75 and Medway Post 367 Scholarship Run will be held at Medway High School on Saturday, June 20, 2015. 

We are currently seeking sponsors and donations. Please mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details including instructions on how to register.

If you have any questions or would like to be a sponsor or make a donation, please contact Kim Leone at Franklin Post 75 or Doug Wahl at Medway Post 367.

screen grab of American Legion Post 75 webpage

To register for the 5 mile race, click on the link below.

Link to Registration page

or download the form from here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczM2M3cnZmRUZTTkd0X012X1VOUUwwMkphdTVv/view?usp=sharing

Dirty Frank comes to the Uptowne Pub - Jun 6

Found this on the utility pole while walking recently. Coming up Saturday night, June 6, beginning at 9:00 PM Dirty Frank, a cover band playing music from the 70's - 00's will appear at the Uptowne Pub.

Dirty Frank - Jun 6th

Franklin Library: Duct tape beach bags

Rainy day activity for the older kids? The Library will be making duct tape beach bags Monday, Jun 1 at 7:00 PM for kids 11 and older.

Duct Tape Beach Bags

This was shared from the Library website here
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/05/duct-tape-beach-bags.html

The Franklin Solar Challenge can help you!

Dear Franklin Residents,

Now is the time to go solar!

The Franklin Solar Challenge is in Tier 4 pricing, and only needs a couple more signed contracts to hit the lowest pricing tier, Tier 5!

Franklin Solar Challenge

SolarFlair Energy, the selected installer for the Franklin Solar Challenge, will be holding open houses over the next couple of months, food and soft drinks will be provided, as well as SolarFlair representatives on hand to answer your questions. The Open House dates and times are listed below.

• Feldman Residence 
• June 7th 10AM-2PM 
• 37 Meadowbrook Rd. 
• Franklin, MA 

• Patel Residence 
• June 20th 11AM-3PM 
• 476 Maple St. 
• Franklin, MA 

• D'Attilio Residence 
• July 12th 11AM-3PM 
• 55 Gallison St. 
• Franklin, MA 

• Prewitt Residence 
• July 18th 11AM-3PM 
• 17 Sunset Rd. 
• Franklin, MA

Although it has been a tough winter, SolarFlair has been installing systems on the homes of the first customers that signed up in the Franklin Solar Challenge. Four residents of Franklin have been so kind and agreed to let other residents come by and check out their solar installation!

This is a great importunity for those of you who have a proposal, to witness first hand the high quality workmanship that SolarFlair provides, and speak to the homeowners about their experience with SolarFlair.

For those who have a signed contract under the Franklin Solar Challenge, you are welcome to come and see what your new system will look like!

The Return of Jamie Barrett and Nick Paone!

The Children's Series at THE BLACK BOX presents:  Jamie Barrett and Nick Paone

Jamie Barrett and Nick Paone

Franklin's Jamie Barrett, beloved singer-songwriter, guitarist and music teacher, and Nick Paone, brilliant actor, writer and director, join forces for another popular FPAC Children's Series concert at THE BLACK BOX! Don't miss this engaging mix of family-favorite songs and animated storytelling. A fun and interactive program for audiences of all ages!

Scheduled for Saturday, June 6th at 2:00 PM

Tickets available at THE BLACK BOX

FHS Lacrosse Tournament Brackets

The FHS lacrosse teams will begin playoffs this week. The MIAA brackets are shown below

Boys Lacrosse

MIAA Boys Lacrosse D1 South 2015

The interactive bracket can be found on the MIAA site here
http://miaa.statebrackets.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=3612

Pantherbook photo

Girls Lacrosse

MIAA Girls Lacrosse D1 East 2015

The interactive bracket can be found on the MIAA site here
http://miaa.statebrackets.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=3595

Register O'Donnell Testifies Before Joint Committee on the Judiciary

	Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
	Register O'Donnell Testifies Before Joint Committee on the Judiciary Continuing his efforts to streamline the ever increasing amount of paperwork that must be stored by registries and reduce the financial burden on taxpayers, Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell recently testified before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in support of House Bill 1493, an act to modernize the Registries of Deeds. Testifying before the committee, O'Donnell stated, "The storage of original registered land documents has become problematic. This legal requirement has resulted in significant space issues facing many registries of deeds. To give you the idea of the volume of paperwork held today, the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds stores over 1.3 million registered land documents. Such documents include deeds, homesteads, mortgages, mortgage discharges and Declaration of Trusts. "Under the proposed legislation, the requirement to house original registered land transaction documents would be removed resulting in registries not having to look for additional building space. Once verified and recorded, these documents will continue to be scanned into the Registry's computer system for the public's viewing and on-line printing needs. The document will also be microfilmed for security purposes and stored in an off-site retrieval facility in the event of a catastrophe. These are standard practices that are utilized today by registries and will continue to be in operation. However, if this bill becomes law, registries will no longer be required to store original registered land transaction documents; they may forward it back to the homeowner or their designee." "This scenario would be a win-win situation for many parties," noted Register O'Donnell. "The burden on taxpayers will be reduced because registries will not be making additional rental/leasing payments to store these documents. Existing space at registries will be better used to serve the public; more computer workstations for land document research, more space for customer service centers and more space for real estate closings." House Bill 1493 has the unanimous endorsement of the Massachusetts Registers and Assistant Registers of Deeds Association which represents all 21 of the Registry of Deeds recording districts. In addition, the legislation has been co-sponsored by 51 state legislators across the Commonwealth. "We have some very strong support for the proposal and there also appears to be no visible opposition to the bill. I also want to thank lead sponsor Representative Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham) for his leadership and support of this initiative," O'Donnell noted. Concluding his remarks, O'Donnell stated, "I urge the Judiciary Committee to report this bill out favorably to the full House of Representatives for their consideration. This legislation will reduce significant space constraints being experienced by Registries of Deeds and at the same time, reduce future tax monies being spent on housing these registered land documents. To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, "like" us at facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com @NorfolkDeeds. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, located at 649 High Street, Dedham, is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101, or on the web at www.norfolkdeeds.org. Register William P. O'Donnell Norfolk County Registry of Deeds email: registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org phone: 781-234-3336 web: http://www.norfolkdeeds.org

Forward email Norfolk County Registry of Deeds | 649 High Street | Dedham, | MA | 02026-1831 screen grab - Norfolk County Deeds web page