Taste of the Region is coming on October 25!

Bring your appetite!

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THE UNITED REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOIN US FOR TASTE OF THE REGION 2016! 27th Annual Taste of the Region on October 25!  The 27th Annual  Taste of the Region Event is coming soon! Save the Date! Want to attend? Make Plans to Attend the Tastiest Event of the Year!   Taste of the Region will be held Tuesday, Oct. 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School, 147 Pond St., Franklin.  This fun-filled food festival features an eclectic mix of restaurants and food establishments serving samples of a variety of dishes! There's also an exciting silent auction. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 at the door.  Call 508-222-0801 for your tickets today! _________________________________________________________ Want to be a participating food establishment? We still have openings for restaurants and food establishments to share samples of their food with potential customers. There is no cost for member restaurants and food establishments to participate.  We will award prizes for Best Sweet, Best Savory and Best Presentation! Click HERE for the Vendor Participation form, and call us (508-222-0801) today!   Last year's event drew a record crowd of well over 700 attendees.  Guests are primarily employees of the many companies and residents around our 16-town region.  This magnificent evening features creative and abundant samples from the wonderful restaurants around the area, enhanced by a beautiful setting, music and a great crowd.  Load-in and set-up will be between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on the day of the event.  Participants are encouraged to promote the event at their establishments! Participants will be expected to provide:  Approximately 300 hot or cold samplings of dishes that best reflect their restaurant or hotel. Sternos to keep food warmed as there will be limited electricity to the individual tables. One or two volunteers to assist with serving food and answering questions from guests.  This is a great opportunity to talk about the participant's business! Marketing material, menus, etc. to decorate your table. Be creative! White linens for a 6-foot table (tables will be provided). There are approximately 20 FREE participant opportunities available at this time!  Don't miss out on this GREAT opportunity to showcase your business! ________________________________________________________ Want to highlight your non-food or food related business in the Silent Auction portion of the event? If you'd like to highlight your non-food/food related business at this very popular event, consider donating a silent auction item!  If you are interested in participating, please call the Chamber Office at 508-222-0801.                                  www.unitedregionalchamber.org

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce, 310 South Street, Plainville, MA 02762 Sent by jack@unitedregionalchamber.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Boston Children's Hospital BloodMobile Comes to Franklin - Nov 11

Friday, November 11th, marks Veteran's Day in the United States. What better way to honor the soldiers that fought and continue to fight for us to safeguard our Nation's freedoms than to give the gift of life through blood donation? Giovanna and Olivia Sabini-Leite, seniors at Franklin High School, are coordinating regular blood drives in the Franklin community through Boston Children's Hospital as part of their National Honor Society Service Project.

Giovanna and Olivia Sabini-Leite, seniors at Franklin High School, are coordinating blood drives

When one of the twins underwent major surgery and needed blood at the age of 12, the significance of blood donation hit home. Giovanna and Olivia have been regular blood donors at Boston Children’s Hospital since they turned 16, the legal age to donate. They were among those recently recognized by Boston Children’s Hospital for each having donated over 1 gallon of blood since that time. Today, their goal is to encourage young people like themselves to become life-long donors. Donating costs nothing but a little time, yet gives the gift of hope and life!

The first blood drive is scheduled for Friday, November 11, 2016 (Veteran's Day) at the Benjamin Franklin Charter School parking lot in Franklin. Sign up on-line at halfpints.childrenshospital.org for an appointment time, or contact Giovanna and Olivia at (508) 541-1253, or giovannasylvia@hotmail.com, or oliviasabini@hotmail.com, for more information and to sign up.

Furry Friends of Franklin would like to thank the volunteers

The dog committee of Furry Friends of Franklin would like to thank the volunteers who help out this past Saturday cleaning and spreading wood chips at the Franklin Dog Park. 

Thanks to Ray and Jean, Angel, Mary, Doug, Renee, Lori and people that were there with their dogs that helped out. 

A special thanks to the founder of the Franklin Dog Park, Haley.

Woof!Woof!

ffof02038@gmail.com

Dacey Field dog park

SAVE SPRUCE POND BROOK

SAVE SPRUCE POND BROOK! 

STOP MADALENE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT 

ATTEND THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MEETING AND BE HEARD

OCTOBER 20, 2016 7:30 PM

There are three attachments for this post. 

1. a flyer calling for attendance at the ZBA meeting.
2. the plans for the development
3. the letter from the developer

one of several signs in the Peck St, Wachusett St, and Cottage St neighborhood of the proposed development

Franklin Town Council to vote on measure to oppose Ballot Question #4

Also on the Town Council agenda for Wednesday, Oct 19, 2016:

TOWN OF FRANKLIN 

RESOLUTION 16-66 

OPPOSITION TO PASSAGE OF BALLOT QUESTION #4 

BE IT RESOLVED that the Franklin Town Council hereby opposes the passage of Question #4: Legislation, Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana, as it appears on the official ballot for the State election to be held on November 8, 2016. 

This Resolution shall become effective according to the rules and regulations of the Town of Franklin Home Rule Charter.

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Council/October%2019,%202016/16-66.pdf

• For the full agenda Oct 19, 2016

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/10/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-oct-19.html

• For the Election Collection, all the info needed for the MA election on Nov 8

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/10/election-collection-2016.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/10/election-collection-2016.html

“To have fun is therapeutic and healing"

While the memory cafe program at the Franklin Senior Center is not mentioned in this article, it is available this Thursday, October 20.

"Lisa Ushkurnis could feel the pain, sadness and isolation in the voices of countless senior citizens each time they discussed their spouse’s, a friend’s or their own battle with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. 

The pain of watching a loved one’s memory and quality of life slowly deteriorate. The sadness of knowing there is no cure. The isolation of rarely leaving their home out of fear that their loved one with dementia may act inappropriately. 

“I heard their pain and isolation,” said Ushkurnis, social services supervisor with the Framingham Council on Aging. “They felt like they had nowhere to go, nothing to do. It’s a heavy disease.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161016/social-programs-key-for-dementia-patients

Franklin Senior Center

FHS has a good day against OA with 3 wins and a tie

From Hockomock Sports we share the FHS fall sports results from Monday, Oct 17

*** Boys soccer = Franklin, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final

– Kevin Hall scored the lone goal of the game in the second half on an assist from Noah Scafati to help the Panthers earn the win. Freddie Beckmann recorded the shutout in net for Franklin.

*** Girls soccer = Oliver Ames, 0 @ Franklin, 0 – Final

– Regan Benton had the shutout for Oliver Ames in Net. OA head coach Britt Sellmayer said Zoe Chazan, Dana Lowney and Kiana Lozzi had strong games for the Tigers.

*** Volleyball = Franklin, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final

– Franklin picked up a big division win in five sets on the road at Oliver Ames. Erin Skidmore led the Panthers with 12 kills while adding 23 digs and a pair of aces. Maddie Kuzio also had two aces while leading Franklin with 31 digs. Lauren McGrath had 31 assists to go along with an ace and Maggie Doyle had six kills and five blocks.

*** Field Hockey = Franklin, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final

FHS Panthers

– Franklin punched its ticket to the state tournament with an impressive win on the road. Sophomores Annie Walsh and Cassi Ronan each had scored two goals and grabbed an assist to lead the Panthers. Senior Kayla Marshall added a goal and senior Caroline Lounsbury had an assist. Franklin sophomore goalie Christina Lucini made four saves to get the win in net. Franklin head coach Lisa Cropper said Dana Lewandowski and Kate Morse had outstanding games through the midfield and on defense.


For all the results around the Hockomock League on Monday
https://hockomocksports.com/mondays-schedule-scoreboard-101716/

Franklin Arts Academy Boosters Hosts Fall Wine Tasting - Oct 20

The Franklin Arts Academy (FAA) Boosters will be hosting a Wine-Tasting Fundraiser at Pour Richards Wine and Spirits, 14 Grove St, Franklin on Thursday, Oct 20th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. 

Franklin Arts Academy (FAA)

The proceeds will be used to fund FAA student field trips, program events and scholarships for FAA graduating seniors. Pour Richard’s has graciously offered to host the event and will also be donating a portion of sales proceeds to the FAA Boosters. Pour Richard’s also offers a wide variety of beer and spirits. 

For more information or to reserve your $5 tickets please contact Karen Glynn at faaboosters@gmail.com. Tickets will be available at the door for $7.

"overhauled in an effort to make it more accessible for those on the go"

"The new town website will go live this week, with officials touting its mobile-friendly design and better organization of information. 

Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said the site is scheduled to go up on Thursday, Oct. 20, but it may be a few days before visitors see the changes. He said it typically takes one to two days for new pages to go live. 

Among the new features of the site will be email subscription offerings for additional items (like Town Council agendas, legal notices and public hearings) and a development page, aimed at providing information on available commercial properties."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161017/new-franklin-website-launches-this-week

new mobile version of Town of  Franklin webpage

new mobile version of Town of  Franklin webpage - another page view

One of the drawbacks of the new site will be the links from here to the Franklin website will break. There is supposed to be a landing page for those who find a broken link with advice for what to do next. As most of the content did get copied over to the new site, a search of the new site should find it.

If what you look for you find here and don't successfully link to there, let me know. There are thousands of possible links to fix and I will do them upon request.

I had a habit of making my own copy of most documents to always provide a good link for readers. This was especially the case for something posted to the 'Franklin News" page which was cleaned out periodically (and broke all the links as soon as the cleaning took place).

While there are thousands of links that could break, I hope that you won't find too many. If you do, please comment on that posting or send me an email (shersteve @ gmail. dot com), and I'll find the doc and fix the link.

Jeff Nutting's Letter to the Town Council - Housing Growth Summary

Lately, I have been approached by landowners/developers (L/D) seeking my opinion on whether the Town will provide a zoning change so they can develop their land into Condos, Apartments and Zone 7 (which allows 4 times the density of Rural Residential zoning). All the requests require a zoning change for the L/D. While a project may offer some benefit, it is the Town Council that needs to decide on zoning and the pace of development you want for Franklin.

The Town Council adopted an updated Master Plan in 2013 as a road map to continued improvements for the citizens of Franklin. The plan covered a wide range of topics many which the Council have embraced to date, most notably zoning changes, sidewalk construction, as well as open space /recreation issues.

Currently, the economy seems to be in good shape and the demand for housing in Franklin is higher than it has been in a long time. You will recall the tremendous growth of the 1990's and the various steps Town Council took to reign in the growth. They rezoned residential land to industrial land, adopted over-55 housing, bought open space when available, adopt the water and sewer extension bylaws, a growth control bylaw, the so-called circle bylaw, etc. Further, the Council voted for an impact fee on new homes that was rejected by the Court. All the efforts to control development happened after the spike in housing production of the mid- 1990's and the fast growth created problems that we are still dealing with today. Housing starts continued in the early 2000's at a slower pace and then the recession of 2008 reduced development further.

In review, dwelling units created in the last five years by the Building Commissioner reports the following dwelling units:

• 2011 - 20 units
• 2012 - 57 units
• 2013 - 48 units
• 2014 - 47 units
• 2015 - 38 units

This does not count the two developments on King Street and East Central Street with a total of over 250 units for elderly citizens.

Since 2012, we are averaging about 48 units a year. This seems to be a reasonable and steady growth. Franklin is now at a crossroad again concerning proposed dwelling units. Currently, there are over 800 units in various stages of development.

Under Construction (Various Stages)

• Weston Woods - 40B Apartments - 280
• Lorraine Metcalf – Subdivision - 4
• Cooks Farm - Condos  - 55
• Lincoln Street - Subdivision - 9
• County Side Estates - Subdivision - 8
• Franklin Heights - Condos - 7
• Winter Gardens- Subdivision - 5

Approved

• Uncas Ave - Subdivision - 18
• Upper Union Street - Subdivision - 7
• East Central Street - Apts. - 7
• Chestnut Street - Over 55 - 10

Before Planning Board

• Maple Street - Subdivision 10

In the Works

• Madeline Village -  40B  =  30-40 Decision by ZBA by end of year  
• Pond Street  - Condos  =  96 Expects to file prior to end of year
• At the end of Dean Ave - Apartments = 250 - Expects to file prior to the end of year
• West Central Street - Condos =  30 ?? Recently rezoned 
• Others units that are currently approved = 20 +/-  or under construction

Total possible Dwelling Units 800 +/-


While not all of these units will be constructed at once, we could see well over 600 units in the next 3 years. Further, we do not know how many other "as of right" dwelling units may be proposed in the next couple of years.

The housing development speaks well to Franklin's quality of life and all the improvements that have happen over the last 15 years under the leadership of the various Town Councils that make Franklin a desirable community to live.

Does the Town Council want to maintain the zoning plan adopted in the Master Plan or make changes to the plan? Providing a clear message to L/D's makes a lot more sense than dealing with zoning on a case-by-case basis. It is hard to say yes to one person and no to the next if you do not have an overall game plan.

I suggest this topic be put on a Council agenda or workshop in the near future. I am happy to answer any questions.

Jeff Nutting

new Cook's Farm being built under the Residential 7 bylaw on RT 140

• Additional info is contained in the full PDF

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Council/October%2019,%202016/R7%20HANDOUTS%201%20AND%202.pdf

Franklin Town Council to consider proposal for Rural 7 zoning expansion

The Town Council has a rather full agenda scheduled for the meeting on Wednesday, Oct 19, 2016. The public hearing for the proposed "rural business zone" is scheduled. There are 6 separate bylaw amendments that need to be consider together to put this proposal in effect.

The documents for the rural business zone can be summarized here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Council/October%2019,%202016/Hearing.pdf

and found here http://franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/024F90D5-000F8513


Also on the agenda for the meeting is a discussion on a proposal to rezone a parcel along Summer St from R 1 to R 7. The proposal would enable the property to be developed for four times the units allowed for R 1. The proposal would also require approval for a sewer extension.

The proposal documents outline the current buildings under construction and the 800+ units already approved to build.

• The associated documents for this Town Council discussion item

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Council/October%2019,%202016/R7%20HANDOUTS%201%20AND%202.pdf

• The 2013 Master Plan as referenced can be found here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczRVFxM1hsemUzb2c/view?usp=sharing

The Cook's Farm development which was approved as the initial R 7 development

The Cook's Farm development which was approved as the initial R 7 development. Located at the entrance to Franklin on RT 140 coming in from Norfolk near the Franklin Country Club.

• The full Town Council agenda can be found here

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/10/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-oct-19.html

Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club: meeting and craft fair scheduled

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club welcomes you to our next monthly meeting. On Wednesday, November 9th we are hosting Susan Nicholl, Executive Director of the MetroWest Visitors Bureau.

We invite any resident of Franklin, or a surrounding town that doesn't have a Newcomers Club, to join us at "3" Restaurant, 461 West Central Street, Franklin. Complimentary appetizers and beverages are provided and a cash bar is available.  

We meet upstairs at 7:30 pm on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. We run September through May but hold many other casual events to stay connected throughout the year.

Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club

CRAFT FAIR ANNOUNCEMENT

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club is proud to announce our upcoming 43rd Annual Franklin Newcomers and Friends Craft Fair is coming up. It will be held on Saturday, November 5, from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm, at the Tri-County Regional Vocational High School in Franklin. 

Our craft fair is a tradition for the Town of Franklin and several local charities benefit from the funds raised by this annual event. Admission is $3, children are free. We are accepting donations of non-perishable items for the Franklin Food Pantry. Donations may be dropped off at the entrance.

For more information visit www.franklinnewcomers.com.

FHS Cross Country Results from the McIntyre Twilight Invitational

From Hockomock Sports we share the FHS cross country results from Saturday, Oct 15


BOYS

Division 1
Teams
1. Wellesley – 47
8. Attleboro – 315
12. North Attleboro – 411
17. Franklin – 493
18. Sharon – 531
19. Mansfield – 551
22. Taunton – 587
24. Stoughton – 661
27. King Philip – 682


Results
1. Ben Kovacs, Saint John’s – 15:20.11

47. Tyler Marchioni, Franklin – 16:50.29
68. Everett Henderson, Franklin – 17:07.73
128. Kyle Stevens, Franklin – 17:51.24
144. Hayden Goldsmith, Franklin – 18:03.60
150. Nicholas Gnaman, Franklin – 18:07.62
199. Zachary Siders, Franklin – 18:58.25
206. Owen McKenna, Franklin – 19:06.01


GIRLS

Division 1
Teams
1. Hopkinton – 123
10. Franklin – 292
11. North Attleboro – 295
14. Sharon – 386
20. King Philip – 473
24. Attleboro – 660

Results

FHS Panthers

1. Clare Morgan, Newton South – 17:45.50

3. Nicole Clermont, Franklin – 18:24.49
15. Katherine Hartnett, Franklin – 19:17.15
71. Ella Gutkowski, Franklin – 20:34.17
101. Brianna Cummings, Franklin – 21:04.78
118. Kyra Siano, Franklin – 21:26.23
152. Molly Houlihan, Franklin – 22:18.98
157. Hanna Cunniff, Franklin – 22:23.39
196. Erin Barry, Franklin – 23:52.87


For the complete set of Hockomock results
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-results-from-cm-twilight-invitationals/

Register O'Donnell Promotes Registry of Deeds Internet Research

	Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
	Register O'Donnell Promotes Registry of Deeds Internet Research Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell is providing a friendly reminder to consumers that you don't have to spend time and money to drive to the Registry to view land records since they are available online via the Registry's internet-based document research system at www.norfolkdeeds.org. "Consumers can see up to 6,000,000 scanned land document images dating back to the founding of Norfolk County in 1793. These documents are available via our internet-based document research system. "Providing secure, accurate and accessible land record information, coupled with our on-site customer service center, is critical to our success at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds," said Register O'Donnell. Elaborating on the Registry's research capabilities, O'Donnell said, "Land record information can be researched by multiple options, including the name of the property owner and property address. Consumers can access our internet-based document research system for many endeavors such as, to determine property ownership, to research land titles, to review land plans (not plot plans which are not recorded at the Registry) and finally to confirm that documents affecting a person's property - such as mortgage discharges - have been duly recorded." The Registry's website also provides information on how to obtain copies of land documents. The Registry copy charges are $1.00 per page plus an additional $1.00 per document for postage. In conclusion, O'Donnell stated, "Providing first-class customer service is a core objective of the Registry. Norfolk County residents and businesses deserve a Registry of Deeds that provides them with access to land record information in an easily accessible and consumer friendly manner. The Registry website www.norfolkdeeds.org does that by bringing the Registry records into your homes and businesses." 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 and/or Instagram.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

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham,, MA 02026-1831 Sent by registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Doggie Tales returns to the Library on Wednesday, Oct 19

Doggie Tales returns to the Franklin Public Library on Wednesday, Oct 19. This will be held at the temporary location, 25 Kenwood Circle.

Doggie Tales returns to the Library on Wednesday, Oct 19

This was shared from the Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2016/10/doggie-tales-wednesday-october-19-630-pm.html

"We're in control of the situation"

"The town has gone out to bid for energy suppliers, looking to put into motion a plan that could save money for local electricity customers. 

Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said the state Department of Public Utilities has approved Franklin's municipal aggregation plan, which has the town seeking alternative suppliers and, hopefully, lower rates for its residents. He said the bidding process began on Oct. 7, and the town hopes to have preliminary pricing within the next few days. 

"(This) week is where the rubber meets the road," he said. "We'll see if there are savings, and what the savings might be."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161016/franklin-goes-out-to-bid-for-power

• Related posts

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/02/municipal-aggregation-program.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/10/in-news-national-grid-gets-rate-increase.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/03/live-reporting-legislation-for-action.html

cover page of presentation to Town Council on Aggregation Program