Join us for the Women's Impact Network Kickoff event!

Kickoff on Tuesday!

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THE UNITED REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WOMEN'S IMPACT NETWORK KICKOFF EVENT RSVP NOW for the Women's Impact Network (W.I.N.) Kickoff on Tuesday, February 28! Join Us at the  United Regional Chamber of Commerce  Women's Group Kick-off Event! Many of you have expressed interest in a United Regional Chamber of Commerce (URCC) women's group that focuses on issues that our female members face in their professional and personal lives. To satisfy these many requests, we are forming the URCC Women's Impact Network (WIN), a group that will help our members work together to win in their businesses. Your input is invaluable as we shape WIN. We recently sent out a survey and received more than 40 positive, thoughtful responses. As a follow-up to the survey, we are having a kick-off event at Bella Sarno, 553 Kelley Boulevard in North Attleboro, on February 28 at 5:30 p.m. and we would like to have you join us. There will be time set aside for networking which will be followed by a more structured meeting to get your input about the group. Please send this invitation to your friends and colleagues who might be interested in joining. The event is $5.00 for chamber members and $10.00 for guests. There will be a cash bar. Please register for this event, by February 25,  by calling the  Chamber office at 508-316-0861 . 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

"There's a real hunger for answers"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"With a goal of encouraging interest in science among young people, Franklin High School's "Family Science Night" will look to build on the success of past events. 

This year's event - on March 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. - will be the third for the school, and will consist of demonstrations and applications of scientific concepts. 

Science teacher Ann Ritchie said there will be some perennial favorites - such adding cornstarch and water to create a substance that seems to be neither solid nor liquid - as well as some new attractions. 

"There will be lots of opportunities to make things," she said. "We're very exited about a station called 'Ask a Scientist.' Thirty-six scientists from the area will be coming throughout the evening, and they'll be taking questions from the public."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170223/franklin-high-school-science-night-coming-in-march

Ash Wednesday - “Ashes to Go”

“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return...”

On Ash Wednesday, March 1st, the clergy of St. John's Episcopal Church, Rev. Dee Woodward and Rev. Chris Beukman, will be offering the Administration of Ashes at Forge Park Station in Franklin between 6:45 am until 8 am. 

All are welcome to partake.

Forge Park/495 station in 2010 (image via Wikipedia)

4th Annual Dean Dash 5k - Saturday, April 8

Dean College will host its 4th Annual Dean Dash 5k on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at the Franklin, MA campus.

The course will start and finish at Awpie Way, directly outside of Dean Hall at the Dean College campus, 99 Main Street, Franklin, MA. The race will begin promptly at 12:00 noon for competitors to take a 3.2-mile walk, jog, or run through the residential streets of Franklin. A hydration station will be waiting for you at the 2-mile mark.

Registration is $5 for Dean College students and kids 12 and under; $10 for faculty/staff/alumni; and $15 for family/community members. Registration prices will increase by $5 on race day. Price includes race t-shirt, race bib, drawstring bag souvenir, lunch, hydration station and live entertainment.

Whether you are a seasoned race enthusiast or a first-time runner, we hope you will join us by participating in this year’s race.

For more information and to register, visit www.dean.edu/deandash

set up for the Dean Dash 5K on the Dean campus

Dean College is a private, residential New England college grounded in a culture and tradition that all students deserve the opportunity for academic and personal success. A uniquely supportive community for more than 150 years, Dean has woven together extensive student support and engagement with exceptional teaching and innovative campus activities. Our graduates are lifetime learners who thrive in their careers, embrace social responsibility and demonstrate leadership. This is The Dean Difference.

In the News: special ed costs; threat charge dropped

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A proposed tuition freeze at state-regulated private schools that serve students with high needs will further squeeze tight budgets at those learning centers, special education advocates say. 

"Our schools are already behind the starting line when the gun goes off," said Jim Major, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Schools. "The state sets our tuition rate below our costs, so as a result 64 percent of our members operate at a deficit, which was $23 million in fiscal 2015." 

When students have special needs that a public school can't meet, they are put in out-of-district placements at private schools that are licensed under Chapter 766. The public school districts are responsible for paying to send the students to the specialized schools, and the costs of fully serving a child with a severe disability are often significant. Tuition at a Chapter 766 school can range from around $38,000 for a day program, to more than $320,000 for a residential program, varying depending on the child's specific needs."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170222/special-education-schools-make-case-for-funding

http://maaps.org/

"A former Tri-County student accused of threatening to "shoot up" the school had a charge against him dropped Wednesday. 

During a short hearing in Wrentham District Court, prosecutors said they would be moving to dismiss a "bomb or hijack threat with serious public alarm" charge against the student, Julius Willis. Judge Emogene Johnson Smith ordered a future hearing for April 10. 

Willis, 18, of 504 Ellis Road in North Attleborough, still faces charges of disturbing a school, resisting arrest, threatening to commit a crime and disorderly conduct."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170222/threat-charge-dropped-against-former-tri-county-student

FHS hockey teams drop games on Wednesday

Boys Hockey = Franklin, 3 vs. Marshfield, 4 – Final

Girls Hockey = Franklin, 0 @ Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 – Final

https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-022217/

Via the Twitterverse

https://twitter.com/FHSSports/status/834500843185532928 via @FHSSports

Franklin 3 Marshfield 4, heartbreaking loss @FHSSports @MassHSHockey @MyHockeyLive @In_The_Slot @HockomockSports @MetroWestSports

— Coach Spillane (@FHS_PuckCoach) February 22, 2017

[Boys Winter Varsity Ice Hockey] Marshfield HS defeats Franklin HS, 4 to 3.

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) February 22, 2017

B V Ice Hockey - Marshfield scores w 41 ticks on the clock. Now lead Franklin 4-3.

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) February 22, 2017

B V Ice Hockey -on the power play with 10:00 left in the 3rd; Marshfield ties it up 3-3.

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) February 22, 2017

B V Ice Hockey -11:58 left in the 3rd; Panthers 3 Marshfield 2.

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) February 22, 2017

B V Ice Hockey - after 2 periods, Panthers 3 Marshfield 1

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) February 22, 2017

B V Ice Hockey - after 1 period, Panthers 1 Marshfield 1 pic.twitter.com/1twr21JEte

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) February 22, 2017

"People are really looking for a way to express their concerns"

Lesley Vernon is the Franklin point person for distributing signs to interested Franklin residents. Please send an email to Lesley at peace4franklin@gmail.com 

Signs are free

"The latest lawn sign springing up in front yards around town does not involve politics, Mendy Tarkowski says. 

Its message is merely a simple one that's universal: "Hate has no home here." 

While the Medway resident did not create the phrase, Tarkowski brought the national campaign to the MetroWest and Milford region by way of a GoFundMe online fundraiser over the course of the past month. 

The statement was originally the creation of a third-grader in the Chicago area, who coined the term last fall following a contentious and divisive presidential election, according to a Facebook page maintained by organizers."

As a result of this article in the Gazette: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170207/medway-woman-works-to-bring-national-sign-campaign-area

https://www.gofundme.com/NoHateMetrowest

Franklin Library: Family STEAM Challenge - Thurs, Feb 23, 10:30 AM

Family STEAM Challenge, Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m.

This was shared from the Franklin Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2017/02/family-steam-challenge-thursday.html

"important for women to step up and have more of a voice"

Franklin School Committee member Denise Schultz participated in this event on Wednesday:

"When Yolanda Greaves first ran for selectwoman in Ashland in 2012, there were six or seven men - plus her - running for three seats. 

At a candidates' forum, the question was: "What makes you different for this role?" 

After looking to her left, and looking to her right, Greaves briefly acknowledged to a chuckling audience that she was the only woman at the table. Then she talked about her background in government, business and volunteering that she said left her most qualified for the job. 

"As women, we have to know that we're doing this because we know that we're the right person to fill the role," Greaves told an audience of around 30 women who came out to the Framingham Public Library Wednesday night to learn more about running for office."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170222/metrowest-women-urge-other-women-run-for-local-office

H.R.610 - To distribute Federal funds for elementary and secondary education in the form of vouchers for eligible students and to repeal a certain rule relating to nutrition standards in schools.

Choices in Education Act of 2017

"This bill repeals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and limits the authority of the Department of Education (ED) such that ED is authorized only to award block grants to qualified states.

The bill establishes an education voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children within each LEA's geographical area. From these amounts, each LEA shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses.

To be eligible to receive a block grant, a state must: (1) comply with education voucher program requirements, and (2) make it lawful for parents of an eligible child to elect to enroll their child in any public or private elementary or secondary school in the state or to home-school their child."

No Hungry Kids Act

"The bill repeals a specified rule that established certain nutrition standards for the national school lunch and breakfast programs. (In general, the rule requires schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat in school meals; and meet children's nutritional needs within their caloric requirements.)"


https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/610

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/610

Dean College performs "A Midsummer Night's Dream" February 22 - 26, 2017

The School of the Arts at Dean College will perform A Midsummer Night's Dream, beginning Wednesday, February 22, 2017 through Sunday, February 26, 2017.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is perhaps the best loved of Shakespeare's plays. It brings together the realms of the mortal and immortal, colliding in a wood outside Athens, and from there the enchantment begins. Simple and engaging on the surface, it is none the less a highly original and sophisticated work, where love is capricious as the wind, and where a mischievous imp named Puck plays with fate as merrily as a baby with a toy.

You won't want to miss our talented students perform in this well-loved play!

The Dean College production of A Midsummer Night's Dream will take place in the Main Stage in the Campus Center at Dean College, 99 Main Street, Franklin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

General admission is $22, Seniors $12 and Children $7.

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit www.dean.edu/boxoffice.

Dean College, Main St Franklin