Register before August 1 to save on these great Fall runs in Newport, RI

Summer may be in full swing, but it's never too early to look ahead! From the unforgettable Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run and beautiful Amica Newport Marathon and Half-Marathon, to the flat and fast USATF-certified Ocean Road 10k, now is the perfect time to plan for an amazing fall. Register for these great events below before August 1st to save on entry fees! Ocean Road 10k  October 1 This rave-worthy 6.2-mile road race showcases the Ocean State's grandiose splendor and beachside beauty along glistening Narragansett Bay. This flat and fast course was named "Best 10K Northeast" by Competitor Magazine. oceanroad10k.com More Info Amica Newport Marathon  October 8 The City By The Sea boasts one of the area's most idyllic race routes. The marathon and half-marathon feature stunning views, including the famed mansions along Bellevue Ave. and gorgeous Ocean Drive. A can't-miss event! newportmarathon.com More Info Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run  OCT. 22 Run or walk the iconic Pell Bridge at sunrise during a 4.1 mile event sponsored by Citizens Bank and the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority. This is the only day of the year that the iconic Newport Bridge is open to pedestrians! All proceeds from the event are donated to local non-profits. More Info

Gray Matter Marketing, 200 Highpoint Ave., Unit 5, Newport, RI 02871 Sent by info@graymattermarketing.com in collaboration with Try it free today

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 7/14/17 - THU 7/20/17

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA
Area: FRI 7/14/17 - THU 7/20/17

From the Community Calendar, the events Friday, July 14, through next Thursday, July 20.

Friday, July 14

9:30am

 Family Yoga

12:00pm

 Franklin Farmers Market

3:30pm

 Lemonade and Giant Legos

Saturday, July 15

10:00am

 Franklin Historical Museum

1:00pm

 Pajama Dance Party

Sunday, July 16

8:00am

 Yoga on the Beach (free, all levels welcome)

1:00pm

 Franklin Historical Museum

Monday, July 17

10:30am

 Move Along on the Town Common

2:30pm

 Maker Mondays

7:00pm

 Learn To Cope Franklin Chapter Meeting

Tuesday, July 18

9:00am

 Do Gooders DIYs

10:30am

 Move Along on the Town Common

Wednesday, July 19

10:30am

 Wild Cats 101 (ages 6 and up)

6:00pm

 Concerts on the Common: Sharon Band/DJ Rich Green - Children's Program

Thursday, July 20

9:30am

 Baby Tummy Time

10:30am

 Story and Craft

12:00pm

 Park It and Read (at various Franklin parks)

3:00pm

 Memory Cafe for Caregivers and Their Loved Ones - each month different theme

5:00pm

 Franklin Historical Museum

7:00pm

 Healing Hearts Community Support Group

This Community Calendar now combines the town meetings (Franklin Matters), community events (Franklin MA Happenings) and cultural events (proposed Franklin Cultural District).

To submit an event for this Community Calendar, please use this form
https://goo.gl/forms/7Pr1iBuAiIna7cUo2

“The town is excited to move to this next step”

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

“The town is looking for anyone who is passionate about arts and culture in general,” said Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. “We are looking for residents who possibly have some background in public relations or marketing.” 

The seven-member committee will work together to attract artists, cultural enterprises, encourage business and job development, establish the district as a tourist destination, preserve and reuse historic buildings, enhance property values and foster local cultural development. 

“The main responsibility is to help oversee and work toward some bigger picture ideas of how to market downtown Franklin and the cultural district,” Hellen said.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170713/franklin-seeks-volunteers-to-serve-on-cultural-committee

Related information
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/07/franklin-cultural-district-committee.html

The Town Council meeting where the proposal was approved
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/06/live-reporting-public-hearing-cultural.html

The resolution to create the committee
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/resolution_17-44_creation_of_cultural_district_committee_-l.pdf

The resolution to create the Cultural District
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/resolution_17-45_creation_of_franklin_cultural_district_l.pdf

3rd Annual Franklin Cultural Festival Schedule: Friday, July 28, 2017

* note the schedule is subject to change
If you are interested in getting updates on the Franklin Cultural Festival please check out the webpage http://www.franklinsculturalfestival.org/ or follow the Festival on Twitter https://twitter.com/artshappenhere

We do maintain a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FranklinCulturalFestival but you should not rely on timely updates due to the way Facebook filters the information to followers.

To help financially support the Festival please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/FCF2017. 

 The tri-fold flyer with the full schedule can be downloaded here https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczaUk4S2FETTFWdlk/view?usp=sharing

Opening Day Schedule - July 26 - 2017 Franklin Cultural Festival

*** Franklin Public Library

10:30 AM - Captain Haines Pirate Show!
 

*** On the Franklin Town Common

5:00 to 8:00  PM – Art Association: Children’s activities: Sidewalk Chalk Art, Face Painting. Plein air Painting.

5:45 PM - Opening Ceremony

6:00 PM - Electric Youth

Festival Schedule: Wednesday, July 26, 2017

* note the schedule is subject to change

If you are interested in getting updates on the Franklin Cultural Festival please check out the webpage http://www.franklinsculturalfestival.org/ or follow the Festival on Twitter https://twitter.com/artshappenhere

We do maintain a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FranklinCulturalFestival but you should not rely on timely updates due to the way Facebook filters the information to followers.

To help financially support the Festival please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/FCF2017. 
 
The tri-fold flyer with the full schedule can be downloaded here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczZFlnZFNMV1puWkE/view?usp=sharing

In the News: Exelon generator heaviest load on roadways

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

"A massive truck - weighing in at more than 560,000 pounds - will be on the move soon, as it continues its mission to deliver a generator to the Medway Exelon facility. 

The 16-axle truck - 5.6 times more than the Massachusetts truck weight limit - was in Uxbridge this week, awaiting Massachusetts Department of Transportation approval to complete the final stage of its trip. It began its journey at a North Kingstown, Rhode Island port, and is reportedly the largest load to travel through Rhode Island in 17 years. 

A spokeswoman with MassDOT said Thursday the department had granted the truck’s permits. The truck had been in Uxbridge since Monday."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170713/medway-massive-truck-set-to-deliver-exelon-generator

While visiting family in RI last weekend, the Providence Journal was reporting on the ordeal of getting the generator to the plant. The story was updated with this article posted Thursday, July 13.

"It’s not every day that a 16-axle truck weighing more than 560,000 pounds comes through town. In fact, it’s the heaviest load - seven times the federal truck weight limit of 80,000 pounds and 5.6 times the Massachusetts 99,000-pound limit - to traverse Rhode Island, on its way to Medway, in at least 17 years, the Providence Journal reported. 

The Bay Crane tractor-trailer carrying a generator from a port in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, to the Exelon power plant in Medway was sidelined for two weeks by Rhode Island Department of Transportation officials after it was discovered the truck did not have the proper permits to carry such a heavy load. 

Among the concerns was that the truck’s planned route was over major highways: Interstates 95 and 295. Bay Crane was required to reroute along back roads through small towns, to minimize public safety risks."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170713/truck-hauling-heavy-load-from-ri-generates-concerns-in-mass-too

screen grab of Providence Journal article image on overweight truck for Exelon plant

Franklin Public Library Book Sale - Saturday and Sunday July 15-16

The monthly Library Book Sale is scheduled for this weekend. Saturday, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and then the Bag Sale on Sunday from 9:00 AM to noon.

Franklin Public Library Book Sale - Saturday and Sunday July 15-16

This was shared from the Library webpage
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2017/07/franklin-public-library-book-sale.html

Franklin Cultural District Committee Volunteer Openings Announcement

The Town of Franklin recently established a new committee called the Franklin Cultural District Committee. The Town encourages all residents who are interested in volunteering for the Cultural District Committee to apply now for the first round of committee appointments. 

The Franklin Cultural District Committee has been created to attract artists and cultural enterprises, encourage business and job development, establish the district as a tourist destination, preserve and reuse historic buildings, enhance property values, and foster local cultural development. 

The Committee will consist on 7 Members with 3-Year terms after the initial staggering of the appointments. 
To create staggered terms for the initial (first) appointments will be as follows: 

• 3 members will be appointed for a 3-year term; 
• 2 members will be appointed for a 2-year term (at annual re-appointments member can renew for a 3 year term); and 
• 2 members will be appointed for a 1-year term (at annual re-appointments member can renew for a 3 year term). 

To apply please visit the Town’s website and fill out the online volunteer form at: http://franklinmaboards.vt-s.net/newcaf.php 

The Application period will begin on Monday, July 10th and the deadline for applying will be Monday, August 7th by the close of business at 4:00 PM. 

Any interested party may also apply in person in the Town Administrator’s Office at 355 East Central Street in the Municipal Building. 

For more information or questions about a Board or Committee, please visit the committeewebsite or contact the Town Administrator’s Office, at 508-520-4949. 

the 3rd Annual Cultural Festival will fill the stage with performances for three days July 26-29

Note: if you would like additional info, please feel free to comment or send me an email. One or more of the Steering Committee would be happy to provide info.


This was shared from the Town of Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/2017-07-07culturaldistrictcommittevolunteer_0.pdf

MassBudget: Brief overview of the Legislature's budget for 2018

MassBudget Information. Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Democracy. Brief Overview of the Legislature's Budget for Fiscal Year 2018    On Friday the Legislature enacted a Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 2018) budget that assumes less revenue will be available than initially projected and accordingly provides less in funding than the budgets approved by both the House and Senate. The state budget is how our government sets funding levels for everything that we pay for through our state government: local services and transportation infrastructure; our schools, colleges, and universities; child care, job training, and other work supports; enforcement of laws that keep our communities safe and our air and water clean; a safety net for when we face hard times; and other basic services that improve the quality of life in our Commonwealth. The Legislature's budget eliminated some modest proposed funding increases (such as the 3 percent increase in higher education funding in the Senate budget) and reduced funding to levels below both the House and Senate proposals in other cases. For instance, disability services receives about $26 million less than the amounts proposed by the House and Senate, although more than FY 2017 funding levels. This budget also relies more on temporary revenue than the original House and Senate budgets. It includes a provision to count as revenue $205 million that the Legislature hopes will be left over in various accounts at the end of FY 2018 (this revenue source is called "reversions" because it is money that would ordinarily revert to the General Fund if not spent on the purposes for which it was appropriated). Recognizing that this budget underfunds a number of accounts, budget writers create a new reserve account that sets aside $104.1 million in contingency funds for several accounts: sheriffs, public defenders, and transportation (the account for paying the cost of removing snow and ice from roads is underfunded). MassBudget's Budget Browser shows the funding levels for each line item and budget category for the budget enacted by the Legislature, along with the proposals by the House and Senate and the Governor. The Budget Browser also provides historic funding levels for each account. MassBudget's Children's Budget provides additional information about each program in the state budget that serves children. After the Governor signs the budget and makes his vetoes, MassBudget will produce a complete Budget Monitor examining each major section of the budget. The bullets below provide a brief summary of significant elements of the budget enacted by the Legislature. Education:  The Legislature's budget provides a modest increase above FY 2017 levels in funding for early education and care, with new funding dedicated to increase the rates paid to providers of care. The budget provides a 2.6 percent increase from FY 2017 in Chapter 70 Local Aid for Education. It provides less funding, however, for building schools than was included in the House and Senate budgets because this funding is set at a portion of sales tax receipts and the Conference Committee adopted a lower projection of such receipts. The Legislature's higher education budget for FY 2018 comes in at $7.5 million, or 0.6 percent, above FY 2017 levels, which is not enough to keep up with inflation. This is $35.1 million, or 2.9 percent, below the Senate's proposed FY 2018 allocation and $5.2 million, or 0.5 percent, below the House's proposed FY 2018 allocation. While the Senate's higher education budget would have made tuition and fee increases less likely, the Conference Budget, which hews more closely to the House proposal, makes these increases more likely. The House had approved $96.6 million in funding for the State Scholarship Program; the Senate $96.9 million. The conference budget comes in below both the House and Senate proposals, at $95.9 million -- 0.2 percent above FY 2017 levels. Housing: The Legislature's budget for the Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter program for low-income, homeless families is $155.9 million, which is level with the House's recommendation and $10.2 million below the amount recommended by the Senate. The Senate allocation for this program was expected to meet projected caseload levels for FY 2018. By adopting the lower level in its final budget, it is likely that the Legislature will need to provide supplemental funding for this program over the course of FY 2018.  The Legislature's budget provides $92.7 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) rather than the $100 million that both chambers approved in their respective budgets. Both chambers estimated that this higher funding level would have created 300-400 new vouchers for low-income renters. The Legislature's budget also increased the amount of income that low-wage renters can earn before they lose their vouchers.    Human Services: The Legislature reduced funding below the levels proposed by the House and Senate for many of the line items that help support and stabilize families involved in the state's child welfare system, most notably cutting supports for adoption and foster care services to $568.8 million, over $4 million below the amount proposed by either the House or the Senate. The total for the line items funding caseworker support stayed steady at $240.0 million. This total is $13.6 million, or 6 percent, above FY 2017 funding. There is also language in the budget creating an identification card for caseworkers and protections for caseworkers from being asked to share information such as home addresses or personal telephone numbers while on the job. Total funding for disability services, elder services, and juvenile justice programs is below both the House and Senate proposals, but marginally higher than current FY 2017 levels (between 2 to 4 percent). Disability services, in particular, receive the largest decline from House and Senate proposals, $25.6 million and $26.7 million, respectively, due to various cuts across most services. For transitional assistance programs, funding is level with House and Senate proposals and 5 percent below FY 2017 levels. The reduction is largely because of anticipated caseload declines. Law and Public Safety: The major story in law and public safety is that the Legislature underfunds two significant accounts. This budget provides $44.6 million less in funding for sheriffs than the state expects it will need and $45.9 million less for Private Counsel Compensation (PCC) than will likely be needed. As noted in the introduction, the Legislature has included a reserve account of $104.1 million that could be used to supplement funding for, among other items, the sheriffs and PCC accounts.  Mental Health: The Legislature's budget reduced several line items within the Department of Mental Health below levels proposed by the House or the Senate. For example, adult mental health receives $387.1 million, $1.3 million less than the House or Senate proposals. Child and adolescent services, receive $91.7 million including expanded case management services for young adults, and $3.7 million for the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project (MCPAP). This funding also includes the MCPAP for Moms program to screen for postpartum depression and directs MCPAP to report on care coordination and on recommendations for expanding the reach of the program. MassHealth: The Legislature's FY 2018 MassHealth budget includes $16.20 billion for the MassHealth program, $260.1 million below the Senate, and $311.7 million below the House. Most notably, the Fee-for-Service line items are $241.7 million below the Senate, and $267.6 million below the House. The Legislature states that the program will see $150 million (presumably net of reduced federal reimbursements) in savings under this budget, "...related to caseload, program integrity and other efficiencies." These efforts would likely include maximizing the use of the MassHealth Premium Assistance Program when it is in the financial interest of the state to do so, and also enacting stricter requirements for enrollment and redetermination procedures. Although the Governor had proposed a variety of MassHealth reforms towards the end of the Conference Committee deliberation process, the Legislature did not include them in the budget proposal. These reforms would have involved new federal Medicaid waiver changes, changes to eligibility and benefits, and reforms to the commercial health insurance market. The Legislature included language that creates a new two-tiered Employer Medical Assistance Contribution (EMAC). This budget increases the EMAC by $26 per employee and assesses a $750 fee for each employee receiving publicly-subsidized health care either through MassHealth or through ConnectorCare. This proposal would generate $200 million in revenue. At the same time, the Legislature proposes changing the unemployment insurance schedule, which would allow employers to pay $334 million less than under the current schedule. Transportation: The Legislature reduces funding to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund (MTTF) by $39.7 million compared to the FY 2017 budget. But, for the most part, this will likely not turn out to be a cut. The Legislature appears to be significantly underfunding the account for potential snow and ice removal costs. This reduction is likely to be largely offset by the Legislature's new contingency fund created for underfunded accounts. The Legislature's budget reduces funding for the state's 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) to $80.4 million in FY 2018, which is below the House and Senate recommendations and the $82.0 million the RTAs received in both FY 2017 and FY 2016. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today link to Senate Fiscal Year 2018 Budget