Franklin Matters

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Franklin School Committee - Committee scheduled to meet in Executive Session - Dec 13

Franklin Public Schools

Franklin School Committee - Stipend Committee

December 13, 2022 - 4:00 PM

Municipal Building 3rd Floor Conference Room

A G E N D A

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."

1. Call to Order

2. Executive Session

a. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to
collective bargaining with the FEA/RN unit as an open meeting may
have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the School
Committee and the chair so declares.
b. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(2) to conduct collective bargaining
sessions with the FEA/RN unit.

The agenda doc can be found on the FPS page -> https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/stipend_agenda_-_12-13-22.pdf

Stipend Committee scheduled to meet in Executive Session - Dec 13

Davis Thayer Collection (audio)

From June 2020 when the Davis Thayer Facility Analysis started in earnest through to current meetings, this is the collection of meeting notes and audio recordings including key interviews with Superintendent Ahern, Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, and Town Council Chair Tom Mercer over this period.

Why have this collection? The discussions and information gathered during this period are available for the current discussion on redistricting. The Kaestle Boos Assessment report and McKibben demographics study still have valid date for this aspect of the important discussion.

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Franklin Public Schools Page on the Davis Thayer Facility Analysis

https://www.franklinps.net/district/davis-thayer-facilities-analysis

Kaestle Boos Assessment Report https://www.franklinps.net/district/davis-thayer-facilities-analysis/files/facilities-assessment-report
McKibben Demographics study https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/uploads/2-25-20_demographics_presetation_0.pdf

Current Redistricting Advisory Committee page ->

https://www.franklinps.net/school-committee/2023-redistricting-advisory-committee

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Nov 2022 - Talk Franklin & Town Council Quarterbacking cover Davis Thayer among other items https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/11/town-council-meeting-recapped-more-as.html

Nov 2022 - Town Council discussion on how to handle Davis Thayer, decides on representative stakeholder approach https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/11/town-council-recognizes-carloni_22.html

Nov 2022 - Redistricting Advisory Committee kick off meeting

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/11/redistricting-advisory-committee-holds.html

Sep 2022 - Space Subcommittee recommends to School Committee

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/09/space-needs-subcmte-to-recommend-vendor.html

July 2022 - Talk Franklin discussion on Davis Thayer, deed processing underway, decision expected in Fall on how to approach the future of the building

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/07/from-heat-to-proposed-friendly-40b.html

July 2022 - Town Council Quarterbacking discussion on the Town taking ownership of building from School Committee https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/07/town-council-quarterbacking-072022-ok.html

June 2022 - Recap: School Committee hears Davis Thayer highlights

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/06/recap-school-committee-hears-davis.html

May 2022 - Council impatient with progress on Davis Thayer

TC Quarterbacking https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/05/town-council-quarterbacking-with-tom.html
Council meeting audio https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/05/town-council-hears-from-congressman.html

Jan 2022 - Snow discussion with Supt Ahern includes Davis Thayer discussion

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/01/snow-day-conversation-with-franklin.html

Oct 2021 - School Dept update to Town Council includes discussion on Davis Thayer

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/10/recap-town-council-hears-about-school.html

Feb 2021 - FM #461 SchComm - Davis Thayer Facility Analysis Meeting - 02/03/21 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/fm-461-schcomm-davis-thayer-facility.html

Feb 2021 - FM #459 - School Committee Meeting (P2 of 3): Davis Thayer segment (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/fm-459-school-committee-meeting-p2-of-3.html

Jan 2021 - Davis Thayer Facility Analysis Subcommittee to recommend closure of building to full School Committee (1/30/21) https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/davis-thayer-facility-analysis.html

Jan 2021 - FM #448 School Comm - Davis Thayer Facility Analysis Mtg - 01/28/21 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/fm-448-school-comm-davis-thayer.html

Jan 2021 - FM #442 Davis Thayer FA Subcomm - 01/20/21 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/fm-442-davis-thayer-fa-subcomm-012021.html

Jan 2021 - FM #438 SchComm Davis Thayer FA Mtg - 01/14/21 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/fm-438-schcomm-davis-thayer-fa-mtg.html

Dec 2020 - FM #412 Davis Thayer Facility Analysis - Mtg - 12/09/20 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/12/fm-412-davis-thayer-facility-analysis.html

Nov 2020 - FM #398 Davis Thayer FA Insights- 11/19/20 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/11/fm-398-davis-thayer-fa-insights-111920.html

Oct 2020 - FM #379 School Comm Davis Thayer FA Mtg - 10/29/20 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/11/fm-379-schoolcomm-davis-thayer-fa-mtg.html

Jun 2020 - FM #307 Davis Thayer Facility Analysis Statement - 6/23/20 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/06/fm-307-davis-thayer-facility-analysis.html

Jun 2020 - FM #298 Davis Thayer Facility Analysis - 6/11/20 (audio)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/06/fm-298-davis-thayer-facility-analysis.html

Davis Thayer School sign from May 2019

Pantherbook: FHS boys hockey preview (audio)

Pantherbook - 2022 Winter Sports Preview: @FHSPantherHocke
Ft. SR captains @SicchioRyan and @JaroszBen. W/ @_Ryan_Martin

Audio link -> https://youtu.be/mYfAiR6wPiE

Shared from -> https://t.co/PPSnuQt6L4

Pantherbook: FHS boys hockey preview (audio)

What did you consent to do? Use of social media tools getting riskier - links to 3 articles

Lensa is not a good thing, but if you submitted photos, it's too late now

"This week, millions came face to face with AI-generated versions of themselves thanks to the app Lensa, which uses machine learning to spit out illustrations based on photos you provide. People took to social media to reflect on how the portraits made them feel — and who stands to lose when AI art goes mainstream.

“I think I have a fairly decent self-image, but I looked at the images and I was like, ‘Why do I look so good?’” said James, a Twitch streamer who declined to give his last name to keep his social media presence separate from his day job. “I think it shaved off a lot of my rough edges.”

Continue reading the article (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/08/lensa-ai-portraits/

Lensa - article 2

"Sure, that drunk selfie you posted on Instagram might be personally embarrassing. Now imagine that selfie is also training fuel for an artificial intelligence system that helps put an innocent person in jail.

Welcome to the age of artificial intelligence. What you do with your face, your home security videos, your words and the photos from your friend’s art show are not just about you. Almost entirely without your true consent, information that you post online or that is posted about you is being used to coach AI software. These technologies could let a stranger identify you on sight or generate custom art at your command."

Continue reading the article (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/09/chatgpt-lensa-ai-ethics/

If you didn't know how you were being tracked, this lends some insight to the systems involved:

"Tens of thousands of websites belonging to government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and other organizations host Twitter computer code that sends visitor information to the social media giant, according to research first reported by The Cybersecurity 202.

And virtually none of them have used a Twitter feature to put restrictions on what the company can do with that data, said digital ad analysis firm Adalytics, which conducted the study.

The presence of Twitter’s code — known as the Twitter advertising pixel — has grown more troublesome since Elon Musk purchased the platform."

Continue reading the article (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/08/twitter-data-tracker-inhabits-tens-thousands-websites/

So how can you protect your privacy in this new social media world? Two quick easy steps:

Don't fall to any one of the meme's (What Game of Thrones character are you?) or tools like Lensa
Install DuckDuckGo (https://duckduckgo.com) on your browser to prevent the tracking cookies from doing their thing

Lensa interpretations of reporter Tatum Hunter. These images were
created by AI. They were not taken by a camera.

Armenian Weekly: "Camp Haiastan planning expansion for Under the Trees project"

"Since last spring, Camp Haiastan has been working on designing an expanded Under the Trees. Anyone who has attended Camp Haiastan knows this area as the place where the entire Camp gathers for daily announcements and the Lord’s Prayer before meals. This area is also the Camp’s primary vantage point of Uncas Pond, Hye Hope Pavilion, the basketball courts and the lower Camp entrance.

Anyone sitting Under the Trees can see nearly everything that is happening at Camp Haiastan. It is also a place many campers use to just relax, gather in small groups, play board games, read or observe their natural surroundings. “The Camp has grown significantly since the original Under the Trees area was constructed, and the area needs expansion and renovation,” notes executive director Kenar Charchaflian.

With the help of Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture (KZLA) of Boston, a series of designs was developed and reviewed by the Camp’s Infrastructure Committee led by Board member Michael Bahtiarian. The Committee chose a design that fits the needs and character of Camp Haiastan and presented the selection at the 70th anniversary gala in July.

The new design will double the size of the Under the Trees area. In addition, it will not only save and secure the existing trees, but also plan for the future by planting new ones. Much like the current Under the Trees, the stone patio will include a new Armenian eternity symbol. The area closer to the Summer Office will have rounded benches, while the section closer to the Rec Hall will be square and have two new platforms and multiple benches.

KZLA has designed the new Under the Trees to seat as many as 150 campers and counselors. The area will be surrounded by new plants and vegetation as well as walking paths. Lighting will be added below benches to allow the space to be used at night. Other infrastructure improvements will be made as this project necessitates them, including rainwater drainage, irrigation and burying utilities."

Continue reading the article online -> https://armenianweekly.com/2022/12/05/camp-haiastan-planning-expansion-for-under-the-trees-project/

Expanded Under the Trees 3D image by KZLA

Friday, December 9, 2022

Franklin's Event Outlook: Dec 9, 2022 to Dec 15, 2022

The monthly library book & bag sale, events for kids and adults as the holiday season is spread around this weekend and into next week. Food truck, music, concert performances, movie night... seems like something for everyone!

Friday, December 9

12:00pm - Library Book Sale ($1/book) (Franklin Public Library)

5:00pm - Joey D's Wingz & Thingz (food truck) (67 Degrees Brewery)

5:30pm - Heath Nisbett (live music) (67 Degrees Brewery)

5:30pm - Polar Express Movie Night (family fun, ticketed event) (Franklin Senior Center)

7:30pm - Dean Faculty Dance Showcase (ticketed event) (Dean College, Main Stage)

Saturday, December 10

9:00am - Library Book Sale ($1/book) (Franklin Public Library)

10:00am - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

12:00pm - Papalias (food truck) (67 Degrees Brewery)

1:00pm - Library Bag Sale (books by the bag) (Franklin Public Library)

5:30pm - Mike Malone (live music) (67 Degrees Brewery)

7:30pm - Dean Faculty Dance Showcase (ticketed event) (Dean College, Main Stage)

7:30pm - The Rescignos: Franklincense (ticketed event) (THE BLACK BOX)

Sunday, December 11

10:00am - Toy Drive & Photos with Santa (Franklin Police Dept)

12:00pm - Kid's Christmas Party (family fun) (Teddy Gallagher's)

1:00pm - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1’:15pm - NoteAble Blend (women’s barbershop quartet) (Franklin Historical Museum)

2:00pm - Mrs Claus (reads & poses for photos) (Franklin Historical Museum)

3;00pm - 8th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas (St Mary's Parish)

Tuesday, December 13

7:00pm - FBRTC Meeting (monthly meeting) (67 Degrees Brewery)

7:00pm - Yankee Quilters (monthly meeting) (Emma’s Quilt Cupboard)

Wednesday, December 14

7:00pm - St Mary's Women's Faith Formation Group (virtual meeting( (St Marys' Parish)

Thursday, December 15

8:30am - Town Council Office Hours (monthly Q&A session) (Senior Center)

6:30pm - Holiday Wreath Workshop (ticketed event) (67 Degrees Brewery)

7:00pm - An Introduction to Hanukkah (virtual event) (Franklin Public Library)

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The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)

Find the full Community event calendar https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

The Cultural calendar displays only the cultural events https://www.franklinculture.org/things-do/pages/calendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication: https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6

The Town meeting calendar is found https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26

Community Calendar

Finance Committee gets some financial good and bad news before taking a deep dive into the Schools budget (audio)

FM #895 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 895 in the series.

This session of the radio show shares the Finance Committee meeting held on Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022.

Seven members of the Finance Committee participated (2 absent); 6 present in the Council Chambers, 1 remote. Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, Assistant Administrator Alecia Alleyne, Comptroller Chris Sandini and Treasurer/Collector Kerri Bertone.

Quick recap:

Out to bid for the bond for the Schmidt’s Farm resulted in maintaining the Triple AAA rating, receiving 7 bids, and yielded a 3.44% rate (good)
Stabilization funds review shows the market impact as many of the totals declined vs. the prior year and there were no authorized withdrawals. These are called unrealized losses (not so good)
The electric rate contract for the Town results in an increase of $200K impact for this fiscal year. DPW snow and ice presentation scheduled for the 12/14/22 Town Council meeting. Some facility projects and repairs being held due to the increases being seen to avoid a significant financial impact. Do use a utility consultant on the electricity contract, spent about a month watching rates before settling on this deal. Storm water fee implementation in July 2023 will also have an effect on the Town budget (not so good)
School budget “deep dive” - Superintendent Lucas Giguere, Business administrator Miriam Goodman, School Committee Chair Denise Spencer and School Committee member and Budget subcommittee Chair David McNeill presented. Asst Superintendent Paula Marano and School Committee members Elise Stokes and Dave Callaghan were also in the audience for support.
Chair Conley opened with the major question with declining enrollment and rising budget how is that explained? The remainder of the presentation and discussion attempted to answer the question from multiple points of view. I can not do justice and simplify it. The discussion is too complex. The audio and video of the meeting is available for you to listen and follow along
I can say that the School Committee and Central office can do better in helping to explain the cost drivers. They do cover a bunch of the details in their main meetings and subcommittee meetings but have not been successful in articulating the story, hence the questions remain

The meeting recording runs 2 hours and 35 minutes, so let’s listen to the Finance Committee meeting Dec 7, 2022.

Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-895-franklin-ma-finance-cmte-mtg-12-07-22

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Meeting agenda document -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/12-07-2022_finance_committee_agenda.pdf

My notes -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gVLpYnd6sOfNA7Phl0p176OhHViQsL7e/view?usp=share_link

Link to Finance Committee => https://www.franklinma.gov/finance-committee

YouTube recording => https://youtu.be/o4vY1ekbk10

Photos captured during the meeting can be found in one album -> https://photos.app.goo.gl/q6YyoS5wPbe7m86j6

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

L-R: Budget subcommittee Chair David McNeill, School Committee Chair Denise Spencer, Superintendent Lucas Giguere, Business administrator Miriam Goodman

Pantherbook: "2022 Winter Sports Preview -> FHS Boys Basketball" (audio)

"This past Tuesday, Pantherbook’s Ryan Martin sat down with the two senior captains for Franklin High School’s Varsity Boys Basketball team, Ben Harvey and Justin Allen, to preview the team’s upcoming season with Pantherbook Podcasts!