Tuesday, June 9, 2009

How would you fill the MBTA's budget hole?

Wouldn't it be cool if we had something like this to play with the budget line items for Franklin?

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

So you think you can budget? Click on the revenue or expense arrows, then on the bottom line and get a sorta spreadsheet that lets you play with detailed views of the T's budget.

Via Nathan Spencer.


Things you can do from here:

Op-Ed: Don't pay more for business as usual

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Read an Op-Ed by Governor Patrick that appeared in today's Boston Globe

Things you can do from here:

Four Corners building

I stopped by the other day to grab some photos as the site prep continues to get ready for the removal of this building. A Walgreens will replace it eventually opening for business in 2010.


Four Corners building, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Franklin: Relay for Life June 12-13

The Relay for Life will be held on the Franklin High School track (Oak Street) beginning Friday evening, June 12th and running through Saturday, June 13th.

Additional info on the relay can be found on the event website here


Franklin_RelaySign, originally uploaded by shersteve.

"It's more than enough people for us to question"

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 08, 2009 @ 10:24 PM

FRANKLIN —

The 600 residents who got socked with late fees and interest penalties for not paying excise bills they never received do not have to pay those extra costs, Assistant Treasurer/Collector Sandra Fanning said yesterday.

The tax collector will send refunds to those who have already paid the erroneous extra charges, said Fanning.

"We're trying to be as fair as we can," Fanning said.

Those who were billed incorrectly do not need to do anything, she said.

read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

"I don't want to speculate"

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 08, 2009 @ 10:27 PM

FRANKLIN —

Possibly facing a loss of $900,000 in state aid under the Senate budget, Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting said he is going to make every attempt to keep his promise to unions that volunteered to freeze their wages for year.

"No matter what happens, my goal is not to have those layoffs," Nutting said.

Earlier in the budget season, the Franklin Police Association and Local 1298, which consists of the police and fire dispatchers unions, custodians union, administrative union (clerical), Department of Public Works union, and facilities (tradesmen) union, all voted to take a one-year deferral on their negotiated wage increases to save their colleagues' jobs and help out the town.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here


Monday, June 8, 2009

School Committee - Agenda - 6/9/09

1. Routine Business

Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the May 26, 2009 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly
Payroll Ms. Armenio
FHS Student Representatives

Correspondence
1. Budget to Actual
2. Letter from Margaret Sullivan
3. SC Response to Margaret Sullivan

2. Guests/Presentations
a. FEF Grant Awards

b. Senior Projects

c. Strategic Planning Logo Awards
Pooja Agaraal
Collin Berg
Erin Lee
Kasey Lynch
Emma Campbell
Dayna Comeau
Branna Metras
Kristen Dumas – final selection


d. RMS “Go Green” Service Learning Project
Laura Chiaravalloti, RMS Teacher
Tim LaRowe
Marcus Giese
Jake Garrity
Claudia Beck
Markus Bohmiller
Brian Morin
Tracy Pisani
Julianne Pisani
Abby Normandin
Justin Means
Angie Canesi
Elisabeth Salamy
Pooja Agarwal
Amanda Lin
Tim Stevens
Carolyn Foley
Jenna Gleason
David Sanches
Christine Harvey
Dan Pisani
Erin Harrington
Christina Mouradian
Erika Kucks


3. Discussion Only Items

FY2010 Budget Hearing – continued

School Choice

4. Action Items
a. I recommend acceptance of a check for $500.00 from Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Malone for future enrichment programs for the ECDC.
b. I recommend the continuation of the School Choice Program for the 2009-2010 School Year.
c. I recommend the request of Corine Minkle to declare damaged and outdated books at Oak Street Elementary School as surplus.
d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $2,000.00 from Natalie Brunelli for the John A. Brunelli Memorial Scholarship at FHS.
e. I recommend adopting the FY10 Budget in the amount of $50,297,820.00.

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report
a. Modulars
b. Elizabeth Fitzmaurice – Director of Special Education
c. Pay-To-Ride Program

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Adjourn

"We're asking for $5 a house"

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 08, 2009 @ 12:22 AM

The recession is pinching sponsorships and donations for some local Fourth of July and summer celebrations, forcing organizers to scrounge up support elsewhere or trim fireworks and other entertainment.

Still, while budget pressures have caused cancellations elsewhere, the show will go on in most MetroWest and Milford-area towns and cities that host annual Independence Day festivities and summer festivals.

"We're doing the best we can with what we have," said Warren Revell, secretary for Franklin's Fourth of July Committee.

Read the full article on the local Fourth of July fund raising efforts in the Milford Daily News here.


Events in the schools this week

Oak - Oak St. Fun Day 6/9/09 8:45 AM

JFK - Sports Day Gr. K-4 6/9/09 All Day

Oak - Oak St. Fun Day - Rain date 6/10/09 8:45 AM

Keller - 2nd Gr. End of year Performance (Gym) 6/10/09 9:00 AM

HMMS - Talent Show 6/10/09 12 Noon

Jefferson - Field Day Gr. 3-5 6/10/09 AM

Oak - 5th Gr. Talent Show (Mercer Auditorium) 6/11/09 7:00 PM

Keller - 5th Gr. Field Day (upper field) 6/11/09 8:30-11 AM

JFK - 5th Gr. Day (Assorted Activities) 6/11/09 All day

Jefferson - Field Day Gr. K-2 6/11/09 AM

ASMS - Talent Show 6/12/09 7:30 AM

JFK - All Star Reading Assembly 6/12/09 1:45 PM

Check each school website for additional information on these events

United Regional Chamber of Commerce - Open House



The United Regional Chamber of Commerce will host a Meet the Staff Open House on Monday, June 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Held at 3 Restaurant, 461 West Central St. in Franklin, the event will give business professionals an opportunity to learn about the only Chamber that has offices in Franklin, North Attleborough and Attleboro.

Find out about upcoming events, meet other Chamber members, and learn how the Chamber can help grow your business.

Admission is free, but reservations are required.

Please call any of The United Regional Chamber of Commerce offices to register: 508-528-2800, 508-222-0801, or 508-695-6011.


The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit, business support organization serving the communities of Attleboro, Bellingham, Blackstone, Foxborough, Franklin, Mansfield, Medway, Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Norton, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Wrentham.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Hey you can see the house now that the trees are gone!

The construction at the Four Corners building is underway. Eventually, a Walgreens will operate from this location.

I'll try to report key milestones here from time to time as the work progresses.

"mandatory arbitration that would bind municipalities"

GHS
Posted Jun 07, 2009 @ 12:13 AM

Embedded in the state Senate's budget, an insurance proposal is presenting a not-so-veiled ultimatum to municipalities: Curb your health care costs or else.

Essentially, the provision would force municipalities to reduce their health care costs to meet a state standard, lest they face an outside arbitrator coming in and settling matters with unions - to say nothing of the possible gouges to local aid.

The proposal is in Senate conference committee right now and could be tweaked, rejected, or given the go-ahead within the next month.

...

"We're very worried," said Jeff Nutting, Franklin Town Administrator and president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. "It's a huge step backward in the worst economy of our life."
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

"some of the best habitats are already occupied"

GHS
Posted Jun 07, 2009 @ 12:17 AM

Last month, a breached beaver dam flooded Bob Szymanski's property in Milford. Several months before, it was a very intact one in Holliston that swelled the Hopping Brook so it nearly washed over a small bridge.

Beaver habitats routinely clash with those of humans in metro Boston. Other recent reports come from Westborough, Concord, Bolton and Andover, where a hasty dam breaching flooded a charity golf event.

The issue of beaver management isn't purely academic. Untimely dams can flood houses, or muck up sewer systems and roads - costly problems to repair. In Westborough, the town set aside $5,000 in this year's budget just to deal with beavers.

Beavers' ecological benefits are also substantial, as beavers, North America's largest native rodents, create wetlands that nurture other wildlife, control flooding and purify water.

Read the full article on the beaver dams in the Milford Daily News here

This is news of interest to Franklin. The condition of the dams on the DelCarte land was the subject of some discussion during the May 6th Town Council meeting. The 8-1 vote approved spending some money to get engineering estimates on how to correct the dams. A breech in one of the dams could result in down stream flooding. The estimates of damage were hard to quantify.


Saturday, June 6, 2009

Yard sale Sat 6/6/09


Franklin: yard sale Sat 6/6/09, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Multi-family yard sale

Saturday, June 6th - 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Lawrence Dr and Susan's Way

"the Alumni Association is to be a conduit"

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 06, 2009 @ 01:03 AM

FRANKLIN —

Giving the 2009 graduating class a glimpse into the distant future, the Franklin High School Class of 1959 reunited at a reception at Horace Mann Middle School yesterday. The tradition, which was started by former Principal Jack Lucas, dates back to 1998. However, this was only the second year that a reception was held for the alumni to gather and catch up on the 50th anniversary of their graduation.

Organized by the Franklin High School Alumni Association and the Franklin Lifelong Learning Institute, the event gathered 23 members of the 95-member 1959 class. It was a strong turnout, according to Lifelong Learning Executive Director Pandora Carlucci.

"Every graduate means a lot to us, no matter how long you've been out of school," Carlucci, the first of a handful of speakers, said to the lively crowd of alumni.

Read the full article about the FHS Class of 1959 in the Milford Daily News here

"Only those who risk going too far will know how far they can go."

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 06, 2009 @ 01:00 AM

FRANKLIN —

In his last speech to the Class of 2009, Superintendent Wayne Ogden urged the 370 graduating seniors, "Educate your soul, and your spirit."

"I'm pretty darn sure the world has enough smart people - it (needs) people with compassion and integrity," Ogden said.

A "good, successful human being" is balanced, he said.

He told students now that they are graduating, they "can start the process of learning."

It may seem a strange bit of advice from a school superintendent, but he explained that for too many young people, the pursuit of a credential is substituted for the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

"Seek knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. An associate's or bachelor's degree will fall into place," Ogden said.

To those who are not planning to go college, Ogden said, "you can learn a tremendous amount without going to school."

Read the full article on the FHS Graduation in the Milford Daily News here

The list of graduates can be found in the Milford Daily News here


Friday, June 5, 2009

"it's unlikely the bills were lost"

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 04, 2009 @ 10:50 PM

FRANKLIN —

The town treasurer mailed excise bills in February, but about 600 residents never received them, and now they've gotten hit with late fees and interest penalties, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.

Nutting attributes the problem to a mailing error on the part of the U.S. Postal Service.

"When one person says they didn't get their bill, that's one thing, but when hundreds of people are coming in and telling the same story, you have to believe it's true," said Nutting.

"They've been coming in and saying, 'Why do I have to pay this? I never got an original bill,"' he said.

Read the full article about the missing excise tax bills in the Milford Daily News here

Four Corners sale complete

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 04, 2009 @ 10:53 PM
Last update Jun 05, 2009 @ 12:07 AM

FRANKLIN —

The town sold the former Four Corners School to Arista Development LLC and got the check for $2.5 million Tuesday, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.

Norwood-based Arista is replacing the building at the intersection of Rte. 140 and King Street with a Walgreens pharmacy.

About $1 million of the money will be used to pay the existing debt on the property, which the town bought for $1.32 million, Nutting said.

Town Council voted Wednesday to put the $1 million in an escrow account for that purpose.

The remainder of the funds can be used for any bondable expense, or capital project, such as building repairs, but cannot legally be used for operational costs, such as salaries or schools, and cannot be put into free cash, Nutting said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here


Thursday, June 4, 2009

"The retirees' loss will not be temporary"

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 04, 2009 @ 12:47 AM

FRANKLIN —

The teachers union is slated to vote on a new proposal for wage concessions in the coming weeks, according to School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.

The School Committee is asking the union to defer its negotiated 2.5 percent wage increase for one year, at which point the union will receive both a 2.5 percent raise, plus any new negotiated pay increase, Roy said.

The union has offered to take the wage freeze, as well as to forgo course reimbursements for one year, but demanded three permanent contractual changes in exchange.

The School Committee rejected that offer, and the union rejected a counter-proposal by the School Committee.

On June 15, the teachers union will meet to take a ratification vote on a proposal that strikes contractual language requiring teachers to give a reason for personal days, and eliminates one of the additional after-school meetings, in exchange for a 2.5 percent wage increase deferment, according to a copy of the proposal.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Since Bob McLaughlin was unavailable for comment to create this article, the quotations from him were taken from his posting to the teacher's website on Memorial Day, May 25th. Read his full posting here.


"the most fiscally responsible and educationally appropriate solution"

Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 04, 2009 @ 12:38 AM

FRANKLIN —

Slowly but surely, the plan to renovate or build a new Franklin High School is moving ahead, with a favorable vote from the Massachusetts School Building Authority allowing the town to conduct a feasibility study, according to School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.

Yesterday, the authority's board of directors voted to invite the town to conduct the study to assess the needs of Franklin High School, said state building authority press secretary Carrie Sullivan.

The "invitation to collaborate" on a feasibility study does not mean the the organization has approved the project, Sullivan said.

"It is strictly an invitation to the Franklin school district to work with the (authority) to explore potential solutions to the problems that have been identified," she said.

Roy called the authority's decision "very significant, because we're now more in the pipeline."

Read the full article on this latest development in the FHS renovation process in the Milford Daily News