"We are compelled to never forget"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted May 23, 2008 @ 11:19 PM

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FRANKLIN —

In a poignant "Missing Man" ceremony, Police Chief Stephen Williams urged a roomful of veterans, their loved ones and local dignitaries gathered at the Elks Lodge yesterday, not to forget missing and fallen soldiers.

Lined up in crisp uniforms and white gloves, the solemn-faced Franklin Police Honor Guard - Lt. Thomas J. Lynch, Sgt. Mark Manocchio, Officers Paul Fiorio, Paul Guarino, Jonathan Bussey and John Maloney - held symbolic items as Williams honored soldiers missing in action and prisoners of war.

Music played as the chief, who was a military police sergeant during the Vietnam War, spoke of the "sweetness" of honor and serving one's country that is tainted by the bitterness of loss.

"We are compelled to never forget," he said, explaining why he showed a documentary video about the painstaking work and precision involved in guarding Arlington National Cemetery where "unknown" fallen soldiers rest.

"We call them brothers ... they're unable to be with their families," but Arlington is a place of dignity and honor, he said, encouraging audience members to visit.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

Honoring 175 Years of Education at the Red Brick School

The Brick School is 175 Years Old!

Come One…Come All…Everyone is Invited!

Please join us for a Fun Family Picnic

Honoring 175 Years of Education at the Red Brick School

Sunday, June 1st
1:00pm – 5:00pm
Franklin Town Common

Bring your chairs, blankets and pack a picnic lunch -- relax and enjoy a fun day!

Musical Performances include:

Jamie Barrett and friends singing the “Franklin Song” and other hits! 1:30 - 1:50

Remington Middle School Jazz Band 2:00 – 2:30pm

Franklin Middle Combined String Orchestra 2:45 – 3:15pm

FHS – Sound in the Hall artist Adriana Driggs, Tom Lazinski, Bodacious Banana Extravaganza and more! 3:45 - 4:45

And more……

Okey Dokey DJ will be on hand the entire day providing music and fun Karaoke sessions between performances


Fun Free Activities for the Kids!

Gerwick Puppets performing at 2:00pm
Face Painting
Moonwalk
Capron Park Zoo Mobile

Refreshments:

To go with your picnic lunch, we will have water and soda available for $1.00

Save room for dessert!! There will be free cake for everyone!

This is event is sponsored by the Benjamin Franklin Bank Charitable Foundation

For more information email: Brick School Association

We hope you can make it!!

From the Town Crier posting here.

"the remainder can be directed toward any number of capital items"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted May 22, 2008 @ 09:26 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Town Council voted 8-1 Wednesday to sell the former Four Corners School to Walgreens for $2.5 million.

Councilor Robert Vallee abstained from the vote.

The vote authorizes Town Administrator Jeffery D. Nutting and Town Attorney Mark G. Cerel to enter into a purchase and sales agreement with Arista Development LLC of Norwood, which is proposing the Walgreens Pharmacy.

Arista, which has developed several Walgreens across the northeast, including one in Bellingham, was the only bidder for the town-owned property at the intersection of King Street and Rte. 140, Nutting has said.

Though the council has agreed to the sale, Arista must still obtain various permits from the Planning Board, Council Chairman Christopher Feeley said Wednesday.

"In the past, I have fought against selling" town-owned property, said Councilor Scott Mason, adding that he voted for it in this instance to help improve the town's finances.

"I don't think it's fair to keep asking people to dip into their pockets," he said, cautioning that people should be clear about how the $2.5 million can be used.

"(Some) residents have a misguided sense of what we can and cannot do with the money. It cannot go into the operating budget, it can't be used to hire teachers or new DPW workers," Mason said.

Read the full story in the Milford Daily News here

"this gift will have increased tenfold"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted May 22, 2008 @ 11:05 PM

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FRANKLIN —

By sacrificing a Gatorade here, a candy bar there, Franklin High students collected enough dollars to give impoverished families a heifer, llama, pig, goat, or swarm of bees to improve their lives.

For the third year, the students spent four weeks raising money for Heifer International, an organization devoted to ending hunger and poverty by giving families a way to produce food and goods for themselves, rather than short-term relief. The students raised a record-breaking $8,400 in donations, said foreign language teacher Jackie Eckhardt, chairwoman of a teachers committee on global awareness.

As part of the global awareness program, which staff initiated to expose students to cultures around the world, the school has held interactive assemblies for students, Eckhardt said.

Read the full story in the Milford Daily News here

Budget Hearing Schedule - 2nd Hearing 5/27/08 at 6:00 PM

Town Council decided not to hold another hearing today and instead will hold a second public hearing and vote on the fiscal 2009 budget next Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building.

So the next budget hearing is Tuesday 5/27/08 at 6:00 PM.

Why 6:00 PM?
The School Committee already has a regular meeting scheduled for 7:00 PM in the same location.

So be prepared for Tuesday to start at 6:00 PM.

From the town's perspective, it's a matter of not filling positions

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted May 22, 2008 @ 01:08 AM

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FRANKLIN —

During the first of two public hearings on Franklin's fiscal 2009 budget, Councilor Robert Vallee announced he will recommend adding two new police officers to the force.

Neither Police Chief Stephen T. Williams nor Fire Chief Gary McCarraher could answer affirmatively when Vallee asked whether they felt comfortable protecting citizens with their department's budget.

"I can't tell you I feel comfortable. ... Things begin to fall apart" when the Fire Department has to respond to multiple, simultaneous calls, McCarraher said.

In his initial budget request, Williams sought two additional officers as police work in Franklin continues to increase, including handling children, the elderly, traffic and safety, he said.

"In past years, those areas had significant increases in caseload," said Williams.

The Police Department employees 46 sworn officers, including the chief and deputy chief - well below the norm for towns like Franklin, Williams said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Cicada Tracking

An interesting site appeared on my reading radar thanks to the folks at UniversalHub; Massachusetts Cicadas.

Living in Massachusetts, unfortunately, there aren't many species of Cicadas to study so this site will be focused on studying the cicadas of New England along taking part in field trips to other states and studying the cicadas there.

So far, I have managed to document several different species of Cicadas in Massachusetts. Those being Tibicen auletes, Tibicen lyricen, Tibicen canicularis, Tibicen chloromera and Okanagana rimosa. Massachusetts even has Periodical Cicadas from Brood XIV which is a 17 year variety.

Since 2004, Okanagana rimosa has proved to be an elusive little insect. Fortunately, in the summer of 2007 shortly after my return trip from the mid west to study Brood XIII periodical cicadas, I did in fact find a sustainable population of Okanagana rimosa in a town in central Massachusetts known as Montague. More information on this interesting periodic-like little insect can be found here.

Also Brood XIV periodical Cicadas, a species of Cicadas that emerge once every 17 years also makes an appearance in Massachusetts along Cape Cod, Barnstable Plymouth counties. These are not scheduled to appear here until 2008.

So if you would like to know more about cicadas in MA and New England, visit this site.