The pictures tell the story of work being done on the new Horace Mann Museum which is moving into the former Senior Center, former Town Hall.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Franklin Area Climate Team - Meeting - 6/26/08
The Franklin Area Climate Team will hold its next meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the First Unitarian Society, 262 Chestnut St.
Combining the effort of residents of Franklin, Norfolk, Wrentham, Bellingham, Medway and other towns, the team works to make changes in local towns and homes to stop global warming.
Plans include organizing local actions such as the Environmental Protection Agency's Community Energy Challenge or the Massachusetts Climate Action Network's Low Carbon Living or "LoCal" program, which is being adopted in communities around the Boston area.
For more information on the LoCal team challenge, see massclimateaction.net/low-carbon-living.html.
All are welcome to show enthusiasm and ideas to help stop climate change at the local level.
Combining the effort of residents of Franklin, Norfolk, Wrentham, Bellingham, Medway and other towns, the team works to make changes in local towns and homes to stop global warming.
Plans include organizing local actions such as the Environmental Protection Agency's Community Energy Challenge or the Massachusetts Climate Action Network's Low Carbon Living or "LoCal" program, which is being adopted in communities around the Boston area.
For more information on the LoCal team challenge, see massclimateaction.net/low-carbon-living.html.
All are welcome to show enthusiasm and ideas to help stop climate change at the local level.
School Committee Meeting - Agenda - 6/24/08
Franklin School Committee Meeting
June 24, 2008
Municipal Building – Council Chambers
Executive Session 6:00 P.M.
Regular Meeting 7:00 P.M.
AGENDA
Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence
1. Routine Business
• Citizen’s Comments
• Review of Agenda
• Minutes:
I recommend approval of the minutes from the June 10, 2008 School Committee Meeting.
• Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly
• Payroll Ms. Armenio
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence:
2. Guests/Presentations:
a. Tamatha Bibbo – Recognition
3. Discussion Only Items
4. Action Items:
5. Information Matters:
• Superintendent’s Report
• 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. Executive Session
• Personnel
8. Adjourn
June 24, 2008
Municipal Building – Council Chambers
Executive Session 6:00 P.M.
Regular Meeting 7:00 P.M.
AGENDA
Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence
1. Routine Business
• Citizen’s Comments
• Review of Agenda
• Minutes:
I recommend approval of the minutes from the June 10, 2008 School Committee Meeting.
• Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly
• Payroll Ms. Armenio
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence:
2. Guests/Presentations:
a. Tamatha Bibbo – Recognition
3. Discussion Only Items
• Budget to Actual
• Override Ramifications
o Current Budget Number
o Personnel Changes
o School Choice
o Pay to Ride
o Late Bus
• Budget Sub Committee Recommendation for $180,000.
• Close out fiscal year
4. Action Items:
1. I recommend acceptance of $13.50 from Kaitlyn Simmons & Corinne Lewis, raised from their lemonade stand for the Oak Street Elementary School Gift Account.
2. I recommend acceptance of a check for $285.00 from Lifetouch Pictures for the Future Enrichment Programs at ECDC.
3. I recommend approval of the request of FHS teachers Jackie Eckhardt and Debbie Murphy for the annual trip to Spain for the summer of 2009.
4. I recommend adoption of the revised 2009-2010 School Calendar
5. I recommend adoption of the Memorandum of Understanding.
6. I recommend adoption of the Consolidation Plan.
7. I recommend the increase to $325.00 per year for the Pay-to-Ride Program.
5. Information Matters:
• Superintendent’s Report
a. Projected Enrollment
b. School Choice
c. Ed Nets
d. Bus Accident Update
e. Traffic Study at High School
• 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. Executive Session
• Personnel
8. Adjourn
Monday, June 23, 2008
"$8 for residents, $12 for non-residents"
GHS
School days are over and regional swimming spots are opening to let residents cool off.
Despite a tight town budget, the Franklin Recreation Department will aim to break even with outside revenue so that residents do not feel the effects of budget constraints on summer activities.
"Our budget is a little over $400,000," said Recreation Director Ryan Jette. "We charge patrons so we can break even. We try to be a self-supporting entity."
This year, the Recreation Department is sponsoring movie nights at Beaver Pond, during which kids can play soccer or Whiffle Ball for an hour before watching a movie. A 20-by-14-inch movie screen will be set up on the turf. On July 18, "Bee Movie" will be shown, and on Aug. 15, "Shrek 3." Games start at 7 p.m., the movie will start at 8 p.m., and admission is $3.
"Families bring their lawn chairs and eat snacks," Jette said. "We are bringing a great service (to Franklin)."
Read the full story in the Milford Daily News here
In the Globe - fundraising, new school construction
"We're in a little bit of a holding pattern"
By Rachel Lebeaux Globe Correspondent / June 22, 2008
More than 40 schoolteachers are expected to lose their jobs after Franklin voters turned down a tax increase, but town leaders are still searching for ways to inject money into the cash-strapped school system.
Last week, Town Councilor Bob Vallee asked the council to consider transferring $1 million from the town's stabilization account to the school department in order to retain some of the teachers. The council's chairman, Chris Feeley, agreed to hold a discussion at its July 9 meeting.
Part of the budget crunch for next fiscal year stemmed from town officials' reluctance to dip into Franklin's stabilization fund, which stands at $4.3 million, as they have in previous budget cycles.
----------------
"We're building schools for education, not for phys ed, not for the arts, not for community events"
By Rachana Rathi Globe Staff / June 22, 2008
The town of Wellesley has a vision: a $159 million new high school, where its students will have access to a theater, a state-of-the-art broadcast studio, and an indoor track. In Norwood, the plan is to spend $80 million to $100 million on a new high school with a gym large enough to replace the two they have now, and maybe even a replica of the old school's landmark clock tower.
Both plans face a major hurdle: the state, on which each project depends for significant funding help.
State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill has made it clear that he will use the power of the purse to control the costs of local school projects. He criticized the Wellesley proposal for being too extravagant, likening it to the new Newton North High School under construction for $197.5 million. He vowed to prevent any more such projects in Massachusetts, saying earlier this year that the state's job is "not to build Taj Mahals."
Norwood has already received the go-ahead from the state to design its project, along with a commitment for funding, although the money is conditional on the school's final design being approved. Wellesley has yet to even meet with the state. Officials in both towns are concerned that they won't be allowed to build the schools they want, or believe their communities can afford, and Cahill is doing little to allay those fears.
Read the full article in the Boston Sunday Globe West section here
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Franklin Matters: Vallee doesn't want the teacher layoffs
One in a series of podcasts on Franklin (MA) Matters. This one presents the New Business section of the June 18, 2008 meeting where Councilor Vallee objects to the "massive teacher layoffs".
Time: 6 minutes, 53 seconds
MP3 File
Session Notes:
During the New Business section of the Town Council meeting of June 18, 2008 some interesting discussion occurred. I have captured the 3 and half minutes or so here for you to listen to. I’ll come in after this segment with my analysis.
Oh, one other item before you listen, only five members present (Feeley, Vallee, Bartlett, Pfeffer, McGann) and four absent (Whalen, Mason, Doak, Zollo), there is a procedural discussion on what vote is required to bring the item to an agenda item. A simple majority ultimately is required, or 3 of the five present.
Okay, so what has just happened?
Vallee for all his experience shows his lack of knowledge of the protocol required. While I would love to find money to save the layoffs, Vallee would have been better off spending his time on the circuit with the other members of the Town Council, School Committee and Finance committee explaining the override.
The recent audit report (also covered in a recent podcast) reiterates the need to keep the savings account at around 5-10% of our annual budget. We are slightly under that already. It is fiscally irresponsible to take more money to avoid the layoffs. It would have been fiscally responsible for Vallee to have expressed his support during the override campaign.
Coming in now, after the decisive vote. Sorry, it is too little, too late in the game.
A nice recap of the situation was presented in the Milford Daily News. The link is available in the blog post that accompanies this podcast.
----------
This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow Franklin citizens and voters by Steve Sherlock
For additional textual information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve dot gmail dot com
The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music
Time: 6 minutes, 53 seconds
MP3 File
Session Notes:
During the New Business section of the Town Council meeting of June 18, 2008 some interesting discussion occurred. I have captured the 3 and half minutes or so here for you to listen to. I’ll come in after this segment with my analysis.
Oh, one other item before you listen, only five members present (Feeley, Vallee, Bartlett, Pfeffer, McGann) and four absent (Whalen, Mason, Doak, Zollo), there is a procedural discussion on what vote is required to bring the item to an agenda item. A simple majority ultimately is required, or 3 of the five present.
after listening to the segment
Okay, so what has just happened?
Vallee for all his experience shows his lack of knowledge of the protocol required. While I would love to find money to save the layoffs, Vallee would have been better off spending his time on the circuit with the other members of the Town Council, School Committee and Finance committee explaining the override.
The recent audit report (also covered in a recent podcast) reiterates the need to keep the savings account at around 5-10% of our annual budget. We are slightly under that already. It is fiscally irresponsible to take more money to avoid the layoffs. It would have been fiscally responsible for Vallee to have expressed his support during the override campaign.
Coming in now, after the decisive vote. Sorry, it is too little, too late in the game.
A nice recap of the situation was presented in the Milford Daily News. The link is available in the blog post that accompanies this podcast.
----------
This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow Franklin citizens and voters by Steve Sherlock
For additional textual information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve dot gmail dot com
The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music
Where in Franklin? #50
I was riding around town looking for pictures for the Rainbow Challenge and found this as an entry for "blue".
The guidelines to play Where in Franklin? can be found here .
Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)