Franklin Matters

Friday, February 27, 2009

"We don't need an award"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Feb 27, 2009 @ 12:46 AM

FRANKLIN —

Eighth-graders Maddie Gordon and Jake Sargeant say they don't need an award to acknowledge their volunteer work with students with severe disabilities at Annie Sullivan Middle School.

Still, after watching the pair spend much of their free time volunteering, coordinating activities, and befriending special needs kids for the last 2 1/2 years, special needs teacher Marilee Gleason and Principal Beth Wittcoff were inspired to recognize them by nominating them for the statewide Make a Difference award program.

On Sunday, Gordon and Sargeant will be honored along with 58 of their peers from across the state for their volunteer work at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester at 1 p.m.

"It's unbelievable, the enthusiasm these kids have for befriending students they normally wouldn't cross paths with. These two are very invested," said Gleason, who also oversees the school's Best Buddies program.

Read the full article about the student volunteers for Best Buddies in the Milford Daily News here

The Green Reel: a series of films for sustainable living will be shown on Sunday evenings this winter.

What: "Renewal"

When: 7:00 PM on March 1, 2009

Where: Agudas Achim, 901 North Main St, Attleboro or directions here

Free and open to the public.
For more info: 508-695-2389

read more about the file "Renewal" here

Sponsors:

Agudas Achim
Crystal Spring Center
Simply Keep It Local
Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary
Citizens for a Sustainable Local Economy
Murray Unitarian Universalist Church
Green Committee of First Universalist Society of Franklin
New Dawn Earth Center
Oake Knoll Ayrshires
Franklin Area Climate Team
White Barn Farm
St Mark's Episcopal Church-Foxboro

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Greenbusters

Digging around the SustainLane web site initially found here, I find there is a series of posts on greenbusters. Recall the popular Discovery Channel show - Mythbusters; these are focused on green myths and you get the full scoop on each. For example:

Myth: It's best never to touch your thermostat. Read More »

Myth: It's okay to throw something away as long as it's biodegradable. Read More »

Myth: Washing laundry in hot water is the only way to kill bacteria and get things really clean—just like my mom told me. Read More »

Myth: Dog poop is natural, so it’s okay to leave it behind. Read More »

Myth: It takes more energy to turn a light off and back on than it does to keep it running. Read More »

Check out all the Greenbusters here

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE A SCIENTIST TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009

Time: 7 P.M.

Location:

First Universalist Society in Franklin
262 Chestnut St.
Franklin, MA 02038

Join us to learn how we are all exposed to Bisphenol A (BPA) and what we can do to break the cycle. BPA, a toxic chemical found in polycarbonate plastic, is widely used in consumer products including baby bottles, sippy cups, teethers, toys, pacifiers, and utensils. BPA is also in the epoxy resins used to
line cans of baby formula and other foods. It leaches out of the container into the stored food.

Local parents and The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow are offering this event as an opportunity to learn how to keep your loved ones safe from BPA!
Take Action and Join Us For this Event!

Please contact esaunders@cleanwater.org for more information.

Cape Wind: Record of Decision Request

The following is a Letter to the Editor submitted by Jim Liedell summarizing the Cape Wind decision points and requesting that the Record of Decision be released.

------------

Despite unemployment rising precipitously, U.S. wind industry jobs jumped to 85,000 in 2008, a 70% increase from 2007. Wind made up 42% of all added 2008 electricity capacity. We can soon start benefiting locally by Cape Wind joining this explosive growth, giving us health, economic, security and other benefits.

Major conclusions in the federal Minerals Management Services’ (MMS) mid-January very favorable Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on Cape Wind’s proposed project included:

of negative operation impacts, 3.2% are No Impact, 50% are Negligible, 38.9% are Minor, 6.3% are Moderate, and 1.6% (slightly rerouting the annual Figawi sailboat race) is Major;
impact to tourism will be negligible and there will be no decrease in beach activity;
floating wind turbine technology (recently pushed by the Alliance opposing Cape Wind) won’t be commercially available for 10 to 15 years;
Cape Wind will lower our electricity prices;
negligible to minor impact on fisheries;
fossil-fueled plants’ global-warming and other harmful emissions will be reduced;
no Cape Wind emissions to sea or air;
world-wide data (including local MMA turbine) showed very few birds will be killed colliding with Cape Wind’s turbines
no injuries caused to marine mammals;
nine alternate locations were evaluated - they would all produce more costly (1 to 17.7 cents/kilowatt hour) electricity than Cape Wind; and
three site-layout alternatives and four types of generation facilities were all found to be less desirable than Cape Wind’s proposal.

With this favorable FEIS expanding on and confirming many previous evaluations, it is sure that we will significantly benefit from Cape Wind.

To support this project, write a brief letter to

Kenneth Salazar

Secretary, US Department of the Interior

1849 C Street N.W.

Washington, DC 20240

and ask them to issue their Record Of Decision promptly.

Jim Liedell
Yarmouth Port

Note: Addressee for letter updated 2/26/09 per email request from Jim Liedell

School Committee Mtg 02/24/09

The summary of live reports from the School Committee meeting 2/24/09 are collected here

School Committee - Agenda - 2/24/09

"Alina should be viewed as a representative among winners"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Feb 24, 2009 @ 11:21 PM

FRANKLIN —

The competition for the Massachusetts Junior Miss 2009 title at Horace Mann Middle School was fierce, said Franklin High senior Alina Ostrow.

Fourteen teenage girls, each in the top 10 percent of their class, gathered in the Thomas Mercer Auditorium for the two-day competition last weekend.

Each displayed a talent honed since childhood.

And all spoke their minds and strutted their athletic prowess on stage, doing push-ups and more challenging variations of push-ups in a choreographed aerobic routine designed to test their strength, balance and agility.

Read the full article about Alina Ostrow in the Milford Daily News here