We have no one to fault but ourselves!

As I went back to the November 2007 Town election results for yesterday's posting, I was surprised to see the numbers. Yes, I knew the turnout was low but the real impact is what affects us everyday here in Franklin.

Candidate	Votes	% Voted	% Voters
Vallee	2201	57.2%	11.9%
Feeley	1979	51.5%	10.7%
Zollo	1978	51.4%	10.7%
Bartlett	1893	49.2%	10.2%
Pfeffer	1692	44.0%	9.1%
Whalen	1680	43.7%	9.0%
Doak	1673	43.5%	9.0%
Mason	1568	40.8%	8.4%
McGann	1549	40.3%	8.3%
Kelly	2141	55.7%	11.5%
Roy	2021	52.6%	10.9%
Trahan	1976	51.4%	10.6%
Cafasso	1899	49.4%	10.2%
Mullen	1871	48.7%	10.1%
Armenio	1823	47.4%	9.8%
Rohrbach	1761	45.8%	9.5%

Only 1 in 10 registered voters in Franklin have a right to complain about how things are being determined.

The other 9 better do something to get involved, become informed, and cast a vote when the next election comes around.

Oh, yes. This is election year isn't it!


Notes:
The Election results can be found on the Town of Franklin Annual Report for 2008. Page 57-59.
Hard copies are available at the Municipal Building. You can also down load a copy from the website here (PDF).

The candidates for Town Council and School Committee are shown in declining order of votes received.

The % voted is their total as a percent of the total cast, 3845.

The % voters is their total as a percent of the total registered voters for 2007, 18572. From P56 of the Town Report; 19102 minus the growth of 530 voters during 2008 equals 18572.

Town Council Continues Math Error School Committee Started

In Thursday's paper:

Councilor Joseph McGann said he believes it is only a "handful" of union members who refuse to accept a wage deferment without conditions attached.

"It's just a handful, and that handful is very selfish and very one-sided. Every other union in Franklin has conceded to and waived raises," McGann said.

Gee, if we go back to the election in November 2007 that brought Councilor McGann to this position, there were 3845 ballots cast. This reflects only 20% of the total Franklin registered voters. He gained 1549 votes which was 40% of those cast and only 8% of the total Franklin registered voters. These numbers are all from the Franklin Annual Report for 2008 and you can go double check the math if you would like.

So what is this “handful” of teachers he is talking about?

According to what was reported in this paper, half the teachers participated in the first vote and 80% of those voted for the wage deferral with the three conditions. So if you do the math, that would equate to 40% of the teachers eligible to vote. 10% voted against the proposal. 50% choose not to vote.

Councilor McGann, you are calling 40% a “handful”?

Then what would you call the 8% who voted for you in November 2007?

The Town Council has chosen to unanimously and quite publicly back the School Committee. Why didn't they do that in June 2007 for the override that failed?

This time, I think they have picked the wrong numbers to make their case. They are continuing an error the School Committee started and has yet to correct.

"hearings are slated to begin next week"

Dining out at restaurants, registering your car, and even watching satellite television would get more expensive under a plan that will be recommended today by a special legislative panel hunting for new revenue to aid cities and towns.

The commission's report contains a potentially big money maker for municipalities. It says local officials should have the option of raising meal taxes by 2 percentage points and increasing taxes on hotel rooms by 4 percentage points.

The increases, along with a variety of other taxes and fees, would raise at least $409 million to benefit municipalities as state lawmakers are reducing local aid payments. It would be a crucial boost for struggling cities and towns, panel members and city leaders said.

"It's the first light we've seen in a dark tunnel," Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston said in an interview yesterday. "It seems positive to me. We've been advocating for local options for several years, and if this says cities can have their own local option, it's a good beginning."

The Boston Globe today reports on some progress made to enable local communities to obtain revenue. Read more about this attempt to reduce our dependency on local property taxes here

New England Sports Celebration - 5/31/09

From the Facebook page for the New England Sports Celebration

Come down and help us raise funds for the F.X. O’Regan Early Childhood Development Center PCC. We are planning a fun-filled family day celebrating the proud tradition of New England sports!!

Currently, we have Boston hockey legend TERRY O'REILLY coming down to sign autographs from 2PM-4PM.

Signatures are $15 each with no charge for inscriptions. You are welcome to bring your own items, and we will have a great selection of pictures, pucks and other items available for sale!

Also from 2PM - 4PM, Wally the Green Monster will be visiting to take pictures and sign autographs for his fans for FREE!!!

AND JUST ANNOUNCED - Football Legend STEVE GROGAN will also be available from 2PM-4PM!!! Signatures are $15 each with no charge for inscriptions.

There will be lots of other fun activities for the kids, as well. Cash bar and concessions will be available. did we mention....ADMISSION IS FREE!!!

This is a public event and we want to pack the place - so please feel free to invite anyone you would like!!! A lot more to come on this...

SAVE THE DATE!!

The groups formed "walking school buses"

By Michelle Laczkoski/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

Posted May 07, 2009 @ 12:03 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Dodging puddles and raindrops yesterday morning, crowds of students took to the streets in the state's third annual Walk to School Day.

Rather than driving down Oak Street yesterday morning, Alexandra Thomas walked her children, Cameron and Lily, to Oak Elementary School.

"It was a little chilly, but we did it, it was a team effort," Thomas said.

The young students seemed to grasp the mission of the event.

"It's good exercise and I wanted to help the Earth," said Cameron, a fifth-grader.

The event is put on by MassRIDES, the state's travel options service under the Executive Office of Transportation, as part of the state's Safe Routes to School program. It emphasizes the importance of increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment.

Read the full article about this walk to school day in the Milford Daily News here

40% of urban travel is for trips 2 miles or less. 90% of those trips are by car. Consider taking Clif Bar's Two Mile Challenge. Read about this effort to increase exercise and reduce pollution here

"We're very committed to making it work"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

Posted May 07, 2009 @ 12:31 AM

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MEDWAY —

After lengthy discussions, Medway's Board of Library Trustees unanimously voted to go forward with regionalizing Medway's library next year by sharing the services of Franklin's current library Director Felicia Oti.

"As a first step toward regionalizing, we accept Felicia Oti as our Interim Library Director for fiscal 2010, for a maximum of 14 hours per week," Wendy Rowe, chairwoman of Medway's Board of Library Trustees, said in an e-mail sent to officials in both towns late Tuesday night.

Medway Town Administrator Suzanne Kennedy said she was "delighted" at the board's unanimous support of regionalizing library services.

read the full article on this next step towards regionalization in the Milford Daily News here

"the art of compromise"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

Posted May 07, 2009 @ 12:33 AM

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FRANKLIN —

One after the other, town councilors last night said they support the School Committee and appealed to the teachers union to vote for wage concessions without conditions to save jobs.

"Personally, on this issue, I'm behind the School Committee 100 percent," said Chairman Christopher Feeley.

He and his fellow councilors said they do not believe the majority of teachers support the union leadership's hardline stance on the three conditions that stand in the way of an agreement with the School Committee.

They urged union leaders to hold another meeting to let the membership vote on the issue, and implored teachers to attend and let their voices be heard.

Councilor Joseph McGann said he believes it is only a "handful" of union members who refuse to accept a wage deferment without conditions attached.

"It's just a handful, and that handful is very selfish and very one-sided. Every other union in Franklin has conceded to and waived raises," McGann said.

read the full article about the Councilor's comments in the Milford Daily News here