Next steps in Education Reform

Governor Deval Patrick announced two new pieces of legislation to take the next steps in education reform. This video summarizes his announcement.

To learn more about the legislation, please view the fact sheet, the Readiness Schools legislation and the Charter School "Smart Cap" legislation.

To learn more about the Commonwealth Readiness project and watch the rollout and read their final report.

Visit the original information on the Governor's page here.

How do you go from stained glass to blue grass?

How DO you go from stained glass to bluegrass?

Well, if you happened to be in Franklin on Thursday July 16th, it was pretty easy to do.

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce helped Roger Magalhaes open his new showroom for Shades IN Place at 76 Grove St, Franklin at 11:00 AM.

Roger has operated his business from his home in Hopkinton for three years and found the opportunity to showcase the work that he can do for windows here in Franklin. He also collaborates with Carol Collord and Deby Carlson to provide complete window treatments with matching furniture coverings or accessories. Roger focuses on the hardgoods and performs the installation. Carol and Deby will provide the softgoods to complete the whole treatment.


A sample of a stained glass effect window at Shades IN Place. The effect is created with a layered plastic decal carefully covering the glass. Roger explained to me that to obtain the same effect from real stained glass would cost four times as much.

Additional photos of Roger's new showroom are available online at the Shades IN Place web site here



The contingent of United Regional Chamber of Commerce members gathered around Roger (in the center with the cap) to prepare for the official ribbon ceremony.






Franklin Planning Director, Brian Taberner talks with Roger proudly holding a couple of welcome plaques from Congressman Jim McGovern's office and from Senator Karen Spilka's office.





What is the crowd gathering for at Rick's? Could it be the free single scoop ice cream cone provided compliments of Middlesex Savings Bank? or could it be the bluegrass music?






It probably was a combination of the two as folks gathered around enjoying the ice cream on a summer evening listening to the bluegrass band; Obi's Boys, get into real foot tapping music in the parking lot at Rick's.





So mark your calendar for August 20th.

Look for the Third Thursday signs outside the participating businesses and enjoy the evening in downtown Franklin! Third Thursday is a collaborative effort of the local businesses coordinated by the Franklin Downtown Partnership.

Franklin Farmers Market Noon - 6:00 PM

The Farmers Market will be open today from noon to 6:00 PM on the Town Common.

This is your weekly opportunity to help the local economy and to get quality food items.

Site prep for Walgreens continues with Four Corners Bldg gone

Site prep for Walgreens continues with Four Corners Bldg gone, originally uploaded by shersteve.

If you have any photos of Four Corners as it was being taken down that you would like to share, please let me know.

If you have any interior photos of Four Corners as a school building that you would like to share, please let me know.

Today - Third Thursday

TODAY

On Thursday, July 16th, the Franklin Downtown Partnership presents its monthly Third Thursday event. Hosted in July by Rick’s Restaurant and Salon Sorella, and sponsored by Middlesex Savings Bank, the event will feature Obi’s Boys performing timeless and traditional bluegrass favorites, along with ice cream, giveaways, and open houses by Franklin Downtown members.

Salon Sorella will give away free beach balls and sun awareness sample packs, and will hold a free drawing for sun-safe airbrush tanning. Artbeat, the Creativity Store, will offer free face painting and balloons from 4:30 to 6 pm, along with lemonade and cookies. Sarapaan is holding an open house at their new location next to Café Dolce, and Emma’s Quilt Cupboard & Sewing Machines will preview their broad selection of Christmas fabric, samples, and decorations.

In addition, Pretty is Pink will offer 20% off all Vera Bradley purchases along with bubbly and treats, and Jane’s Frames will host an artists’ reception featuring local artists James McCue and Robert Collins. Bob Collins will discuss the compositional elements of landscape, as well as how and why artists design landscapes while he works with acrylics on canvas. Refreshments will be served.

Franklin Downtown Partnership, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering greater vitality in the downtown commercial district and to serve as a vehicle for public policy discourse. The Partnership sees Franklin’s downtown as the heart of the community. The Partnership’s mission is to lessen the burden of local government through public improvement activities, which combat community deterioration, preserve the historic downtown character and educate the public about the architecture and history of the area. The Partnership office is located at 9 east Central Street. For more information you can contact Executive Director, Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109 or at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com

Middlesex Savings Bank, a $4.0 billion financial institution, is one of the largest independent community banks in Massachusetts. Headquartered in Natick, the bank has over 600 employees in 25 towns and offers a full range of personal and business financial services.

Town Council Mtg Smry 07/15/09

The collection of live reporting from the Town Council meeting of 7/15/09 can be found here

• Planning and Community Development Presentation
• DPW Water Presentation

• Live reporting - meeting wrap-up

• Live reporting - action items (continued)
• Live reporting - Action items
• Live reporting - Planning & Community Development
• Live reporting - Water Q&A
• Live reporting - License hearings
• Live reporting - Water update
• Live reporting - Town Council 7/15/09

• Town Council - Agenda - 7/15/09

Live reporting - meeting wrap-up

Zollo - can you explain what the contruction at Exit 16/King St is doing?
Nutting - this will be a $3.5 million project to widen the entrance to the industrial park, add lights to both exits, have double lanes under the bridges. You might want to take Exit 17 for some time.

Feely - provides a brief update on the school building committee in response to a request from Zollo. Bottom line, the Town could go for a debt exclusion as early as Dec 2010.

There is an agreement in principle on what the renovations would be, initial plans could be submitted in Aug 2009. Assuming these plans are accepted, then the plans would be worked to a finer detail with a project manager, etc. and re-submitted. Assuming this set of plans are accepted by the State then the Town would have 120 days to approve a debt exclusion.

My note - the operative word would be "renovations". There was no mention of a new building only renovations.