Franklin Matters

Friday, June 10, 2011

Farmers Market: noon to 6:00 PM

Reminder, the Farmers Market opens today on the Town Common from noon to 6:00 PM.

Relay for Life starts 6:00 PM Friday 6/10/11

The Relay for Life starts on the Franklin High School track at 6:00 PM Friday, June 10.

According to the website this morning, there are 35 team registered to walk. About 400 people will take part in this event that has already raised over $72,000.

For more information and to donate online, visit the Relay for Life website here

"the ability of the town to respond to emergencies"

The budget cuts about 31 positions, including two firefighters, two police officers, 5.5 library jobs, four Public Works jobs and more than 14 school positions. It represents a 1.3 percent increase over this year's $88.1 million budget.

Cuts are needed because of decreased state aid, local revenue and $2 million less in federal school stimulus money. Increased contractual obligations and health insurance costs have led to a rise in the school budget, administrators have said.

Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said on Wednesday that there would be three to four layoffs on the town hall side. The rest of the positions are already vacant or will be by the start of the fiscal year next month.

FHS and HMMS students visit the US Army Natick Labs

“This is the U.S. Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center. I know it’s a long name, but the most important word here is Soldier,” said Bulger, NSRDEC workforce development manager. “Everything we do here is to support the Soldier.”

That is how Bulger greeted the 65 students assembled May 16 in Hunter Auditorium from Franklin (Mass.) High School and Franklin’s Horace Mann Middle School. About 40 high school students and 25 middle school students, accompanied by nine chaperones, divided into small groups to tour facilities on the installation.

At each destination, an expert walked them through the lab, explained the basics of his or her job, answered questions, and provided a demonstration. Middle school children visited the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Lab, Sensory Lab, and Prototype Shop while high school students saw the Thermal Test Facility, Doriot Climatic Chambers, and Fiber Facility.

The middle school kids really enjoyed the science experiments; one seventh grade student in particular was amazed by the MREs: “We had three-year-old cake! But it tasted the same as the other fresh cakes!” A fellow student commented: “The food stuff was really cool. I had never thought of doing this kind of job, but this visit definitely sparked my interest.”

That’s what STEM visits are designed to do. Students are afforded the opportunity to glimpse what they could do in the future should they choose to pursue degrees in science, mathematics, education or technology. Students became scientists when they experimented here, while at the STEM Lab, students created mini bottle rockets, tested fabrics that repelled water, made silly putty, and performed chromatography tests.

Continue reading the remainder of the article on the US Army website here

Thursday, June 9, 2011

"it shows fairness, concern and sensitivity"

The Finance Committee has recommended an $89.3 million fiscal 2012 budget that cuts about 31 positions, including two firefighters, two police officers, 5.5 library jobs, four Public Works jobs and more than 14 school positions. It represents a 1.3 percent increase over this year's $88.1 million budget.

Cuts are needed because of decreased state aid, local revenue and $2 million less in federal school stimulus money. Increased contractual obligations and health insurance costs have led to a rise in the school budget, administrators have said.

Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting told the council there would be three to four layoffs on the town side.

"That is very regrettable ... but is necessary to make ends meet," Nutting said. "I think we will be able to provide critical services with this budget because we have great employees and great department heads."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1166552892/Franklin-council-worried-about-cuts#ixzz1OlqiqB18

Note: there would be more layoffs on the Town side if the Town had not already chosen to NOT fill positions as people left. Leaving the positions open in anticipation of these cuts was a wise move under the circumstances.

The FY 2012 budget page can be found here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/01/fiscal-year-2012-budget-information.html

In the News - jogger, schools, summer jobs, fire

Franklin jogger spooked by shirtless man

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Brian Benson/Daily News staff

Franklin students end year with early release days

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports

Franklin Recreation offers summer jobs

from The Milford Daily News News RSS

Firefighters douse camper fire in Franklin

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Budget Monitor: The Senate Fiscal Year 2012 Budget

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Contact Info

Noah Berger

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nberger@massbudget.org

(617) 426-1228 x102

Budget Monitor:

The Senate Fiscal Year 2012 Budget

June 8, 2011

With the House and Senate budget debate complete, conferees from the two branches are now meeting to resolve differences. This Budget Monitor describes amendments adopted by the Senate, the differences between the Senate and House proposals, and how the recommendations in these proposals compare to current spending and, in some cases, to historic spending levels.

The full Senate did not make major changes to the Senate Ways and Means budget proposal. Among the more significant amendments adopted were ones that modestly reduced cuts in certain education and youth jobs programs, in services for people with developmental disabilities, and in the clothing allowance for children who receive public assistance.

This Monitor also describes the major areas of difference between the House and Senate budgets. Among the areas where the Senate proposes more funding than the House are health care for legal immigrants in the Commonwealth Care Bridge program, early intervention programs and other public health programs. Major differences where the House is higher include child care for low-income working families and reimbursements for school districts with students in high need of high cost special education services.

The report is available at www.massbudget.org or by clicking here.

MassBudget's online Budget Browser has also been updated to include the Senate Fiscal Year 2012 budget.

See MassBudget's Budget Browser to explore Massachusetts state budgets from Fiscal Year 2001 to the present, as well as budget proposals for the next fiscal year as they are offered by the Governor and the Legislature.

MassBudget provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies, as well as economic issues, with particular attention to the effects on low- and moderate-income people.

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