Franklin Matters

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

In the News - stabbing, Planning Board, pole fire

9-year-old stabbed in Franklin

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

Franklin officials favor latest plan for former Knights property

by Alison McCall, Daily News staff

Monday, July 25, 2011

Yes, they are healthy. An unintended consequence but a wonderful one. The Franklin Downtown Partnership (a non-profit organization of business folks and citizens) raised money to adorn the downtown area with flower pots.

If you are not familiar with Franklin, this is the triangle downtown. The railroad runs underneath the bridge. Main St is behind you to the left. West central changes to East Central on the right. Also referred to as "the Triangle" this is a centerpiece for downtown.

Just off to the left of these flowers making their life among the cracks in the cement, are several of the flower pots. The pots contain a full collection and colorful assortment of flowers. How these migrated (via seeds maybe?) as runoff when the pots got watered to the cracks is open to speculation.

I'll leave the speculation to any of the CSI-wannabes around. The thought I would leave you with today is simply, when something good happens (as in the Partnership coming together to create a welcoming downtown for Franklin), more good happens!

Note: I am a citizen member of the Franklin Downtown Partnership

Sunday, July 24, 2011

"the building cannot provide an adequate level of education"

And that's just the science department.

The high school has been on warning status from its accreditation organization, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, for years, especially because it does not comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA.

In response, several members of the School Building Committee recently took a tour of four high schools in the state that were built on different state-approved model school designs.

The committee voted Monday to request a place in the state's model school program, which allows towns to build new schools based on pre-designed plans and be reimbursed by the state 58 percent of the estimated $97.9 million total cost of a new school. The state is expected to make a decision about Franklin this Wednesday.

Franklin model school choices

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

"a perfect location for a station"

... many factors have changed in the past 14 years. Population in towns west of Milford has grown significantly and the owner of the Grafton & Upton Railroad has begun restoring track in Hopedale and Milford to use for freight service, reducing the capital costs to add passenger trains. The owner, Marlborough developer Jon Delli Priscoli, has said he would be willing to work with the MBTA if the project moves forward, Moore said.

The study will examine Hopedale's Draper mill complex as the last station on the line with the possibility of adding stops between Franklin and Hopedale including in Milford, Moore said.

The Draper complex is a privately owned 1.5 million-square-foot former mill in downtown Hopedale that has been mostly vacant for years.

"Freight alone servicing the old Draper facility makes that facility far more attractive to development," said Moore, a former Hopedale selectman. "If there's also commuter rail, it's a tremendous opportunity."