Wednesday, December 5, 2012

"having money left over is always a good thing"

In the Franklin budget process, the Finance Committee gets the preview of the budget before it goes to the Town Council. In their meeting Tuesday, they were shown the plan to cover the capital budget in two phases for this time around. The first phase is underway and is scheduled for Council vote in Jan 2014. The second phase is scheduled to complete in Apr/May 2014. The Milford Daily News reports on the meeting in part by writing:
The Finance Committee reviewed most of the plan, including spending requests from the fire, police, technology, library and school departments — during its meeting Tuesday night. 
The committee will examine the remaining requests, from the Department of Public Works and water and sewer departments, at its Jan. 8 meeting, before spending the rest of that month reviewing the plan in its entirety and then making a recommendation to Town Council. 
Calling his strategy fiscally conservative, Nutting wants to prepare the town for strains on the budget resulting from a potentially harsh, snowy winter and a possible decline in local aid prompted by shortfalls in state revenue.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x719501763/Franklin-may-go-easy-on-capital-improvement-plan#ixzz2EAjBdwA2

MassBudget: Mid-Year Budget Cuts



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Mid-Year Budget Cuts
Because tax receipts for FY 2013 have been lower than expected, the Governor today announced a series of mid-year spending cuts--along with plans to use money from existing reserves. Our new factsheet, Mid-Year Budget Cuts for FY 2013, describes these proposals and the broader fiscal context.

Among the cuts announced today are the following:

  • Lower reimbursements for districts with high-needs special education students (via $11.5 milllion in cuts to the SPED Circuit Breaker)

  • $7.4 million in cuts to mental health programs, including some services for children and some for adults

  • A 1% cut to Local Aid, which funds municipal services including police and fire protection, parks, and public works. (This cut would have to be approved by the legislature.)

  • $200 million drawn from the state stabilization fund (the "rainy day" fund)

There are two basic reasons that Massachusetts continues to find itself in a fiscal crisis. First, because of the lingering effects of the Great Recession. And second, because of tax cuts and other declines in tax receipts over the last fifteen years that cost the state over $3 billion in annual revenue.

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER
15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700
BOSTON, MA 02108
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This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com by nberger@massbudget.org |  

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

12 Days of Donating: Day 5

On Day 5 of the "12 Days of Donating", let's continue to look back through the events of the year and see how much we can be thankful for in Franklin.

In May, there was a whole lot going on. candidate campaigns for Rep Jim Vallee's seat started, the Master Plan Committee held its first public forum, and the annual Memorial Day activities took place among the many events for the month. 

The one event, i'd like to focus on here is the combined Library Book Sale and DPW "Touch a Truck". This is a good example of Franklin seamlessly providing a quality event and yet it is a combined Town and non-profit sponsored event. The DPW provides the facility and the vehicles are arranged for easy access around the garage and parking areas. The food is donated by local businesses. The Library Book Sale is coordinated by the Friends of Franklin Library and is an all volunteer non-profit effort. The turnout is great, the smiles and bags of books are plentiful. The Library (and hence the Franklin residents) benefit from the funds raised. There is also a separate collection for the Franklin Food Pantry (which we appreciate!).

One could walk away from the event and think this is a wonderful thing that the town does. And they would be right. It is a result of the wonderful collaboration that can be very effective among the various Franklin organizations.



BookSale_20120519 011

Guy Supernor poses as Batman

For more photos from the Library Book Sale and DPW "Touch a Truck" day
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/05/library-book-sale-and-dpw-touch-truck.html

Another good example of collaboration is the current 12 Days of Donating where the Franklin Food Elves are combining forces with the Franklin Downtown Partnership benefit the Franklin Food Pantry. Donation bins are available at these participating businesses:
  • Berry Insurance, 9 Main St.
  • Chestnut Dental Associates, 38 Pond St.
  • Dean Bank, 21 Main St.
  • Dean College, Campus Center
  • DCU, 500 West Central St.
  • East Coast Driving School, 25 East Central St.
  • Emma’s Quilt Cupboard, 12 Main St.
  • Franklin Downtown Partnership Office, 9 East Central St.
  • Jane’s Frames, 11 East Central St.
  • Murphy Business, 15 East Central St.
  • RE/MAX Executive Realty, 445 Franklin Village Dr.
You can also make a donation securely through the Franklin Food Pantry web page


Day 4 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-4.html 
Day 3 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-3.html
Day 2 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-2.html
Day 1 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/11/12-days-of-donating-day-1.html

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

DelCarte Property (video)


While on my run Sunday morning, I stopped for a couple of minutes to take some pictures and this video. It is not always good to stop while running but I use the excuse that I am making my run twice as good by reporting along the way. The DelCarte Property is wonderful open space and when the dams are fixed, the trails upgraded, this will be a treasure for all of Franklin to enjoy!




Where is the DelCarte Property?




View Larger Map


Related posts on the development of the DelCarte Property

DelCarte Tour in 2010
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2010/10/franklin-ma-delcarte-tour.html

Town Council approved work on the dam in June 2012
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/06/in-news-leadership-delcarte-bullies.html

Ernest DelCarte donation
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/something-that-puts-franklin-on-map.html

Partial cell phone survey results

My thanks to the 41 folks who replied to the cell phone survey we started here yesterday before switching to the http://sensorly.com/ site. This is what we captured before we switched:



Many thanks for the quick and detailed responses. Sensorly will be a better place to aggregate our answers. I could not have replicated the maps that they provide.

Youth Employment In Massachusetts and Nationwide



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Youth Employment - In Massachusetts and the U.S.
Here in Massachusetts, close to 1 in 7 young people is unemployed. Nationwide, 6.5 million "disconnected youth" are out of school and also out of work.


A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, "Youth and Work: Restoring teen and young adult connections to opportunity," describes the many challenges today's youth face as they look to enter the job market. A separate issue brief from MassBudget, "Youth and Work in Massachusetts," provides more focused information about youth employment in Massachusetts.

At the state level, we find that:

  • The unemployment rate among young adults (16-24) has more than doubled since 2000.

  • High School dropout rates have been improving, but significant disparities remain for low-income students, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency.

  • Funding for higher education--which helps provide a path towards good jobs--has declined 30% since 2001.

The national KIDS COUNT report also tracks the growing population of "disconnected youth"--meaning young adults aged 16 to 24 who are out of work and also out of school. Since 2000, the number of disconnected youth has increased by over 30% nationwide; and in Massachusetts, the numbers have grown from 92,000 to 134,000. As the report details, "youth who miss out on an early work experience are more likely to endure later unemployment and less likely to achieve higher levels of career attainment."


Visit our FACEBOOK PAGE to share these reports, along with your thoughts.
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER
15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700
BOSTON, MA 02108
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This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com by nberger@massbudget.org |  

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

Sexual assault investigated at Dean College in Franklin

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Matt Tota/Daily News staff on 12/3/12

Local authorities are working with Dean College police to investigate a sexual assault on campus that reportedly occurred late Saturday night. The suspect is not affiliated with the school and was staying on campus as a guest, according to Gregory Chalk, a spokesman for Dean College. "Student safety is a top priority for Dean College," Chalk wrote in a statement Monday. "As of right now, we believe this to be an isolated incident with no immediate threat to our Dean community."

Things you can do from here: