Rail Trail Committee meeting Dec 11, 2012 - 7:00 PM

The Franklin and Bellingham Rail Trail Committee (FBRTC) will hold its annual meeting tomorrow evening, Tuesday, December 11, 2012. The meeting will begin at 7:30 pm and will be held at the YMCA in Franklin. This meeting will serve as the FBRTC's annual meeting and we will be electing officers for 2013. If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please respond to this email or contact Marc Kaplan (mkap7@hotmail.com) or David Labonte (david.labonte@verizon.net)

Other items we will discuss at this meeting include: motorized vehicle usage on the trail, a map of the trail in Franklin and Bellingham, potential grant projects, and the developments with the Town of Franklin related to the Prospect St crossing. Attached is an agenda. We need your help with these projects, so please consider attending tomorrow.

Also, last Sunday a group of students from Dean College's Outdoor Recreation Club volunteered to staff an information table at the trail head on Grove St. For a few hours, students took a count of the number of users/visitors to the trail and the type (walker, biker, etc). This could become an ongoing project for the club starting in the spring. While it is unscientific study, it will help give us an idea of the utilization of the trail and help get the word out about the committee and trail efforts. Attached is a picture from last Sunday.

We look forward to your participation and input tomorrow and in 2013.

The agenda:



The trail map

State opens registration for Student Government Day

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

State opens registration for Student Government Day

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports on 12/10/12

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has opened registration for the 2013 Student Government Day, and Sen. Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge, is encouraging all area high schools to participate.

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The Great $3 Candle Sale: December 15 & 16

Our Facebook Page   |  Our Website CANDLES    FOR COMMUNITY  THE GREAT $3 CANDLE SALE AT THE HOCKOMOCK AREA YMCA THIS WEEKEND AT ALL 3 BRANCHES WHEN: Saturday, December 15th 9:00am-2:00pm Sunday, December 16th 10:00am-2:00pm These high-end, designer candles will be sold for $3.  ($20+ retail value) Thanks to a good friend of our YMCA, we have thousands of designer candles donated to help support our Reach Out For Youth & Families Campaign. "Help Light the Way" for children & families in our community.   Every dollar (and scent!) will benefit our Y's annual campaign.   Candles make great gifts for holiday hosts, teachers, friends, grandparents, parents, siblings, etc. We look forward to seeing you this weekend and thank you in advance for your support. Sincerely, Hockomock Area YMCA

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CHRISTMAS CONCERTS AND SERVICES

Dear Friends of Our Lady of La Salette and Her Shrine,

Rev. Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, Media Friends and Pilgrim Friends:

Please review our new Shrine and Welcome Center Christmas Concerts enclosed.

We also wish to invite you to come and visit us and see the most beautiful Lights and Services you've ever seen here at Our Lady's Shrine. 

We've got more lights than ever!  Beautiful snowflakes, Christmas trees beautifully decorated, the outdoor Manger and a live donkey named Clopper for the little children and big children to enjoy seeing how gentle Clopper really is. It's like reliving the birth of Jesus.

You can also have the opportunity to send Jesus His birthday card by going to the Welcome Center and visit the Birthday Card for Jesus!

These are precious moments that you will find Our Lady's Shrine and we all continue to share with each one of you the Spirit of the Season ...Jesus' birth.

Christmas is the true "DESCENDING DOVE" we truly wish to bless you and your loved ones in this Year of Faith. 

Come and be blessed at Christmas and year-round! We are here for you!  

Wishing you A Healthy, Happy, Holy Christmas and A Peace-filled New Year!

May Our Lady of La Salette and Jesus always bless you!

Merci! Dzienkujemy, Bog Zaplacz! Gracias! Graci!

Brother Bob Russell, M.S., Director

Brother David Eubank, M.S. / Shrine Publicist & Young Adult Ministry Coordinator

All of us The Attleboro La Salette Missionaries

12 Days of Donating: Day 11

On Day 11 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 November, the FHS Girls Soccer team won the state championship to complete their season undefeated, over 300 runners/walker turned out on Thanksgiving morning to raise a ton of food and a great deal of money for the Feed the Need 5K, the high school building project got update with a better timeline now that construction is actually underway and Franklin went to the field house to vote on Nov 6th.

The voter turnout for this Presidential year was just over 80% and similar to other elections of this category. This is the highest turnout that Franklin provides for an election. The lowest is the biannual vote for the Town Council, School Committee and other local officials that are elected (rather than appointed). For these elections, Franklin generally turns out around 18% although there was an increase in the last election. If that is the indication of a change in turnout, time will tell.

The every four year State level elections turn out the second most Franklin voters with just over 60%. The elections that really matter the most to Franklin taxpayers are those for override or debt exclusion votes and about 40% turn out for those.

One could say that money is what drives these numbers. The overall campaign dollars spent for a Presidential election dwarfs the State level and especially the local level. The dollars up for vote is what drives the override and debt exclusion turnout to be twice what it is for electing our officials.

Perhaps then, the need for money to assist the Food Pantry in completing its mission will help both the Food Elves and the Franklin Downtown Partnership be successful in their drive. The people of Franklin receive the real benefits of such collaboration!

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

http://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/

Day 10 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-10.html
Day 9 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-9.html
Day 8 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-8.html
Day 7 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-7.html
Day 6 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-6.html
Day 5 - http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/12-days-of-donating-day-5.html
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

How can I volunteer? (video)

Thanks to Eagle Scout Zach Zollo, the Franklin Food Pantry has a couple of videos to share. This one answers the question on what you could do to volunteer for the Food Pantry.

Parmenter and Five Guys, Dec 11

From the sing outside the Parmenter Elementary School, we find that there is a fund raising event on Tuesday, Dec 11 at Five Guys.

The schools have half days on Thu/Fri with parent conferences scheduled.