Franklin Matters

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Wicked Local - Storify on Hercules

Storify is a cool tool that will allow someone (in this case WickedLocal) to put together a story combining tweets around a particular hashtag. As the Twitter users make their posts including the hashtag #Hercules, WickedLocal then sorted to get the Eastern MA users to put together this "story"

One of my personal tweets showed the back deck and the wooden furniture covered with snow, though not covered as much as in past years. What caught my eye to take the photo was the holes in the snow where it was able to fall through the boards of the decking.

You can scroll along almost to the end to find my posting/picture and see a sample of what everyone else was doing yesterday.

Enjoy!

"I’m keeping an open mind"

Wicked Local reports on Representative Jeff Roy's efforts to learn all he can about the issues around licencing of firearms.

According to Roy, the Sandy Hook shooting served as a catalyst. Leaving the University of Massachusetts after a training session for newly elected lawmakers, Roy said he heard the first reports from Newtown, Conn.

"It chilled me and gave me a real sense of the work I was going to undertake on Jan. 2," Roy said, referring to his swearing-in date. "I knew gun violence was going to be an important topic in the Legislature."

The Legislature’s work on new state gun proposals will ramp up with the release of the gun violence task force’s anticipated report. Appointed last year by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, the group has been meeting with mental health experts, researchers, school officials and police chiefs, Roy said.

The report, he said, will touch on school safety, mental health and gun licensing.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Trash Pickup Delay Explanation

Good morning, once again. A follow up message from the DPW. To clarify, this weeks' trash pickup has been delayed due to New Year's AND the storm. Thursday pickup will be tomorrow, today's will be Monday, and ALL of next week will be delayed by one day due to logistics (Monday will be Tuesday, Tuesday will be Wednesday, etc). Next week is also Christmas tree pickup; just put them out with your trash. Thank you for your understanding. Good bye.

This e-mail has been sent to you by TOWN OF FRANKLIN. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform TOWN OF FRANKLIN either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 508-520-4938 or REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

Trash Pickup Delayed

Good Morning. This is a message from DPW Director Robert Cantoreggi. Due to the storm, trash and recycling pickup will be delayed one day.

#Hercules

Hercules!

yes, #Hercules is here... hunker down, stay warm...

a nice snow covered street in Franklin

The plows have been by but are due back when the snow ends to clean up

Stay warm!

Annual Report 2013: Community Garden Committee

As we enter our third season at the King Street Community Garden, we are proud to report that we are
continuing to provide the citizens of Franklin with a place to meet, learn, and grow. Experienced and novice gardeners of all ages are taking advantage of our commitment to a healthy space in which we can share the joy of growing organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

Partnering with the Town of Franklin, the Recreation Department and the nonprofit Friends of Franklin
Community Gardens, Your Community Garden Committee:

Identifies appropriate locations
Coordinates design and construction of new gardens
Develops and enforces rules and regulations for the gardens
Oversees the plot lottery, gardener registration and plot distribution

We pledge to continue:

Supporting our community in growing local food
Providing locally harvested food to those in need
Promoting increased social interaction through gardening within our community
Developing an educational garden for all ages

In 2013, we increased our available garden space by eight beds, following the move downtown of the four
beds formerly reserved for growing produce for the Franklin Food Pantry and the building of four brand new
beds. Even with the expanded space, we have many aspiring gardeners still on the wait list for a bed!

This season, we've introduced some new systems to help our garden run more smoothly, including a
biweekly work day to allow all gardeners the chance to help out with general maintenance and a flag system
to alert gardeners to potential trouble spots. It’s not all work though – we've also introduced a monthly award for the best garden.

Our garden shed has also seen a few upgrades, including additional interior shelving, a rainwater collection system, and a bulletin board for gardeners to communicate with each other and learn about garden events.

We look forward to many more harvests to come! If you would like to join us for the 2014 season, please
visit the Franklin Recreation Department in person or online and select “register for activities” then select
“community garden.”

The Community Garden Committee meets the First Monday of the month at Town Hall. Check the Town of Franklin Meeting Calendar for details.

If you are interested in serving on the committee, please contact any committee member or visit the Town Clerk’s office.
Amy Acevedo, Chair
Christopher Clay, Vice-Chair
Kiernan Reed, Secretary
Rich Clauser, Member
Bonnie Kaiden, Associate Member

Respectfully Submitted,
Kiernan Reed