"a training exercise as realistic"

What was happening at Dean College on Wednesday when the police were swarming all over the campus?

The Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council’s SWAT division performed a training exercise Wednesday at the college. Known as MetroLEC, the council— a consortium of 43 police and sheriff departments that work together to offer unique and highly specialized law enforcement resources — simulated a crisis involving a sole shooter roaming the campus. 

"At the time we arrived, we did not know where exactly the person was located on the campus," said Medway Police Sgt. Jason Brennan, one of the commanders of the SWAT unit. "We identified two buildings that we wanted to work in, and the teams worked to clear both of those buildings and extricate anyone trapped inside, escorting them off campus." 

Such exercises introduce the tactical team to different environs, each calling for different responses, Brennan said. 

"We focus on running these drills with the mentality that, the more we do this, and in some cases the more mistakes we make, the better prepared we’ll be God forbid we ever have to actually come to the campus."

Read more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/franklin/news/x1266955428/SWAT-team-trains-at-Dean-College-in-Franklin#ixzz2pzb5HC67

Networking Workshop-Fisher College on Thursday January 23rd from 6-7:30 PM

What is the YPO? The YPO is THE place for young professionals who have an interest in social and business networking, community involvement, and professional development.   Come meet other young professionals in your area and check out the YPO!        YPO Now Accepting New Members The YPO Membership Application is now available! For your convenience, you can download the application here, or you can complete it online at our new website: www.unitedregionalypo.org/join. Membership fees are $50 per person, annually. If your business is a member of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce (URCC), your first year of membership into the YPO is free! Applications can be returned: Online: unitedregionalypo.org/join Email:unitedregionalypo@ymail.com Fax: (508) 223-5220 Mail: 42 Union Street, Attleboro, MA 02703  Thank You to our Event Sponsor       Patriot Place, Foxboro, MA  Networking Workshop Tips and Techniques to Make More Connections   Join the United Regional YPO and our guest Ed McDonough for our 1st quarterly workshop of 2014 at Fisher College on Thursday January 23rd from 6-7:30 PM. This workshop will be held in Room 3 of the North Attleboro campus at 451 Elm St. Ed will share how tips on how to engage the person or audience you are speaking to and cover the do's and don'ts to networking effectively. He'll also show you how to create a 30 second "elevator" speech that gets you noticed! Ed McDonough is a Business Growth Expert, certified Business Coach, a respected Marketing Consultant and the founder of Executive Coaching in Walpole, MA. Since 2001 Ed has been a successful entrepreneur and multi-business owner who has a unique talent for developing and implementing long-term profitable marketing strategies. In addition to his business owner experience, Mr. McDonough spent over 25 years as a top-level Information Technology professional and Project Management Consultant in Corporate America, making him well versed in all facets of the business environment. His real-world brick and mortar business experience combined with his passion for effective web-based marketing has lead him to coach business owners throughout North America to success from the ground up.      Be sure to check out our upcoming events on our website and stay up to date with everything YPO by connecting with us online. We look forward to seeing you at our next event!    Kind Regards, United Regional YPO Important *Must be at least 21 years old to attend events For more info call 508-488-9761 or e-mail unitedregionalypo@ymail.com .

Forward email United Regional YPO | 42 Union Street | Attleboro | MA | 02703

Annual Report 2013: Public Library

In FY2013, the Franklin Public Library continued to strengthen its programs and services.

The Library welcomed Allison Meideros, Youth Services Librarian. Allison has brought a fresh perspective and boundless energy to programming. This enthusiasm is reflected in the number of new regularly scheduled programs, special programs and new collaborations with Downtown Partnerships, the Franklin School of Performing Arts, Community Partnerships and the Mom’s Club. This fall, Community Partnerships will introduce a new Science Friday program and a special music story time.

You found value in our many services.

1. Annual Circulation
Total circulation in FY2013 stood at 310,897, up 1,090 from FY2012. The graph below depicts these numbers.

2. Weekly Internet Usage
The library experienced a tremendous increase in internet usage between FY2013 and FY2012. In 2012, the weekly internet usage was 167. This number increased almost two fold (174% increase) to 457 in FY2013.

3. Library Visits
Library usage continues to increase steadily – a clear testament to the quality and depth of programming and services that the library continues to offer. In FY2013 library visits increased by 16,009 to 193,333 over FY 2012 visits of 177,324 – a 9% annual increase.

4 Children’s Programs Attendance
Attendance in children’s program has seen a phenomenal increase for FY2013. In FY2012, children’s programs attendance stood at 5,328. In FY2013, this number increased by 1,540 or 29% to 6,868. The library continues to expand its programs to meet the needs of its young patrons and this increase is a clear evidence of the attractiveness of these programs.

Student Assistance Center
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, our commitment providing homework assistance to students in grades 1-8 had another successful year.

You asked for an ongoing used book sale in the library and we provided two for your convenience, one for our young patrons on the ground floor and another for tweens, teens and adults on the second floor.

Ben Franklin statue outside the Library on a sunny day

Moving Forward: Assessing the Future
You engaged us with constructive feedback and invaluable suggestions for the future. For all of you participated in the focus group interviews and the online survey we say, thank you. Your input will help identify service priorities and guide the allocation of resources.

I attribute our growth and strength to an incredible group:
• The Board of Directors for their commitment to service excellence and responsible stewardship,
• The Town Administrator and elected officials who make library funding possible,
• The hard-working staff,
• The Friends, volunteers and generous donors,
• The Franklin School of performing Arts for entertaining many patrons with plays and dance this summer,
• Kyle Perry for organizing and soliciting donations for a week long Lego challenge,
• The Teen Advisory Board for their time and outreach efforts.
• Andrea Burke and her programming committee for their hard work in planning adult programs,
• And our patrons whose insights and strong, consistent use of the library’s varied collections and services make us better.

Respectfully submitted,

F.Oti, Library Director


Note: given the layout and use of photos in this section of the report, the full section (available on the Library page) is also shared here:




The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf

Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

"Lifelong Learning has been busy with all things SUMMER"

... Lifelong Learning has been busy with all things SUMMER. The Math Academy, Summer Music, Summer Art Institute, Solutions Summer Adventure, High School Academics, the High School Experience, Ready ... Set ... Kindergarten, Oceans of Fun, and STAR are returning with another summer of interesting courses. 

Numerous course proposals for STAR have been submitted and are in the process of being reviewed. This summer STAR offerings will include: art, science, sports & fitness, crafts, STEM, cooking, adventures, and more.Watch for the course registration to go "live" after the middle of January. If you have any questions about the summer programs email us: lifelong@franklin.k12.ma.us.

Read the full article on the Lifelong Learning website here
http://lifelonglearningfps.blogspot.com/2014/01/wednesday-january-8-2014.html

"To see smiles coming off the ice it was exciting"

HockomockSports.com reports on the Franklin boys hockey team game vs. Stoughton:

Franklin scored six goals in the second period, sandwiched between a one goal first period and a two goal third period to blank Stoughton, 9-0, on the road Wednesday evening. Franklin picks up just their third win of the season after having to battle some of the best teams from Massachusetts as well as other states. For the Panthers, it was all about getting back on track.

"That was the only mindset we had," Franklin head coach Chris Spillane said. "Coming in 2-4, we just needed to play some hockey and score some goals. The first period was a little disappointing, we came out a little slow. Their goaltender had a great game, everything we threw on net he stopped. The second period I think we got more selective with our shots. It's a good win to have.

Read the full article here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2014/01/franklin-gets-back-on-track-with-offensive-outburst.html

"Single cigars account for about 80 percent of all tobacco sales"

The Board of Health tabled approval of their proposed revision to the tobacco regulations until the Feb 4th meeting. This action came after the public hearing during which testimony from multiple parties was presented. One of the advocates proposing to raise the age to buy tobacco fell short in his presentation:

Dr. Lester Hartman, a Westwood pediatrician and advocate for increasing the age limit to buy tobacco products to 21 statewide, said that 90 percent of underage smokers purchase cigarettes from fellow teens between the ages of 18 and 20. 

The idea, he said, is raising the age to 21 cuts out those teenagers buying cigarettes for their younger high school friends. 

"You take the distributorship out of the high school," he said, acknowledging, however, that he lacks data to support the theory.

- See more at: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140107/NEWS/140109804/?tag=1#sthash.V0CQYB9n.dpuf


If you missed reading the proposed regulations you can find the listing here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/01/regulations-tighten-towns-rules-on.html

FYI: Police Training Exercise

Training Notice/Police Activity

January 8th, between the hours of 8am and 1pm, members of the FPD along with other departments, will be conducting a training exercise on Dean Campus property. You will see many officers and police vehicles in the area. There is NO need for concern; it is a training exercise only.

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