Firefighter Chad Larivee Fund

A local Franklin family is truly in need of our community support - please click on this Gofundme page to donate  http://www.gofundme.com/ci2rmk

screenshot of Firefighter Chad Larivee Fund

On Tuesday morning, July 29th, Taunton Massachusetts Firefighter Chad "Choggy" Larivee suffered severe neck and spinal injuries resulting from a fall from a roof. 

Chad, along with two other off-duty firefighters, was repairing the roof of a brother firefighter when he fell approximately twenty-five feet. Chad was immediately flown to Rhode Island Hospital Trauma Center where he underwent over 9 hours of extensive surgery. 

At this time, we still do not know the extent of Chad's injuries but we do know his road to recovery is going to be long, difficult and costly.

Chad grew up in the community he works in and comes from a great, hard-working blue-collar family. Chad himself is a hard-working, devoted husband to his wife, Jeanne, and father to 3 young children ranging in age from 8 to 13 years. 

He has been serving whis community on the Fire department for over 16 years. As a firefighter, Chad routinely risks his own life to help preserve the life and safety of others, most of whom are total strangers. 

Firefighters, by nature, are never ones to ask for help, and Firefighter Larivee fits that profile to a T. The reality is, however, that everyone needs help at some point in their lives. Yes, even firefighters. The costs of an injury like the one Chad has suffered can be insurmountable. 

Hundreds of people have come forward to express their concern and ask what they can do to help, with many expressing feelings of helplessness. The truth is, there is a way people can help and that's by way of monetary donations. 

If you are able to give any amount, no matter how big or small, the good it will do for Firefighter Larivee and his family is immeasurable. 

In the coming weeks and months, we will update everyone on Chad's status and the progress he has made. All donations will be used to offset medical expenses and ensure that the family can remain by his side to facilitate his recovery. Thank you, in advance, for your donation, and please continue to pray for Firefighter Larivee and the entire Larivee family.

In the News: club lacrosse, meals tax

Kristin Igoe, the girls lacrosse coach at Franklin High school and Tanner Guarino, the incoming lacrosse coach of Holliston High are in a joint venture.

"That’s late by today’s standards," says Igoe. "A lot of kids start in fourth grade, some even younger." 

To give girls the opportunity they didn’t have, Igoe and Guarino this year launched Gold Star Lacrosse, a Medway-based club lacrosse team for girls in fourth through eighth grade. 

"A lot of girls play lacrosse, but there’s not a club in this area so we wanted to bring a quality youth program here," says Igoe.

Continue reading the full article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140811/NEWS/140819848/2000/NEWS


The Milford Daily News has an article on the local implementations of the meals tax and makes reference to Franklin..

Slightly larger than Milford, Franklin adopted the meals tax in 2010 and has received an average of $465,000 in added annual revenue over the last two years. 

Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said he recommended passage to Town Council in 2010 because Franklin was "desperate’’ at a time of fluctuating state aid. 

With many non-residents staying in Franklin’s three hotels and patronizing local restaurants, he said the extra 75 cents charge on a $100 meal was barely felt but brought significant revenues that were put to good use. 

"We used it to save jobs,’’ said Nutting. "We kept people working."

Continue reading the full article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140811/NEWS/140819738

Saturday's photo walk around Franklin

On my Saturday walk around Franklin I found lots of opportunity to take some good photos. The sky was so blue, the air so clean and the weather overall a delight. Here are some of the highlights of my 'reporting by walking around.'

siding at the new Franklin TV studio

flags flying in the breeze over the World War I memorial

flowers in full bloom on the Town Common

bus entrance looking towards Oak St

bus entrance to Horace Mann/Oak St being redone to provide access to the new FHS cafeteria and service area

sidewalks and entrance to cafeteria and service area

entrance to the new FHS is level with the ground for easy handicap access

the entrance to the old building had steps to the front and steps to the fieldhouse

a different and closer view of the fieldhouse remains

Franklin Kids Hiking Group

Franklin parents and grandparents who want to be out and about enjoying the wonders of a nature hike have a group to join and participate in. Leah Christina has organized such a group for Franklin. It started this summer and has gathered a following already.

You may have seen the article by Marjorie Turner Hallman in the August issue of the Franklin Town News.

Franklin, MA Kids Group

A PDF version of the article can be found here (look on page 12)
http://www.localtownpages.com/sites/default/files/newspaperpdf/2014_08_franklin.pdf

from their Facebook page:

This group is a work in progress and I will continue to update on the group as well as any planned events and activities coming forward. 

The rules are very simple:

• Please act like adults. Be kind, courteous, and respectful.

• Please be careful of info you are posting that you may not want to share with others.

• Feel free to share your adventures and experience while on a hike.

• You may share negative comments and let the group know of disappointment in a hike but please do so in a well respectful manner.

• Enjoy the site, the trails, and the new friends you will meet along the way.

Please feel free to invite those you feel would benefit from the group and please remember the group is open to any and all feedback to help us continue to grow!!

August hikes

The calendar for August shows hikes at Foxboro State Forest on the 12th and Franklin's SNETT Trail on the 13th. Some activities are age specific. Some also have size limits, others are open to all.

August calendar for hiking group

The August calendar can be found on Facebook here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/830232910335361/835869489771703/

Contact Info

For more information visit their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/830232910335361/

If not on Facebook, you can contact them via email at FranklinKidsHike@yahoo.com

Franklin Library: "Reading is Magic"

Ed the Wizard will bring his "Reading is Magic" performance to the Franklin Library on Tuesday at 3:00 PM

"Reading is Magic" is a 45 minute interactive magic performance using many volunteers
with reading as the emphasis behind the program. Suitable for all grades, PreK-12, as the message, routines, and understanding levels increase with each grade level. What are the goals of Reading is Magic? The message of each performance is to emphasize upon your students the importance and power of reading; how reading and comprehension are tools that they will use everyday, how I taught myself the art of prestidigitation, how each and every student can use their reading skills to learn anything that they choose to learn, and how reading encourages independent thought.

Magic books from your library's collection will be put on display as I briefly discuss some of them and perform a routine from one. I also highlight the new book that I donate to your collection and perform a routine from that book. Now your students have seen the magic and have been pointed to the resources; the rest is up to them! And of course how I mention the fact that I was inspired by Albus Dumbledore from "Harry Potter" into becoming a fully fledged wizard!

Ed the Wizard - "Reading is Magic"

For more about Ed the Wizard, you can check out his website here
http://www.edthewizard.com/

Ed the Wizard

Some of this was shared from the Franklin Library site (and some from Ed the Wizard's site)
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2014/08/reading-is-magic.html

Ladybugs on parade

The Town Common has an infestation of ladybugs but not the kind you'll call an exterminator for. These are works of art showcasing all things Franklin.

The ladybugs will be on the Town Common again Sunday from noon to 4:00 PM.

Ladybug spots

 A couple of the ladybugs are shown here.

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home - detail 1

Home Sweet Home - detail 2

Franklin Art Bug

Franklin Art Bug - detail 1

Franklin Art Bug - detail 2

Franklin Art Bug - detail 3

Franklin Cultural Council

Thanks to the Franklin Cultural Council for pulling this together and to all the sponsors and artists for their contributions.

Megan Washington - overcoming her stutter

There are all kinds of disabilities, some are more visible than others. Megan Washington candidly talks bout her stuttering in this recent TED Talk

Megan Washington is one of Australia's premier singer/songwriters. And, since childhood, she has had a stutter. In this bold and personal talk, she reveals how she copes with this speech impediment—from avoiding the letter combination “st” to tricking her brain by changing her words at the last minute to, yes, singing the things she has to say rather than speaking them.

You can find more about her music on her website
http://www.meganwashington.com/

on wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Washington

or on YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kztAvgm4CNE

Megan Washington's webpage