Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 2/13/15-2/19/15

FRI 2/13   1:30pm   Adult Coffee and Craft: Fabric Memo Board at Franklin Public Library
FRI 2/13   6:30pm   Art Night Uncorked at Franklin Art Center
FRI 2/13   7pm-10pm   Middle School Winter Dance for 5-8th graders at Tri-County HS in Franklin
FRI 2/13   8-9:50pm   Frozen Friday DJ Public Skate at Pirelli Arena

SAT 2/14   8pm   Black Box Jazz Series: April Hall Quartet

TUE 2/17   1pm   Liquid Nitrogen Demonstrations by Chris Towle at Franklin Public Library - grades K and up

WED 2/18   10:30am-12pm   Winter Carnival at Franklin Public Library: games, prizes, music, face painting and more!
WED 2/18   7-8:30pm   Small Business Marketing Co-Op - First Public Meeting at The Cake Bar. Small Business owners as well as consumers are welcome to attend this brainstorming session.

THU 2/19   6:30pm   Ken Gloss: Value of old and rare books, at Franklin Public Library
THU 2/19   6:30pm   Open Mic Night at The Cake Bar, FREE admission, acoustic and a cappella performers are welcome!

For all the Town of Franklin Public Meetings click HERE.

For event details click HERE.

*If you have any suggestions or events for the calendar, please email Renata@BetterLivingRE.com

Attn Parents: Kindergarten Registration - Apr 13 and Apr 15

The Franklin Public Schools announces

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION!

April 13^th      4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

April 15^th      4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Horace Mann Middle School – Cafeteria

224 Oak Street, Franklin

Children who will be 5 years-old on or before August 31, 2015 are eligible to attend kindergarten during the 2015-16 school year. 

Parents or guardians should plan to attend one of the two registration sessions, however children need not attend. 

Required forms as well as additional information can be found on the ECDC website http://franklinecdc.vt-s.net/pages/index  or by contacting Kelty Kelley, ECDC Principal @ 508 541-8166 or kelleyk@franklin.k12.ma.us.

Oak St - Horace Mann on a summer day

Kelty Kelley, Principal

F. X. O'Regan Early Childhood Development Center

224 Oak Street

Franklin, MA 02038

Phone:  508-541-8166

Fax:            508-541-8254

kelleyk@franklin.k12.ma.us

"There is no hand so small that it cannot leave an imprint on the world!" Klub Kidz

“We don’t notice things like that"

A School Committee member this week blasted a policy change to allow schools to accept memorials for current or former students who have died, saying he doesn't believe the district should single out people for remembrance. 

Trevor Clement, who has served on the committee for two years, said Tuesday he’d vote against the change because “no one person, especially in death, especially after they’ve gone, is more important, more worth remembering.” 

The proposed revision was spurred by a local family’s attempt to gift a $15,000 panther sculpture to the high school in remembrance of their daughter. 

Brad and Rita Graci have offered a permanent memorial to the high school in memory of their daughter Kristin Graci, a 2007 Franklin High graduate who died in 2010 at the age of 21 from complications of leukemia.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150213/NEWS/150218351/1994/NEWS#sthash.Om4Q3rHP.dpuf


You can view the video replay of the School Committee meeting here
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?ecm=635594037975271250&indexSessionSKU=xp620LQTRMrfBFRQ12z8sA%3D%3D&siteSKU=L7qhQ46xin/r3Z0jcDVCNw%3D%3D

image of the porposed Graci Class of 2007 Memorial

You can review my notes of the meeting reported from the Council Chambers Tuesday evening
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/02/live-reporting-discussion-only-items.html

The text of the policy documents can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/02/franklin-public-schools-memorial-policy.html

FHS girls basketball tops Milford, face Mansfield Friday night

From Hockomock Sports we find the girls basketball result from Thursday:

Milford, 30 @ Franklin, 74 - Final - Aubrie Kutil led the way for the Panthers with 14 points, all in the first half. Lauren Rudolph added 11 points and Jill Spolidoro had 10. Franklin jumped out to a 48-14 lead at halftime.

FHS Panthers

For additional results from the Hockomock League on Thursday
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-021215


On tap today, Mansfield visits Franklin for the girls game at 6:30 PM and the boys play at Mansfield in the Hockomock League "game of the week" also at 6:30 PM

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-021315

Reminder: Soccer for Smiles Tournament --> February 17 - 19, 2015

Have Fun While Making a Difference!

Our next tournament is coming up quickly!

February 17, 18, and 19, 2015

Even though the tournament runs for three days, a player's commitment is just a couple of hours on one particular day. High schoolers come on one day, younger girls on the next day, and younger boys on the third day. The day is split by age groups in 2- or 3-hour blocks of time. It is great fun!


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Soccer for Smiles crew

A group of students in Franklin, Massachusetts got together in the wake of the 2010 earthquake inHaiti motivated to do something to help.  A soccer tournament was developed over February's school vacation that provided an opportunity for soccer players to have a lot of fun in friendly competition.  The event raised a significant amount of money that was donated to the relief fund for Haiti.  The Soccer For Smiles tournament was born.

In subsequent years the team has focused on local charities with the majority of monies raised going toward the Random Smile Project.  The group has also supported Team Isabella.  Each year the tournament has grown in participation and donations.  The team of students has grown and changed as older team members move on to college and new students join in the effort.

2015 Beneficiaries

This year we will direct our donations to support two initiatives:

1.                Kathleen M. Madden Scholarship

This past year, Kathleen M. Madden passed away, losing a battle to Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She was very close with many of us at Soccer for Smiles.

In her honor, we have created a scholarship in her name, which will be awarded to an applicant that we believe demonstrates outstanding involvement in his or her community.

2.                Random Smile Project

In the last four years we have donated thousands of dollars to the Random Smile Project (RSP) as we are pleased with their mission.

Soccer for Smiles Tournament

RSP provides a bridge of support to people going through difficult times. Families in need are provided with clothing, groceries, books, and toys through a network of local support. Accessibility options for those in need are supplied through their construction and renovation projects like wheelchair ramps, handicap bathroom conversions and home repair. They also award the unsung heroes in our community who put themselves second and others in need before them. They inspire volunteerism in the youth of our community through scholarships, playground initiatives and school outreach programs. Through these efforts RSP promotes the spirit of giving and receiving that reflects the greater good of what a community really is.

RSP is a community non-profit organization. They have zero paid employees. Everyone associated with RSP donates their time, trades, and skill sets. Since they have no salaries and very limited overhead, you can be assured that your donation will go a long way in their various community endeavors.

For additional information and to register, please follow this link

http://soccerforsmiles.org/

A Safety Reminder From National Grid

To view this email as a web page, click here.

A Safety Reminder from National Grid: Be sure to avoid power lines when clearing snow and ice As snow accumulations continue to mount across New England and with more snowfall likely in the coming days, National Grid is urging customers to take precautions to avoid the potential hazards these conditions present. Massive amounts of snow and ice building up on roofs and piled beneath power lines are serious and potentially dangerous. Snow on roofs can lead to water damage and, in some cases, can cause roofs to collapse. Large piles of snow under power lines can bring the tops of those mounds, which children frequently use for sledding, dangerously close to energized power lines. In both cases, the chance of being injured by coming in contact with power lines increases and snow and ice build-up on roofs can damage electric service lines running to homes and businesses. National Grid is urging home and business owners to be especially cautious as they work to clear their roofs by following these safety recommendations: • Keep all ladders, shovels, roof rakes and other devices well clear of any lines coming from the street to the structure, regardless of material. In extremely wet conditions, even wood can be a conductor of electricity. • If necessary, start clearing snow from the opposite end of the roof from the service point where electricity is delivered. • If you are unsure of how to go about clearing snow, or if your roof is particularly steep, contact a qualified roofing contractor. • As snow is removed from the roof, be aware of what is below that could become buried as snow hits the ground. Be especially mindful of the location of your electricity and gas meters as they could be damaged by falling snow and ice. You should also be aware that heavy snow loads could damage the connections of your electricity service to your home or building, often known as the weatherhead. As snow melts or is removed, look at this connection point from a safe distance to be sure it hasn't been pulled away from the building, creating a potential fire hazard. National Grid is responsible for repairs to the overhead lines to the weatherhead, and the meter itself. Repairs to any other portions of the service are the responsibility of the customer. If any of that service is damaged, customers should contact a certified electrician to handle the repairs. Please see our website for more information about post-storm responsibilities. As we brace for the possibility of more storms over the coming days, remember that National Grid provides several ways for you to stay connected: • Download our mobile app by searching for National Grid in iTunes and GooglePlay stores. • To register for broadcast text alerts for major storms, text the word "STORM" to NGRID (64743). • Visit the Outage Central section of our website where you can view outage maps, access important safety tips and report outages. Alternatively, our mobile website can be accessed by going to nationalgrid.com on your mobile device and selecting "View safety and outages." • Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@nationalgridus) for the latest updates. National Grid Here with you. Here for you.   Connect Now Visit us online at nationalgrid.com

This email was sent by: National Grid 40 Sylvan Road Waltham, MA, 02451, U.S.A.

"Franklin offers an enviable combination of low property taxes and a top performing high school"

Realtor Warren Reynolds writes:

The Boston Globe provided a lot of data on suburban property tax burdens in Greater Boston in a recent article on how home buyers look at property taxes, public school rankings and quality of life issues when choosing where to live in suburban Massachusetts. 

Curiously, the article fails to highlight the Town of Franklin when it reviews communities in the suburbs popular with buyers for offering low taxes, good schools and a great quality of life.  But in data buried at the bottom of the article, you can find that Franklin’s average real estate tax burden is gratifyingly low.  Property taxes are a lot lower in Franklin than in most other communities in the I-495 region!

Real estate tax burden and high school test scores by MA community

Warren continues to write his detailed analysis:

Where the Globe went astray in skipping over Franklin in the article was in failing to recognize that Franklin High School recently posted stellar scores in the annual performance tests mandated for all Massachusetts high schools by the Commonwealth.  The chart at the top of this post is my attempt to set the record straight: when you compare suburban towns by both average property tax burdens and high school test scores, you see that Franklin offers an enviable combination of low property taxes and a top performing high school.  Franklin High’s test scores edge out high schools in such prestige towns as Sudbury, Concord, Carlisle and Lincoln, while the average property tax in those towns is more than double what you pay in Franklin! 

If you live in Franklin, MA, you get superior schools and low property taxes along with an award-winning community (including Safest City in the US), lots ofgreen space for recreation and a commute that is made all the easier by the town’s TWO commuter rail stations and TWO interchanges on I-495.  In terms of taxes, schools and quality of life, it’s a dream setup for home buyers!

Continue reading the article on Warren's 02038.com page. He has more charts and good info touting Franklin!  http://www.02038.com/2015/02/franklin-low-taxes-top-high-school/