Franklin Matters

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Senator Ross: August 2015 State House Update

Senator Richard J. Ross, State House Update, August 2015

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State Senator Richard J. Ross (R-Wrentham) proudly serving the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District.

State House
Room 419
Boston, MA 02133

Ph: 617-722-1555
Fax: 617-722-1054
Email:richard.ross@masenate.gov

Dear Friends,

Though the State Legislature has not been formally in session during the month of August, I have had the opportunity to visit all of the towns in my district and hear your many concerns.

Please read my newsletter for information on important issues that will be taking over Beacon Hill come September and how to stay in the know.

As always, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you.

Sincerely,

REMEMBERING ATTLEBORO MAYOR JUDY ROBBINS

I just want to take this opportunity to honor former Mayor Judith Robbins. It would be hard to find anyone more dedicated, more respected, or more devoted to public service. As the first female president of the Attleboro City Council and record setting 12 year tenure as mayor, Judy was constantly breaking barriers for the city she loved.

In my time knowing her, I was always impressed by her kindness, strength, and perseverance in the midst of hardship. I had the privilege of working with her on a number of regional economic development issues while she served as the head of the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority, and more recently on a local environmental cleanup project. Her guidance and wisdom were always appreciated, and she was a true public servant through and through, working tirelessly for those she had grown to love in the city of Attleboro.

These past few weeks the outpouring of love for Judy has been absolutely inspiring. There are not enough words to encapsulate how much she has done for the city or where this city would have been without her.

Judy may be gone, but her legacy, work, and impact lives on. Her fearlessness and courage remain a shining example of all that can be accomplished through public service and giving back to one's community. Thank you Judy.

RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER

I recently visited the Riverside Early Intervention Program in Needham and spoke with Scott Bock the Founder/President/CEO of Riverside Community Care and Joanne Sweeney the Program Director.

Riverside Community Care has been around for decades and today serves over 40,000 people across the Commonwealth. Spanning across 70 cities and towns, Riverside is dedicated to providing sustainable growth and positive change in families throughout Massachusetts.

The Early Intervention Program in Needham supports families with a broad range of needs, working to make a difference in their lives and securing their long term health. It was a privilege to not only witness the incredible work of Riverside and their staff, but to speak to countless families about how Riverside has changed their lives for the better.

For more information on the Early Intervention program, please visit Riverside's website here.

MILLIS THANKS BUZ DOWNING

This past month, the town of Millis came out to recognize the lasting impact and work of Herman "Buz" Downing.

Buz dedicated over 60 years of service to Millis, ensuring its safety and security. Upon his arrival to Millis in 1955, Buz began using his time managing the Emergency Operations Center. Through his leadership, Buz was able to develop an emergency management plan, and lead the town through several high-pressure situations, including a number of weather related emergencies.

Millis is a safer place to live because of Buz's work. His selfless service and commitment to public safety are a lasting testament to all that can be accomplished when we give back to our community.

The Emergency Operations Center will now forever be known as the Herman "Buz" Downing Emergency Operations Center. Thank you Buz, and best of luck in your retirement. You deserve it.

UBER LEGISLATION

I have heard from a number of constituents regarding the regulation of transportation network companies, such as Uber and Lyft. First of all, I appreciate you sharing your concerns and experiences with these companies with me. These companies provide a number of benefits to our neighborhoods, including innovative transportation services as well as the opportunity for individuals to work part time. However, as a legislature it is also critical that we confirm that these companies are adhering to appropriate laws and are working for the benefit of our constituents.

In September, the Joint Committee on Financial Services will consider a number of bills related to the regulation of transportation network companies, including one filed by Governor Charlie Baker as well as one filed by Senator Linda Dorcena Forry and Rep. Frank Moran. This will give us the opportunity to consider whether such regulation is necessary to protect the safety of Massachusetts consumers and make certain that these companies are complying with all applicable Massachusetts laws.

I assure you that I will take all of your thoughts and concerns very seriously as I consider these bills and await the results of the public hearing.

GOV SIGNS EITC INTO LAW

Earlier this month, Governor Charlie Baker enacted a fifty-percent increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for over 400,000 working individuals and families in the Commonwealth.

The bipartisan increase was included in the final version of the FY16 budget while maintaining a voter-mandated tax reduction and without implementing any new taxes or fees. For low-to-moderate households, they can expect to see the EITC increase to 23 percent on January 1, 2016.

For families that are eligible, they would be able to see almost an additional $500 in savings every month which is simply remarkable. By putting money back in the pockets of hardworking taxpayers and families, we are building a stronger more sustainable Commonwealth and protecting the integrity of Massachusetts voters at the same time.

I applaud both the efforts of Governor Baker and my colleagues in the legislature to act swiftly on this and enact meaningful, visible change. I look forward to the continued work we will be able to accomplish this session. For more information on the EITC, please click here.

SENATOR ROSS ON BEACON HILL

In addition to serving the 12 cities and towns across the Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex District, I also serve as the Assistant Minority Leader of the Massachusetts State Senate, the Ranking Minority Member on the Committee on Ethics as well six other legislative committees. This means staying on top of not only what is going on in my district, but what is on the minds of my colleagues and people all across the Commonwealth.

Check out my legislative committees below and feel free to use their pages as a resource for upcoming hearings regarding pertinent legislation. If you have any questions, you can email me at Richard.Ross@masenate.gov.

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(Yes, the newsletter was shortened to publish here....)

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting Agenda - Sep 3

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting Agenda

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Dean College Campus Center @ 8:30 am

Golder Room

Open Meeting
Adoption of Agenda

Introductions

Franklin Downtown Partnership

Streetscape Project & Town Update

Jeff Nutting - Town Administrator
Brutus Cantoreggi - DPW Director
Anthony Tavalone - MA DOT

Update from Executive Director - Lisa Piana

October Stroll - Thursday, October 15th

- Signage by-law presentation - November meeting

Progressive Dinner - Jane Curran, Joel Carrara

- Sunday, September 27th

Networking Committee - Dave Drucker, Gary Donelan

Economic Dev Committee - Lisa Piana, Bryan Taberner

- Bryan Taberner, Lisa Piana

- Dean College Discount Program

- Branding the Downtown and other ideas

MetroWest Tourism and Visitors Bureau

- Susan Nicholl, Michele Marotta

New Business

Adjourn

Upcoming Events:

Networking Luncheon - September 18

Progressive Dinner - Sunday, September 27

October Stroll - Thursday, October 15

General Meeting - Thursday, November 5

Winter Beautification - Sunday, November 22

Holiday Stroll - Thursday, December 3

This was shared from the Franklin Downtown Partnership page
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2015/09/general-meeting-agenda-for-thursday.html

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Schools open Wednesday

Schools return to session Wednesday! Teachers are already back in professional development and class room prep.

Parmenter sign with school opening schedule

Updated: Who are the candidates for Nov 3?

One person (Kenneth B. Hiscoe, III) removed their name for consideration from the School Committee in the most recent update from the Town Clerk's office as of close of business on Monday, August 31. This leaves 9 candidates for 7 seats on the Committee.

POSITION	NAME	Total
Assessor	Donna Greenwood
	Thomas P. Gleavy
	W.Kenneth Norman
Assessor Total		3
Bd. Of Health	Donald G. Ranieri, Jr.
	Gail P. Chirdon
	Philip M. Brunelli
	Tara E. Gurge
Bd. Of Health Total		4
Constable	Daniel J. McCahill
	John S. Power
	Philip M. Brunelli
Constable Total		3
Planning Bd	Gregory Giardino
	Gregory T. Rondeau
	John F. Carroll
	Mikel G. DeFrancesco
	William D. David
Planning Bd Total		5
School Com.	Anne K. Bergen
	Cynthia J. Douglas
	Denise L. Schultz
	John S. Jewell, PHD
	Kevin P. O'Malley
	Mary Jane Scofield
	Rita M. Graci
	Trevor A. Clement
	Vanessa A. Bilello
School Com. Total		9
Town Clerk	Diane M. Padula-O'Neill
	Elizabeth F. Simon
	Paul J. Cheli
	Teresa M. Burr
Town Clerk Total		4
Town Council	Andrew M. Bissanti
	Brett S. Feldman
	Deborah L. Pellegri
	Glenn F. Jones
	James D. Schultz, Jr.
	James V. Gianotti, Jr.
	Judith Pond Pfeffer
	Matthew T. Kelly
	Peter E. Padula
	Richard W. Power, Sr.
	Robert D. Dellorco
	Robert R. Vallee
	Sean P. Slater
	Thomas D. Mercer
Town Council Total		14

Franklin Town Common

What does the calendar for the run up to Nov 3 look like?
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/07/calendar-for-biennial-town-election.html

Open auditions for "The Addams Family"

The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) will hold open auditions for the hit musical comedy, The Addams Family, on Wednesday, September 9, at THE BLACK BOX, 15 West Central Street in downtown Franklin.

Auditions will begin at 6:30 p.m. for boys ages 10+ and girls ages 13+ and will continue at 7:00 for adults. Please prepare 16 bars of a contemporary musical theater song. Callbacks (if needed) will be held on September 10 at 7:00 p.m. and rehearsals will begin on September 12. For character breakdown, including descriptions, ages and voice parts, please visit www.FPAConline.com.

Franklin Performing Arts Company

The devilishly delightful musical serves up an original story based on the iconic characters of legendary cartoonist Charles Addams. Inspiring a TV sitcom, TV cartoon series and two feature films, Addams’ illustrations for The New Yorker spawned a pop culture phenomenon. His famously motley group – Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandma and Lurch – has a taste for everything macabre.

Yet there’s a sweetness, charm and humor at the heart of their twisted and dark world. With book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, The Addams Family musical tests that world when outsiders – the respectable Ohio family of Wednesday’s “normal” fiancé – come to dinner, setting in motion a chain of riotous events one memorable night!

The Addams Family will be presented at THE BLACK BOX as part of FPAC’s milestone 25th season. Performance dates are October 24 at 7:30 p.m., October 25 at 2:00 p.m., and October 30 at 7:30 p.m., with two shows on Halloween at 2:00 and 8:30. For more information, call (508) 528-3370 or visit online at www.FPAConline.com.

In the News: drug/weapons arrest, lifelong learning classes available

A Franklin resident was arraigned in Wrentham District Court Monday after police allegedly found guns, heroin, marijuana plants and growing equipment at his residence.

Dana Joyce, 26, of 84 Populatic St., pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of a Class A drug, intent to distribute a Class D drug, storing a firearm improperly and possession of a firearm without a firearm ID card. He was released on personal recognizance by Judge Emogene Johnson Smith.

Franklin Police Patrolman David Mellor wrote in an affidavit that he was dispatched to a Populatic Street address at 7:51 p.m. on Aug. 29 on a report of a disturbance. Police were told that two people had been yelling at each other.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150831/NEWS/150839489/1994/NEWS

The Center for Adult Education and Community Learning, 218 Oak St., opened registration for fall courses.

The courses include biotechnology, career enhancement, child care continuing education, foreign language skills and an expanded private music lesson program.

For a copy of the fall brochure: 508-613-1480, franklinlifelonglearning.com.

Those interested can register for classes online or call the center for more information.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150831/NEWS/150839560/1994/NEWS

Monday, August 31, 2015

"I was at a point of denial"

Hazelden has helped thousands of people find freedom from alcohol and other drugs and regain hope for healthier and more fulfilling lives. In this video, Dr. Andrew Mendenhall, Medical Director of Hazelden in Beaverton, Ore, interviews Tara, a woman who became addiction to pain killers after a car accident. Tara describes the impact addiction has on her life and the lives of those she loves, how addiction treatment