MBTA: New Year's Eve Schedule Update - Franklin Line notice

On New Year's Eve the Commuter Rail will operate extra service on the Franklin Line. Please visit mbta.com/events for modified schedules. 

Train 731 (11:50 pm outbound) will depart South Station at 12:45 am and an extra train, making all stops to Forge Park/495, will depart South Station at 1:45 am. 

No bicycles will be allowed on board inbound trains from 10 am - 6 pm and on outbound trains after 4 pm on New Year's Eve. All Commuter Rail trains will be free after 8 pm on New Year's Eve. The last train of the evening may be held beyond its scheduled departure time as needed. 

Last updated: Dec 30 2015 10:54 AM 

Click here for more information: http://www.mbta.com/events

the Franklin stones at the Franklin/Dean station

Christmas Tree Collection Days - week of January 11

Christmas Tree Collection Days

Week of January 11, 2016

On Your Regular Trash Day

put tree out with the trash on your day during the week of Jan 11

This was shared from the notice on the Town of Franklin page

http://franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/022D16DF-000F8513

In the News: robbery suspects being searched for

Police are searching for two suspects involved in a robbery at a local bank Wednesday morning. 

The incident occurred at Middlesex Savings Bank inside the Franklin Village Shopping Center. 

According to Chief Stephan Semerjian, police are searching for a dark-colored Volkswagen sedan, most likely a Passat or a Jetta, that fled the scene.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20151230/franklin-police-searching-for-robbery-suspects


NECN also has a report here
http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/2-Suspects-Sought-in-Bank-Robbery-Franklin-Massachusetts-363907241.html

Meeting notes archive for 2015

2015

Economic Development Committee

• 
  
• EDC Meeting  - 09/09/15 (audio)
• EDC Meeting - 07/27/15
• EDC Meeting - 07/15/15
• EDC Meeting - 04/08/2015 (audio)
• EDC Meeting - 03/25/2015 (audio)
• EDC Meeting - 03/25/2015
• EDC Meeting - 02/03/2015

Finance Committee

• 
  
• Finance Committee - Budget hearing #4
• Finance Committee - Budget hearing #3
• Finance Committee - Budget hearing #2
• Finance Committee - Budget hearing #1
• Finance Committee - 04/22/15
• Finance Committee - 04/07/15 (Capital Budget - audio and notes)

Planning Board

• 
  
• Planning Board - 01/05/15

School Committee

• School Committee - 12/08/15 (missed but video available online)
• School Committee - 11/10/15 (missed)
• School Committee - 10/27/15 (first hour of meeting)
• School Committee - 10/13/15
• School Committee - 09/22/15
• School Committee - 09/08/15
• School Committee - 08/25/15
• School Committee - 08/11/15
• School Committee - 07/28/15 (missed) 
• School Committee - 06/23/15
• School Committee - 06/09/15
• School Committee - 05/26/15
• School Committee - 04/28/15
• School Committee - 04/07/15 (review via on demand on Town website)
• School Committee - 03/24/15
• School Committee - 03/10/15
• School Committee - 02/10/15
• School Committee - 01/27/15 - canceled due to blizzard
• School Committee - 01/13/15

Town Council

• Town Council - 12/16/15 
• Town Council - 12/08/15 (missed - video available online)
• Town Council - 11/12/15 (and audio)
• Town Council - 10/21/15
• Town Council - 10/07/15 (missed)
• Town Council - 09/23/15
• Town Council - 09/09/15
• Town Council - 08/05/15
• Town Council - 07/08/15
• Town Council - 06/24/15
• Town Council - 06/11/15 (Budget hearing #2)
• Town Council - 06/10/15 (Budget hearing #1)
• Town Council - 05/20/15
• Town Council - 05/06/15
• Town Council - 04/15/15 (missed)
• Town Council - 04/01/15
• Town Council - 03/17/15
• Town Council - 03/03/15
• Town Council - 02/11/15
• Town Council - 02/04/15
• Town Council - 01/21/15
• Town Council - 01/07/15

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Representative Roy Hosts a Community Conversation with Seniors

Representative Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin) is hosting a community conversation with senior citizens to discuss issues that impact their lives and to provide information on the various state programs available to them. Area seniors, their loved ones, and caregivers are invited to the event that will take place on Friday, January 15, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill St, Franklin, MA 02038.

Roy's special guest for the event is State Representative Denise C. Garlick (D-Needham), the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs. Garlick, who is also a registered nurse, will speak about the $3.5 billion dollars allocated to the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and MassHealth for senior programs. Aside from MassHealth, Garlick will address other funded initiatives including homecare and nursing homes, prescription drug assistance, council on aging funding, protective services, elder housing, and nutrition programs.

Community Conversation with Seniors

In addition to the presentation, Roy and Garlick will field questions and take feedback on what areas need improvement. Attendees will also be given surveys to submit anonymously, which ask about access to transportation, ability to afford basic necessities and healthcare, senior employment opportunities in the community, and availability of senior housing. The survey results will help the Committee on Elder Affairs set priorities for the coming year in an effort to serve elders more effectively.

"We are looking forward to listening to the issues, needs and concerns of the seniors in the community in order to plan for the future," said Rep. Roy. "Expanding access to elder programs is something myself and Representative Garlick explore regularly, and it is our hope that this community conversation will be provide additional data and input to inform the decision-making at the state level. I have had the pleasure of meeting with the seniors for the past three years and I am delighted that the House Chairman of the Joint Committee on Senior Affairs is coming to Franklin to further these discussions."

"Twenty years from now the majority of people in Massachusetts will be 60 years old or older," said Rep. Garlick. "We have to make sure that the resources we have are meeting the needs. I'm coming to Franklin to get feedback from seniors on whether what we are doing is enough or whether we need to do more in certain areas."

All seniors are welcome, with a special invitation to seniors from Rep. Roy's district of Franklin and Medway. Any questions or concerns can be directed to Rep. Roy's State House office at (617) 722-2020. You can also stop by Room 527A in the State House, or email his aide Chris at Christopher.Yancich@MAhouse.gov.

Annual Report - 2015: OPEB Trust Committee

The Town Council approved an OPEB* Trust Committee in Fiscal year 15 to manage the funds set aside for the Town’s OPEB unfunded obligation of approximately $90,000,000.

This obligation is for current and future health care cost for town and school retirees. Communities across the Commonwealth face similar problems funding this obligation. While the town is doing its best to fund this obligation it will not be achieved unless state laws are changed to ease our future obligation.

The Trust Committee met on several occasions and decided to invest with the Commonwealth’s PRIT fund to get the higher rate of return on our investment that allowed by law if the town was managing the funds. Our initial allocation into the account will be over $1,800,000.

We will continue to make requests of the Town Council to continue to fund the Trust to help meet our obligation.

Regards,

• Jeff Nutting
• Susan Gagner
• Miriam Goodman
• Peter Lounsbury
• Greg McNeille
• Treasurer, James Dacey

The full recent auditor's report on the OPEB obligation can be found here

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Comptroller/Post%20Retirement%20Benefits%20Plan.pdf

Franklin's Town Common on a summer day

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"Prior to November 1 of each year, the Town Clerk shall cause to be prepared and made available to the inhabitants of the Town an annual report for the preceding fiscal year which shall include: the annual Town budget, the reports of all Town officers, the records of all Town Council bylaw amendments and resolutions, an abstract of births, marriages and deaths, and the wages, salaries, or other compensation of all Town employees." [Added 5-2-2012 by Bylaw Amendment 12-681]

http://ecode360.com/10432729?highlight=annual%20report,reports,annual,report#10432729

Shared from the full and complete PDF version of the Town of Franklin Annual Report for 2015

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2015report.pdf

Related posts on OPEB

• Live reporting on the Town Council meeting in Nov 2015 when the Auditor came to present

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/11/live-reporting-opeb.html

• What is Franklin doing?

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/11/the-latest-on-franklins-opeb.html

• Needham is touted as a 'best practice' on OPEB

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/best-practice-how-is-needham-addressing.html

* Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB)

FHS boys basketball and hockey post wins

The FHS boys basketball team beat Algonquin, the boys hockey team topped Mount St Charles and will play in the championship game of the Mount St Charles tournament.

The FHS wrestling team competed in the big two-day tournament in Lowell.

"Considered the Grand Daddy of them all, the 49th annual George Bossi Lowell Holiday Wrestling Tourney will draw teams from all over New England and beyond. Some 70+ teams will converge on the Tsongas Areana for what some have called “The High School Midlands of the Northeast”."

FHS Panthers

Boys Basketball

• Franklin, 77 @ Algonquin, 72 – Final 

– For the second straight game, freshman Jay Dieterle led the Panthers in scoring with 22 points. Franklin had five players reach double figures with Connor Goldstein adding 15 points, Paul Mahon scoring 12 points and Kevin Gill and Josh Macchi each scoring 10 points.

Hockey

• Franklin, 1 @ Mount Saint Charles, 0 – Final 

– Jeremy Miller scored with 35 seconds left in overtime to give the Panthers the win. Franklin will play St. Joseph Collegiate (NY) on Wednesday in the championships game of the Mount St. Charles Holiday Faceoff.

Wrestling

• Lowell Tournament (Canton, Foxboro, Franklin) 

– Foxboro’s Matt Kelley lost a close 1-0 decision in the finals at 126. Franklin’s John Miller was 4th at 220.

For complete bracket results you can visit the tournament webpage
http://thelowellholidays.com/


For all the results of Tuesday's action around the Hockomock League
http://www.hockomocksports.com/tuesdays-schedule-scoreboard/