What's in the budget approved by the Legislature?

Note: the news media did report that Governor Baker did sign the budget on Friday and in so doing vetoed a bunch of line items. MA.gov has been updated to reflect the vetoes. All the details can be found here:

http://www.mass.gov/anf/budget-taxes-and-procurement/state-budget/fy17-budget-info/governors-fy17-vetoes/

How was the budget balanced in the face of a sudden $750 million shortfall?

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. What is (and isn't) in the Budget Approved by the Legislature How did the Legislature balance the budget in the face of a sudden $750 million shortfall?MassBudget's new Budget Monitor explains and offers an analysis of each major section of the state budget with comparisons to current and historic funding levels.  The Legislature enacted the FY 2017 budget in particularly challenging circumstances. Towards the end of the process, the goalposts moved when new projections indicated that there would be $750 million less in tax revenue than had been assumed. The final budget includes some cuts below the levels that had been recommended by either the House or Senate, as well as a number of strategies that provide only temporary solutions by pushing costs into future years and underfunding accounts that will eventually need to be funded. The Legislature managed to provide modest funding increases in a few priority areas, including local aid which receives a 4.3 percent increase, Chapter 70 education aid which is increased by 2.6 percent, and a number of initiatives to address opioid addiction including $8.3 million in increased funding for substance abuse services in the Department of Public Health. The budget also cuts funding in a number of areas: the $18.6 million kindergarten expansion grant program is eliminated; funding for the Department of Revenue is reduced by $15.9 million, potentially weakening the capacity to combat tax evasion and ensure the integrity of our tax system; and the budget imposes a 13 percent cut in YouthWorks which provides funding for summer jobs. The revenue decline did not all translate into budget cuts. The Legislature projects that $206 million of the decline was capital gains taxes that would have been deposited into the rainy day fund, so the shortfall will lead to less money for the rainy day fund rather than for the budget. The tax cut that had been expected to be triggered by revenue growth likely won't be, saving $79 million in FY 2017. School buildings and the MBTA won't see $62 million in sales tax receipts because of the lower sales tax projections. The state's Medicaid plan will postpone paying some bills. The state will also likely need to provide mid-year funding in several accounts. The conference committee also reduced spending levels for a number of programs below the levels recommended by the House or Senate - and in some cases below both. The Legislative Budget Monitor describes both where lawmakers were able to preserve or build upon programs, and where programs were cut or eliminated. Click (HERE) to read the new Budget Monitor. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

screen grab of FY 2017 webpage

FSPA's Electric Youth schedule two free outdoor concerts

Following a three-and-a-half week summer concert tour of Austria and Italy, Electric Youth (EY) will perform two free outdoor concerts on Thursday, July 21, at 6:30 p.m. at Norfolk Town Hill and on Wednesday, July 27, at 6 p.m. on Franklin Town Common. The Franklin concert will be presented as part of the second annual Franklin Cultural Festival, hosted by the Franklin Cultural District Committee.

Electric Youth’s 13th European tour was highlighted by a return Fourth of July show at Aviano Air Force Base to entertain U.S. Troops and families stationed abroad, as well as a concert at the American Embassy in Rome. The 2016 tour also featured performances in Vienna, Kirchberg, Gmunden, Melk and St. Polten, Austria, including a benefit concert for pediatric cancer and patient family support. Performances in Italy included multiple shows in Lignano, Bibione and Concordia along the Adriatic Coast, concerts in Todi and Cortona within the Tuscany-Umbria region, and at Lake Como.

Backed by the eight-piece band of world-class musicians, Electric Youth delivers a fun, high-energy evening of family entertainment with an extensive range of contemporary pop, classic rock, Broadway and country hits for audiences all ages. This season’s repertoire features fully choreographed performances of the best of Adele, Beyoncé, The Black Crowes, Imagine Dragons, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Pink, Queen, Frank Sinatra, Carrie Underwood, Stevie Wonder and more.

The 14 singer-dancers of Electric Youth 2016 are pictured in this portrait photo. Electric Youth performs two free outdoor summer concerts in Franklin and Norfolk in July, backed by the group’s eight-piece show band

Selected annually by audition, the group is chosen for superior musicianship, stage presence, and “triple threat” accomplishments in voice, dance, and acting. This season’s ensemble of performers, ages 14-18, studies multiple dance disciplines, voice, and acting at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA). Electric Youth 2016 includes Madison Asgeirsson, Brooke Collins, Aaron Frongillo, Jocelyn Jones, Lauren Szczepanowski and Melissa Wyner of Franklin; Michael Fajardo of Hopkinton; Sam Evans and Colie Vancura of Medfield; Katie Gray of Milford; Kylee Rollins of North Attleboro; Griffin Wilkins of Walpole; and Jenna McDermott and Susauna Wickstrom of Wrentham.

Showcasing Boston musicians who’ve performed, recorded and toured with such music legends as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, Diana Ross, The Temptations and Van Morrison, EY’s show band features Kenny Hadley on drums, Arnie Krakowsky on tenor saxophone, Bill Miele on bass, Artie Montanaro on trombone, Walter Platt on trumpet, Ken Reid on baritone saxophone, Mark White on guitar and Director Raye Lynn Mercer on piano. Under the direction of Mark Poniatowski, musical arrangers for Electric Youth are Rick Hammett, Jeff Perry, Walter Platt, Poniatowski, Mark White and Ben Whiting. Hallie Wetzell is Electric Youth’s Vocal Director. Choreographers include Mercer, Casey Andrade, Cheryl Madeux, Nick Paone and Kellie Stamp.

Electric Youth has released six professional CDs and performed internationally at England’s Arundel Festival, Disneyland Paris, professional theaters in Bristol, London and Windsor, and such renowned venues as Sanremo’s Ariston Theatre and Vienna’s Konzerthaus, Musikverein and Schonbrunn Palace. EY has also headlined Fourth of July shows for U.S. troops and their families stationed in Italy at Camp Ederle, Camp Darby, and Aviano Air Force Base. The ensemble has performed on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, on Fox-TV and WBZ Radio, and at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Mechanics Hall, the Smithsonian Museum Theater and the United Nations. EY’s music, including the 2014 album Power Chord is available at amazon.com and iTunes.

For more information about Electric Youth or the EY summer concerts, call FSPA at (508) 528-8668 or visit www.electricyouth.com.

For additional information on the 2nd Annual Franklin Cultural Festival, visit the webpage at http://www.franklinsculturalfestival.org/

Join us to celebrate the cultural arts July 27 to 30, 2016

"Let’s do our part to ensure that our loved ones are getting the care and medication they need"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"By now, we’ve all read or heard about the opioid epidemic sweeping our country. Some of us may have a loved one who struggles with addiction. Some of us may have lost a loved one to the disease. 

What many of us may not know is that the senior population is growing increasingly addicted to opioids. A September 2015 AARP article says that between 1993 and 2012, “the rate of overdose deaths for adults ages 55 to 64 soared sevenfold,” and a June 2016 article reported that since 1999, deaths among those age 50 and up increased “nearly… eleven fold.” 

Addiction to painkillers — or opioids like fentanyl, oxycodone and morphine — can have a devastating effect on those suffering from the addiction as well as on their friends and loved ones."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/entertainmentlife/20160708/healthy-habits-opioid-addiction-in-seniors

S.A.F.E. is a coalition of community partners who have come together
to provide support, education, treatment options,
and coping mechanisms for those affected by substance abuse disorder. 

The SAFE Coalition provide services for the Franklin area. Visit their webpage for information on the services they offer.  http://safecoalitionma.com/

View and/or download their tri-fold brochure here:

Franklin Elks Lodge: Touch - A - Truck - July 30

The Franklin Elks Lodge Touch - A - Truck Free Family Event is scheduled for July 30th from 9:00 AM - Noon. Touch - A - Truck will be held at the Elks Lodge at 1077 Pond St, Franklin MA 02038.

There will be lots of different vehicles for kids to explore as well as popcorn, hot dogs, and cold drinks. 

This is an event to benefit the Food Drive that the Elks conduct to benefit Christmas Food Baskets for Families in our Local Communities. The Elks will be accepting can goods and non-perishable food items.

Franklin Elks Lodge: Touch - A - Truck - July 30

Stay up to date on the event by watching the event page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/events/785251864907645/

Kenny Hadley Big Band - July 22

THE BLACK BOX, downtown Franklin’s theater, music, and event venue, presents the renowned Kenny Hadley Big Band on Friday, July 22 at 8 p.m. The critically-acclaimed 16-piece ensemble, led by drummer Kenny Hadley, boasts masterful musicians with performance ties to Big Band legends Woody Herman, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich and more. 

The Kenny Hadley Big Band has shared the stage with such notables as the Count Basie Orchestra and the Duke Ellington Orchestra and has hosted guest soloists including Clark Terry and Louie Bellson. 

Tickets are $20. 

THE BLACK BOX, home of the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC), is located at 15 West Central Street in downtown Franklin. A cash bar is available. For tickets and more information, visit www.THEBLACKBOXonline.com or call (508) 528-3370.

Kenny Hadley Big Band

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 7/8/16 - THU 7/14/16

FRIDAY 7/8/16
12-6pm   Franklin Farmers Market @ The Town Common
1pm   Storyteller Diane Edgecomb @ Franklin Public Library

MONDAY 7/11/16
10am-4pm   FSPA Open House @ 38 Main Street
10:30am   The Greg and Axel Magic Show @ Franklin Public Library

TUESDAY 7/12/16
1:30-3pm   Knitting Circle for Adults @ Franklin Public Library
7:30pm   Franklin and Bellingham Rail Trail Committee Public Meeting @ Franklin YMCA

WEDNESDAY 7/13/16
10:30am   Ridge Valley Farms Horse and Pony Rides @ The Franklin Town Common
6:30-8:30pm   Concerts on the Common: Sharon Concert Band, Children’s Program: Elaine Kessler, Storyteller
8:15pm   Movies in the Park @ Choate Park, Medway. Free admission, every Wednesday through summer.

THURSDAY 7/14/16
5-9pm   SAFE Coalition’s Substance Abuse Drop In Center @ St. John’s Episcopal Church
6:30pm   Art Night Uncorked @ Franklin Art Center

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

Terry Katsaros installed as Franklin Rotary President

At a recent meeting, the Franklin Rotary installed a new President, Terry Katsaros.

Terry Katsaros (Rockland Trust) (center in photo) was recently installed as the new President of the Franklin Rotary Club for 2016-17 by fellow Rotarian Dan Gentile.  Observing is Mr Katsaros's wife Laurel.

Franklin Rotary Club recently hosted a reunion of Past Presidents. In the photo are (Seated, L to R) Robert Vallee, John Padula, Victor Pisini, and Frank Cussano, and (Standing, L to R) Dan Gentile, Dr William Koplin, Archie Acevedo, Edward Hick, Francis McKeowen, Julie Rougeau, Steven Crowley, Bruce Healey, Gary Mccarraher, Dr Jeffrey Morrill, and Richard Cornetta

Rotary is an international service organization of over one million members, dedicated to building friendship and improving the lives of people locally and worldwide. One of Rotary's most noted programs is Polio Plus, which has virtually eliminated polio from the earth through a massive vaccination program that only an organization as big as Rotary International could undertake successfully.

Franklin Rotary membership is open to anyone who works or resides in the towns of Franklin, Wrentham, and Medway. The club meets Thursday nights at 6PM at 3's Restaurant in Franklin and guests or potential members are always welcome.

For more about the Franklin Rotary, visit them on the web  http://portal.clubrunner.ca/3689

Submitted by Dr William Koplin