Franklin Matters

Friday, July 22, 2016

In the News: workshop to address college stress, salary data research request struggles

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

"Citing a desire to lower stress among soon-to-be college students, several local organizations are collaborating on new college transition workshops.

The sessions - set to take place Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 - will be free to the public, and are the product of a partnership between the Hockomock Area YMCA, Dean College, Franklin public schools, the SAFE Coalition, Community Impact, New Hope and state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin, among others. Both workshops will take place in the Franklin High School lecture hall, and will run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

School Committee member Anne Bergen, who also sits on the YMCA's Board of Managers, said the workshops were designed to meet a perceived need in the about-to-go-to-college group."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160721/franklin-groups-hope-to-ease-stress-for-new-college-students

"Only two school districts in the area have complied with a researcher's statewide records request for the salaries of teachers and administrators broken down by gender.

The request, filed by Brigham Young University researcher Joseph Price, is the subject of a recent statewide order from Shawn Williams, supervisor of records. Every district that did not respond, according to the July 13 order, must do so and undergo training in Public Record Law.

Most area districts didn't respond. Some which did respond requested anywhere from $100 to almost $3,000 to provide the data.

Price's request was for salary data from 1995 to 2016, divided by gender, job title, education and experience. The data was intended to bolster a national study of the gender pay gap among educators."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160721/local-school-districts-struggle-to-produce-salary-data

Thursday, July 21, 2016

DPW road maintenance work

"this surface treatment method is an extremely cost effective way to seal the roadway and improve traction."

DPW photo of the chip and seal program in process

Additional photos from the DPW can be found on their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/FranklinDPW/posts/1099406303477172

The finished look of the 'chip and seal' can be seen here

chip and seal on Delta Dr in 2014

For more about the DPW visit their Town of Franklin webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Publicworks/index

Dr Sabolinski announces retirement as School Superintendent

Dear Faculty Members, FPS Support Staff, Parents/Guardians and Community Members:

As Superintendent of Franklin Public Schools since 2009, I have had the honor to work with an exceptional group of people dedicated to providing the highest quality of education to Franklin students. It has always been my privilege to have enjoyed the support and friendship of a committed, knowledgeable School Committee; an exemplary, student focused administration; a dedicated, conscientious support team; and a committed, talented group of educators.

After much thoughtful consideration, I have decided to close my 32 year career in education at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year. I believe that making this decision now will allow the School Committee time to recruit an exceptional superintendent with the vision, talent, and leadership skills to take FPS into the future. It is my hope we can establish a thoughtful, seamless transition for the 2017-2018 school year.

My experiences in Franklin have been extraordinary. Collaborative relationships with the Town Council, Police, Fire, Department of Public Works, Facilities, and Town Officials have facilitated many significant changes in our schools and community that have made Franklin a desirable, sought after place to live and for families to raise their children. Our strong sense of community defines Franklin as a special town.

I will always be grateful to the Franklin community for allowing me to serve as their school leader for the last eight years, and as Assistant Superintendent, and Director of Student Services before then. Thank you for these opportunities. As I retire as Superintendent, I will continue to support our students, faculty, administration and School Committee as a neighbor, community member, and friend.

With appreciation and respect,

Dr. Maureen A. Sabolinski

Superintendent of Schools

Dr Maureen Sabolinski acknowledges Asst Superintendent Sally Winslow as she retires earlier this year with School Committee Chair Kevin O'Malley observing.

"if I say out loud to someone that I'm going to do a triathlon, then I'll have to do it"

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

"When the Hockomock YMCA's 10th annual triathlon kicks off this Sunday, it will count several cancer survivors - some of them first-time triathletes - among its competitors.

The survivors - who will be working their way through a course that travels from Wrentham's Lake Pearl through Franklin and Norfolk - are members of the LIVESTRONG class at the Y's Foxborough branch. A total of 10 course participants, including some trainers and support staff, will be taking part.

The idea came out of a discussion at one of the classes, which encourages physical well-being for cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivor Mary Waltuck, 68, had mentioned that she had participated in numerous triathlons, and other class members wanted to learn about her experiences."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160720/franklin-cancer-survivors-to-compete-in-triathlon

Sparky's Puppets - Friday, July 22

Sparky's Puppets will perform at the Franklin Public Library on Friday, July 22 at 10:30 AM.

Sparky's Puppets - Friday, July 22

This was shared from the Town of Franklin Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/998859663537294/photos/a.1001220149967912.1073741829.998859663537294/1043964192360174/?type=3&theater

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

In the News: school lunch prices remain same, traffic change rescheduled

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

"The price of lunch at Franklin Public Schools will not be changing in the coming school year, officials announced Tuesday.

District business administrator Miriam Goodman gave a presentation about the lunch program at the School Committee meeting and said a federal law - the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act - required the district's lunch program to charge enough to be sustainable.

"As such, we need to go through a complex formula every year to see where our lunch prices fall, and how that compares to what the government says we should be charging," she said.

This year's calculations, said Goodman, worked out in a way that does not require an increase. Currently, the price is $3 at the high school and middle school levels and $2.50 for elementary students."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160719/no-change-on-franklin-school-lunch-prices

"The changeover to two-way traffic in downtown, originally set to take place Wednesday, has been pushed back a week.

The switch - now scheduled for next Tuesday - was to be the culmination of two years of roadwork and many more years of planning. The state Department of Transportation, though, decided there were some tasks it wanted done before the move.

Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said signs were a major concern on the part of the state. He gave several examples of one-way signs that must be removed and new signs to be installed."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160719/franklin-traffic-switch-pushed-back

an earlier downtown construction photo from the archives

"Our Franklin" - Veteran's Agent Dale Kurtz (video)

"In this latest edition of "Our Franklin", Veteran's Agent Dale Kurtz is interviewed showcasing the excellent customer service based Veteran's Services the Town of Franklin has."