Franklin Matters

Monday, September 19, 2016

In the News: Gerry's Place opens, Harvest Stroll Oct 6th, some downtown merchants complain

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

"Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School’s student-run restaurant, Gerry’s Place, opened its doors for the school year on Sept. 14.

The first quarter menu features an Italian stuffed mushrooms appetizer, homemade soups du jour and a stuffed tomato salad served with a choice of turkey or tuna. Entree options include chicken gruyère, Asian pork cutlets, stuffed cabbage rolls and a low-fat Cajun poached haddock. Lighter fare includes an 8-ounce open steak sandwich and a buffalo chicken breast sandwich.

Gerry’s Place offers an assortment of Coke products, as well as coffee and tea.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160918/tri-county-regional-restaurant-opens-doors

"The Franklin Downtown Partnership is in the midst of planning for its annual Harvest Stroll.

Attendees of the stroll, scheduled for Oct. 6 at 4 p.m., will have an additional reason to celebrate this fall: completion of the two-year streetscape project that has remodeled the downtown area.

Scott Martin, a partnership member and executive director of the local YMCA branch, said the stroll is one of the group's signature events.

"Luckily, (with the implementation of two-way traffic) we'll be able to close down the street, allowing for a great street festival feel this year," he said. "We have 17 sponsors, six of them new."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160918/franklin-harvest-stroll-planning-under-way

Downtown Franklin getting dressed up for the Harvest Stroll

"Downtown merchants and organizations have raised concerns - such as traffic-light timing and parking - resulting from the streetscape project that has transformed the area.

They discussed them at this month's Franklin Downtown Partnership meeting, bringing their thoughts to Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, who was present at the session to give an update on the project's status.

Many noted that some of the newly installed traffic lights seem to have odd timing, mentioning that the lights facing certain streets rarely turn green. Others noted inconsistent sign placement at the intersection of Main and Emmons streets; the existence of some stop signs there, they said, give drivers the impression that all cars are supposed to stop before entering the intersection."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160918/franklin-merchants-raise-downtown-traffic-concerns

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Sep 21, 2016 - Agenda

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
– September 7, 2016

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
– This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may also be recorded by others.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
- Distinguished Young Woman of Massachusetts

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
– Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to five minutes on a matter that is not on the Agenda. The Council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.

E. APPOINTMENTS

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
- TM1 Solutions d/b/a 7-Eleven Store Number 37380A – Transfer of License, Change of Manager, Alteration of Description of Premises

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
- Plastic Checkout Bag Bylaw

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 16-54: Appropriation: FY 17 School Budget (Majority Vote)
2. Resolution 16-55: Acceptance of Deed of Land and Grant of Access Easements off Lincoln Street (Majority Vote)
3. Resolution 16-56: Acceptance of Private Road Covenant with Developer of Rolling Brook Estates off Lincoln Street (Majority Vote)
4. Resolution 16-57: Grant of Utility Easement Town-Owned Land at 118 Main Street (Franklin Public Library)( 2/3 (6) Majority vote)

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

M. COUNCIL COMMENTS

N. EXECUTIVE SESSION

O. ADJOURN

Franklin Library under construction to add a wing and renovate some of the interior sections

The PDF version with links to the supporting documents can be found here
http://franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/024D6A1C-000F8513

The plastic bag ban proposal

"We don't want to link clothing and learning"

The School Committee Policy subcommittee will be meeting on Monday evening, Sep 19 at 7:00 PM in the 3rd floor training room. They will be exploring possible revisions to the dress code.

Earlier this year, this post from Upworthy generated some attention when the 7th grade girls in Portland, OR raised the issue to their school board. A copy of the fully approved dress code they initiated is linked to below. (Note: the dress code activity actually took place in 2015. Just took a while for it to gain attention.)

"AnaLuiza, a seventh-grader, told a story of a friend who was pulled aside one day for wearing a skirt deemed to be too short. The friend sat in the principal's office for hours while the staff tried to get ahold of her parents. She missed important classwork, and worse yet, felt humiliated by the ordeal.

"The only reason I go to school is to get my education," AnaLuiza told the board. "When I get dressed in the morning, my intention is not to provoke or be sexualized. My intention is to feel comfortable in my own skin."

Sophia, also in seventh grade at the time, spoke last. "My problem with the dress code is that 100% of the students that get sent home are female. ... In a way, you're telling [a girl] that boys are more entitled to their education than she is. And I don't think that's acceptable."

Continue reading the article online
http://www.upworthy.com/tired-of-being-humiliated-these-girls-fought-the-school-dress-code-and-won

Four students from Portland, Oregon, testified in front of the board in May 2015. Image via PPS Communications/YouTube.

From the Portland Public Schools
http://www.pps.net/cms/lib8/OR01913224/Centricity/Domain/219/4.30.013-AD%20Student%20Dress%20Code.pdf

Recycling Center not taking grass or leaves on Sunday

The recycling center will not be taking grass or leaves tomorrow, Sunday September 17th, due to the two fires in the compost pile over the weekend!

We need rain!

Franklin DPW photo from Facebook

This was shared from the DPW Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/FranklinDPW/posts/1149179871833148

In the News: parking meters removed, Franklin Art Center classes available

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

"With Franklin voting to permanently remove its parking meters this year, those coin-eating sentinels of the sidewalk have become an increasingly rare sight in the Milford area and MetroWest.

Even those towns that have kept their meters - Framingham and Natick - have considered ways to modernize them in a world where fewer and fewer people are carrying change.

The Franklin Town Council voted in August to eliminate parking meter rules from its bylaws, a move that followed the physical removal of the town's 50 meters to facilitate a remodeling of its downtown area. The meters, which collected about $18,000 a year, were deemed inconvenient and aesthetically displeasing."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160917/parking-meters-vanish-in-some-towns-modernize-in-others

the parking meters have been removed from downtown Franklin, so they won't be decorated for the holidays

"Franklin Art Center, 391 E. Central St., has added new art classes for ages 2-6 this fall.

ABC Art will focus on a letter a week. Students will learn letter formation and letter sounds, and will complete a piece of art to go along with the weekly letter.

Classes are available 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Sept. 20-22, letter C, cat collage; Sept. 27-29, letter D, dog drawings. "

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160917/franklin-art-center-announces-new-classes