Franklin Matters

Friday, January 11, 2019

Franklin Library: Ben Franklin Readathon, Jan 17

"In honor of the 313th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, the namesake of our town and founder of our library, the Franklin Public Library will be holding a “readathon” – a marathon reading of the full text of the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, first published in 1791. The book is considered a classic of American literature. According to the Library of Congress, “It was not only the first autobiography to achieve widespread popularity, but after two hundred years remains one of the most enduringly popular examples of the genre ever written.”

Like other readathons, this one invites the public to participate! Readers are encouraged to sign up in advance for 15-minute segments. Commencing when the library opens at 9 AM on January 17, readers will share the words of Ben Franklin with anyone interested in dropping by for all or part of the event. It is expected that the reading will be completed by the time the library closes at 8 PM. Water and other refreshments will be available for readers and audience alike."

Event Timing: January 17, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Event Address: Franklin Public Library, 118 Main St, Franklin, MA

I had a chance to read the very last section in the readathon last year. It was fun.

To register to read, please visit the sign up form:
https://goo.gl/forms/fwuEPWusit7oFG7n2

Franklin Library: Ben Franklin Readathon, Jan 17

"the Commission was unable to come to an agreement on joint recommendations"

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

"After holding on to their public records law exemption in a landmark 2016 reform law aimed at making government more transparent, lawmakers assigned to come up with ways to open up the Legislature have now blown past two deadlines and are entering 2019 without consensus recommendations.

In late 2017, as a statutory deadline approached for a commission tasked with studying the public availability of legislative records and information, the group had yet to meet, and lawmakers gave their colleagues on the panel another year to complete their work.

The extra year, however, did not lead to the delivery of recommendations. The group of six representatives and six senators charged with examining legislative transparency and whether to apply public records law standards to the state Legislature is entering the 2019-2020 session, and near-term rules debates, with no report."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190110/legislative-commission-whiffs-on-public-records-report

For access to information on the Legislative Branch (both House and Senate)
https://www.mass.gov/topics/legislative-branch

Find information on the Legislative Branch of the Massachusetts state government

Thursday, January 10, 2019

2nd Annual Valentine's Brunch - Feb 9

Valentine's Brunch

The Franklin Rotary Club is presenting its 2nd Annual Valentine's Brunch from 10:30 til 12 Noon on February 9 at the Franklin Housing Authority's Community Center at Central Park Terrace.

The meal is free for all FHA residents and Franklin senior citizens. Several frittatas will be featured.

Advance sign up is required at either the Community Center or at the Franklin Senior Center so that we can ensure enough food!

This brunch was a big success last year.

The Rotary Club of Franklin

Spring Registration Opens for Lifelong Community Learning Classes

Registration opens for spring classes at Lifelong Community Learning on January 11. Classes begin in February and continue through the spring months.

Participation is open to individuals, organizations and businesses alike in Franklin and the surrounding region towns. Classes include everything from child care education and intermediate digital photography to various food and wine offerings.

For children, the Kids’ Corner program includes cooking, language, robotics, family paint night, and so much more!

New this spring are a daylong babysitting certification class with the American Red Cross and a lifeguard certification class conducted in partnership with the Hockomock Area YMCA in Franklin.

This spring, participants will also find as many exercise and sports programs as ever, including yoga, Zumba, and community walking. Badminton is back along with men’s basketball, intermediate and advanced volleyball classes rounding out the field.

For more information, go to www.FranklinLifelongLearning.com and click on Lifelong Community Learning. Or call Lifelong Community Learning at 508-613-1480.

ABOUT US: Lifelong Community Learning is a program of the Franklin Public Schools Lifelong Learning Institute, dedicated to providing diverse and enriched education and experiences for all area residents and children – a resource for all ages.

FHS boys hockey rallies for tie; gymnastics wins tri-meet; wrestling posts big win

Via HockomockSports we share the results of the FHS sports action on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2019

Boys Hockey = Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 3 – Final
– Foxboro’s Ronnie MacLellan and Brendan Tully each scored once and had an assist, and Kirk Leach scored once as the Warriors built a 3-1 lead in the second period but Franklin scored a pair of third period goals to salvage a point. Zac Falvey scored in the first for Franklin but the Panthers trailed 2-1 after one. Junior Kyle Hedvig scored with 12:38 to go to bring the Panthers within one and senior Joey Lizotte netted a shorthanded breakaway with six minutes left to knot the score 3-3.

Wrestling = Franklin, 73 @ Taunton, 3 – Final
– Franklin’s Jake Carlucci (113), Alex Fracassa (126), Ken Sauer (138), Tommy Zogby (145), Caleb MacLean (160), Dominic Sackley (170), Dylan Nawn (182), Ben Jacoby (195), and Riley Downing (285) each earned pinfall victories for the Panthers. Taunton’s Tyler Lima earned a 5-2 win at 120.

Gymnastics = Taunton, 132.2 @ Franklin, 133.3 – Final
– Franklin freshman Kate Rudolph stepped up to take second overall in the All Around, helping the Panthers edge Taunton. With top gymnast Mia Lizotte sidelined with an injury, Rudolph stepped up to earn a 34.1 in All Around, which was second against Taunton and first against Medway. Rudolph earned a 9.1 on vault, 8.0 on bars, 8.4 on beam, and 8.6 on floor. Emma Owens added an 8.5 on the vault, 8.3 on the bars, and 8.7 on the floor.

Frankin, 133.3 vs. Medway, 132.15 – Final

For the other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-01-09-19/

"AMAZING WIN(s) by an AMAZING group of girls. Franklin scores a 133.3!! On a roll girls."

In the News: home heating assistance sought; "the multi-pronged process that is social emotional leaning"

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

"Human service activists and lawmakers rallied Wednesday outside the Statehouse, calling for the state to help offset a cut in federal funding by allocating $30 million to help low-income families afford winter home heating bills.

Most of the 48,000 households in Massachusetts that heat with oil have used up their benefits or will do so by the end of January, according to the Massachusetts Association for Community Action, which said 160,000 households in Massachusetts are served under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Funding for the federal program was reduced by $11 million this year, and has over several years been cut from $200 million a year to $136 million per year, MASSCAP said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190109/advocacy-group-seeks-30m-for-heating-bills

Keep Warm in Massachusetts: Need help paying your heating bills?

"For Beverly Hugo, teaching works best when educators focus on a student’s overall well-being, the key element to what academics call social-emotional learning.

“We are trying to put child development back into the curriculum and less emphasis on testing - especially in K-12” Hugo said. “We use positive behavioral intervention and support.”

Hugo, president of Massachusetts Association of School Committees, was one four panelists invited to speak Tuesday night at Senate President Karen Spilka’s forum on social-emotional learning, sponsored by Framingham State University.

“We agree that we need to teach and support the whole child,” Spilka said in her opening remarks. “Tonight, we are focusing on successful implementation strategies for SEL (social- emotional learning) in our schools and our communities.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190109/at-ashland-confab-parents-teachers-talk-about-nurturing-well-rounded-students

Social and emotional learning (SEL)

“If we don’t take care of that, we don’t have to worry about education"

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

"Senate President Karen Spilka told a room full of environmental advocates on Wednesday that nothing the Legislature does in the next two years will be as important as addressing climate change, but the Democratic leader gave no assurances of what that policy solution might look like.

Spilka, who was elected to her first full term as president last week, dropped by a breakfast event where she described a “real sense of urgency” on Beacon Hill to tackle climate change.

“We all agree this is a matter of some urgency. It’s just how are we going to accomplish what we want to accomplish,” Spilka said at a breakfast at Carrie Nation organized by the Environmental League of Massachusetts.