or go directly to Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/albums/72157613647068690
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Gallery 218 - the K-12 Art Gallery
Gallery 218 was the K-12 Art Gallery for Franklin Public Schools at the old FHS building. These photos were from one of the shows featuring art from alumni (including my daughter - Allie)
or go directly to Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/albums/72157613647068690
or go directly to Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/albums/72157613647068690
On this date: Feb 21, 2009 - energy efficiency
In 2009, I find I did skip posting on 2/21/09, and shared the Milford Daily News article about energy efficiency steps being taken by Franklin on 2/22. These energy efficiency steps are being continued today.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/02/you-dont-see-difference.html
Franklin was named a "green community" in 2018. One of the reasons it took so long to get named is we were already too efficient to qualify for the state designation.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/06/franklin-green-community-recognition.html
"Michael D'Angelo, the facilities director for the schools and the town, takes pride in Franklin taking the lead in using technological advances early in the game.
"We were doing it before it was popular," said D'Angelo, who is constantly researching ways to make the schools as energy-efficient as possible - he's currently eyeing the installation of solar panels three years down the road, when he says they will be cost-effective."Read the post in the archives for 2/22/09
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/02/you-dont-see-difference.html
Franklin was named a "green community" in 2018. One of the reasons it took so long to get named is we were already too efficient to qualify for the state designation.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/06/franklin-green-community-recognition.html
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| Franklin Green Community recognition event - Jun 7, 2018 |
Franklin Police complete ONE MIND pledge
The Franklin Police Department is pleased to announce that they have completed a pledge they took to improve their response to those suffering from mental illness in their community. The pledge is part of an initiative called the One Mind Campaign started by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), a 30,000 member professional association for law enforcement that provides training, technical assistance, and recruitment services. To join the One Mind Campaign, law enforcement agencies must pledge to implement four promising practices in a 12-36 month period to ensure successful future interactions between police officers and persons with mental illness.
In the law enforcement community, mental illness has become a common focus, with some departments estimating that as many as 20% of their calls for service are related to mental health declines. Chief Thomas J. Lynch made the decision to join the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s One Mind Campaign because the need to better our interactions with those suffering mental illness was being seen in daily response to calls for service.
In completing the One Mind Pledge, the Franklin Police Department established a sustainable partnership with a local mental health organization, developed and implemented a model policy to address officers’ interactions with those affected by mental illness, and ensured that all of their officers received some type of mental health awareness training, with at least twenty percent of the department completing the more intensive Crisis Intervention Training.
The 40-hour Crisis Intervention curriculum is designed by local agencies to train a team of specialized officers to respond to calls that involve individuals with mental health disorders such as depression or intellectual disability. The curriculum includes education on various de-escalation techniques as well as live role-play scenarios of officers responding to persons who need mental health assistance.
Other initiatives that the Franklin Police Department has pursued in response to the needs of the community include the Jail Diversion Program, which brought in a Masters level mental health clinician as a co-responder with police officers on calls for service related to mental health problems.
Chief Lynch stated: “I’m proud of my officers for being partners in this pledge not just because it was a Departmental goal to improve our response to these types of calls, but because we have the genuine opportunity to better serve our community. Police officers by nature want to help people. Giving our officers the skills to better serve all aspects of our population only serves to create better outcomes for all involved.”
For more information about the One Mind Campaign, please visit the IACP’s website: http://www.theiacp.org/onemindcampaign/. A list of all agencies who have taken the pledge is also available there.
In the law enforcement community, mental illness has become a common focus, with some departments estimating that as many as 20% of their calls for service are related to mental health declines. Chief Thomas J. Lynch made the decision to join the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s One Mind Campaign because the need to better our interactions with those suffering mental illness was being seen in daily response to calls for service.
In completing the One Mind Pledge, the Franklin Police Department established a sustainable partnership with a local mental health organization, developed and implemented a model policy to address officers’ interactions with those affected by mental illness, and ensured that all of their officers received some type of mental health awareness training, with at least twenty percent of the department completing the more intensive Crisis Intervention Training.
The 40-hour Crisis Intervention curriculum is designed by local agencies to train a team of specialized officers to respond to calls that involve individuals with mental health disorders such as depression or intellectual disability. The curriculum includes education on various de-escalation techniques as well as live role-play scenarios of officers responding to persons who need mental health assistance.
Other initiatives that the Franklin Police Department has pursued in response to the needs of the community include the Jail Diversion Program, which brought in a Masters level mental health clinician as a co-responder with police officers on calls for service related to mental health problems.
 |
| Franklin Police complete ONE MIND pledge |
Chief Lynch stated: “I’m proud of my officers for being partners in this pledge not just because it was a Departmental goal to improve our response to these types of calls, but because we have the genuine opportunity to better serve our community. Police officers by nature want to help people. Giving our officers the skills to better serve all aspects of our population only serves to create better outcomes for all involved.”
For more information about the One Mind Campaign, please visit the IACP’s website: http://www.theiacp.org/onemindcampaign/. A list of all agencies who have taken the pledge is also available there.
Health Connector for Small Business Presentation Offered in Franklin
The Franklin Downtown Partnership and the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce are hosting a presentation by the New England Business Association titled "Health Connector for Small Business: An Informational Session" on Tuesday, March 5 from 8 AM to 9:30 AM. The session, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Campanella Board Room of Dean College’s Campus Center, 99 Main St., Franklin.
The presentation will explain the new Massachusetts Health Connector shopping platform for small business. The platform makes it easier for small businesses to offer health insurance to their employees. Employers can choose from a variety of plans by multiple providers.
Pre-registration is required. Register online at www.newenglandbusiness.org/events. Contact Sophia at sophia@newenglandbusiness.org or 781-890-9070, ext. 221 with questions.
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| Health Connector for Small Business |
Pre-registration is required. Register online at www.newenglandbusiness.org/events. Contact Sophia at sophia@newenglandbusiness.org or 781-890-9070, ext. 221 with questions.
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Town Administrator
The Town Administration works with the Town Council together to improve the quality of life of our residents. We are diligent in balancing the budget and keeping an eye on the Town’s future needs and maintaining its assets.
Accomplishments in FY18 include:
The Town has created an Agricultural Commission. After many interviews seven great candidates were selected with five being full members and two associates.
In January 2018 Franklin was designated as a Green Community from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and was awarded a grant of $183,000 in June of 2018.
The Town went out to bid twice for municipal aggregation for bulk purchasing of electricity to lower rates for citizens however we did not get good rates and will continue to pursue.
We created a Town Budget webpage with helpful resources such as how the budget process works, Operating and Capital budgets, and Fiscal forecasts. A balanced budget was submitted to the Town Council and was approved. We have received five year Capital plans from all departments including the Water And Sewer Enterprise fund. Having long term Capital plans prevents larger costs down the road.
LED Street light conversion contracts were executed and set the table for a fall 2018 install
As part of our expansion of customer service we have expanded our Viewpoint Online Permitting System and will continue adding new applications throughout the year to make for a more convenient process.
Subsidized Housing Inventory, is still over 10% with 11.89% of our housing stock considered affordable by State law.
We continue to update the Town’s website to make information easily accessible for the public. All Agendas and Minutes of all boards and committees are web-based and continuously updated. These can be found on the boards and committees’ pages on our website. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for News and Announcement as well as visiting our website at www.franklinma.gov.
Personnel
The Town hired Finance Director/Comptroller, Christopher Sandini to replace retired Comptroller, Susan Gagner.
Other
The Town Administrator’s Office has moved the Passport Acceptance Office and the Affordable Housing Office from the third floor to the first floor to better convenience the applicant. You can apply for your passport by appointment on Monday, Wednesday or Friday.
We have reorganized The Board of Health, Planning, Building, Inspections, and Conservation Departments combining them into one office to better serve our customers.
The Towns Safety Committee worked with representatives from each department and MIIA representatives and earned $70,000 in insurance premium savings and was recognized by Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) as a leader in preventing risk in the workplace through employee training programs.
Franklin Bends the Trend by working with Insurance Advisory Committee to keep insurance rate increases for employees to a minimum, The Town has changed Health Insurance Carrier to Harvard Pilgrim and now also offers a Qualified High Deductible Health Care Plan.
The Town also received a $10,000 loss control grant for preventative maintenance. This grant will be used towards a program that will schedule routine maintenance tasks that will prevent larger, costly repairs in the future. In turn will save on costs and improve safety, reliability and conservation of assets.
Worked with the Recreation Director to secure $200,000 in grant money for King Street Memorial Park renovations. This grant will go towards new basketball courts, pickleball courts and a playground.
The Town received a grant from the State of $50,000 to expand the Veterans Memorial Walkway on the Town Common.
Our goal is to deliver high quality customer service while keeping costs under control. There will be difficult challenges to our budget in the coming year; but you can be assured that the Town Administration and Town Council will work together to solve budgetary issues.
It is my pleasure to submit the annual report of the Town Administrator for your review, and please feel free to write, email, or stop by with any questions, concerns, or comments.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeffrey Nutting, Town Administrator
You can read the full Annual Report for 2018 online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/franklin_2018_town_report.pdf
The archive of prior year annual reports
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports
Accomplishments in FY18 include:
The Town has created an Agricultural Commission. After many interviews seven great candidates were selected with five being full members and two associates.
In January 2018 Franklin was designated as a Green Community from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and was awarded a grant of $183,000 in June of 2018.
The Town went out to bid twice for municipal aggregation for bulk purchasing of electricity to lower rates for citizens however we did not get good rates and will continue to pursue.
We created a Town Budget webpage with helpful resources such as how the budget process works, Operating and Capital budgets, and Fiscal forecasts. A balanced budget was submitted to the Town Council and was approved. We have received five year Capital plans from all departments including the Water And Sewer Enterprise fund. Having long term Capital plans prevents larger costs down the road.
LED Street light conversion contracts were executed and set the table for a fall 2018 install
As part of our expansion of customer service we have expanded our Viewpoint Online Permitting System and will continue adding new applications throughout the year to make for a more convenient process.
Subsidized Housing Inventory, is still over 10% with 11.89% of our housing stock considered affordable by State law.
We continue to update the Town’s website to make information easily accessible for the public. All Agendas and Minutes of all boards and committees are web-based and continuously updated. These can be found on the boards and committees’ pages on our website. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for News and Announcement as well as visiting our website at www.franklinma.gov.
Personnel
The Town hired Finance Director/Comptroller, Christopher Sandini to replace retired Comptroller, Susan Gagner.
Other
The Town Administrator’s Office has moved the Passport Acceptance Office and the Affordable Housing Office from the third floor to the first floor to better convenience the applicant. You can apply for your passport by appointment on Monday, Wednesday or Friday.
We have reorganized The Board of Health, Planning, Building, Inspections, and Conservation Departments combining them into one office to better serve our customers.
The Towns Safety Committee worked with representatives from each department and MIIA representatives and earned $70,000 in insurance premium savings and was recognized by Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) as a leader in preventing risk in the workplace through employee training programs.
Franklin Bends the Trend by working with Insurance Advisory Committee to keep insurance rate increases for employees to a minimum, The Town has changed Health Insurance Carrier to Harvard Pilgrim and now also offers a Qualified High Deductible Health Care Plan.
The Town also received a $10,000 loss control grant for preventative maintenance. This grant will be used towards a program that will schedule routine maintenance tasks that will prevent larger, costly repairs in the future. In turn will save on costs and improve safety, reliability and conservation of assets.
Worked with the Recreation Director to secure $200,000 in grant money for King Street Memorial Park renovations. This grant will go towards new basketball courts, pickleball courts and a playground.
The Town received a grant from the State of $50,000 to expand the Veterans Memorial Walkway on the Town Common.
Our goal is to deliver high quality customer service while keeping costs under control. There will be difficult challenges to our budget in the coming year; but you can be assured that the Town Administration and Town Council will work together to solve budgetary issues.
It is my pleasure to submit the annual report of the Town Administrator for your review, and please feel free to write, email, or stop by with any questions, concerns, or comments.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeffrey Nutting, Town Administrator
You can read the full Annual Report for 2018 online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/franklin_2018_town_report.pdf
The archive of prior year annual reports
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports
 |
| Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Town Administrator |
Grand Opening of the Franklin (MA) Senior Center on 11/11/07
From the photo archive - the grand opening of the Senior Center was held on Nov 11, 2007.
or view at Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157612392922276/with/1975354895/
or view at Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157612392922276/with/1975354895/
On this Date: Feb 20, 2008 - Pirelli Arena dedicated
We shared the news on this date in Feb 2008:
From the archives on this day, 2/20/2008
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2008/02/pirelli-rink.html
Sgt Pirelli is also in the recognized in the archives in 2009 when the Iraq/Afghanistan monument is dedicated with his name inscribed
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/05/fm-40-memorial-day-2009.html
"At 8:18 p.m., all the shouting, banging and stomping at Veterans Memorial Skating Rink halted.
Young men in blue and white uniforms skating in circles and slamming pucks at their goal lined up, facing their opposition in silence. For a few brief moments, only the sound of bagpipes honoring fallen soldier Robert Ryan Pirelli could be heard.
Following Gov. Deval Patrick's approval Friday, the town renamed the arena last night at the final Panthers home game of the season in memory of Staff Sgt. Pirelli, a former Panther hockey player who was killed by enemy fire in Iraq last year."
From the archives on this day, 2/20/2008
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2008/02/pirelli-rink.html
Sgt Pirelli is also in the recognized in the archives in 2009 when the Iraq/Afghanistan monument is dedicated with his name inscribed
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/05/fm-40-memorial-day-2009.html
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