Sunday, May 31, 2020

Everyone has a role to play in doing that, especially as the weather gets better”

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

"The dual public health and economic crises triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic have consumed virtually all of Beacon Hill’s attention, shifting many of the Baker administration’s pre-pandemic priorities to the back burner or off the stove altogether, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said.

For more than two months, state officials have been focused almost exclusively on responding to the highly infectious virus that has killed nearly 6,500 Massachusetts residents and blunting the major economic fallout that has pushed unemployment to record levels.

During an interview with Boston Magazine Editor Chris Vogel for the “Power Talks” series, Polito said the greatest challenge she has experienced amid the disruption is the “relentless focus” on COVID-19 response.

“It is our 100% focus - there isn’t anything else,” the Shrewsbury resident said. “I have a pile on my desk of the things I was working on before this hit, and it’s just there, and it is so secondary to what we need to focus on. I think that that’s in a way important, but really, all the things that we dream and hope for for the commonwealth are just kind of on hold. And that’s hard.”
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200531/polito-puts-hopes-and-dreams-on-hold


Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito spoke at FHS a year ago
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito spoke at FHS a year ago
 

"this is common ground that we found and we think the right way to go"

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

"Every registered voter in Massachusetts would receive an application by mid-July to request a ballot to vote by mail in the 2020 elections under a plan released Friday by House and Senate Democrats intended to create more options for voters to safely participate in the electoral process during the coronavirus pandemic.

The proposal for expanded voting-by-mail would be coupled with in-person early voting before both the primary and general elections in September and November, and traditional voting at a local polling station during both elections.

With the bill, state lawmakers are inserting themselves directly into a fiery national debate over the integrity of mail-in voting, with President Donald Trump at the center of the conflagration. Trump has suggested that mailboxes would be robbed and ballots would be forged or fraudulently signed as states moved to vote-by-mail, despite five states already using this system without trouble before the pandemic.

The co-chairs of the Election Laws Committee, Rep. John Lawn, D-Watertown, and Sen. Barry Finegold, D-Andover, released a bill on Friday night, giving members of their committee 48 hours to review and vote on whether to recommend the bill to the full House and Senate."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200530/lawmakers-offer-vast-expansion-of-voting-options

Quick summary:
  • an application would be mailed to registered voters to choose ballot by mail
  • early election time for both Sept primary and Nov election
  • allow for only check in desk at poll to reduce poll worker staffing
voting booths and check in for Franklin voters at FHS
voting booths and check in for Franklin voters at FHS


Saturday, May 30, 2020

FPAC and THE BLACK BOX Update

Dear FPAC Community and patrons of THE BLACK BOX,

I hope you are well as we look forward to reopening and reconnecting. As many of you know and have experienced first-hand, the arts have the power to inspire us and to heal. To that end, FPAC is ready to welcome you as soon as it is safe to turn the lights back on at THE BLACK BOX, under the guidelines of the CDC and Mass.gov.

Below please find the status of shows from our 2019-2020 season; Ticket holders will be contacted separately by email:

  • Legally Blonde The Musical - New Dates TBA!
  • Electric Youth In Concert - Cancelled, See you next year!
  • Broadway In Franklin Weekend - Cancelled, See you next year!
  • Culinary Cabaret - Cancelled, See you next year!
  • FPAC 5K Road Race and 1 Mile Fun Run - New date in September TBA!
  • FPAC Golf Tournament - New date is October 5th!


Please consider donating your ticket purchase back to help support our company and venue. The outpouring of concern for FPAC and THE BLACK BOX has been heartening, and given the devastating financial impact on nonprofits like ours, we’ll be counting on you when it’s show time once again! Look for a schedule of outdoor concerts in July!

Please like Franklin Performing Arts Company on Facebook (if you haven’t already!), and turn in for the month of June, Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 pm for “Great Performances…At Home” featuring FPAC favorite performers and special guests on Facebook Live. 

Since March FPAC has provided nightly entertainment and fun for audiences at home awaiting the opportunity to get out of our living rooms and back on stage.  
As you shop from home, please consider using AmazonSmile at https://smile.amazon.com/ and make FPAC your nonprofit of choice, thereby donating a small percentage of your purchase to FPAC. 

 Kindly join us on social media - like, follow, comment, share! Expanding our reach on social media is something we can accomplish from home with your help.

We can't wait to see your smiling faces soon!

Best,

Raye Lynn

Raye Lynn Mercer, Executive Director
Franklin Performing Arts Company
THE BLACK BOX
15 West Central Street
Franklin, MA 02038-0048
Email: rlmercer@fpaconline.com
Websites: www.fpaconline.com www.theblackboxonline.com

FPAC and THE BLACK BOX Update
FPAC and THE BLACK BOX Update

FM #280 Finance Committee Budget Hearing #2 - 5/28/20

FM #280 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 280 in the series.

This session shares the Franklin, MA Finance Committee meeting held on Thursday, May 28, 2020. The meeting was conducted via conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

This is the second of four budget hearings for the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 21).

The Finance Committee Vice Chair Bill Dowd opens the meeting. Each person who speaks is announced. The show notes contain links to the meeting packet and to the individual documents referenced.

The Franklin Public School budget is the key item on the agenda. There is good discussion and Q&A to help understand the drivers of the school budget. The Finance Committee approves only the top level amount. All the details are the responsibility of the School Dept and School Committee.

The recording runs about one hour and twenty-four minutes (1:24) , so let’s listen to the Finance Committee budget hearing of May 28.

audio file = https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HDY3Z2g7




--------------

Agenda document
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/2020-05-28_finance_committee_agenda_1.pdf

Budget doc and Overview memo
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget/files/fy21-town-administrator-budget-message

FY 2021 budget documents
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget/pages/fy2021-budget-materials

School budget summary
https://www.franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/02._executive_summaryrevised.pdf

Schools FY 21 recommended budget
https://www.franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/fy21_sc_approved_budget_overview.pdf


School Budget page https://www.franklinps.net/district/school-district-budget/pages/fy-2021-budget


We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?
  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
  • If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!
------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters

FM #280 Finance Committee Budget Hearing #2 - 5/28/20
FM #280 Finance Committee Budget Hearing #2 - 5/28/20

Franklin Senior Center: Email Blast 5-29-2020


Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy and connected!  Here are some fun and interesting things to help pass the time.  

Tips and information
Curbside Cafe begins on Monday June 1st!  Click here for information on how to order and menu items available.

Guided meditation by Kerry Paulhus

World Health Organization - COVID-19 Myth busters


Music
Enjoy Franklin's own Jamie Barrett sing The Doobie Brothers

Smooth Jazz for easy listening

5 Hours of the best classical music!

Just for Fun
Build the perfect Squirrel proof bird feeder
Cat Vs. Dog
Riding an ostrich - for those of you who were on the zoom call this morning. 

Humor
Jeanne Robertson - don't snap an elephant to a tree
Jeanne Robertson - Don't mess with broom people

CBS outtakes and bloopers

Dumbest job fail awards

Kindness Matters
People who restore your faith in humanity

Random Trivia
The 100 folds in a chef's hat represent 100 ways to cook an egg.
Yes, that tall, pleated white hat that chefs wear — technically called a toque — has 100 folds for a reason! According to Reluctant Gourmet, the pleats used to signify a chef's level of experience, like the number of ways he or she knew how to prepare eggs.
You can hear a blue whale's heartbeat from more than 2 miles away.The world's largest animal's heart weighs about 400 pounds — approximately the size of a small piano.
Attached you will find:
  • Donna's activity sheet with 2 coloring pages
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V9B-2N1jVfpq1QUPNcJAm_b1fQZn3uC4/view?usp=sharing

Love, virtual hugs and good health to you all!  We are still here for you!  Please feel free to email Donna or me with questions, concerns or just to check in!
Ariel & Donna

Please feel free to share this email with anyone you think might enjoy it.  If you want me to add someone to the email blast list just send me a message with their email in it. 


REMEMBER:
When searching for information about the Coronavirus, COVID-19 please use caution!  Unfortunately there are many false sites that contain viruses and malware that can threaten your computer.  Many look like real sites.  Your best bet is to go directly to the CDC, WHO or your local government page (links below).   

MEMORY CAFE!
For those of you who attend our Memory Cafe events I invite you to learn more about attending a VIRTUAL Memory Cafe through Zoom!  There are many options to choose from.

--
Ariel Doggett

Respite Coordinator
Support Day Coordinator
Franklin Senior Center

"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Ingersoll
There is no act of kindness too small

Finance Committee Recap - Budget Hearing #2 - May 28, 2020

As with most meetings in this pandemic period, I took my notes via Twitter during the meeting reporting in real-time via the virtual session.

The Twitter hashtag can be found online
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23fincom0528&src=typeahead_click

Pre-Meeting Tweets
Meeting starts, Franklin Public Schools

screen grab at start of budget hearing #2
screen grab at start of budget hearing #2

  • Real-time reporting ready to get underway for the #2 budget hearing for the Finance Committee meeting covering the school budget #fincom0528
  • Roll call of Committee (6 present) along with TA Hellen, Superintendent Ahern among others of town/schools. Approx 30 total to start meeting #fincom0528
  • Bill Dowd acting as Chair tonight in absence of M Dufour. #fincom0528 no public comments at this time. Minutes of Dec 17, 2019 up for approval, moved, seconded approved 7-0 (7 for, 2 absent) via roll call
  • First up on agenda is town side of technology, #fincom0528 mostly same as last year with a minor increase for license cost increases
  • Next up is school budget, only a line item on town side, all the details are in the school budget docs. #fincom0528
  • First doc for SchComm budget is https://franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/02._executive_summaryrevised.pdf #fincom0528 second doc https://franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/uploads/fy21_sc_approved_budget_overview.pdf
  • Town Council meeting of June 3 will include updates from Rep Roy, Senator Spilka and senator Rausch to provide some insight from capital hill #fincom0528 agenda to be posted Friday.
  • Grappling with how to close the gap, as mentioned in SchComm meeting 5/26 it could include reduction of 25 positions on one scenario and 50 positions on the second scenario #fincom0528 teacher avg salary is Below the State avg teacher salary
  • Town contributes more than $8M towards net school spending as calculated by the State, from the town side of the budget (facility maint, custodians, etc) and reconciled annually per MOU between town and schools #fincom0528
  • Q on enrollment drop can increases in budget, what is the readers digest answer? Population has dropped, but the students coming are requiring more services, K-8 teachers have dropped, councilors have increased #fincom0528
  • Key slide on gaps to close given some of the projections on the downturn and revenue estimates #fincom0528
  • Q how closely do we vette the SPED needs of the students? We do quite well there, a lot of data via testing and observation, a formal process to follow with reviews at minimum annually #fincom0528 some kids do get off plans, they don't always stay forever
  • SPED is a special Ed term for delivery of education to those students with special needs, schools attempt to do as much in-house as possible to save on out of district placements #fincom0528
  • June 15 for non-professional (less than 3 years) and per contract the others would also be notified by June 15. #fincom0528 contract does have recall provisions that could be used
  • Question on per pupil expenditure calculated at State per their categories and requirements #fincom0528
Tri-County, Norfolk Ag line items
  • Tri-County working on plans for a refurb of the building, that would require a debt exclusion. Otherwise the charge for Franklin is based upon a per pupil expense for enrollment #fincom0528 both for Norfolk Ag and Tri-County
  • Meeting adjourned via roll call by 7-0, catch you next Tuesday for part three of the FY 21 budget hearings  #fincom0528

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting to focus on "Re-opening Businesses"

The Franklin Downtown Partnership will conduct a virtual general meeting on Zoom on Thursday, June 4 at 8:30 AM. This special "Re-opening Businesses" FDP General Meeting will feature updates from state and town leaders, including 

  • Franklin Town Administrator Jamie Hellen
  • Susan Nicholl from State Sen. Karen Spilka's office 
  • State Sen. Becca Rausch
  • State Rep. Jeff Roy 
  • Franklin Health Director Cathy Liberty


The link to join the Zoom meeting is: https://zoom.us/j/96287098735
Meeting ID: 962 8709 8735
One tap mobile: +16465588656,,96287098735# US

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting to focus on "Re-opening Businesses"
Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting to focus on "Re-opening Businesses"