In the News - Dean moves in

Dean students move into new downtown building
By Michael Morton/Daily News staff

FRANKLIN - After picking up the keys to a student suite yesterday, Dean College sophomore Adam Olean bounded up the stairs of downtown's newest building, fumbled with his lock for a second and then rushed inside.

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Boston Globe gets to the Audit Report

The director of financial services for the Franklin school system has been fired following an audit that indicated she made several accounting errors in the 2007 fiscal year budget, underreported a deficit, and ordered illegal transfers of employee payroll accounts.

Delores McCoy, who worked for the town for seven years, was dismissed by Assistant Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski on Jan. 2. She had been on leave since Oct. 22, three days after Franklin's comptroller, Susan Gagner, noticed a discrepancy in the records and brought it to the attention of town officials.

Read the full school financial audit story in today's edition.

Children of the World - Doll Workshop

The new ArtBeat store at 9 Summer St is holding a Doll Workshop on Jan 21 & 22 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Create a doll or stuff animal complete with clothing from Africa, Asia, Indonesia, Australia or the Americas. A coupon for this event was passed out to school children today. With the coupon, $5 of the $15 charge would go to a designated school. Each of the six Franklin elementary schools are listed to choose from.

Have some fun this weekend and help raise money for your school!



PS - ArtBeat has a blog. Infrequently posted to but with good info.

Where in Franklin? #27

Where in Franklin? #27, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Here is the next photo in the "Where in Franklin?" series.

The guidelines for playing can be found here.

Have fun!

Where in Franklin? Answer #26

Where in Franklin? Answer #26, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Susan correctly identified the spires shown in photos 1 and 2 as belonging to St Mary's Church.

Thank you Susan!

Stay tuned for the next opportunity to play "Where in Franklin?"

In the News - students on the air, consolidation of services

Franklin students hitting the airwaves

By Michael Morton/Daily News staff

FRANKLIN - Featured by an independent Los Angeles radio station this month, the students running the high school's Sound in the Hall Records are now hallway kings and queens.

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Franklin may consolidate some school, town services

By Michael Morton/Daily News staff

FRANKLIN - With focus shifting to other issues now that a budget inquiry is over, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting has revived a proposal to consolidate some school and municipal services.

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Gov Patrick announces help for education

Patrick announces $368M in education proposals

By S.H. Bagley

SOMERVILLE - Gov. Deval Patrick announced today in Somerville that his budget would increase education aid funds by $368 million for fiscal 2009.

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Franklin: Circle of Friends Coffeehouse

Franklin: Circle of Friends Coffeehouse, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The stage was ready for Jud Caswell and Richard Shindell to preform last Saturday night at the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse here in Franklin.

Located at the First Universalist Church on Chestnut St, this is a gem of a coffeehouse with a great schedule, a reasonable price, and home cooked deserts to compliment the evening.

I have been several times each season and plan on returning a few more times this season. Check out the schedule here to see if something interests you.

How's your mailbox?

Mailboxes take a beating in winter storms

By Michael Morton/Daily News staff

FRANKLIN - Before the latest storm, Pond Street resident Cindy Martinez had already lost half a dozen mailboxes to town snowplows over the course of three winters.

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Mr Sullivan - Part 7 (audio)

Mr Sullivan continues to answer questions from Councilors McGann and Mason, Jeff Nutting chimes in with an answer. Frank Falvey tries to speak the first time.

Time: 4 minutes, 18 seconds



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Mr Sullivan - Part 6 (audio)

Mr Sullivan answers questions from Councilors Bartlett, Whalen, Zollo and School Committee member Ed Cafasso.

Time: 7 minutes, 58 seconds



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Mr Sullivan - Part 5 (audio)

Mr Sullivan continues his presentation with the section on covering the deficit. Questions from Councilors McGann and Doak are answered during this section.

Time: 7 minutes, 37 seconds



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in the news - State report on schools, drive through at 4 Corners

Franklin schools get good review from state
By Michael Morton/Daily News staff
FRANKLIN - In the midst of scrutiny from a budget inquiry, the School Committee received an unrelated state report this week describing the town's school system as "very high performing" and well-managed.

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Franklin re-considers drive-through ban on Four Corners School
By Michael Morton/Daily News staff
Unable to secure any bids to turn the abandoned Four Corners School into a retail site, the town is reconsidering its ban on a drive-through window for the property.

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One sure thing: uneven tax burden
By Ralph Ranalli, Globe Staff
It's rare to feel like joking about taxes, so Marlborough resident Tom Lane couldn't resist the temptation after calculating that his new property-tax bill will be a mere $31 more than he paid last year.

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Compare your town's property taxes
Property taxes skyrocketed over the last decade in Massachusetts. The Globe's Matt Carroll created this chart to compare town by town increases. In the suburbs west of Boston, you can see that property tax increases this year vary widely, according...

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Getting a break on property taxes....
When municipal officials are looking for tax money, or weighing a Prop 2 1/2 override, talk often turns to the tax exempt property in their town: colleges, social services agencies.. even golf courses. Sometimes these places pay what are known...

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Gov Patrick, Salem, and Franklin's situation

Governor Patrick, cutbacks and the saga in Salem

As the city of Salem roils over layout notices, and other towns struggle with tight budgets, Gov. Deval Patrick told municipal leaders Friday that he feels their pain. Patrick said he understands that they are experiencing tight fiscal times.

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Click through to read the details in this Override Central story in the Boston Globe.

Franklin is not that far away from Salem in this case. Financial mismanagement created their shortfall. The Forensic Report was presented Wednesday night to the joint Town Council and School Committee, as I re-read the report and listen to the presentation again, I am not convinced that we are out of the woods on this episode.

"The deficits in 2006 and 2007 raise concerns over the School Department's level of spending in fiscal 2008. There will be more Circuit Breaker available in 2008 than in 2007, as there is no carry over deficit to be applied to the 2008 expected receipts. However, there was a deficit in Special Education Tuitions even with the full Circuit Breaker receipts for both fiscal 2006 and 2007.
In addition, certain other accounts have been in deficit during both fiscal 2006 and 2007. We have prepared the three-year budget analysis, and provided a copy to the interim Director of Financial Operations. That analysis will assist in identification of potential budget shortfalls. However, the schedule is prepared based upon the inclusion of negative revenue items, which needs to be taken into consideration in evaluating the 2008 budget."

From the Forensic Report, page 10. Bold for my emphasis.

Mr Sullivan - Part 4 (audio)

Mr Sullivan discusses the accounting for the Medicaid reimbursement which even after the transfer of some expenses to other accounts still has a deficit. He summarizes the total deficit as

Attrition impact - $200,000
Medicaid double posting - $300,000
Athletics revenue deficit - $150,000
Insurance deficit - $195,000
Tuition deficit - $671,898
Total - $1,516,898

Appropriation surplus - ($662,296)

Final deficit - $854,602


This section includes questions and comments with Bartlett, Feeley, Nutting, and Susan Gagner - Town Comptroller.

Time: 6 minutes, 15 seconds



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