"It was mind-boggling, actually"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jul 23, 2008 @ 12:00 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

At first, 12-year-old Erin McGinley thought Liam Galvin "was a little crazy" when he looked around and began uttering words to an invisible presence at Franklin Public Library last night, she said.

"There were 12 spirits around his head. He kept telling me things and he said, 'I don't make this stuff up - the spirits tell me,"' McGinley said.

But in the end, Galvin and Joseph Lynch, psychics and spirit mediums who claim to communicate with those on the "other side," astonished and delighted McGinley and her peers with their tarot card readings.

The library's teen advisory board chose tarot card readings as one of several events for the young adult summer reading program, "X-Pect the Un-X-Pected" - which drew 24 girls from age 10 to 18.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News

"We are taking this action now"

FRANKLIN, MA, July 21, 2008 ---

PLC Systems Inc. (AMEX:PLC) announced today that it will defer the commencement of the U.S. pivotal trial of its RenalGuard™ System in the prevention of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy (CIN). The company continues to support the investigator-sponsored clinical trial now ongoing in Milan, Italy as well as the limited market launch of RenalGuard in Europe, which began in the first quarter of this year, both of which are focused on the CIN prevention market.

PLC Systems was mentioned earlier in our Franklin Industry series

"people cannot park any vehicle on a sidewalk"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jul 21, 2008 @ 11:28 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

It appears town leaders no longer believe they have to officially forbid throwing missiles, frightening horses, driving cattle or swine on sidewalks in Franklin.

Instead, Town Council is considering adding a few new provisions to the Peace and Good Order Bylaw, such as the prohibition of window-peeping, intentionally exposing one's naked body, publicly urinating, spitting, or expelling bodily waste upon a public street, sidewalk, building or place. Nuisance pets which bite, bark, claw, howl, scratch, cry or otherwise disturb the peace or destroy property, would also be forbidden.

The council is taking a "proactive approach" by updating Franklin's bylaws, said Town Attorney Mark G. Cerel, who is recommending removing antiquated provisions and language and appending others to address current issues

Read the full story in the Milford Daily News

Where in Franklin? Answer #48 (better photo)

Another one of my phone camera photos; this is an office view of Bullukian Oil which was the subject of Where in Franklin? #48.

Water tagged drains

I am finally getting to some photos taken with my new camera enabled phone. It was easy to take the photos. It was another thing to figure out how to get them off in bulk. Took a little time to think about it but then it dawned on me to try to put the card in the printer and see if it came up as a removable drive; it did. yahoo!

Anyway, the photo was taken back in May as Dolores and I walked one Saturday and found these stickers on the drain curbs all around the downtown area. Some are since gone, the glue apparently not enough to hold them.

Town Council Meeting 7/23/08 - Agenda

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - June 4, 2008 B. ANNOUNCEMENTS C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS D. CITIZEN COMMENTS E. APPOINTMENTS F. HEARINGS - 1. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-616: Adult Entertainment Establishment Districts – 7:10 PM 2. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5, Town Code: Zoning Map - Business to Commercial II – 7:10 PM (To be opened and continued to August 20) G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS q Stormwater Management I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION 1. Resolution 08-50: Authorization to Petition General Court for Special Legislation – Underground Utilities 2. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-616: Adult Entertainment Establishment Districts-1st Reading 3. Bylaw Amendment 08-627: Chapter 4, Public Notice and Advertising of Public Hearings – 1st Reading K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT L. OLD BUSINESS M. NEW BUSINESS N. COUNCIL COMMENTS O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required P. ADJOURN

Link to agenda on new Town website

school choice update

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jul 20, 2008 @ 11:55 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

The Franklin School Department is not accepting any new School Choice applications this year, or at least until administrators get "absolute clarity" on class sizes.

The School Committee made the decision to stop accepting applications at the recommendation of Superintendent Wayne Ogden on July 15.

The program allows students from Massachusetts towns outside of Franklin to attend public schools within the district.

As required by law, Franklin, like all districts, accepts School Choice students at random by lottery, though a district can choose to accept all applicants.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

The headline is deceiving. New applications are not being accepted. 39 students were accepted into the program for the 2007-2008 school year (that just ended) to being the total to 76 (as of October 1 2007). As I recall 10-12 left the program this year, 5 through graduation and the others for various reasons. There are still 60+ students to be served by this program which will still bring in revenue to the School Department. Due to failed override and the reduction of 42 teachers, the analysis on if and where some students could be added to the program remains to be completed. Pending that analysis, new applications may be considered.

This topic was posted here the night of the School Committee meeting.