Veteran's Day

Veterans Day, 2008

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.

From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.

Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2008, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15, 2008, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

"Somebody's mad at somebody"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 10, 2008 @ 09:09 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Police do not have any leads into who slashed the tires on 42 cars last weekend or what motivated the malicious action, said Deputy Police Chief Stephan H. Semerjian.

As far as police know, nobody witnessed the crimes, which occurred late Friday night and early Saturday morning, Semerjian said.

Police have not received any new reports of slashings since Saturday, Semerjian said.

In total, 42 car owners, all at 301 Union Place, an apartment complex, reported their tires had been slashed, said Semerjian.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Ed Cafasso - Letter 11/2/08

Note: this is late posting. It got lost in my "things to do" box.

Hello Everyone!

I hope you had a good weekend and enjoyed that extra hour of sleep! Here’s a brief update on recent school issues in Franklin…

New Superintendent: The Franklin School Committee moved closer to appointing a new Superintendent last week, unanimously endorsing the candidacy of Deputy Supt. Maureen Sabolinski. Ms. Sabolinski has been a resident of the Franklin for 16 years, and has worked for the Franklin schools for most of that time, starting in special education and eventually working her way up to become second in command. Her children went through our schools, and Maureen has experienced just about every issue one can imagine as both a parent and as an administrator – budget challenges, redistricting, the opening of new schools, personnel evaluations, etc. The next step for the Committee is to work out a smooth transition for Ms. Sabolinski to officially take over for outgoing Supt. Wayne Ogden.

Two Milford Daily News stories are available regarding our consideration of Maureen’s candidacy: http://tinyurl.com/5wm6k8 (Oct. 29) and http://tinyurl.com/557p8b (Oct. 15)

School Calendar Survey: So many parents have expressed strong feelings about the fact that classes in Franklin begin before Labor Day that the Superintendent’s office has launched an online survey on the topic. Parents are strongly encouraged to make their views known at: http://tinyurl.com/576yjn. With only eight questions, completing the survey should be quick and easy. Please feel free to pass along the link to others in the school community. The survey will remain open until November 24.

Field House Advertising: Last week, after months of study, the School Committee voted unanimously to authorize a pilot program allowing advertising within the Field House at Franklin High School. Ads in the style of 4’ x 6’ vinyl banners (navy blue with white lettering) will be available for sale at $40/month with a minimum three-month advertising commitment. The banner ads will be hung along area where the curved roof meets the building’s long walls. By conservative estimates, some 45,000 adults attend or participate in events at the Field House each year, and potential advertisers began coming forward within hours of the Committee vote. The success of the pilot will be evaluated in six months. Local businesses and boosters can learn more about this inexpensive marketing opportunity by visiting: http://www.franklin.k12.ma.us/co/supt/FHAdvGuidelines.pdf.

School Enrollment: The total number of students enrolled in the Franklin Public Schools declined by 26 to 6,232 as of September, compared to the 6,260 students on the books when the 2007-08 school year ended in June. Elementary enrollment declined by 63 students during the period, and the number of middle school students decreased by eight. Franklin High began the 2008-09 school year with 43 more students than last year, bringing the student body at FHS to 1,617. In case you are wondering, total Franklin Public School enrollment has increased from 5,962 in May 2005 to 6,232 as of September 2008. That's an increase of 270 students (4.5 percent) during the course of the last four school years.

FEF Casino Night: The Franklin Education Foundation is holding its Third Annual Casino Night on Friday, November 21 at 7 p.m. the Elks Hall in Franklin. This has become a much-anticipated fun, adult event. As with the popular FEF Trivia Bee, proceeds from Casino Night go directly into grants for teacher initiatives at all levels of the Franklin Public Schools. This year’s event will feature Blackjack tables, Roulette, a Money Spinning Wheel, and a Silent Auction. A limited number of tickets are available at $25 each, or six tickets for the price of five. You can learn more about the FEF and Casino Night at: http://www.franklined.org/.

Commuter Rail Parking Rate Hike: As many of you know, parking fees at MBTA commuter rail stations are scheduled to double as of November 15. If you’re a daily commuter rail user like me, the proposed hike is maddening. It’s insensitive to the needs of working families during the worst economy since the Great Depression; it sends the wrong environmental message at a time when we all want to use less fossil fuels; and, it targets just one class of MBTA customers, the commuter rail riders who have already absorbed recent fares hikes and who play a big role in the capital city’s workforce.

Unless the cost of painting yellow lines on tar has dramatically skyrocketed, I feel certain the T is already making a sizable profit on commuter rail riders. You can express your opinion on this unfair rate hike at http://www.mbta.com/customer_support/write_to_top/ or by filling out the Commuter Rail Customer Comment Form at http://www.mbta.com/customer_support/feedback/. Or, you can write directly to MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 3910, Boston, MA 02116

These e-mails are provided as a constituent service. I try to distribute at least one e-mail update each month during the school year, as issues warrant. As always, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. If you are receiving duplicate e-mails or if you no longer wish to receive these e-mails, please let me know and I will remove you from the distribution list. If you know of someone you would like to add to the list, please send along their e-mail address.

Don’t forget to vote Tuesday! Thanks!

Ed Cafasso, Member

Franklin School Committee

edcafasso@comcast.net

Parmenter Elementary School

From the Parmenter Elementary School sign on Sunday we find:

Davis Thayer Elementary School

The Davis Thayer sign on Sunday:

School signs

The sign view from the Franklin High School side:





The sign view from the Horace Mann / Oak St side:

GATRA "free ride" coupon

Don't forget to grab the free ride coupon from this week's home delivery of the Gazette.

If you don't think you'll get to take a ride before 12/20/08, you can give it to a neighbor or some one that will use it.

Why not take a free ride? I am looking forward to some Saturday when I can take a ride.

Mobile post sent by shersteve using Utterli. Replies.

In local TV - vandalism at Franklin Landing

Two TV stations, one from Boston, one from Providence are covering the tire slashing incident Friday night at the Franklin Landing apartment complex on Union St.

ABC Channel 6 - Providence

ABC Channel 5 - Boston

Video is available on both links

"it's walking on sacred ground"

Image by shersteve via Flickr

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 09, 2008 @ 12:00 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Thursday afternoon, a group of veterans hovered over the bar at the Elks Lodge, drinking beer, teasing each other about hitting on women and badgering the manager for socializing instead of staying in the office.

But when talk turned to the reason for their gathering - their trip to Washington, D.C. to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., the men quickly became solemn, nostalgic and filled with pride.

"I had a brother, William, in the Air Force who passed. I want to see all the different memorials while I still can. I'm excited about it," said Frank DeRose, 83, a World War II vet who fought as an infantryman in the Normandy invasion.

DeRose said he was discharged with a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, "etc., etc.," after shrapnel slammed into his chest and right arm.

"I decided I wanted to see the memorial before ... any more years go by," he said, laughing.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

In addition to the Elks, there is also a group called the Honor Flight Network that pays for the travel expenses of veterans to make the trip to Washington, DC. You can read more about Honor Flight here and here.

In the News - veterans, modular classrooms

By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 08, 2008 @ 12:11 AM

Last update Nov 08, 2008 @ 12:15 AM

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FRANKLIN —

With bronze medals, citations, a proclamation and lots of applause, the town honored its war veterans yesterday, paying special tribute to "The 90s Brigade."

About 150 veterans celebrated at the eighth annual Veterans Day breakfast, a ceremony featuring two local lawmakers who are also Army National Guard lieutenant colonels as keynote speakers: Sen. Scott Brown and Rep. James Vallee.

"It's people like you that inspired me to join the military and serve our country," Vallee told the crowd, which gathered at the Senior Center.

Vallee, D-Franklin, read a proclamation from Gov. Deval Patrick, and presented House resolutions to the eight men and women sitting on the stage, a special group of World War II veterans from Franklin.

read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

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By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 08, 2008 @ 12:07 AM

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FRANKLIN —

After touring the district's 20 modular classrooms twice, School Committee members concluded the structures are nearing the end of their useful lives.

"We jumped on the floors, etc.," said Cora Armenio, a member of a subcommittee with Ed Cafasso and School Committee Vice Chairwoman Paul Mullen.

"The larger (older) the child, the bigger the impact. They've been through the ringer," Armenio said.

All of the district's modular classrooms are about 10 years old, and their maximum life expectancy is 15 years, Superintendent Wayne Ogden has said.

Modular classrooms are used at Jefferson Elementary School, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Gerald M. Parmenter School, Davis Thayer Elementary School and Franklin High School. The town's first modular classrooms were built in 1998 at Parmenter and Davis Thayer.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

Read about all the items that the School Committee discussed at their meeting on October 28th check here, including the live reporting on the modular status here.

Franklin WWII Veterans

FRANKLIN -

Emma Tobias was in her car, driving, in December of 1941 when the attack that launched the United States into World War II was first being reported to the public.

"I remember, I was coming home from the grocery store and I heard it on the car radio Pearl Harbor was attacked," said Tobias, sitting on Monday at a table overlooking the back yard of the Franklin home she shares with her daughter, Toby Skelly.

Details sometimes escape the recently turned 91-year-old, but she clearly remembers that moment on that day, Dec. 7, 1941.

"I don’t recall that there was any fear ... I just didn’t really know what it meant," she said.

But by the next day, she knew. The U.S. and Britain officially declared war, joining the conflict that began overseas in 1939.

And nearly two years later, Tobias was herself part of the war effort, an enlisted member of the United States Navy working at the Navy’s San Francisco headquarters.

Read the full article in the Franklin Gazette here

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FRANKLIN -

Emma Tobias was amongst the first women to enlist in the Navy in World War II, a few months after the WAVES — Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service — division was formed.

She is now among Franklin’s 11 oldest surviving WWII veterans whose service is being honored this Veterans Day.

The 91-year-old is in good company, too.

Among her fellow senior most WWII veterans, there is Zeffro Gianetti, who served in the U.S. Army under Gen. George S. Patton, from 1941-1945.

"General Patton was one of the top and most famous generals in World War II," noted Franklin veterans agent Bob Fahey.

There is also Paul Egan, who was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked Dec. 7, 1941, launching the United States and Britain into the conflict that began in Europe in 1939.

Read the full article here

Franklin Planning Committee - meeting canceled 11/6/08

Received the word via email notification today from the Chair. Thank you, Doug! This saves a trip and time tonight.

I was also inspired to write a sherku on the train home:


Other Writing

meeting canceled; no need for
live reporting; can
catch up on other writing

What is a sherku?

"it sounds like a very good program"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Nov 06, 2008 @ 12:27 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Town Council last night looked favorably upon a proposal from the Department of Public Works to start an automated trash collection program featuring single-stream recycling.

The new program would save residents the trouble of separating recyclables, theoretically increasing recycling rates, reduce waste tonnage, and would cost residents nothing or just a small increase in their trash fee, said officials last night.

With single-stream recycling, people can put all recyclables in one container, said DPW Director Brutus Cantoreggi.

"This is kind of like a no-brainer to us," said Cantoreggi.

The program would take effect when Franklin's current contract with Wheelabrator expires on June 30, 2010, said Cantoreggi.

The town would provide residents a container for trash, which would be maintained by the hauler, said Cantoreggi.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Read all that occurred during this Town Council meeting here.

Town Council Mtg Summary 11/05/08

The collection of posts from the Town Council meeting 11/5/08

• Live reporting - Councilor Comments
• Live reporting - Town Administrator's report
• live reporting - rezoning
• Live reporting - Brick lease
• Live reporting - DPW re-org
• Live reporting - DPW Solid Waste & Recycling
• Live reporting - Fire Station Bldg Committee disol...
• Recycling update
• Live reporting - Recycle committee report
• Live reporting - License transfer
• Live reporting - opening items
• Live reporting - Town Council Meeting

Phishing scams in plain english

In our continuing series on understanding Web 2.0, one of the drawbacks of free and easy email is found with multiple scams. The folks at Common Craft have come up with a video to explain phishing scams. Very well done. Be careful what you click on in email!





Note: For those subscribers to this blog, this is one link that you can trust.

Live reporting - Councilor Comments

Zollo:
Streamline recycling
property rezoning (increase tax base)
lease Brick School
consolidation of janitorial services

Town Council does look for efficiencies where possible

Pfeffer - congratulations to Maureen Sabolinski on her selection and to the School Committee for a good and timely choice

Live reporting - Town Administrator's report

Old Norfolk water issue resolved.
Story from September 2007 can be found here and here
Recent update on this - September meeting


Rock pile at Chestnut/RT 140 purchased by Sovereign Bank, Town inquiring to see what the bank plans to do with it.


Dedication of Museum and new sculpture November 19th, 9:00AM.


Some capital planning coming in future meeting, also with "free cash" being certified soon, he'll being some proposals to look at adding some funds to the Stabilization Fund.

live reporting - rezoning

Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5, Town Code: Zoning Map – Business to Commercial II – 2nd Reading (Tabled on 10/15/08)

Approved 7-1 (Doak no, Vallee absent)

Live reporting - Brick lease

The lease was signed with the Charter School for the Brick facility for $1 per year with the knowledge that these donations were available to offset the facility costs.

Resolution 08-72: Acceptance of Gifts for the Red Brick School

Approved 8-0

Live reporting - DPW re-org

Proposal to create a "grounds" division within the DPW.

Feeley - no vote on it tonight, open for questions

Would cost about $20,000: $10,000 to the General Fund and another $10,000 to the Water/Sewer revolving account.

The proposal adds a "real" deputy to the Director of Operations.

More efficient operations. Need to start succession planning, capturing the extensive knowledge that they have built over the years to handle things as well as they do. Uses existing folks. Eliminates assistant positions.