The actual presentation document used this evening:
Schools with exemplary reading practices do the following:
Time
Text
Teaching
Talking
Tasks
Testing
Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Time
Text
Teaching
Talking
Tasks
Testing
The bill, if passed, would have far reaching effects on local school band programs. Some have suggested that the costs associated with the sterilization process run the range of $50-$80 per instrument. The bill does not come with any funding for local districts to support this program. What that means is that local communities will have to come up with the funds themselves, despite the fact that they are already facing fiscal catastrophe....
No one argues with the intentions of the supporters of this bill. Indeed keeping instruments free of bacteria is an important goal. However, the bill overlooks the fact that most communities, including Franklin, already take steps to ensure the safety of musical instruments. A bill such as this is an example of overreaction to a problem that may not even exist.
While this bill may be a “stimulus” package for the sterilization manufacturers, it’s nothing but a classic unfunded mandate and burden to financially strapped communities. Accordingly, the bill ought to be swiftly defeated.
Who's bright idea is this?
Read the details on the Franklin School Committee blog here
Read the full article about the Walgreens coming to Franklin in the Milford Daily News here.The Planning Board last night approved Arista Development's special site plan to build a Walgreens at the former Four Corners School.
Arista Development LLC, of Norwood, plans to build a single-story, 14,500-square-foot building with a drive-through window (along Cross Street) and 60 parking spots, at the intersection of Rte. 140 and King Street.
The plan features two entrances: A single-car entry/exit via Cross Street and a double exit and single entry along King Street.
Climate change is expected to create about 200 million environmental refugees by 2050, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the international body established within the United Nations to evaluate causes and consequences of global warming.Read the full story here
Go green, get green.
Local residents and businesses have taken the message to heart, installed solar energy systems and received rebates from the Commonwealth Solar program, an initiative launched last year to encourage renewable energy use.
CommSolar, an offshoot of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, has approved nearly $22 million in rebates for 539 solar photovoltaic projects since its inception in January 2008.
Read the full article on the opportunities to save money by converting to solar electricity in the Milford Daily News here
The Franklin Area Climate Team (FACT) had sponsored several evenings on renewable energy at the library. You can review the notes and presentations here.
A Franklin High School alumni art show is planned at the Franklin Public Schools’ art gallery, Gallery 218, with an opening reception on Tuesday, Feb. 10th, 5:00 - 7:00 PM.
The gallery will have work from recent and not so recent graduates of Franklin High School on display.
Everyone is welcome to join the organizers and artists for food, live music, and art at the opening, which is free.The new episode of "The Public Square" provides viewers with tangible ways to save energy this winter and throughout the year. You can watch the show on line whenever you like by visiting
We interview local residents Ryan Katofsky, Martin Lamonica, Glenn Koenig, and Marc Breslow to learn how they have reduced their carbon footprint and saved money. The interviews take place in each person’s home, giving viewers a first-hand look at the improvements they’ve made. Our guests share some simple, low-cost steps that every family can take to save energy. You'll also hear about ideas that require a larger investment, including installing solar energy systems.
... kindergarten registration for the 2009-2010 school year will continue at Horace Mann Middle School on Monday, Feb. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. for the parents of children who have been born on or before Aug. 31, 2004.Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here..........
... as a matter of policy only one of the following may be used as bonafide proof of residency:
- a record of a recent mortgage payment and/or tax bill;
- a copy of lease and record of recent rental payment;
- a landlord affidavit (notarized letter) and record of recent rental payment;
- a Section 8 agreement;
- a signed HUD settlement statement;
and a valid driver's license; photo ID card; passport or other government-issued photo ID.
Marilyn Belmonte has a message for parents who say underage drinking is just a matter of kids being kids: It's a whole new world out there.
"There's a real change in the mentality," said Belmonte, a youth substance abuse prevention coordinator, to a group of parents assembled at Medway High School Wednesday night for "Turning Off the Tap," a presentation about underage drinking.
Recent incidents like the alcohol-related death of Plainville teen Taylor Meyer last October have moved the subject to the front burner, and the program detailed alarming new trends in teenage alcohol use, including extreme drinking games and binging.
"It really has changed," Belmonte said. Kids in the instant-gratification age are looking for quick fixes, and new trends, such as flavored alcohol. Walk into any store, she said, and you'll find shelves lined with attractive packages of vodkas in kid-friendly watermelon and cherry, perfect for teens looking to consume straight alcohol. Add in energy drinks as popular mixers and you've got the perfect storm, she said.
"They're mixing alcohol, which is a depressant, with energy drinks, which are stimulants, and the battle gets fought out in the heart," said Belmonte.
Parents can help by laying down the law. Recent studies show that the kids least likely to drink are those whose parents make it clear that such behavior is off limits.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.
The long-range financial planning committee is still hammering away at its three-year plan for the town, and will soon be soliciting feedback on its work from a selected cross-section of residents.
The committee already has a list of 50 frequently asked questions about town finances, compiled earlier by School Committee member Matthew Kelly, but they want to be sure they thoroughly address residents' concerns.
Committee members will narrow Kelly's list to about 15, answering common inquiries or misconceptions about town financial matters, including Proposition 2 1/2 tax override questions, in a public format.
"The purpose of this is to serve as a sanity check to make sure our report is answering the questions that interested citizens are likely to have, or should have," Kelly wrote in his report.