Friday, February 6, 2009

"It's just too big a deal to leave to chance"

I mentioned having a choice on where to go Thursday evening: The Financial Planning Committee or the WASTED panel discussion at Franklin High School. I chose the Financial Planning meeting and did my reporting here.

Our teen drinking problem, really more broadly terms substance abuse problem, because it is not just drinking, touches all the communities around us. Here is a report on the effort in Medway.

MEDWAY —

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.

"What is the town is doing to control costs?"

I had a choice last night: Attend the WASTED panel discussion at the High School or continue my live reporting from the Financial Planning Committee meeting. It was not an easy choice. Our teens need attention and help. But if we don't have a good explanation for what the Town is budgeting for and why, some citizens will continue to dwell on negatives forcing the Town into some serious troubles with all operations never mind taking care of our future (via our children, young and old).

My report on the meeting can be found here.

The Milford Daily News report is here:

Franklin financial questions to be answered

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.


Financial Plng Comm 02/05/09

This is the summary of the live reporting for the meeting 2/5/09

The Green Reel: "Everything's Cool"

The Green Reel: a series of films for sustainable living will be shown on Sunday evenings this winter.

What: "Everything's Cool"

When: 7:00 PM on February 8, 2009

Where: Agudas Achim, 901 North Main St, Attleboro or directions here


Free and open to the public.
For more info: 508-695-2389



read more about the file "Everything's Cool" here

Sponsors:
Agudas Achim
Crystal Spring Center
Simply Keep It Local
Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary
Citizens for a Sustainable Local Economy
Murray Unitarian Universalist Church
Green Committee of First Universalist Society of Franklin
New Dawn Earth Center
Oake Knoll Ayrshires
Franklin Area Climate Team
White Barn Farm
St Mark's Episcopal Church-Foxboro

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Public Transit Funding in Serious Peril

I received the following press release from GATRA this afternoon:

Taunton
The proposed fiscal year 2010 budget released by Governor Deval Patrick has severely cut back on the Administration’s commitment to provide for local public transportation services. This proposed budget only provides for 49 million dollars of the 64 million dollars needed to fund the 15 regional transit authorities operating regular bus and demand response service throughout the Commonwealth. The Regional Transit Authorities are the only remaining reimbursable line item left in the state budget and this proposed budget is actually paying for services that are operating now. “Due to the fact that we are already eight months into our fiscal year drastic cuts in service will need to be made in order to make up for this reduction in funding,” noted GATRA Administrator Francis Gay.

GATRA’s Advisory Board will be meeting in late February to discuss the current budget implications and to devise a plan moving forward. In the meantime the GATRA Administrator is asking residents throughout the GATRA region to contact their local Representatives and Senators to ask them to adequately fund public transportation services in the region when devising the House and Senate versions of the budget. If the proposed budget number stays anywhere near what the Governor has recommended there will be significant deficits for all the Regional Transit Authorities statewide.

GATRA is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of 15 Regional Transit Authorities in the state with an operating budget of more than $22 million. GATRA’s management companies operate more than 90 vehicles providing over 775,000 customer rides in 26 communities.
You can chose to do one of two things:

1 - Stay tuned to find out what this means to the Franklin routes.

or

2 - Take action and contact your local Representatives and Senators to ask them to adequately fund public transportation services for Franklin

Your choice.

Live reporting - Financial Plng - continued

There are elements within each department where no matter how well we do planning, the factors are beyond our control.

The schools are data rich. The key measures are MCAS scores, per pupil expense, comparisons on administration, teacher salaries, and class size.

The issue with the schools is the decrease in local support of the budget, i.e. the state is paying more and more as a percent of the total school expense. We will soon get to a point where we hit the minimum level for the town to support the school. When we hit that, by law, the town side of the budget will definitely take a hit as the schools will take the money.

Compelling story behind accreditation that we are missing out on except for the high school, and even there, we are in tough shape with a "warning" status now and unless something happens with the facility to help the science labs and technology

Graduation Rate at Franklin High School
  • 92% 2006
  • 94% 2007
  • 96% 2008
We have increased the graduation rate despite the losses of teachers. What that means is that there are 14-16 more students who walked out the door with a diploma in their hand than did in 2006.

March 5th is the planning point for trail review with the focus group. Maybe we should wait to set the forum date until we have the deliverable?

We need to have something when the numbers for the 2010 budget come out.

Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee - 2/5/09

Attending: Roche, Bartlett, Cameron, Hardesty, Nutting, Wilschek, Kelly, Ogden, Trahan,
Absent: Whalen, Zollo

Zollo sending info to Hardesty
Whalen acquiring data, Jeff to help with Town figures

The more data that is easily available, the better story we should be able to tell

Assumptions - these are the types that we would have. We already have the beginning of a model with assumptions already built into it. In some cases (i.e. the big ones only), we may pick a point to do a range, and explain the range, why, wherefores, etc. This range also allows a sensitivity analysis to be done on the numbers.

After 5-6 on the expense side and another 5-6 on the revenue side, there really isn't something that significant.

Kelly provided the Frequently Asked Questions. Many of which have been or at least can easily be answered, some will be addressed by the report. If any are left, they still should be answered via hand-out or other publication (i.e. I have offered to post the FAQ's with answers here).

The Governors proposal would increase a maximum of 2% in the hotel and the meals tax.

Franklin would stand to gain a total of about $1 million from the combined taxes.

Nutting: "I can't think of a year when the town did not have revenue growth. Even when they cut lottery, the school population growth was still generating Chapter 70 increases for Franklin."

We are almost ready to start the financial model. Year 1 in the model needs to be fiscal 2010.

HR Matters - provided previously, should be all set on this now. Did send this to Hardesty in softcopy.

This is where we have been, this where we are, this is where we are going. These are the three chapters of the story we need to tell.

Road discussion, even with our plan we are falling behind. We are using state money or water money to work the roads. If the water main work gets done, we do the road. If the water main doesn't need work, it won't get done. The Town hasn't budgeted for road repair since 2002 or 2003.

The underfunded liability for GASB 45 needs to be outlined.

"It's a good, positive program"

Milford Daily News
Posted Feb 05, 2009 @ 01:09 AM

FRANKLIN —

At the recommendation of Police Chief Stephen T. Williams, Town Council unanimously voted to suspend the liquor licenses of two establishments for serving teenagers working in a sting.

At hearings last night, the owners of Pepper Terrace Restaurant at 400 Village Drive and Cottage Street Pub & Grill at 158 Cottage St. said they did not dispute the facts in the police findings. They apologized for the offenses and promised to ensure their employees complied with serving laws.

Police conducted three types of compliance checks - underage stings, checking hot spots for parties with underage drinking and "shoulder taps," where undercover operatives hang out at a liquor store and ask someone to buy them alcohol - on Jan. 17, Williams said.

Read the full article on this item from Wednesday's town council meeting in the Milford Daily News here.


Why not have a Middle and High school mentor program?

Every one should have a mentor. Our youth would benefit greatly from a mentor relationship. At least one high school has a "Dream Mentor Program". It would be worth looking at to try and do something similar for our middle and high school students.

What is the Purpose of the Dream Mentor Program?

The word “Dreams” provides a sense of comfort and confidentiality that is required when one is confiding trust and passion to another in hope reality can be achieved. The aim of the program will be to:

1. Fostering academic (thinking) development
2. Preparing students to be informed, caring, and productive citizens of society
3. Preparing students for higher education
4. Preparing students for the world of work.
Read more about the Dream Mentor Program here

Town Council Mtg Smry - 02/04/09

This is the collection of postings from the Town Council Meeting 2/4/09


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Live reporting - Administrator update/Council Comments

Administrator updates:

Nutting
Community builders working by the ice rink should have construction complete by the end of the year.

No immediate need to take action on the $300,000 cut by the state, this will be absorbed.

FY 2010 will be short about $5.2 million, there will be layoffs to account for that deficit. Early in March will be looking for the council to set direction on priorities.

Also provided an update on the hotel/meal tax which could account for approx. $850,000 for Franklin.

Whalen - Are we getting a report from Mike on the New Year's incident?
Nutting - pulling together the insurance numbers now, we can come back early in March with the full package.

Zollo - perhaps Nutting should make a presentation on where the numbers are coming from for the budget to help ensure accurate information.
Nutting - should be able to do so for the March 4th meeting

McGann - Veterans monument ordered and possible for arrival by Memorial Day

Doak - capital subcommittee report, I want to thank Brutus (DPW Director) for creative thinking to arrange for additional savings for the replacement of two pieces of equipment.

Mason - thank the various department heads for putting together reasonable requests. Thanks to Brutus and the DPW for a fine job keeping the roads clean. It has been a tough season but they have done well.

Live reporting - ABC hearings

Capt Steve Williams
Lt Lynch

  • Have a grant to conduct a periodic "sting" - visit establishment and see if you can get served without getting ID checked
  • Monitor hot spots and parties
  • "Shoulder tap" - position an underage person outside liquor store to see if they could get someone to buy liquor for them.
Did the sting on all 31 establishments, 29 passed, 2 failed.

Cottage St Pub
operative was presented a beer, money was placed on the table

Owner admits they failed, won't contradict the police report

Recommendation, 3 day suspension with 2 days held in abeyance

There is money left in the grant, more stings will be conducted in coming months

Discussion on time period for abeyance, 2 years or 1 year to be held.

Motion to accept either the 7th, 14th, or 21st as the day to observe the suspension
Owner has 48 hours to confirm which date with the Town Administrator.

Motion passed by 7-0 vote

Pepper Terrace

operative was asked age, did not verify license

Owner admits that the facts are as stated

Recommendation: This is a second offense, the prior 2 days have been held in abeyance. The 1st violation was 2007. This time should have a full 7 day suspension observed on consecutive days.

Motion for suspension to be imposed from the 7th to the 13th of February.

Motion passed by 7-0 vote

Live reporting - Charles River Pollution Control

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
  • Charles River Pollution Control District
Per Jeff, won't be a rate increase for Franklin based upon what we have already planned for

The presentation: (thanks to Elaine Sistare for sending it)



Presenting:
Doug Downing
Al Wallace, Franklin representative
Elaine Sistaire

Also present:
Pat Hughes
Bob McRae
Paul Disimone (?), Medway rep

Significant budget increases due to
  • Capital
  • Salary and benefits
  • Chemical costs
  • Maintenance Costs
$490,000 over the Prop 2 1/2 increase

Franklin's portion of the operation is
68.2% - Operations & Maintenance wastewater assessment
67% - capital wastewater assessment

Nutting - the Council did vote for this in 1989, a couple of conflicts in advice have come in today so we are double checking with DOR. It may be back before you for a vote.

Actual plant capacity - 5.7 Million gallons per day

Franklin as part owner has excess capacity, we may be able to sell our excess capacity to generate additional revenue

The cost increase for Franklin's share would be a 20% increase over what we have as an assessment today. We do have time to plan for it per Jeff as this would only kick in for 2015 and beyond.

If we did not get into compliance, there would be a daily fine, approx $25,000 per day. Therefore it would not be an option to not be in compliance.

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Live reporting - Action items

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

  • Resolution 09-04: Onset Circle, A Private Way: Acceptance of Covenant with Developer

Approved 7-0

Live reporting - Town Council - 2/4/09

Attending: Whalen, Mason, Feeley, Pfeffer, Doak, McGann, Zollo
Missing: Vallee, Bartlett

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES none

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS - none

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none

E. APPOINTMENTS - none

new Real Estate blog

I am beginning to find new blogs on Franklin popping up. Kathy Stankard, a realtor and part of the ReMax network, has a new blog here.

In addition to providing information on the homes for sale, the blog provides insights on what is happening in the market. The two most recent posts are:

Why should I list now?
Okay, maybe the daffodils are not in bloom and there is another snowstorm in the forecast but a seller can truly capitalize on the buyers that have begun to get back out. There are six main advantages for a seller to list now (in the winter) instead of waiting until spring:
They're Baack!
Well, it seems as if many buyers just woke up from a long winter nap. Open houses lately bring in 6 or more people and the phone has been ringing--alot. This is great news since last year's real estate market was rather quiet overall. The low interest rates and low home prices seem to be prompting buyers to get out and purchase rather than the watch and wait approach of 2008.
I'll create a "Franklin blogs" section to pull together those I have already found and posted about earlier, I'll add the new ones that come along.

If you find a blog about Franklin that is not listed, please let me know. Bloggers love to get links!


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"It felt like you left the United States"

GHS
Posted Feb 04, 2009 @ 12:05 AM

FRANKLIN —

Amanda Cawley vividly remembers the first time she saw New Orleans in January 2007: The eeriness, the houses with giant "Xs" splashed across them, the boats in the middle the road.

"There were houses that slid off their foundation, but were still standing. We saw a lot of toys on the road, lots of piles of trash everywhere you could see. All the grass was dead. There weren't birds or anything like that around," recalled Cawley, a Wheelock College junior who recently returned from her fourth trip to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Before that initial trip, Cawley, and the small group of Wheelock students who accompanied her to rebuild homes with Habitat for Humanity, had the impression life had resumed with some semblance of normalcy, because the mass media wasn't covering the situation anymore, she said.

"One of the things we learned about New Orleans, the more you read about it and find out about it, it really surprised us how much still needed to be done. That really pulled us to go," Cawley said.

read the full article about the students efforts to rebuild New Orleans in the Milford Daily News here


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"How do we do it cheaper, better, quicker?"

GHS
Posted Feb 04, 2009 @ 12:03 AM

FRANKLIN —

Franklin is looking at a $5 to $5.2 million budget shortfall next fiscal year, right in line with the gap most Massachusetts communities will contend with, Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting told the Finance Committee last night.

Nutting is still waiting for a few numbers, on health insurance and the debt, to further pinpoint the shortfall, he said.

The town does have one glimmer of hope to offset the damage, Nutting noted: Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed hotel and meals tax proposal.

The hotel tax would net Franklin about $150,000, and meals tax, $850,000, Nutting said.

"It hasn't become law, but it would take a million-dollar bite out of the apple," Nutting said.

Read the full article on the FINCOM meeting from 2/3/09 in the Milford Daily News here


Franklin History


Did you know that there was a typewriter called "The Franklin"?

The Franklin is a downstroke-from-the-front machine with a curved keyboard. At least three British typewriters, the Salter, English and Imperial, have similar designs. This configuration offered visible writing (at least to a typist who craned her neck forward). Many nineteenth-century typewriter designers viewed the curved keyboard as ergonomically superior to the straight.
For more on "The Franklin", you have my permission to click on through to view the site with photos here.

Just don't forget to stop back here sometime for what matters in Franklin, MA! :-)

FACT: Green Fair 2/5/09

This Thursday come to a Green Fair to meet local green businesses and learn about how to fight global warming. We will have live music and interesting information.
Check out the details at our new website http://www.franklinareaclimateteam.blogspot.com/ , and follow the link to an article in the Milford Daily news.
Check www.fusf.org for directions.


Tuesday, February 3, 2009

FINCOM - quick notes from 2/3/09

The Finance Committee wrapped up the capital discussions this evening and voted 9-1 to approve the Administration recommendations on $1.3M for capital to come from "free cash".

Presentations this evening covered the
School Dept - replace two vans (hopefully starts a regular replace of the school vehicles)
School Dept - text books (replacement of US History text that are 10 years old was one example)
School Dept - technology (desktop/notebook system replacements - all slated for replacement are more than 6 years old)

Town - Facilities (replacement of gazebo roof)

Town Administrator Jeff Nutting also provided an update on the current reduction of $300,000 from this years (FY 2009) budget. He is having his department heads look into how they can absorb this amount. He is not overly concerned about this year. (I agree given we come up with about $1 million in "free cash", that is money in the budget that is not used each year, coming up with $300,000 should be "easy".)

Jeff provided an outlook into FY 2010 budget. Given the numbers prepared by the various town and school departments thus far, he is forecasting a shortfall of about $5.2 million. (Note: it was reported last week that this number would be in the $4.5 to 5.5 million range.)

Jeff is hopeful that the state legislature will take action to enable some local taxes (i.e. the meals tax could be kept in Franklin and is estimated at about $800,000). Taxing the phone companies would generate about $150,000. So while together this would be about $1 million, it would help but not be anything near a silver bullet.

Of more concern to Jeff is the fact that the Town is on the path of getting to the minimum level of funding for the schools. It could be that in 2011, the state minimum would kick in and the town would be forced to make further cuts on the municipal side (or pass another override) to make the ends meet.

With the budget season now beginning in earnest, I encourage you to tune into the meetings. Better yet, make the effort to get to the Council Chambers for the key FINCOM, School Committee and Town Council meetings.

With you participation, then at least you can be assured of a good discussion and decision. You will have done what you could.

If you sit back and let someone else take action, you may not like the results but you'll need to live with them.

After school activities canceled today

The automated phone call just arrived with Superintendent Wayne Ogden announcing that all after school activities will be canceled due to inclement weather.

All schools will dismiss on their normal schedule. No late bus runs will be made today.

"The cost savings wouldn't be significant"


By state law, elementary school students are required to have 900 hours of learning time and secondary students must have 900 hours of structured learning time.

Bellingham officials calculated a hypothetical schedule with a four-day school week. In that scenario, school begin Aug. 10 and end June 23.

Students would get just one day of vacation during the Christmas holiday and school facilities would be off limits on weekends.

Ogden said it would be difficult to change the school structure.

"For some people, having kids go to school (nearly) year-round would be desirable, but for many, the traditional summer vacation is highly desired," he said.

Read the full article on how local school districts looked at the four-day week in the Milford Daily News here

WASTED - Panel discussion - 2/5/09 7:00 PM

W.A.S.T."E."D. will be hosting a panel discussion on Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Franklin High School Lecture Hall to share information and strategies for identifying and dealing with the problem of underage alcohol use among our children. A distinguished panel of experts in this and related fields will be presenting information for all of us to help with this very dangerous and prevalent issue. The panel members assembled include:

Dr Nicole Danforth ,MD….Dr. Danforth is a staff psychiatrist for the Addiction and Recovery Management Service (ARMS) at Massachusetts General Hospital and will be giving a presentation on adolescent brain and personality development, emphasizing the ways in which normal development can predispose to risky behaviors.

Darin Haig, EdM, LHMC….Mr. Haig is program coordinator for the Family Partnership Program at Riverside Community Care. His practice and experience is working on family-based strategies to deal with various mental health and substance use issues. He has greater than 12 years of experience in his field, and is a resource for parenting strategies in these areas.

Christopher Bates Parkinson, JD….Mr Parkinson is an attorney with expertise in the area of social host liability. He is an associate with the firm of Campbell, Campbell, Edwards &Conroy. This firm has a long history of dedication to educating students/teachers/parents regarding the Social Host Law.

Mike Jackman…Mr. Jackman is the Director of School Programs for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. He is dedicated to the coordination of all programs and presentations offered by the staff of the District Attorney’s Office to schools and communities.

Dan McLean…Officer McLean is a Resource Officer for Franklin High School. He is a member of the Franklin Police Department, and has a regular presence at the high school with integral knowledge of student life within the school. As a result of his role as resource officer, he also has first-hand experience with the social pressures that our children face on a regular basis, and the consequences of risky behaviors. He is a graduate of Franklin High School, and a proud Head Football Coach who is celebrating the championship season at Tri-County Vocational Technical School.

Tom Hermanowski…Mr. Hermanowski has a 37-year career of dedication to the issue of underage substance use. He has earned many awards for his involvement, including the 2008 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Partner in Prevention of the Year Award. He will serve as the evening’s moderator.

All of the panel members will be involved in presentation of information, and available for an extended Q&A session with the audience.

This is a follow up to the W.A.S.T."E."D. Presentation in December 2008


This information was originally posted on Peter Light's page here

Seth asks: What are schools for?

Seth Godin asks an interesting question and then proposes a starter listing for the answer:

Seems like a simple question, but given how much time and money we spend on it, it has a wide range of answers, many unexplored, some contradictory. I have a few thoughts about education, how we use it to market ourselves and compete, and I realized that without a common place to start, it's hard to figure out what to do.

So, a starter list. The purpose of school is to:

  1. Become an informed citizen
  2. Be able to read for pleasure
  3. Be trained in the rudimentary skills necessary for employment
  4. Do well on standardized tests
  5. Homogenize society, at least a bit
  6. Pasteurize out the dangerous ideas
  7. Give kids something to do while parents work
  8. Teach future citizens how to conform
  9. Teach future consumers how to desire
  10. Build a social fabric
  11. Create leaders who help us compete on a world stage
  12. Generate future scientists who will advance medicine and technology
  13. Learn for the sake of learning
  14. Help people become interesting and productive
  15. Defang the proletariat
  16. Establish a floor below which a typical person is unlikely to fall
  17. Find and celebrate prodigies, geniuses and the gifted
  18. Make sure kids learn to exercise, eat right and avoid common health problems
  19. Teach future citizens to obey authority
  20. Teach future employees to do the same
  21. Increase appreciation for art and culture
  22. Teach creativity and problem solving
  23. Minimize public spelling mistakes
  24. Increase emotional intelligence
  25. Decrease crime by teaching civics and ethics
  26. Increase understanding of a life well lived
  27. Make sure the sports teams have enough players
Read the full posting Seth makes on his blog here

What would you add to or subtract from this listing?

The Green Reel: "Everything's Cool"

The Green Reel: a series of films for sustainable living will be shown on Sunday evenings this winter.

What: "Everything's Cool"

When: 7:00 PM on February 8, 2009

Where: Agudas Achim, 901 North Main St, Attleboro or directions here


Free and open to the public.
For more info: 508-695-2389



read more about the file "Everything's Cool" here

Sponsors:
Agudas Achim
Crystal Spring Center
Simply Keep It Local
Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary
Citizens for a Sustainable Local Economy
Murray Unitarian Universalist Church
Green Committee of First Universalist Society of Franklin
New Dawn Earth Center
Oake Knoll Ayrshires
Franklin Area Climate Team
White Barn Farm
St Mark's Episcopal Church-Foxboro

Monday, February 2, 2009

Uncle Nick’s Happy Fun Hour III

FRANKLIN - The Franklin Performing Arts Company will present its second free concert in the 2009 Family Concert Series, "Uncle Nick’s Happy Fun Hour III," on Feb. 8, at 300 PM.

The musical event, open to the public, offers children the opportunity to enjoy folk classics, blues, early rock and roll, sing-alongs, dance-alongs and special guests. Guests are invited to bring their love of music and join Uncle Nick for an afternoon of fun.

Uncle Nick played to a standing-room-only crowd for the past two years.

Call 508-528-8668 by Friday, Feb. 6, to make a reservation.

The third concert in FPAC’s Family Concert Series will conclude with Opera for Children on Sunday, April 5, at 3 p.m. Visit www.FPAConline.com for details.

FPAC’s Family Concert Series is sponsored in part by Berry Insurance and the Franklin Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
This was originally posted online here

Town Council - Agenda - 2/4/09

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

F. HEARINGS -Alcoholic Beverage Licensees
– for Failure to Pass Compliance Check - 7:10 PM
  • Cottage Street Pub & Grill – 1st Offense
  • Pepper Terrace Restaurant – 2nd Offense

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS –

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
  • Charles River Pollution Control District

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
  • Resolution 09-04: Onset Circle, A Private Way: Acceptance of Covenant with Developer

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

Defibrillators coming to Franklin Line


Automated external defibrillators will soon be available to passengers on the commuter rail system, which includes stations in Attleboro, South Attleboro, Mansfield, Norfolk and Franklin, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail Co. were expected to announce today.

Read the full article in the Attleboro Sun here

Failure to pay attention


Pay attention to what you ask?

There were approx. 30 in the Attleboro hall to view the movie “Escape from Suburbia” and the discussion that followed versus millions in front of their TV to watch the Super Bowl.

How much oil/coal was consumed to power the Super Bowl and all the TVs to watch the spectacle?

Oil that a short while ago had risen to historic prices generating lots of talk but now that the prices have returned to lower levels, the issue seems to have passed.

It hasn’t.

What can I do? The problem is so huge.

“Conservation is one answer… conservation is economically more sustainable.”


Reduce your household energy use. Change out regular light bulbs for the energy saving kind. Take one small step at a time but keep at it.

“Action encourages optimism”

Take the 2 Mile Challenge!

Walk or use a bike (in the warmer New England weather) to the store for those small item errands rather than take the family vehicle.

“Community is our solution. We need to help one another.”

Get active in your community. There are a number of groups in the area that are working to address this issue. The Franklin Area Climate Team is one. Check out the sponsor listing for the Green Reel series for other groups in our area.

Talk with your neighbors, share the tips and tricks you pick up with each other.

Do something today!

Note: this was also posted today at Steve's 2 Cents

Note: The quotations in Bold were from the movie "Escape from Suburbia" as I took notes Sunday night.

Both measures would only affect sewer fees

For the first override, Medway's share of next fiscal year's budget would rise 23 percent to about $327,000, for example, according to information provided by the control district. The override, which would be the district's first since 1988, is mainly needed because the state has required two more people be hired at the treatment plant, and to pay for higher maintenance and chemical costs.

The debt exclusion override would raise Franklin's capital payments in 2015 from $102,000 annually to $1 million a year for the next 20 years. In Medway, the increase would be from $25,000 to $260,000 per year.

The Charles River Pollution Control District's treatment plant mainly serves Franklin and Medway, but also handles Bellingham's and Millis' sewer systems and septage tanks from Dover, Sherborn, Norfolk and Wrentham.

Only Franklin and Medway have votes on the increases. Their representatives on the district's commission unanimously approved them last month. District officials presented the plan to Medway selectmen last week, though they have not yet voted on it. The Franklin Town Council will hear a similar presentation in the next few weeks, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.

Read the full article on the proposed Charles River fee increases in the Milford Daily News here

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Early word on Franklin local aid cut

Officials in Franklin, which lost $299,676 in the local aid reductions, don't yet know where they will make cuts, said Council Chairman Christopher Feeley, "but we know it should not affect schools."

The news was not as painful as Feeley anticipated, he said.

"I thought it was going to be more dramatic. We've known this was coming, so there are some municipal positions that haven't been filled. Three hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money, but it's not a lot of out a billion," Feeley said.

Read the full article about the effects of state aid cuts on local communities in the Milford Daily News here.

Friday, January 30, 2009

"why they would mean something to people 50 years from now"

GHS
Posted Jan 30, 2009 @ 12:49 AM
Last update Jan 30, 2009 @ 01:08 AM

FITCHBURG —

When the curtain rose on the set of "Public Speech, Private Thought," student actors slowly, silently crossed the stage, while overhead, electronic voices sang, "What are we? What the hell is going on?"

Justin Perry, the "rebel" college student played by Dean College student Joe Firicano, was the first to speak, the entire cast motionless around him. "Nobody is right all the time - nobody - not even if you know everything," Firicano said, preparing listeners for one of the play's star players, a narcissistic, dictatorial professor.

Read more about the performance by these Dean students and their chance for another performance later this year in the Milford Daily News here


Building Committee suggestion

As the Building Committee looks into either renovating or building a new high school, as well as what work should be done on the other three older school buildings (Davis-Thayer, Parmenter, and Kennedy), this slideshow should be something to keep in mind.

What kind of design will foster the education environment to prepare our children for a future that is unknown?




What do you think?

What questions would you ask?

If you wanted to know about social media, or Twitter, or blogging, what question(s) would you ask?

I am looking to solicit some input to tune up my presentation on Blogging 101 for the NewBCamp 2009.

Add a comment or send me an email (shersteve at gmail dot com).

Thanks!


BTW - Info about NewBCamp 2009 can be found here.

Meeting Presentations - Updated

Two quick notes on the presentations from the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, January 27.

  • The presentation overview for the Strategic Plan was really slow loading from Slideshare, so I have removed the presentation and provided a link to the Slideshare site to view it there. At least until I figure out why such a small presentation (only 5 pages, no significant graphics) is doing what it is doing.
  • The Life Long Learning presentation was added to that segment of the meeting. You can view that presentation here.

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The Green Reel: "Escape from Suburbia"

The Green Reel: a series of films for sustainable living will be shown on Sunday evenings this winter.

What: "Escape from Suburbia"

When: 7:00 PM on February 1, 2009

Where: Agudas Achim, 901 North Main St, Attleboro or directions here


Free and open to the public. For more info: 508-695-2389


read more about the file "Escape from Suburbia" here

Sponsors:
Agudas Achim
Crystal Spring Center
Simply Keep It Local
Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary
Citizens for a Sustainable Local Economy
Murray Unitarian Universalist Church
Green Committee of First Universalist Society of Franklin
New Dawn Earth Center
Oake Knoll Ayrshires
Franklin Area Climate Team
White Barn Farm
St Mark's Episcopal Church-Foxboro

Thursday, January 29, 2009

"if Obama fails, we all fail"

GHS
Posted Jan 28, 2009 @ 11:36 PM

FRANKLIN —

In 1992, Rush Limbaugh was a supporter of Pat Buchanan's bid for the Republican Party's nomination for president of the United States. Buchanan was taking on sitting president George Herbert Walker Bush, and did a number on him in the voting booth in the New Hampshire primary election that winter.

Bush saw that Limbaugh's influence with the Republican Party's base was quite strong and had to be neutralized. To that end, President Bush invited Limbaugh to the White House for a nice little dinner and a sleep-over in the Lincoln Bedroom.

After his night in the White House, Rush dropped Buchanan and climbed aboard the doomed Bush presidential bandwagon and rode it to defeat in the election.

Bill Clinton won, and this really upset poor old Rush for the next eight years. This may likely be why he took all of those drugs. In October 2003, he started his five weeks of drug rehabilitation, and then he returned to the airways in November proclaiming himself "cured." The state of Florida wasn't quite sure or convinced that this was the case. Authorities in Florida engaged in a three-year investigation of Limbaugh, and in 2006, Rush was arrested for his abuse of prescription drugs.

Read James Johnston's full article about Rush Limbaugh in the Milford Daily News here


Storm wrap up

Franklin Police assisted with three minor accidents on East Central Street, on Lincoln Street near Daniels Street, and on Upper Union Street by Independence Way, said Deputy Chief Stephan Semerjian.

No one was injured, he said.

"Whenever there's no school, there's always less traffic, few pedestrians and no buses, which makes it easier for us," said Semerjian.

The roads were getting slippery mid-afternoon, he said, which is when they're most dangerous.

"The DPW's trying to keep up with it, but it's not easy," Semerjian said.

Read the full article on how the area fared with Wednesday's storm in the Milford Daily News here.

"better way, a less expensive way"

GHS
Posted Jan 28, 2009 @ 11:29 PM

FRANKLIN —

For years, Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting has sung the praises of regionalizing services, updating archaic laws and making reforms on the state level to save towns like Franklin big bucks.

Now that the Massachusetts Municipal Association has elected him its new president, Nutting gets to advocate for such changes directly to the governor, six times a year.

The MMA elected Nutting on Saturday.

The MMA is an organization of town officials that advocates for municipal policies before the Legislature, the executive branch, regulatory bodies, and the courts. The association's board of directors meets with the governor six times a year to discuss issues facing cities and towns, according to the MMA Web site, www.mma.org.

Read the full article about Jeff and the MMA's efforts in the Milford Daily News here


quarterbacks and teachers

... effective mentoring of a new teacher can make an enormous difference in that person's ability to become a "star" teacher. But the problem, he argues, is that the process of mentorship is much too haphazard. As he says, "It's like training NFL quarterbacks by randomly sending them out to teams - some CFL teams, some Division III teams, some Division I College teams, some community teams, and a few to NFL teams."

...

If Matt Cassell can thrive in the NFL, after essentially zero college quarterback experience, what exactly is New England doing right? And what can the rest of the league learn from them?

I would go further and ask "What can school districts learn from this?" Teacher development will even tougher in times of lean budgets when mentoring stipends are not allocated. Teacher development is tough already with much of the community not appreciating or fully understanding "professional development days". These "professional development days" are looked for by many parents as "get-away days" for long weekends.

You should be involved in the discussion on the cost benefit analysis of each school budget dollar. With budget cuts looming, what stays in the budget will be critical to maintaining a healthy learning environment.

Read more of this article about "teachers and quarterbacks" by Malcolm Gladwell here.

Be active in the school budget process.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Franklin - Total Cuts 9C

Total 9C Reduction to Additional Assistance & Lottery = $-299,676.00


Per the listing provided by the Governor today

robbers operating in Franklin

GHS
Posted Jan 28, 2009 @ 12:22 AM

FRANKLIN —

Police are warning the community and retailers to beware of robbers in the area.

Four Franklin stores were hit on four different occasions: Dec. 11, at the East Central Shell Station; Dec. 21, at Olymia Sports Store at the Franklin Village Mall; Jan. 22, at the Xxtra Mart on East Central Street; and on Jan. 24, at the Sprint phone store on West Central Street, according to a press release issued by Deputy Chief Stephan Semerjian.

Read the full story in the Milford Daily News here


School Committee Mtg 01/27/09

The collection of posts covering the School Committee meeting on 1/27/09

"What was a 'conservative' budget then is now 'overly ambitious' "

GHS
Posted Jan 28, 2009 @ 12:18 AM

FRANKLIN —

Once again, the School Department is looking at serious cuts thanks to both the recession and rising costs of mandatory services.

Administrators last night told the School Committee that just to maintain the same level of school services, teachers and staff next year, the district would need about $3.5 million more than its current budget.

Superintendent Wayne Ogden was quick to state the School Department does not expect to get that much, but, he explained, he wanted to propose a level-service budget for the community.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here


Creativity should be a priority

TED always has interesting and thought provoking talks. This one is entertaining as well as thought provoking.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Live reporting - meeting closes

Jazz night (mentioned earlier) is only time to see the middle and high school jazz bands perform together. The Remington cafeteria is set up like a night club for this event.

Franklin Education Foundation - Trivia Bee coming up Thursday, March 19th

Live reporting - Superintendent

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
  • Make Up Day – School Calendar Change (covered earlier)
  • Neglect and Abuse
  • Special Education Educational Assistant (covered earlier)
  • Peanut Butter (covered earlier)
Ms Chris Neill - worked in the Freshman Collaborative as the Spec Ed teacher; had held principal positions at a couple of schools. This is a great selection on Peter's part.


School Committee Sub-Committee Reports - none


School Committee Liaison Reports
Cafasso - Building Committee did accept and appreciated the School Committee recommendations on priorities

Live reporting - Action items

4. Action Items
  1. I recommend the approval of budget transfers as detailed on the attached list. Approved 7-0
  2. I recommend acceptance of the donation of $2,500.00 from the Helen Keller PCC for a field trip and buses to the Museum of Fine Arts for Keller’s 4th grade students. Approved 7-0
  3. I recommend approval of the field trip to Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI for Keller’s 5th graders on May 1, 2009. Approved 7-0
  4. I recommend the hiring an Educational Assistant for the ALP that has not been budgeted for. Approved 7-0
  5. I recommend acceptance of a check for $350.00 from B & B Framers and B.F. Kushner of Franklin for mat boards for art for the Jefferson Elementary School. Approved 7-0
  6. I recommend approval of the FHS Cheerleading field trip to Atlantic City, NJ for a competition from 2/13 – 2/15/09 as detailed. Approved 7-0
  7. I recommend signing and ratifying the contract between Maureen Sabolinski and the Franklin School Committee for the position of Superintendent of Schools. Approved 7-0

Live reporting - Discussion only items

3. Discussion Only Items
  • Make Up Day for HMMS/Oak/ECDC Complex
Ogden did request an exemption from the DOE, it was denied

Two possible solutions
  • half day on Good Friday
  • appending another day at the end of the year
More data is being gathered before making this decision but because it is a calendar decision, you will need to make it.

  • Peanut Butter in our Schools
All the peanut food products were removed to be safe.

  • First Reading of Policy KCDB - School Based Advertising Content
Motion to move the KCDB policy to a second reading - Approved 7-0

Live reporting - FY 2010 Budget

Approach to provide the same level of services as this year.
$3.8 million or 6.9% increase would be required

What the state budget does will drive what our numbers come out as

Budget will be posted to the School's website tomorrow for a more detail review

a "level service" budget
the individual schools got the same allocation as last year. The individual schools may have chosen to distribute within differently.

Dollars allocated on a per pupil basis, will account for the major differences in the overviews for each line item

Teacher reimbursements to individual teachers and hence to the schools were centralized.

Increases for health benefits are projected to be about 10-15%

Armenio - This budget year will not be pleasant, not that any of the recent ones were too pleasant. This assumes School Choice would be continued at the same level as this year?

Ogden - Yes

Armenio - So if the reductions are such that people choose to bring the students back to their home district, that would be revenue we would loose.

Cafasso - On the transportation, can you give us a little more what is behind that?

Goodman - We are expecting an increase, there is an offset for the pay-to-ride, but there is also an increase in special ed out of district transportation.

Slight - What is included in the cost per pupil?

Ogden - the material and expenses associated with each level of the schools

Ogden - Chapter 70 formula possibly to be re-done for the FY 2011 year.

Rohrbach - some relief in spec ed transportation cost would be appropriate

Ogden - Rep Deleo did not think that was possible this year

Roy - Per Nutting, he is expecting Franklin to be short approx 4.5 to $5 million for FY 2010.
We have to be cautious, none of the reductions already made will not be considered for being back next year. It is more likely to see further cuts.

Ogden - what we may get is more like a level funded budget

Live reporting - Steering Committee for Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan Update
  • Maureen Sabolinski
  • Strategic Planning Team Member(s)


The slides can be viewed here

The PR Statement as read by April Crehan:

The Franklin (MA) Public Schools’ Strategic Plan allows the district to respond to emerging trends, events, challenges, and opportunities within the framework of the district's core values, vision, and mission. The School Committee has started the process to review and update the Plan adopted by the district in 2004. In conjunction with the Superintendent, the School Committee has appointed a Strategic Plan Steering Committee to manage this process. The Steering Committee will solicit input from all interested parties in the community with regard to the core values, vision, and mission of the Franklin Public Schools.

Strategic planning in education is a complex process. The Steering Committee recognizes that there are many parties interested in the education of the children of Franklin. Because the core values, vision, and mission articulated in the Strategic Plan will guide decisions regarding our children’s education for the next five years, it is vital that the interests of the community are represented. Opportunities for periodic review and feedback to and from the community will be included in the development and implementation of this Strategic Plan.

The Steering Committee:

Co-Chair:
  • Judi Bassignani - Principal, Parmenter Elementary
  • Miriam Goodman -Director, Franklin Public Schools Finance
Members:
  • Colleen Ahern - Teacher, Sullivan Middle School
  • April Crehan - Student, Franklin High School
  • Renee Danho - Community, Dean College
  • Ted McIntire - Parent
  • Susan Rohrbach - School Committee
  • Steve Sherlock - Community
  • Peg Sweeney - Parent
  • Rosanne Walsh - Teacher, Remington Middle School

Administration Liaisons

  • Wayne Ogden - Current Superintendent of Schools
  • Maureen Sabolinski - Incoming Superintendent of Schools

Live reporting - Life long learning

2. Guests/Presentations
Lifelong Learning Update
  • Pandora Carlucci
Mission statement:
The programs under the aegis of the Lifelong Learning Institute endeavor to contribute to the development of the Town of Franklin as a knowledge community.

Approx 5500 participants in all the offerings from Life Long Learning



Survey after every session, utilize the feedback for the next round of programs

Approx. 244 faculty and staff to run the program

$1.3 million revenue generated last year. All equipment become part of the Franklin School District inventory.

Private music lessons - trained and active performers as musicians

2300 students in the Summer program. Catalogs are at the Post Office ready for delivery.

Jeanne Hummel does the brochures and the website and does a marvelous job doing this.

Second summer of the High School Experience coming up. Added a Social Studies teacher to the course.

Nancy Schoen working with the music mentors has been taking the program to a new level.

"We are all teachers and learners."

Cafasso - You are doing a stellar job! I appreciate your hard work.

Kelly - I think it is very important to stress that this is self-funded.

Live reporting - School Committee

Attending: Armenio, Cafasso, Kelly, Mullen, Roy, Rohrbach, Trahan


Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence

1. Routine Business
  • Citizen’s Comments - none
  • Review of Agenda - no executive session needed
  • Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the January 13, 2009 School Committee Meeting. approved 7-0
  • Payment of Bills - Mr. Kelly approved 7-0
  • Payroll - Ms. Armenio
  • FHS Student Representatives
Ms Neal - replacing Mr Light as 10th Grade Vice Principal
Mr Light - has launched a blog and podcast off the FHS website, click on Mr Light's name
Jazz Cafe - Feb 4, 7:00 PM - at Remington-Jefferson
  • Correspondence: Letter from Bethany Trainor

NewBCamp - find out about blogging, podcasting, Twitter, etc.

It's been almost one year since the inaugural NewBCamp took place and there's another one coming up in Providence.

What is NewBCamp?
It is a gathering of people interesting in learning and sharing about the new social media tools; blogs, podcasts, video blogs, Twitter, etc.

What is in it for me?
If you are interested in learning about these tools, then this is the place for you. The focus is on the new user (i.e. newbie or NewB). You won't feel lost, you will be amongst those who are learning from those who are willing to share.

What does it cost?
It is very reasonably priced at only $10. Less than a movie!


What are the details?

When:
February 8, 2009 - 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Where:
Johnson & Wales
Pepsi Forum
8 Abbott Park Place
Providence, RI 02903

There's also a brand new website http://www.newbcamp.com . Explore the site, add comments and pages to the wiki, and sign up to give presentations!

NewBCamp is brought to you by two organizations - Free Geek Providence and SofT ICE at Johnson & Wales.

If you would like additional information, please feel free to contact me. I will be there at the Welcome/Registration Desk.





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The Green Reel: "Escape from Suburbia"

The Green Reel: a series of films for sustainable living will be shown on Sunday evenings this winter.

What: "Escape from Suburbia"

When: 7:00 PM on February 1, 2009

Where: Agudas Achim, 901 North Main St, Attleboro or directions here


Free and open to the public. For more info: 508-695-2389


read more about the file "Escape from Suburbia" here

Sponsors:
Agudas Achim
Crystal Spring Center
Simply Keep It Local
Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary
Citizens for a Sustainable Local Economy
Murray Unitarian Universalist Church
Green Committee of First Universalist Society of Franklin
New Dawn Earth Center
Oake Knoll Ayrshires
Franklin Area Climate Team
White Barn Farm
St Mark's Episcopal Church-Foxboro

Monday, January 26, 2009

Live reporting - Planning Board/Walgreens

The Planning Board is in the public hearing for the proposed Walgreens at Four Corners. To alleviate traffic concerns, the Town working with Walgreens will add a right turn only lane (north bound on King) to turn onto East Central St (heading east). The second lane will be a combined straight-through traffic (to Chestnut) and left turn (westbound on East Central heading into town).

Jeff Nutting committed that if the applicant provides the design plans by April 1, the town will have enough time to do the work before Walgreens would be scheduled to open (in October).

The public hearing has now been closed. The decision on the special permits required will be scheduled.

School Committee - Agenda - 1/27/09

AGENDA

Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence

1. Routine Business
  • Citizen’s Comments
  • Review of Agenda
  • Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the January 13, 2009 School Committee Meeting.
  • Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly
  • Payroll Ms. Armenio
  • FHS Student Representatives
  • Correspondence: Letter from Bethany Trainor

2. Guests/Presentations
Lifelong Learning Update
  • Pandora Carlucci

Strategic Plan Update
  • Maureen Sabolinski
  • Strategic Planning Team Member(s)

FY10 Budget Overview
  • Maureen Sabolinski
  • Miriam Goodman
  • Wayne Ogden

3. Discussion Only Items
  • Make Up Day for HMMS/Oak/ECDC Complex
  • Peanut Butter in our Schools
  • First Reading of Policy KCDB - School Based Advertising Content

4. Action Items
  1. I recommend the approval of budget transfers as detailed on the attached list.
  2. I recommend acceptance of the donation of $2,500.00 from the Helen Keller PCC for a field trip and buses to the Museum of Fine Arts for Keller’s 4th grade students.
  3. I recommend approval of the field trip to Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI for Keller’s 5th graders on May 1, 2009.
  4. I recommend the hiring an Educational Assistant for the ALP that has not been budgeted for.
  5. I recommend acceptance of a check for $350.00 from B & B Framers and B.F. Kushner of Franklin for mat boards for art for the Jefferson Elementary School.
  6. I recommend approval of the FHS Cheerleading field trip to Atlantic City, NJ for a competition from 2/13 – 2/15/09 as detailed.
  7. I recommend signing and ratifying the contract between Maureen Sabolinski and the Franklin School Committee for the position of Superintendent of Schools.


5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
  • Make Up Day – School Calendar Change
  • Neglect and Abuse
  • Special Education Educational Assistant
  • Peanut Butter

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn

Sunday, January 25, 2009

FM #29 - This week in Franklin, MA

This is the 29th in a series of podcasts on what is happening in Franklin, MA. In this session, I talk about how much snow removal we should do and about the teen substance abuse problem that Bill Phillips and his New Beginnings Program addresses.

Time: 9 minutes, 20 seconds



MP3 File

Session Notes

Music intro
My intro
FM #29

This podcast for Franklin Matters is number 29 in the series. In this session, I’ll focus on what you should know about what is happening this week in Franklin, MA.

From the Town Council meeting 1/21/09, there was a very good presentation on the DPW and their snow removal efforts. Robert Cantoreggi, DPW Director was accompanied by Jim Estabrook, Graphical Information Systems Manager, to make the presentation. The video of the Town Council meeting is available on the town website. The presentation itself is also available on Franklin Matters.

You should note that the town website has added a link in the left column to allow you to go directly to the live video feeds and to the video archives. This is a simple navigation aid that will have lasting benefits. Thanks very much for putting this link in place. I have also added a link in the meetings for 2009 section.

In these days of cost cutting, one discussion we should have is how much should we spend on the snow removal? If you travel into some of the upstate Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont communities, they do not always plow their roads down to the pavement like we do here. There are other examples in state as well as out of state. You can travel on them. It is not a safety issue from a passageway point of view. You would need to travel slower as they remain snow covered and hence would tend to be slippery.

The money for salt and labor is effective only for as a short term benefit. Since a million dollars provides the salary and benefits for about 20 employees in the town. I would rather spend the money to keep people on the payroll rather than toss it away on road salt and snow removal.

What do you think?

Should we continue to pay whatever it takes to plow and sand our roads as we are today or should we consider cutting back, especially to save the money for other priorities? I’d be interested in hearing what you have to say on this.

The Town Council has asked the DPW Director to come back with some alternatives of reducing cost by 10 or 20 percent. Stay tuned into this discussion to see what happens.

A second item from the Town Council meeting will be worth watching, The Police Dept conducted a sting operation with 28 establishments in town that serve liquor and apparently caught two serving minors. I am not a lawyer but based upon what was reported in the Milford Daily News, they may not have a solid case on one of the two establishments. The hearing on the 4th should be interesting.

Let me be clear, the sting was a good thing. We do need to monitor how our teenagers get access to alcohol. The drinking and substance abuse amongst our teens is a problem that needs to be addressed. Bill Phillips has stated that you can get alcohol, drugs and weapons in any high school. In one school, there was a cooler in the student’s vehicle in the school parking lot to serve the beer cold. Bill referenced these and other stories during the WASTED presentation at Franklin High School in December. If you have not yet listened to that, I do recommend it. It is powerful material.

Bill’s program, New Beginnings, is in jeopardy. He had been funded by the MA Dept of Public Health. Unfortunately, his grant has been cut in this recent round of state budget cuts. The program has addressed over 200,000 teenagers since it was established in 1985. He currently is providing services to over 150 teenagers.

On the night he presented at Franklin High, he acknowledged receiving 19 emails from Franklin students after talking with them during the assemblies that day. 19 students by 4:00 PM that day had already reached out to Bill for help. How many of those are in jeopardy of losing Bill’s support right now? I don’t know but the odds are that some from Franklin are in the bunch.

I have started to help Bill in raising additional funds for his program. You may have noticed the Virgin Atlantic contest posting on Franklin Matters. This is just one step in the process of raising awareness for his program. I think his program is effective. I think it is valuable. I think it needs to raise additional funds to keep operating.

If you can help in anyway, I would appreciate it. Making a contribution is one way. You can contribute directly via his web site.

If you know of any company or foundation that Bill could appeal to for a contribution, please let me know. Or contact Bill directly.

If you would like to help spread the word on keeping the program alive, please let Bill or I know.

And to close this session, let’s look at what is coming up this week: there is a
  • Planning Board meeting on Monday
  • School Committee meeting on Tuesday
  • Financial Planning Committee is scheduled for Thursday
These are the “major” meetings. There are others listed on the Town website calendar.
Check them out.
Keep informed
and stay warm!

----- -----

This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow citizens of Franklin, MA

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music

"I like the sting, it's good"

GHS
Posted Jan 24, 2009 @ 11:13 PM

FRANKLIN —

Two bars in town may temporarily lose their liquor licenses after allegedly serving alcohol to teens working with Franklin Police in an age compliance check, police said.

Workers at the Pepper Terrace Restaurant, at 400 Franklin Village Drive, and Cottage Street Pub & Grill, at 158 Cottage St., allegedly sold the teens beer on Saturday, Jan. 17, said Lt. Thomas Lynch.

"Do they look like they're 21? No they don't," Lynch said, explaining that police specifically instructed the teens not to wear make-up, jewelry, or dress up to appear older.

The goal, he said, was to check whether the establishments would serve people who were clearly younger than 21 years old.

Read the full article on the results of this sting operation in the Milford Daily News here

Circle of Friends - Vance Gilbert, Ann Heaton

Circle of Friends Coffeehouse
Saturday,- January 31st, 8:00 PM


"Gilbert's burnished voice poured over one purling, liquid melody after another, over an accompaniment of tender arpeggios and supple chord progressions. "
-The Chicago Tribune


with special guest
Anne Heaton

Tickets = $20