Yes, I can't wait.
I plan on being there for the opening to take pictures and seek reactions. If you stop down, please say hi.
Note: unless things change, it should be opening about 9:00 - 9:30 AM.
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Saturday, April 4, 2009
big day Monday, Cafe Dolce opens in downtown Franklin
A rose is a rose is a wage increase
"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose"There are at least four key terms that we should all be aware of and agree on how they are to be used; freeze, increase, step, lane.
Freeze as I want to use it is defined as "a halt of a regular operation"
Step is the increase associated with moving from one salary step to another, usually associated with years of service.
Lane is the increase associated with moving from one classification on a step to another.
Increase is an amount more in one period than in the comparable period.
For example, the salary table may look like this for one year.
Step | Bachelor | B +15 | B+36/M |
1 | 38,010 | 39,501 | 41,759 |
2 | 39,935 | 41,813 | 44,071 |
3 | 42,688 | 44,130 | 46,387 |
Someone would get hired with a bachelors degree and start on Step 1 for their first year.
In year 2, they would move to Step 2. (Step as defined above results in an increase from 38,010 to 39,935.)
If they completed 15 credits towards their next degree, in Year 3 they could make a Lane change and move to the B+15 column. So instead of earning 42,688 with a Step change, they would earn 44,130 with a Lane change.
The entire salary table would change from one year to the next based upon contract negotiation. If the union was successful in negotiating a 2.5% increase, then each number in the table would be increased by 2.5% for the next year. The second year table would look like this:
Step | Bachelor | B +15 | B+36/M |
1 | 38,960 | 40,489 | 42,803 |
2 | 40,933 | 42,858 | 45,173 |
3 | 43,755 | 45,233 | 47,547 |
Calculate the difference between Bachelor Step 1 in the first table (38,010) and the second table (38,960) the difference is 950 or 2.499% which rounds to 2.5%.
Why do this?
Well according to the information I have received, the wage freezes announced by the town only include the increase from year to year, they do not include the step or lane changes.
So if this is true, don't be too surprised when the budget comes out and the total salary lines are actually higher than last year.
Where did the wage freeze go?
No wonder Shakespeare said "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"
"exploring all options"
Superintendent of Schools Wayne Ogden was one of two finalists for a superintendent job in Windsor, Vt., but turned down the opportunity earlier this week.
Ogden, whose resignation from Franklin schools goes into effect June 30, had lived there years ago, he said, and was recruited to apply for superintendent of Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union by an old friend who works for the district.
Read the full story in the Milford Daily News here
"roads that need reconstruction"
Rep. James E. Vallee, D-Franklin, ended the week with some good news for Franklin and Medway: both towns will get a nice chunk of money for road repairs, despite the massive state deficit.
Franklin will receive just under $700,000 in Chapter 90 road repair grants, and Medway is slated to receive $307,000, Vallee said.
Though Franklin's allotment is about the same as last year, Vallee said, "the real silver lining is (just) that, because last year was a good year."
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Friday, April 3, 2009
Plan and revise
Long range planning efforts
Don’t do much good if you
Don’t keep the plan up to date
What is a sherku?
Note: I learned from the focus group meeting to review the current long range plan that there have been similar efforts before but by the third year of the five year plan, they were out dated and dropped, hence no confidence in the plan. Of course, a plan needs to be revisited regularly!
This was originally posted at quiet poet as part of my effort to celebrate National Poetry Month by creating a daily sherku.
5 Fun, Interesting, and Educational Things on Twitter
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
A simple thing that can help you build your Twitter network is to occasionally retweet something that you find interesting or useful. In your retweet include the original tweeter's name. The person who's tweet you retweet will appreciate it, it helps that person get noticed, and in turn that person may reciprocate down the road. Even if the other person doesn't reciprocate, it's still a good thing to do as it shows others that you're willing to contibute to a learning network.
Here are 5 fun, interesting, and educational things I found on Twitter today.
1. Internet Safety Videos for Teens from @nycrican2
2. Find Your Teachmate from @angelamaiers
3. What 4th Graders Know About Money from @HaydenTompkins
4. Global Best Practices in Financial Education from @chollingsworth
5. Connectivism Education Ning from @Darcy1968
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Free Technology for Teachers using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
"the stings would be forthcoming"
With the Franklin Mobil owner taking full responsibility for one of his clerks selling to a minor in a police sting, he accepted a license suspension today.
A clerk at the store at 660 West Central St. (Rte. 140) sold a six-pack of Bud Lite to a 20-year-old without asking for identification during an undercover compliance check on March 13, said Lt. Thomas Lynch.
George Julakis, of Ouzo Corp., said he watched a videotape of the transaction, and there was nothing to appeal.
He reprimanded the clerk by suspending him for a day without pay, which helped demonstrate to other employees the seriousness of selling to minors, Julakis told the council.
"It never should have happened, and it will never happen again," he said.
read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.
Read all that occurred during the Town Council meeting on Wednesday here