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Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Live reporting - Remainder items
Reminder - earth day this Saturday, the more hands the better
May 16th 8:00 - 10:00 for beautification day at the bridge downtown
June 19th - Strawberry Festival
Federal Census time, going door to door, will have identification, Police have been notified
L. OLD BUSINESS - none
M. NEW BUSINESS
Bartlett - question on the modular status, can we get that information
Feeley - yes, the Building Committee will bring that
Bartlett - I would like a vote from the Council on the endorsing the report
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS -
Zollo - thanks to the committee and others that participated, disagreements were resolved to the betterment of the report. Apr 27th meeting is critical, for as many citizens as possible to attend, If we could fill that auditorium, it doesn't matter if you come with preconceived notions or not. We need the discussion.
Doak - acknowledge that the committee did a good job with the report, we can acknowledge the problem, we have systemic structural problems, we may be able to pass an override, the regionalization, index prop 2.5%, there are no easy answers here, it will take a long time and some pain
Pfeffer - Senior Center complaining no openings in sessions in the morning, nor room to park, these are good problems
Whalen - fire station replaced building in 1902, senior center has seen an increase of 300% in utilization, those are reasons for doing the projects. One commented, "I don't remember the last time I learned so much in 90 minutes." Going forward, at least the decisions will be made in an informed basis.
Vallee - outside of regionalization I don't know what we can do.
Bartlett - for me what will come out of this, will tell our story, unbiased. As unbiased a report as could be produced. You could watch but if you have a question, it probably won't get answered unless you're there. We want your feedback. We function best when we are united.
Motion to adjourn
Live reporting - Fin'l Plng Comm - cont'd
Peer comparison - towns listed in appendix
spent time validating the peer group, we feel as a group it is a very good peer comparison
Avg peer town - 18% State aid vs Franklin 31%
taxes 58% town contribution vs 45% in Franklin
We are #1 in receiving State Aid, we are #29 in percent of our taxes paying for what we need
6.2% of the household in the peer towns from tax support
5.3% for Franklin
We rank 27 out of 31 towns in term of per capita municipal spending
Franklin spends 22% less than the State Avg
Looking at the efficiency at the top down side, when we rank near the bottom on almost every category, we have to be. While other towns are reacting to the crisis by cutting fat, we are close to cutting to the bone.
Page 10 in the Executive Summary, key slide on school spending and state minimum
Red line - warning line, once below you could be in trouble
Once we hit the minimum, the town will bear the burden of the deficits
Capital budget addressed on Page 11
The debt service is low, Franklin amongst the 31 towns ranks 22
We are not taking on a lot of debt even in the perception of "lots of capital" spending
Forecasted Deficit in 2014 could be 7.7 M or 11.3 M depending upon the assumptions used
The numbers don't include the high school renovation. There is a placeholder for its inclusion and it will need to be once the numbers become more real.
Inflation currently at an avg of 3.3% is different from getting to a 7-8 percent rate of inflation. The deficits would grow dramatically
Recommendations are in full report, page 21
issues can be polarizing, we want to agree on the problem
solutions can be discussed
need to develop a comprehensive multi-year plan
regionalization may be a huge opportunity but in the Northeast it has not currently been successful
Influence the legislative process, whether prop 2.5, pension reform, etc. there are legal barriers to obtaining a solution
Services are people driven, the people account for 70-75 percent of the budget
they need to be paid at a market competitive rate and yet at a sustainable rate
increase tax revenue - it would be nice to find non-Franklin sources
recreation, schools offering courses over the internet
carefully and thoroughly consider property tax overrides
override is inevitable, it will have to happen
the amount and when remains to be determined
what would be the proper timing
complex issue but it needs to be considered
there can be a credibility gap, residents can make decisions upon impressions and not upon fact
can make decisions that perhaps they wouldn't have made if they were better informed
Ownership for improving the flow of information
make it more user friendly and accessible
community forum at Horace Mann
When we can just sit down and talk with folks, now that I have talked it through, I have a better understanding and trust
tried to just present the facts
deficits will continue, there is no flexibility to deal with them as we have before
we have additional risks, i.e with the level of state aid
let's focus on agreeing on the problem
we would like the Town Council to publicly endorse the report.
we would like to see a unanimous endorsement
Doak - thanks, this has been a great deal of work
It helps us get closer to addressing the problem
our reliance on State funding, is there anything that we can do?
the forumla is calculable but the discretionary part is hard to calculate
Ramsey Curdy - part of the focus group, reviewed and commented on the Executive Summary
formed an accurate picture of the issues, the document must be quickly and effectively distributed to the town residents, discussion with those who may have a different view
this is not an abstract comment, this is about where we live
Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee report
Jim Roche introduces the Financial Planning Committee report
Doug Hardesty will do the actual presentation
A copy of the presentation will be made available as soon as possible.
Pitch for Monday April 27th Town-wide forum at Horace Mann/Mercer Auditorium 7:30 PM
Doug had much experience within the town with coaching sports but had not much idea on the town finances or operations. Having gone through this process I am happy with what I have learned.
Doug is a professional auditor. It is fact based, not what is felt.
They have tried to keep bias out of this. Telling the pinata story.
This report can stand up to the toughest test.
The executive summary and the draft of the full report will released in the next couple of days for all to review.
The reason we call this a "draft", while we have been diligent in obtaining feedback, we want the town council and citizens to weigh in, and potentially incorporate into the document as we go forward.
We get a lot of aid from the state, have low property taxes relative to peer towns
In every measurable category, the town and schools are low
We go into a deficit and manage our way through it somehow
It is a structural deficit. It will continue unless we take action
The projected deficits are real and significant, they will continue to occur
There are a whole host of things to do so that it is most effective
There is a premise that most citizens will not allow continued cuts
Federal and state mandates are not funded but are costly and are required
Teacher compensation; a cost of living raise and commensurate with experience, masters required within first five years
It is just the way the market is for compensating teachers, we need to get to the inflection point, we need to calculate that
Cash reserves, 7.5 million used since 2005 has been a big help, we can't do that nay more
Since 2000 we have grown 1300 students and dropped over 100 personnel
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Live reporting - Mike D’Angelo
Update – Mike D’Angelo
This is a follow up visit to the Council to explain the root cause and actions taken for Horace Mann/FHS damage from the Labor Day incident previously reported
Buildings are now being alarmed to ring through to the Fire Dept. The central dispatch will be able to monitor and make phone calls if there were another occurrence.
Tim Raposa working on getting all the buildings alarmed for power failures as well. If the power goes out, there is an email sent out to a listing for action.
Zollo - what is your level of confidence that once these are all in place?
D'Angelo - there is always a probability of something going but there is an increased confidence.
Zollo - would you still do the walk throughs?
D'Angelo - design in MA doesn't really handle temps in under 10 degrees, so the walk throughs are good for checking on those circumstances.
Pfeffer - Is all overtime reported here? Is Servicemaster included in this?
D'Angelo - They haven't provided that yet. I can update this as we continue to go.
Pfeffer - what caused the problem?
D'Angelo -
Pfeffer - How come it is taking so long for the High School gym floor?
D'Angelo - We worked with Norma to get a waiver and expedited process but we still had to do design work, etc. The contract should be signed soon.
Nutting - It was just signed tonight at 5:00 PM
Doak - With the monitoring we have, will it be tested so that we know it will work?
D'Angelo - During the winter, we test these monthly.
Vallee - There are devices that hook up to the phone line that alert me to the temp being low?
D'Angelo - Although the Senior Center temp did drop, the failures were not such that it would have tripped that device.
Vallee - So it was not preventable?
D'Angelo - At that point, it was not. We have five of the six items covered with monitoring now, we'll catch it sooner and prevent the serious damage. The trip required someone to push a button.
Vallee - A forty dollar device could have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.
Whalen - has the process for the utility to tell us been set up?
D'Angelo - we have set up the system so when there is an interruption in power, we will be notified.
Nutting - your point is why don't we have monitoring? we have the schools for 50 years and it never happened. We had insurance and we'll pay.
Feeley - Are you comfortable that we are covered at 99%?
D'Angelo - yes
Feeley - Is it also true that we may never know the exact cause of the sequence of events?
D'Angelo - yes
break for two minutes
Live reporting - Legislation - continued
- Resolution 09-21: Request for Legislation –Simple Procedure to Accept Roads Motion to approve, passed 6-0
- Resolution 09-22: Establishment of Forge Park Priority Development Site Motion to approve, passed 7-0
- Resolution 09-23: Establishment of Franklin Industrial Park Priority Development Site Motion to approve, passed 7-0
- Resolution 09-24: Establishment of Pond Street Economic Opportunity Area Motion to approve, passed 7-0
- Resolution 09-25: Binding Offer to Provide Tax Increment Financing to “Certified Projects” Motion to approve, passed 7-0
- Bylaw Amendment 09-631: Chapter 82 Fees, Appendix A, List of Service Fee Rates – 2nd Reading Motion to approve, passed 6-1
Brutus - we are not putting ourselves at a relative disadvantage in the implementation of these storm water fees. Our fees are lower than engineering fees, the developers will be fairly treated. Based upon the size and scope of the project.
Vallee - in view of the conditions we are in, I will not support this project
Bylaw roll call - all for except Vallee as noted.
Live reporting - Rep Vallee
Franklin effectively, level funded for what we received last year.
If the stimulus money does come through, there could be another $400,000 coming.
"Probably certain"
Additional revenue sources being looked at to provide tools to the local communities to help.
It has been a pleasure working with Jeff Nutting for Franklin and for all the communities that Jeff represents in his new role.
A lot of folks have stepped up to the plate to forgo pay increases this year. Thanks
Nutting - we took a hundred thousand dollar hit but on a hundred million dollar budget we can take that. The budget deficit should be under a million dollars with the teachers and the other union actions.
Live reporting - Legislation for action
Motion approved 7-0
Mason - apology for missing and delaying this vote, speaking for the capital approval.
Doak - seconding what Councilor Mason mentioned, if we don't do it this year, it will cost more to do this next year. Thanks to the Dept Heads for performing the due diligence on their submissions.
Nutting - purchase some used vehicles to help avoid keeping the police vehicles on the road as long as they have been.
Live reporting: Franklin Schools Strategic Planning Update
Updated: The survey is available here
Live reporting - Town Council - 4/15/09
Missing: Bartlett (arrived at 7:45 PM), McGann (no show), Mason (left at 7:30PM)
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – March 18, 2009 Regular & Executive Session
motion to approve, passed 7-0
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS none
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS none
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS none
"the only model that's going to be sustainable"
Selectmen Chairman Glenn Trindade said he is "very disappointed" after learning the library trustees voted against sharing Franklin Library Director Felicia Oti.
Instead, the board voted at its April 7 meeting to recommend hiring Oti seven hours a week in fiscal 2010 only to prepare the library's long-range plan, according to an e-mail Wendy Rowe sent to selectmen.
Rowe, chairwoman of the Medway library trustees and acting library director, said the board voted to hire Oti, but did not work out any details yet.
Read the full article about this twist in the regionalization efforts for Franklin/Medway libraries in the Milford Daily News here
Long Range Financial Planning Committee reports tonight
Tonight, the Long-Range Financial Planning Committee will present its report to Town Council, which couldn't be better timing, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.
"The report explains why the cost of existing town services is expected to grow faster than revenue for the foreseeable future," said Douglas Hardesty, vice chairman of the long-range committee.
"It also offers recommendations for addressing this problem. The committee believes the report will help residents trust that the problem is real and recognize that Franklin's future is tied to how we respond as a community to this crisis," said Hardesty, who is going to make the presentation.
read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
For all the reporting on the Financial Planning Committee meetings check the "Meeting Summaries" section on Franklin Matters.
For a summary of the focus group feedback used to prepare this report check here
What's the cost of 5 hours?
According to a copy of the proposal, the union demanded the following conditions: the permanent removal of five floating after-school meetings, permanent removal of the need to provide a reason for personal days, and the permanent requirement that no after-school meetings be scheduled two weeks prior to the issuing of report cards.From the Milford Daily News article on the School Committee meeting 4/14/09.
The citizens of Franklin will find out, hopefully soon, what the cost of 5 hours of meetings are. Is it worth 1 million dollars? Or is it worth more?
The teachers union in a vote to accept the 2.5 percent wage freeze for the 2009-2010 school year attached three minor conditions to the proposal.
To remove from their contract, five floating after school meetings. There already are three mandatory meetings each month for the teachers at each school. Is there really a need for these five floating meetings? I hope not.
To remove the requirement for providing a reason for taking two "personal" days. There are only two, you use them or loose them. They are already defined "personal". Does the School Dept really need to know the personal reason? I think that is too much of a controlling issue.
To add a requirement not to schedule after-school meetings in the two weeks prior to report cards. This seems reasonable. The time before report cards should be focused on preparing the accurate information for students and parents/guardians on the progress made during the marking period.
Why this was not discussed during the meeting, I can understand given the nature of the conversation that did take place between Chandler Creedon and the School Committee. They were talking about the same topic, using different words, not really answering each others questions. For me, there is a communication issue there. I hope it gets resolved quickly.
"I encourage everyone to work together"
By an overwhelming majority, the teachers union voted to accept a pay freeze and forgo course reimbursement next year, union head Chandler Creedon announced at last night's School Committee meeting.
The Franklin Education Association's sacrifice will save the School Department $1 million - $800,000 in salary increases - and $200,000 in reimbursements, said Creedon, who is also a psychologist at Horace Mann Middle School.
The vote reportedly was 210-43.
The action will save the jobs of 20 teachers, Creedon said.
Reading from a prepared statement, Creedon said, "We the teachers of Franklin are extremely concerned about the quality and direction education is currently going in Franklin."
Read the full article about the teachers proposal in the Milford Daily News here
For all the information discussed at the School Committee meeting check here
Taking Back Childhood: Helping Children Thrive in Challenging Times
Taking Back Childhood: Helping Children Thrive in Challenging Times
Guest Speaker: Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Ed. D.
Date: May 12, 2009
Time: 7:30 PM
Place:
Horace Mann Middle School Auditorium
224 Oak Street
Franklin, MA
Nancy Carlsson-Paige is a professor of early childhood education at Lesley University and the author of Taking Back Childhood: Helping Your Kids Thrive in a Fast-Paced, Media-Saturated, Violence-Filled World. She writes and lectures about the impact of violence in the media, consumerism and its effects on children’s social development, and how adults can raise caring and compassionate kids. She is a recognized national expert and speaks extensively on these subjects. For more information see her website at www.nancycarlsson-paige.org.
Childhood has changed dramatically in just one generation. Social trends such as the influence of media, the fast pace of life, rampant consumerism, and overly structured school days are undermining some of the basic building blocks of healthy childhood. These social forces make it harder for children today to create their own play, feel safe and secure, and build positive, loving relationships with others. Come learn about how childhood has changed for young children today and how you can reclaim what kids need most to help them flourish in these challenging times.
Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Saturday April 18th, 2009
Beaver Pond
Starts at 9:00 AM
Volunteer to clean up targeted areas and assist with planting flowers and shrubs around Franklin.
- Please bring your own water bottle.
- Please bring your own gloves and rakes.
- Community service certificates will be issued.
- T-shirts to the first 200 volunteers.
- Clean up goes to 1:00 PM
Get some Eco-Info at Beaver Pond:
- Water conservation kits and rain barrel display.
- Mercury thermometer exchange for digital thermometers.
- Recycling tips and composting information.
- Energy conservation tips.
- Much more ! ! !
You can register on the Town website here
NewBCamp - Providence College - Apr 19
Come to learn and share about the new technology in social media tools! Blogs, podcasting, networking, Twitter, video blogging, etc.
Where:
Providence College
When:
April 19 - 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
More Information and registration:
Click here
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Links from School Committee Mtg
1 - there was reference to the State requirement for 185 day calendar. You can view all the State Laws and Regulations pertaining to Education here
In particular 603 CMR 27.00: refers to Student Learning Time and contains the paragraph covering the calendar length (185 days)
2 - Prior budget cuts were summarized as of last year here
School Committee Mtg 04/14/09
- Live reporting - New Business
- Live reporting - subcommittee reports
- Live reporting - superintendent report
- Live reporting - Action items
- Live reporting - FY 2010 Budget
- Live reporting - "To Kill a Mockingbird"
- Live reporting - High School Experience
- Live reporting - Best Buddies Grant Awards
- Live reporting - School Committee - 4/14/09
- Additional links referenced during the meeting
Live reporting - New Business
Cafasso - yes, let's look at that
motion to enter Executive Session
Live reporting - subcommittee reports
The subcommittee would like to move it from pilot to a formal program.
Roy - Go with it.
Live reporting - superintendent report
Armenio - I am not comfortable with the June closing, if we have terrible weather, we can't go into July, we would have to take those days off the April vacation.
Cafasso - can we put these online to view given the survey results?
Sabolinski - We are poised to do so, just didn't want to post them before this discussion.
Mullen - it is a consideration to bring the kids in early when they are already dealing with the heat, as opposed to in June when it is an adjustment.
Rohrbach - consider a PDD day on Election Day?
Roy - I would go for the safety factor
Susan Collins - started a petition to do the calendar after Labor Day then saw the survey so held off, consider the day before Thanksgiving, no one else has it.
Teachers on the second floor especially it is brutal in the heat. The PCC bought us fans.
Steve Luckovitch (?) two children at ECDC, a concern about the consistency of attending (the kids attend twice a week)
There are three full professional days across the district.
Did we revisit the Feb vacation?
Sabolinski - One of the best values in town is the ECDC. Let's set up some time to go into this further.
Live reporting - Action items
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of $3127.00 from the DT PCC for the following field trips: Motion to accept, passed 6-0
Grade 5 - Boston “Lessons on Liberty” & “Bostonian Society”
Grade 2 - Stony Brook
Grade K - Southwick Zoo
Grade 5 - Bus fee for visit to ASMS
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of 20 Bose 3-2-1 GS Home Entertainment Systems (valued at $999.00 each) for the Franklin Public Schools. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of office supplies from the 3M Company as listed for the Franklin Public Schools. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend acceptance of a check for $412.80 from Lifetouch for the ECDC future enrichment programs. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend acceptance of a check for $4,900.00 from the Keller PCC for the following field trips: Motion to accept, passed 6-0
Grade K - Southwick Zoo plus buses
Grade 2 - Stony Brook plus buses
Grade 4 - Museum of Science plus buses
Grade 5 - Roger Williams Zoo plus buses
- I recommend acceptance of a check for $75.00 from the Keller PCC for an additional bus for the K field trip to Southwick Zoo. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of 12 cases of copy paper for the Oak Street Elementary School from Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Johnson. tabled to be revisited
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of several gently used trade books from Kristen Ramel, a 5th grade student, for the Oak Street teachers. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend acceptance of a check for $250.00 from Parmenter PCC for a bus for a field trip to the Mass Hospital School in Canton, MA. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend the request of Peter Light to declare the attached list of books as surplus. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend approval of the FHS request for Judi O’Neil to take 8 students to Los Angeles, CA to compete in the DECA 2009 International Conference as detailed. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend acceptance of the check for $200.00 from C.A.N.E. (Classical Association of New England – grant) for expenses related to HMMS field trip to the Worcester Art Museum. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend acceptance of the check for $1,488.56 from the Oak St. PCC for reading materials for all students/classrooms to access. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of space at the Hampton Inn for Open Circle training in 2008-09 valued at $1200.00 (4 days @ $300/per day). Motion to accept, passed 6-0
- I recommend that you declare the modular classrooms at Davis Thayer Elementary School as surplus and return them to the Town. Motion to accept, passed 6-0
Live reporting - FY 2010 Budget
To a student, they all thought (despite the complexity) it was warmly received, challenging, and rewarding. The final chapters are available to be read.
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Chandler Creedon, President Franklin Teachers and Nurses
Teachers did ratify the proposal to save 1 million dollars and 20 teachers
Is reluctant to discuss the details of the proposal in the public. Wants a negotiation session to meet as soon as possible.
Jeff Roy, the School Committee will take this under advisement, there is an executive session this evening
Cafasso - Can you tell us about the meeting?
Creedon - There was a meeting Monday (4/13/09) lasted 3 hours, final voting was done by secret ballot.
Cafasso - Are there conditions associated with the proposal?
Creedon - I am not sure I'd call it conditions, there are subjects that should be discussed that go along with it.
Armenio - There were multiple opportunities to discuss the budget
Creedon - There were multiple queries about negotiating and the appetite was that there was none beyond the 2.5 percent
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Rohrbach - update from the budget subcommittee
compiled a listing of reductions over the year, holding clipping from 2003 "Franklin begins cutting from schools".
program reductions have been significant since 2003
over the course of six or so years, tried to reduce the budget by protecting class size
last year, was the first year where class size increased
next year, if the deficit is not resolved, staff reductions will continue and class sizes will increase again
what has been cut has not come back, they are pretty permanent
it is a good exercise to go through every year.
Pat Slight - everybody is fighting for the same goal, the best education for the students
Mullen - we have cut everywhere, this is a one year deal with the teachers, we know that. It is a good chance to review what has been going on and on. The high school is still facing their accredition issues
Rohrbach - fees via advertising, pilot program at FHS, the PCC's and booster clubs raise approx $100,000 every year.
Ogden - House announces their budget Weds afternoon, significant changes predicted.
The school website has presentations that show various scenarios depending upon the budget level and what it would do to class size.
The Financial Planning Committee presents to the Town Council on Weds evening and again to a Town-wide forum on April 27th. Recommends everyone to get to the meeting or at least watch it. A lot of work has been done, it is good work, people should pay attention.
Armenio - one time revenue, it is not a school issue, it is town issue, everybody needs to step up and be part of the community. Teachers have been incredible stretching dollars to educate our children. PCC's will be providing funds for field trips and that used to be part of the budget.
Roy - Where do we go from here? Tonight was planned to be our public hearing but based upon the news we are hearing, the next meeting (Apr 28th) is also not likely for the numbers to be ready. I am happy to see that people are stepping forward to come up with creative solutions. Keep in touch, visit the website to see what the updates are.
Live reporting - "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Kevin Philipps"Could make a visual from the chapter book, to take it to the next level"
Emma Campbell
Ricky Hildebrand
Matt Golding
Zoher Ghadyali
Andrew Ayotte
Matthew Peterson
Michaela Lonati
Some students wrote a last chapter, or epilogue (twenty years into the future)
some students created an artistic representation of an aspect of the book
learned more about the book this way, their attitudes and beliefs
thought this was a great project, learned a lot from it
tested their ability to understand the text even more than the classroom study
Live reporting - High School Experience
Pandora Carlucci
Kristy Yankee
Kristin Letendre Cerce
Intended for incoming 9th graders, a social experience, to meet and connect with other students, to learn strategies for succeeding in high school
Allows students from the four feeding middle schools and others to come together at the high school
Goal to get the students ready for navigating the high school, meeting the teachers before Sept.
Adding History teacher, teachers from four disciplines will participate this summer
Scholarships available
Register: www.franklin.k12.ma.us, select Lifelong, then select Summer Program
Questions: 508-553-4814
Live reporting - Best Buddies Grant Awards
Sue Streeter – Best Buddies Grant Awards
Emily Constantine – HMMSBest Buddies Prom - May 7th
Marilee Gleason – ASMS
Erin Miller - FHS
anticipated approx 120 students, 20 chaperones
Pawtucket Red Sox game
Funway Cafe trip (tickets, transportation)
Special Olympics Field Trip to Attleboro
Live reporting - School Committee - 4/14/09
Missing: Trahan
1. Routine Business
- Citizen’s Comments
- Review of Agenda
- Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the March 24, 2009 School Committee Meeting. Motion to Approve passed 6-0
- Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly Motion to Approve passed 6-0
- Payroll Ms. Armenio
- FHS Student Representatives
- Correspondence:
- Budget to Actual
- Budget Transfers
- Letter from Mark Tiede and Melissa McCann
- Letters from the Doggett family
"a much rosier situation for the next school year"
Tonight, the teachers union will announce whether it will take a wage freeze and suspend course reimbursements to save teachers' jobs this year.
An affirmative vote would save the school district $1 million: $800,000 in salary increases, and the remainder in tuition reimbursement, said Franklin Education Association President Chandler Creedon, a psychologist at Horace Mann Middle School.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Garnet Rogers - Circle of Friends Coffeehouse
Famed Canadian performer Garnet Rogers will be appearing at the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse on Saturday, April 18th at 8:00 PM. Garnet has established himself as "one of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence and a voice to match. With his "smooth. dark baritone" his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, with a deep purpose. An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over the top humor and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again. Garnet suggests that you bring a non-perishable food item as a donation to the Franklin Food Pantry.
Saturday,
April 18th, 8:00PM
GARNET ROGERS
with special guest
Marc Douglas Berardo $15
You can purchase tickets in advance through the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse website
High School Experience - Summer 2009
BELIEVE ...
ACHIEVE ...
Franklin High School is pleased to offer its second summer of the High School Experience. This course is designed to welcome incoming grade 9 students to Franklin High School.
Co Directors: Kristy Yankee and Kristin Letendre Cerce
Who: Entering grade 9 students
When: July 27 to July 31, Monday through Friday
Time: 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Where: Franklin High School
Cost: $100.00, includes lunch each day (Scholarships are available)
Students will address ‘surviving’ high school
- Meet students from all four middle schools
- Meet faculty from the freshman collaborative
- Meet high school administrators
- Learn how to manage academics while participating in after school activities
- Discuss studying, note-taking, and preparing for high school exams/assessments
- Examine • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
Register: www.franklin.k12.ma.us, select Lifelong, then select Summer Program
Questions: 508-553-4814
Monday, April 13, 2009
Grand Opening - Cafe Dolce
Enjoy!
Town Council - Agenda - 4/15/09
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
E. APPOINTMENTS
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS –
- School Strategic Planning Committee
- Long Range Financial Planning Committee
- Update – Mike D’Angelo
I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
- Resolution 09-06: Appropriation – 2009 Capital Plan
- Resolution 09-21: Request for Legislation –Simple Procedure to Accept Roads
- Resolution 09-22: Establishment of Forge Park Priority Development Site
- Resolution 09-23: Establishment of Franklin Industrial Park Priority Development Site
- Resolution 09-24: Establishment of Pond Street Economic Opportunity Area
- Resolution 09-25: Binding Offer to Provide Tax Increment Financing to “Certified Projects”
- Bylaw Amendment 09-631: Chapter 82 Fees, Appendix A, List of Service Fee Rates – 2nd Reading
K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
L. OLD BUSINESS
M. NEW BUSINESS
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required
P. ADJOURN
"It will leave the school community neglected"
All Franklin schools could be without a librarian this September, a move principals suggested as a way to fill the district's approximate $2.5 million budget gap.
"None of the cuts are palatable in any way," said Assistant Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski, who becomes superintendent July 1.
Administrators had to weigh their options, and librarians have the least impact on instruction on a day-to-day basis, she said.
Keeping class sizes to a manageable level is a top priority, School Committee members and principals have said.
"Principals at each level made the recommendation for that cut independently; each had librarians on the table," Sabolinski said.
Read the full article on the loss of the librarians in the Milford Daily News here
View the presentation outlining all the potential budget cuts here
Participate in the School Committee meeting Tuesday April 14th, 7:00 PM Town Hall.
"we need to find champions"
Read the full report that David Elkind references here.
... what we do in education has little or nothing to do with what we know is good pedagogy for children. For example, we could significantly improve education at all levels and in all parts of the country with one change in policy—reducing class size to 18 or less at all grade levels. It is a basic truism of education that the more one-on-one time a child has with a teacher, the better the learning and educational outcome. Yet in practice educational policy is determined by political, economic, cultural, and personal ego concerns. This happens because children and adolescents do not vote, and have little or no say in their own governance. And we, who speak for children and youth, have not been able to muster the political muscle to make the educational needs of children either heard or responded to.
The data and arguments offered in this report are both powerful and compelling. But if they are to have any impact, we need to find champions in the media, in the arts, and in politics who will make the case for us. After all, what do we know? We are just the teachers of young children—who just happen to be the future of our nation.
As Franklin enters into serious budget discussions which could include the change from full-day to half-day kindergarten, while increasing class size across the district, this report will be a timely read.
My thanks to Bernie DeKoven for sharing the link to this report.
School Committee - Agenda - 4/14/09
- Citizen’s Comments
- Review of Agenda
- Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the March 24, 2009 School Committee Meeting.
- Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly
- Payroll Ms. Armenio
- FHS Student Representatives
- Correspondence:
- Budget to Actual
- Budget Transfers
- Letter from Mark Tiede and Melissa McCann
- Letters from the Doggett family
2. Guests/Presentations
Sue Streeter – Best Buddies Grant Awards
Emily Constantine – HMMS
Marilee Gleason – ASMS
Erin Miller - FHS
FHS Experience – Info for Summer 2009
Pandora Carlucci
Kristy Yankee
Kristin Letendre Cerce
ASMS “To Kill A Mockingbird” Presentation
Kevin Philipps
Emma Campbell
Ricky Hildebrand
Matt Golding
Zoher Ghadyali
Andrew Ayotte
Matthew Peterson
Michaela Lonati
3. Discussion Only Items
FY10 Budget
4. Action Items
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of $3127.00 from the DT PCC for the following field trips:
Grade 5 - Boston “Lessons on Liberty” & “Bostonian Society”
Grade 2 - Stony Brook
Grade K - Southwick Zoo
Grade 5 - Bus fee for visit to ASMS
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of 20 Bose 3-2-1 GS Home Entertainment Systems (valued at $999.00 each) for the Franklin Public Schools.
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of office supplies from the 3M Company as listed for the Franklin Public Schools.
- I recommend acceptance of a check for $412.80 from Lifetouch for the ECDC future enrichment programs.I recommend acceptance of a check for $4,900.00 from the Keller PCC for the following field trips:
Grade K - Southwick Zoo plus buses
Grade 2 - Stony Brook plus buses
Grade 4 - Museum of Science plus buses
Grade 5 - Roger Williams Zoo plus buses
- I recommend acceptance of a check for $75.00 from the Keller PCC for an additional bus for the K field trip to Southwick Zoo.
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of 12 cases of copy paper for the Oak Street Elementary School from Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Johnson.
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of several gently used trade books from Kristen Ramel, a 5th grade student, for the Oak Street teachers.
- I recommend acceptance of a check for $250.00 from Parmenter PCC for a bus for a field trip to the Mass Hospital School in Canton, MA.
- I recommend the request of Peter Light to declare the attached list of books as surplus.
- I recommend approval of the FHS request for Judi O’Neil to take 8 students to Los Angeles, CA to compete in the DECA 2009 International Conference as detailed.
- I recommend acceptance of the check for $200.00 from C.A.N.E. (Classical Association of New England – grant) for expenses related to HMMS field trip to the Worcester Art Museum.
- I recommend acceptance of the check for $1,488.56 from the Oak St. PCC for reading materials for all students/classrooms to access.
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of space at the Hampton Inn for Open Circle training in 2008-09 valued at $1200.00 (4 days @ $300/per day).
- I recommend that you declare the modular classrooms at Davis Thayer Elementary School as surplus and return them to the Town.
5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
- Enrollment Comparison
- Draft of 2009-2010 FHS Administrative Structure
- FY11 School Calendar Options
- 09-10 School Committee Schedule - Draft
- Blue Ribbon: Financial Planning Committee
- Special Facilities Review - Confidential
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, April 12, 2009
"Football, hockey and basketball are the most expensive sports"
Athletic fees will almost certainly go up again this year at Franklin High School, thanks to the tanking economy, said Franklin High School Athletic Director Brad Sidwell.
"I would expect an increase in the fees, for sure, but I don't know the amount yet," Sidwell said.
Assistant Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski, who becomes superintendent July 1, also said a fee increase is likely, but she hopes to avert it.
"Everyone's trying to get their heads around the stimulus money and how we can use it. We'd like to minimize fees if we can - fees are just another tax on parents," Sabolinski said.
The School Committee tried to generate more revenue by allowing paid advertisements in the high school field house, but that has only brought a few thousand dollars, Sidwell said.
I almost missed this one on the possible increase in sports fees, read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
"keeping everything on the table"
Once again, Franklin schools are facing the prospect of losing the popular late bus.
Superintendent Wayne Ogden and Assistant Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski have not included the late bus in next year's budget, which still has about a $2.5 million deficit, Sabolinski said. That budget seeks to maintain level services from this year.
The first priority is keeping teachers, School Committee members and administrators have said.
"When you look at it, $40,000, $50,000 - that's a teaching position. We tried to save every teaching position we could. Every $50,000 is a teacher, and a series of baby steps gets you where you need to be," Sabolinski said.
Read the full article about the late bus and the current budget in the Milford Daily News here
The School Committee meeting on Tuesday, April 14th at 7:00 PM
The Town Council will hear the Financial Planning Committee report on Wednesday, April 15th. at 7:00 PM.
"Nobody called a meeting"
Here’s what I think is the money quote from the article:
The first time chlorine was used in an improvised explosive device in Iraq, someone created a wiki page asking what intelligence officers and others in the field should do to collect evidence of the usage. "Twenty-three people at 18 or 19 locations around the world chimed in on this thing, and we got a perfectly serviceable set of instructions in two days," says Tom Fingar, who headed the National Intelligence Council from 2005 to 2008. "Nobody called a meeting, there was no elaborate 'Gotta go back and check with Mom to see if this is the view of my organization.' "
Read the full post which includes a link to the TIME article from which he found this quote.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Unfunded Mandates: Another for the listing
Earlier this week, the Massachusetts Public Health Council, a creature of the state which lacks any “administrative or executive functions” announced a new set of unfunded mandates for local school districts. Beginning with the next school year, school districts will be “required” to calculate student heights and weights into a Body Mass Index measuring their overall proportions. The results must be sent home to parents for students in first, fourth, seventh and 10th grades in a package explaining what they mean and how parents can best combat obesity. The new regulations will be phased into schools over the next 18 months. The full text of these regulations can be viewed by clicking here.Read the full posting on the Franklin School Committee blog here
This will be another unfunded mandate to add to the listing previously published in the series of 11 posts here.
Sending the message home to the parents/guardians is going to work, right? Aren't those the same folks letting their kids sit and watch TV or play computer games instead of being outside to get exercise?
How does this happen?
A well meaning group of people get together to address a problem and find a solution without completely thinking it through.
Thinking it through needs to include paying for it. The school systems are not sitting around with free time on their hands.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Kings Firecrackers
Who knew jumping rope could be so exciting?
Thanks to Doug B for sharing this video!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
"bold moves to change the public perception"
Read the full article written by Rep Jim Vallee in the Franklin Gazette hereTo the Editor:
As part of my transition into the role of Majority Leader this session, I will focus my energy on several key issues — many of them substantive and some symbolic.Amidst a dire economic climate and talk of increasing taxes, it is imperative that we as public servants do more to regain the trust of our constituents that has been so badly eroded. The cloud of controversy under which three Speakers of the House have left their posts is an example of a few spoiling the view of the many. How do we — the countless other public servants who work honestly on behalf of the citizens of this state — begin to alter the public perception?
The answer is an ethics overhaul. We need thoughtful, meaningful, and sweeping reform that will effectively — albeit slowly — rebuild the integrity of elected officials and restore trust to those who elected us.
World Wide Web in Plain English
Enjoy!
"It saves taxpayers money, it saves children"
House Majority Leader James Vallee was one of two state legislators honored at the State House yesterday by the Children's Trust Fund of Massachusetts. Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray joined with the organization to proclaim April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The event, called "Step up for Prevention," featured a display of 700 children's shoes to represent the average number of children abused in Massachusetts each week. Suzin Bartley, executive director of the fund, said Massachusetts has the second highest rate of substantiated child abuse neglect in the country.
"This display reminds us of the sad presence of child abuse in Massachusetts," Murray said. "It impacts all of us - not just the children that are abused, but their families, their friends, and their classmates."
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
FM #37 - Focus group recap
Time: 14 minutes, 14 seconds
MP3 File
Session Notes
I spent some time going back through the Focus Group notes that were published here and here to try and come up with a summary. The multiple pages of the two sets of notes can be overwhelming. Of course, the report the Financial Planning Committee is putting together is at the root of this. As much as there is in the report, it needs to be as simple as possible and answer as many questions as possible. That is the challenge!
Why were there two sessions?
To simplify the feedback, one group was given the Executive Summary and the other group was given the detailed report. Each session handled one section of the report.
Initial reactions
- There was fear in reading this, we moved here because the school system was good, now that it appears to be going down hill, what will it be like when my kids get there (into school)?
- This is information never really seen together, the facts are good, also left (me) with a lot of questions.
- It's scary that this hasn't been done before.
- I am shocked to see how much disproportionately we are dependent upon the state compared to other towns. This raises some concerns that we can do what we think is right but that the state can change and we don't have control.
- Gee, we are getting an extraordinary value for what we are getting.
What does this tell me?
Across both sessions, the initial reactions were similar. The responses were similar whether they saw the Executive Summary or the detailed report. The numbers are staggering but they are what they are.
Interesting to find out that this (five year plan) has been done before. One indicated at least three times but each time the information was not maintained and hence obsolete quickly.
Action - Franklin does need to maintain this plan, period!
Other key comments
- Call to action, unified communications will be key
- Perception is that the town is always finding money.
- One of the first things that struck me was one of the last things you say on Page 9; “our forecasts excludes certain future costs” I understand why you need to say that but will anyone of those blow up and destroy what we have done in this report?
- I think our town needs to look at this at the community as a whole, I think there are parts of the town that look at one department or the other, there is a perception of that, starting from the top,
- With all the issues that Franklin has, it does come down to school, it is a big part of town,we are talking of the future of this town, it drives the property values, if we don't come together now and fix it, we are talking of the future of the town.
While Jeff Nutting is fond of saying "There are no secrets here", there are quite a few folks who don't believe that. Transparency is not just a good thing. Transparency is a requirement.
A unified front will help dispel the inaccurate perceptions. If the Town Council, School Committee and Finance Committee join together in saying with one voice, this is what needs to be done, then there will be some credibility. If there are disconnects, there will be problems.
Choice: United, we will stand. Divided, we will be conquered.Additional Explanations Needed
- Charts need to be fully labeled
- How do we explain the State Aid formula?
- Tri-County funding, what do we pay per student compared to Franklin?
- Need a better explanation of the DOE numbers where the line was added to ensure a total.
- Can we compare the % of the Franklin school, fire, police budget to the other communities?
- Explain tax levy (what it includes, excludes).
- What about the consolidation efforts on the Town side, not very visible.
- Explanation of capital versus operational dollars
- Review pages (eg. Page 4, 5, 17) to see if graphs or pie charts would make the information easier to read.
- Page 21, it says “what can we do about it?” but there is not enough detail here to make a decision. "Improving process efficiency" What does that mean?
- Split tax rate, needs an explanation of why or why not.
- Explain debt service as a part of operational dollars
As much as there were comments about "there is too much information", what ever is published needs to be accurate and simple. One page needs to tie to another. Some basic information and terms need to be explained. We (deliberately, the "collective we") need to set the table for the discussion with the proper definitions and explanations so that the discussion can proceed around the same set of facts.
Action: Some minor tweaks remain to tighten up the numbers and explanations.
--------------
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
"Recycling is the right thing to do"
Call him a recycling evangelist.
Every morning, Chris White hits the streets, checking the trash and recycling habits of his fellow residents.
He begins at 8 a.m., aligning his schedule with trash collection, to see how well people are recycling.
If they are doing a good job, White hangs a thank-you tag on their doorknob, and suggests a few additional things they can do to keep trash out of landfills, said White, the part-time recycling coordinator for the Department of Public Works.
Non-recyclers get another tag on their doors, urging them to change their wasteful ways, and he adds a little sticker explaining what steps they can take to get started, such as picking up free bins at the DPW.
"The great thing about Franklin is, you can put out as much recycling as you want. So if you have 40 bins of papers, we'll take that, but you can only take out three barrels of trash," White said.
Read the full article on recycling in the Milford Daily News here
"Cutting full-day kindergarten lowers the quality of education"
Facing a budget deficit of $2.5 million, "nothing is off the table" in terms of cuts, but officials are optimistic they can preserve full-day kindergarten, says School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.
The 9-year-old program, which serves all of Franklin's kindergarten students (447 this year), is in jeopardy due to this year's severe budget constraints.
Elementary school principals, who needed to cut 30 positions, recommended that the schools eliminate full-day kindergarten since it is not mandated by law.
Such a move would keep class sizes in other grades to a somewhat reasonable level. Otherwise, class sizes would shoot to more than 30 students in many instances.
Read the full article on kindergarten in the Milford Daily News here
Inside the Focus Groups
Why were there two sessions?
To simplify the feedback, one group was given the Executive Summary and the other group was given the detailed report. Each session handled one section of the report.
Initial reactions
- There was fear in reading this, we moved here because the school system was good, now that it appears to be going down hill, what will it be like when my kids get there (into school)?
- This is information never really seen together, the facts are good, also left (me) with a lot of questions.
- It's scary that this hasn't been done before.
- I am shocked to see how much disproportionately we are dependent upon the state compared to other towns. This raises some concerns that we can do what we think is right but that the state can change and we don't have control.
- Gee, we are getting an extraordinary value for what we are getting.
What does this tell me?
Across both sessions, the initial reactions were similar. The responses were similar whether they saw the Executive Summary or the detailed report. The numbers are staggering but they are what they are.
Interesting to find out that this (five year plan) has been done before. One indicated at least three times but each time the information was not maintained and hence obsolete quickly.
Action - Franklin does need to maintain this plan, period!
Other key comments
- Call to action, unified communications will be key
- Perception is that the town is always finding money.
- One of the first things that struck me was one of the last things you say on Page 9; “our forecasts excludes certain future costs” I understand why you need to say that but will anyone of those blow up and destroy what we have done in this report?
- I think our town needs to look at this at the community as a whole, I think there are parts of the town that look at one department or the other, there is a perception of that, starting from the top,
- With all the issues that Franklin has, it does come down to school, it is a big part of town,we are talking of the future of this town, it drives the property values, if we don't come together now and fix it, we are talking of the future of the town.
While Jeff Nutting is fond of saying "There are no secrets here", there are quite a few folks who don't believe that. Transparency is not just a good thing. Transparency is a requirement.
A unified front will help dispel the inaccurate perceptions. If the Town Council, School Committee and Finance Committee join together in saying with one voice, this is what needs to be done, then there will be some credibility. If there are disconnects, there will be problems.
Choice: United, we will stand. Divided, we will be conquered.Additional Explanations Needed
- Charts need to be fully labeled
- How do we explain the State Aid formula?
- Tri-County funding, what do we pay per student compared to Franklin?
- Need a better explanation of the DOE numbers where the line was added to ensure a total.
- Can we compare the % of the Franklin school, fire, police budget to the other communities?
- Explain tax levy (what it includes, excludes).
- What about the consolidation efforts on the Town side, not very visible.
- Explanation of capital versus operational dollars
- Review pages (eg. Page 4, 5, 17) to see if graphs or pie charts would make the information easier to read.
- Page 21, it says “what can we do about it?” but there is not enough detail here to make a decision. "Improving process efficiency" What does that mean?
- Split tax rate, needs an explanation of why or why not.
- Explain debt service as a part of operational dollars
As much as there were comments about "there is too much information", what ever is published needs to be accurate and simple. One page needs to tie to another. Some basic information and terms need to be explained. We (deliberately, the "collective we") need to set the table for the discussion with the proper definitions and explanations so that the discussion can proceed around the same set of facts.
Action: Some minor tweaks remain to tighten up the numbers and explanations.
NewBCamp - Providence College - Apr 19
Come to learn and share about the new technology in social media tools! Blogs, podcasting, networking, Twitter, video blogging, etc.
Where:
Providence College
When:
April 19 - 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
More Information and registration:
Click here
Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Saturday April 18th, 2009
Beaver Pond
Starts at 9:00 AM
Volunteer to clean up targeted areas and assist with planting flowers and shrubs around Franklin.
- Please bring your own water bottle.
- Please bring your own gloves and rakes.
- Community service certificates will be issued.
- T-shirts to the first 200 volunteers.
- Clean up goes to 1:00 PM
Get some Eco-Info at Beaver Pond:
- Water conservation kits and rain barrel display.
- Mercury thermometer exchange for digital thermometers.
- Recycling tips and composting information.
- Energy conservation tips.
- Much more ! ! !
You can register on the Town website here
Disclosure Statement
- This blog doesn't accept ads or sponsorships.
- I don't own stock or accept royalties from any company or product mentioned on this blog.
- I don't serve on the board of any company.
- If the occasion were to come up, I would consider accepting samples of stuff with a nominal value (under $20 or so).
- I will tell you that there is no correlation between mentioning stuff and whether or not someone sent it to me.
- I write about what I find interesting and I think will interest you as a reader.
My goal in maintaining this blog is to share my ideas and hopefully create a conversation that will generate something more than we each started with.
My success will be determined by your readership and comments (or lack thereof).
I consider myself an amateur writer, a lifelong learner.
Specifically with regards to the Franklin override votes that occurred previously on May 22, 2007, and June 10, 2008: You should be aware that my wife is a kindergarten teacher in Franklin. My two daughters are recent (2004, 2006) graduates of Franklin High School and both are doing well. One has completed college and is now out in the working world. The other is in the middle of her college years. There are a few other good reasons for me to be writing about this issue. I will continue to elaborate on them here.
One last matter: a number of folks have asked me from time to time, if I would consider running for a local office (either Town Council or School Committee).
The answer has been “No”.
I expect that the answer will not change anytime soon.
Especially now, while I am looking for work, I can not commit to something like running for a town position when I don't know what my work commitment will be. I also feel that I am providing a valuable public service in the writing and sharing of the information that I currently provide here on Franklin Matters.
I do this as my hobby. I was fully employed and did my blogging/writing, etc. in my "off hours". I expect to be fully employed again. Until that time, I will be working and networking to identify that opportunity.
Updated 3/29/15 - After several years of employment at RBS Citizens, I have resigned that position to accept a role with John Hancock in Boston, MA
Disclosure announcement
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/disclosure-announcement.html
If anything changes with what I have said here, I will let you know.
I promise.
A similar version of this is found on the Why Franklin Matters page
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Clever Commute - video
It is free and it works because you, and I, and others on the Franklin Line make it work.
Join Clever Commute here
Cafe Dolce - Updated slides
Updated 4/13/09 - more pictures were added from the "grand opening" held on 4/13/09.
Enjoy!
BTW - you can visit their website here
Garnet Rogers - Circle of Friends Coffeehouse
Famed Canadian performer Garnet Rogers will be appearing at the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse on Saturday, April 18th at 8:00 PM. Garnet has established himself as "one of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence and a voice to match. With his "smooth. dark baritone" his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, with a deep purpose. An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over the top humor and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again. Garnet suggests that you bring a non-perishable food item as a donation to the Franklin Food Pantry.
Saturday,
April 18th, 8:00PM
GARNET ROGERS
with special guest
Marc Douglas Berardo $15
You can purchase tickets in advance through the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse website
Monday, April 6, 2009
"Consistency is the key"
“It'll take time. He'll do well. It is not easy to get established.” Dominic Narducci said.
Maggie Glassman and Xuen Wguven sat talking at one of the tall tables. Maggie is one of the English as a Second Language tutors from the Franklin Library. “I love it. We'll make this our regular coffee spot. We'll come by at least once a week.” She found an open parking spot across the street and fed it some change to cover their time talking over coffee.
Gary Razzonate is glad Cafe Dolce is open. He and his family had moved to Franklin from the Roslindale/Jamaica Plain section of Boston. Being a city person, he loved having the Zeotrope and MelDiva's within walking distance. Unfortunately, he only got to the movies a couple of times before it closed and then MelDiva's closed shortly after. “It was disheartening to see the downtown so empty. My daughter loved to go to MelDiva's. She was crushed when it closed. This is great! I'll walk here, allow a few minutes to get coffee before getting on the train.”
John P Murphy III and I talked for some time while he was connecting with a friend or two to stop down. “This town is full of real working people. The number of masons and landscapers per capita must be the highest in the state.” He looks forward to coming back to sit with his laptop like he used to across the street at MelDiva's. “This is a good place. I really hope they make it.”
Advice for making it here? “Consistency. I had a sandwich at a pizza place on Friday. It was good, a nice Italian. I go back on Sunday, get the same sandwich and it's not the same thing. What'd they do? Consistency is the key. You know what they're going to do, what it's going to be.”
Best of luck to BJ, David, Leisa and Samantha!