Saturday, May 9, 2009

Sponsor a hug today!

I met Gail at last weekend's SOBCon conference in Chicago. I was inspired to donate for a hug and encourage you to try to do the same. From their website:

What we're doing

Inspire Me Today Founder Gail Lynne Goodwin and her husband Darryl will take off in a small prop plane from Colorado to circumnavigate the globe and literally hug the world. The tour will stop in 45 locations over a period of five months.

On a personal mission to make a difference, they will be:

  • Delivering an estimated $1,000,000 to important causes throughout the tour raised through grassroots contributions from people like you
  • Giving at least 2,000 hugs in each location to literally wrap the world in 100,000 hugs
  • Gathering great wisdom, inspiration and brilliance from leaders and luminaries in the far reaches of the globe to bring back and share on InspireMeToday.com

Why we're doing it

In this time of doom and gloom when it seems the whole world is struggling, we choose to change that focus by inspiring humanity to trust in what is good and what is possible. We believe in a message of hope, change, responsibility, and commitment to others.

We believe through opening our hearts and celebrating our global connectivity, bridges and understanding can be built between us. By connecting Hug Sponsors with the exact hug recipients, we will create opportunities to connect people from all walks of life, from different religions, cultures, ethnicities, and create friendships that extend from one continent to another. By raising money with people like you, we will be making a tangible difference in the world and supporting important causes together. We welcome your participation and look forward to working with you!

Do you believe in a message of hope, change, responsibility, and commitment to others?



Global Hug Tour

For more information on their world tour, and to contribute if you can, please visit their website here


Friday, May 8, 2009

Quick clarification

The prior posting on "We have no one to fault but ourselves" was meant as a call to action for the 80% of the Franklin voters who did not cast their ballot in November 2007.

While there may be differences in views on this item or that, I have great respect for all our elected officials, especially those on the Town Council, School Committee, Finance Committee, and the other elected committees that contribute to this town.

They give much of their time to perform their duties on our behalf.

Contrary to what some apparently believe, they do not get paid for what they do. It is a volunteer effort and public service initiative much like my own efforts here.

  • To the 1 in 10 Franklin voters who cast your ballot in November 2007, reach out to your neighbors at any opportunity you have, gently remind them of their civic duty.

  • To the 9 in 10 Franklin voters who did not cast your ballot in November 2007, please, please get involved. Take a step forward. Attend a meeting. Be informed. Cast your ballot when the next election rolls around.

Franklin will be a better place with all involved.

If you don't think you should be involved, stop me around town some time. You should be able recognize me by now. I'd like to find out why.

  • Finally, to all Franklin resident that are eligible to vote but have not yet registered, please consider doing so. The Town Clerk's office is open with convenient hours Monday-Friday. It is a quick and easy transaction.

PS - My thanks to Town Council Chairperson Chris Feeley for taking the time to provide feedback on the prior posting and to enable this clarification.

We have no one to fault but ourselves!

As I went back to the November 2007 Town election results for yesterday's posting, I was surprised to see the numbers. Yes, I knew the turnout was low but the real impact is what affects us everyday here in Franklin.

Candidate Votes % Voted % Voters
Vallee 2201 57.2% 11.9%
Feeley 1979 51.5% 10.7%
Zollo 1978 51.4% 10.7%
Bartlett 1893 49.2% 10.2%
Pfeffer 1692 44.0% 9.1%
Whalen 1680 43.7% 9.0%
Doak 1673 43.5% 9.0%
Mason 1568 40.8% 8.4%
McGann 1549 40.3% 8.3%




Kelly 2141 55.7% 11.5%
Roy 2021 52.6% 10.9%
Trahan 1976 51.4% 10.6%
Cafasso 1899 49.4% 10.2%
Mullen 1871 48.7% 10.1%
Armenio 1823 47.4% 9.8%
Rohrbach 1761 45.8% 9.5%

Only 1 in 10 registered voters in Franklin have a right to complain about how things are being determined.

The other 9 better do something to get involved, become informed, and cast a vote when the next election comes around.

Oh, yes. This is election year isn't it!


Notes:
The Election results can be found on the Town of Franklin Annual Report for 2008. Page 57-59.
Hard copies are available at the Municipal Building. You can also down load a copy from the website here (PDF).

The candidates for Town Council and School Committee are shown in declining order of votes received.

The % voted is their total as a percent of the total cast, 3845.

The % voters is their total as a percent of the total registered voters for 2007, 18572. From P56 of the Town Report; 19102 minus the growth of 530 voters during 2008 equals 18572.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Town Council Continues Math Error School Committee Started

In Thursday's paper:

Councilor Joseph McGann said he believes it is only a "handful" of union members who refuse to accept a wage deferment without conditions attached.

"It's just a handful, and that handful is very selfish and very one-sided. Every other union in Franklin has conceded to and waived raises," McGann said.

Gee, if we go back to the election in November 2007 that brought Councilor McGann to this position, there were 3845 ballots cast. This reflects only 20% of the total Franklin registered voters. He gained 1549 votes which was 40% of those cast and only 8% of the total Franklin registered voters. These numbers are all from the Franklin Annual Report for 2008 and you can go double check the math if you would like.

So what is this “handful” of teachers he is talking about?

According to what was reported in this paper, half the teachers participated in the first vote and 80% of those voted for the wage deferral with the three conditions. So if you do the math, that would equate to 40% of the teachers eligible to vote. 10% voted against the proposal. 50% choose not to vote.

Councilor McGann, you are calling 40% a “handful”?

Then what would you call the 8% who voted for you in November 2007?

The Town Council has chosen to unanimously and quite publicly back the School Committee. Why didn't they do that in June 2007 for the override that failed?

This time, I think they have picked the wrong numbers to make their case. They are continuing an error the School Committee started and has yet to correct.


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"hearings are slated to begin next week"

Dining out at restaurants, registering your car, and even watching satellite television would get more expensive under a plan that will be recommended today by a special legislative panel hunting for new revenue to aid cities and towns.

The commission's report contains a potentially big money maker for municipalities. It says local officials should have the option of raising meal taxes by 2 percentage points and increasing taxes on hotel rooms by 4 percentage points.

The increases, along with a variety of other taxes and fees, would raise at least $409 million to benefit municipalities as state lawmakers are reducing local aid payments. It would be a crucial boost for struggling cities and towns, panel members and city leaders said.

"It's the first light we've seen in a dark tunnel," Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston said in an interview yesterday. "It seems positive to me. We've been advocating for local options for several years, and if this says cities can have their own local option, it's a good beginning."

The Boston Globe today reports on some progress made to enable local communities to obtain revenue. Read more about this attempt to reduce our dependency on local property taxes here


New England Sports Celebration - 5/31/09


From the Facebook page for the New England Sports Celebration
Come down and help us raise funds for the F.X. O’Regan Early Childhood Development Center PCC. We are planning a fun-filled family day celebrating the proud tradition of New England sports!!

Currently, we have Boston hockey legend TERRY O'REILLY coming down to sign autographs from 2PM-4PM.

Signatures are $15 each with no charge for inscriptions. You are welcome to bring your own items, and we will have a great selection of pictures, pucks and other items available for sale!


Also from 2PM - 4PM, Wally the Green Monster will be visiting to take pictures and sign autographs for his fans for FREE!!!

AND JUST ANNOUNCED - Football Legend STEVE GROGAN will also be available from 2PM-4PM!!! Signatures are $15 each with no charge for inscriptions.

There will be lots of other fun activities for the kids, as well.
Cash bar and concessions will be available. did we mention....ADMISSION IS FREE!!!

This is a public event and we want to pack the place - so please feel free to invite anyone you would like!!! A lot more to come on this...

SAVE THE DATE!!

The groups formed "walking school buses"

Milford Daily News
Posted May 07, 2009 @ 12:03 AM

FRANKLIN —

Dodging puddles and raindrops yesterday morning, crowds of students took to the streets in the state's third annual Walk to School Day.

Rather than driving down Oak Street yesterday morning, Alexandra Thomas walked her children, Cameron and Lily, to Oak Elementary School.

"It was a little chilly, but we did it, it was a team effort," Thomas said.

The young students seemed to grasp the mission of the event.

"It's good exercise and I wanted to help the Earth," said Cameron, a fifth-grader.

The event is put on by MassRIDES, the state's travel options service under the Executive Office of Transportation, as part of the state's Safe Routes to School program. It emphasizes the importance of increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment.

Read the full article about this walk to school day in the Milford Daily News here

40% of urban travel is for trips 2 miles or less. 90% of those trips are by car. Consider taking Clif Bar's Two Mile Challenge. Read about this effort to increase exercise and reduce pollution here