Elizabeth S Fitzmaurice (Beth)
Ella ReedFrom 250 initial entries, whittled to thirty for the high school students to work with and create 5 logos
Ben Fretz
Cam Goldsmith
Brett vanVort
Patrick McClellan Hurd
Jillian McGrath
Madison Wendell
Lyndsey Donahoe
Pooja Agaraal
Michelle Reinertson
Samantha Fitzpatrick
Collin Berg
Ellie Mancin
Erin Lee
Kasey Lynch
Breanna Metras
Caleigh Smith
Emma Campbell
Joe Nevells
Ashley Monterotti
Kevin MacAllister
Nichole Higgins
David Joany
Anna Humphreys
Madison Hinckley
Andrew DeSignore
Jill Downing
Kristen Dumas – final selection
So you think you can budget? Click on the revenue or expense arrows, then on the bottom line and get a sorta spreadsheet that lets you play with detailed views of the T's budget.
Via Nathan Spencer.
The Relay for Life will be held on the Franklin High School track (Oak Street) beginning Friday evening, June 12th and running through Saturday, June 13th.
Additional info on the relay can be found on the event website hereThe 600 residents who got socked with late fees and interest penalties for not paying excise bills they never received do not have to pay those extra costs, Assistant Treasurer/Collector Sandra Fanning said yesterday.
The tax collector will send refunds to those who have already paid the erroneous extra charges, said Fanning.
"We're trying to be as fair as we can," Fanning said.
Those who were billed incorrectly do not need to do anything, she said.
read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Possibly facing a loss of $900,000 in state aid under the Senate budget, Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting said he is going to make every attempt to keep his promise to unions that volunteered to freeze their wages for year.
"No matter what happens, my goal is not to have those layoffs," Nutting said.
Earlier in the budget season, the Franklin Police Association and Local 1298, which consists of the police and fire dispatchers unions, custodians union, administrative union (clerical), Department of Public Works union, and facilities (tradesmen) union, all voted to take a one-year deferral on their negotiated wage increases to save their colleagues' jobs and help out the town.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Pooja Agaraal
Collin Berg
Erin Lee
Kasey Lynch
Emma Campbell
Dayna Comeau
Branna Metras
Kristen Dumas – final selection
Laura Chiaravalloti, RMS Teacher
Tim LaRowe
Marcus Giese
Jake Garrity
Claudia Beck
Markus Bohmiller
Brian Morin
Tracy Pisani
Julianne Pisani
Abby Normandin
Justin Means
Angie Canesi
Elisabeth Salamy
Pooja Agarwal
Amanda Lin
Tim Stevens
Carolyn Foley
Jenna Gleason
David Sanches
Christine Harvey
Dan Pisani
Erin Harrington
Christina Mouradian
Erika Kucks
The recession is pinching sponsorships and donations for some local Fourth of July and summer celebrations, forcing organizers to scrounge up support elsewhere or trim fireworks and other entertainment.
Still, while budget pressures have caused cancellations elsewhere, the show will go on in most MetroWest and Milford-area towns and cities that host annual Independence Day festivities and summer festivals.
"We're doing the best we can with what we have," said Warren Revell, secretary for Franklin's Fourth of July Committee.
Read the full article on the local Fourth of July fund raising efforts in the Milford Daily News here.
The construction at the Four Corners building is underway. Eventually, a Walgreens will operate from this location.
I'll try to report key milestones here from time to time as the work progresses.
Embedded in the state Senate's budget, an insurance proposal is presenting a not-so-veiled ultimatum to municipalities: Curb your health care costs or else.
Essentially, the provision would force municipalities to reduce their health care costs to meet a state standard, lest they face an outside arbitrator coming in and settling matters with unions - to say nothing of the possible gouges to local aid.
The proposal is in Senate conference committee right now and could be tweaked, rejected, or given the go-ahead within the next month.
...
"We're very worried," said Jeff Nutting, Franklin Town Administrator and president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. "It's a huge step backward in the worst economy of our life."Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Last month, a breached beaver dam flooded Bob Szymanski's property in Milford. Several months before, it was a very intact one in Holliston that swelled the Hopping Brook so it nearly washed over a small bridge.
Beaver habitats routinely clash with those of humans in metro Boston. Other recent reports come from Westborough, Concord, Bolton and Andover, where a hasty dam breaching flooded a charity golf event.
The issue of beaver management isn't purely academic. Untimely dams can flood houses, or muck up sewer systems and roads - costly problems to repair. In Westborough, the town set aside $5,000 in this year's budget just to deal with beavers.
Beavers' ecological benefits are also substantial, as beavers, North America's largest native rodents, create wetlands that nurture other wildlife, control flooding and purify water.
Read the full article on the beaver dams in the Milford Daily News here
This is news of interest to Franklin. The condition of the dams on the DelCarte land was the subject of some discussion during the May 6th Town Council meeting. The 8-1 vote approved spending some money to get engineering estimates on how to correct the dams. A breech in one of the dams could result in down stream flooding. The estimates of damage were hard to quantify.
Multi-family yard sale
Saturday, June 6th - 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Lawrence Dr and Susan's Way
Giving the 2009 graduating class a glimpse into the distant future, the Franklin High School Class of 1959 reunited at a reception at Horace Mann Middle School yesterday. The tradition, which was started by former Principal Jack Lucas, dates back to 1998. However, this was only the second year that a reception was held for the alumni to gather and catch up on the 50th anniversary of their graduation.
Organized by the Franklin High School Alumni Association and the Franklin Lifelong Learning Institute, the event gathered 23 members of the 95-member 1959 class. It was a strong turnout, according to Lifelong Learning Executive Director Pandora Carlucci.
"Every graduate means a lot to us, no matter how long you've been out of school," Carlucci, the first of a handful of speakers, said to the lively crowd of alumni.
Read the full article about the FHS Class of 1959 in the Milford Daily News here
In his last speech to the Class of 2009, Superintendent Wayne Ogden urged the 370 graduating seniors, "Educate your soul, and your spirit."
"I'm pretty darn sure the world has enough smart people - it (needs) people with compassion and integrity," Ogden said.
A "good, successful human being" is balanced, he said.
He told students now that they are graduating, they "can start the process of learning."
It may seem a strange bit of advice from a school superintendent, but he explained that for too many young people, the pursuit of a credential is substituted for the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
"Seek knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. An associate's or bachelor's degree will fall into place," Ogden said.
To those who are not planning to go college, Ogden said, "you can learn a tremendous amount without going to school."
Read the full article on the FHS Graduation in the Milford Daily News here
The list of graduates can be found in the Milford Daily News here
The town treasurer mailed excise bills in February, but about 600 residents never received them, and now they've gotten hit with late fees and interest penalties, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.
Nutting attributes the problem to a mailing error on the part of the U.S. Postal Service.
"When one person says they didn't get their bill, that's one thing, but when hundreds of people are coming in and telling the same story, you have to believe it's true," said Nutting.
"They've been coming in and saying, 'Why do I have to pay this? I never got an original bill,"' he said.
Read the full article about the missing excise tax bills in the Milford Daily News here
The town sold the former Four Corners School to Arista Development LLC and got the check for $2.5 million Tuesday, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.
Norwood-based Arista is replacing the building at the intersection of Rte. 140 and King Street with a Walgreens pharmacy.
About $1 million of the money will be used to pay the existing debt on the property, which the town bought for $1.32 million, Nutting said.
Town Council voted Wednesday to put the $1 million in an escrow account for that purpose.
The remainder of the funds can be used for any bondable expense, or capital project, such as building repairs, but cannot legally be used for operational costs, such as salaries or schools, and cannot be put into free cash, Nutting said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
The teachers union is slated to vote on a new proposal for wage concessions in the coming weeks, according to School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.
The School Committee is asking the union to defer its negotiated 2.5 percent wage increase for one year, at which point the union will receive both a 2.5 percent raise, plus any new negotiated pay increase, Roy said.
The union has offered to take the wage freeze, as well as to forgo course reimbursements for one year, but demanded three permanent contractual changes in exchange.
The School Committee rejected that offer, and the union rejected a counter-proposal by the School Committee.
On June 15, the teachers union will meet to take a ratification vote on a proposal that strikes contractual language requiring teachers to give a reason for personal days, and eliminates one of the additional after-school meetings, in exchange for a 2.5 percent wage increase deferment, according to a copy of the proposal.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Since Bob McLaughlin was unavailable for comment to create this article, the quotations from him were taken from his posting to the teacher's website on Memorial Day, May 25th. Read his full posting here.
Slowly but surely, the plan to renovate or build a new Franklin High School is moving ahead, with a favorable vote from the Massachusetts School Building Authority allowing the town to conduct a feasibility study, according to School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.
Yesterday, the authority's board of directors voted to invite the town to conduct the study to assess the needs of Franklin High School, said state building authority press secretary Carrie Sullivan.
The "invitation to collaborate" on a feasibility study does not mean the the organization has approved the project, Sullivan said.
"It is strictly an invitation to the Franklin school district to work with the (authority) to explore potential solutions to the problems that have been identified," she said.
Roy called the authority's decision "very significant, because we're now more in the pipeline."
Read the full article on this latest development in the FHS renovation process in the Milford Daily News
Town Council last night suspended the liquor licenses of three establishments caught selling alcohol to minors in a police sting.
Police Chief Steven Williams told the Town Council that the sting on May 15 involved six officers and three teenagers working undercover to check all of Franklin's 31 establishments licensed to sell alcohol.
The teens were told to show their actual licenses, which indicate their date of birth, a phrase in red stating that they are under 21, and which are also vertical, also signifying they are underage, Williams said.
Although some councilors were sympathetic toward the owners of Devita's Market, 198 East Central St., and and J.B.'s Liquor World, 365 West Central St., both first-time offenders, they ultimately voted to stand by their precedent of suspending the liquor licenses for three days.
Devita's Market and Liquor World will lose their liquor license for one day Friday and have two days held in abeyance for two years, the council voted.
The council also took Williams' recommendation and suspended Teppanyaki Restaurant's liquor license for five days, starting Friday.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Tom Geysen never played varsity sports in high school or college, but that didn't stop him from becoming one of Franklin's top-notch coaches.
The 64-year-old Geysen, who won Hockomock League championships in girls soccer and boys track, also was a high-caliber coach in boys basketball and softball. Retired from education since 2003 after 35 years of teaching English, Geysen continues to direct the Panthers' girls soccer team and the boys track squad.
Read the full article about Tom Geysen on the Wicked Local pages here
Given the uncertainty of how much local aid the state will give Franklin, Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting is recommending Town Council adopt the Finance Committee's budget, and make necessary changes in July.
He also told the Finance Committee last night that he senses, based on recent visits to the State House, legislators will not finish their budget until the end of June.
"We're $876,000 short, according to the Senate budget, the latest budget. One option is to cut our budget today, but that causes unnecessary panic," because the state could turn around and give Franklin additional funds, Nutting said. The town budget for next year is about $88 million.
Town officials could also take a middle line, and reduce the budget by $400,000 or $500,000 now, he said, but he advised the simplest option, of adopting a preliminary budget and making cuts later.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Gen Stab 4,554,332
PW Stab 737,853
Debt Stab 576,998
Traffic Stab 21,162
Overlay Surplus - 0 -
Free Cash 63,014
Members of the School Committee and teachers union will meet today once again in an attempt to reach an agreement on a wage freeze that would save $800,0000, or about 16 teachers' jobs, said School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.
"Hopefully, we'll get this done," Roy said.
"It's fair to say we're making a conscious effort to get this resolved before finishing the budget," he said.
The two groups already missed the May 26 deadline, which is when the School Committee opened the public hearing on the budget.
The School Committee continued the hearing to June 9, and must present its budget to Town Council on June 11.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Three establishments in town face temporary license suspensions after serving alcohol to underage buyers in a police sting, said Lt. Thomas J. Lynch.
On Wednesday, the Town Council will hold public hearings for Devita's Market, 198 East Central St., J.B.'s Liquor World, 365 West Central St., and Teppanyaki Restaurant, 264 Village Drive, all of which failed compliance checks on May 15, Lynch said.
The sting involved underage buyers using legitimate Massachusetts licenses showing their true age, Lynch said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Governor Deval Patrick today launched an online community forum, inviting citizens to continue the conversation started during the administration’s series of statewide community forums about the choices and priorities facing the Commonwealth in the current economic climate.Available at www.mass.gov/forum, the forum presents the public with a unique opportunity to share their ideas about the state’s budget challenges as well as the transportation, pension and ethics reform proposals currently being debated on Beacon Hill. Over the next two weeks, Governor Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Murray and senior administration officials will be online at various times, reading suggestions, answering questions and contributing to the dialogue.
“We need the collective wisdom of all the people in the Commonwealth to tackle the budget challenges and reform opportunities facing us at this critical moment,” said Governor Patrick. “This online forum allows us to continue the conversation we started during the community forums and capture those great ideas – your ideas – that will help get us through to a better tomorrow.”
Governor Patrick has selected UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack to serve as the forum’s “Citizen Moderator.” Chancellor MacCormack will work with the Governor’s Office to help facilitate the online conversation and ensure all ideas are heard. At the conclusion of the discussion, Chancellor MacCormack will select from forum participants to assemble a Citizen Task Force. The Task Force will be responsible for compiling ideas, insights and recommendations shared throughout the forum and presenting a report to the Governor.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for citizens to participate in a meaningful dialogue about the future of our Commonwealth,’’ Chancellor MacCormack said. “My primary responsibility as moderator will be to ensure that everyone with a big idea has a voice, and that we work together to help solve some of the major challenges facing the Commonwealth. I look forward to hearing everyone’s ideas.”
In addition to the more than 30 community forums the Governor and members of his administration held throughout the month of May, he kicked off a series of summer town hall meetings in Dennis on Tuesday. The meetings are open to the public, giving residents a chance to talk directly to Governor Patrick about issues they care about most, including the economy, the state’s budget challenges, and the Governor’s efforts to push for reforms on Beacon Hill. For a full schedule and more information, visit www.mass.gov/governor/townhall.
Originally posted on the Governor's web site
Play with this sortable table of beginning and average teacher salaries by state.
While water quality in the Charles River has improved significantly since the Clean Charles River Initiative began in 1995, there is still work to be done.Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
State Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, is part of a new legislative team charged with making recommendations on lingering river issues.
Brown, the assistant minority whip, was recently appointed to the Charles River Water Quality Commission by Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei. The commission will investigate the water quality of the Charles River and determine what further improvements are needed to bring it to a consistently safe level for swimming - particularly in the most heavily populated area on the Boston end of the river.
"It's going to be interesting," Brown said, noting that the Charles River "obviously affects my district."
There are 35 towns within the river's watershed, including Franklin, Millis, Needham, Norfolk, Wellesley, Wrentham, Natick, Sherborn and Wayland in Brown's district. Other area towns in the watershed include Ashland, Bellingham, Foxborough, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medfield, Medway, Mendon and Milford.
Worried about the town's youth, Town Council Vice Chairwoman Deborah Bartlett is calling on local leaders to help end underage drinking after learning that on two consecutive weekends, large groups of teens were arrested, despite the recent death of 17-year-old Taylor Meyer.
Meyer, a King Philip High School senior from Plainville, drowned in a swamp after drinking alcohol at a party in Norfolk last October.
"I'm very concerned, because we've had arrests for two underage parties in the last weeks, that has never happened in Franklin that I can remember," said Bartlett.
"As leaders of this town, we would be remiss if we did not try to do something" to help, Bartlett said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
To review the W.A.S.T.E.D. (when alcohol starts to affect decisions) presentation at FHS from Dec 2008 check this link
FRANKLIN, Mass., May 28 /CNW/ -- Echo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC Bulletin
Board: ECTE) announced today that it has signed a license agreement with
Ferndale Pharma Group ("Ferndale"), under which Echo granted Ferndale the
right to develop, market, sell and distribute Echo's Prelude(TM) SkinPrep
System ("Prelude") for painless, needle-free skin preparation prior to the
application of topical 4% lidocaine cream for fast-acting, local dermal
anesthesia prior to a wide-range of needle-based medical procedures in North
America and the United Kingdom. Echo's non-invasive Prelude SkinPrep System
incorporates patented skin permeation control technology which allows for
quick and painless removal of the outermost layer of the skin for both
transdermal drug delivery and glucose measurement.
"Completing this first Prelude licensing agreement was one of our top
priorities," stated Patrick T. Mooney, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Echo Therapeutics. "Ferndale is a market leader specializing in
advanced skincare and topical therapeutic products. This collaboration
combines our skin permeation technology platform and Ferndale's leadership in
the fast-growing topical anesthetic market based on LMX4, its topical 4%
lidocaine cream."
Dr. Mooney continued, "Importantly, this licensing transaction
demonstrates the drug delivery capabilities of Prelude. We believe that there
are numerous additional partnering opportunities for both Prelude and our
Symphony(TM) tCGM System for needle-free, transdermal continuous glucose
monitoring. We are actively engaged with and interested in finding additional
partners as we leverage the use of Prelude as a transdermal drug delivery
platform and Symphony for continuous glucose monitoring in the many
territories around the world."
Michael Burns, Ph.D., President of Ferndale added, "We are extremely
excited about using Prelude to expand our presence in the important topical
dermal anesthesia market in hospitals, clinics and with plastic surgeons and
dermatologists. We expect Prelude to allow much more rapid onset of
effectiveness for our topical anesthetic product, thereby significantly
increasing the size of our market opportunity."
Under the terms of the agreement, Echo will receive an up-front licensing
fee of US $750,000. Echo will also receive $750,000 upon FDA clearance of the
product and additional milestone payments based on the achievement of certain
net sales targets and guaranteed minimum royalties totaling an additional
$12.6 million. Echo will also receive an escalating royalty on net sales of
the product. Ferndale will also be responsible for all product development
and regulatory costs for the final development of the Prelude SkinPrep System
for topical analgesic/anesthetic drug delivery applications.
About Echo Therapeutics
Echo Therapeutics is focused on medical devices and specialty
pharmaceuticals. Echo is developing a non-invasive, wireless, transdermal
continuous glucose monitoring (tCGM) system for patients with diabetes and for
use in hospital critical care units. Echo is utilizing its Prelude SkinPrep
platform technology for transdermal drug delivery and is developing a wide
range of novel topical reformulations of widely-used, FDA-approved products.
About Ferndale Pharma Group
The Ferndale Pharma Group of companies specializes in the development,
manufacture, distribution and marketing of various dermatologic products
including prescription topical drugs for the treatment of several acute and
chronic dermatoses, medical devices that support and maintain wound closures
and an extensive line of proprietary cosmeceutical products. Ferndale's LMX 4
topical analgesic cream uses advanced formulation know how that significantly
enhances product performance. LMX 4 is the leading brand in its class and is
widely recognized for its fast onset of analgesic action, wide margin of
safety and superior ease of use.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may
constitute forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations
and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future
results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to,
risks related to regulatory approvals and the success of Echo's ongoing
studies, including the efficacy of Echo's Symphony tCGM System, the failure of
future development and preliminary marketing efforts related to Echo's Prelude
SkinPrep System, risks and uncertainties relating to Echo's ability to
develop, market and sell diagnostic products based on its skin permeation
platform technologies, including the Prelude SkinPrep System, the availability
of substantial additional equity or debt capital to support its research,
development and product commercialization activities, and the success of its
research, development, regulatory approval, marketing and distribution plans
and strategies, including those plans and strategies related to its Prelude
SkinPrep System. These and other risks and uncertainties are identified and
described in more detail in Echo's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including, without limitation, its annual report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2008, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and its
current reports on Form 8-K. Echo Therapeutics, Inc. undertakes no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
For More Information:
Patrick T. Mooney, MD
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(856) 429-8778
10 Forge Parkway
Franklin, MA 02038, USA
Tel: 1+ 877-476-6878
Fax: 1+ 508-553-8760
www.echotx.comFor further information: Patrick T. Mooney, MD, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Echo Therapeutics, Inc., +1-856-429-8778 Web Site:
http://www.echotx.com
The town's water conservation plan is now in effect, restricting outdoor water use to one day a week, said Department of Public Works Director Brutus Cantoreggi.
Residents are allowed to water outdoors only on their trash day through Sept. 1, he said.
The plan saves at least one million gallons of water daily, Cantoreggi said.
"This is unique in this state, because most communities have water bans allowing (outdoor water use) two days a week. We're much stricter," said Cantoreggi.
Franklin implemented the water conservation plan six years ago, and was recognized for it by the state Department of Environmental Protection, Cantoreggi said.
Franklin gets all of its water from the aquifers underground, so without conservation, there is the potential to run low on water, Cantoreggi said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Superintendent Wayne Ogden confirmed that a Franklin middle school student was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, earlier this month and has already recovered.
Ogden declined to specify which school the student attends, to maintain privacy.
The student became sick on May 5, while on a plane heading across the country at the start of the student's vacation, he said. Ogden said he does not know whether the student got sick in Franklin.
The student was diagnosed with H1N1, treated, and recovered before returning home to Franklin on May 18, Ogden said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
While the School Committee is still trying to clinch a deal with the teachers union, the cafeteria workers' vote for a wage freeze is valid, said School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy.
The cafeteria workers are one of six units that comprise the Franklin Education Association, Roy said. The units negotiate separately, he said.
At Tuesday night's School Committee meeting, cafeteria workers' representatives announced the group had voted 19-9 in favor of freezing their wages through next June.
Their contract was due to expire June 30, 2009, Roy said, but the group choose to extend it by a year. A newly negotiated contract will take effect July 1, 2010, Roy said.
"They are the only group that's actually freezing their wages - everybody else is talking about deferring wages," he said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Now that their mission seems nearly complete, members of the long-range financial planning committee last night said they want to "keep the momentum going" regarding public interest in town finances.
"People are ripe right now, people are starting to listen," said School Committee member Roberta Trahan, a member of the committee.
The feedback is mostly positive, said Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting, reading bits of residents' e-mails.
Doug Hardesty, the group's vice chairman and one of two citizens-at-large on the board, said, "Everywhere I go, people are talking about it."
The group spent the last year meeting, researching and compiling a report on the town's finances and fiscal outlook, which culminated in a public presentation on April 27.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Read the live reporting from this meeting here
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 Franklin Fourth of July Coalition is seeking the public's help to raise $30,000 for this year's fireworks and parade as well as starter money for next year's celebration.
"In order to keep this tradition alive, it's important that we, as a private group not affiliated with government, get public support," said coalition co-Chairman Michael Walker-Jones.
"This celebration is one of the things that contributes to the quality of life in the Franklin region," he said.
Three major donors the nonprofit organization had been looking to for funds totaling $20,000 are not able to help during the recession, he said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
The School Committee last night voted to continue until June 9 its public hearing on the fiscal 2010 budget, wanting to give the public another opportunity to be heard.
School administrators are still waiting to hear from the state about how much local aid and other funding Franklin will receive, said Superintendent Wayne Ogden and Assistant Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski.
To provide the same level of services and teachers as last year, the district needs a budget of $53.8 million, but through reductions in expenses (such as health care premiums, wage freezes for administrators and non-union staff), the district needs $53.29 million, Ogden said.
Administrators expect the district will receive $1.5 million via circuit breaker aid (reimbursement for special education costs), state and federal stimulus funds, what is called "extraordinary relief" for special education costs, and funds for School Choice.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
