Government that you can trust

With my work here on Franklin Matters to share information and to create an informed community, the fact there is still mistrust of government is an issue to be addressed. The ethics changes made by Governor Patrick and others are a step in the proper direction for the state level. This Common Cause effort should help us on the national stage.



What change would you like to see to enable a government you can trust?

Open offer to Franklin's candidates for election

To the candidates for Franklin's election on November 3, 2009:

I extend an offer to conduct and post an interview with you here. The interview can be either text or audio.

You are running to conduct business on behalf of Franklin. Together, we can share your views, your objectives, and help to spread the word to create an informed voter.

Send me an email (shersteve at gmail dot com) and we can arrange a mutually convenient time.

Be aware that this is my public service effort conducted solely to create an informed electorate here in Franklin.

I do this for fun and education. If it stops being that way, I will stop. This is not an advertising site. This is an information sharing site.

My disclosure statement can be found here.

A similar offer was made for the last Town election in 2007.

Harvest Festival Booths Available

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is preparing for their September Downtown Harvest Festival and is inviting crafters, restaurants, vendors and community groups to register for this year’s event.

This festival is the Partnership’s largest event and brings over 2,500 people to downtown Franklin each year. The festival will be Sunday, September 20th. The rain date is Sunday, September 27th. The event will be downtown starting on Main Street and will include East Central Street and Summer Street. There will be a variety of free entertainment and fun games and food. This year the Partnership is inviting restaurants to participate and showcase their menu items to area residents. Last year the festival had close to 100 vendors and crafters participate and they expect even more this year.

Space is limited, so anyone interested in participating should e-mail Mary Graff for more details and a registration form at mgraff@berryinsurance.com or call (508)733-5504.

The booth fee is $50.00 if registration is received by August 20th. The fee increases to $75.00 after that. Registration is free for Partnership business members.

Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation is this year’s Gold Sponsor and Middlesex Savings Bank is the Bronze Sponsor. Sponsorships are still needed for the festival. As a non-profit organization the Downtown Partnership depends on sponsors in order to fund the downtown festivals and events.

The Partnership has formed a merchants committee which will be hosting a “Third Thursday” event downtown each month. The events will be held every third Thursday and will include special events, sales, refreshments, and free entertainment at local downtown businesses. For more details contact Jane Curran at janeframe@verizon.net This year the downtown will also host a Holiday Stroll on December 3rd.

Any business, organization or resident interested in becoming a sponsor or who would like to become a member of the Partnership should call the Executive Director, Lisa Piana, at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com or (774)571-3109 or visit the downtown office location at 9 East Central Street ..

The Partnership’s mission is to stimulate economic development in the downtown in order to create a positive impact throughout the area. Some of the past Franklin downtown projects include the new bronze sculpture in front of the museum, the downtown signs, and working with town officials on new construction, green space and streetscape projects. New members are always welcome!

Town Council Mtg Smry 08/05/09

The collection of live reporting for the short (approx. 30 minutes) Town Council meeting held August 5th can be found here:

• Live reporting - Administrator report/closing
• Live reporting - Action items
• Live reporting - Town Council 8/5/09

Live reporting - Administrator report/closing

Jeff thanks Fire Dept for their work on the Medway church fire

Update from the town via email now available on the Town website

Listing of vacancies is available

Upgrades to the corner at E Central/King/Chestnut should be started in a couple of weeks. It shouldn't take long to complete.

Councilor Comments
Doak - would be remiss if I didn't congratulate my daughter on her birthday

Pfeffer - thanks for the work cleaning up the corner on Pond St

Bartlett - thanks to Jeff and others involved for the new email service, this is the way of the future

Friday nights under the lights at Beaver St started two weeks ago
about 35 the first night, the weather canceled last week
this week is on, for frisbee

Motion to adjorn

Live reporting - Action items

F - HEARINGS - none

G - LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - none

H - PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS - none

I - SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS - none

J - LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

1. Resolution 09-54: Acceptance of G.L. Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 17E motion to approve, passed 5-0

"Authorizes an annual increase in the asset (whole estate) limit for exemptions granted to senior citizens, surviving spouses and surviving minors under General Laws Chapter 59, Section 17D, by the percentage increase in the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for the previous year as determined by the Commissioner of Revenue to be effective for exemptions granted for any fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2009."

2. Resolution 09-55: Acceptance of G.L. Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 41D motion to approve, passed 5-0

Authorizes an annual increase in the income (gross receipts) and asset (whole estate) limit for exemptions granted to senior citizens, under General Laws Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 41C, by the percentage increase in the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for the previous year as determined by the Commissioner of Revenue to be effective for exemptions granted for any fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2009.

Live reporting - Town Council 8/5/09

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

A - APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 1, July 15 Regular, July 15 Executive Session
Change to minutes of July 1 to correct Feeley vote for Resolution 09-47 (bottom of page 4) should be "Y" (not as shown "1")

B - ANNOUNCEMENTS
Debbie Pellegri - making the announcement about the election November 3rd. The papers will be available August 10th at the Town Clerk office in the Municipal Bldg.

Positions and dates have been posted previously here

C - PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
* Pearce Murphy, Retiring Member of Conservation Commission

D - CITIZEN COMMENTS

E - APPOINTMENTS
* Conservation Commission
Appointment of Jeff Livingstone - motion to approve, passed 5-0

Have you taken a ride on the Franklin Area Bus?

Did you know that you can have it stop for you along the route?

This summer why not take some time to ride the bus. For $1, it can be a real bargain.

One of the buses on the Franklin Area route has been wrapped to help advertise for Dean College. The bus (pictured below) was recently seen on its route along King St.



For more information (and schedule) on the Franklin Area Bus follow this link (PDF).

"won't have to raise money"

State Rep. Jim Vallee, D-Franklin, said he was proud to be an advocate for the grant.

"The Charles River Pollution Control District does a very good job, they're recognized as a cutting edge, state-of-the-art water treatment facility," he said. "But they are in need of upgrading their systems for energy efficiency and keeping up with technology."

Read the full article about the grant just received by the Charles River Pollution District in the Milford Daily News here

This will help Franklin and the other towns that are part of the District. There are major expenses coming for required improvements to reduce the phosphor being discharged into the Charles River. You can review the most recent presentation to the Town Council here.

"The circle is sacred"

"A safe place to be yourself. There is no agenda except just come and share your story," she said.

The women will "go with the flow" to create the kind of circle they want, as such groups can often change course, she said.

Read the full article about the women's circle being formed in Franklin by Michelle Reid in the Milford Daily News here

"the full attention it deserves"

It was only due to a series of one-time, non-recurring revenue sources, like stimulus funding and voluntary salary freezes, that Franklin did not suffer severe cuts in services this fiscal year, Whalen said.

"Given the severity of the challenges we are going to face, I'm leaning toward throwing my hat in the ring for the citizens' consideration for one more term, but I haven't decided for sure," Whalen said.

Read the full article on the status of the councilors up for re-election this fall in the Milford Daily News here

For a complete listing of open positions and the paperwork schedule to run for election, you can check here

Concerts on the Common - Frank Padula Band

The Frank Padula Band will be appearing Wednesday, August 5 for Concerts on the Common from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.

Wally, the Green Monster will perform for the Children's Concert from 6:00 Pm to 6:30 PM.

Franklin: Walgreens Conveyor

Quite busy at the Walgreens (former Four Corners Bldg) site. The foundation appears to be nearing completion.


Franklin_WalgreensConveyor, originally uploaded by shersteve.

I was caught by this arrangement of machines. The bucket loader (far right) drops a load of dirt into the first blue machine. This appears to filter the material and transfer it to another similar machine which may have a different filter setting to process before it drops it off the last conveyor in a pile to be used on the site.

How many men would have been required to provide the same filtering function in the days when the Four Corners Bldg went up (or earlier)?

Anyone know the answer?

PMC - Nutting quoted

Franklin Town Administrator Jeff Nutting was amongst the thousands who participated in the PMC Challenge this year. Jeff rode as part of the Phils Phriends Team. He finished in Wellesley and was part of the Team NECN recap of the event. You can view the video here

Photos from the activity on Saturday morning at the PMC Franklin water stop can be found here

Town Council - Agenda - 8/5/09

A - APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 1, July 15 Regular, July 15 Executive Session

B - ANNOUNCEMENTS

C - PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
* Pearce Murphy, Retiring Member of Conservation Commission

D - CITIZEN COMMENTS

E - APPOINTMENTS
* Conservation Commission

F - HEARINGS

G - LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H - PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS

I - SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J - LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

1. Resolution 09-54: Acceptance of G.L. Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 17E
2. Resolution 09-55: Acceptance of G.L. Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 41D

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

"an issue for the new council to work on"

Nutting said he will wait to see the cost before deciding whether he feels as strongly as Vallee about burying the utilities.

Town Council filed special legislation months ago that will allow them to borrow money for the work, and Nutting said he expects the special legislation to be voted on by year's end.

Read the full article about this aspect of the planned improvements for downtown Franklin in the Milford Daily News here.

Picking up from the headline this is just one of many items that the "new" council will work on. The "new" council is one that will be elected on November 3rd. Who of the current council is running and who else will be on the ballot remains to be seen. As noted here previously, papers will be available from the Town Clerk next week (Aug 10th) and are due back to the Town Clerk by Sep 15th.

Please stay current with what is happening in Franklin. We will need to cast an informed vote in November to handle the major items that are facing Franklin.

"It's just a matter of economics"

"I certainly understand the struggle the state is having to make ends meet. We at the association adamantly opposed the change," Nutting said.

Franklin's allotment was cut from $183,000 to $33,000, he said. The town is is only legally obligated to match that $33,000, Nutting said, so the Police Department's total Quinn Bill budget of $366,000 may become $66,000

Read the full article on the Quinn Bill in the Milford Daily News here

Bold Opportunities for District–Union Collaboration on Teacher Quality

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Bold Opportunities for District–Union Collaboration on Teacher Quality

via ASCD Inservice by Laura Varlas on 7/31/09

Teachers unions are often cast as at odds with education reform and innovation. But frequently, behind a conservative national agenda, there's a union local working with districts on reforms like performance compensation and better, fairer educator evaluation systems. Even charter...

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to ASCD Inservice using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

The Month in Review - July's Most Popular Items

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

The Month in Review - July's Most Popular Items

via Free Technology for Teachers by noreply@blogger.com (Mr. Byrne) on 7/31/09

As I do every month, I've compiled a list of the most popular items from the last month.

Here are the seven most popular items in the month of July, 2009
1. 10 Things Teachers Should Know Before 1:1
2. DL Hughley Reminds Us Why We Teach
3. When I Become a Teacher...
4. The World Images Kiosk - 75,000 Images
5. A Very Simple Way to Make Screen Captures
6. More Wordle in the Classroom Ideas
7. Using Blogs and Wikis are Core Skills

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Free Technology for Teachers using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

PMC - Franklin Water Stop

The Pan Mass Challenge had a water stop this morning at the Remington/Jefferson School on Washington St. It was quite a colorful and festive affair. One rider after pulling over to catch her breath, asked what town she was in. When my wife and I answered, Franklin. She responded; "Oh Franklin, yes, you're a great water stop!"

Here are some pictures of the riders and greeters today:




May the road be kind to all the riders today, and may the wind be at your back!

If you would like to contribute to a rider, you can search for a rider by name here.

For some of the many Franklin PMC riders, there donations pages can be found here:

To donate to Ethan Pearl's ride, logon to https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=EP0070,

for Michele Pearl, https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=MP0164 ,

for Jeff Roy, https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=JR0142

for Jeff Nutting, https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=JN0077

for Sue Rohrbach, https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=SR0109

On this day

You can check out Wikipedia to find out what happened on this day in history.

Digging into the archives, the posting here a year ago reported on vandalism, car thieves, and the Digital Credit Union expanding by opening their office on RT 140.

In 2007, Oak St Elementary School received word that it's kindergarten had been certified by the NAEYC and the Boston Globe wrote about the short cut utility poles. I had just before that posted pictures of those poles that could be seen along Union St.

Thanks for stopping by to visit Franklin Matters. If there happens to be nothing new on the front page, please feel free to dig into the archives. You might find something of interest that you had previously missed.

FHS Update and Amendment to the Program of Studies

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

FHS Update and Amendment to the Program of Studies

via FHS Principal's Blog by lightp on 7/31/09

Please excuse the date on this letter, but as I prepare to leave for vacation, I wanted to post a copy of this letter which will be sent next week to the FHS Community. The letter is designed to highlight and explain changes that will or have occurred at FHS as we prepare for the coming year. Guidance Counselors will be in the Office on August 18th and 19th to answer questions or resolve scheduling conflicts.

View this document on Scribd

Click below for a version of the letter that can be downloaded and printed.

FHS Update

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to FHS Principal's Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

This is an election year for Franklin

Did you know this was an election year?
Yes, Franklin voters get to decide who will serve in the open positions shown in the table below.

Do we know who is running for these positions yet?
No, the nomination papers will be available from Deborah L. Pellegri, the Town Clark, beginning Monday, August 10th. You can take out nomination papers up until September 11th. All papers need to be returned by September 15th.

So we won't know who is running until September 15th?
Officially, yes. It is likely that as the people declare they are running there will be some announcements, press releases, etc. as their campaign gets underway.

Will Franklin Matters cover the election?
Yes, I will be providing as much information here as I can obtain. My disclosure statement can be found here or in the right column on the Franklin Matters blog.

When is election day?

DATE: TUESDAY, November 3, 2009
TIME: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
PLACE: FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL FIELD HOUSE ON OAK STREET for ALL PRECINCTS

When is the last day to register to vote?
October 14, 2009 at 8:00 PM at the Town Clerk’s Office, First Floor, 355 East Central Street, Municipal Building.

What if I am going to be out of town on November 3rd?
Absentee ballots will be available beginning October 13th.

What do I need to do to get an absentee ballot?
Absentee ballots are now available in the Town Clerk’s office. A registered voter who will be unable to vote at the polls on election day due to the following reasons may vote absentee up to 12:00 noon the day before the election:
(1) absence from your city or town during normal polling hours; or
(2) physical disability preventing you from going to the polling place; or
(3) religious belief.

All absentee requests must be made in writing with an original signature (no faxes or e-mails are accepted). If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call Deborah L. Pellegri, Town Clerk, at 508-520-4900.

Name	# of Openings	Incumbent	Term of Office
Board of Assessors	1 Position (For 4 years)	Robert Avakian	2009 to 2013
Board of Health	1 Position (For 4 years)	Bruce Hunchard	2009 to 2013
Planning Board	2 Position (For 4 years)	Anthony Padula	2009 to 2013
	* 1Vacant		2009 to 2013
Planning Board (Associate)	* 1 vacant position (For 4 Years)		2009 to 2013
Town Council	9 Positions (For 2 Years)	Joseph McGann	2009 to 2011
		Deborah Bartlett
		R. Scott Mason
		Christopher Feeley
		Judith Pond Pfeffer
		Thomas Doak
		Shannon Zollo
		Robert Vallee
		Stephen Whalen
School Committee	7 Positions (For 2 Years)	Cora Armenio	2009 to 2011
		Susan Rohrbach
		Paula Mullen
		Edward Cafasso
		Roberta Trahan
		Matthew Kelly
		Jeffrey Roy

* These positions were appointed to fill vacancy until the next scheduled election thus, individuals holding these positions are not considered incumbents.

Please call Deborah L. Pellegri CMC, Town Clerk with any questions at 508-520-4900.

PanMass Challenge rides through on Saturday

Be aware that along the following routes and approximate times, the PanMass Challenge will ride through Franklin.

• Between 7:10 and 10:10 a.m., riders will pass through North Street in Bellingham and continue toward Prospect Street in Franklin.

• Between 7:20 and 10:45 a.m., riders will pass through Prospect Street in Franklin and continue toward Otis Street in Wrentham.

For more information about the Pan-Mass Challenge, including the routes, events and history, and how to make a donation, go to www.pmc.org.

A few of Franklin's riders were highlighted earlier this week here

If you know of other Franklin riders, please let me know so I can share their info here as well.

Want to cut college costs?

There will be a free college seminar at the Norfolk Public Library on how to cut $42,000 in college costs. Insights on why good students do not get into their first-choice colleges will also be reviewed.

Tuesday evening, August 4, at 7 PM

If you can't make it on Tuesday, this seminar will be offered again during the remainder of 2009. You can check out the full schedule here.

Who is the presenter?

Paul uses his own proven marketing techniques - just like the colleges use to sell their product to your student - to sell your student to the colleges. And he coaches your student through the entire process so that you don't have to pull out your hair.

In short, your anxiety, worry, and stress levels are dramatically reduced. Also, your relationship with your student is enhanced and the senior year is nourishing and productive – as it should be.

Paul Hemphill

Biz: 508.520.6642

Biz: 888.876.1863

Fax: 508.528.1946

Paul is a member of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"Fun-ja-cational!"

The program's co-directors, Kristy Yankee, a French teacher and director of foreign languages at the high school, and Kristin Cerce, a former physical education/health teacher who will teach science this year, said the program has been a great success.

"I think the kids are making so many friends, new friends. As the week progressed, they really opened up. Every day, they have bigger smiles on their faces," said Yankee.

Read the full article about the High School Experience in the Milford Daily News here.

Walgreens foundation

The foundation is taking shape for the Walgreens at the corner of 140 and King St.

Change the math pyramid

Are you going to use calculus in your real life? Probably not. The odds are you would make better use of statistics! Listen to this simple proposal on a change to math curriculum.



What are the odds of this proposal succeeding?

What is a better sale? 2 for 1, or half off?

"Franklin's pretty pro-active"

"The problem is, mankind has created a bunch of impervious areas. Water used to land on grass and work its way into the ground, but asphalt doesn't allow it to seep into the ground, and pollutants like antifreeze washes into streams and rivers," Cantoreggi said.

The new system, located next to the police station on Panther Way, will capture stormwater from places such as Highwood Drive and the police station parking lot, and treat the water before it goes into a stream, said Rich Niles, project manager with Comprehensive Environmental of Marlborough, the firm hired for the project design and permitting.

Read the article about the latest effort to treat stormwater before it goes to the Charles River in the MIlford Daily News here

"soccer balls and monetary donations are still needed"

"We're both soccer players, so we knew this would be something we were both interested in," Katinas said. "We decided to make it as a community service project because we get to work with children with special needs and they don't have many opportunities like this."

The camp, which is part of the Franklin Soccer School, will be held at Carpe Diem Field in Franklin from Aug. 3 to 6 from 5 to 6 p.m. for children ages 6 to 14.

----

For more information on the Summer Challenger Soccer Camp, visit Franklinsoccerschool.com/capstone.html or e-mail Frongillo and Katinas at Info@franklinsoccerschool.com.

Read the full artcile about this summer project in the Milford Daily News here

Tinkering with Imagination

J K Rowling said in her address at the Harvard Commencement in 2008:

Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared.

Gever Tulley builds upon the imagination that kids have in his Tinkering School.



Do you let your kids tinker?

How do you feed your imagination?

"stronger sales can be attributed to better values"

Matthew Kelly, a Franklin real estate agent who owns and runs Team Kelly with Re/Max, speculated that Franklin is rebounding well because it's a family town with top-rated schools and is "a commuter's dream."

"I call Franklin a blue-chip town," said Kelly, pointing out its access to commuter rail and its reasonable driving distances to Boston, Providence, the Cape and two airports.

Read the full article about the area's real estate market in the Milford Daily News here.

There are a number of other local blogs covering real estate in Franklin.

Century 21 realtor Warren Reynolds writes on his blog 02038.com and posted this update: Video on Franklin Real Estate Market

Kathy Stankard, a Re/Max realtor, has her own blog with frequent updates Franklin Massachusetts Homes Blog

"Everyone is so supportive, it's just amazing,"

On Saturday and Sunday, the Pearls and about 20 teammates, including Franklin Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting, Franklin School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy and School Committee member Susan Rohrbach, will ride for Emily.

Ethan Pearl will trek 48 miles in the "Teen Stride," and his mother will ride 182 miles, from Sturbridge to Bourne, and then from Bourne to Wellesley.

Read the full article about the Pan Mass Challenge in the MIlford Daily News here

The Pan Mass Challenge will be held this weekend. If you have not already contributed to someone doing a ride, please consider doing so. There are hundreds of worthy stories similar to Emily's.

To donate to Ethan Pearl's ride, logon to https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=EP0070,

for Michele Pearl, https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=MP0164 ,

for Jeff Roy, https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=JR0142

for Jeff Nutting, https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=JN0077

for Sue Rohrbach, https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=SR0109

or you could write a check out to PMC and mail to the Pearl Family, 383 Lincoln St., Franklin.

Note: when you follow the links above to each rider's page, it may look like you have to re-select the rider. The links did work when I tested them. Just click on the "Sponsor one rider with one donation" and then "Search for a person by Name" and that individual should be already selected for you.

In the worst case, you can re-select the individual by name or by rider ID. The rider ID is the two letters and four numbers after the "Add=" shown above.

Franklin: Wachusett St closed

Franklin: Wachusett closed for construction betw North Park and King today, originally uploaded by shersteve.

for construction between North Park and King today. Tuesday 7/28/09.

"changes with a net-zero effect on the budget"

It still functions as a library, but it's very much a technology focus now," said Principal Peter Light.

"One of the big pushes we've tried to make is to bring Franklin High up to date with technology. We're not only behind other schools in the state, but we're behind other schools in the district," Light said.

This part of the transformation of the FHS Library as discussed last week at the School Committee meeting. Principal Peter Light reviewed this and a number of other changes coming to the high school this September.

You can continue to read today's article in the Milford Daily News here.

You can wait until several days after the School Committee meeting to read about what happened or subscribe to Franklin Matters and obtain the information as it is published during the meeting.

Concerts on the Common - Infractions Band

The Infractions Band will be appearing Wednesday, July 29 for Concerts on the Common from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.

Suburban Martial Arts will perform for the Children's Concert from 6:00 Pm to 6:30 PM.

Video on Franklin Real Estate Market

Realtor Warren Reynolds who posts at 02038.com has a new video showing the current up turn in the Franklin real estate market.




I hope you enjoy!

"The Best Resource for Me Is Other Teachers"

 

 

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

 

 

"The Best Resource for Me Is Other Teachers"

via ASCD Inservice by Laura Varlas on 7/22/09

Today we learn from other people's focus groups. Specifically WGBH Educational Foundation's study on how to enhance the social media functions of Teachers' Domain, a free online library of multimedia materials supporting K–12 instruction. Teachers' Domain is supported by funding...

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to ASCD Inservice using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

FM #44 - This week in Franklin, MA 07/26/09

This is #44 in the series of podcasts for Franklin Matters. Give me about ten minutes and I'll let you know what matters in Franklin, MA for the week ending July 26, 2009

Time: 11 minutes, 23 seconds



MP3 File

Session Notes:

Music intro
My intro
FM #44

This internet radio show or podcast for Franklin Matters is number 44 in the series.

You give me about ten minutes and I'll let you know what matters in Franklin, MA for the w/e 7/26.

We'll cover two items this week:

1. The School Committee final budget
2. The Summer Art Institute show

The School Committee meeting on June 23 left me with doom and gloom. The budget deficit had yet to be resolved. The budget was to be level funded. There was no hope of "found money". The numbers were still not balancing and yet tipping in the wrong direction.

How many teachers would end up going out the door?

It seemed likely that a minimum of 40 would. How many more would go was the question that remained. However, I returned from travel to find that of the 60 school personnel notified only 12 would not be returning.

How had this come about?

This was a question several readers here asked me to help explain. I did not have the answer initially. A recent newspaper article did not explain. Even the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, July 21, left me with questions unanswered.

What was the answer?

A conversation with Jeff Roy resulted in the answer. The level funded budget from the Town didn't change. What did change was that all the stimulus funds from either the Federal or State sources were added to the level funded Town budget. That made a big difference. To the tune of $1.1 million. (actually $1,133,953 according to the School Committee)

How did that help?

Instead of ending up with a level funded budget, we ended up with a level funded plus budget. So all the talk of a level funded budget is from the Town Council perspective. The Town did not provide the Schools with anything more than they School got for the prior fiscal year. The Schools benefited by adding the various Federal and State stimulus funds in to the mix to end up with level funded plus.

Is that wrong?

No. At least, I don't believe so. I just wish the discussion around this subject had been more clear. If I spend as much time as I do attending and participating in the various meetings and I get lost, then I can not fault the 'average' Franklin voter for getting lost.

How do we address this?

Better communication is not just a trite answer. The communications and discussions need to be focused with the end user in mind; in this case, the school parents and taxpayers. What will affect them?

What will parents see when they return to school in September?

The school class sizes will be available for one of the August School Committee meetings. Principals are working on the final details for their staffing now (in amongst their summer time off).

What will tax payers see when the next tax bill comes in?

No increase this year due to the level funding. Next year, the fiscal year 2011 will be a different story. Most, if not all of the additional stimulus items used to fund the budget this year are one time dollars. They will not be available next year.

What additional programs were cut?

I am not aware of additional programs that were cut.

Were any of the fees raised?

The fees for after school activities, sports and pay-to-ride remain at last year level.

How can the School Committee improve the discussion?

There is a general reluctance to share the spreadsheets. I understand that the numbers can change. They should be made available. Ensure that they are time stamped and clearly marked that as of this point in time, these are the dollars and this is the effect (i.e. number of positions lost). This would at least help us understand how we go from point A to point B. This will at least ensure that when numbers are bantered back and forth at the meeting, we all can attempt to follow the discussion.

What is the final level funded budget plus number?

You can click over to the School Committee blog to find the numbers there.

A couple of notes to help understand the spreadsheet on the School Committee page:

1. Attrition is the difference between what the 9 retirees were paid and what the replacement teachers will be paid. Hence a savings of $210,000.
2. While the number always talked of that each position reduced costs about $50,000, with 12 positions cut the 500,000 shown by this math should be 600,000.
3. All the dollars on the right column added to the budget are one time dollars.
   

If you still have any questions, please let me know. I'll do my best to explain.

Moving to the second item, the Summer Art Institute conducted as part of Lifelong Learning under the auspices of the Franklin Public Schools, held a brief half hour gathering to showcase the work of the student in the program.

I had published the pictures as part of a video on Saturday but I wasn't pleased with how the final product turned out. I re-did the posting with a slide show of the photos themselves. I think this gives a better view of the art that was produced by the students.

The Summer Art video - http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/07/summer-art-institute.html

The Summer Art slide show - http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/07/summer-art-institute-slide-show.html

---- ---- ----

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

Summer Art Institute - slide show

The video published on Saturday was effective but overall disappointing to me as the quality of the students work did not translate well to the video format.

Since the quality of the students work is the reason to share it, let me try again with this slide show.





If you were satisfied with the video, then you can skip this and I apologize for the duplication.

If you were not satisfied with the video, then hopefully this will come closer to the mark.

When can a level funded budget increase?

The School Committee meeting on June 23 left me with doom and gloom. The budget deficit had yet to be resolved. The budget was to be level funded. There was no hope of "found money". The numbers were still not balancing and yet tipping in the wrong direction.

How many teachers would end up going out the door?

It seemed likely that a minimum of 40 would. How many more would go was the question that remained. However, I returned from travel to find that of the 60 school personnel notified only 12 would not be returning.

How had this come about?

This was a question several readers here asked me to help explain. I did not have the answer initially. A recent newspaper article did not explain. Even the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, July 21, left me with questions unanswered.

What was the answer?

A conversation with Jeff Roy resulted in the answer. The level funded budget from the Town didn't change. What did change was that all the stimulus funds from either the Federal or State sources were added to the level funded Town budget. That made a big difference. To the tune of $1.1 million. (actually $1,133,953 according to the School Committee)

How did that help?

Instead of ending up with a level funded budget, we ended up with a level funded plus budget. So all the talk of a level funded budget is from the Town Council perspective. The Town did not provide the Schools with anything more than they School got for the prior fiscal year. The Schools benefited by adding the various Federal and State stimulus funds in to the mix to end up with level funded plus.

Is that wrong?

No. At least, I don't believe so. I just wish the discussion around this subject had been more clear. If I spend as much time as I do attending and participating in the various meetings and I get lost, then I can not fault the 'average' Franklin voter for getting lost.

How do we address this?

Better communication is not just a trite answer. The communications and discussions need to be focused with the end user in mind; in this case, the school parents and taxpayers. What will affect them?

What will parents see when they return to school in September?

The school class sizes will be available for one of the August School Committee meetings. Principals are working on the final details for their staffing now (in amongst their summer time off).

What will tax payers see when the next tax bill comes in?

No increase this year due to the level funding. Next year, the fiscal year 2011 will be a different story. Most, if not all of the additional stimulus items used to fund the budget this year are one time dollars. They will not be available next year.

What additional programs were cut?

I am not aware of additional programs that were cut.

Were any of the fees raised?

The fees for after school activities, sports and pay-to-ride remain at last year level.

How can the School Committee improve the discussion?

There is a general reluctance to share the spreadsheets. I understand that the numbers can change. They should be made available. Ensure that they are time stamped and clearly marked that as of this point in time, these are the dollars and this is the effect (i.e. number of positions lost). This would at least help us understand how we go from point A to point B. This will at least ensure that when numbers are bantered back and forth at the meeting, we all can attempt to follow the discussion.

What is the final level funded budget plus number?

You can click over to the School Committee blog to find the numbers there.

A couple of notes to help understand the spreadsheet on the School Committee page:

1. Attrition is the difference between what the 9 retirees were paid and what the replacement teachers will be paid. Hence a savings of $210,000.
2. While the number always talked of that each position reduced costs about $50,000, with 12 positions cut the 500,000 shown by this math should be 600,000.
3. All the dollars on the right column added to the budget are one time dollars.

If you still have any questions, please let me know. I'll do my best to explain.

In the News - Patricia Ridge, beating the increase, better health

1 - There is an article about Patricia Ridge, one of the custodians at the Kennedy School who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer:

"She was an integral part of the Kennedy school community, and her sickness is sad and unfortunate," said Franklin Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski. "She's beloved by both the kids and the school."

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

2 - There is an article about local efforts to generate business in advance of the tax increase effective Aug 1.

At Planet Chrysler Jeep on Rte. 140 in Franklin, July has been a "very busy" month, given the government program and rush to beat the tax increase, said salesman Mike Shruhan.

United Regional Chamber of Commerce President Jack Lank is also quoted in the full article in the Milford Daily News here

3 - While dodgeball is not the answer to better health, running might be.

Cohen's foundation has been battling the issue for five years, with an earlier series of eye-catching billboards and continued grants. In Franklin, the Hockomock Area YMCA is using foundation money to develop a response that involves the whole community, not just its schools.

Oddly, they don't discuss running as an option. I guess that is too much of a stretch. Better to get someone walking regularly first. Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

Breaking the downward cycle

"In Franklin, you basically have a one-in-four chance of not making it through high school. That's a pretty scary statistic," said Light.

Read the remainder of this important point from FHS Principal Peter Light's presentation to the School Committee on Tuesday, July 21 in the Milford Daily News here

If you ever wondered why disciplinary action was taking school time away from the students who were in need of it, there is hope. Peter Light and the FHS faculty are looking closing at breaking the cycle where a student gets into trouble, is given detention, suspended, misses school, can't make up as they fall behind and eventually leaves school. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Now the cycle is about to get changed.

You can wait until several days after the School Committee meeting to read about what happened or subscribe to Franklin Matters and obtain the information as it is published during the meeting.

A subscription to Franklin Matters is free. There are no advertisements here.

This is a public service effort to share information about school and town issues to create informed voters. A voter that is well prepared with factual information will cast a better ballot when the time comes in Franklin.

Subscription buttons are located front and center on Franklin Matters. You can subscribe via email, RSS, or capture the podcast via iTunes.

Summer Art Institute

The Summer Art Institute conducted by Lifelong Learning held a brief open house to showcase the student works. Quite impressive!

The pictures do not do the works justice especially with the transition to the video format but hopefully this will provide some insight into the work produced this summer.




My thanks to all involved are listed in the credits of the movie.
If I missed some one, please let me know so I can make the appropriate correction.

Computer Recycling Event in Warwick, RI

If you have an old computer, monitor or keyboard that you'd like to recycle, you can drive down to Warwick, RI and watch the recyclers in action.

FreeGeekProvidence is holding this event at New England Institute of Technology today. The text of their email provides additional information:

Today we're having the Providence Bruins Mascot "Samboni" come in just for our recycling event, and HOT 106 will be giving away prizes and doing live cut in's all day. We'll have tee-shirts for sale and lots of recycling to do.

The Free for all Recycling Extravaganza is from 9-1 today at New England Tech. See www.freegeekpvd.org for more info.

That's 95 (either direction) to exit 13, the airport connector, to the end to Post Road. Take a Right on Post Road (or head South) and it's half mile on the right.

You can see on our News Room, we have lots of media coverage and that's not including the TV spots either.

So even if you only have an old keyboard, or a half ton-truck of computer waste, or you just want to meet all the geeks responsible for all the great things going on at Free Geek, join us at New England Tech.

NE Real Estate Journal features Franklin

As mentioned during the Town Council meeting of 7/15/09, the Planning and Community Development Dept worked to get a nice spread on Franklin in an issue of the New England Real Estate Journal. You can find the information about Franklin online at NEREJ or here in the PDF extract:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Great work Brian, Beth and team!

Farmers Market - Noon to 6:00 PM

The Farmers Market will be open today from noon to 6:00 PM on the Town Common.

This is your weekly opportunity to help the local economy and to get quality food items.

"dropped in rank, from 22nd lowest, to 28th lowest"

In 2008, Franklin's rank jumped to seventh highest, with the average Franklin teacher's salary at $66,361, compared with the total average of $63,520.

The group generally agreed that Franklin teacher salaries only appeared to outpace those of their peers because the district has laid off or lost a great percentage of its younger, lower-paid teachers.

Read the full article on the work of the Financial Planning Committee in the Milford Daily News here

Trail meeting in Blackstone

Someday, wouldn't it be nice be able to bike from Franklin to Providence, or Worcester or to Western Mass without having to deal with the traffic on a road?

"It would be great if every community had a trails committee and would give it some support," said Lisa Mosczynski, president of the Metacomet Land Trust, a nonprofit conservation group dedicated to protecting open space and natural resources in south central Massachusetts.

The trust and the Grand Trunk Trail Blazers trail group are inviting the public to the gathering at Blackstone Public Library, at 86 Main St., at 7 p.m., to collaborate on establishing a non-motorized, 80-mile, east-to-west trail linking Franklin and Blackstone with the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts.

Help make this dream a reality!

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Cafe Dolce's coffee source spotlighted

The idea behind stimulating one small business is that the company will then buy more things wholesale and help other companies and their employees, said Ted Welte, president and chief executive officer of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce, based in Framingham.

“It’s all about the multiplier,’’ he said. “If people are spending money on a new roaster, say, that starts flowing through the economy of whoever produced that, and then more people can be serviced out of the coffee shop, and that means more money coming in.’’

The multiplier in this case is a federal stimulus loan recently provided to Red Barn Coffee Rosters of Upton. Red Barn is the coffee supplier for Cafe Dolce in Franklin.

I have tried several of the blends during my visits to Cafe Dolce and found them to be good and tasteful.

Have you visited Cafe Dolce recently? Try their Red Barn coffee and keep the multiplier effect going!

Read the full article from the Boston Globe West edition on the Red Barn stimulus loan here

Downtown Partnership and Chamber of Commerce on LinkedIn

I have mentioned previously that I have joined the Franklin Downtown Partnership and the United Regional Chamber of Commerce in an effort to expand my knowledge about businesses here in Franklin.

Both of these organizations have groups on LinkedIn.

You can request to join the Franklin Downtown Partnership on LinkedIn here

You can request to join the United Regional Chamber of Commerce on LinkedIn here

If the links don't work for you, you can

1. Sign in to LinkedIn with your account
2. Go to Groups
3. Search for each by name
4. Request to join the group

The group owner will approve your membership. You can adjust your group profile settings (how many emails, etc.) at any time after your membership is approved.

Once a member of a group, connecting directly to others within the group becomes easier.

My LinkedIn profile can be found here

School Committee Mtg 07/21/09

The collection of live reporting from the School Committee meeting held on July 21, 2009 are found here:

• Live reporting - closing items
• Live reporting - Superintendents report
• Live reporting - Action Items
• Live reporting - FHS facility review submitted
• Live reporting - FY 2010 update
• Live reporting - FHS update - part 5
• Live reporting - FHS update - Part 4
• Live reporting - FHS update - Part 3
• Live reporting - FHS update - part 2
• Live reporting - FHS update - part 1
• Live reporting - School Committee 7/21/09