Traffic Alert: MassPike Overnight Tunnel Closures

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Traffic Alert: MassPike Overnight Tunnel Closures

via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 10/20/09

To allow for tunnel construction and inspection work in the Prudential Tunnel, I-90 (MassPike) East between Exit #22 (Prudential Center/Copley Square) and South Boston will be closed at night intermittently throughout October and November beginning tonight Tuesday, October 20, 2009 and tomorrow night Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 11:30 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning. Direct access to the Ted Williams Tunnel from Frontage Road, and South Boston will remain open.

All traffic will be directed off the Turnpike at Copley Square onto Stuart Street.  Drivers should follow the posted detour route on Stuart Street, Arlington Street, and Herald Street and continue following the posted detour signs to their destinations, as indicated below:

To South Station, Downtown and I-93 North: From Herald Street, turn right onto Albany Street.  From Albany Street, take left onto Broadway Connector and follow the existing signs. Alternate route would be to exit Masspike at Allston/Brighton Tolls and travel east on Storrow Drive.

To Massachusetts Avenue: Turn right onto Albany Street.  Continue south on Albany Street to Massachusetts Avenue.

To I-93 South: From Herald Street, at the Albany Street intersection, take first left onto the I-93 South on-ramp.

To I-90 East/South Boston/Airport: Turn right onto Albany Street.  Continue south on Albany Street and use the Ramp to I-90 East from the Albany Street Connector.
In addition, drivers should be aware that the Massachusetts Highway Department will continue to have lane closures on I-93 bridge deck repairs south of the city near Neponset Circle for its interstate maintenance project.  Bridge deck repairs and conduit work for highway lighting replacement will continue on I-93 north of the city near the Mystic River crossing.
Check all MassPike traffic advisories here.

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Senior Center - Men's Group

Men's Group - Senior Center at Franklin, originally uploaded by shersteve.

What is social media all about?

That was the basic question. These gentlemen now know a little bit more about being social in the Internet world. It is not much different from meeting at the Post Office or barbershop and chatting with your neighbors. The biggest difference is you don't have to walk (or drive) to either the Post Office or the barbershop when it is open for business, you can go to the Internet, go to Facebook at any time during the day.

The notes I prepared for them to take away are as follows:

The two best books to start with

1. The Cluetrain Manifesto by Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls, David Weinberger
2. Trust Agents by Chris Brogan, Julien Smith

Tools to start with
1 - A Google account
    provides email, RSS reader, alerts, photo place (Picassa), video place (YouTube), blogs (Blogger)

2 - Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/
3 - Twitter  http://twitter.com/
4 - LinkedIn  http://www.linkedin.com/

Blogs to read

Seth Godin: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/
Mark Hurst: http://goodexperience.com/
Tom Peters: http://www.tompeters.com/

Steve Sherlock: http://steves2cents.blogspot.com/   and   http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

The three step process for social media

1. Listen
2. Learn
3. Leverage

My thanks to Ken Norman for arranging this. My thanks to my current boss for allowing me to keep this prior commitment.

"The average person knows very little"

With only seven candidates for seven open positions on the School Committee, there is no competition. And yet, the School Committee controls half the Franklin town budget. They are responsible for the education of over 6,000 students and are the largest Town employer.

Aside from the National School Board Association's plugs for what the organization does, the brief video does make some excellent points on what the School Committee members should consider.



This was posted on the NSBA site here

seniority or performance?

Good questions raised by Dr Scott McLeod in this posting on the use of seniority or performance to retain teachers when faced with layoffs.

Teacher layoffs: Should seniority rule?

from Dangerously Irrelevant by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod)

Time to clear the drains!

Time to clear the drains.
Time to clear the drains.

This is a mantra that could be done as a parody of the old Dunkin Dounts commercial.

The wet weather is knocking down the leaves and clogging the storm water drains.

Yes, this is an "after" picture. I had already used my wet running shoes to clear this drain.

Financial Planning Committee Report - updated

The updated and "final" report from the Financial Planning Committee is on the agenda for the Town Council meeting Wednesday.

You can review (or download) a copy of the report from the Town website here.

Town Council - 10/21/09 - Agenda

A.  APPROVAL OF MINUTES
– October 7, 2009, Regular & Executive Session

B.  ANNOUNCEMENTS

C.  PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D.  CITIZEN COMMENTS

E.  APPOINTMENTS 
Disability Commission, Public Land Use Committee

F.  HEARINGS

G.  LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H.  PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS  -
1.  Presentation to Outgoing Council Members
2.  Financial Planning Committee Final Report

I.  SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J.  LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1.  Resolution 09-67: Acceptance of Covenant-Lakeview Terrace
2.  Resolution 09-68: Acceptance of Gift – Franklin Senior Center

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

In the News - new trash option

It was mentioned during a Town Council meeting earlier this year that with the contract for trash pickup expiring, the Town was looking at a "single stream' option. Additional details can be found in this article.

Franklin eyes change in trash, recycling pickup

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

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Franklin Area Climate Team wins grant

Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) Executive Director Rob Garrity today announced the award of a Wolfe & Rita Climate Action Grant to the Franklin Area Climate Team (FACT), which is organizing activities in Foxboro and surrounding towns on Saturday, October 24th, an international day of awareness and education on global warming.
 

Using the grant and private donations, organizers are creating a “Cut the Carbon” hands-on demonstration to show how everyone can do his/her part to solve the growing problem of global warming. This will be just one of thousands of events for climate action on October 24th. The “Cut the Carbon” event will take place at the Foxborough Universalist Church, 6 Bird Street, on the Foxborough town common in the afternoon.
 

The International Day of Climate Action, (www.350.org) is focused on the number "350" because that is the number scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide — measured in "Parts Per Million" -- in Earth’s atmosphere.
 

Charles DiPompo, a Foxborough resident involved in the FACT group, said “Since the planet currently has carbon levels close to 390, the limit of 350 parts per million is the number we need to get back to as soon as possible to avoid devastating climate change.”
 

The gathering will begin at 3:00 pm with an interactive display of 350 white ping pong balls and 40 black ping pong balls.  This display will symbolize the urgent need to reduce the abnormally high concentration of carbon already in the atmosphere. Area residents are invited to pledge their willingness to help solve global warming by taking home one of 40 balls representing the desired reduction in levels of carbon.  Paul Mortenson, member of the Foxborough Board of Selectmen, will be speaking.
 

Later in the afternoon, at 3:50 p.m. the bell of the Bethany Congregational Church, high in its steeple overlooking the town common will be rung 35 times as a call to action.
 

The events are part of an international effort, with thousands of organizations from over 100 countries around the world participating in local events to draw awareness to climate change and motivate citizens to action. All local events are open to the public at no charge and will be listed on the FACT blog at http:franklinareaclimateteam.blogspot.com.  Additional events include: bell ringing at 3:50 pm at the St. Blaise Catholic Church in Bellingham, the Epiphany Episcopal Church in Walpole and the First Universalist Society of Franklin Church.
 

Bishop Bud Cederholm of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts asks the diocesan community to join him in observing an "International Day of Climate Action" on Saturday, Oct. 24, when events on town and city commons will be held to raise awareness and public advocacy toward reducing carbon emissions to slow global warming.  "Go to www.350.org for more information about how Episcopal congregations can join ecumenical and interfaith groups in their communities in holding a powerful and prophetic event.  What's needed is your leadership," Bishop Cederholm stated.
 

 “October 24th is our opportunity to think globally and act locally,” DiPompo explained. “The 24th is fundamentally a day of hope for our future.”
 

“Wolfe & Rita Climate Action Grants provide MCAN local chapters with a supplementary source of funding to pursue climate action projects, education outreach programs and promote climate activism in their communities,” said Garrity, Executive Director of MCAN.  “Since 2002 this grant program has provided MCAN chapters with more than $20,000 to pursue local projects reducing energy use, cutting carbon emissions, and educating people about climate change.”
 

Founded in 1999, MCAN is a growing coalition of 40 locally organized groups fighting the climate crisis in 70 cities and towns across Massachusetts.  The network promotes carbon-reducing practices on a municipal and residential level, supports other MCAN chapters and allied organizations in their efforts to build a focused statewide movement and provides assistance to state policy makers as they adopt policies to reduce energy use and address the threat of climate change.  To learn more visit www.massclimateaction.net.

Additional information about the Franklin Area Climate Team can be found here

In the News - Frongillo, Vallee

Franklin Youth Soccer would not be the same without the effort of Rich Frongillo.

Frongillo named to New England Soccer Hall of Fame

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

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Rep Jim Vallee recognized for his work by Community VOICES

Group recognizes Frankin rep. for work protecting victims

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Greg Kwasnik, Daily News correspondent

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In the Globe - virtual high school

Milford is exploring use of online courses. Franklin does this with their use of Moodle. As I understand it, the Moodle classes are taught by Franklin teachers and can be open to student from around the world (maybe even down the road in Milford). This brief article in the Globe West seems to imply that the virtual courses would be taught by others around the world and access by Milford students with a teacher facilitating the overall process.

Virtual high school planning advances

from Boston Globe -- Globe West by Kathleen Moore, Globe Correspondent

In preparation for the launch of its Virtual High School initiative in the spring, the Milford School Department has hired former webmaster Karen Healey to serve as the program’s coordinator.

Franklin's Express Line

The current Franklin Express Line has just been published.

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

You can subscribe on the Town website to receive your own copy here.

In the News - Pulaski Blvd, Tegra Medical

The update promised for "tomorrow" made it to the paper today

Pulaski Boulevard to be improved

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Melanie Graham/Daily News staff

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A good news story on the business front.

Franklin's Tegra Medical wins award

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

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2009 Election Collection

The collection of posts covering the Franklin election on Nov 3rd

Audio of Election Results in Franklin HS field house

• Vote totals by Precinct - 11/3/09
• Franklin 2009 Election Results

Milford Daily News summary of the Town Council and Board of Health candidates

School Committee candidate - Jeff Roy

Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones

FM #47 Tina Powderly
audio recording and text

Register to vote by October 14th

Town Council Candidate - Judith Pond Pfeffer

FM #46 - Scott Mason
audio recording and text

Town Council Candidate - Tina Powderly

Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones

November Election Line up

 Note: this is not an endorsement of these candidates. This is an information sharing exercise to enable you, the voters, to prepare an informed decision when you enter the polling place (Franklin High School field house) on November 3rd.

Franklin: Library book sale Sat 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Franklin: Library book sale Sat 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The sign says it all.

Franklin Library Book Sale

Saturday, October 17th

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

At the DPW facilties on
25 Public Works Way off Hayward St.

In the News - local aid cuts, Universalist music

In the details of this announcement local aid cuts are coming. 40% of the Franklin budget comes from local aid, from the State. Any dollar cut by the State will affect our services here.

Governor calls for emergency budget cuts

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Jim O'Sullivan/State House News Service

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Franklin's Universalist Society is a sanctuary for music

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Chris Bergeron/DAILY NEWS STAFF

Also at the Universalist Society is the Circle Of Friends Coffeehouse

Town Council Candidate - Glenn Jones

Glenn and I had the opportunity to sit together a couple of times (1) to discuss his candidacy for Town Council and (2) to discuss the four questions that follows. 



Franklin Matters:
1. - What is Franklin’s big issue? What steps should we take to resolve it?


Glenn Jones:
Franklin’s biggest issue is the budget. Every year Franklin tries to balance a budget of almost 100 Million dollars to support some 33 thousand residents.  It’s a daunting task.  Services are bare bone, schools are struggling to provide on less each year, and our residents are facing one of the largest un-employment rates in years.  If we intend to provide exemplary services to our residents it’s going to take a viable, well thought out, long-term plan. A plan needs to be presented to Franklin residents with hard understandable facts.  It should be the Town Councils goal to reach out to the people of Franklin and highlight the options that will help Franklin stay on track to a sustainable future.




Franklin Matters:
2. - What is your position on the proposed Charter Revisions?


Glenn Jones:
The Charter is Franklin’s Constitution and sets the guidelines for our form of government. For that reason alone any revisions to the Charter need to be taken very seriously.


The Charter Review Committee has noted several recommended changes. These potential changes are presented to the Town Council for review and if acceptable gets forwarded to the State Legislature for approval, it can then be presented back to the Residents of Franklin for their final approval.  


One of the many recommendations presented in a minority report is to change the position of ‘Town Clerk’ from an elected position to an appointed position.  I personally feel that the ‘Town Clerk’ should remain as an elected position.  The ‘Town Clerk’ is the main interface between the people of Franklin and the Town’s Administration. When you interact with our ‘Town Clerk’ you are truly talking to a person whose whole heart is for and from Franklin, MA.  She is not a cog in the Town’s administration; she is the face of all the residents of Franklin. It’s true our Town Clerk requires a certain level of expertise that our current Town Clerk has acquired during her tenure, but with diligent tutoring and proper procedures, any well intended intelligent Franklin resident can repeat her contributions and execute the job of ‘Town Clerk’.


One other potential change is that of ‘Town Treasurer’ from an elected position to appointed position.  On this issue I feel the “Town Treasurer” is not so much a public position as it is a professional one. So, with that being said, the position of “Town Treasurer” should be an appointed position.  However, I feel there should be a stipulation that all appointed positions should be offered to Franklin residents first.


“Staggered terms for our elected officials” is also a topic that has come up during the charter review.  All Town Council members should be able to sit no longer than 3 years before having to be re-elected.  Maintaining continuity in our government is paramount and some restructuring is probably necessary in the future in order to better meet the needs of the Town of Franklin and its residents. A workable plan will need to be efficient and effective in order to preserve the stability of our form of government.




Franklin Matters:
3 - What use do you envision for the Open Space Fund?


Glenn Jones:
With potentially millions of dollars in our Open Space Fund, we as a Town should be concerned about the preservation of any open space we can acquire.  Franklin has seen enough development in the past 2 decades to make anyone’s head spin. So, if we have the means and funding to keep a reasonable amount of open space in Franklin we should. However, since the Open Space Fund is a capital fund, many people have wondered if that money could be better spent on other important, under prioritized, capital issues in town, such as the school facilities, roadways, library, and other town assets. It will be a large responsibility of the new Town Council to review all available funds and decide which items are more of a priority than others. The people of Franklin should indeed voice their opinions on these matters and require transparency and accountability of their new Town Council to act in their best interests. If elected to the Town Council I will be honored to help shoulder this responsibility and bring the topical results back to the people. 


Franklin Matters:
4 - What is your position on the Financial Planning Committee report?


Glenn Jones:
First off, let me say the Long-Range Financial Planning Committee (LRFPC) has done a tremendous job of trying to bring all of the major issues that do and will affect our community to the citizens of Franklin.  I think Franklin as a whole greatly benefits from superb municipal services with a comparably low tax burden. As the report indicates we are the #1 recipient of State Aid to schools, comparable to 31 peer towns, and that aid amounts to a large portion of our budget. Without this aid, we would be in a considerably difficult place. That being said, it is well known that the Massachusetts is also having some of the most difficult budget issues that it has ever had and as the trickle down effect dictates we would chance to lose a good portion of our state aid. That is a portion of our budget we can not afford to lose. We will, as the data suggest in the report, have to maintain a minimum level of school spending in order to meet state mandates. We as a town will have to find that money or the services we enjoy everyday, like plowed roads, clean town, and public safety will start to deteriorate. That is a serious shock. 


This all leads back to my further point of a ‘plan’. We lack a viable, sustainable plan that holds our government accountable to the decisions that it makes. I feel that there should be no further tax increases until such a plan is in place. In these trying times it will take all of the hard working citizens of Franklin to step up to the plate and decide what ‘we’ want our standards to be and how ‘we’ intend to get ourselves thru some of the most trying times in our history. 


I want to be the voice for these citizens and this is why I chose to run for Town Council. I always express a certainty to my young children: “Never give up, never give in”. Together the people of Franklin will persevere.




Biographical Info:


My Campaign Slogan: “Leadership through Teamwork”


Parents: William and Mary Jones
Youngest of 4 children


Wife: Nicole
Children: 4


Age: 39


Born: Cambridge, MA
Raised: Watertown, MA
Franklin Resident: 11 years


Education:
Watertown High School
Northeastern University – Electrical Engineering


Profession: 
Electrician and Sr. Engineering technician


Specialties: computers, energy management, audio/visual and automation


Volunteering:
Franklin Youth Soccer – Coach
Franklin Youth Softball – Coach
New England Chapel – Facilities Team Leader
Davis Thayer Elementary School PCC events and activities


Website: www.glennfjones.com

NewBCamp - Saturday - October 17th

NEWBCAMP AT NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY


Date: October 17th, 2009


Time: 9am to 3pm


Where: 

New England Institute of Technology, Student Union

2840 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02888

Cost: FREE (Donation of $10+ is helpful)



Registration is available here


Note: This link will bring you to the page with more information on the event and the link to register.

Vallee set local office hours for Friday 10/16/09

State Rep. James E. Vallee, D-Franklin, will hold monthly local walk-in office hours on Friday, Oct. 16, at two locations in his legislative district. Vallee, or a member of his staff, will be available

at the Medway town administrator's office, 155 Village St., 9-10 a.m., 

and his Franklin office at 4 West St., 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Vallee welcomes and encourages residents to visit him during these times to voice concerns or questions they may have regarding any state-related issue. He encourages those constituents unable to attend the district hours to call his State House office to schedule a more convenient appointment.

Vallee and his staff may be reached at 617-722-2600 or Rep.JamesVallee@hou.state.ma.us.
This was initially posted in the Franklin Gazette here

Bellingham's Pulaski Boulevard construction receives funding

King St runs south into Washington St which in turn runs into Pulaski Blvd. Three different names, two towns, one road. For anyone taking this southern route to Woonsocket or RT 146 to Providence beware of construction to resume.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Bellingham's Pulaski Boulevard construction receives funding

via The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Melanie Graham/Daily News staff on 10/12/09

The Pulaski Boulevard road improvement project has received $13 million in state and federal funding. The project was included in the 2010-2013 Traffic Improvement Plan (TIP).

Pulaski Boulevard was one of many plans in eastern Massachusetts considered for state roadway improvement funding, including hundreds of projects in Boston. If Pulaski Boulevard had not been placed on fiscal 2010 list, the town would have had to wait until 2014 for funding.

The $13 million will be in addition to the $4 million already invested by the town.

The estimated two year project plans to rebuild 2.3 miles of Pulaski Boulevard, spanning from the Franklin town line to Orchard Street, including work at the Crooks Corner, Lake Street and Center Street intersections.

Also in the construction plan is road widening, added sidewalks and storm drain improvements.

MassHighway is currently in the bid process for the Pulaski Boulevard projects.
For more details on the project, read tomorrow's Milford Daily News.

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Note: While the article references more information in tomorrows Milford Daily News, that particular tomorrow has not arrived yet. Stay tuned for an update sometime.