Bottle-Can Drive - July 10th

Franklin Boy Scout Troop 2 will be holding a Bottle and Can Drive on July 10th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Scouts will be accepting your donations of redeemable bottles and cans at two locations: 

1) the William F. Ray Lodge of the Franklin Odd Fellows at 330 West Central Street (by the intersection of Beaver Street)

and

2) in the parking lot of the Franklin Federated Church, 171 Main Street (just across from the Common).

Please help support Franklin’s newest Scout troop, and come meet some of the members and leaders!

Franklin, MA

In the News - Pulaski detour, casinos

Pulaski bridge work causes detour in Bellingham

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Joe O'Connell/Daily News staff

Mass. Senate approves bill licensing three casinos

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Associated Press

Franklin, MA

Municipal Calendar

From the MA Dept of Revenue, Division of Local Services "City & Town" Newsletter for July 2010 comes the following. I don't pretend to know this in detail. It may very well go over your head too. The point of sharing it is as many folks head into vacation time, there is much still to be done in the Municipal Building. The fiscal year just closed June 30th, which means the books need to be closed, accounts balanced, etc. The following provides some detail into the behind the scenes stuff that just happens!

Municipal Calendar

July 1: Collector:Mail Annual Preliminary Tax Bills

For communities issuing annual preliminary tax bills, the preliminary quarterly or semi-annual bills should be mailed by this date.

July 15: Accountant: Certification Date for Free Cash: Anytime after Books are Closed

Two weeks after the close of a fiscal year, all accounts are closed out and the resulting balance sheet and supplemental documentation submitted to DOR. Free cash is certified any time after this date.

July 15: Accountant: Report Community Preservation Fund Balance: Anytime after Books are Closed After the close of a fiscal year, the fund balance is submitted to DOR (Form CP-2) and notice given to the Community Preservation Committee and other financial officers. The fund balance may be appropriated anytime after that report.

July 15:School Business Officials: Certification Date for Excess and Deficiency (E&D) Fund

Two weeks after the close of a fiscal year, all accounts are closed and the resulting balance sheet (a pre-closing trial balance or audited financial statements will not be accepted unless requested by the Director of Accounts) and supplemental documentation are submitted to DOR. E&D Fund is certified any time after this date.

July 15: Assessors: Deadline for Appealing Commissioner’s Pipeline Valuations to ATB

July 20: DOR/BLA: Notification of Changes in Proposed EQVs (even numbered years only)

July 20: DOR/BLA: Notification of Changes in Proposed SOL Valuations (every 4th year after 2005)

August 1: Taxpayer: Quarterly Tax Bills — Deadline for Paying 1st Quarterly Tax Bill Without Interest

According to M.G.L. Ch. 59, Sec. 57C, this is the deadline for receipt of the 1st Quarter preliminary tax payment without interest, unless the preliminary bills were mailed after July 1. If mailed by August 1, the 1st Quarterly payment is due August 1, or 30 days after the bills were mailed, whichever is later, and the 2nd Quarterly payment is due November 1. If mailed after August 1, the preliminary tax is due as a single installment on November 1, or 30 days after the bills were mailed, whichever is later.

August 1: Taxpayer: Annual Boat Excise Return Due

August 1: Accountant: Notification of Total Receipts of Preceding Year

The total actual local receipts (e.g., motor vehicle excise, fines, fees, water/sewer charges) of the previous fiscal year must be included on Schedule A of the Tax Rate Recapitulation Sheet (Recap) which is submitted by the Assessors to DOR. On the Recap, the Accountant certifies the previous fiscal year’s actual revenues, and the Assessors use this information to project the next fiscal year’s revenues. Any estimates of local receipts on the Recap that differ significantly from the previous year’s actual receipts must be accompanied by documentation justifying the change in order to be approved by the Commissioner of Revenue.

August 1: Assessors: Deadline for Appealing EQVs to ATB (even numbered years only)

August 1: Assessors: Deadline for Appealing SOL Valuations to ATB (every 4th year after 2005)

August 15: Assessor: Deadline to Vote to Seek Approval for Authorization to Issue Optional Preliminary Tax Bills For semi-annual communities issuing optional preliminary property tax bills, the Assessors must vote to seek authorization to issue the bills from DOR by this date. After receiving approval, Assessors must submit a Pro-forma Tax Rate Recap Sheet to DOR for review and issue the tax bills by October 1.

August 31: Taxpayer: Last Filing Day for Classified Forest Land, M.G.L. Ch. 61

August 31: DOR/BOA: Issue Instructions for Determining Local and District Tax Rates A copy of the Tax Rate Recap Sheet and its instructions are forwarded to the town.

August 31: Assessors: Begin work on Tax Rate Recapitulation Sheet (to set tax rate for semi-annual bills) Until the Tax Rate Recap Sheet is completed and certified by the Commissioner of Revenue, the community may not set a tax rate nor send out its property tax bills (unless it issues preliminary quarterly tax bills or requests from DOR the authority to send out pre liminary tax notices if DOR requirements are met). Communities should begin gathering the information in enough time for the tax rate to be set and tax bills mailed by October 1. The Tax Rate Recap Sheet provides Mayors or Selectmen with a ready-made financial management tool because the town’s most important financial management information is summarized on this form. The Mayor or Selectmen should review the Recap Sheet in preliminary form in order to understand the following financial information: Page 1 (Tax Rate Summary) — The proposed tax levy should be compared to the levy limit. If a town does not levy to its limit, the remaining levy is referred to as excess levy capacity. Excess levy capacity is lost to the community for the current fiscal year although it will always remain in the levy limit calculation. Page 2 (Amount To Be Raised) — This section includes appropriations and other local expenditures not appropriated. These include overlay deficits, revenue deficits, state and county charges, Cherry Sheet offset items, and the allowance for abatements and exemptions. By comparing this information to the prior year(s), any significant changes can be determined. Page 2 (Estimated Receipts & Revenues From Other Sources) — In particular, Sec tion C shows the amount appropriated from free cash and other available funds. By comparing the amounts appropriated to the balances in these accounts (available from the Accountant/Auditor), the Mayor or Selectmen can get a sense of how their non-property tax revenues are being used. Page 3, Schedule A (Local Receipts Not Allocated) — By comparing these figures to prior year(s), the Mayor or Selectmen can determine any changes in these revenues. Page 4, Schedule B (Certification of Appropriations and Source of Funding) — This section includes financial votes of City/Town Council or Town Meeting not previously reported on last year’s recap.

Franklin, MA

Native Plants: What's your name? Summary

Opening guidelines and first photo
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/07/whats-your-name.html

Michelle's first post in the series on native plants
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/07/native-plants-of-franklin.html
answer = pinesap

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/native-plants-of-franklin.html
answer = milkweed

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/native-plants-of-franklin_07.html
answer = ???




Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Express Line #10

The current edition of the Franklin newsletter "Express Line" is now available:

Express Line 10

You can subscribe to receive your own copy via email here:
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/subscriber-news


Franklin, MA

4th of July - schedule of events

The schedule of events for the Franklin, MA 4th of July are as follows:


Franklin 4thJuly 2010 Schedule


Additional information can be found on the 4th of July Coalition website here:
http://july4thfranklinma.com/

Franklin Schools Advocacy Association

The idea would be to form an organization, the "Franklin Schools Advocacy Association", to advocate for appropriate levels of funding and support for the Franklin school system for the long term.


Goals of the group might include any the following:


1) Obtain a prop 2.5 overide just for the school system


2) Get out the vote


3) Ensure that new school money is spent appropriately on hiring teachers and buying educational materials


4) Watch and report on the town meetings to see where the money goes when it does not go to the school system


5) Visibly and obviously publish and distribute a record of the ongoing votes of town counsellors on funding of town projects (probably its published, but I'm darned if I can find it, and probably nobody looks at it)


6) Create a website for the exclusive use of this association


The activities of the group would be decided by the people attending the meetings. I am proposing to host an exploratory meeting in September. I would set the date after checking with all interested people. I have gathered six names within the first couple of days of posting this. I would like to get 15 names of people who would most likely attend.


I would like people to send me their contact information at jonathan.kava@verizon.net



Franklin, MA

Trash/Recycle Facts: recycling

You will also receive a green 65-gallon wheeled cart with a YELLOW TOP for Single Stream recycling in which you may place all of your recyclable materials. Your recycling container shall be placed curbside every week on the same day as your regular trash collection. With the new Single Stream Recycling program you will be able to place ALL of your recyclables neatly into to one container.

SORTING RECYCLABLES IS NO LONGER NECESSARY!

After July 1st, you will no longer be able to use your current recycling bin and any materials outside of the recycling cart will not be accepted.

We are providing you with this comprehensive recycling guide in order to help you properly prepare your recyclables and maximize the amount you recycle. This chart also outlines items, which cannot be placed in your recycling cart. Please refer to the calendar and street listing to determine your collection day and week. We will continue to follow the same collection schedule that is in place currently.

This information comes from the Franklin Solid Waste website here (PDF):
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/FranklinAutomation2010FINAL.pdf

and here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/index


The collection of Franklin Matters posts on the new process can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/03/franklin-ma-trash-collection.html

Franklin, MA

In the News - new trash/recycle service begins

Solid Waste Coordinator Chris White said he's heard similar complaints regarding the size of the bins.

"If someone puts out a lot of trash, they're going to pay more. The people who can live within 65 gallons will pay less," White said. "If you recycle more and put out less trash, the rate goes down. If you don't, it goes up."

Read the full article here:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x2071996709/Franklin-residents-anxious-as-new-trash-system-starts

View the video the Chris white refers to here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/06/video-on-franklins-new-automated-trash.html


Franklin, MA

Video on Franklin's New Automated Trash and Recycling Process

The DPW has posted their own video of the trash/recycling system in action



Enjoy!

Franklin, MA

Chamber Holds Small Manufacturers' Summit

Local Manufacturers Attend Summit Featuring U.S Manufacturing Czar and Congressman                   Jack Lank and the Senior Counselor to the U.S.              President for Manufacturing Policy Ron Bloom  The United Regional Chamber of Commerce proudly sponsored the June 28 Small Manufacturers' Summit at Living Waters Conference Center in North Attleborough. The event featured keynote speakers U.S. Congressman James McGovern and the Senior Counselor to the U.S. President for Manufacturing Policy Ron Bloom. In addition to a private meeting and tour held at Cookson Precious Metals and Bell's Powder Coating, they addressed issues facing small business manufacturers in the Northeast during the Summit. Other event sponsors include for the event included Bell's Powder Coating, Inc., Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America, Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Cookson Precious Metals, Stern-Leach and Living Waters Conference Center.                                                                                      Jack Lank with U.S. Congressman James McGovern                                   Eric Nakajima                                                                                                                                     Senior Innovation Policy Advisor                                                                                                                              for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Trash/Recycle Facts: cart placement

Proper Cart Placement

The placement of your cart is important since the collection vehicle’s lifting arm requires clearance: 3 feet on both sides, and 12 feet overhead. The cart should be no more than 3 feet away from the curb or road edge, and the arrows on the lid must be pointing toward the street. Please leave 3 feet between your recycling and trash container when placing them curbside.

Thanks to Jim Robinson, a fan of the Facebook Franklin Matters page for prompting the search of YouTube for a video of the trash truck in action.

Thanks to Parker, for getting his parents to make this video because he likes the trash truck to come and take the trash.

This process would be similar to that beginning July 1. We have two containers, one for trash and one for recycling.



Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view this video of the trash truck making a pickup.

Additional information can be found on the Franklin Solid Waste website here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/index

The collection of Franklin Matters posts on the new process can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/03/franklin-ma-trash-collection.html

Franklin, MA

In the News - 4th July, trash/recycle

Franklin Fourth fete has fresh features

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

and looking to get an early jump on the success of the program

Do you like Franklin's new trash program?

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

Franklin, MA

Trash/Recycle Facts: what goes, what doesn't

All regular household trash should be bagged and placed in the 65-gallon trash cart for collection. Items outside of the cart will NOT be collected except 33G DPW overflow bags.

Do not place the following items in the trash cart:
• Recyclables
• Yard Waste
• Dirt, sod, concrete or rock
• Construction/demolition debris
• Household hazardous waste
• Hot ashes or flammable materials such as oil, gas or paint

NOTE: Latex paint cans must be dried out and contents bagged and disposed of in municipal trash. Put completely dried latex paint cans (no oil based paints) in the trash. Oil based paints should be safely stored and can be disposed of at the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day, October 2, 2010.

Preparing your solid waste:
• Bag your trash before placing it in the cart.
• Bagging your trash will help to keep the cart clean and sanitary, and prevent litter on windy days.
• All trash must fit in the cart so that the lid is closed. No material may be sticking out of the cart.



This information comes from the Franklin Solid Waste website here (PDF):
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/FranklinAutomation2010FINAL.pdf

and here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/index


Franklin, MA

In the News - Ruchira Parikh, fitness, Blackstone Valley

Franklin girl wins awards

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

Mass. residents among the fittest in U.S.

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Scott O'Connell/Daily News staff

National Park Service meeting seeks comment on Blackstone Valley

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports

Franklin, MA

Attn: Franklin commuters -> MBTA: Faster, Easier Parking

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

MBTA: Faster, Easier Parking

via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 6/28/10

The MBTA today announced a simpler system for parking lot payments that will allow everyone from daily commuters to visitors to use their mobile phones and an online account to pay for parking at MBTA lots.

Beginning July 23rd, customers parking in MBTA-owned and operated lots with existing cash honor boxes will be able to pay for parking online or via phone while in their cars or once they board a train, bus, or commuter boat. 

As part of a new partnership with Parkmobile USA, customers can visit www.parkmobile.com and enroll in the new program for free, and have access to their on-line accounts 24 hours a day/7 days a week. T riders can also download a mobile app.

Once registered, customers can use the mobile app, the internet, a text message or a phone call to pay for parking. TTY service is also available. The phone number will be displayed on signs at MBTA parking facilities.

The new service will be available for 23,733 parking spaces at nearly 70 MBTA-owned lots with existing cash honor boxes. In the weeks and months to follow, the T will work to expand the new system to lots that are not operated by the MBTA.  Only two U.S. transit systems offer more parking spaces than the MBTA.  Informational signs will be posted over the next few weeks to inform T customers about the change in service. For MBTA news and updates visit MBTA on the web.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Trash/Recycle Facts: cart ownership

Cart (bins, totters, etc.) ownership

Carts (bins, totters, etc.) are the property of the Franklin DPW and must stay at the delivered destination

Each cart includes a serial number and imbedded RFID tag to identify owner and location. Each resident is responsible for their carts. Make sure all carts stay at the delivered location.

Note: the bar coded serial number for each cart appears in the photo above. The RFID chip is reported to be contained in the handle.

Waste and recycling collection

There will be no changes to your regular collection days. Solid waste will continue to be collected weekly. Recycling will continue to be collected every week, however it will now be collected in a single stream, with paper, cardboard and commingled materials placed in the same container. Sorting of recyclables is no longer necessary!


Contact DPW for any lost, stolen or misplaced carts. A Police report will be filed for missing carts.

-----------

Q - Why are the carts identified?
A - The RFID chip is read when each pick up occurs. This can help address timely service issues. This also enables easier billing. If you are going to be away for some time, the tracking can confirm that the trash/recycling were not used for the away period.


This information was found on the Franklin Solid Waste website here (PDF)

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/FranklinAutomation2010FINAL.pdf

here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/index

and from the multiple Town Council meetings where this was discussed and approved.


The collection of Franklin Matters posts on the new process can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/03/franklin-ma-trash-collection.html


Franklin, MA

In the News - downtown consignment

Updated 5/17/11 - sometime in the past couple of months, Downtown Consignment moved to an unknown location in Plainville. The Franklin Art Association now has a gallery in this location.

Downtown Consignment a new deal in Franklin

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

Downtown Consignment in Franklin Matters
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/06/downtown-consignment.html


Franklin, MA

In the Globe - music at the core

While athletic and academic prowess usually get the most attention, music provides a different method of learning — fostering creativity, innovation, and teamwork toward a common goal, supporters say.


“It’s through music and the arts that we tell the human story,’’ said Bill Pappazisis, the fine and performing arts director for the Belmont schools.


The National Association of Music Merchants surveyed teachers and administrators to distinguish 174 districts and schools in 30 states. Each school was selected based on criteria including funding, the amount of staff and their credentials, student participation and career paths, curriculum, facilities, and public support.

Read the full article in the Boston Globe West Section here
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2010/06/27/applause_for_schools_keeping_music_at_core/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Globe+West

The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School was named.


Franklin, MA

pay more taxes, voluntary? right!

The functions of these programs differ widely, but they all share one remarkable feature. The taxpayer dollars were not wrenched from the pockets of the Commonwealth’s residents. Instead, thousands of Bay Staters checked off boxes on their income tax returns opting to contribute to the funds. These people paid, in other words, what sounds like the ultimate oxymoron: voluntary taxes.

Though voluntary tax programs could never generate enough money to run a state, more people chip in than you might expect (more, that is, than none). And according to some enthusiasts, we could be doing more to capitalize on this surprising willingness to give. Voluntary taxes, these thinkers say, offer a politically palatable way to raise additional revenue and perhaps even to strengthen Americans’ sense of patriotism and citizenship. And in the current political and fiscal climate, lawmakers are frankly desperate for creative solutions.

and this from a study referenced by the article

The authors concluded that dislike of taxes may be not just a matter of reluctance to part with our money, or mistrust of the government: It may be largely about the lack of control over where exactly our money goes.

I think too little is paid to this particular aspect of control. Several of the comments on the Milford Daily News pages mentioned this lack of specifics as to where the money was to be used. Even though the authorization from the Town Council was for the $3 million to be divided with $1.8 M for the schools, $300,000 for the Town and $900,000 for road repair, the question on the ballot per state guidelines was phrased as:

Shall the Town of Franklin be allowed to assess an additional $3,000,000.00 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of the operating budget for which monies from this assessment will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, two thousand and ten?

Indeed, the article does go on to say

... it seems that giving taxpayers some control over the funds is key. The University of Texas economists found that when subjects were permitted to earmark their donations, contributions more than doubled. 

Read the full article in the Boston Globe Ideas section here:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/06/27/voluntary_taxes/?page=1


Franklin, MA

Trash/Recycle Facts: frequently asked questions

Q - Should I continue to bag my trash?


A - YES. Bagging your trash will help to keep the cart clean and sanitary, and prevent litter on windy days. All bags must be placed curbside in the solid green 65-gallon cart only.

Q - What do I do with leaves and yard waste?

A - Leaves and brush will continue to be collected curbside or accepted at the Beaver Street Recycling Facility. Dates for curbside waste collection will be published in the Municipal Guide and on the DPW website.

Q - I am moving or cleaning out the garage and have a lot of refuse to get rid of right away; where will I be able to dispose of it?

A - The automated refuse collection program is not intended to provide this type of service. For large projects you may contact Waste Management for information at 1-800-972-4545.

Q - Will my collection day change?

A - NO, there will be no changes in the collection schedule. Please continue to place your containers to the curb by 7am, as there may be some changes in the time of day during which your trash and recycling is collected.

Q - What should I do if I have a problem with the new cart?

A - Your carts are made of durable plastic and should give you years of maintenance free use. For cart issues please call the DPW at 508-553-5500 to schedule a repair.

Q - What can be recycled at the Beaver St. Recycling Facility?

A - The Recycling Center is open: Tuesdays 12-3 (April thru Nov.) Fridays and Saturdays: 8-3

Q - What can I do with my old refuse and recycling containers?

A - If you wish to dispose of old refuse barrels or recycling bins, they may be dropped off empty and clean at the Beaver Street Recycling Facility, they will be recycled once collected.

Q - How do I have an appliance, grill, TV or other large metal item picked up?

Call Waste Management at 800-972-4545 by Tuesday at 3:00 for a pickup on Thursday. You can pay by credit card over the phone or by check.

Q - What about a large non- recyclable item such as a sofa?

Included in the current fee, you are allowed one large item such as a sofa to be picked up at no additional charge. Call Waste Management at 800-972-4545 by Tuesday at 3:00 for a pickup on Thursday.

Q - I have more trash than can fit in the large cart; what should I do?

A - Experience in a range of communities has shown that the 65-gallon cart is more than adequate for most homes, presuming you remove all paper, glass, plastic and other recyclable materials from your trash. If after recycling everything possible, you find you consistently have more trash than the cart will hold, you may request a second cart from the DPW for $150 per year. Overflow bags are available for $3 each at
the DPW office.

Q - What about street parking on collection day?

A - At the present time there are no parking restrictions. Remember, however, that automated collection requires that the cart be accessible to the collection vehicle, so any cars you park at the curb should be at least 5 feet from the cart.

Q - What is the Large Item fee schedule?


TV up to 25" -> $ 25.00
TV 26" and up -> $ 35.00
Freon Appliance - > $ 30.00
Appliance -> $ 25.00
Grills/Lawn Mower/Metal -> $ 25.00
Microwave -> $ 25.00



This information comes from the Franklin Solid Waste website here (PDF):
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/FranklinAutomation2010FINAL.pdf

and here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/index


The collection of Franklin Matters posts on the new process can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/03/franklin-ma-trash-collection.html

Franklin, MA

Use Trash/Recycle bins on July 1

New Trash and Recycling Carts

Your new trash and recycling carts are currently being

delivered to your homes.

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE NEW TRASH AND RECYCLING CARTS UNTIL JULY 1

Thank you.

Franklin, MA

In the News: Open Meeting rules

Boards required to take note of new meeting rules

by Kendall Hatch/Daily News staff

Franklin Town Council discussion on the new rules

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/06/live-reporting-open-meeting-law.html

Franklin Attorney Mark Cerel's analysis of the new rules

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/06/mark-cerel-analysis-of-open-meeting-law.html

Franklin, MA

Poll question results

IF THE OVERRIDE WAS SPLIT INTO 2 SEPARATE QUESTIONS, WOULD YOU HAVE APPROVED THE SCHOOL OVERRIDE? Q1 - $2.1 MILLION FOR SCHOOLS Q2 - $900K FOR ROADS/THE TOWN

Yes - 33

No - 22

Total - 55

Franklin, MA

Carnival setting up for the 4th of July

The 4th of July is rapidly approaching but the carnival rides have already appeared on the Town Common. Some old favorites will be there for your enjoyment on the holiday weekend.

The slide!

The spinning apple!

The train ride!

And if you haven't lost your lunch yet, Twister!

The rides and food booths will open at 6:00 PM on Thursday, July 1

The full schedule of events can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/06/franklin-ma-4th-of-july-schedule.html

Enjoy!


Franklin, MA

Common Core Standards - open for review

“Our message all along has been clear and consistent: Massachusetts will only adopt the Common Core standards if they match or surpass our current expectations for students,” said Education Secretary Paul Reville. “Even if the Board votes to adopt, the Commonwealth would still maintain the opportunity to add to the standards, personalize them to Massachusetts and build them out in a way that will allow our educators to propel our students to the next level of learning.”

“Our goal is to provide every student in the Commonwealth with the best possible schools, teachers, curriculum and opportunities they need to be successful in school, college, careers and in life,” Chester said. “We will take the time to evaluate the Common Core Standards before making a decision, and if we ultimately find that the final product represents a decline in expectations from our state standards, we will not hesitate to walk away.”

The Common Core State Standards and survey can be viewed by clicking here

Read the full posting on the School Committee blog here:
http://franklinschoolcommittee.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/public-invited-to-review-and-comment-on-common-core-state-standards/



Franklin, MA

"needs in the context of a strategic plan"

The 495/MetroWest Development Compact is aimed at ranking infrastructure improvements for the region as a whole, rather than tackling projects piecemeal.

Greg Bialecki, the state secretary of housing and economic development, and Jeff Mullan, secretary of transportation, announced the compact at the 495/MetroWest Partnership's annual conference.

Bialecki said the compact will help create a common "strategic action plan" for all of the agencies involved to get behind, rather than "creating a laundry list of changes to infrastructure that need to be made."

Franklin would be one of the 36 communities covered by this compact.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x2071995398/Cooperation-sought-prioritizing-MetroWest-infrastructure-goals


Franklin, MA

Franklin's state aid

On June 24, 2010, the Legislature approved the Conference Committee’s version of the FY2011 budget.  The Division of Local Services has posted updated local aid estimates based on the Conference Committee budget recommendations at the link below:

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=dorsubtopic&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Local+Officials&L2=Municipal+Data+and+Financial+Management&L3=Cherry+Sheets&L4=FY2011+Local+Aid+Proposals&sid=Ador

Though the estimates are substantially the same as previous estimates, the Conference Committee proposal relies on reimbursements from the Federal Medical Assistance Program (FMAP) to fund part of certain appropriations. 

Outside section 190 restricts the expenditure of FMAP funded appropriations until receipt of those funds is certain. 

Cherry sheet estimates for the State-owned Land, Regional School Transportation and Local Share of Racing Taxes programs reflect the portion of the appropriation funded only from the general fund. 

If the FMAP funding becomes certain by tax rate setting time, FY2011 cherry sheets will be amended.

These estimates are subject to final approval by the Governor.

Franklin, MA

Reminders

Farmers Market - today - noon to 6:00 PM on the Town Common

Office Hours - come sit and talk Franklin matters with me on the Town Common - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Poll question - What does the survey say? (see the center column) - stays open until midnight tonight!



Franklin, MA

Networking Group - workshops today - Jun 25 meeting

If you are looking for work and need a good opportunity to network,  the workshop today at the Hopkinton Networking Group meeting Friday, June 11 25 is one to catch. 


Someone you may know will be facilitating two engaging, productive, and fun activities. 

If you have the time, you could not spend it any better than networking at Hopkinton today!

When: 10:00 AM - Noon
Where: St John's Evangelist Parish Center, 20 Church St, Hopkinton
Cost: $1


The details on the workshops as published to the Acton Networking Group listserv:

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by workshop activities.  The facilitator for this week will be Steve Sherlock.   We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads.   Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time.   In the second hour, we will conduct a workshop with various activities.  Here is how it will be done:

Workshop Activities:

Discovery...Re-Discovery...and FUN:

The handout provided has a 7 x 4 matrix of boxes, i.e., 28 in all, where each box contains an open-ended statement that when completed will yield a more composite picture of the person.

Transferrable Skills:

Bring your resume.  We will break out into small groups and use the classrooms.  After the resume is reviewed, a discussion will take place to determine what transferrable skills your résumé displays.

Name Associations (if time permits):

Think of a relationship of your name with something else that others could relate with and could remember your name.  For example, the association I use is the breakfast serial Rice Krispies whereby removing the last letter "s" and replacing it with a "n" spells my last name.  You will be quite surprised how easily it will be to remember names afterwards.

Franklin, MA