Plansee - "we are hiring"

The 60,000-square-foot factory specializes in special metals, known as refractory metals, and precision machining. It produces parts for X-ray machines, light bulbs, flight-safety parts and more.

It moved from Holliston to the Franklin Industrial Park in 1996, where it continues to grow with the help of experienced workers who are required to have some related skills before starting the job.

"They have to be a (computer numerically controlled) machinist. ...They have to have a capability with the machines," Okorn said.

"They have to be able to read blueprints and interpret technical drawings," added Sontgerath.

While machining skills are important, Sontgerath said training is also available.

Read more about the job opportunities at Plansee USA LLC in the Milford Daily News here:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1799253025/A-Franklins-factorys-surprising-quest


You can visit the Plansee website here
http://www.stcmetals.com/en/index.htm


Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Planning Board - 08/09/10 - Agenda

The application for the Franklin Market (Price Chopper) comes back to restart the whole process on Monday, August 9. You may recall that due to a technicality where the developer had not completely notified all the abutters, what had transpired in the prior hearings gets wiped out and they start all over.

Franklin. MA Planning Board: Agenda 8-9-10


Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document.

Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - 8/10/10

Vision Statement

The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

Mission Statement

The Franklin Public Schools, in collaboration with the community, will cultivate each student's intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential through rigorous academic inquiry and informed problem solving skills within a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."

Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence

1. Routine Business

Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the Executive Session and Open Session of the July 20, 2010 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn
Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: none

2. Guests/Presentations
a. School Handbooks - Principals
b. District Improvement Plan

3. Discussion Only Items - none

4. Action Items - none

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report
a. MSBA Update
b. Personnel Update
c. Schedules / Teacher Assignments
d. Center For American Progress
e. New Staff Orientation (8/24, 25, 26 – RMS 8:00 A.M.)
f. Foreign Language Technology Presentation
g. Proposed School Committee Presentations 2010-11

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn

Franklin (MA) Public Schools: District Improvement Plan

The following document is scheduled for discussion at the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, August 10, 2010.

The document outlines the District Improvement Plan (fondly referred to as the 'DIP'). The District Improvement Plan takes the Strategic Plan and sets out actions to bring the district to a level of achievement for each of their strategic objectives.

The format of the document should be easy to follow. Each page lays out one of the Core Values, with columns to show the strategies, resources, responsibilities, timelines, etc. to take action on.


Franklin (MA) Public Schools: District Improvement Plan_4SC_2010-12

How does this look to you?

What feedback would you have for the Administration, School Committee and whomever else participates on Tuesday evening?

Native Plants of Franklin

Were any of you able to identify last week's native plant? If you said milkweed, you win!



(Thanks to Wikimedia Commons for this second image.)

Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, is better known for what eats it than for its flowers; but don't let that give you any wrong ideas about its flowers! Milkweed has stunning spheres of blossoms that from up close look like they have been folded from origami.




And of course, what eats the plant are the larvae of monarch butterflies. They eat milkweed, and nothing else. Here is a female monarch looking for leaves to lay her eggs on.




And this is what the caterpillars look like.

If you want to see more monarch butterflies in your yard, plant milkweed! Seeds can easily be collected in the Autumn from meadows where milkweed grows, or they can be ordered from sources such as easywildflowers.com.





And here is our next mystery native flower. Hint: I've zoomed in rather close. Another hint: it's in bloom now.

Don't forget, you can post your answers (or wild guesses!) in the comments section. Happy botanical sleuthing!

Franklin, MA

Spanish-American War Memorial

This what the platform looks like in a recent photo reflecting the work underway:

From the archive, this photo was taken of the memorial in 2007:

The story of the memorial work and gun restoration can be found at the end of the Town Council meeting notes from Aug 4th:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/town-council-080410-notes-from-meeting.html


Franklin, MA

"officials don't have an estimate for the cost of renovations"

Renovating the science lab is a top priority educationally, according to Light. He also pointed to the auditorium as an area that could use work.

Light said auditorium seating predates the rest of the school by about a decade, and was salvaged from a town middle school. The stage is not handicapped-accessible. Some eight feet behind its curtain, there's a large cement wall.

"The renovation is more about the core of the building," Director of Facilities Mike D'Angelo said. "It's built to educate kids in 1971. It's not built to educate them in 2010."

 Read the full article about the tour of Franklin High School by local and state official in the Milford Daily News here:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1799252551/Officials-tour-Franklin-High


Franklin, MA