Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Live reporting - Remington Teacher Recognition

2. Guests/Presentations
a. RMS – Paul Peri, Mary Kass, Joe O’Halloran


From Left to Right:: Joe O’Halloran, Jeff Roy, Mary Kass, and Paul Peri


Franklin, MA

Live reporting - School Committee Meeting

Present: Douglas, Cafasso, Rohrbach, Mullen, Roy, Trahan, Glynn
Absent: none


1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments - Steve Sherlock provides some insights on the mid-term for the Committee and three recommendation for the coming year.

Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the November 9, 2010 School Committee Meeting.  motion to approve, with one correction - the Teen Angels presentation begins at 6:30PM.  passed 7-0

Payment of Bills Mr. Glynn  motion to approve, passed 7-0

Payroll Mrs. Douglas

FHS Student Representatives
Unfortunately, the FHS soccer team lost in OT 1-0


Mrs Sabolinski - read a few comments from alumni
heartfelt connections from former team members


Spirit Week underway
You can find out the details with an RSS Reader by subscribing to Panther Book


Correspondence: none





Franklin, MA

Attention: Franklin Area Bloggers - media makers

The listing of Franklin Area bloggers is continuing to grow. Have you looked at the section along the far right column? There are now 36 blogs writing something about Franklin or doing business based in Franklin. From the School Committee to the Police Association, Cub Scouts to Dr VanRoon, photographers to humorists; the variety is quite good to see.

There is a group of media makers that gathers each month in downtown Attleboro, at Morin's Diner. It is informal and quite informational! A form of networking event and focused on sharing what each is doing. The opportunities for learning from one another and collaborating with one another are there.

Sunday at 10:00 AM won't be the best time for some of the area bloggers. But if you are interested in getting an event like this, in Franklin, and at a more convenient time, let me know. Maybe a Monday evening at a local restaurant would work better. Maybe another evening would be better, or maybe a Saturday morning. Let's see if (1) there is interest, and (2) we can get a number together to make it worthwhile!

If you can make it Sunday to see what it is like, you can register (for free) on Eventbrite http://snemm.eventbrite.com/

If you can't make it Sunday and are interested in doing something local, please leave a comment or send me an email.



Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - 11/17/10

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 20, 2010

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Meetings of the Town Council are Recorded

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS
Franklin Disability Commission (Mary O'Neill)
Library Board of Trustees (Karen Gerwatowski)
Long Range Financial Planning Committee

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Cable- Creation of a Non-profit access Corporation
Proposed Changes to the Sign Bylaw, the Commercial 1 Zoning District, & Creation of a New Downtown Commercial Zoning District- Zoning Bylaw – Bryan Taberner, Department of Planning & Community Dev.

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 10-63: Acceptance of Amendment to Chapter 138, Section 33B

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


Franklin, MA

FM #77 - Franklin, MA: Mid-term Review

Next year, as you well know, will be a tough operational budget year with a possible high school renovation project on the horizon with a debt exclusion for a sum total uncertain at this time.


The operational and capital needs of the Town are not well understood by the general population.
You can not accept that. If you do, you give into the CAVE people What are the CAVE people? An acronym for Citizens Against Virtually Everything. This a great term that Bill Glynn took back from a conference he attended with other members of the School Committee and School Dept Administration


If we assume perception is reality, and your attendance indicates your level of effort, then there is room for improvement for some of you.


Details for the chart can be found at the following Google document




I understand that there may be very good reasons for missing meetings
You do this because Franklin matters to you for a variety of reasons


Let's assume perception is reality, I recommend you take a series of actions to really help improve the outreach to our community


1) Member of the Council meet at the Senior Center regularly; Bill Glynn held a sit/chat during the summer; need to do something for the remainder of the residents on a regular basis


2) plan for another budget workshop or series of workshops


What of the Long Term Planning Committee?
This group sort of disappeared after the override, it is good to see the group on the agenda for the meeting Wednesday. Maybe we'll find out what is going on


The Finance Committee is getting reduced from 11 members to 9 per the one question that passed on the Charter Changes. They are scheduled to meet in December. How is the change going to be handled?


3) Get out in front of the big issues, be proactive, don't let the void be filled in by others with hearsay, determine the conversation


For the School Committee in particular, I believe your normal year end meeting is scheduled to be held in the training room on the 3rd floor. It is your own review session, I would heartily recommend that you change the location, bring the meeting out into the open, broadcast it, foster the engagement with your community.


I could have done some ratings in a variety of ways. I chose not to do so. It was deliberate. I think you have been able to observe my own actions, you know I don't create screaming headlines. I am not out to sell anything. I am working to share information to create an informed voter. You can help in that effort.


Consider yourself a crew team. The crew team needs all the oars in the water swinging in synch with one another to succeed.


I think you for your service to the community.
I thank you for your time tonight.


As I close this session this week, let me remind you that
  • If you like what I am doing here, please tell your friends and neighbors
  • If you don’t like something, please tell me
Thank you for listening!

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark and Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission

I hope you enjoy!

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to listen to the audio podcast.





In the News - interfaith council, Davis Thayer, downtown changes, Christmas on Common


Franklin Council to hold Thanksgiving service at St. John Episcopal

from The Milford Daily News News RSS 

The Franklin Interfaith Council



Franklin students donate food for Thanksgiving




Franklin, MA

Monday, November 15, 2010

Another #1 listing for Franklin

I spoke with Nathan Beck on Saturday at the electronics, etc. recycling fund raiser for the FHS Girls Hockey Team. I had just heard about the event that morning and would have liked to be able to share the information in advance. We exchanged business cards and his father, Steve, sent along this information.

I've been doing electronic collections since 2002, directing the net proceeds to K-12 programs. I principally target music and fine arts, but also generate funding for safe driver programs, girls athletics, community service centers and, of course, Big Brother Big Sister. I'm the director of Big Brother Big Sister Foundation and founder of the CREW (Community Recyclers of Electronic Waste). My son now runs events for CREW all over the state, in NH and soon New York and PA.
Three weeks ago, CREW hit the $3,000,000 mark in net monies donated to charities, edu and other programs through collection events
In most towns, I folded BBBS into the mix. BBBS is there for clothing, CREW for electronics. In about six towns now, we hold town wide recycling days twice a year with everything I can think of. Books, metal, cardboard, onsite document shredding, electronics, household goods, appliances and of course clothing. They work well
Falmouth High School fine arts and music program nets about $8,000 a year with these events. Norwell about $3,000, Dedham about $12,000. I am pitching them to every town and we'll start up in April.
Martha's Vineyard Community Services has netted $51,000 in the last three years. Not a bad piece of change for a much needed community center that helps 22,000 people a year.
The Franklin girls ice hockey team netted about $760. Less than I expected, but the first of these events in any given town is dicey, especially in mid November. We're going to do another in April and I am certain I can get them $2,000+. That isn't bad for the hockey team, it helps keep them on the ice.
We have only a couple left, usually I stop the first weekend in November. Charlestown is on 12/4 and a tri town event, sponsored by Congressman Ed Markey's office, is on the slate for 12/11. After that, we hibernate until April; BBBS does house to house pick ups of electronics in the winter months.
Big Brothers Big Sisters website is http://www.bbbsfoundation.org/web/pageDetail.aspx?pgID=home

Franklin is also number 1 as a contributer to Big Brothers Big Sisters
http://www.bbbsfoundation.org/web/pagedetail.aspx?pgID=WEB-Franklin

If you missed this one, still have electronics to recycle, then mark your calendar for another event in April, 2011.

Thanks to Nathan and Steve for sharing this information!

Franklin, MA