Friday, February 11, 2011

"You don't have to be a smoker to get lung cancer"

"I have no doubt in my mind the people who will find a cure for cancer are the people at Dana-Faber," said Jamie Tighe, a Franklin resident who grew up in Framingham and is running the Boston Marathon in April in Andy's honor. 
His brother, Tim, and Tighe's brother were best friends, so "Andy was always a presence in my life," Tighe said. "He's always been like a brother." 
So, even though "I was definitely not a runner" until recently, "when he was diagnosed, it was immediate." She decided to do the 26-mile race. 
"It was always he and I. He always said, 'I'll see you at the finish line.' One of the hardest things I had to do was to change my Dana-Farber website" to reflect she's now running in his memory.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Those who would like information about supporting Tighe's Dana-Farber fundraising can go to rundfmc.org and enter her name in the "Support a Runner" tab.


Franklin, MA

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Liberty Bell missing from Franklin museum

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Brian Benson/Daily News staff on 2/10/11

The Historical Commission is asking for the public's help locating a Liberty Bell that is missing from outside the Historical Museum sometime this week.

Things you can do from here:



This picture was taken on a warmer day.

"So many people are waiting"

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, Buccella is holding a bone marrow drive, and Flannery will distribute information on how to become an organ and tissue donor. The event will be held at the Franklin YMCA at 45 Forge Hill Road in Franklin. 
All that is required to become a potential registered bone marrow donor is a simple cheek swab that determines tissue type, Buccella said. This can be done at a local drive or go online at www.BeTheMatch.org and send for a kit to do it yourself. 
Registering to become an organ donor is just as simple and can be done when renewing a driver's license, Flannery said, or registering at the New England Organ Bank website at www.neob.org. 
The two also plan to distribute literature at various Registry of Motor Vehicle branches. They stress the point isn't to find donors for themselves and those they love - it is to emphasize the need and ease.


Read the full article on the organ donor information event in the Milford Daily News



Franklin, MA

In the News - Senior Center


Franklin Senior Center plans trips





Franklin, MA

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Live reporting - Long Range Financial Planning Committee

Present: Doug Hardesty, Deb Bartlett, Orrin Bean, John Hogan, Ken Harvey, Craig DiMarzio, Graydon Smith, Tina Powderly (Town Council), Jeff Nutting (ex officio) Scott Mason (ex officio) , Sue Rohrbach (School Committee)
Absent:  none

Welcome to Sue Rohrbach, representing the School Committee.

Motion to approve minutes of Jan 5th meeting, passed unanimously

Discussion on committee assignments
Individuals will take the lead on a number of categories (to be added later)

1 - Capital expenditures and debt service - John Hogan
2 - Benchmarking and pensions - Graydon Smith
3 - Salary and benefits (excluding pensions) - Orrin Bean
4 - National trends in municipal finance (includes regionalization) - Craig DiMarzio
5 - Schools - Deb Bartlett
6 - Town revenue, public safety, and other - Ken Harvey
7 - Committee communications and deliverables - Doug Hardesty
(updated 2/13/11)

These individuals would also have the lead for those specific pages in the reports and other deliverables produced by the committee

Obligation to pay retired employee pensions, according to the actuarial analysis the fund is not fully covered. It needs to be fully funded by 2030. There is an annual assessment provided by Norfolk County every year. The fallacy of the pension in MA as elsewhere is they are usually based upon an average annual return of about 8%. This return was not achieved recently nor is likely to be anytime soon, hence the under-funding problem is getting worse. The Town has little say in the matter, it is set in State law dating back to 1937.

Discussions around the Capitol are addressing abuses and will get to the funding issue. The funding issue was created by not funding the pension from 1937 to 1989 during which the pension was "pay as you go". The defined benefit plan is controlled at the State level.

Work ten years to get vested and entitled to a pension. Also get access to full benefits for health insurance. Franklin took on the responsibility for paying for the retiree health benefits about 40-50 years ago. Everybody (retiree) is all in, everybody has to be treated the same. Once the retiree get to 65, they pay and get Medicare, hence come off the Franklin plan (we pay a supplemental benefit). Some employees can hit the rule of 90, that is a combination of age and years of service if equal to 90 maxes their benefits. So if they max and retire in their 50's, they could be collecting from the Town for several years before they reach 65 (when they switch to Medicare). It is a long and complicated issue here in MA. The ability of cities and towns to control the plan design has been a top priority for MA civic leaders for years.

Nutting: You can't balance the problems of the entire health system upon a few employees.

Powderly: The Budget Subcommittee of the Town Council would like this group to look into:

  1. What can we do to manage the growth of the liability for retiree health benefits going forward?
  2. How do we start funding the liability that we have?

The current liability is about $40M. It would take about $2M per year to sufficiently fund it with a trust fund. If we did put the $2M there, that happens to be the amount of free cash which would mean we wouldn't have a capital budget (as it is currently funded from 'free cash').

The average statewide pension is $27,000. We are about that. Not everyone stays for 30 years.

We are spending about 3-4M for the pension funding until about 2030 and then that number would start declining.

For the non-union environment, a management decision is always is the position is full time or part time. If we can get part time, i.e. less than 20 hours, they get salary and no benefits (paid holidays, health care, etc.)

Franklin did move the retired teachers from the State plan to a Franklin-managed plan and saved about $400,000 per year to do so.

Hat's off to all the Franklin employees for being as cooperative as they have been on the health plan design the last several years. They have increased co-pays and helped to save the town big time. Franklin pays 68% and the employees pay 32%, this is already below the State average. Most are still around 80, some are still at 90.

Picking up to review the   report of the prior committee from last year (PDF)


Discussion diverges when we reach page 15. The State averages aren't an appropriate comparison and probably should be re-looked at when this slide is revised.


Discussion on the use of the 3.5% debt service within the operational budget. 


Request for a discussion on how to bring some of these state level systemic issues to the table, who do we talk to, how do we get the state level changes started?





Franklin, MA

"Willy Wonka Jr." comes to Franklin

The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School Department of Fine and Performing Arts Proudly Presents




Willy Wonka Jr.
February 11 and 12, 2011 @ 7:00pm
Horace Mann Middle School, Franklin, MA


$15/adult and $12/child


Looking for something to do on Friday or Saturday night!
Come watch a fun production of Willy Wonka!
Great music, lots of laughs, it's sure to be a great night!


Franklin, MA

Best Buddies Spinning Fundraiser

Team Fitness Fanklin wil host its third annual Best Buddies Spinning Fundraiser, Saturday, February 12, 2011 from 8:00a.m. to 11:00a.m.


The Spin-A-Thon is a three hour indoor cycling event to raise funds to support the Best Buddies program including the three chapters already in place at Franklin High School, Annie Sullivan Middle School Franklin, and Horace Mann Middle School Franklin. Best Buddies is a charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.


Riders may register as an individual and spin for three hours, or split time on a bike with other participants. There are fundraising commitments ($150 for each hour or $300 for three hours) each participant should strive to reach. Team Fitness will provide water, smoothies, fruit, and support to all riders. There will be numerous raffle prizes, t-shirts, and many surprises throughout the day. Representatives from Best Buddies will be on board to help educate, inform, coach, and cheer on the riders. Come to spin, donate, or take part in our raffle! Participation is open to the public. Raffle tickets are currently available at Team Fitness Franklin. Please come and support this effort.


Team Fitness Franklin is located at 100 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin Village Mall. Register by calling Team Fitness at 508-541-8330. Questions may be directed to owner Bob Flynn @ bob@teamfitnessfranklin.com.



Franklin, MA

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) delivers big bucks

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue by Robert Bliss on 2/8/11

The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) delivers up to $5,666 in federal tax credit and $849.90 in state tax credit -- a combined $6,515.90 -- for eligible taxpayers.

Simply put, the EITC delivers big bucks to low- and moderate-income working families and individuals through a combined federal and state income tax credit.

In a statement issued Jan. 28, Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray said that "During these difficult economic times, it is even more important to inform residents about this tax benefit as well as the assistance available to acces the benefits." The Lt. Gov also has a video explainer on the credit at DOR's homepage at www.mass.gov/dor.

It is estimated that 20 to 25 percent of eligible families failed to apply for the tax credit in tax year 2009. Depending on family income and size, individuals and their families may be eligible for thousands of dollars in tax refunds even if they owe no income tax.

Here are some examples of the EITC. An individual with a maximum federal adjusted gross income of $13,460 and no children is eligible for $457 in federal credit and $68.55 in state credit. An individual with adjusted gross income of $35,535 and one child is eligible for $3,050 in federal credit and another $457.50 in state credit. An individual with adjusted gross income of $45,352 and three children is eligible for a federal tax credit of $5,666 and a state credit of $849.50, the maximum credit.

For married couples filing jointly, the adjusted gross income thresholds are about $5,000 higher. Thus, a couple with one child and an adjusted gross income of $40,545 is eligible for $3,050 in federal credit and $457.40 in state credit, while a couple with three children and an adjusted gross income of $48,362 is eligible for the maximum credit.

To assist taxpayers in filing for the EITC, the Massachusetts EITC Coordinated Campaign provides a host of locations at which taxpayers may complete and file their tax return, at no cost. Just click on the link to find the site closest to you.

DOR's website maintains a complete listing of EITC information. So far this filing season, the Commonwealth has paid $39.6 million in EITC to eligible taxpayers.

Things you can do from here:

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Finance Committee meeting canceled

According to the Franklin web site the meeting scheduled for tonight at 7:00 PM has been canceled.

FM #85 - Week ending Feb 6, 2011

Let's spend less than 10 minutes and get caught up on what matters in Franklin, MA as the week ends Feb 6, 2011.


Time: 5 minutes, 56 seconds




MP3 File


Session Notes:


This internet radio show or podcast is number 85 in the series for Franklin Matters.


We'll start by looking back at the snowy week that was as it comes to a close on Sunday Feb 6th. School got out early Tues, was canceled Wed, and started late on Thu. All due to the weather.


School Committee canceled, so the budget hearing was postponed to their next meeting Feb 15th


Town Council managed a quorum to hold a short meeting on Weds; a couple of appointments were approved, the liquor license manager change for Maguro House was approved, and authorization to spend more than the budget for snow/ice was approved.


At the Council meeting Jeff Nutting provided several updates including a summary of the budget development status. As the entire meeting took only 17 minutes, I have included the link so you can catch the on demand video and view it directly


http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?indexPointSKU=EehmtDrfKKNgo8xk8AQHNg%3d%3d


Library will hold a book sale, apparently the Friends and the Board of Directors are working out the issues that cropped up.


Recreation fee investigation postponed due to health issues with a key person
wasn't going to happen right away anyway, just wanted to get the research underway


Also on the library front, word out of Medway is that they are terminating the sharing agreement for the Library director with Franklin. This is going the wrong way on the regionalization front. This I think is a good case in point as to how hard regionalization is. It is not a silver bullet, it takes hard work to make it work. It does take two to tango. Medway apparently wants their own tune.


Looking to the week ahead:


Finance Committee scheduled to meet Tues Feb 8th
Long Range Financial Planning Committee scheduled to meet Wed Feb 9th


So we have had some snow melt in the last day or so, but we are still covered with plenty and there is more on the way. Be safe, be careful, shovel the fire hydrants in your neighborhood.


----

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin. I can use your help. 

How can you help, you ask? 

If you have an interest in covering the Planning Board, Conservation Commission and or the Zoning Board of Appeals meetings in Franklin, please let me know.

And as always - 


  • If you like this, please tell your friends and neighbors
  • If you don't like this, please tell me

Without this feedback loop, I can not improve this service.

Thank you for listening.


-----

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 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 & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission

I hope you enjoy!


Franklin, MA

In the News - school roofs


Area officials keeping an eye on school roofs




Franklin, MA

Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club to meet Wednesday

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 2/7/11

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club has scheduled its February meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the 3 Restaurant, 461 West Central St., Franklin.

Things you can do from here:

Friends of Franklin Library meeting, Feb. 9

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 2/7/11

The Friends of the Franklin Library (FOFL) has rescheduled its monthly meeting to Wednesday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m., in the community room of the library, lower level.

Things you can do from here:

Monday, February 7, 2011

A study in snow

How much snow have we had?

Enough to show the layers or strata! Hopefully, it won't be around so long that archeologists will do some studies on the depth, type, timing, etc.


This sample of the snow layers was taken on Cottage St.


In the morning light, with the shadows on an unbroken surface, it is pretty!


This photo was taken along Milliken Ave.


Franklin, MA

"It's been a crazy winter"

... the same goes for Franklin, which has had four-and-a-half snow days this year. Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski said starting the school year earlier allows for more learning time. 
Of course, not having one full week of school in January has made it difficult for teachers to maintain momentum with their curriculum and get kids ready for Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests. 
"The staff has expressed concerns with the disruption to the instructional program," said Sabolinski. "It impacts teachers' plans, their curriculum, and preparation for MCAS." 
She said that while teachers may not be happy, students are most likely cheering every time the School Department calls their homes announcing school is canceled. 
"I think the kids enjoy it tremendously," said Sabolinski.
Read the full article on snow days in the Milford Daily News here




Franklin, MA

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Help for senior citizens struggling to pay their property taxes?

If Sudbury can do this, why not Franklin?

“Some people will pay a little more and another group will pay less, so the total amount we raise will be just like it was before,’’ he said. 
Tyler said the plan calls for increasing the tax burden on residential taxpayers by 0.5 percent, or about $50 a year for the average taxpayer. The additional money would be used to reduce the taxes of about 300 homeowners who pay more than 10 percent of their income on property taxes, Tyler said. He said if the town raises about $300,000 from the shift, each qualifying senior would get a break of about $1,000. 
“This is a really caring community in Sudbury, and it was a proposal people could really buy into,’’ Tyler said.

Read the full article in the Boston Globe West edition here


Franklin, MA


Are we born to run?

As a life long runner, a lover of cross country (where to be successful you need to run in a pack), Christopher McDougal's TED Talk strikes a resounding bell for me. Will I ditch my shoes and start running longer? I don't think so. Ditching shoes to run in an urban environment is too risky. Nevermind the kind of weather we are having, running wouldn't be practical at all.

You do need to walk before you run. And in this weather, if you don't want to venture outside as the sidewalks are not cleared enough, go to the High School. Tue-Wed-Thu evenings beginning about 5:30 (as I recall) there is an indoor walking club. You can walk the halls of the school in the relative comfort of the indoor space and get the healthy exercise your body craves.



As the weather improves, move the walk outside. Walk through your neighborhood, walk to downtown and back, explore side roads in Franklin. There are lots of good opportunities for walking.

When you can walk 4-5 miles comfortably, when you can walk and talk the whole way without breathing heavy, then, and only then, should you consider bringing your walk to a faster pace. After being comfortable at a faster pace for some time (perhaps several weeks), then you can consider taking your faster walking pace into a jog or easy running pace.

What kind of pace is that? Covering the 5 miles in close to an hour. If you can do the 5 miles in under an hour, you should be ready.

Should everyone run? Maybe not, but most everyone should be able to walk.


Franklin, MA

Leadership in Action: Dominic Orr

Three business leaders will continue the year-long series of presentations at Dean College’s “Leadership in Action” program in February and March.
The first speaker this month is Dominic Orr, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aruba Networks will speak on Wednesday, February 9, 2011, Campus Center Atrium, 4:00 pm.
Mr. Orr was named President and CEO of Aruba Networks in April 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Orr served as the company’s Chairman of the Board, and previously he was the president of Nortel Networks, Intelligent Internet Web Systems. He previously served as the president and chief executive of Alteon WebSystems which merged with Nortel Networks in October, 2000.
Mr. Orr has more than 20 years of experience in the computer systems and communication networking industry and has held senior positions at Bay Networks, Hewlett-Packard and Hughes Aircraft. Mr. Orr is a member of the Sciences Board of Visitors at UCLA. He holds a BS in physics from City University of New York and a MS and PhD from California Institute of Technology.
Two more speakers will be featured in this series: choreographer, dancer and Dean alum Jay T Jenkins, (stet), on February 22, and James A. Anderson, Jr., DPM, podiatrist on March 21.
These program are free of charge and open to the public. 
Please RSVP to alumni@dean.edu or call 888-711-3326.



Franklin, MA

In the New - rollover


Three taken to hospital after rollover on I-495 near Franklin




Franklin, MA

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Dean College - "Think Pink"

The Dean College Women’s Basketball team, in conjunction with the Sisterhood and the Student Government Association are sponsoring the second annual “Think Pink” night to raise awareness about breast cancer. The groups will be selling “Think Pink” tee shirts to raise money for the College’s Relay for Life team later this Spring.
The shirts are available at the basketball team’s 6 p.m. game on Thursday, February 10 at the Pieri Gym on School Street, on the College’s campus in Franklin.
Admission to the basketball game is free, but a suggested donation of $3 per person will go to the “Relay for Life” team. Tee shirts are available in white, pink or black and range in price from $8 to $12.
Attendees are encouraged to wear pink. Refreshments, activities and drawings will be available during the basketball game.



Franklin, MA

MA sales tax less than national average

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue by Robert Bliss on 2/4/11


The non-partisan, non-profit Tax Foundation has released its latest ranking of state sales taxes and Massachusetts ranks 31st (with No. 1 having the highest rate).

Unlike many other states, Massachusetts , which has a sales tax of 6.25 percent, does not allow municipalities to levy their own sales taxes.

The highest combined rate is 9.44 percent in Tennessee, which has a 7 percent state tax and an average local rate of 2.44 percent. California, Arizona, Louisiana and Washington are at the top just below Tennessee.

Things you can do from here:

Friday, February 4, 2011

Changing Education Paradigms - Sir Ken Robinson

I have shared Sir Ken Robinson here before but this animated delivery is I think stunning!



What do you think?


Franklin, MA

MA Local Property Tax Exemption Fact Sheet

From the MA DLS email comes info on a fact sheet about local property tax exemptions for religious and charitable organizations:


This fact sheet is to provide general information to taxpayers about local property tax exemptions for religious and charitable organizations. It is not designed to address all questions or issues and does not change any provision of the Massachusetts General Laws.
If the link above does not work, please copy and paste the following in to your browser: www.mass.gov/Ador/docs/dls/publ/brochures/charity.pdf
For more Forms & Brochures please click here; for more Municipal Law Publications please click here.




Franklin, MA

In the News - sledding, regionalization

Huge sledding run created by Franklin family

by 


Medway, Franklin discuss end of library director sharing deal




Franklin, MA

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Quick updates

I have updated both the Welcome page and the "Why Franklin Matters" page.

  • The Welcome page update removed the prior slidecast and replaced that with subscription forms.

And as always - 

  • If you like this, please tell your friends and neighbors
  • If you don't like this, please tell me
Without this feedback loop, I can not improve this service.


Thank you!


Franklin, MA

In the News - mailboxes, Dean dance showcase


Mailboxes getting smacked by snow from plows




Dean College dancers critiqued by well-known choreographers




Franklin, MA

Snow update - School Calendar - Now when do we get out?

Note: as this was updated School web page as of Jan 31st, and we used another day (2/2/11), the last day would be June 22. For ease of reading, I used strike through in the beginning then made the update for the day used there after.

---------


Snow Day Update/January 31, 2011
Estimated last day of school June 21 22  (based on use of 4.5 student snow days)

Per MA General Law students must be in school for 180 days and the school year cannot go beyond the fiscal year -June 30. Please be advised the Commissioner of Education will not approve any waiver of this requirement. This situation is not unique to Franklin as most districts in the Commonwealth have used at least three or more snow days to date.
We have used three and one half days to this point- current last day is 6/22 and it would be a student half day- we have 6 additional days for inclement weather- if we use all 6 days we need to make up days during April vacation or have students attend school on the weekend- As Saturday/Sunday is impacted by religious traditions this may prove challenging. Any change in the calendar (using April vacation or scheduling weekend school) will require the School Committee to vote on any decision after soliciting feedback from the community. It is premature to speculate that we will have to explore this decision.
Other Weather Related Concerns
Some parents have requested we keep schools closed until all sidewalks and access paths are clear. Due to school attendance requirements we will not be able to honor this request. The town has used its resources to clear roads, parking lots, sidewalk, access paths and bus stops. The amount of snow has created a number of hazards such as limited visibility due to the snow banks. We ask parents and students driving to use caution when driving. As getting to school is the purview of parents/guardians the parent has the right to keep children home if they feel conditions are not safe. If buses see children walking we have requested that they stop and pick children up.
In some communities and neighborhoods, residents have been chipping in to help shovel sidewalks. A JFK parent was out shoveling a path last week as were some parents from the Keller district. Thanks to all who have helped out. Thank you to all the community members who have been patient with school and town personnel during this unprecedented streak of winter weather. We appreciate your kindness and patience!
School Closing - Information for inclement weather, etc. will be disseminated through the Connect Ed system as well as local TV and radio stations. Please keep your contact information current at each school.
You can find the original post on the Franklin School web page



Franklin, MA


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Town Council meeting 2/2/11

Present: Mason, Kelly (clerk), Jones, Zollo, Powderly
Absent: Vallee, Whalen, Pfeffer, McGann

(tuned in late to meeting via cable feed)

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
1. Updates:

Snow Budget - getting eaten up quickly with the weather we have had, exhausted the $750,000 initially budgeted, authorization to exceed budget on for approval later, do have $1.3 M set aside in anticipation of this.

Meeting with Recreation Advisory Board -
postponed due to emergency health problems, won't happen immediately
looking to investigate the option of implementing this

Handicap Parking - please don't park in a handicap spot unless you are authorized to do so

High School Feasibility Study - under way

FY 2012 Budget - numbers will be more solid for the beginning middle of Mar, level service budgets loaded from each Dept. School Dept hasn't had their hearing yet (canceled meeting Tue due to weather). Not sure about using the Governors numbers, wanting to see what the House and Senate for with the revenue numbers before proceeding.

Jeff Nutting added that the Library is collecting books, that there will be a book sale.

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
none

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 11-05: Authorization to Expend Funds in Excess of Available Appropriations
Passed 5-0

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
not tonight, see above updates

L. OLD BUSINESS
none

M. NEW BUSINESS
none

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Jones - congratulations to Simon's Furniture on 100's years of business here in Franklin

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required
Motion to enter executive session for collective bargaining, not to return to open meeting
Passed 5-0 via roll call


Note: The meeting went into Executive Session about 7:15 PM


--------

from the video feed:

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – January 12, 2011
motion to accept, passed 5-0

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
The meeting is recorded by Verizon and Comcast, usually by Franklin Matters (but not present for the meeting that evening).

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none

E. APPOINTMENTS
Design Review - Chris Baryluk as member
motion to approve - passed 5-0

Len Rafuse as Associate member
motion to approve - passed 5-0

F. HEARINGS - none

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
Maguro House – Change of Manager
motion to approve - passed 5-0


Franklin, MA

Change, one laugh at a time

Cartoonist Liza Donnelly spends a few minutes (about 7 actually) sharing some thoughts about humor and change.




Have a good laugh today!


Franklin, MA

LinkedIn Event: Small Business Marketing Strategies

For the small business owners in the area, this would be a good event to participate in to see how you can incorporate the social media tools into your business.


LinkedIn

Tricia White; MSBDC Advisor has sent you a message.
Date: 2/01/2011
Subject: LinkedIn Event: Small Business Marketing Strategies
Tricia White; MSBDC Advisor found Small Business Marketing Strategies on LinkedIn Events and thought you might be interested in going!

http://events.linkedin.com/Small-Business-Marketing-Strategies/pub/549670

Small Business Marketing Strategies Thu, Feb 10 Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA, US Keywords: social media, small business, small business training, SEO, Facebook, LinkedIN, Blogs, E-newsletters, social networking

Sponsored by Ames Free Library, Easton Chamber of Commerce, Patch.com. Marketing Strategies using Social Media – We touch upon basic SEO and what drives search engines, social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube and My Space), Blogs and E-Newsletters.

If you already know this seminar, please share it with others who could use some help in social media!

Trish

In the News - snow on roof

Snow crushes Upton barn, damages Franklin building

by 



Franklin, MA

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

FYI - Trash and recycling cancellation for Wednesday


For safety concerns, the trash and recycling will not be picked up Wednesday and will be delayed one day from your normal pick up day. Friday pick up schedule will be Saturday.

We apologize for the inconvenience, safety is the first priority.

So Weds becomes Thu, Thu becomes Fri, Fri becomes Sat for the trash pick up this week

test post

Test post

post to test new Facebook like function

Updated: I like the looks of it. It is only visible on the individual post, not on the full page which would be overkill.

We'll leave it here for a bit and see (1) if more Facebook likes occur and or (2) someone complains (3) or it breaks something else or ???



Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: School Budget Book - FY 2012

The full and complete budget book for the FY 2012 school budget. This is scheduled for discussion Tuesday at the School Committee meeting beginning at 7:00 PM.

- The Budget Book is not available yet. Due to the way it was packaged with Adobe, it is not viewable via my normal sources - I'll correct it as soon as possible.

You can view the presentation from Saturday
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/01/budget-workshop-preliminary-school.html

and the document handout (which is the intro to the Budget Book)
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/01/school-budget-workshop-hand-out-from.html


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

Franklin, MA


Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - 2/1/11

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."


1. Routine Business

Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the Open and Executive Sessions of the January 25, 2011 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Glynn
Payroll - none for this meeting Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives

Correspondence
1. Budget to Actual

2. Guests/Presentations
a. Lifelong Learning – Pandora Carlucci
b. Preliminary Budget Overview

3. Discussion Only Items
Proposed School Committee Schedule for 2011-2012

4. Action Items
a. I recommend acceptance of a check for $921.60 from the Remington PCC for in-house enrichment.
b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $125.00 from the Kennedy PCC for field trips.
c. I recommend the naming of the FHS away-side press box in memory of FHS football coach, Gerry Leone.
d. I recommend approval of the recurring field trip to Hartford, CT for the FHS Cheerleaders for a competition as detailed.
e. I recommend adoption of the School Committee Schedule for 2011-2012 as discussed.

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report

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

Sound in the Hall Records

They hope to sell 500,000 downloads in the month of February of Copathetic, an independent music album featuring Virginia singer/songwriter Kate Herndon and Jessi Fanuele, a Franklin High School history teacher who plays acoustic guitar.
The students are part of Sound in the Hall Records, a student-run record company launched five years ago to supplement music recording and performance classes at the high school. About 30 students participate in the group, which has recorded local bands and school concerts and broadcasts radio shows on the Internet.
If they are successful, they would earn a Gold record, awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America for albums that sell 500,000 copies, Peacock said, adding they would probably become the first independent record company to reach this goal.
"We'd be making history," Peacock said. "And, we'll be pioneering a new way of marketing an album."
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

You can visit Sound in the Hall records website here



Franklin, MA

Medway Library trustees meet about agreement with Franklin

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Julie Balise/Daily News staff on 1/31/11

Medway Public Library supporters have been invited to a meeting tomorrow to discuss the Board of Trustees decision to end their inter-municipal agreement with Franklin.

Things you can do from here:

In the News - registration postponed, fire, Dean seminar


Franklin kindergarten registration postponed




Two cats die in Franklin fire




Dean College Children's Center sponsors Early Childhood seminar



Franklin, MA