Join us Saturday, May 7th or next Saturday, May 14th

A Big Thank You to all neighbors who received calls for help this past weekend and to all our volunteers.  More than 40 volunteers reached out to our community for our first annual Phonathon.  We are so grateful to be surrounded by very generous neighbors.  Pledge forms were mailed out this week and we look forward to calculating our final numbers.  Donations are still being accepted securely on our website, www.franklinfoodpantry.org. 

Join the Franklin Community Garden in building 46 raised garden beds, Saturday, May 7th @ the King Street Playground (located off of King Street near the intersection of Forest Street). Volunteers will be building the beds and then filling them up with gorgeous soil!  There are 2 shifts (9am - 12noon or 1pm - 4pm) or you can join us the whole day!  No amazing "building skills" required.  All the wood will be pre-cut, so if you know how to hold a piece of wood or can help shovel, all extra community hands are welcome!  Please bring cordless drills, shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, pitch forks etc. if you have them. 

Next Saturday, May 14th is Stamp Out Hunger day. Stamp Out Hunger is the Nation's Largest Single Day Food Drive.  We need many volunteers from 2pm - 6pm @ the Pantry to help us sort the thousands of pounds of anticipated food donations.  Please consider leaving a bag of items from our attached needs list at your mailbox on Saturday morning, May 14th and our letter carriers will pick up and deliver to the Franklin Food Pantry.  Thank you to the Franklin Post Office and Letter Carriers. 

Season 2 of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution will return with all new episodes beginning Friday, June 3rd at 9pm ET/8pm CT. If you've missed either of the first two episodes, they will be airing back-to-back on Friday May 27th at 8:00 and 9:00 pm ET (7 and 8 CT) or you can watch them on www.abc.com.   We invite you to help by spreading the word and joining the revolution: 

Are you a backyard gardener (or do you know a backyard farmer)?  Do you want to plant an extra row this year to help our neighbors in need?  We are starting a Plant a Row program and are getting ready to open registration and distribute row markers and brochures.  If you are interested in participating, please email PlantARow@franklinfoodpantry.org. 

We are celebrating a recent grant received from the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation to launch our Produce Points program at the Franklin Farmers Market in June 2011.  Produce Points is modeled after the Double Value Coupon Program developed by Wholesome Wave.  Stay tuned.

Michelle Clay of Franklin has generously volunteered to create a food resource cookbook for the Franklin Food Pantry and is inviting you all to be recipe testers.  You can find more information and many recipes here  (Thank you Michelle!)  http://pantrycookbook.blogspot.com/ Good food nourishes the body and the spirit. With regular, nutritious meals, we are free to grow, to think, to smile, to live.  In 2011, we will expand our capacity to provide our clients with a wide range of opportunities for gaining access to local, fresh, nutritious food.  Our free Farmer's Market for clients was a great success in 2010 and thanks to generous Donors we look forward to working with Grateful Farm to continue this program beginning in June 2011. 

In 2011, we hope to continue to learn with you, our community, the many elements of nutrition, food systems, local resources and to explore the questions, "What is food?" and "Where does our food come from?".   We believe everyone has the right to access healthy, affordable food choices.

Please contact annemarie@franklinfoodpantry.org if you are interested in working together on any of the programs mentioned or if you have a great idea that may align well with any of the above. 

Please forward to any friends or family who may be interested.

Thank You

--
Anne Marie Bellavance
Franklin Food Pantry
43 West Central Street
PO Box 116
Franklin, MA  02038
(508) 528-3115
www.franklinfoodpantry.org

In the News - accidental shooting, mystery package

Franklin Police: Teen accidentally shoots friend with BB

by Brian Benson/Daily News staff

HazMat team investigates package at Franklin police station

by Brian Benson/Daily News staff

Franklin, MA

Gas tax collections holding steady; rate of increase slowing

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Gas tax collections holding steady; rate of increase slowing

via Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue by Robert Bliss on 5/5/11

Two months ago, DOR published a blog post noting that price spikes in gasoline had not caused a decline in consumption. That remains true today after reviewing gasoline excise tax collections for March and April.

The two months' combined collection is $96.8 million, which is $200,000 more than the same two months a year ago. Through the end of April, year-to-date gas tax collection is at $493 million. up $6.4 million from a year ago.

It is fair to say, however, that the rate of increase in gas consumption, as measured by gasoline tax collection, has slowed down. In the first six months of FY11, collections were up $5 million. In the ensuing four months (January-April of 2011) which correspond to the period in which gasoline prices have gone up, the increase over a year ago is just a little over $1 million.

Those interested in pouring over these numbers should visit DOR's Blue Book, published monthly, to review individual month and year-to-date collections of a variety of tax collections and other revenue sources. (The April edition should be up in a few days.)

This is probably a good time to review how gas tax revenues are used. As a result of reform of the state's transportation system in 2009, gasoline excise tax revenue goes into the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, along with registry fees and .385 percent of the sales tax. The fund is used to pay debt service associated with highway maintenance and construction projects and provides funding for the operation of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

Revenue from the gasoline tax, which is 21-cents per gallon, goes almost entirely (99.85 percent) into the Commonwealth Transportation Fund. The balance of fifteen-hundreths of one percent is credited to the Inland Fish and Game Fund.

One of the best explainers of the new MassDOT and its funding sources appeared in Gov. Patrick's FY11 budget proposal.

The state gasoline tax of 21-cents per gallon is not the only tax paid at the pump. The state also collects 2.5-cents per gallon to help fund the cleanup of underground storage tanks; this money goes into the state's General Fund from which the Legislature makes appropriations to pay for cleanups. And the federal government collects a federal gas tax of 18.4-cents per gallon.

The Tax Foundation publishes annually a ranking of gasoline taxes by state. Massachusetts is ranked 27th from the top out of the 50 states.
  

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

"Cuts have to be made"

The budget hearings continued Thursday evening and spent a good deal of their time on the Department of Public Works:

The department has lost more than 12 positions over the past six years while taking over maintenance of school grounds. That has reduced its ability to fix potholes, sweep streets, prepare fields and complete other tasks simultaneously, Cantoreggi said. 

"Our priorities have to be adjusted," Cantoreggi said. "Our response time is increasing. I think people are starting to notice." 

The department will also have a few less clerk hours as part of a townwide reorganization and reduction of clerk positions, Nutting said. 

Roche, the committee's chairman, said the department is an example of the difference between the town and a business. Companies lay off workers when business slows down but "we lay off people and have more demand for services."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1560709786/Franklin-hopes-to-address-snow-budget-gap#ixzz1LYtisrBs

The budget hearings close out Monday night with the Library, Schools and Fire Dept are reviewed. The Town Council conducts their budget hearings Jun 8 and 9 to have an approved budget before the Fiscal Year 2012 begins July 1, 2011.

These cuts are real. On this time line, there is no opportunity for an override to come before the voters to approve an increase in taxes to avoid the cuts.



Franklin, MA

In the News - Clark-Cutler-McDermott, roads closed Sat

Franklin's Clark-Cutler-McDermott honored

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Dean College graduation Saturday

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - Agenda - May 5, 2011

Part 3 of the budget hearing for Fiscal 2012 continues Thursday evening. The agenda showing which department budgets are scheduled for review this evening is shown in the document below:

FinCom Agenda 5/05/2011


Prior session agendas:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/franklin-ma-finance-committee-agenda_03.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/franklin-ma-finance-committee-agenda.html


Franklin, MA

Fluoride Choice vote in Franklin this Friday

You are receiving this email because you live and/or work in Franklin and because you care about your individual health freedom. 

Only you can consent to receiving a medication. No one has a right to force one on you. 

This Friday morning at 10:00 am, there will be a vote of the Franklin Health Board on whether or not to continue the old 1970 policy of forced fluoridation of the people in Franklin. Ingesting fluoride ought to be a personal decision, not a government decision. 

For the background on this story, see www.franklinminutemen.com/id2.html 

I will be representing fluoride choice at this Friday's health board meeting. If you are able to join me, that might make a difference in the vote's outcome. The meeting will be in the small conference room right next to the clerk's office. I know it's a work day, but standing room only would truly rock! 

Please forward to other Franklin residents who care about their medical rights. 

Thanks,
Rich Aucoin