Franklin Matters

Friday, June 17, 2011

Time to bring back fluoride choice in Franklin

Franklin resident Rich Aucoin has his "Letter to the Editor" published in the Country Gazette:

Aucoin: Time to bring back fluoride choice in Franklin

by Rich Aucoin/Franklin

"a stipulation forcing town officials to notify the public after testing positive"

Between 2006 and 2009, for instance, Chilson Beach at Beaver Pond in Franklin was closed 12 times for E. coli - the most of all MetroWest and Milford-area beaches during that time.

Since those closings, a Franklin Parks and Recreation Department staff person said the town had not taken any extra precautions other than continuing to test for the substance.

Condon sympathized with town officials.

"You can't really control mother nature," she said.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1648848389/Beaches-need-to-be-clean-to-allow-swimming#ixzz1PWjHy7cH

Related post about Well #9
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/06/water-alert.html

Note: related to the Chilson Beach results, Franklin's drinking water comes from wells around town. Nature will normally produce E.coli (where do the animals go?).

Thursday, June 16, 2011

New England Transformed - 2010

The Boston Federal Reserve Bank has just published its annual report for 2010.

The feature essay of the 2010 annual report discusses some of the changes that have occurred in New England over the past four decades, comparing the challenges we faced in the mid-1970s with those we face today.

Well worth spending a few minutes to read!

Boston Federal Reserve Bank: New England Transformed 2010

Franklin fire fighters finally get a contract!

The contract with International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2637 covers fiscal 2008 through fiscal 2011 and gives members a 7.5 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2010.

The raise is on par with what other unions received over that time, Nutting said after the meeting, noting the firefighters had not received a salary increase during those four years.

Ratification of the contract was delayed for about three years by negotiations, he said.
The union agreed to drop grievances with the town about vacation scheduling, training and other issues upon ratification of the contract, according to the contract.

Nutting's contract covers fiscal 2011 through 2013 and keeps his salary at $131,300. Town Council Chairman Scott Mason said the contract was similar to other town administrators' agreements to oversee communities that are smaller than Franklin.

"thinks the new plan will help with traffic concerns"

Daddario would also be required to make improvements to the Franklin Village Plaza traffic light, since that intersection would have increased use from drivers making U-turns to head toward downtown.

After meeting with the state, which owns that stretch of West Central Street, Daddario learned that upgrades there would be more involved and expensive than originally thought.

That expense, coupled with tenants' concerns about the restrictions, led Daddario to reconsider the project, he said.

Town Engineer William Yadisernia said his major concern with the initial project was that it had two restaurants - both of which would have their busiest periods at the same time of day.