Saturday, June 18, 2011

Why Franklin, MA public schools deserve your financial support

If you need proof that your local tax dollars are being spent well at the Franklin, MA public schools, please take a few seconds to look at the following repost from the 02038.com blog.








The post covers the recent art festival held at the Franklin High School by the school’s Franklin Arts Academy (FAA). The FAA functions as a school within a school. It helps boost the academic achievements of artistically talented Franklin students who might otherwise struggle in a traditional school environment.

Video of the FAA’s art festival
Here’s a short video of the art festival:




Why Franklin public schools deserve your financial support
I brought my two young sons to the art festival thinking I’d be showing them some typical high school art. Instead I came away excited about the vision and dedication of Franklin High’s teaching and administrative staff and very encouraged about the future of Franklin’s public schools. We have something special in the Franklin public schools and we’d be smart to dedicate the funding needed in coming years to maintain the outstanding services we are getting from the system.

As I said in the 02038.com post: Franklin High School’s excellence in action
It says a lot about the quality and dedication of the educators in the Franklin Public School system that the High School has implemented such a forward-thinking and creative program that truly helps students.
In these times of budget cuts and municipal layoffs, it is refreshing to see such dedication to the ideals of public education. Please remember this the next time you hear complaints about local real estate taxes and municipal spending. Support your public schools!

You can read the whole post here.

In the News - summer classes, summer reading


Registration open for Dean College summer classes





Franklin summer reading lists available




Friday, June 17, 2011

Water alert

We received an automated phone call yesterday from the Franklin DPW notifying us about a test on Well #9 that returned bad results. The well was taken off line. No action on our part is required. This is a normal part of the daily effort to deliver clean water to Franklin.



Franklin water sample contains bacteria


There was a presentation on the water supply recently and recapped in this article
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/they-didnt-know-how-much-time-is-spent.html

Farmers Market Open Today !


Franklin Farmers Market,  Friday,  12:00pm to 6:00pm


Franklin: Farmers Market

ALERT: Public Redistricting Hearing - This Saturday!

The following is an email from Senator Karen Spilka about the redistricting being done in MA.


June 15, 2011

Dear Steve,

As a member of the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting, I am pleased to invite you to a public hearing we are hosting this Saturday, June 18th at Framingham State University.

Following the results of the Census conducted last year, the Massachusetts Congressional delegation must be reduced from ten seats to nine and the district lines for State Representative, State Senator and Governor's Council seats must be redrawn to make sure that each district remains proportionate.

This is an opportunity for you to learn more about the committee, the redistricting process and what it means for you and your community. This is open to the public, giving anyone the opportunity to testify as to their thoughts, questions or concerns regarding redistricting.

Since this will be the only redistricting hearing held in the MetroWest area, I urge all my constituents and all others in the region to attend. It is crucial that we get feedback on this issue so that we can do the best possible job for the Commonwealth.

I look forward to seeing you at this important hearing and discussing how to ensure that the MetroWest remains an economically vibrant region with a strong presence in the legislative process.

Event Details:

Special Joint Committee on Redistricting
Public Hearing
Saturday, June 18th
10:00AM-2:00PM
Framingham State University
Forum Room at the McCarthy Center
100 State Street
Framingham, MA 01701


For those who cannot attend the hearing, the Committee hosts a website at http://www.malegislature.gov/redistricting that provides redistricting information, the full hearing schedule and locations and a contact page for residents to submit questions, comments or materials.

If you have any other concerns or comments, please do not hesitate to email me at Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov or call my office at (617) 722-1640.

Regards,

Karen E. Spilka
2nd Middlesex and Norfolk
http://www.karenspilka.com/


Office of State Senator Karen E. Spilka
Room 511-C, State House
Boston, Massachusetts  02133


This message was sent to shersteve@gmail.com from:
Office of Karen Spilka | Office of State Senator Karen E. Spilka, Room 511-C, State House | Boston, MA 02133
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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







"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.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1781764793/Franklin-OKs-7-5-percent-raise-for-firefighters#ixzz1PQnLVwNP


"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. 
"Even a full-service restaurant would be fine," Yadisernia said. 
Town Planner Beth Dahlstrom said the Planning Board expects to hold a public hearing on the revised plan at its July 11 meeting.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1781764811/Taco-Bell-Wendys-plan-may-lose-a-restaurant#ixzz1PQmT9SwI


In the News - Strawberry Stroll, school survey


Franklin Strawberry Stroll tomorrow




Franklin parents asked to complete school survey



Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Yea, Bruins!




"It's for innovative teaching"

In other business, the School Committee postponed a discussion of privatizing the management portion of the food service program until its June 28 meeting to allow a subcommittee studying the issue to review one of the proposals, School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy said. 
The subcommittee had recommended that the committee authorize the administration to enter negotiations with Whitson's Culinary Group. Sodexo, Aramark and Chartwells also submitted proposals. Roy said he didn't know which proposal needed to be examined. 
The School Committee gave administrators authorization in April to seek proposals, hoping that a private company could better meet new federal nutrition requirements and have greater purchasing power than the current district-run food system.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x59982214/Franklin-teachers-get-funds-for-special-projects#ixzz1PKxbzBLL


In the News - MetroWest, teen, Arts Academy, summer programs


Health Foundation distributes grants to Franklin






Franklin teen vies for honors in Alabama






Franklin High Arts Academy to showcase skills


Franklin to hold summer program for children


"enormous suffering on some of our nation’s most vulnerable"

From the Center for American Progress:
This week the House will debate a GOP proposal to cut $101 million from food assistance for low-income seniors and local food banks. The bill slashes $38 million (a 22 percent cut) from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, or CSFP, which provides nutritious food packages to more than 600,000 low-income families every month (96 percent of whom are seniors). The bill also cuts $63 million from The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, which provides our nation’s emergency food bank network with food commodities and storage and distribution support. These cuts come at a time when food prices are rising and food banks are already struggling to serve their existing caseload. 
Conservatives claim these cuts on the backs of our nation’s most vulnerable families are necessary to bring our fiscal house in order. But here’s the rub: One day’s worth of Bush tax cuts for millionaires would more than offset these cuts to seniors and food banks. Here’s the math:


You can read the full posting on the Center for American Progress website
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/06/millionairetaxcutsinfographic.html