Thursday, July 14, 2011

"food service programs' nutrition standards are 'uneven' "

Ryan's remarks came after the Massachusetts Public Health Council yesterday adopted new school nutrition regulations giving students healthier eating options. 
The new guidelines, which take effect in the 2012-13 school year, will require schools to make fresh produce, healthy beverages, and low-fat dairy and whole grain offerings available wherever food is sold. The rules also get rid of products loaded with sugars and trans fat, including sugar-sweetened beverages like soda. 
The regulations apply to food in vending machines, at snack booths or at school-sponsored events. They won't affect schools' meal programs, nor do they apply to foods sold more than a half-hour before or after the school day.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1850043855/State-passes-stricter-school-lunch-rules#ixzz1S4ShI5MY

Note: Franklin just went with an outside firm to provide the food service partly for this reason.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/06/theres-lot-of-efficiencies-here.html


In the News - Rep Vallee, Youth baseball


Rep. Vallee holds office hours in Franklin, Medway



Get involved with Franklin Youth Baseball




Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The summer of ______ (fill in the blank)

What will you have called this summer? Scott Stratton in this TEDx Talk called this his 'summer of Owen'.




Before the summer is over. Before you forget the heat. Before it gets to September.

Will you take time to stop?


Cash-strapped MBTA aims to sell station naming rights

Gee, I wonder if that means Dean College could loose the place they currently have (Franklin/Dean) or would now have to pay for it? It could get real confusing associating a business name with a station location.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:


Next stop: State Street Bank Station? Or, how does TD Bank North Station sound? No? Harvard Pilgrim Station has a nice ring to it. The fiscally troubled Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is gearing up to sell naming rights to its stations, transit lines, and even the authority's Charlie Card payment system. According to a request for proposals published on the website of MBTA real estate arm Transit Realty, the T is accepting bids for "naming rights consulting services" - a two-year contract "to assist in the monetization of the Naming Rights potential of the MBTA's...

Things you can do from here:

"We're going to have some class size issues"

"We don't like to build a budget on attrition," said Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski, adding that she looks for savings wherever she can. "It's really hard to predict what the attrition number could be." 
Attrition money is gained through replacing retiring teachers, often at the higher end of the pay scale, with new hires who start with much lower salaries. 
The federal money, $850,939, is left over from last year's Education Jobs Fund program, a stimulus program similar to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The School Committee voted last year to save about half of the $1.4 million federal allotment for the fiscal '12 budget. 
Sabolinski and the School Committee members were quick to point out to one another that both sources of funding are unsteady - the Jobs Fund money won't be available next year and the superintendent cannot count on consistent retirements of highly paid teachers.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1850043587/Franklin-schools-use-saved-funds-to-bridge-budget-gap#ixzz1RyX6E8b7

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

History Mystery

Yes, indeed, inside the cover of a book there are worlds to explore!

Davis Thayer sign

What book are you reading this summer?


Preliminary Analysis: The Governor's Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Vetoes





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Preliminary Analysis:
The Governor's Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Vetoes 


July 11, 2011 

Presented with a budget that implemented a fourth year of budget cuts across state government, Governor Patrick today signed that document without using his line-item veto authority to impose any additional cuts.   

In signing the budget, the Governor highlighted several reform initiatives in the budget, including: changes in the indigent defense system that aim to save money by shifting some cases from privately contracted lawyers to public defenders; an initiative to try to place homeless families more quickly in permanent housing rather than shelter; and the creation of a new office of Performance, Accountability and Transparency.

The Governor vetoed several outside sections and returned a number of them with proposed amendments.  Outside sections are parts of the budget that don't appropriate money.  This preliminary analysis of the Governor's vetoes briefly describes outside sections the Governor vetoed and amendments he proposed to other outside sections.

The report is available at www.massbudget.org or by clicking here.    



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