Two red tail hawks down

Animal control officers, one of whom was also attacked, then shot and killed two hawks, which Tom French, an assistant director of MassWildlife, later identified as an adult and a juvenile that was learning to fly. 

French confirmed that state environmental police and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating. 

He said the state does not typically second-guess town officers who act in the interest of public safety. 

"Unfortunately, there are some concerns," said Marion Larson, an information and education biologist for MassWildlife, "because it is illegal to shoot hawks and owls, and it's a federal issue as well as a state problem."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x633527252/Shooting-of-two-hawks-in-Franklin-questioned-by-MassWildlife-officials#ixzz1SGeGATLj

Franklin Downtown Partnership: Next General Meeting

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Next General Meeting

via Franklin Downtown Partnership by noreply@blogger.com (Franklin Downtown Partnership) on 7/15/11

Please join us for our next General Meeting!

Thursday, July 21, 8:30 a.m.

Dean College Campus Center Board Room

1st floor across from the dining hall

Coffee will be served.

New Members Welcome!

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Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School to destroy some records

I assume the destruction will be a controlled and secure process.

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Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School to destroy some records

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 7/15/11

In compliance with the Student Records Regulations, Chapter 71 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth, notification of the destruction of the temporary school records is given to all students who received special education services and who transferred, terminated, withdrew, were released from these services, or graduated from Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School during the 1995 – 2004 school years.

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In the News: there was a market for this

Franklin detectives saw the men exchange something with someone in a second car, police said, and then followed the second car and stopped a man who, by that time, had a baggie of what was later identified as cocaine in his mouth. 

The detectives then returned to the parking lot and saw a second exchange within an hour and a half involving the same green car, the police report said. 

Detectives interrupted that deal, which this time was heroin, and arrested Dejesus-Escbales and Delossantos, according to court documents. 

The two people who bought the drugs were not arrested and instead were summoned to court on possession charges, police said. 

Police found 13 small bags of heroin, one large bag of heroin, and a bag of cocaine in the Honda, along with $2,158 in cash. Officers also found five cellphones, which rang repeatedly during the arrests, according to court reports.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x633527250/Two-charged-with-dealing-heroin-in-Franklin#ixzz1SGg9TAYX

Farmers Market Open Today !

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

United Regional Young Professionals Organization announces website and membership opportunities

The United Regional Young Professionals Organization (YPO) announced the launch of their website at unitedregionalypo.org and is accepting new members. The YPO consists of a diverse group of young professionals who have an interest in social and business networking, community involvement and professional development. 

The YPO was organized in 2010 by the United Regional Chamber of Commerce in direct response to the challenges in attracting and retaining diverse young professionals and to develop the next generation of leadership. The annual membership fee of $50 is waived for the first year for United Regional Chamber of Commerce members. 

The YPO is co-hosting a “Christmas in July” networking event with the Hampton Inn in Franklin on July 28. “The hotel will be decorated inside and out for Christmas – Trees, lights, holiday music, movies, the works!” says Amanda Gentile, Director of Sales at the Hampton Inn Franklin/Milford and Board Member of the YPO. The festivities will include pictures with Santa, Christmas ornaments, cookies, hot apple cider and coco buffet, and a hotel hunt for fabulous gifts. You may register for this event on the YPO’s website or by contacting 508-488-YPO1 (9761).

"The end product is very much their own"

In another movie, a dozen characters fight for the title of Greatest Warrior. 

But the class is more than goofing off with gruesome fight scenes. Kids learn how to use a plethora of gadgets, from cameras to tripods, to USB cables, to memory cards. They learn how to make a better picture with or without the flash, edit audio and video clips, and download data to the computer program they used. 

Bisbee said she also incorporates some creative writing in having the kids plan out their characters, plot and settings on paper and storyboards before acting the script out. More than the technical and academic skills, though, the kids learn teamwork. 

"They definitely get a feel for what it's like to work cooperatively and be creative. They play off each other's strengths," said Bisbee, noting that the teams have to plan together and come to a consensus throughout the week. "It's a cooperative project from beginning to end."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x633527054/Putting-summer-fun-in-motion-in-Franklin#ixzz1SAGfernJ

Thousands needed for tornado cleanup July 30-31

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Thousands needed for tornado cleanup July 30-31

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 7/14/11

Thousands of volunteers are needed for a cleanup drive on Saturday and Sunday, July 30-31, in the communities affected by the June 1 tornadoes that struck western and central Massachusetts.

Click to register or for more information.

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Drop off unused drugs at Franklin PD

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Drop off unused drugs at Franklin PD

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 7/14/11

A drug take-back container is now in the Franklin police station lobby at 911 Panther Way.

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"amendments were approved unanimously and without discussion"

The downtown district will now be labeled a mixed-use, transit-oriented area, with specific emphasis on restaurants and retail. 

The amendments are stricter on residential use than commercial. 

Apartments are restricted to upper floors, with no more than 1 dwelling per 2,000 square feet of a lot area downtown. 

While there was previously no parking restriction, each residential unit must now provide 1.5 parking spaces. There is still no parking restriction for businesses.
The 20-foot setback from the street or sidewalk originally required for buildings now starts at a minimum of 5 feet, with 15 feet for four-story buildings. Upper floors are allowed to overhang that minimum requirement. 

The new rules only apply to buildings that are three stories or lower, and proposals for taller structures would still have to get special permit.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1850043867/Franklin-OKs-changes-to-downtown-zoning#ixzz1S4RhOeuc

"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

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

Get involved with Franklin Youth Baseball

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

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.

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Cash-strapped MBTA aims to sell station naming rights

via Boston Business News - Local Boston News | Boston Business Journal on 7/11/11

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...

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"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