Franklin Matters

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Lesson learned: bike shops don't open early

Saturday was a great day for a bike ride.

We got a later start than we wanted. We knew the tires needed to be filled before riding and I do have a bike pump, so it should have have been quick and easy to fill and go. What surprised me was D's new bike has some funky new tube connections. These connections would not fit my pump nor work with the gas station air pump. We would need to get to the bike shop before riding. As it was 8:30 AM when we discovered this, I anticipated that one of the shops would open at 9:00. No such luck, one opens at 10:00 and the other at 11:00.

We were at Crossing Cycle when the doors opened at 10:00. Bought the adapter for the connection, a new pump with the capability to do both connections (standard and new one), filled the tire and were off, finally!

We biked about a dozen miles along the Blackstone River Bike Path. And we'll be ready to get an early start even if the tires need some air next time!

"may send $65 million in local aid cuts back to towns and cities across the state"

Some towns, which didn't expect to have the money, don't have plans for where it would go. Others are welcoming it to plug late cuts, with their local public bodies, such as selectmen, likely to decide its fate.

"Certainly the economy has affected state aid over the past several years," Ashland Town Manager John Petrin said. "We always look forward to additional funds."

Franklin Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting easily came up with areas that need further funding, from balancing the budget to capital projects.

"Obviously, if it happens, it's great news," he said. "In this economy, any money is good news."

Many towns have already closed their budgets, but, like Nutting, came up with dozens of items for which the added funds could be used.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

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."

Franklin Downtown Partnership: Next General Meeting

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

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.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

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.