Making strides - yes or no?

Catching up to the Boston Globe article from Thursday. Turns out that a website has ranked Franklin amongst the least walkable communities in MA. One may quibble with the ranking or methodology, but when you think about it, the ranking I think is fair. There are more streets with no sidewalks than with, and those that have them are not all in good condition, never mind tip top condition. That's my 2 cents accumulated from spending quite a bit of time running the roads around town and some of them are far safer than others.

Meanwhile, Franklin - along with Milford and Northborough - will soon be getting some guidance and training from the nonprofit Walk Boston, through funding from the Metrowest Community Health Care Foundation. 

The project is just getting started, according to Wendy Landman, executive director of Walk Boston - which has worked with about 50 communities in various capacities, from creating walking maps to providing pedestrian safety education. 

The plan is to perform “walk audits’’ in each community. Those involve walking around and examining various factors, she explained, including sidewalk conditions, intersection placement and geometry, efficiency of pedestrian lights, presence of trees, and availability of shade.

Read the full article in the Boston Globe here

Making a race!

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Up to 26 candidates for Franklin town election

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports on 8/25/11

Four more people have taken out papers for the November town election since last week, upping the list of potential candidates to 26.

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Making the way for dogs!

A dog park has been part of Franklin's open space plan since 2009, said Town Planner Beth Dahlstrom, but hasn't been a priority in past years. When Goulet began work on the project about five months ago, she contacted Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting, who helped her figure out where to put the park, and to which departments she needed to talk. 

"It's something that's been in our master plan for some time and she's taking the initiative. That's great," said Nutting. "We hope she can move ahead with this in the next several months." 

To get the park opened, Goulet coordinated volunteers to help her clear the proposed space in Dacey Field, on the far side of the walking path between the sport field and playground; sought donations from local businesses and price quotes on fencing, mulch, trash bins and signs; and built a website, franklindogpark.webs.com, where people can go for more information.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1752170060/Girl-helping-Franklin-establish-dog-park#ixzz1W7v3QfOE

Making a drop off (for the can drive slated on Sept. 10)

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Franklin Boys Hockey can drive slated, Sept. 10

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 8/25/11

The 9th Annual Franklin High School Boys Hockey Bottle &;Can Drive has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept 10, 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Franklin High School parking lot.

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FHS Wrestlers recognized

Facing the end of the north bound i495 exit ramp on to King St is this sign:



Nice to see!

"This is not a partisan issue ... This is a money issue"

"We want a clean river. Ultimately a drinkable, swimmable river is of great value to the community," Fernandes said. "I think we do need to look at continuing to slow the (regulatory) process down. We've got to look at alternative means." 

One alternative would be to pass legislation requiring phosphorus-free fertilizers, he said. 

Complying with the proposed EPA mandate could cost $66 million to $111 million in Milford, based on an EPA-funded study for the three towns, Town Engineer Michael Santora said. 

It could cost $75 million to implement in Franklin and $35 million in Bellingham, Franklin Department of Public Works Director Robert Cantoreggi said. 

"I'm very concerned about the economic fallout of trying to attract and retain businesses," Franklin Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1752169906/Officials-to-fight-EPA-stormwater-mandate#ixzz1W22vX2eX


Related posts on the EPA Proposal


http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/06/epa-storm-water-proposal-information.html
(includes links to a meeting video and presentation handout)

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/epa-storm-water-proposal-information.html
(includes EPA summary doc and presentation)

Mapping Wrentham

In the category of being aware of our surroundings, as well as wasn't Franklin once part of Wrentham anyway, comes this item from fellow 'local blogger' Patrick Coleman:

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Mapping Wrentham

via The Wrentham Times by Patrick Coleman on 8/24/11

The Wrentham Cultural Council and the Wrentham Historical Commission will sponsor an exhibit "Mapping Wrentham" including maps and historical objects from their collections at Wrentham Day on September 10, 2011. The exhibit, open at the Old Fiske Museum from 9 am to 4pm, will feature a variety of maps (topographical maps, roadmaps, hand-drawn maps, and aerial photos) accompanied by representative artifacts such as postcards, vintage clothing, straw hats, and hand-made quilts, chronicling the history of Wrentham from its incorporation in 1673 to 1990.
One display will feature an 1830 reproduction of a painting of the town center (pictured) whose exact location is not eminently clear to contemporary viewers. Visitors will be invited to contribute their ideas about the painting, specifically the present day location of the figures pictured. Also featured will be a map of the hastily-prepared campsite of Rochambeau, just one of fifty-four camps of the French army used its march from Yorktown to Boston.  Each of the four divisions of the army remained at the site between Lake Archer and Main Street only one night, the first division arriving on December 1, 1782, before marching to Dedham, the last stop before Boston. Incidentally, an officer in the French army, Ludovici Cornette, who married a woman from town, is buried in a plot in the East Street cemetery easily viewed from the window of the Old Fiske.

In addition, visitors may mark the location of their homes on a reproduction of another map on display, thus creating a census of visitorship to the exhibition. The cotton bathing costume (pictured) that may have been worn by a young lady visiting Lake Pearl Park at the turn of the 20th century, will be juxtaposed with a map dated to that period. Other articles of clothing such as a Sheldonville baseball uniform and jersey and straw hats made in Wrentham will also be displayed with appropriately dated maps. A quilt constructed by Mrs. Patricia Shea's practical arts class at the King Philip North Junior High School depicting the town seal, historical structures, and important figures will hang over the newly restored fireplace mantle in the museum. Commission and Council members will be on hand all day with narratives and explanations to enhance the visitor's experience. The public is welcome!

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