Kennedy Community Playground can use your help!

Background:
The current wooden structural playground at the Kennedy School services the nearly 500 students enrolled at Kennedy in Kindergarten through 5th Grade. In addition, the playground is a popular play spot all year long to the many residents and extended family members of the nearby neighborhoods.

The existing main structure shows evidence of wear and has several components with cracked, splintered and worn parts. The aging wooden structure and plastic components that are cracked or broken are contributing to splinters and other injuries to the children who use this playground.

The Principal has requested a new playground for several years in the budgeting process and it has been denied each time with funds going toward repairs of the school building itself. Additionally, with school funding challenges and reductions in physical activities, the playground is more important than ever in the physical well-being of the student population.

The Kennedy Parent Communication Council (PCC) is the parent community for Kennedy School and, based on widespread support and urging, has initiated a Playground Project to pursue replacement of the main playground area. The PCC has established a Playground Committee and has begun setting aside funds in a special account earmarked just for the playground. The Playground Committee is exploring designs from the same manufacturer as most other school playgrounds in Franklin.

Goals:
The Playground Committee is pursuing a new playground for Kennedy School that:
- is fun, challenging and supports the physical development and well-being of the Kennedy student population;
- is safe and accessible to children aged 5 - 12 years;
- utilizes certain elements of existing playground (ie. swingset and poured access path) to maintain costs.
- is cost efficient through use of local community volunteer support of demolition of the current playground and installation of the new equipment.

The Committee will seek funding from sources including:
- PCC donations from the Kennedy students' families;
- Corporate donations and sponsorships;
- Local community fundraising;
- Corporate, state and federal grant funds;
- Possible town funding support.

Installation of the new playground in Spring of 2012.


Visit their website for additional information and fund raising links
http://www.kennedyplayground.com/Home_Page.php



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a common denominator

"I was disturbed. It was the American flag and it was destroyed," said Michael DelConte, the branch manager of the store on Forge Parkway. "It's not good to see the American flag in that condition." 

So DelConte turned to Franklin resident Robert Long, the owner of Franklin Flags. 

Long, who began his business selling American flags just months after Sept. 11, 2001, is offering to retire American flags damaged by Tropical Storm Irene at no cost, and replace them at discounted prices.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x948305636/Franklin-company-to-honor-the-flag#ixzz1XjI5IFqt

Visit the Franklin Flags website here:  http://www.franklinflags.com/

Tucoola - Games for Kids and Parents to Play Together

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Tucoola - Games for Kids and Parents to Play Together

via Free Technology for Teachers by noreply@blogger.com (Mr. Byrne) on 9/10/11

Tucoola is a free site offering games for children and parents. The site has a section of single user activities for kids and section of two user activities for parents to play with their children. Most of the activities are simple enough for children four years old to play. The activities include things like simple jigsaw puzzles, checkers, and basic number games. The site can be used without registration, but parents who do choose to register themselves and their children can access activity reports for what their children have done on the site.

Applications for Education
Tucoola isn't breaking any new ground with their games and activities, but if you're looking for some basic skills practice activities it's worth bookmarking Tucoola. The option to access activity reports for their children might be an appealing feature for parents.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Free Technology for Teachers using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Ichigo Ichie is coming

Ichigo Ichie is making progress toward their published opening date of October 2011. They operate one location in East Providence and will be expanding to their second here in Franklin in the former Piccadily Pub building.

You can visit their website to view their menu

From the Town Council meeting earlier this year (approving their liquor license)
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/03/library-and-friends-clear-air.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/03/franklin-has-developed-reputation-as.html

Sports fund raising

Franklin High School athletes were going door to door on Saturday with a fund raising effort. The card provides discounts at local merchants. Two pictured are Sports Authority and British Beer Company.






This is good exercise as they walked door to door. Better than standing outside a store with a traditional coffee can.

Franklin, MA: Town Council Agenda - 9/14/11

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 20, 2011

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS
2011 Election Workers
Registrar of Voters
Conservation Commission
Finance Committee

F. HEARINGS
Alcoholic Beverages Licensees – Failure to Pass Compliance Check – 7:10
Devita’s Market
Joe’s American Bar and Grill
Tedeschi Food Shop
Uptowne Pub

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
New All Alcoholic Beverages License – Sakebom - 264 Franklin Village Drive

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
1. Residential Soliciting – Stephen T. Williams
2. Tropical Storm Irene – Gary McCarraher

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 11-10: Request for Legislation – Exempting the Deputy Fire Chief from Civil Service (Tabled on 8/10/2011)
2. Resolution 11-45: Chapter 61A-1st Refusal Option – Land on Spring Street
3. Resolution 11-47: Authorization for Intermunicipal Agreement with Town of Medway for Shared Nursing Services
4. Resolution 11-48: Acceptance of Gift of Land at 1156 Pond Street (Lot #2)
5. Resolution 11-49: Grant of Sewer Easement on Property At 82 (Formerly 95) Park Rd
6. Bylaw Amendment 11-663: Sewer Rates-Appendix B- List of Service Rates - 2nd Reading
7. Bylaw Amendment 11-664: Water Rates-Appendix B-List of Service Rates- 2nd Reading

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN

To read and review the full set of documents for this agenda, you can follow this link to the PDF

Circle of Friends Coffeehouse: Ellis Paul

The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse presents Ellis Paul, singer, songwriter, poet and troubadour, with special guests Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli on Saturday, Sept. 17, 8:00 PM 

Admission is $25.

The line up this season is a great one. Angel Band, Lori McKenna, Peter Yarrow, and Peter Mulvey are among those slated to appear. Check out the full schedule here http://www.circlefolk.org/sched.html

The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse is an acoustically great place for a concert. The dessert selection is awesome and decadent!

In September 2001 the coffeehouse moved to the First Universalist Society meetinghouse, 262 Chestnut St, Franklin. Doors open at 7:30 PM and all concerts start at 8:00 PM unless otherwise noted. All concerts are non-smoking and alcohol free.

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SEMINAR ON BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a seminar entitled Business Sustainability for the Real World: Bringing Economic Wellbeing to Our Business Community on Sept. 14. 

Learn ways to increase your market share, opportunities that sustainability can bring you, how it can help reduce operating costs, and much more. 

The event will be held at Living Waters Conference Center, 15 John L. Dietsch Blvd., North Attleborough from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The registration cost is $25. The price includes lunch. Call the Chamber at 508-222-0801 to reserve your place.

Farmer's Market - open - noon to 6:00 PM

Labor Day may be behind us, summer over, school underway but that doesn't mean the Farmer's Market is closed!

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

Located on the Town Common

Reminder that the Farmers' Market now accepts SNAP dollars and can double your purchasing power.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/07/franklin-farmers-market-doubles-food.html

Visit the Food Pantry tent at the Farmers' Market for details.

Photography services - what is taxable?

As a father with two daughters, the tax implications for wedding photography caught my attention. The MA Dept of Revenue writes:

If you're heading toward a wedding, a few minutes of reading time here could save you and the bride- or groom-to-be a few bucks, or at least explain the possible sales tax implications for your wedding photography or videography (the same rules apply to both). 

Generally, the sales tax applies to any sale at retail by any vendor of tangible personal property, so it is clear that a conventional wedding album or a DVD of wedding photos generates a sales tax. 

But assembling photos in an album or DVD is no longer the sole method of delivering a photography product such as wedding pictures to a client, which makes a world of difference in sales tax. A wedding album or DVD is a product delivered to the purchaser in a tangible medium. You can put your hands on it, and so it is taxed as tangible personal property. 

So how does this work in practice? Let's say you contract with a photographer to pay $3,500 for photography services on your wedding day, and also contract to pay $500 for a DVD of the photos. The $4,000 total is subject to sales tax because the photographer produced a tangible product which you are contractually obligated to purchase.

Read more on this matter in the DOR posting here
http://revenue.blog.state.ma.us/blog/2011/09/a-snapshot-of-salesuse-tax-on-photography-services.html