Passport: your ticket to discovering the Harvest Festival

The Harvest Festival Passport is your ticket to discovering all the event has to offer. Looking for entertainment? Food? Crafters? The Passport and the Map will help you navigate downtown Franklin and get the most out of the festival.

The Passport lists the entertainment acts, show times and locations. Used hand in hand with the map, it’s also your chance to win prizes.

Pick up your Passport at the Franklin Downtown Partnership booth, major sponsors’ booths or at the Historical Museum. Then locate the “Destination” booths listed and get your Passport validated. Once you have all your stamps, drop the Passport off at the Downtown Partnership booth to be entered into a drawing. Winners will be announced on the FDP website, franklindowntownpartnership.org, on Tuesday, October 4.

There are many prizes to win, including a Coffee, Tea and Chocolate gift basket donated by the Franklin News and valued at $300, a gift basket donated by Happy Tails Doggy Daycare, a $100 gift certificate to the YMCA, items donated by Music Odyssey Productions, and many more, adding up to a total prize value of over $1,000.

Just follow these three simple steps to win:

1. Pick up your Passport at the FDP booth, sponsor booths or Historical Museum
2. Validate your Passport at Destination booths
3. Drop off your completed Passport at the FDP booth

In the News - Cafasso, Dean College

Meet the Franklin Candidates: Edward Cafasso, School Committee

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

Franklin's Dean College dedicates new additions to campus center

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

YMCA Walk to school, Weds Oct 5

Hockomock Area YMCA and local schools celebrate
International Walk to School Day on October 5

   

(Franklin, MA)  Hockomock Area YMCA staff and school leaders and volunteers will join local elementary school children in celebrating the annual International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 5. Participating schools include Oak Street Elementary, Helen Keller Elementary, Davis Thayer Elementary, and Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public Schools all in Franklin as well as Stall Brook Elementary School in Bellingham.

Franklin's Bernon Family Branch of The Hockomock Area YMCA will join the students as well as parents, teachers, and community leaders on the walk from the designed meeting spaces to their schools, ensuring that they have a safe path to school. As part of a strong commitment to the YMCA's Healthy Future's initiative which was developed as a collective community response to the childhood obesity epidemic, YMCA staff will encourage kids to learn about fitness by walking to school with friends.

Walk to School events work to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment, and building connections between families, schools, and the broader community.

In the U.S., International Walk to School Day is expected to be celebrated at over 3,500 events at participating schools. Walkers from the U.S. will join children and adults in 40 countries around the world.

For additional information, please contact the Y's Community and Youth Wellness Director Lauren Marciszyn at 774.235.2737 or laurenm@hockymca.org.

For additional information, please visit these Web sites:

International Walk to School in the USA                      www.walktoschool.org                       

National Center for Safe Routes to School                   www.saferoutesinfo.org

International Walk to School                                        www.iwalktoschool.org

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Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit increases to $980 for 2011

 

 

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

 

 

Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit increases to $980 for 2011

via Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue by Robert Bliss on 9/30/11

Posted by:

Robert Bliss, Director of Communication, Department of Revenue

The Department of Revenue published yesterday the Technical Information Release that presents the new income, valuation and credit amounts for the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit for tax year 2011.

The $980 maximum value of this credit for tax year 2011 is $10 more than the previous year.

There is no other refundable state tax credit that puts more money into the wallets of taxpayers 65 and older than the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit. In tax year 2009, the most recent tax year for which complete information is available, 80,566 taxpayers received $61.1million in cash or credits used to lower income tax payments, an average of $759 per taxpayer. 

The circuit breaker tax credit is based upon the actual real estate taxes -- or rent -- paid by a taxpayer who is eligible to claim the credit.

It is equal to the amount by which the taxpayer's property tax payments in the current tax year, including water and sewer charges but excluding any abatement or exemption granted, exceeds 10 percent of the taxpayer's total income, provided that the credit does not exceed the maximum credit amount for tax year 2011 of $980.

A taxpayer's total income may not exceed $52,000 for a single individual who is not head of a household, $65,000 for a head of household, and $78,000 for a married couple filing jointly.

The maximum assessed valuation of a residence may not exceed $729,000, which is down from last year's maximum valuation of $764,000, reflecting a decline in the valuation of homes.

The credit also works for renters. It is equal to the amount by which 25 percent of the rent actually paid during the taxable year exceeds 10 percent of the taxpayer's total income, with the credit capped at $980.

How does this credit work in practice? Take the example of a married couple with an annual income of $60,000 and $8,000 in property tax and water and sewer bills for their home. Ten percent of their income is $6,000 and their combined property tax and water and sewer bills total $8,000, which is $2,000 more than 10 percent of their income, so they qualify for the maximum credit of $980.

For a married couple filing jointly that rents, take the example of a married couple with a $28,000 income who pay $12,000 annually in rent. Ten percent of their income is 2,800, which is $200 less than 25 percent of their rent, so they qualify for a credit of $200.

If you are eligible, you can go back three years and claim the credit retroactively. If you owe tax, the credit is deducted from the amount owed. And if you don't owe tax, the state cuts you a check. It's worth taking a few minutes to do the math on this.

Historic information on the number and amount of credits issued to taxpayers in each of the Commonwealth's 351 cities and towns over the years is published on DOR's web page. Click on the link that says Senior Circuit Breaker Usage Report.

 

 

 

 

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• Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue using Google Reader
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Franklin, MA: Town Council Attendance

The Town Council is an elected position. It is a volunteer position. Despite some who persist in saying they get paid to do this, they don't. At least not in a formal salary or stipend etc. from the Town.*

* updated 5:40 PM - in trying to nail the item that the Council does not get compensated, I guess I left open a door for other compensation. Clearly, that was not my intent. I guess the hammer hit my thumb. Ouch!

The performance of the current Town Council since being elected in November 2009 is shown below:

Note: The spreadsheet that drives this chart is publicly available and has been since November 2009. You can view it but not edit it. If you find something that should be corrected, please let me know.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkwjbnXDBhczdEZSWlZLTFVqNmcxZWFTNDNxNk5PZkE&hl=en#gid=0

The spreadsheet also records the School Committee attendance. There is significantly less variability among the School Committee members.

"more crafters, more entertainers and more businesses involved than ever before"

Franklin’s Harvest Festival to be Largest Ever

Sandy Chaplin has been readying her hand-crafted bracelets and earrings since last spring in anticipation of the Franklin Downtown Partnership’s Harvest Festival. For a fifth year the jewelry artist and owner of Chappy Girls Studios will set up her customary booth on Main Street.

“My customers come to me with an idea in mind and I make their jewelry while they wait,” she says. “They get a really unique piece of jewelry they’ve helped create. My customers inspire me to come up with new designs all the time.” Chaplin, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, recently designed a bracelet she will sell at the upcoming festival with the profits going to the American Cancer Society.

Chaplin will be one of more than 100 crafters participating in this year’s event on Sunday, October 2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year the Franklin Downtown Partnership sold out booth space to crafters and community groups who wanted to be part of Franklin’s largest festival.

Organizers expect 5,000 visitors to this year’s ninth annual Harvest Festival, which will feature an expanded entertainment lineup, crafts, kids’ activities and games, food booths, an antique car show, Historical Museum tours, a farmers’ market, a fire station open house, and local businesses’ specials and promotions.

“This year’s festival has surpassed our expectations,” says FDP President Nicole Fortier. “We have more crafters, more entertainers and more businesses involved than ever before. We are excited to show the residents and visitors what a vibrant community we have here.”

Demand for booth space was high, and crafter booths will span all three main streets. Some vendors are participating for the first time this year, such as The Lace Man, who sells every type of lace possible, from doilies to unique, handmade lace pieces. Other crafters have returned year after year because the festival draws so many visitors.

To help everyone navigate the event this year, the Partnership has created the Harvest Festival Passport, which visitors can pick up at the FDP and major sponsors’ booths. Using the passport in combination with the map, visitors will seek out destination booths scattered throughout the festival to get their passport stamped. Once every destination has been validated, the passports will be entered into a drawing to win prizes. Passport drawing winners will be announced on the FDP website.

Jazz combo TKLS Perspective will play their blend of swing, hip hop, funk and bossa nova on the center island all day. The main stage in front of gold sponsor Rockland Trust Bank will feature professional DJ Domenic Cotoia of Music Odyssey Productions, Franklin High School ensemble Sustain, singer/songwriter Jamie Barrett, 2011 “Franklin Idol” winner Kaylee Finley, and 2011 “Franklin’s Got Talent” winner Dominic Salzillo.  Magician Chris Bolter will entertain the crowds with his special brand of magic.

On a separate stage in front of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, FSPA will present an abbreviated version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, accompanied by a professional band.

The Children’s Area in the Depot Street parking lot will feature some old favorite games and activities, and some new ones as well, like the obstacle course. Stop by the Cub Scout Pack 126 booth and drop off nonperishable food items to be donated to the Franklin Food Pantry.  

Food can be found in abundance at the festival. The food tent on Main Street will serve up burgers, sausages and peppers, chicken, lemonade and more. The FDP food tent in front of Dean Bank will have hot dogs, drinks, slushies and snacks. Several downtown restaurants are also serving food outside their establishments. Fresh, local produce can be found at the Farmer’s Market in the Berry Insurance parking lot.

The fire station will host an open house in observance of Fire Safety Week. Kids are invited to “Touch a Truck,” and firefighters will be on hand to answer questions and provide fire safety tips.  Down the street, the Historical Museum will be open for tours and will host the popular antique car show.

Many businesses are offering special promotions during the festival. Vallee Jewelers on Main Street will buy old, broken, outdated or mismatched gold items. Silver sponsor Green Mountain Chocolates will showcase its chocolate-dipped potato chips.

“We have more businesses and vendors involved this year than ever before,” says Partnership Executive Director Lisa Piana. “Our sponsors have been exceptional and stepped up to make this all possible. We are proud to be associated with these local businesses who take such an active role in making Franklin the livable, viable town that it is.”

The Gold Sponsor for this festival is Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation. Silver Sponsors are DCU,  Green Mountain Chocolates and Middlesex Savings Bank. Bronze Sponsors are Dean Bank,  Chestnut Dental Associates, Byrne Financial Freedom, LLC., Mike Dunsky/Guaranteed Rate and NHS Print.

Friends of the Festival sponsors are D.G. Ranieri Supply Company, Ferguson Enterprises, Ten Key, Inc., Keefe Insurance, Fenton Financial Group and Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation, Franklin.  

The event will take place rain or shine and span Main Street and East and West Central Streets. Main Street will be closed at 9 a.m., reopening at 4 p.m. Visitor parking is available at designated lots along West Central Street, Main Street and Summer Street.


The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization made up of businesses, community leaders and residents working to revitalize downtown Franklin. The Partnership relies on donations and sponsorship to fund events like the Harvest Festival as well as downtown improvement projects like beautification efforts and streetscape design. For more information please contact the Executive Director Lisa Piana at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com or visit the FDP website at franklindowntownpartnership.org.