Franklin Downtown Partnership: Meeting Agenda

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Meeting Agenda

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

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting Agenda

Thursday, November 17, 2011, at 8:30 a.m.

Dean College Campus Center, Golder Room

I.         Open Meeting


II.        Adoption of Agenda


III.       Introductions
            a.  Welcome New Members -- Lisa Piana
                 John Fenton, Certified Financial Planner
                 Donna Rajcula, Mary Kay
                 Barry Madden, Franklin Ford
                 Dr. Don Cohen, Allied Chiropractic
                 Judith Needell, Franklin News
                 Linda Waters, Back to Business


IV.        Town Updates -- Bryan Taberner


V.         Report from Executive Director
             a.  Sponsorship and Membership update
             b.  Website Link, WMRC Buy Local
             c.  January meeting for downtown businesses


VI.        Franklin Local Town Pages -- Publisher Chuck Tashjian


VII.       Beautification -- Eileen Mason
             a.  Holiday Decorating -- Sunday, November 20
             b.  Volunteers also needed Friday, November 18


VIII.      Holiday Stroll -- Cindy Kozil and Roberta Trahan


IX.        Networking Schedule -- Joel Carrara


X.         New Business


XI.        Other Business


XII.       Adjourn

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Franklin Food Elves Launch ’12 Days of Donating’

The Franklin Food Elves and the Downtown Partnership will launch the “12 Days of Donating” food drive to benefit the local food pantry at the third annual Holiday Stroll on Thursday, December 1, at the 4 p.m. tree-lighting ceremony.

The charitable community service group’s goal is to collect 1,200 pounds of food and $1,200 in 12 days to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry. The campaign will run from December 1 through December 12. Along with a food bin set up at the tree ceremony on the Dean College campus, the Elves are placing bins at six downtown locations where people can drop off non-perishable food items.

According to the Franklin Food Pantry, more than 1,000 residents use its services. Recent Census data shows the need is greater; more than 3,000 Franklin residents, or 9% of the town’s population, are struggling. That need increases in winter due to the cost of heat.

If the Food Elves reach their goal and collect 1,200 pounds of food, participating businesses pledge an additional $1,200 in matching funds. Franklin Food Elves co-founders Melissa and Cameron Piana and the FDP hope that the community will support the Food Pantry by helping them reach this goal. What will 1,200 pounds and $1,200 do for Franklin? 1,200 pounds of food can provide 923 meals to those in need. The $1,200 can provide an additional 6,000 meals.

Look for food donation bins at these locations:

• Franklin Downtown Partnership office, 9 East Central Street
• Jane’s Frames, 11 East Central Street
• Printsmart Office Supplies, 20 East Central Street
• Berry Insurance, 9 Main Street
• Dean Bank, 21 Main Street
• Dean College, Campus Center

For more information about the Franklin Food Elves and the “12 Days of Donating” campaign, please contact the Franklin Downtown Partnership at downtown.Franklin@yahoo.com or at (774)571-3109.

For more information about the Franklin Food Pantry and what items are needed, please go to their website, www.franklinfoodpantry.org/.

Shedding red leaves

The autumn colors have recently come to full term in the area.




The leaves were so red and so quickly are being shed.

School Committee: MCAS documents

These two documents will be part of the School Committee meeting discussion on the recent MCAS testing results.

Report:

MCAS SC Report 2011


Presentation:

SC MCAS 2011

In the News - Thanksgiving meals, home invasion

Franklin fifth-graders tote Thanksgiving meals to food pantry

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

Police looking for suspects in violent Franklin home invasion

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

Police Alert: Armed Home Invasion

Looking for assistance in identifying the suspects in the attached flyer.  Any information, please call FPD Detectives 1-508-528-1212.

Thank you.

Home Invasion Nov 20011


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You are subscribed to the Franklin Police News and Announcements mailing list.

Town Council - Agenda - 11/16/11

A. SWEARING IN OF NEW COUNCIL

B. ORGANIZATION - Election of Officers

C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – September 28, 2011

D. ANNOUNCEMENTS

E. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

F. CITIZEN COMMENTS

G. APPOINTMENTS

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 11-64: Adoption of Town Council Procedures Manual
2. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 11-666: Amendment to Chapter 185-5, Zoning Map, Biotechnology Uses Overlay Zoning District - Referral to Planning Board
3. Bylaw Amendment 11-667: Amendment to Chapter 139-14, Sewer System Map -1st Reading
4. Bylaw Amendment 11-668: Amendment to Chapter 179-9.1, Water System Map -1st 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

MSBA: Model School (video)

The MSBA produced this video to show some of the features of the model school program, in particular - the first one - Whitman-Hanson. This is the model that Franklin is proposing to utilize.





Impressive!

Participate in the information forum on Thursday, Nov 17 at 7:00 PM. Horace Mann Auditorium
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=195429933870846

Review the FAQs prepared by the Building Committee here

For more information on the MSBA visit their website



Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the video

BIG Y under construction

The former Franklin Buffet is coming down to make way for the Big Y.




The restaurant operated under several names as ownership changed over the years. What were other names?

Florentina's had moved from downtown to operate there for sometime before closing. What was there before?

St. John’s Episcopal Church Christmas Fair – December 3rd

St. John’s Annual Christmas Fair will take place on Saturday, December 3rd from 9am to 3pm at 237 Pleasant Street in Franklin, MA. Shop for Christmas gifts at our craft tables offering beautiful items, many handmade by the parishioners. A wide variety of themed gift baskets will be available, wrapped and ready to go!

 Save yourself some baking time by taking advantage of our cookie walk. Select a box size and fill it with a wide variety of homemade Christmas cookies. Or choose bakery items from our “freeze to go” area.

Sit and relax while you enjoy hot soups and stews available at our snack bar and try a sweet from our fancy pastry table. Early Shoppers can enjoy breakfast items, such as quiche and cinnamon rolls. We’ll have many raffle items as well as an amazing silent auction, featuring a quilt by the Yankee Quilters!

The Children’s area will feature games, make and take ornaments, face painting, special snacks and more! Santa will be available for pictures from 11-1.

Don’t miss this great church fair!

Flu Clinic - Dec 12 - Senior Center

FLU CLINIC

DECEMBER 12, 2011

Franklin Senior Center
10 Daniel McCahill St.

From: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

FREE: For all children under the age of 19
FREE: For those with Medicare Part B as their primary insurance

For all others the cost will be: $12

Brought to you by the Franklin Board of Health and the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Milford

Please contact the Milford VNA at (508) 473-0862 for additional information.

Franklin, MA: Election Turnout from 2003 to 2011

The disappointment in the local election turnout is real. When only about one fifth of the registered voters come out to cast their ballot, something is wrong. Especially in Franklin, where history does show that voters can and do turn out, just not for these local municipal elections.

The recent history of voter turnout in Franklin shows four levels of getting to the polls. National elections (2004, 2008 and the special election for Sen Ted Kennedy's seat) draw the most. The next draw is when there are state-wide elections (2006 and 2010). Money issues will bring out about 40 percent of the voters as shown with the three override votes (2007, 2008 and 2010).

At the bottom of the pile: the local election to run our town on a daily basis. The folks that make the important decisions for town operations get the least attention (15-22 percent).

Maybe next time a charter change is discussed, we should give some consideration to changing the cycle to get in with either the State-wide elections or national elections (even years instead of odd years).

The spreadsheet that drove the chart above can be viewed here:




You can also click through to Google Docs to find this spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?
key=0AkwjbnXDBhczdDB6NnUyUWZJbW90azlKbHBzTzdqYWc


The data was taken from the annual reports as published by the Franklin, MA Town Clerk.

Note: that for some years the annual registered voter totals need to be re-calculated as what appears in the report is incorrect. The election result totals are always correct.  Specifically, you can look for a recent example in the Annual Report for 2010 - p77, the cross totals don't agree with the indivdual categories

"not all the roads will be taken all at once"

The legislation targets subdivisions built in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. Those subdivisions are generally not fully up to state standards for town acceptance in areas like curb height or pavement drainage. 

The bill also helps deal with a second issue in accepting streets in those old developments: ownership. Unlike subdivisions built now, where the developer owns the streets before turning them over to the town, the roads are a patchwork of ownership - each person owns the piece of road in front of their house. 

"To accept a road, you had to go through a legal taking for every property owner in the subdivision, so it would have been utterly ridiculous," said Robert Cantoreggi, director of the Public Works Department. 

Vallee said he's been working on the bill, a home rule petition that applies only to Franklin, for five years.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x228647720/State-bill-eases-red-tape#ixzz1daW9hKIc

School Committee: Agenda - 11/15/11

Vision Statement

The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

Mission Statement

The Franklin Public Schools, in collaboration with the community, will cultivate each student's intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential through rigorous academic inquiry and informed problem solving skills within a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."

1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the November 9, 2011 School Committee Meeting.
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: Budget to Actual – Miriam Goodman

2. Guests/Presentations
a. School Improvement Plans
1. Keller Elementary
2. Davis Thayer
3. Oak Street

b. MCAS – Joyce Edwards

3.Discussion Only Items
none

4. Action Items
a. I recommend adoption of all Elementary School’s School Improvement Plans as presented.
b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $116.82 from Target for In-House Enrichment at Remington Middle School.
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,000.00 from Hockomock Y Healthy Futures Grant for the Annie Sullivan MS gift account.
d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $600.00 from the ECDC PCC for supplies for ECDC.
e. I recommend acceptance of a donation of a piano from Carole Preble for the Kennedy Elementary School ($500.00 value).
f. I recommend acceptance of the donation of piano moving service from Gallo Moving & Storage for the above mentioned piano to Kennedy Elementary School ($350.00 value).

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn

"give back whenever I can"

"I love animals and saw a need for this," Goulet, 13, said yesterday as volunteers set fence posts in concrete. 

About 20 volunteers helped yesterday while 40 people began work on the fence last weekend. Earlier in the year, volunteers cleared brush from the 1/4-acre plot in Dacey Community Fields on Lincoln Street. Town workers have spread mulch throughout the dog park. 

"It means a lot," Goulet said of support she has received from the community. "I really didn't expect this much of a turnout but so many people were willing to come out." 

Richard Siccone, 62, a lifelong Franklin resident who volunteered yesterday, said the park was a piggery 50 to 60 years ago and the Dacey family later donated the land to the town.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/features/x228647724/Teen-organizes-Franklin-dog-park#ixzz1daN8nTWj


Related posts:

It was an idea in 2009
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/09/in-news-dog-park-honey.html

It became a proposal to the Town Council
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/08/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-aug-10.html

And moved forward
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/08/making-way-for-dogs.html

And for additional info visit the dog park website  http://franklindogpark.webs.com/