“It was so important to take an active role"

The Kennedy Playground Committee’s fundraising goal was $85,000, but through individual, family and local business donations, car washes, bake sales, snack tables and several grants, the group has raised $95,000 so far. 

Arffa said the project will continue to raise money because the initial estimate left out pieces of equipment that the committee didn’t feel were completely necessary — like ladybug statues (the school’s mascot) and seats. The initial number also didn’t include the price of demolition or preparing the current space for new structures. 

“You want the parents to help,” said mom Karen Kerns. “Especially when you talk about raising this much money ... It’s really been a grassroots effort.”

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x2023107415/Moms-at-work-in-Franklin#ixzz1hpT4kgal


Related posts on the Kennedy Playground Committee:

September
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/09/kennedy-community-playground-can-use.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/09/2-kennedy-playground-fund-raisers.html

November
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/11/action-j-f-kennedy-playground-and-pepsi.html

December
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/12/kennedy-elementary-4th-grades-help.html

Did you know?

Did you know?

No one shall commence to remove, fill, dredge, build upon, degrade or discharge into or otherwise alter the following resource areas: 

Any freshwater wetlands;, marshes; wet meadows; bogs; swamps; vernal pools; banks; reservoirs; lakes; ponds of any size; beaches; intermittent stream; lands under water bodies; lands within 100 feet of any aforesaid wetland or flood plain areas; lands subject to flooding or inundation by ground water or surface water; rivers and streams and lands within 200 feet of the mean annual  high-water line of any river or stream.

Before starting to do any of the above, it would be good to contact the Franklin Conservation Office. More information on the Conservation Commission can be found on the Franklin website here.


Conservation Commission Rules and Regulations (PDF):

On January 27, 2011, the following members of the Franklin Conservation Commission voted to accept these Rules and Regulations as they apply to the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Wetlands Protection Bylaw, Franklin Code at Chapter 181 

Jeffrey Senterman Chair
Andrew Tolland, Vice Chair
Christopher Botchis
Monique Allen
Ray Willis
Jon Fournier
Jeff Livingstone
Regan Harrold. Associate Member

In the News - tree pickup, auditions, copper wire

Tree pick up in Franklin next week

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin Performing Arts Company auditions

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

$20K in copper wires recovered

by Norman Miller/Daily News staff

Help MassBudget Help Everyone

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Dear Friend, MassBudget produces high-quality research, clear and accurate data, and trusted policy analysis.  And we make all of it available - for free - to everyone.  We believe that this leads to more inclusive public debates, more voices being heard, and policy choices that better reflect the interests and values of everyone in our Commonwealth, especially low- and moderate-income people. If you agree that this is important, please consider a donation to MassBudget today. In recent months people across the nation have begun to focus on the harm caused by economic inequality.  The problem is real, and there are real solutions.  Of course, many are national in scope, but states also play a crucial role in expanding opportunity, and protecting the economic security of families.  Economic strength that leads to widely-shared prosperity is built with things that states can provide: High quality education and training for everyone; Work supports like child care and health care that allow lower income parents to succeed in the workforce; Reliable infrastructure to transport goods, customers and workers; A fair and adequate tax system to pay for these effective investments MassBudget's work - and people across the Commonwealth who use it - have been at the forefront of advancing the debate on these crucial issues. When we help all of our people to participate effectively in our economy, we not only help those who are given new opportunities, but also our overall economy.  In the words of the late Paul Wellstone, "We all do better when we all do better." If you share MassBudget's vision for a more inclusive, effective democracy and economy, please click here to give generously today. Thank you,   Noah Berger President MassBudget provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies--with particular attention to the effects on low- and moderate-income people.  MassBudget is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  All contributions are tax-deductible.

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Outdoors in Franklin

Looking to get out of the house and do something this week? Take a hike in Franklin.

Noted author Michael Tougias also wrote a "Trailguide: Outdoors in Franklin." The trailguide can be found on the Franklin website.

Author Michael Tougias has written many area guidebooks including River Days: Exploring the Connecticut River from Source to Sea, Exploring the Hidden Charles: A Guide to Outdoor Activities on Boston's Celebrated River, and New England Wild Places: Journey's Through the Back Country, as well as Until I Have No Country: A Novel of King Philip's War in New England and the non-Fiction King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict. 

This guidebook was developed as an initiative of the Franklin Open Space Committee with support from the Department of Community Planning including former director Todd Ford, current Director Daniel Ben Yisrael, Town Ecologist Rich Vacca, and GIS Specialist Nick Alfieri as well as input and support from the Conservation Commission. Special thanks go to the graphic arts class of Mr. Eskay Sriram at Tri-County Regional Vocational School, which provided several excellent candidates for cover illustrations. The illustration selected was created by Corey Gray.

There are descriptions of walks covering the following:

• Franklin Town Forest
• Franklin State Forest
• Charles River
• Indian Rock
• DelCarte Conservation Area
• Beaver Pond
• Charles River
• Dacey Farm
• Uncas Pond and Trout Fishing
• SNETT Trail

As this was written in 2002, the some of the subject areas may have changed. The Dacey Farm has since become more formal open space for Franklin with the development of ball fields and most recently the dog park.

The trailguide can be found here (PDF):

Happy Boxing Day!

There were plenty of good times with the extended family around for dinner on Sunday. There will be more time this week to spend with family. For those also who have taken time off from work this week, let there be safe travels and good times to enjoy!

Boxing Day is traditionally a day following Christmas when wealthy people and homeowners in the United Kingdom would give a box containing a gift to their servants. Nowadays Boxing Day is better known as a bank or public holiday that occurs on December 26, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and some other Commonwealth nations.

Read more about Boxing Day here

Merry Christmas

"the celebration of Hanukkah"

The lighting was part of the temple’s annual celebration of Hanukkah, the eight-day holiday meant commemorating the Jews reclaiming Jerusalem from the oppressive Syrian Greeks. 

“Hanukkah is most often a home celebration in Judaism,” Widzer said. “What we’ve developed as our tradition here is we take one of those nights and celebrate with the (congregational) family.” 

About a dozen families came to see the candles lit on the fourth night of Hanukkah, the men and boys wearing yarmulkes, the traditional cloth skull caps, of various colors. One man even wore a yarmulke with the Patriots logo emblazoned on it.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1282424418/Franklin-temple-celebrates-Hanukkah-on-Town-Common#ixzz1hS7OcNUs

Ninja cookies

Christmas cookies

simple sugar cookies, some shape makers, different color frosting and some time



given the time, creativity will flow and maybe the ninja cookies will be delightful!

Have the kids (both big and little) gathered in your house for cookie decorating?

Hamilton Storage Technology

The following press release confirms the last step in the process for Hamilton Storage Technology to get the tax incentive that the Town Council approved. Hamilton Storage has purchased 3 Forge Parkway for its new headquarters facility.

The tax incentive allows the company to pay a smaller amount initially on the improvements they are making and gradually the amount increases over ten years. So whatever the tax would be on the base value they pay full and then only 5% for the first year on the improvement amount. The improvement amount increases to 10% the next year and ten percent each year thereafter.

Franklin gets revenue and an increasing amount of revenue over time. The company gets to develop their property bringing jobs to the area. A good win-win proposition.

Press Release - Hamilton Storage Technologies

Related posts on Hamilton Storage Technology

June  http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/06/needs-to-open-its-doors-in-franklin.html

Sep http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/09/real-time-reporting-legislation-part-1.html

Sep http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/09/hamilton-storage-technologies.html

Update on trash and recycling pick up week of 12/25 and 1/1/12

Holiday Calendar

Important note - Trash and recycling will be NOT be picked up on Monday December 26th and Monday January 2nd. The schedule will be delayed one day with Friday pick up on Saturday.

The Recycling Center will be open from 8 AM to 12 Noon on Saturday December 24th and Saturday December 31st.



Originally posted on the Franklin website here

In the News - election spending, Hamilton Storage

Biggest spending won in Franklin elections

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

Technology company ready to build in Franklin

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

"dictates the path the town should follow"

The town is still looking for two to three members of the public to serve on the committee. 

Members appointed to the Master Plan Committee last night were Town Councilors Andrew Bissanti, Matthew Kelly and Jeffrey Roy, Planning Board member John Carroll, Conservation Commission member Jeffrey Livingstone, Public Land Use Committee member Timothy Twardowski, and James Esterbrook from the Department of Public Works. 

“It would be nice to get two to three more people, to have diversity on the committee,” Town Administrator Jeffrey Roy said, noting that the various town committees are acceptably represented.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1481469559/Members-picked-for-Franklin-master-plan-panel#ixzz1hG7DqN5v

Related post on the Master Plan
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/12/what-is-franklins-master-plan.html

Updated 12/22/11
Per email from Town Councilor Judy Pfeffer, Steve Whalen was also added to the Master Plan committee as a citizen member during the meeting last night.

“We’re approaching this with a very open mind”

“The grant is going to be used to do a deep examination of our general education curriculum,” said Melissa Read, assistant vice president for academic affairs. “It’s all about the student learning. Are students learning what we want them to and what we believe they need to know in order to prepare for their next step?” 

Read said that Dean College begins the process of re-examining its general education courses every five years, and rolls out the resulting changes so that there is continuous progress. 

The difference this time around is that the $100,000 grant allows Dean to spend more time debating the advantages and disadvantages of changes, with faculty members as well as administration, and of helping faculty become adjusted to those changes with week-long summer and winter training sessions, called “institutes.”

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1481469565/College-has-plan-to-study-itself#ixzz1hG8oAnBj

Food Elves, Downtown Partnership collect a ton of food!

Food Elves, Partnership Collect A Ton of Food

The Franklin Food Elves and the Franklin Downtown Partnership exceeded their goals for the ‘12 Days of Donating’ campaign this month, collecting nearly twice the food and monetary donations they hoped for to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry. Together the groups donated 2,035 pounds of non perishable items and $4,266 during the 12 day drive.  

According to Anne Marie Bellavance, Executive Director of the Franklin Food Pantry, these donations will help carry the food pantry through this holiday season and into 2012.  

“Based on our calculations, when we combine the weight and the dollar amount it translates into more than 17,000 meals,” says Bellavance.  “We have seen a cascading effect of community support beginning with this drive as well as help printing 250 cookbooks for our clients.  We are so very grateful to be surrounded by such a giving community.”

The Food Elves expanded their reach this year, placing bins at downtown locations and canvassing neighborhoods throughout town. The result was more than one ton of food and non-perishables collected for the food pantry.

DCU gave a $1,500 donation and Berry Insurance stepped up with a $1,000 gift. In addition to donations by residents, six downtown businesses, including Dean Bank, Dean College, Jane’s Frames, Printsmart Office Supplies, the Franklin Downtown Partnership and Berry Insurance, had pledged $1,200 in matching funds. The grand total of money raised was $4,266.

Franklin Food Elves founders Melissa and Cameron Piana are thrilled with the campaign’s results.

“A few years ago my brother and I started collecting donations in our neighborhood and the idea has grown into a much bigger way for us to make a difference for needy families in Franklin,” says Melissa. “We want to thank all the residents and businesses for the donations and all of our elves for their help. It was a team effort with huge results.”

“It is amazing to me how many people wanted to help us reach our goal,” says Cameron. “We are excited that we exceeded our goal for the Food Pantry and that so many people will benefit from the donations.”

The Franklin Food Elves are led by Head Elves Melissa and Cameron Piana. The elves are Katie Buccella, Kiara Chan, Jess Deaver, Amanda Dickson, Colleen Flaherty, Katie Flaherty, Elise Frank, Haley Frank, Santiago Leal, Kasey Lynch, Jacob Signori, Shannon Takahata and Mely Wu.

“We knew this community would support the elves and the food pantry but this response surpassed all of our expectations,” says Partnership President Nicole Fortier. “The support and positive feedback for this drive has been overwhelming. We are grateful to the residents and businesses of Franklin and to the local papers for helping us spread the word.”

The Franklin Food Elves is a charitable community service group.  The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501(c)3 group working to revitalize downtown Franklin.  For more information about either group please contact the Partnership at (774)571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.  

Food Pantry Executive Director Anne Marie Bellavance, Partnership President Nicole Fortier, and Head Food Elves Cameron and Melissa Piana (left to right) at the Franklin Food Pantry. 

Food Elves Cameron and Melissa Piana deliver donations collected during the '12 Days of Donating' campaign to Food Pantry Executive Director Anne Marie Bellavance (left).

This was originally posted to the Franklin Downtown Partnership website here

http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2011/12/food-elves-press-release.html