Trivia Bee - partial recap

I went to the Trivia Bee to take some pictures of the early rounds. As I arrived, Glenn Jones recruited me as a substitute for one of the members of the Town Council team. I hope someone got a picture of Bob Bissanti, Glenn and I on stage. As 'apolitical' as I am and need to be as an information source, that is as close as you'll see me get to a "Town Council seat".

I was able to help with some of the questions but none of us knew the two ingredients for "an Arnold Palmer drink". We went with a wild guess at 'Scotch and water' and lost. Now we know it is half ice tea and half lemon aid. After we dropped out in the 5th Round, I got called away to pick up my daughter at the train station. Maybe someone can fill us in on who won?

The "Miracles", sponsored by Tom Powderly, were the Round 2 winner by answering this question correctly: What river does the Brooklyn Bridge cross? (answer below)

The Dean College Team won Round 3 by answering the question: How many years are celebrated in a sesquicentennial? (answer below)

The Franklin School Committee won Round 4 with the answer to the question: What do you call a group of monkeys? (answer below)

The "Munibees" participated in Round 2

The Rockland Trust Team participated in Round 4

Answers
Round 2 - East River
Round 3 - 150
Round 4 - troop


The 15th Annual Trivia Bee is a fund raising event for the Franklin Education Foundation.

Voices of Franklin: Mary Brennan - Vote No

Hi Steve,

I saw on your Franklin Matters site that you invite people who have something of importance to say about Franklin to submit their ideas to you.

I believe the taxpayers of Franklin deserve to hear more than one opinion on the proposed school building. I'm attaching something I wrote regarding the vote, and would appreciate it if you would allow readers of your site to read it.

Thank you, and please contact me with any questions,

Mary Brennan

127 Summer Street, Franklin

508-520-0413

-------------------------------------

VOTE NO

MARCH 27

As parents of school age children we urge you to Vote No for the proposed new Franklin High School because the plan is:

EXTRAVAGANT
With its turrets, towers, walls of glass and sloping roof lines, this looks like something out of television’s Beverly Hills 90210! Boasting a suspended walking track, Olympic size gymnasium, professional auditorium and a blank check for all new furnishings, this proposal is not reflective of the way most citizens of Franklin live, and is not necessary for good education.

WASTEFUL
Tearing down a forty year young high school and field house, ripping up playing fields just paid for, throwing everything inside the building away, this proposal mocks the Franklin taxpayer by saying, “give us millions to build a high school, more millions to maintain it, more millions to install sports fields, and we’ll rip it all down and ask you for a hundred million more!”

EXPENSIVE
Wise consumers know that to get the best value for their money they should choose from the mid-range. Not the cheapest (you’ll be sorry), or the most expensive (you’ll pay lots for things you don’t need), but the mid-range. In this case that would be maintaining and renovating the current high school.

KEEP FRANKLIN AFFORDABLE!

If you have something you'd like to submit for 'Voices of Franklin', please follow these instructions:

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html 

In the News - Ristaino, wine tasting, for FHS

Ristaino, 77, remembered for service to Franklin

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

St. Patrick’s Day wine tasting event planned in Franklin

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Mollo: All will lose if new FHS is not approved

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Town clerks head to Boston for seminars Monday

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Town clerks head to Boston for seminars Monday

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports on 3/15/12

The Town Clerk's office in Franklin will be closed Monday, as Town Clerk's across the Commonwealth head to a day-long workshop in Boston.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to The Milford Daily News News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Franklin Police: Crash Reports Online

The Franklin Police Department is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Police Reports.US to provide a service that allows our crash reports to be purchased on line.  PoliceReports.US is now the industry leader in Massachusetts for on line accident report distribution.

All parties benefit when a police department puts their crash reports online with Police Reports.US:

• It reduces the cost to the insurance company who wants to process the claim faster
• Citizens have the convenience of access to reports 24/7 and no longer need to drive to the Police Department for a copy of the report
  

Citizens can purchase reports using a credit card at:
http://franklinma.policereports.us/ 

Reports are available for crashes from January 1, 2012 to present date.  Any reports older than January 1, 2012 must be requested at the police station.



Additional information can be found on the Franklin Police page
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Police/index

Vote - March 27

No matter what your position is on the debt exclusion for the proposed New High School, whether you are against:













or whether you are for the proposal, your vote counts!



Mark the calendar to get out an vote Tuesday, March 27th. The polls open at 6:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM. All voting will take place at Franklin High School.

Absentee ballots are available at the Town Clerks office if you will be out of town on that day, you can still vote.

Bill would help communities create quiet zones downtown

A nice idea but not very practical. The money could be better used elsewhere.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Bill would help communities create quiet zones downtown

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by Laura Krantz/Daily News staff on 3/14/12

You sit down to eat at a downtown restaurant, a local band begins to play, then ... HOOOOONK! The blaring horn of a train barreling through downtown disrupts your evening.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Last few days to Win 2 FREE Southwest Airlines Tickets!

*

CALLING ALL PARTICIPANTS... "Thank you" for your past participation in our annual fundraising event! We cordially invite you to join us at...  Sunday, May 20, 2012  EMC2, Franklin, MA Sign In/Registration at 10:00AM — Event steps off at 11:00AM Pre-registration fee: $10 for walkers / $20 for runners REGISTER online at: http://www.firstgiving.com/hmea ***NEW THIS YEAR*** when you register online you will have an opportunity to create your very own personal or team tee shirt(s)... Register ONLINE before March 17, 2012, RAISE a minimum of $100 and YOU will be entered to win 2 FREE Southwest Airline tickets! (The winner will be announced at the event! No need to be present to receive the prize) And, there's even more...the more money you raise the more opportunity you have to WIN A PRIZE for your fundraising efforts. Take a look at the prizes you could win! DON'T DELAY...Register and design your own fundraising page TODAY! See you on May 20th!

Remove my name from all future email correspondence

Address postal inquiries to:

HMEA

Doug MacPherson
8 Forge Park East

Franklin, MA 02038

Powered By

Informational Meeting on the Proposed New Franklin High School

Open to the Public!

Informational Meeting on the Proposed New Franklin High School

Wednesday, March 14th

7:15 pm

Franklin YMCA Community Room

Guest speakers include Maureen Sabolinski , Superintendent of Schools and Jeff Nutting, Town Administrator

15th Annual Trivia Bee - March 15th

Yes, you read that correctly.

The 15th Annual Trivia Bee will be held on March 15th! How cool is that?


FEF Trivia Bee Flyer 2012


Hold the date on your calendar!

Note: Email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document

Franklin Panthers 5th grade boys win Metro West Tournament

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Franklin Panthers 5th grade boys win Metro West Tournament

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 3/13/12

The Franklin Panthers Metro West 5th Grade Boys Basketball team won the D4 Metro West Tournament this year on Sunday, March 11, in double overtime against Sudbury.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

MassDOT, MBTA Letter to Customers

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

MassDOT, MBTA Letter to Customers

via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 3/13/12

Over the last nine weeks we have engaged in a public process to allow our riders to weigh in on recommendations for closing a $159 million budget gap next year. As we conclude that process this week, we want to take a minute to thank you for the unprecedented level of engagement you demonstrated over this period.

Since January, nearly 6,000 of you attended our 31 public meetings, with nearly 2,000 individuals offering public comment. In addition, we received 5,850 emails from you about the importance of the MBTA in your lives. By comparison, the last time the MBTA raised fares in 2007 just 800 people attended a public hearing.

The choices before us are difficult, to be sure. Hearing your individual stories only makes them more so. We know that a quality, reliable public transit system is essential to getting our customers to work, school, doctor's appointments and other activities. We know a public transit option makes our air cleaner and roads less congested. And we know that it is a lifeline for many of you.

We have been honest about our financial problems and we thank you for your willingness to listen. Massive debt costs, coupled with increased operating expenses for things like energy and health care are overburdening our system. The system we have today we cannot afford and the system we want is well beyond reach.

Before our April 4th Board Meeting, we will lay out our final recommendation for closing the Fiscal Year 2013 gap. We continue to work on identifying prudent one-time revenues that will allow us to stave off some of the proposed service cuts for one year. Our final proposal will include both cuts and a fare increase, however.

Unfortunately, without a new dedicated revenue source, we know we will be back in this very place next year. Many legislators attended our public hearings, acknowledging the need for a new solution. The Governor also heard your voices at the hearing he attended in Revere.  Our hope is that we may continue these discussions in the coming weeks and months so that we can collectively figure out a way to continue to provide a world-class public transit system to you.

This is your system. Long after we're gone, customers will still have a need and desire for a public transit option. The decisions we make today will have a lasting impact on this system, and we thank you for remaining engaged in this process.

Sincerely,
Richard A. Davey, Secretary and CEO
MassDOT

Jonathan Davis, Acting General Manager
MBTA

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Franklin played the defense

“It really hit me about halfway through the trial that no matter the outcome, we proved we belonged,” the team’s coach and high school teacher Michael Walsh wrote in an email yesterday. “When (Franklin student) John Wiech succeeded in blocking admission of the Plaintiff’s key piece of evidence, it was some of the finest argumentation I have seen in 14 years of mock trial.”

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x770708198/Franklin-mock-trial-team-falls-to-ex-champs#ixzz1ozHEDPEF

Related posts:
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/01/in-news-library-mock-trial.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2010/02/franklin-mock-trial-team-beats.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/03/franklin-takes-down-boston-latin-in.html

Lori McKenna

The Boston Globe Magazine on Sunday featured singer/song writer Lori McKenna on the cover. Lori appears regularly at the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin

For McKenna, 43, self-deprecation has long been her nature. The I’m-no-good shtick, though, gets crazier every day. Fifteen years after she broke into the Boston folk scene with her raw, honest lyrics and unique vocal style, her songs keep getting better and keep blowing people away. Even longtime collaborators, family members, and fans can’t make it through certain ones without choking up, if not weeping. 

The power of McKenna’s music lies in her artful pairing of intimacy and universality. With her own experience as a template, she explores and dignifies the many corners of domestic life, the hopes of small-town dreamers, and the emotional voids that aren’t easily filled. McKenna, whose mother died young, is especially moving when she’s wrestling with that wounding loss.

Read the full article online
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2012/03/11/lori-mckenna-writing-her-heart-out/zxXbmVKZmSzEK2foxB9hrO/story.html

In the News - open meeting, house fire, girl's team

Open Meeting Law videos posted for Sunshine Week

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin family displaced by house fire

by Brian Benson/Daily News staff

Franklin St. Mary's CYO girls hoops team ends season

by GateHouse Media, Inc.