Exciting Changes coming to Foxboro, Franklin, & North Attleboro

                              


FROM
VISION
TO REALITY


EXCITING CHANGES COMING TO FOXBORO, FRANKLIN & NORTH ATTLEBORO! 

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Invensys Foxboro Branch  

Thanks to the early success of the Campaign to build the Spier Family Outdoor Aquatic Center, we have broken ground!  

A committed group of Y volunteers led by Jeff Dufficy, Greg Spier, Danielle Fish and Jay Barrows have raised $647,000 toward the project cost of $913,000, leaving a balance of $266,000 to raise in the next six weeks.

Included in this amount is a $250,000 Challenge Grant from Alex and Sonja Spier.  For information on how you can help us meet the Spier Family Challenge, please contact Peter Waisgerber at peterw@hockymca.org.

Positive changes are also coming to Franklin and North Attleboro this April!

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Bernon Family and North Attleboro Branches

Exciting changes are in store at our Bernon Family and North Attleboro Branches!

This April we have new state of the art equipment coming to both branches.  This dynamic cardio and strength training equipment will be a tremendous enhancement to our health and wellness areas.  A complete listing along with photos and videos of the equipment will be shared next week and leading up to installation.

Installation will take place during school vacation week.  We ask for your patience and understanding as our installation occurs. 

The Bernon Family Branch Health and Wellness Center will be closed for 2 days starting April 16th, 8:00am - April 18th, 5:15am.  

In addition to new equipment, the North Attleboro Branch will also be receiving a brand new wellness floor and HVAC system. The North Attleboro Health and Wellness Center  will be closed starting April 16th, 8:00am - Sunday April 22nd.

Group Exercise classes and Family Events will continue at each branch during this time.  In addition, please feel free to visit our Invensys Foxboro Branch Health and Wellness Center during your branch's construction. 

I know you will be as excited as we are when all of these changes are complete and we are able to improve your Y experience. For additional information, please call Kimberly Cohen, Sr. Director of Health and Wellness at 508.772.1310.

Thank you for being part of our Y Family!

                              

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Sincerely,
Your Friends at the Hockomock Area YMCA

www.hockymca.org

 facebook.com/hockomockareaymca

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Hockomock Area YMCA 300 Elmwood St North Attleboro, 02760 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

New MassBudget Video Discusses Education Funding in Massachusetts

MassBudget has re-done their website and introduced a new report. The report is summarized with an 8 minute video. What has this got to do with Franklin?

Our school budget is half the overall Franklin budget. Over the past several years, the per pupil spending across the categories that the State watches has dropped below the state average. With the proposal for the new high school taking front and center stage for conversation in the last couple of weeks, how Franklin will budget for the schools next year has not been discussed. The "No" voters are worried about the maintenance budget when they probably should be more worried about the overall budget.

The new high school (if approved) may come with 6 more class rooms but if the budget continues to get cut, will there be enough teachers to fill those class rooms?

The point of this video and report from MassBudget is to highlight that the state funding formula that doesn't fully cover the increased costs in health and special ed. Franklin's school budget is directly affected by those factors. You can go back to any of the last several years of budgets and the cost drivers are exactly that.

What does this do to the 'average' student? It reduces their educational opportunity. Those under special education plans are covered with services that by law, Franklin must provide. So when the budget gets tight, the average student and the advanced students will suffer.

"Cutting Class" Video   The new website of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center is more vibrant, easier to navigate, and more multimedia-friendly--in short, a better platform for sharing materials like our new "Cutting Class" video. In this video, education policy analyst Luc Schuster explains why districts across the state are hiring fewer teachers, providing less professional development, and spending less on materials & technology than the state funding formula considers appropriate for a quality education. The video also describes the effects of property wealth on school funding. In the highest-wealth districts, funding shortfalls are often made up with additional local revenues. But in many communities, raising local revenue is extremely difficult. On average, the lowest-wealth districts spend 32 percent less on regular education teachers than is specified in the foundation budget formula.  Watch the Video MassBudget provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies--with particular attention to the effects on low- and moderate-income people.

Forward email This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com by nberger@massbudget.org |   Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

“This is fitting for his retirement”

The Milford Daily News reports on the retirement party of former Chief of Police Stephen Williams which was held Thursday night.

Williams retired in December after nearly 40 years with the Franklin Police Department, and eight of those years as chief. 

The chief grew up in Franklin — he went through the public school system, got his associate’s degree at Dean College, and worked his way through the ranks in the Police Department, earning him the respect of law enforcement personnel in surrounding towns, in addition to his own. 

“I worked with Steve a long time,” Bellingham Police Chief Gerard Daigle said. “He’s a great guy, and I wish him a great retirement.”

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x221201081/A-hearty-sendoff-for-Franklin-Chief-Williams#ixzz1pvoXZTas

In the News - marathon, scholarships, Juno, high school

Franklin woman runs for Dana-Farber

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

United Regional Chamber scholarships available

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

Juno arrives at Museum of Fine Arts for all to see

by Chris Bergeron/Daily News staff

Brennan: Many can’t afford cost of new Franklin High

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

DOR mobile app now available from Apple and Google

An app from the DOR? At least it is available for both Apple and Google but really did we need this?

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

DOR mobile app now available from Apple and Google

via Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue by Robert Bliss on 3/22/12

The Department of Revenue has produced, in-house, a new mobile smartphone app that allows taxpayers to check the status of their refund, file for an extension and make an estimated payment, take corrective action should a refund be held up, and keep up with DOR alerts and video.

In a press release issued today, DOR Commissioner Amy Pitter said that "DOR wants to engage and communicate with taxpayers in the easiest and most direct manner possible, and for many taxpayers, that means their smartphones which are already a center for commerce and personal business."

The release includes links to Apple and Google where the app can be downloaded at no cost. No other state revenue department offers a similar app with the same level of functionality.
Pitter said she was "proud of the development work for this app that was done by DOR's Information Services Organization Web and Mobile Team," and noted that the groundwork had been laid for more apps in the future.

DOR's homepage features a story complete with screenshots of the new app.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue using Google Reader
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Voices of Franklin: Town Council - Yes

As elected and appointed officials charged with developing prudent fiscal policies and strategic planning decisions for the town of Franklin, the Town Council, School Committee and Finance Committee unanimously support the March 27th Debt Exclusion ballot question for a new Franklin High School (FHS).

While the Town continually reviews its capital needs, a 2005 report from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) caused us to prioritize the high school facility. At that time, FHS was placed on warning status for 19 facility-related issues. Franklin spent the next three years identifying and addressing those issues that could be fixed outside of a major renovation.

In 2008, NEASC continued FHS’s warning status and asked Franklin to “resolve all facility issues.” As documented in an independent architectural study, the structural issues of FHS are indisputable and can only be addressed with a comprehensive renovation or new building and include:

• lack of accessibility for handicapped and/or injured (e.g., sprained ankles) students
• lack of facility-wide emergency sprinkler system
• poor condition of field house structure and roof
• classrooms below the minimum square feet required by MSBA
• poorly equipped and outdated science labs and classrooms
• poor ventilation and lighting
• inadequate parking and access to the building
• inadequate oversight of the entry due to the current location of administration offices

We highlight these points to demonstrate that the issues facing Franklin are not a matter of aesthetics, or maintenance, or easily addressed with simple wiring and new ceiling tiles. In fact, the State added over $1.5 million dollars to Franklin’s original reimbursement level after it positively assessed the historical maintenance of our town and school facilities.

A joint committee was formed to determine the most cost-effective way to address the problem. After four years of extensive study and detailed oversight from the State, the recommendation before the voters on March 27th is to build a new school under the State’s Model School Program.

A variety of diligent and independent analyses assure us and State officials that the particular masonry framework of FHS (versus an adaptable steel frame), 19 roof levels and the sprawling H-wing design of the high school makes the renovations necessary for compliance about as expensive to taxpayers as a new school, with a significantly increased chance of cost overruns, extensive disruption to students and a shortened return on investment.

The invitation-only Model School Program has many benefits that make it the most judicious cost-efficient use of taxpayer’s dollars, including:

• increased reimbursement from the state
• shorter construction time versus a newly designed school
• previous duplication in other towns limits change orders and unknown costs
• maximizes student safety and minimizes disruption to educational environment

Specifically, the new FHS proposal would result in:

• State reimbursement rate of 59.52 percent of eligible costs
• fully furnished and equipped high school, including athletic fields
• 6 additional classrooms, with all classrooms meeting minimum size guidelines
• 21st century classrooms and science labs with integrated technology
• an 830-seat auditorium/theater
• a 17,700-square-foot gym and 6,000-square-feet-indoor walking track
• full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for access and special education
• remove Franklin High from accreditation warning status

The Model School proposal resolves undeniable facility issues that we must address. It also limits the opportunity for unknown costs and limits the cost for taxpayers to about 40 cents per every dollar spent, whereas an unapproved renovation is ineligible for the state reimbursement and would be borne 100 percent by the taxpayer. Furthermore, the new design maximizes the educational opportunities available to our students, preparing them for our current professional world, with an emphasis on group learning and technology. There are many ancillary benefits as well, including protection of property values and enhanced community pride.

Franklin has a proud tradition of investing in its town for the betterment of all our citizens. We urge you to continue this support for your community and vote yes on March 27th for a new Franklin High School.


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The text of this letter was published in the meeting agenda for the 3/21/12 Town Council meeting
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2012%20docs/032112.pdf

11th Annual HMEA 5K - May 20

Hold the day for the HMEA 11th Annual Independence Day event that will be held May 20.



To register or find more information, please visit http://www.hmea.org/events.html