Saturday, May 11, 2013

Rep Roy: State House Report


Hi Franklin Matters,

Steve Sherlock thought you'd be interested in this:
http://us6.forward-to-friend2.com/forward/show?u=a03272e278ec395d5f164106a&id=2259d7813e


Did you find the link interesting?

You can forward it on to your friends, too:
http://us6.forward-to-friend2.com/forward?u=a03272e278ec395d5f164106a&id=2259d7813e

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* Note: if any of the URLs above are not clickable, you can copy/paste them into your web browser.


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Take the Hero of Hope Pledge!


Since 1949, May has been officially recognized as Mental Health Month. The first Thursday in May is celebrated as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, to raise awareness about the importance of children's mental health and that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth. 
Take the hero of hope pledge
Mental Health Awareness
Over the next week, the Partnership for Early Childhood Mental Health, (which includes the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission) invites all state employees to take a pledge to nurture a child’s social and emotional development. Enter your pledge and state email address at www.ecmhmatters.org, in the “for families and friends” section, and you will be included in a raffle to win an Early Childhood Mental Health Matters t-shirt.

Why take the Hero of Hope Pledge
Early childhood mental health means that young children are growing in their ability to understand and share feelings, have close and positive relationships, and explore and learn. Studies show that good social and behavioral skills in young children lead to good academic performance in the 1st grade and beyond.

 Read the full post on the Commonwealth Conversations, Health and Human Services website here
http://hhs.blog.state.ma.us/blog/2013/05/may-is-mental-health-month-take-the-hero-of-hope-pledge.html?utm_source=feedly


Women's Success Network's Annual June Scholarship Awards dinner


The Women's Success Network's 2013 Scholarship Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting will be held on, June 5th at Highland Country Club, in Attleboro where several women will be awarded the WSN Founders' Scholarships. These scholarships provide deserving women with the opportunity to start, return or continue their education.
 In conjunction with the general WSN Founders Scholarship, Dean College School of Professional and Continuing Studies, Fisher College and Middlesex Savings Bank will also sponsor specific awards each for non-traditional student applicants.               
Bill Napolitano of the Institute for Business Excellence, will speak briefly about how we can carry the momentum we've gained into the summer months while the official WSN programming gets ready for the September 2013 meeting. The June meeting is the last WSN meeting until we resume in September. To register for the June meeting or to obtain more information about WSN go to www.wsninc.org

Friday, May 10, 2013

This is water

This is water. "The capital T Truth!"




A good video for any day but maybe the best video to spend ten minutes with as this work week ends!

Past, Present, and Future of Farming in Franklin


The Franklin Historical Museum will be looking at the past, present, and future of farming in Franklin, Sunday, May 19

Until little more than a generation ago, Franklin was still a community with many large and active farms. Today, in the wake of suburbanization, a few “pioneers” are working to keep a place for agriculture in 21st Century Franklin.. Join Seth Rousseau of Akin Bak Farm and Nick Hoffman, who is opening a new community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm on Daniels Street, for a look back and a look ahead.

They will provide a brief review of how and why early settlers chose to come to Franklin to farm, with a coverage of the notable activities of earlier times – from the Garelick family, to cranberry bogs, and the famous Parmenter Red chicken. They will also describe how they hope to serve the community in the coming years with their new approach to an ancient tradition.

In addition, The Garden Girls from the Franklin Garden Club will Divide & Conquer. They'll be splitting Irises and other tabular rooted plants. They'll discuss the correct timing and the proper method of successful root splitting to create beautiful healthy plants.

The event will be hosted during regular Museum hours from 1:00-4:00pm on Sunday May 19th.

Franklin_HistMus_BallonsOut
Franklin Historical Museum

Franklin Historical Museum
80 West Central Street
Franklin, MA

Parmenter - Car wash and Bottle/can drive - rescheduled to May 18

Updated: 5/10: Due to the iffy weather forecast for Saturday May 11, this has been rescheduled for Sat May 18th

Parmenter Elementary School is having a car wash and bottle and can drive on Saturday May 18, 2013 from 9 am - 1 pm. 
Please bring us your bottles and cans and have your car washed. This is to benefit our 5th grade class the class of 2020! 


Parmenter: car wash
Parmenter Car Wash - 2012

MassBudget: 1) comparing revenue proposals & the investments they fund, 2) health care in the House Budget



MassBudget    Information.
   Participation.
 Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy.
Investing in Transportation, Education
Our state budget describes not only what we want to do together as a Commonwealth in the coming year but also longer-term investments to strengthen our communities, create high-wage jobs, and ensure the future vibrancy of our economy.

In recent months, the Senate, the House, and the Governor have all committed to raising various amounts of new revenue to support some new investments. "Comparing Revenue Proposals for Transportation, Education, and Other Investments" outlines the differences between their plans--both for next year and for FY 2018, when the plans are fully phased in.

  • The House and Senate proposals focus largely on transportation, particularly in later years. This is in contrast to the Governor's plan, which raises significantly more revenue to increase funding for college scholarship programs and to expand access to high-quality early education & care, among other things.

  • By FY 2018, the House and Senate would devote less money to fixing and repairing our roads, buses, bridges and other transportation networks than the Governor's proposal.

  • The House and Senate proposals would raise comparable amounts of new revenue, and both count on similar funding support from transportation agencies (likely including user fee increases). The two proposals differ in that: 1) the Senate version includes an additional $38 million in new revenue and; 2) the Senate dedicates $77 million to transportation that the House would leave unrestricted.

"Comparing Revenue Proposals for Transportation, Education, and Other Investments" is part of a series of MassBudget briefs analyzing key elements in the budget proposals for FY 2014.





Health Care in the House Budget

A new factsheet, The House FY 2014 Budget for Health Care, describes the Massachusetts House of Representatives' Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 budget for MassHealth (Medicaid) and other subsidized health coverage programs.

The House's budget bill allocates $13.38 billion to these programs, about $221 million (1.6 percent) less than the Governor's proposal. As in the Governor's budget, the House bill reflects the significant changes to health care programs that will occur midway through the fiscal year, when central provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act take effect.

This brief is the second in a series of reports describing the effect of each budget proposal on Health Care programs in Massachusetts. The briefs are produced by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center in partnership with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute--and published by the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI).

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER
15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700
BOSTON, MA 02108
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Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

massDOT: travel updates


Mother's Day: Busy Travel Weekend
MassDOT encourages travelers to plan ahead and travel safely during the upcoming Mother's Day weekend especially for travelers using the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) or traveling to Cape Cod.


I-95 Foxborough: Upcoming Weekend Lane Restrictions
MassDOT alerts motorists of upcoming weekend work on Interstate 95 Southbound in Foxborough and to expect possible traffic delays due to lane restrictions. The bridge deck surface replacement project on I-95 Southbound 


"I don’t think the town is ready to have a mayor yet"


"I think it’s time for a change," said Town Council Chairman Robert Vallee, who on Wednesday proposed adding the measure to the ballot. 
Still growing, the town of more than 33,000 already uses a "hybrid" city form of government, with a council and town administrator, said town attorney Mark Cerel. 
"It is a city that calls itself the town of Franklin," he said. 
Adopting a mayoral form of government would require either a charter commission or a home rule petition.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x179157012/Non-binding-ballot-question-to-see-if-Franklin-voters-want-mayor#ixzz2SsoInXhL

In related news, the Town Council agreed to the ballot question to ask the voters to approve the Treasurer/Collector position as appointed instead of elected.
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/05/a-long-and-winding-road.html

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Volunteers needed - Help Stamp Out Hunger


Thank you! We do have enough volunteers for Saturday. If you want to sign up to help for a future event, please do so by visiting the sign up form

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Once again, the Franklin postal carriers will be participating in the "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. Residents are notified by their carriers about this event and the carriers pick it up on Saturday, May 11th. The donations will be delivered by the carriers to the Food Pantry that day. Then, the fun begins!

Franklin Food Pantry
Franklin Food Pantry

We will need several volunteers on Saturday, May 11th between the hours of 2:00pm - 6:00pm. This would be a minimum of a 2-hour commitment. Some of the responsibilities include unloading postal trucks as they arrive, weighing the items, checking expiration dates, sorting, carrying items to the pantry and stocking the appropriate shelves.

Available shifts:
2-6
3-5
4-6

stamp out hunger
Stamp Out Hunger

Appropriate footwear is mandatory (no flip-flops!). Because the mail trucks come in randomly, there may be some down time. We will assign specific tasks so respond as soon as possible to secure your spot. You will receive an email back from us to confirm your shift.

Please let us know by send an email to volunteers@franklinfoodpantry.org


'a long and winding road'

The Town Council and Administrator Jeff Nutting agreed to new language on the proposal to appoint future Treasurer/Collector positions.
Town Council on Wednesday approved, 8-1, a charter amendment needed for the change to become law should the ballot vote pass on Nov. 5. In 2010, a similar question failed. 
The amendment gives the town administrator power to pick a candidate for treasurer/collector. However, councilors must ratify the administrator’s selection before the appointment is official. 
The council struck down the amendment proposal in March because they believed it gave the town administrator too much power. They said at least one councilor should have a say in choosing a candidate. 
To address the council’s concerns, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting added a clause to assure more officials take part in the selection. The town administrator can appoint a candidate only after consulting with at least one member of the council and at least one member of the Finance Committee.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1424275547/Franklins-vote-on-treasurer-collector-change-slated-for-November#ixzz2SmtqM2dO


Jim Dacey made his case in January and then again a couple of weeks later
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/01/live-reporting-treasurercollector.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/02/live-reporting-treasurercollector.html

A slidecast, combining the presentation document and the audio from the Town Council meeting allows you to hear the case for making the Treasurer/Collector and appointed position
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/02/jim-dacey-makes-case-for-treasurer.html


Bottle/Can drive for One Fund



Hello, 
My 9-year old daughter, Sydney, has started a bottle and can drive to benefit the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. All money raised will go to the One Fund. If you have returnable bottles & cans to contribute, please let me know. We'll pick them up or they can be dropped off at our house (will provide address offline). Deadline is 5/25/13. 
Thanks! 
Tina Dufourtinadufour@verizon.net


Kennedy: Fundraising recycle event

Recycling to fund raise!





Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed for 1 hour shifts from 9 am – 12 and clean up shifts from 12-12:30 pm. The students must have a parent with them. Each student will receive a Kennedy School Blue Citizenship Ticket for volunteering and this activity qualifies for community service. To sign up to work a shift, please go to: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D4AADA92A1-recycling3.

We also need some supplies (disposable gloves, tables, chairs, etc.). To sign up for supplies, please go to: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D4AADA92A1-recycling4.

Proceeds from this fundraiser will be used by the Kennedy PCC for educational programs for the Kennedy Elementary School students and by Cub Scout Pack 126 for programs for their members. For more information, contact Lisa Lipson at lisalipson@comcast.net or 508-533-6414

In the News: tea party, sneaker case



Franklin Rec slates Mother’s Day tea party


The Franklin Recreation Department is hosting a Mother’s Day Mother-Daughter Tea Party on Friday, May 10, 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the recreation department, 150 Emmons St., Franklin



Former Dean College student pleads guilty in 2011 sneaker beating case
A former Dean College student, expelled after prosecutors say he pummeled another student in a 2011 campus attack caught on video, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Parmenter: Car Wash - Bottle/Can drive - May 11 (rescheduled to May 18)

Updated: 5/10: Due to the iffy weather forecast for Saturday May 11, this has been rescheduled for Sat May 18th

Parmenter Elementary School is having a car wash and bottle and can drive on Saturday May 11, 2013 from 9 am - 1pm. 
Please bring us your bottles and cans and have your car washed. This is to benefit our 5th grade class the class of 2020! 
The rain date is 5/18/13, from 9 -1pm.


Parmenter: car wash
Parmenter Car Wash - 2012