Saturday, May 25, 2013

Rain Delay - May 25th Event moved to June 1st


Hello Gardeners and Friends, 
Due to the inclement weather this weekend we are postponing this weekends event until Saturday June 1st from 9am to noon.  With nearly two inches of rainfall the ground needs to dry out a bit before it can be safely worked, and with the very cold overnight lows tender seedlings are at risk. 
We are considering having plants for sale both June 1st and 2nd.  If you are interested in attending on the 2nd please let us know! 

CommGarden_20120528 049
Community Garden - May 2012

We hope you can still join us for a day of planting and getting the garden ready for the growing season next week.  We'll have organic plant starts on sale to help your garden get started right, and we'll be working on general maintenance of the garden as a whole.  Weeding, spreading wood-chips, and other work the garden needs.  We'll also be starting a pollinator garden at the garden to help bring in the beneficial bugs that the beds need for bumper crops.  Please come lend a hand!   
For all plot holders please remember that you need to participate in at least one work day each season.  There will be work days at least once a month. 
Good Gardening, 
The Franklin Community Garden Committee

Franklin High School - Lacrosse Playoff schedule


Divison I - Boys
#17 Franklin (12-6) will travel to #16 Framingham (12-5) on May 29th, at 5:00 p.m. 



Divison I - Girls
#4 Franklin (16-2) will host #13 Norwood (9-7-2) on May 29th, at 4:00 p.m. 



You can find all the spring sports playoff schedules and results for the Hockomock League at http://www.hockomocksports.com/index.html


In the News: science fair, veterans breakfast


In a project that won first prize at a state science fair earlier this month, local teenager Dylan Martin sought to document the effects controlled doses of "alarm" pheromones have on red harvester ants.


Veterans Agent Bob Fahey led nearly 100 people in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance on Friday at the annual Memorial Day breakfast.


Friday, May 24, 2013

Half day - early start to the weekend

Only a half school day today.

parmenter school
parmenter sign
The teachers are not so lucky. They have a professional day to work on the new evaluation process coming to MA school districts. A report in the Boston Globe today bemoans the fact that 92% of the teachers were rated proficient or exemplary. I didn't get to the full set of statistics but it could be a fair reflection of reality if 9-10 percent are 'exemplary'. But the media only like to highlight the bad news and by structuring the headline to combine categories, it implies that most are exemplary. Enough ranting. Too early in the morning for that. Especially ahead of a nice long weekend!

 

"It’s kind of a race at this point"

The land has sat unused for sometime now. What is driving the need to develop it? Revenue for one, Franklin is looking creatively to expand its revenue base. Another key driver is the possible DEP regulation as referenced in the Milford Daily News article today:
By 2014, he said, the DEP intends to have a regulation in place that orders all large institutions, such as colleges, prisons, hotels, food processors and convention centers, to separate their food waste from their main waste stream for recycling. 
"The regulation would state that you would have to send it to an anaerobic digester facility or to be composted," Coletta said. 
Presently, Coletta said there are several smaller scale anaerobic digestive systems around the state, but none big enough to handle waste from, say, a college.
Read the full article here


Related post on Anaerobic Digestion
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/05/anaerobic-digester-presentation-town-of.html


Invitation to town forum on gun safety legislation



You're invited to attend our


Panel discussion to be held at Dean College Campus Center, Thursday, May 30 7:00 PM

Senator Spilka Votes to Pass Balanced Budget


The Massachusetts Senate on Friday voted to pass a $33.989 billion budget for fiscal year 2014 (FY14)., announced Senator Karen Spilka. Once again the Senate's has adhered to its unfaltering pledge to prioritize funding for cities and towns.  It also makes strategic investments to increase economic security and support economic development.  

The spending plan includes new investments in housing, education, veterans' services and mental health programs while closing a $1.2 billion budget gap. The FY14 budget utilizes new revenues generated as a result of the joint transportation finance framework agreed on by the House and Senate last month and continues the Senate's commitment to fiscal responsibility while meeting the needs of citizens through restoring vital funding to core services and increasing support for economic and workforce development.

"This budget moves away from some of the painful cuts of the past and begins to make targeted investments in areas that will support and sustain our economy," said Senator Stephen M. Brewer, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "I am proud of the funding we have been able to dedicate to building innovation and efficiency while maintaining a partnership with our municipalities and providing essential increases to residents most in need."

"This is a fiscally responsible budget that will ensure we remain on a path for continued economic growth and development while maintaining our commitment to increasing funding for education, our communities, and the services our most vulnerable citizens rely on," said Spilka.

Continuing the commitment to cities and towns, the budget includes a $166.2 million boost for local aid over FY13 spending.  Once again, the Senate allocates more than 900 million in unrestricted government aid (including 21.5 million provided through a transfer from surplus revenue from FY13) and increases funding for local education, or Chapter 70, ensuring that all school districts receive at least $25 per pupil over FY 2013.  Funding for SPED Circuit Breaker, which reimburses for the cost of high needs special education students, is fully funded at $252.8 million and the $7.3 million increase in funding for Regional School Transportation marks the highest reimbursement rate for regional school transportation costs since FY09.

The final budget also increased McKinney-Vento Transportation by $1.3 million to alleviate costs accrued by school districts for transporting homeless children to their home schools,  payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT), which provides direct local aid to certain municipalities for hosting state-owned land, by $1 million and $1 million for the education "pothole" funding, which provides state funding to towns that educate military dependents but do not receive the full cost of schooling through federal funds. It also increases funding for local tourism councils by $1.5 million. 

During two days of public debate, the Senate adopted a number of amendments to strengthen the bill, including many investments and provisions filed by Spilka.

An important resource to assist struggling manufacturing companies was supported through Spilka's amendment to fund the Layoff Aversion Program operated by the Smaller Business Association of New England.  This program provides managerial and financial consulting on a dollar for dollar matching basis to companies in order to help them stay open and keep workers on the job.

Another investment led by Spilka was the first step in the statewide implementation of the new FACES law, also known as CHINS reform, creating Family Resource centers to help children and families across the Commonwealth and funding a 211 hot line for use by courts, schools and families. This amendment puts in place the beginning stages of Spilka's landmark 2012 CHINS Reform Bill, providing resources to allow Health and Human services agencies to begin coordinating services to families, helping them receive assistance in their communities instead of going to the courts.

"This critical reform has the potential give the thousands of children and families who need assistance each year a clearer path to accessing the services and supports they need without exacerbating their situation and before it becomes dire. This funding continues our commitment to make sure that path is built," said Spilka. 

The Senate also adopted Spilka's amendment to create a safeguard for elderly and disabled transit riders on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Regional Transit Authorities from disproportionate fare increases. This amendment develops a tiered structure to ensure affordable access for paratransit riders, so that the cost of a ride is proportional to a person's income and their ability to pay.

"This was an issue about quality of life and equity," said Spilka. "Our seniors and disabled residents on tight budgets should not have to choose between transportation to their medical appointments or paying for their groceries."

Continuing their obligations to the state's most vulnerable; the Senate budget included an $11.5 million salary reserve for human services workers. An amendment filed by Spilka creates a fund to improve the hourly wage of over 19,000 low-paid direct care workers who are currently making less than $40,000 per year. The fund provides a modest salary increase to these vital and dedicated workers.

"This adjustment will help stabilize our human service workforce," said Spilka. "As a former social worker, I understand the importance of maintaining a strong human services safety net to provide quality care for residents with complex medical needs, disabilities, and mental illness."

Other Spilka amendments to assist persons with disabilities approved by the full Senate include:
•      $50,000 to expand the Best Buddies program to expand to more schools a program designed to promote friendships between students with disabilities and their classmates
•      Increased funding for the state's 11 independent living centers devoted to helping people move out of nursing homes
       
The Senate also voted to:

•     Expand the state's bottle bill to include non-carbonated drinks such as water, coffee-based drinks and sports drinks;
•     Increase funding for Youth-at-Risk Summer Jobs by $1 million to $9 million;
•     Provides $8 million for MassHealth Dental Services.
•     Dedicate $11.5 million for the child care salary reserve, increasing the reimbursement rates for state-subsidized childcare providers;
The Senate plan remains strong on public safety, funding the State Police at $256.1 million for State Police Operations, appropriating monies for a new recruit class, increasing the appropriation for the Municipal Police Training Committee, and increasing funding for Shannon Grants, which provide support to communities hardest hit by gang crime and violence, by $750,000 to $7 million in total funding.

Also included was $11.3 million in new funding for Elder Affairs programs and funds for councils on aging at the highest level of state support ever. The Senate's plan will eliminate existing wait lists for home care services and will increase funding for Foster Care and Adopted Fee Waivers to ensure that the Commonwealth fully reimburses institutions for the tuition and fees for children in foster care or who are adopted regardless of family circumstance.  It adds $1 million for the Turning 22 program that funds the first-year of services for individuals with intellectual disabilities transitioning out of Special Education into adult services.

In addition to targeted investments in many key areas of government, the Senate unanimously approved an amendment to reform sex offender registry laws.  The proposal strengthens the procedures for classifying convicted sex offenders and ensures that the Sex Offender Registry Board has the information it needs to protect our children and communities.

The Senate also unanimously approved an amendment filed by Senate President Therese Murray to establish an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) registry, to be known as the Argeo Paul Cellucci Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry, named for the former Massachusetts Governor who suffers from the fatal disease.

Importantly, the Senate paused during its second day of public debate to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to our country.  As in previous years, members read the names of service members who were killed in action during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom as part of the ceremony.  The same day, the Senate moved to adopt Spilka's amendment to provide $15,000 to help fund the Town of Medway's efforts to bring the Vietnam Moving Wall to town for its 300th anniversary on May 30 through June 3, 2013. 

Spilka commented:  "Remembering the sacrifices made by our veterans, those who lost their lives and those who have had their lives changed forever as a result of their service, is the duty of all Americans.

The Senate's budget for FY14 prioritizes resources for vital programs that help people, families, and communities, including significant increases for mental health services and for sustainable housing.  Although Massachusetts continues to recover from the recession at a rate faster than most states, many programs that offer key services still have not seen funding levels restored to before the economic downturn.  This budget targets many of those investments key to continuing the state's recovery and confronts remaining challenges.

In the News: casino, gun licenses


Towns look for strength in numbers on casino battle

Four MetroWest towns are close to solidifying a 3-year agreement to form a team to pool funds in the fight against a proposed casino in Milford. Hopkinton, Holliston, Medway and Ashland have drafted an intermunicipal agreement to form the MetroWest Anti-Casino Coalition, known as MWACC, as in "whack" Foxwoods developers’ plan until they leave town.



Westfield Republican state Sen. Michael Knapik and the Northborough-based Gun Owners Action League are asking the state to investigate lengthy delays they say plague residents applying for gun permits.

Sharing is a Virtue (and should be rewarded!)



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Connecting good friends with great wine!
   
Never Drink Ordinary!
Sharing is a Virtue
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Do you enjoy Pour Richard's Emails? (We hope so!) Do you have friends who might also enjoy hearing from us? For every new email we add to our list through the end of June, we'll enter that reader into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate. AND, when the winner is drawn, we will ALSO give a $50 gift certificate to the customer who referred them. And it's simple-forward this email, and when you click on the link below, it takes you to our home page, where you can select newsletter only, Fat Tuesday specials only, or all of the above.


Thank you in advance for helping us spread our message. Our customers are the best!





Never Drink Ordinary! -Ann and John
Please share this email with friends who are enthusiastic about great wine, beer, and spirits. (Keeping all the good stuff for yourself is bad karma.)



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Pour Richard's Wine and Spirits | 14 Grove Street | Franklin | MA | 02038

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Anaerobic Digester Presentation - Town of Franklin - Planning Board Mtg June 3rd, 2013

Dear Friends and colleagues,

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to attend the June 3rd, 7pm meeting of the Town of Franklin Planning Board.

355 East Central Street
Council Chambers – Second Floor
Franklin, MA 02038

During this meeting we will be having a special presentation concerning Anaerobic Digester Plants.

Please come and learn what Anaerobic Digesters are, how they benefit the environment and ultimately how they can benefit our community.

"Think Green, be GREEN!"

Anaerobic digestion definition:

Anaerobic digestion is a biological process making it possible to degrade organic matter by producing biogas which is a renewable energy source and a sludge used as fertilizer.
The production of biogas is carried out in the environment in a natural way (e.g. gas of marshes - vegetable and animal matter decomposition where the formation of bubbles at water surface can be observed).

In the absence of oxygen (anaerobic digestion), the organic matter is degraded partially by the combined action of several types of micro-organisms.   The bacteria which carry out these reactions exist in natural state in the liquid manure and the anaerobic ecosystems; it is not necessary to add more, they develop naturally in a medium without oxygen.
The resulting Methane gas is utilized to run electrical generators.

Federal EPA Anaerobic Digester website link:

Link to Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Anaerobic Digestion website.


Articles pertaining to the Fremont, Michigan Anaerobic Digester Plant.  

In your service,

Glenn F. Jones
Franklin Town Council
Chairman - Economic Development Committee

Franklin Farmers Market


Fridays Noon – 6 PM
June 7
to
November 1
(No market July 5)

***

We’ve Grown to
20 Vendors!

Grateful Farm
Grateful Farm


***

New this season: 
 Non-Profit Table for Community Groups!
one group scheduled per week, inquire at:

A group blog on child well-being: MassKidsCount.org



MassBudget    Information.
   Participation.
 Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy.
MassKidsCount.org
What Can We Do to Help Kids?
As part of our KIDS COUNT initiative, MassBudget is participating in a new group blog about the well-being of children in Massachusetts: MassKidsCount.org.


The blog brings together leading voices in child advocacy and public policy research to present a fuller picture of the ways we can help children reach their potential. For instance . . . We know they need good K-12 schools. And to really benefit from those schools they also need good early education & care. And if they lack quality health care, they may not be able to fully participate in school or community life. And if their communities are unsafe or their families face economic insecurity, stress and danger may keep them from play and learning. These things are all interconnected in the lives of children.

Contributors to the blog have expertise--and long experience--across these areas: in early education & care, mental and physical health, K-12 education, children with disabilities, child poverty, juvenile justice, and beyond. Each has written a first post (listed below) introducing themselves and sharing some of the policy ideas they are currently pursuing. Future posts will address urgent policy challenges, new research, major events, and other things vital to children's lives. We invite you to read the posts, join the discussion, and visit again (and again) as new posts appear in the coming days. If you prefer, you can also receive information about new posts via RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.

EXPLORE MassKidsCount.org, or go directly to any of the posts listed below

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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This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com by nberger@massbudget.org |  

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

Youth of the Year - Tom Senst


Tom Senst received the Bernon Family Branch’s Youth of the Year award for his commitment and dedication to making a positive impact on YMCA members, participants, and staff. He was awarded the honor at the annual Hockomock Area YMCA’s annual meeting and awards night on Wednesday, May 15 at Lake Pearl Luciano’s in Wrentham. 
Tom has been a member of the Hockomock Area YMCA since he was six years old, participating in summer camp and knowing as early as the first week that he would one day become a camp counselor. He credits his early counselors with having fostered morals of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility in him. Having advanced from camper to leader-in-training, then counselor-in-training to cadet, he appreciates his current position as counselor because he gets to instill the same values in his campers. For two years, he has been an active participant in Leaders Club, the Y's leadership program that gives teens the opportunity to envision and pursue a positive future, and offers chances to take an active role in strengthening community. Tom is a respected member of the YMCA staff during the school year, acting as a group leader in the after school program called our School's Out program and as a coach in youth sports leagues. 
Hockomock YMCA
Tom Senst with Bernon Family Branch Camp & Teen Director Lexi Allen
Remarking on Tom's abilities, Lexi Allen, Camp and Teen Director, says, "It doesn’t take long to recognize his positive spirit, true compassion, and maturity beyond his years.” Tom smiles when he states matter-of-factly that the Y has contributed immensely to shaping who he is today. "The YMCA has given me a second family and no other organization or group that I've ever been a part of has given me such a great and tremendous gift,” says Tom Senst proudly.

About The Hockomock Area YMCAThe Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities in the areas of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. At the Y, strengthening community is its cause. Every day, the Y works side-by-side with its neighbors to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn and grow. 
For more information about the Hockomock Area YMCA, please visit www.hockymca.org

"All the weird stuff was my stuff"

Author Christopher Golden visited the Horace Mann Middle School this week.
A Framingham native, he met in the morning with more than 60 students before holding a writing workshop. He started the lecture by urging them to do what they love in life and not to let dreams of wealth cloud or defer the dreams that matter. 
"I know the focus is on how do I get a job where I can make a lot of money so I can have whatever I want," the 45-year-old said. "But what if the whatever you want is the way you can make a lot of money?" 
Golden said stories, fiction or non-fiction, have an enormous power to influence life. 
"Go back to the beginning … the images that were painted on cave walls told a story," he said. "Legends and myths and oral traditions that Native Americans told around fires that were passed along, passed along, passed along before they were ever written down — stories."


Read more: Popular fantasy author brings his magic to Franklin middle school - Franklin, MA - Wicked Local Franklin http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x90719189/Popular-fantasy-author-brings-his-magic-to-Franklin-middle-school#ixzz2U6hsztvY

Senator Karen Spilka named Citizen Laureate by Framingham State University

Framingham State Univ
Senator Spilka and Dr. Timothy Flanagan at Framingham State University
On Sunday morning, May 19th Senator Karen Spilka was presented with the Citizen Laureate Award at the Framingham State University graduate commencement ceremony.  The award, given annually to an individual who has consistently supported the University, was awarded to Spilka in recognition of her advocacy on behalf of the MetroWest region.  President Flanagan praised Spilka for her leadership in advancing public transportation and strengthening public higher education in the Commonwealth.

Accepting the award, she remarked on the importance of the University in her career. "In my many years as a MetroWest resident and legislator, I have had a long and extremely rewarding relationship with Framingham State University – we are truly partners in advancing higher education," Spilka said. "FSU is a prime example of what makes my work as a public servant worthwhile: the opportunity to invest resources, creativity and new ideas into an institution that prepares the next generation for the challenges you will face in the 21st century."

Later in the day Spilka addressed the thousands of students, faculty, families and friends gathered for Framingham State's 174th undergraduate commencement ceremony to offer the formal Greetings Commonwealth of Massachusetts and introduce U. S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, the commencement speaker.

Spilka said of Warren: "Elizabeth Warren's hope is our hope – America's hope – that we remain the land of unequaled opportunity, - that each of you will able to use your unique talents in the service of our country and our economy without being crippled by student debt and an increasingly unfair playing field - and that we will build a better tomorrow for ourselves and our children" 
Senator Spilka represents the Second Middlesex and Norfolk district, comprised of the towns of Ashland, Framingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway and Natick.  Through hard work, a keen ability to navigate complex issues, and a demonstrated commitment to advocating for her constituents, Spilka has risen to a leadership position in the Massachusetts legislature.  She currently serves as Majority Whip in the Senate and as chair of the Tech Hub and Biotech Caucuses.  She previously served as Senate chair of the Job Creation Commission, the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies and the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. 
About Framingham State University
Framingham State University was founded in 1839 as the nation's first public university for the education of teachers. Since that time, it has evolved into a vibrant, comprehensive liberal arts institution offering small, personalized classes on a beautiful New England campus. Today, the University enrolls more than 6,400 students with 53 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences and professional fields. As a public university, Framingham State prides itself on quality academic programs, affordability, and commitment to access for all qualified students.