"transform the trail into a multi-use outdoor recreational facility"

The National Park Service announced it would continue supporting the SNETT trail.

Charles Tracy, director of the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program in Massachusetts, will continue helping the Friends of the SNETT plan strategies for developing and improving the 22-mile trail through a consolation grant extended to 2014. 

"We made good progress last year," said Tracy. "The SNETT expanded and strengthened its circle of friends by building partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), local communities and key organizations. … This year, I look forward to making more friends for the SNETT and realizing on-the-ground trail improvements." 

The Friends have coordinated projects along the trail, from installing signs and gates to grading or widening certain sections. DCR recognized that work late this summer by adding the trail to its online database of state parks and trails.

SNETT parking at Grove St trail head

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x825429638/Trunkline-Trail-to-continue-receiving-assistance#ixzz2kFAMfebB

The MA DCR entry for the SNETT
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-central/southern-new-england-trunkline-trail.html

The Franklin and Bellingham Rail Trail Committee
http://www.franklinbellinghamrailtrail.org/

Friends of Franklin Library: Fall 2013 Newsletter

As you are likely aware, recent events have been disruptive to The Friends of Franklin Library. What’s important to make clear, however, is that controversy and resistance have done nothing to weaken our organization.  

In fact, there’s reason to believe that The Friends is now stronger and more committed than it was before this recent turn of events. 

We were disappointed and frankly surprised to be told that the Library Board of Directors did not want us to conduct our planned October book sale. These semi-annual sales of donated books over the years have yielded funds that were used to help our library expand its collections, purchase museum passes, offer programs to the community, enhance library services, and even to buy furniture.  

On Sept. 23, The Friends asked the board to reconsider its decision. That appeal was rejected without a discussion or a vote. 

We disagree with the Library Board’s decision and would have welcomed —and expected— the chance to present data in support of these popular and profitable events, which since 2005 have generated net revenue of $153,734.  

Based on recent book sales, we anticipated our October sale would have raised roughly $6,000, after expenses. As with all of The Friends’ efforts, this profit would have been achieved without any cost to the library or town. 

Despite this setback, The Friends’ desire to support the library remains intact. We will continue to fulfill our mission as community advocates for the library, which we consider an important cornerstone of our community.  

Our organization remains strong and devoted to its mission. We have both the willingness and the resources to provide financial support, as requested, to our public library.

Read the remainder of the newsletter here:

Friends of the Franklin Library * P.O. Box 147 * Franklin, MA  02038 * fofl02038@gmail.com

Fallen Hero: Lance Corporal Richard Lincoln Desper

Lance Corporal Richard Lincoln Desper was born on February 12, 1947 the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Desper. Richard lived at 45 Coutu St. with his parents, four brothers, and 13 sisters. 

According to the war Department's official telegram Corporal Desper died five miles north of An Hoa in Quong Nan province of fragmentation wounds inflicted by mortar fire while on a search-and-clear mission with the Marine Corps in Vietnam on February 26, 1969. This was Corporal Desper's second tour of duty in the war zone having previously served in Vietnam with the Navy.

Lance Corporal Richard Lincoln Desper

Lance Corporal Richard L. Desper was 22 years old at the time of his death in Vietnam.

Lance Corporal Richard Lincoln Desper

Franklin 1 of 33 Massachusetts School Districts Named to the 2013 AP District Honor Roll

School Districts recognized for expanding access to AP and maintaining or improving performance

MALDEN – State education officials today announced that 33 Massachusetts school districts were named to the College Board's 2013 AP District Honor Roll for expanding access to Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum and maintaining or improving the percent of students scoring 3 or higher.

According to the College Board, Massachusetts had the fifth most number of school districts earning a spot on the honor roll. Pennsylvania had the most districts recognized with 40. A total of 477 districts across the U.S. and Canada were selected for the 4th annual AP Honor Roll.

"Massachusetts teachers continue to help pave the way for the Commonwealth’s successes in education,” said Education Secretary Matthew Malone. “I am proud that the Patrick Administration’s continued investments in expanding access to high quality educational programs is boosting student participation and performance on AP exams that will help prepare them for success both in the classroom and ultimately, in the workforce."

"Each of our districts honored today, along with many more across the Commonwealth, are providing students with a rigorous course of study that will prepare them for success in college and careers," said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester.

The Patrick Administration is implementing a number of initiatives to ensure that students are prepared for success beyond high school and have the necessary skills to fill open jobs and compete in our increasingly global economy. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is implementing a set of recommendations proposed by a task force of the state's leading educators, employers, and academic labor experts to ensure that every student graduates from high school ready to pursue the next steps on the path to a successful career or post-secondary education.

Schools across the Commonwealth are also implementing the state's new college and career ready standards in English language arts and Mathematics, which incorporate the Common Core State Standards. The Department is developing online resources tools that educators can use in the classroom. Massachusetts is also a member a 20-state consortium that is building a next generation assessment system, called PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers), to provide a better signal of students' readiness for college and careers.

The College Board bases inclusion on the AP District Honor Roll according to the following criteria:

• Increased access to AP courses by At least 4% in large districts
• At least 6% in medium districts
• At least 11% in small districts
• The percentage of African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students taking AP exams must not have decreased more than 5% for large and medium districts and 10% for small districts.
• Performance levels were maintained or improved when comparing the percentage of exams scoring 3 or higher from 2011 to 2013.

The following Massachusetts school districts were named to the 2013 AP Honor Roll:

Arlington Public Schools (1)
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District
Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District (1)
Diocese of Fall River
Dudley-Charlton Regional School District
Franklin Public Schools (1)
Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District
Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District (1)
Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (1)
Hampshire Regional School District
Hanover Public Schools
Hingham Public Schools
Hopedale Public Schools
King Philip Regional School District (1)
Leominster Public Schools
Ludlow Public Schools
Medfield Public Schools (1)
Medway Public Schools (1)
Monomoy Regional School District
Needham Public Schools (1)
Newton Public Schools
North Attleboro Public Schools (1)
North Middlesex Public Schools (1)
Northbridge Public Schools
Norwood Public Schools
Plymouth Public Schools
Swampscott Public Schools
Triton Public Schools
Wachusett Regional School District (1)
Waltham Public Schools (1)
Webster Public Schools (2)
Westford Public Schools
Whitman-Hanson Regional School District



(1) District has achieved the honor for multiple years.
(2) District has 30% or greater enrollment of students who qualify for free/reduced lunch.

AP is a rigorous academic program that offers more than 30 courses in a wide range of subjects and college-level assessments developed and scored by college and university faculty members and experienced AP teachers. According to the College Board, a score of 3 or higher on an AP exam represents the score point that is predictive of college success and college graduation.

For additional information on AP, visit the College Board's website at http://www.collegeboard.org.

In the News: drive by shooting, Veterans Day

Two arrested in connection with drive-by shooting in Franklin

Two Rhode Island men were arrested in Woonsocket on Wednesday in connection with a drive-by shooting Tuesday night near Upper Union Street.

Milford-area parades and ceremonies for Veterans Day

Franklin’s Dean College will honor Veterans Day at its downtown campus. At 12:30 p.m., alumni, students, faculty and staff will gather for a ceremony in front of the college’s War Memorial on Awpie Way. 

U.S. Rep Joseph Kennedy III is the featured speaker and will join Dean students in the singing of the National Anthem.

Franklin Art Center: NAMIBIA EXHIBIT

Photography Exhibit Franklinartcenter@gmail.com Photography Exhibition Tonight Come support the Franklin Food Pantry We are asking everyone coming to the show to bring a canned good and help the  Franklin Food Pantry this holiday season.  Friend on Facebook   Forward to Friend  Copyright © 2013 Franklin Art Center Our mailing address is: 5 Main St Franklin Art Center Franklin MA 02038 unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences

This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Franklin Art Center · 5 Main St · Franklin, MA 02038 · USA

Franklin Newcomers and Friends 40th Annual Craft Fair

Over 70 artisan crafters under one roof offering hand-made and unique items for every style and budget including: art, photography, body care, candles, kids and adult clothing and accessories, jewelry, handbags, quilts, pottery, home décor, holiday décor, stained glass, pewter, hand-made wood and glass items, food and much, much more!

Get a start on your holiday shopping! Please come out to support local artisan crafters and support our local community at the same time! The majority of the proceeds from the Craft Fair benefit local organizations. We are also accepting non-perishable donations at the door for the Franklin Food Pantry. 

Admission is $3 for adults and children over 12 with a maximum of $10 per family. The club will also run a raffle table and a bake table. 

Please come join us for this annual tradition!

Franklin Newcomers and Friends 40th Annual Craft Fair

Visit their Facebook event page here
https://www.facebook.com/events/1429061823974140/

Franklin Food Pantry distributes the holiday meal

With the holidays approaching, the Franklin Food Pantry held its annual distribution of turkey dinners on Wednesday evening.

Two hundred dinners were put together and handed out to registered members of the food pantry. All registered members are residents of Franklin who are chosen through an application process.

volunteers ready to distribute the meal kits

The dinners included a frozen turkey and all the side items such as cranberry sauce, vegetables, stuffing and more. All items are donated by the community with the help of the Franklin Interfaith Council while volunteers put together all the bags. The turkey's come from the Greater Boston Food Bank and are handed out from the back of a Garelick Farm's refrigerated truck.

"Everyone is very supportive in getting the bags put together," says Linda Sottile, Director of Operations at the Food Pantry, who helps oversee the collecting and packaging of the items and bags.

Sottile works alongside Erin Lynch, Director of Development at the Food Pantry, to make the distribution possible. Thanksgiving is the first of two dinner distributions with the second one happening early in December.

Lynch says the Food Pantry is always thankful for any donation made to make these events possible, "We're very grateful to the community."

This was originally posted to the Franklin Food Pantry webpage

In the News: veterans breakfast, AP Honor Roll

Franklin cheers its veterans at annual breakfast

The town’s veterans were recognized with waves of applause on Friday morning during the annual Veterans Day breakfast.

Schools in Hopedale, Medway and Franklin named to AP Honor Roll

Hopedale, Medway and Franklin were three of 33 state school districts named to the College Board’s 2013 Advanced Placement (AP) District Honor Roll, the state Department of Education announced Wednesday.

Change of seasons

1 - Friendly reminder that the Farmers Market is done for the season.

Farmers Market ended Nov 1

2 - Notification of the Christmas Fair is popping up around town. Plan for Nov 17th to get ahead start for that season!

Christmas Fair at the Elks Lodge

Pour Richard's: Beer Extravaganza

Calling all craft beer enthusiasts! On Saturday, Nov 9th, Pour Richard's will host its first-ever Beer Extravaganza!

We've called on our distributors to pour some of their newest and most-interesting seasonal offerings. Do you like good beer? Yes? Then you won't want to miss this. 

Pour Richard's

Lagunitas. Founder's. Ommegang. Evil Twin. Stillwater. Foolproof. Berkshire. Sierra Nevada. Goose Island. Wormtown. Jack's Abby. Avery. Anderson Valley. And much, much more. 

Are you thirsty yet? We'll provide some spicy chili and all the fixings. The event is free, 21+ only, and held 4-7 PM so you cannot possibly still be doing yardwork. 

Please forward to similarly beer-obsessed friends. See you there!

Visit Pour Richard's on the website to sign up for their newsletters http://pourrichardswine.com/

Regular trash schedule next week

Trash and Recycling pick up schedule will be the regular day with Monday pick up as usual.  For more information including holidays and yard waste pick ups, please refer to the Solid Waste mailer.

The Curbside Mailer can be found here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01BFEEE0-000F8513.0/Curbside%20Brochure.PDF

Neighbor Brigade: help is next door!

Hi All,

Many of you have already heard of the Franklin Chapter of Neighbor Brigade, some have not. I have the pleasure of volunteering for this group as a meal-deliverer, occasional driver and as the chapter leader.

Unfortunately for a couple families in town, we are very busy right now. Happily for us volunteers who enjoy connecting with this community when we can, we are full with appreciation and gratitude to help out.

Two of our current Franklin families are going through treatments from cancer ; another a family crisis; and a forth in the works who is coping with a new diagnosis of cancer and surgery challenges. Take a look below at the description of Neighbor Brigade and consider volunteering, with absolutely no pressure to give time, unless it fits into your schedule...

Franklin Neighbor Brigade – Help is next door. The Franklin chapter of Neighbor Brigade is actively recruiting volunteers! 

Neighbor Brigade establishes and mobilizes community-specific networks of volunteers that provide free and immediate support services to residents during times of temporary crisis – such as serious illness, major surgery, sudden accident or tragedy. Services include meal delivery, local rides, help with household duties, help with errands, and more. 

To learn about the Franklin network or find out how we can help you or someone you know, contact chapter leader Linda Gagnon 617-335-5452. Or go to: http://www.neighborbrigade.org/chapters/FranklinMA

 To join the Franklin chapter, you must be a resident and can sign up when you go to: http://www.neighborbrigade3.org/live/other-forms/volunteer-application/?status=New&chapter=FranklinMA

Neighbor Brigade's main site (all chapters in MA):
http://www.neighborbrigade.org/

With gratitude,

Linda Gagnon, Franklin resident for 24 years


Neighbor Brigade Inc.
617-335-5452/ 
FranklinMA@neighborbrigade.org
www.neighborbrigade.org


Like Us On Facebook!

Updated 11/8/13 4:30 PM with corrected text and links

Life Long Learning update

We are at the beginning of November and Lifelong Learning courses are active, rigorous and engaging.

Read more about the learning underway 
http://lifelonglearningfps.blogspot.com/2013/11/autumn-2013.html

Check out their webpage for future learning opportunities. Registration is open now for classes beginning in December.  http://cfweb.smartedu.net/lll/

Why Mount St? Where did this come from?

Mount St resident Judith Cobb writes:

I am writing to alert all those of you who may have dealings with the Town of Franklin (Or other town governments), solar companies with promises, and National Grid. Not so long ago Franklin granted a permit to a solar company to install a farm which would grant all sorts of electrical benefits to the town. I am a supporter of solar energy. The word at the time was that it would be kind to the land and would connect to the Grid through the Union St. Industrial Park. Very soon after all the large roadside trees were cleared from the site.

Read the remainder of her letter here: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/opinions/letters_to_the_editor/x1467731152/Cobb-Franklin-solar-project-hurts-neighborhood#ixzz2jxORIJ1B


Helen Markee had also commented on a prior solar panel update:

This project may be great for the town but not for the Franklin residents who live on Mount St. In order to connect the solar farm into the electrical grid, National Grid has decided to run the 23 thousand volt power line along Mount St, which already has three power lines crossing it, one twenty three thousand volt line and two one hundred and fifteen thousand volt power transmission lines. This decision was made and the work started without notifying any of the residents on Mount St about this additional power line. Other routes for this new power line are available which would not increase the harmful electromagnetic radiation exposure to the Mount St residents. Running this type of power line along a street by itself would not normally be a hazard, but combined with the effects of three other power transmission lines already crossing it greatly increase the risk of health related issues including cancer. Perhaps the residents of Mount St in Franklin don't Matter!

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/10/solar-farm-update.html

Sculpture Park - November Update (video)

I got out to the Sculpture Park this past weekend to check out the new piece that has been installed. Come along with me for about a 6 minute walk in the park.



Where is the Sculpture Park?
On Panther Way, next to the Franklin Police Station.

Now hiring - Artistry Kitchen

We are looking for people who understand and appreciate the art of hospitality and recognize the

importance of being involved in our community. If you are a motivated, service-oriented team

player who is ready to be part of the pre-opening team of this property, please forward your resume

to jobs@artistryboston.com.

AVAILABLE POSITIONS
Line Cook, Prep Cook, Bartender, Server, Greeter, Busperson, Runner, Dishwasher

BENEFITS
• Competitive Compensation
• Health Insurance
• Paid Time Off

VISIT US AT OUR JOB FAIR!

When: Wednesday, November 13 from 12 PM to 8 PM

Where: Rockland Trust Bank, 58 Main St., Franklin MA

RSVP: info@artistrykitchen.com

Apply at www.artistrykitchen.com

Artistry Kitchen is part of an emerging multi-faceted hospitality company in Massachusetts called
Artistry. In addition to Artistry Kitchen, the organization is comprised of The Inn at Hastings Park,
a boutique inn and restaurant, as well as a full-service catering and event planning company.


The Artistry Kitchen flyer:




Where is Artistry Kitchen?
in downtown Franklin on the corner of Cottage and East Central

Senior Center introduces Companion Caregiver Program

Funded by a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation, Franklin's Senior Center is offering a program to provide some off time for care givers. For those caring for the sick and elderly, the job is 24x7. To get a break, you can now get some qualified help at a reasonable price.

The Companion Caregiver Program is designed to provide a regular break (respite) for unpaid caregivers of elders, aged 60 and over, in Franklin and Bellingham. Care recipients must have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, a related dementia, or a significant chronic medical condition. This in-home respite service is provided by a trained companion employed by the Franklin Senior Center. The program provides socialization and stimulation for the care recipient, through an activities plan developed for that individual, based on his or her interests and abilities. It also provides affordable respite for caregivers.

The details are contained in the flyer shown here:

Franklin Library: Air - Is it really there?

For children in the 1st through 4th grades, the next program in Silly Science and Mystical Math is scheduled for Friday, Nov 15th.

Registration is required as space in the class is limited. You can register here
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e8ft554ybc860073&oseq=&c=&ch=

Additional information can be found in the flyer:

Air: Is it really there?

This was shared from the Franklin Public Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2013/11/silly-science-mystical-math-air_6.html

Town Of Franklin has gone GREEN with UniPay Gold

Are you tired of receiving bills in the mail, putting them down somewhere until you cannot find them when you are ready to pay them? Have you ever paid a late fee and/or interest charges because you misplaced a bill? Then you are ready to take the next step to bill presentment or paperless billing.

The Town of Franklin offers you the convenience of paperless billing through UniPay’s new electronic billing feature. Managing your bills online has now become faster and easier. With electronic bill presentment you will receive an email notice as soon as your bill is available for payment. With paperless billing you will no longer receive those paper bills to save.

It’s easy as 1, 2, 3~ …. Register, view, and pay….. And you are using the same trusted, dependable UniPay product. Your bills are stored electronically on UniPay and your payment history is also available. You can retrieve them by logging in. If you need a copy, just print it out. If you need to know what you paid for taxes for income tax purposes, just look them up.

No searching for paper copies.
No forgetting to pay.
No hassle.

And it is available 24 hours a day/365 days a year so you can manage your Real Estate and water/sewer/trash bills when you want to.

Use our on-line bill payment link to get you there to register. The link is on the Town of Franklin
Home page. franklin.ma.us/

or go directly here

It is easy to “be green”.



As posted by the Treasurer to the Franklin webpage
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01BF8971-000F8513

MassBudget: Mass. Leading the Way in Kids Mental Health Screening + New KIDS COUNT Report

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. KIDS COUNT  Mental Health Screening for Moms and Kids  To ensure that all kids across the Commonwealth have the chance to reach their full potential, Massachusetts has introduced a number of programs that support children's behavioral development. The success of some of these efforts is reflected in a KIDS COUNT report released today by the Annie E. Casey foundation which finds Massachusetts leading the nation in providing screenings that assess whether a child is at risk for developmental or other behavioral health concerns and that allow for timely intervention.    MassBudget's new brief, "It's a Family Affair: Massachusetts Leading the Way in Mental Health Screening for Moms and Kids," describes these initiatives and shows how the combination of early screening and effective intervention can work together to help children. We find that:  Two-thirds of young, low-income children in Massachusetts get early, developmental screenings, compared to just one-third nationwide. Massachusetts is making major strides in the assessment of post-partum depression. Making sure that mental health screenings are followed up by community-based treatment and family supports could help improve outcomes for children.  Research has shown that maternal depression affects the well-being of kids. According to Liz Friedman, Program Director for MotherWoman, "There are serious implications for children who are born to mothers with untreated depression or anxiety such as being more likely to experience social, emotional, and cognitive delays, have the potential of facing unintended neglect and can have lifelong increases in medical care utilization and expenses." The national KIDS COUNT report, "The First Eight Years: Giving Kids a Foundation for Lifetime Success,"  presents a strong case for investing in the early years of a child's life. The report details the many, long-term benefits of investing in the early years of a child's life. For children to succeed, classroom learning should be integrated with other aspects of child development, such as social, emotional and physical development, to create opportunities for children to develop the full array of competencies they will need in life. "All children need nurturing and plentiful opportunities to develop during their crucial first eight years," said Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Foundation. "Today's complicated world can strain families' ability to ensure their children are receiving all the stimulation and care they need to develop to their full potential."     Read IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR: MASSACHUSETTS LEADING THE WAY IN MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING FOR MOMS AND KIDS and THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS: GIVING KIDS A FOUNDATION FOR LIFETIME SUCCESS  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

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

FHS playoff teams had mixed results on Tuesday

FHS Girls Soccer: Franklin vs. Marshfield
The Franklin High School girl's soccer team beat Marshfield 2-0 Tuesday night under the lights at Pisini Field.

The Lady Panther's went into half time with a 0-0 stalemate, but seventeen minutes into the second half junior Taylor Cogliano slipped one past Marshfield on an assist by sophomore Victoria Stowell to give Franklin a 1-0 edge. Ten minutes later Cogliano tallied another to make it the 2-0 final.

The defending state champs continue their 2013 tournament run on Thursday November 7 at Medway High School against number five seeded Needham. Time is to be announced.



FHS Girls Volleyball

"The Franklin volleyball team had its season come to an end in a 3-1 (23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 19-25) loss at Natick on Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the Division 1 Central-West tournament."

Read the full article on HockomockSports.com
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2013/11/panthers-season-ends-at-natick.html



FHS Boys Soccer

Déjà vu isn't always a good thing - just ask the Franklin Panthers boys soccer team. Franklin tied #3 New Bedford 1-1 in regulation and the score stayed the same through the two overtime periods before the Whalers escaped with a 6-5 win in penalty kicks - the same manner Franklin was eliminated last year.

Read the full article on HockomockSports.com
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2013/11/penalty-kicks-end-franklins-season-again.html

“Clara’s Tea Party” - Nov 17th

Dress up in your Holiday best and enjoy an afternoon of tea, crafts and fun with Clara and her friends. The cast of Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center’s “The Nutcracker” invites you to celebrate the season with them on Sunday, Nov 17, 2013, at its studios on 31 Hayward Street in Franklin, MA. 

“Last year was such a success! Our guests really enjoyed meeting the cast of the show and asking lots of questions. They sipped ‘tea’ together, enjoyed Sugarplum Sweets, made crafts and enjoyed dancing with Clara, the Sugarplum Fairy, the Dew Drop Fairy and the Snow Queen,” said Patti Eisenhauer, owner of PEDC. She added, “This year we are offering two seatings. The first seating, from 1 to 2:15pm is for our youngest guests to participate with a parent or guardian. Our second seating is from 3 to 4:30 for our older guests that can attend alone or with a friend.” 

Included in the $25 ticket fee is a digital photo with Clara, as well as a small gift from her to each child. 

“I am so excited to have a Tea Party with the children all dressed up in their holiday clothes!” said Sarah Finamore, who is hosting the Tea Party, along with Ainsley McStay, as both girls will dance the role of Clara in PEDC’s upcoming Nutcracker production on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15. “It is so much fun to see how excited the kids are when they see us in our beautiful costumes and crowns. It really is magical,” said Sarah. Ainsley added, “I really enjoy doing crafts with the kids and showing them some of our dances from the show. I hope that when the see the show live, they will remember our tea party.” 

The “Nutcracker” Box Office is also open and tickets for the Saturday, Dec. 14 show at 5:30 and for the Sunday, Dec. 15 show at 1pm are available. Ticket prices are $15 and $12. Tickets are available by calling PEDC. 

In its 33rd year of dance education, Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center is a state-of the art Dance Center offering tap, ballet, jazz, modern, hip-hop and gymnastics classes, as well as birthday parties. Classes are held for each age group from pre-school children through adult. Children are taught the discipline of tap, ballet, jazz and tumbling during their class each week. The center offers air conditioning and springboard flooring. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, email: pedcnews@gmail.com or call the studio at 508-520-7873.

You can visit the PEDC webpage here  http://www.pedancecenter.com/Home.html

"paltry turnout at the polls"

Milford Daily News writes on the Franklin election results:

Turnout proved slow throughout the chilly, sun-splashed day and never picked up. Roughly 2,527 people filed into the polls, a little more than 10 percent of the town’s 22,000 registered voters, according to Town Clerk Deborah Pellegri. That number stands as the lowest recorded at a town election in a decade. 

In addition to voting for the council seats, voters weighed in on two ballot referendums. 

For the nonbinding question, they rejected the idea of amending the town charter to allow for the election of a mayor, with 1,374 residents voting yes and 936 voting no.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x825428002/New-Franklin-town-council-elected#ixzz2jrTZhkgm

Franklin Election results - Nov 5, 2013

Town Council results

Padula *	1667
Williams *	1622
Vallee *	1431
Mercer *	1383
Kelly *	1378
Pfeffer *	1347
Bissanti *	1318
Jones *	1249
Feldman *	1041
DelFino	953

Top 9 are elected *

School Committee results

Douglas *	1439
O'Malley *	1410
Trahan *	1387
Jewell *	1213
Rohrbach *	1196
Clement *	1168
Mullen *	1154

All 7 are elected

Constable results

McCahill *	1265
LaRosa	685

Board of Assessors (4 year term)

Feeley *	1343
Ballinger	694

Board of Assessors (2 year term)

Neas

1464

Planning Board results

Padula *	1407
Halligan *	1282
Arora	862

Board of Health 

Hunchard *

1583

Ballot Question #1 (Franklin will appoint the next Treasurer)

Yes	1177
No	1118

Ballot Question #2 (Franklin will not explore a Mayor)

Yes	936
No	1374