April 8, 2014 - The United Regional Chamber of Commerce eNews

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce eNews April 8, 2014

Dear Stephen, The United Regional Chamber of Commerce strives to keep our members informed. As a member, you receive our weekly electronic newsletter, eNews, and occasional eNews alerts of upcoming events. If you do not wish to receive future editions of this electronic newsletter, please email Lisa or call her at 508-222-0801. In This Issue... Spotlight on Education Breakfast Best-Practices Sales Summit Scholarships Available! Ribbon Cutting April 24 Request for Grant Proposals Ribbon Cutting April 30 Ribbon Cutting May 7 Want to Co-Host a Business After Hours? Golf Tournament Spotlight on Education Breakfast May 29   The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is once again hosting the Spotlight on Education breakfast. The event will honor this year's recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award, as well as scholarship recipients, Unsung Heroes, and the Top Ten students from the graduating high school classes in the communities served by the Chamber. This event will be held at Lake Pearl Luciano's in Wrentham. The cost for tickets is $22. Students being recognized at the event are invited to attend for free. However, we need local businesses to sponsor these students. Please consider donating $250 to cover one class of students, or $500 to cover a class plus distribute your company's information at the breakfast. Call Lisa at 508-222-0801 for more information. We thank the following companies for already confirming their scholar sponsorships!                 The Spotlight on Education Breakfast and Teacher of the Year Award are generously sponsored by Bristol County Savings Bank.   Best-Practices Sales Summit Tomorrow  The United Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold its Best-Practices Sales Summit tomorrow (April 9) from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Ben Couto of Reynolds DeWalt will facilitate the meeting at The United Regional Chamber of Commerce, 42 Union St., Attleboro. The topic for the meeting will be "Sales Process: What are the steps?" The sales process has evolved over the past 15 years, especially in the last 5 years. We will be discussing what we can do to be effective in this ever changing process.Register by email. Share your passion for sales in the Best-Practice Sales Summit. This interactive group discusses selling approach, overcoming challenges, and developing a sales pipeline. The Best-Practice Sales Summit is a benefit of membership in The United Regional Chamber of Commerce.  Do You Have a High School Senior? We Have Money!  High school seniors planning to attend a 4-year college or university and who are members of the Chamber (or who have parents that work for a Chamber member) are encouraged to apply for college scholarships through the Chamber. Scholarships are provided by Chamber's Jacqueline C. Stack scholarship fund, Metalor and Mansfield Bank. Applications are due by April 15. Ribbon Cutting April 24 in North Attleborough  Join us to celebrate the opening of Ambrosia Tavern, 116 Elm St., North Attleborough, for "east, west, and in-between" cuisine on April 24 at 1:45 p.m. Request for Grant Proposals   Massachusetts Gaming Commission has issued a Request for Grant Proposals for Small Business Capacity Building Program for Plainridge Park Casino. The goal is to ensure that small businesses in the region have the support they need to be suppliers to the Category 2 Casino. The deadline for submitting grant proposals is April 25. Get complete details here.   Ribbon Cutting in Wrentham April 30   Join us for a ribbon cutting celebration for the grand opening of Bedrock Granite's Wrentham showroom. Come to the showroom at 1092 South St., Wrentham, at 10:15 am. on April 30! Ribbon Cutting in Attleboro May 7  We'll welcome the new office of Timmons Wealth Management at 8 North Main St., Suite 403, Attleboro, with a ribbon cutting event. Please join us on May 7 at 1:45 p.m. Want to Co-Host a Business After Hours?  Interested in hosting a Business After Hours? Don't Have a Facility or Want to Split the Cost? Here's a great opportunity! Co-host a Business After Hours at Country Gardens, 339 Tremont Street, Rehoboth, on Wed., June 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Participants will set up tables to showcase their businesses, and will split the fee and cost of food. Country Gardens is a beautiful facility and Chamber events there always attract a lot of members! If you're interested in participating, call the Chamber at 508-222-0801 by May 21. Golf with the Chamber June 16  The United Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual golf tournament will be held on Monday, June 16 at Franklin Country Club at noon. Sponsorship opportunities are available! Get your registration form here to get early-bird pricing!  Members in the News....  Jane I. Coogan (center, left), associate attorney at Coogan, Smith, McGahan, Lorincz, Jacobi & Shanley, LLP in Attleboro, and Edwin R. Hurley (center, right), president of Hockomock Area YMCA, were named corporators of Beacon Bancorp, the parent company of Bristol County Savings Bank, for the Attleboro area at its recent annual meeting. Take Advantage of Chamber's Job Board Does your company have an open position that you'd like to advertise? Post it on The United Regional Chamber of Commerce's website job board! Posting positions are totally free to Chamber members - one of the many member benefits! Email Lisa to have your job posted on the Chamber website or visit the Chamber website to see what positions are available. Monthly Groups *Extreme Networking Group I meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:45 a.m. The group meets at Best Deli, 391 East Central St., Franklin. Contact: Ed McDonough, 508-308-8224.  *Extreme Networking Group III is exclusively business-to-business and meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. This group meets at Commonwealth Financial Group, 4 Broad Street in Plainville. Contact: Janet Letourneau, 508-699-4415. *Best-Practice Sales Summit is held the second Wednesday of every month from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at The United Regional Chamber of Commerce, 42 Union St., Attleboro. Contact: Ben Couto, 617-530-0997. *Executive Express-o is held the first Friday of every month from 8 a.m. sharp to 8:55 a.m. at The United Regional Chamber of Commerce, 42 Union St., Attleboro. Contact: Charlie Miller. There is no additional cost to participate in any of these groups. Participation is a benefit of membership in The United Regional Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for taking time to read this issue of eNews. This is your Chamber and we value your comments. My door is always open to Chamber members. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns about the Chamber you might have. One of our most highly effective means of communicating with our members is eNews. To ensure you continue to receive eNews, please add jack@unitedregionalchamber.org to your address book. If you would prefer to not receive this weekly electronic newsletter, please email lisa@unitedregionalchamber.org or call the Chamber at 508-222-0801. Please do not use the "SafeUnsubscribe" feature below because it will permanently delete your email address from our database and we will be unable to add it again for any emails. The Chamber eNews subscriber list is not sold or distributed. Sincerely, Jack Lank The United Regional Chamber of Commerce Quick Links Event Calendar Membership Directory Ad Opportunities Join the Chamber Member Discounts Job Board       Zoo Fundraiser    The Friends of the Capron Park Zoo are hosting an event at the Alex and Ani store in Foxboro at Patriot Place. 15% of all sales will go directly to Friends of Capron Park Zoo. Enjoy lite bites and punch tonight from 6 p.m.to 8 p.m. RSVP by email. Get more information here. Anniversary Celebration     Johnny's Hometown Diner, 625 East Washington St., North Attleborough, is celebrating its first anniversary on April 12 with a big celebration and specials all week long! Get all the details here!  Easter Egg Hunt   The Proctor Mansion is hosting an Easter egg hunt on April 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. Come support 4 Paws Animal Shelter.  Student Job Fair   On April 14 from 8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School(B-P) is holding its 3rd Annual Job Fair for students. Whether you are looking to hire co-op, part-time, summer or full-time, B-P has students for your positions. B-P is located at 207 Hart Street in Taunton. For more information, call 508-823-5151, ext.130.   Rail Trail Events The Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee is hosting several upcoming events: Trail Clean-up - April 12 Public Forum - April 16 Road Race & Walk - May 3 Visit the website for information. Dean Leadership Institute   On April 17 at 8 a.m., The Dean Leadership Institute is hosting a Leadership In Action seminar with Pat Hurley, senior director of operations for the Deutsche Bank Championship and Tiger Woods Foundation. RSVP to pshaw@dean.edu. Wine Tasting Event Storage Pros, 14 Grove Street, Franklin, is hosting a free Wine Tasting on April 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event is being held to celebrate the recent renovation of the facility. All Chamber members are invited to attend. RSVP by April 7. More information is available here. Manufacturing Summit  MA Advanced Manufacturing Summit will be held April 19 at the DCU Center in Worcester. Get details here.   Cupcake Parade  Downtown Associates of North Attleborough is looking for participants for its 2nd Annual Cupcake Parade which will be held April 24. Click here for details.   Senior Spectacular  On April 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., State Rep. Elizabeth Poirier and area senior providers will once again host the Senior Spectacular. This combination wellness and resource fair will take place at the North Attleboro Middle School, 564 Landry Ave., North Attleboro. Over 100 vendors will be on hand. Download a registration form and flyer.  Rehoboth Networking  The Rehoboth Business Association has organized a night of networking on April 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Anjulans Florist & Gardens, 221 Winthrop St., Rehoboth. The cost of $10 includes a light buffet. RSVP by April 25 by email. Tri-County Golf Tourney  Tri-County RVT High School in Franklin is hosting a golf tournament on May 3. If you'd like to golf, or if you'd like to be a sponsor or donate a prize, please see the attached brochure.  Spring Break Luncheon  Community VNA will host its First Annual Spring Break Luncheon on Sun., May 4 at 11:30 a.m. Enjoy a sit-down luncheon, musical entertainment by the a capella singers, Custom Blend, raffle prizes and at Highland Country Club for $35 per ticket. Funds raised will help meet the costs of providing care and support,  including hospice care, Alzheimer's care and specialized services. See the flyer for complete details. Purchase tickets online or call 800-220-0110.

Forward email The United Regional Chamber of Commerce | 42 Union Street | Attleboro | MA | 02703

Senator Spilka Announces District Office Hours

  

Join Senator Karen Spilka and Puja Mehta, Senator Spilka's District and Constituent Services Director, for district office hours on Friday, April 18^th in Framingham and Natick and on Friday, April 25^th in Franklin and Medway. Senator Spilka and/or staff members will be available to update constituents on the latest news and events from the State House and in the district. Constituents will also have the opportunity to discuss their concerns, questions and policy priorities.

FRAMINGHAM OFFICE HOURS
Friday, April 18^th10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Panache Coffee
680 Worcester Rd., Framingham, MA 

NATICK OFFICE HOURSFriday, April 18^th11:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Bakery on the Common
9 S. Main St., Natick, MA 

 FRANKLIN OFFICE HOURSFriday, April 25^th1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Spruce Pond Creamery/Franklin Flatbreads
370 King St., Franklin, MA

MEDWAY OFFICE HOURSFriday, April 25^th3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Coffee Sensations
116 Main St., Medway, MA

Residents who are unable to attend or are interested in scheduling an appointment should feel free to contact Senator Spilka's office at (617) 722-1640 at any time.

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - Apr 8, 2014

Vision Statement

The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

AGENDA

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."

Franklin Public Schools

1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the March 25, 2014 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Clement
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: Budget to Actual – Miriam Goodman

2. Guests/Presentations
a. JF Kennedy Update – Joan Toye, Abigail Dressler
b. Oak Street Update – Corine Minkle, Kathleen Gerber
c. FHS Parking – Peter Light, Chris Schmidt, Tyler Beckmann, Conor Lemanowicz

3. Discussion Only Items
Policy – Second Reading
1. LB – Relations with Other Schools and School Districts

4. Action Items
a. I recommend acceptance of a check for $2,000.00 from Elizabeth Delisle for a FHS Scholarship in memory of Peter Daley.
b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,056.00 from the Keller PCC for field trips.
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $750.00 from Ms. Karen Yamasaka for in-house enrichment at HMMS.
d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,000.00 from Mr. and Mrs. Peter Copola for a FHS scholarship in memory of Andrew Coppola.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $700.00 from the Franklin Music Boosters for in-house enrichment at FHS.
f. I recommend adoption of Policy LB as discussed.

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Adjourn

Cultural Council - Open house and awards (photo essay)

Sunday, Apr 6 the Cultural Council presented the grants to the grant recipients at the Franklin Historical Museum.

sun shines on the Franklin Historical Museum

2014 grant award recipients

Kai Olsson, moderator of the event

Jennifer Atwood, MA Cultural Council

Christopher Yancich, legislative aide to Rep Jeff Roy

inside the actual award for the Historical Museum

The public art project called "ladybug spots" was also highlighted

Good sports for Ladybug spots! Beth Simons on the left and Claire Griffin on the right

Senator Ross made a couple of the award presentations

imagine the possibilities for 'ladybug spots'

Congratulations to the grant recipients!

The Water Line Replacement Plan (draft)

The Franklin practice of replacing water lines and rebuilding roads is a smart one. It makes sense to do both activities together. Granted there is some inconvenience while the work is being done but that is essentially unavoidable.

The current bond to fund the water line replacements runs out this year. The DPW has drafted the plan that would be funded by a new $7.5 million bond issue for the 2015-2019 years.

The bond issue would be funded within the current tax rates and annual budget. It would NOT require an override vote. This is separate from the proposal to provide additional funds to tackle the road repairs with an override vote. The need for the override vote for the Initiative 2014 proposal is that the current water line replacement funding (along with current and projected state aid) does not provide sufficient funding to repair all the roads in a timely manner.

The Town Council will be asked to approve the $7.5 million bond issue at a future meeting.

The plan for 2015-2019 can be found in this set of documents

Crescent St construction during Sep 2013

The Initiative 2014 can be viewed here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/live-reporting-dpw-update-initiative.html

MassBudget: Building a Foundation for Success: Early Ed and Care in Massachusetts

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Building a Foundation for Success A new MassBudget report examines options for improving educational opportunity for children in Massachusetts by expanding access to early education and care and improving quality. The research is clear that the education and care that children receive when they are three and four years old is critical to setting them on a path to success in school and in life. While some children in Massachusetts are in pre-kindergarten programs in our public schools, and others are served by Head Start and programs funded by our state Department of Early Education and Care, close to twenty thousand lower income children in Massachusetts are not able to attend publicly funded early education and care programs. This has a direct effect on the ability of those kids to thrive and also on their parents' ability to remain in the workforce. Building a Foundation for Success examines options that range from covering all lower income children through our existing early education and care system to educating all three and four year olds in our public schools. It also describes potential hybrid models that would build on the strengths of both our public schools and private providers. For each option the paper examines issues of cost, quality, and access. the paper doesn't prescribe a particular structure for the state or for each program. Rather it presents a number of paths for building a system that can provide all of our children with the support they need to develop into the successful and productive adults needed to build a strong economy and a healthy. Read the full report here. 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