Downtown Improvement Project map (PDF)

A regular reader managed to scan the map handed out at Thursday's Downtown Improvement Project meeting to share. (Thank you!)

I had shared a photo of the map earlier, now you can download and view this PDF version.

photo version of map

You can also find the photo along with the meeting notes here

Herbicide - before and after

As noted during June, the herbicide spraying was going to happen. On my regular walks I managed to capture a before and after sequence on King St by Spruce Pond.

Before - weeds growing happily

After - weeds drying up

The notification on the herbicide spraying was posted here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/herbicide-spraying-to-begin.html

AWESOME Dining For A Cure Event - July 28

The Milford 99 is hosting another AWESOME Dining For A Cure Event!! 

Join us at the bar on Monday night July 28th 5pm to closing for great fun for an even greater cause! 

There will be raffles, games, trivia and 5 amazing gals donating all of their tips that night to Dana Farber. 

Stop on in and support Lisa, Christina, Kristen, Alexis and Emily in their efforts to raise money for Dana Farber. All money raised during this event will be donated.

fund raising for Dana Farber at Milford 99

You can check out the event details on Facebook here
https://www.facebook.com/events/249743365219188/

For more info on Dana Farber you can visit there page
http://www.dana-farber.org/

Downtown Improvement Project Meeting - audio

Here is the audio recording of the Downtown Improvement Project public meeting on Thursday, July 10th at Dean College. As the recording starts, Brian Kelly, the Facilities Director for Dean covers the safety logistics for the room and then turns the meeting over to Town Administrator Jeff Nutting.

Jeff proceeds to introduce the team from the State managing the project, the representatives from Walsh (the contractor), Representative Jeff Roy, DPW Director Robert (Brutus) Cantoreggi, and Town engineer Mike Maglio.

You can follow along with my notes that I captured as the meeting happened.

FM #105 - The audio from the Downtown Improvement Project meeting held at Dean College on July 10, 2014.

My notes from the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/07/live-reporting-downtown-project-status.html




MP3 File

map of Downtown Improvement Project

The video of the meeting is not yet on the broadcast listing for the local cable channel -> http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf

---- ---- ----

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin. I can use your help.

How can you help, you ask?
If you have an interest in writing about something that matters in Franklin, please let me know.

As always - 

• If you like this, please tell your friends and neighbors
• If you don't like this, please tell me.

This feedback loop is important. Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit franklinmatters.org/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark &Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission

I hope you enjoy!

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - July 15, 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 June 24, 2014 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Clement
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: BICO Info and Activities

2. Guests/Presentations

a. School Lunch Price Increase – Miriam Goodman
b. Student Technology Insurance Revolving Account – Miriam Goodman

3. Discussion Only Items
Policy – First Reading

JJE – Student Fundraising

Policy – Second Readings

AC – Discrimination Harassment
CHCA – Approval of Student Handbooks
IJOAA – Field Trips
JICFB – Bullying
JII – Student Complaints and Grievances&nbsp
JLCD – Self-Administration Medication

Elimination of Policies

AC-E – Public Discrimination Complaints
AC-R – Harassment Discrimination Investigation Checklist
ACA – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender
ACAB – Sexual Harassment Policy for Students
ACE – Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability
ACE-R – Rights of Handicapped Persons

4. Action Items
a. I recommend moving Policy JJE – Student Fundraising to a second reading.
b. I recommend adoption of the following revised policies:

1. AC – Discrimination Harassment
2. CHCA – Approval of Student Handbooks
3. IJOAA – Field Trips
4. JICFB – Bullying
5. JII – Student Complaints and Grievances
6. JLCD – Self-Administration Medication

c. I recommend elimination of the following Policies:

1. AC-E – Public Discrimination Complaints
2. AC-R – Harassment Discrimination Investigation Checklist
3. ACA – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender
4. ACAB – Sexual Harassment Policy for Students
5. ACE – Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability
6. ACE-R – Rights of Handicapped Persons

d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $150.00 from Janet DeNapoli in memory of Mr. Joseph DeNapoli for FHS in-house enrichment.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $3,045.00 from the Franklin Music Boosters for FHS music department.
f. I recommend approval of the school lunch price increase as detailed.
g. I recommend establishment of a student technology insurance revolving account as detailed.

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


Agendas for the School Committee can be found here
http://franklinschool.vt-s.net/pages/FranklinCom_Agendas/

Office Hours: Rep Roy

State Representative Jeffrey Roy (D-Franklin) announced that constituent office hours will be held in Franklin for the Month of July on the following day: 

Franklin – Thursday, July 17th, 9:00-10:00AM, Franklin Senior Center – 10 Daniel McCahill Street Franklin, MA 

Christopher Yancich, his legislative aide, will be accompanying him. 

Representative Roy stated that all office hours are open to any residents of Franklin and Medway who may have questions or concerns that they wish to bring to his attention. Walk-ins are welcome; no appointment necessary. He looks forward to hearing from you. 

He also invites all constituents to call him at his State House office at (617) 722-2400, stop by Room 134 in the State House, or email him at Jeffrey.Roy@MAhouse.gov.

Senior Center - Community Concert - July 21

For additional information about events at the Senior Center, you can visit their page
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Senior/index

Franklin, there is still time to solarize your residence

Solarize Franklin is still looking for folks that are interested in solar power. Details are in the flyer shown here:



To learn more about the program visit the Solarize Mass webpage here
http://www.masscec.com/solarizemass

If you are interested in participating, you can contact Franklin's Dept of Planning and Community Development by calling 508-520-4907 or via email at TOFPlanning@franklin.ma.us

The 'Free Little Library' - Franklin

Franklin is already known for having the first public library in the US. We now also have a "Free Little Library." From a reader I received an email with this information to share:

I did want to share our Free Little Library, pictured below. It's an Amish-made cranberry box. We put books in it for people to take, and people come by and leave theirs. We've seen all types of books, from poetry to murder mysteries to classic lit -- and today's gem: the Supreme Court Reporter from 1939. 

There's lots about the organization here: http://littlefreelibrary.org/ and people can search for boxes all over the world using their locator.

free little library - Franklin

Supreme Court Reporter - 1939 edition

Where is the little free library in Franklin?

366 Lincoln Street

While Lincoln St is being re-done, it may not be as easy to visit until it is re-paved but it still might be worth a stop to get a book and leave a book.


Note: This email had arrived during the week before the 4th so the Supreme Court Reporter may not be there now (but it might also come back sometime too!).

The Franklin Education Foundation Announces 2014-2015 Grants Awardees

Franklin Education Foundation

The Franklin Education Foundation (FEF) has awarded 8 grants totaling $13,775 for the 2014-2015 school year to teachers who represent all educational levels in the Franklin public school (FPS) system.

Since its inception in 1997, the FEF has awarded over $300,000 in grants. A committee composed of FEF representatives and FPS staff read all proposals through a blind review process and selected the recipients. “Consideration was given to need, innovation, impact, and integration with other school programs” stated Kit Brady, President of the Franklin Education Foundation and Chair of the Grant Review Committee. 

This year’s recipients are: 

Franklin High School – Ann Butler, FHS Science Café; Carolyn Fortuna, Colleen Moore, Sarah Scannell, and Sam Rosen, Storytelling in 12th grade children's literature class. 

At the middle school level, recipients are: 

Horace Mann School – Heather Wilson, Carolina Campos, Chromebooks to support Spanish education; Erin O'Leary, School-based audio book library; Shawn Fortin, Expansion of middle school “virtual” online courses; and Remington School - Kimberly Schmidt, Chromebooks to support English language arts and social studies education. 

At the elementary school level, FEF awards went to 

Kennedy School – Kathleen Merten, Chromebooks to support 4th grade education; and Jefferson/Parmenter Schools – Brian Kelley, Number sense web site videos. 

Two yearly events, Casino Night and a Trivia bee, as well as an annual fund campaign, provide much appreciated support from businesses, families and organizations for the FEF grants. To see a list of programs the FEF has funded over the years, visit www.franklined.org. The Franklin Education Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization. All gifts are fully tax deductible.

New England Chapel in the news

How are you spending your summer?

In this first news item, a group of 33 people from Franklin's New England Chapel spent time in PA fixing up houses.

	"Franklin, MASS" Daily update ⋅ July 12, 2014
	NEWS
	News Item Missionaries wrap up week of fixing up Shamokin houses News Item The 33 volunteers from New England Chapel, of Franklin, Mass., arrived in Shamokin Sunday to perform construction work on dilapidated homes. Flag as irrelevant
	Shrewsbury Softball Player, Others Honored for Academics Patch.com Junior Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy), sophomores Joanna Giordano (South Salem, N.Y./John Jay), and Caroline Kushner ... Flag as irrelevant

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VWR Internaional marks the 10th anniversary of its Franklin, MA Distribution Center

From the news wire, I find this company touting their Franklin, MA distribution center. I was unable to find the exact location but it is likely in one of our industrial parks. 

VWR International, LLC, a global solutions provider of laboratory supplies, equipment and services today announces the 10th anniversary of its Franklin, Mass. Distribution Center. Serving the Greater New England area, this location supports customers in the pharmaceutical, biotech and healthcare industry. Over the last decade, this location has provided a variety of services to help VWR customers maximize supply chain security by providing reliable and transparent solutions to critical research, process development and manufacturing process applications. 

A special capability provided by the Franklin facility is production chemical services and supply chain solutions through regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and supply chain assurance. These special services including sampling in an ISO Class 8 Cleanroom and other unique services meets the specific needs of VWR's biotech and pharmaceutical customers. The facility is compliant with International Pharmaceutical Excipient Council's (IPEC) Guidelines for current Good Distribution Practices (cGDP) and has been recognized by Avantor Performance Materials, Inc. as Certified Excipient Distributor (CED) facility. In addition, the facility is ISO 9001:2008 registered, and a licensed Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy (BOP) warehouse.
Besides traditional distribution other services conducted at this 55,000 square foot facility include custom pallet programs, storage and warehousing of customer dedicated, pre-reserved or customer owned inventory, custom bar-code labeling, and furnishing product certifications with shipments. 

"The Franklin facility is an integral and valuable asset to our supply chain. The local support we've received over the years has significantly contributed to the success of our manufacturing operations in many ways," shared Alex Malgieri, Associate Director of Logistics for Alexion Rhode Island Manufacturing Facility. "On behalf of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, we would like to say thanks for the exceptional level of support." 

"VWR continues to focus on providing superior service to our customers by minimizing complexity and increasing their productivity," said Tim Wedemyer, SVP, North America Operations for VWR. "With the many special services our Franklin facility can offer to our customers, especially in the area of research and production chemicals, we look forward to many more years of serving our customers in key geographies like New England." 

VWR International, LLC

About VWR International, LLC
VWR International, LLC, headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, is a global solutions provider of laboratory supplies, equipment and services with worldwide sales in excess of $4.1 billion in 2013. VWR enables the advancement of the world's most critical research by providing product and service solutions to laboratories and production facilities in the pharmaceutical, biotech, industrial, educational, governmental and healthcare industries. With over 160 years of industry experience, VWR offers a well-established network that reaches thousands of specialized labs and facilities spanning the globe. VWR has over 8,000 associates around the world working to streamline the way scientists, researchers, medical professionals and engineers across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific stock and maintain their facilities. In addition, VWR further supports its customers by providing onsite services, storeroom management, product procurement, supply chain systems integration and technical services. 

For more information on VWR, visit www.vwr.com. 

VWR and design are registered trademarks of VWR International, LLC.

http://investors.vwr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=859165

FHS Last Tour: Corridors and Student Art Work - part 6 (photos)

I was out of town and offline for most of the 4th of July week. So after a pause, let's continue the walk through the corridors of Franklin High School on the 'last tour.' I'll share more photos of student art work and other significant items of interest here:

student art - full wall mural - view from the left

student art - full wall mural - view from the right

the infamous lecture hall and stage

student art work - 1

student art work - 2

student art work - 3

student art work - 4

student art work - 5

student art work - detail

student art work - in context

Photos shared earlier can be found here:

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/07/fhs-last-tour-corridors-and-student-art.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/fhs-last-tour-corridors-and-student-art_30.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/fhs-last-tour-corridors-and-student-art_29.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/fhs-last-tour-corridors-and-welcome-to.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/fhs-last-tour-corridors-and-student-art.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/fhs-last-tour-field-house-small-gym.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/fhs-last-tour-field-house-photos.html


Note: all the photos will be posted to Facebook and to Flickr for anyone to view in a single place. The locations are already established and photos will be added to them over time.

Facebook album       Flickr album

Update: E-ZPass email phishing scam - sample email

I had shared the alert from MassDOT about the E-ZPass email phishing scam that was making the rounds. As I checked my email spam folder this morning, I found that I had one! How cool... This is what I got and how it looks in Gmail:

E-ZPass phishing email

While the Google spam filter has already identified this as spam, one of the key place to look is in the email address. The header of the email will look official (E-ZPass Service Center) but the actual email address will be something other than what it should be (support at dadomu.ru). The .ru in this case indicated the email is from a Russian domain.

The simple word on how to deal with suspicious emails? Delete.

Don't follow the link, you could pick up a virus or worse. Don't ever provide information if you do follow the link. They are looking for your account info and will take you for a ride if you give it to them.

Be safe!



For reference the post earlier this week can be found here:
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/07/e-zpass-payment-for-driving-on-toll-road.html

In the News: Marjorie Turner Hollman

Marjorie Turner Hollman sat at a small wooden picnic table at the entrance of Louisa Lake Park in Milford. 

Hollman, a freelance writer and personal historian from Bellingham, watched as water trickled down the nearby dam. To the north, a paved pathway trailed into the distance. 

This trail, known as the Upper Charles River Bikeway, is one of 30 trails described in Hollman’s book, "Easy Walks in Massachusetts." The book describes hiking trails in Bellingham, Blackstone, Franklin, Hopedale, Medway, Milford, Millis, Uxbridge, Wrentham and Woonsocket, Rhode Island. 

"It’s not arduous walks," Hollman said. "It’s when you’ve got an afternoon or morning … and you just want go someplace right around the corner but you don’t know quite where to go."

You can continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140712/NEWS/140718764/1994/NEWS

along the SNETT off Grove St in Franklin

You may recall that we featured a few of the Franklin walks from Marjorie's book last month. You can find the write up on each walk here:

SNETT
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/easy-walks-in-franklin-snett.html

Beaver Pond/Chilson Beach
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/easy-walks-in-franklin-beaver-pond.html

Dacey Fields
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/easy-walks-in-franklin-dacey-fields.html

MassBudget: What the Governor vetoed from the FY15 budget

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. The FY 2015 Budget and the Governor's Vetoes Today, the Governor signed into law the state budget for FY 2015. The budget is a statement of priorities, describing what we will do together in the coming year, and detailing how we will pay for those things. With the limited revenue available, this budget focuses on a few priorities, including making investments in our transportation systems, continuing the process of restoring deep funding cuts made to the state's higher education system, and funding reforms of the system for paying human service providers. In signing the budget, the Governor also exercised his authority to veto line items or portions of line items. These vetoes are small in the context of the full budget, reflecting a high degree of agreement among the Governor, House, and Senate. The Governor's vetoes are detailed in the table below, many of which are vetoes of specifically earmarked projects. The state budget includes not only funding appropriations but also changes to state law, in what are called "outside sections." The Governor also vetoed some of these policy provisions and proposed that the Legislature adopt amendments to others (details are included HERE). With the Governor's signature, the FY 2015 budget is now law. It is important to note, however, that with a two thirds vote of the House and Senate the Legislature can override any of these vetoes. Please read our recent Budget Monitor for more details on the Legislature's FY 2015 budget, which was enacted on June 30th, prior to these vetoes.   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

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