Big Y: Learn How To Prevent and Treat High Cholesterol

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RFP goes with a drive through option

The Town Council meeting Wednesday was a relatively quiet affair. The agenda was changed to move the action items before the appointments. This was mentioned here earlier.

The resolution to add membership to the Franklin Advisory Committee needed to be voted on before the actual membership additions could be approved. Normally, the appointments are to standing committees where one or two people are replacing folks who have left.

In my seven years reporting on the Council, this circumstance had only come up a couple of times. The resolution was approved and the appointments were confirmed.

The change in agenda may have surprised some of the residents who could have spoke on the Emmons St property as only Lisa Piana, Executive Director of the Franklin Downtown Partnership, came forward to make two points on the RFP.

The Council acknowledged the two items but effectively dismissed them as something that could be handled later and proceeded to approve the RFP as written by a 7-0 vote. Councilor Padula was absent from the meeting and Councilor Kelly recused himself for the first time from this discussion item.

Franklin Municipal Building, site of the Town Council meetings

In a PR move, Ron Roux, the Cook's Farm developer spoke briefly about his intention to use local resources on the construction project. He could not commit to specific skills that would be open or keep for his standard group. He will be scheduling a meeting to present details of the project and needs to let those interested get more information and consider their involvement.

David McKearney, presented an overview of the operations of the Board of Health. The Health Dept is quite busy and their duties vary from beaver permits to food inspections of the more than 100 restaurants and food service operations twice a year in Franklin.

His presentation doc is supposed to be posted to the Franklin website. The outline used seems to be similar to their section in the Annual Report. The numbers would have been updated to reflect current activities (versus prior years).


My detailed notes reported live during the meeting can be found here

• Live reporting - Closing
• Live Reporting: Presentations
• Live reporting: Town Council - Sep 17, 2014

The Annual Report section for the Board of Health in 2012 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/annual-report-2012-health-department.html

The Health Dept page can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Health/index

Whole Foods Market Bellingham's Annual Harvest Fest

We are excited to announce 

the date for our annual Harvest Fest!

Please join us on Saturday, 

October 11^th from 12noon – 6pm

We would love to invite you to participate in this epic event!

We are planning our activities now which include camel rides, a petting zoo, bounce house, Farmers' Market, concessions, pumpkin patch and decorating, carnival games and so much more! In the past years, we have welcomed 1500 – 2000 folks on the day of this event. All activities are FREE for families and this encourages a huge crowd! This is an amazing opportunity for you to introduce your product to new customers and solidify your presence as a community supporter to your loyal customers.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from prior years…

Please let me know if you will be able to attend this outdoor event as I am planning the layout as folks respond. I am hoping to have a finalized list of vendors by Monday, September 22^nd.

Many thanks,

Chelsey Barton-Karnes

Marketing Team Leader

Whole Foods Market

Bellingham, MA

p.508-966-3331

m. 401-808-1354

Nutcracker Auditions - Sep 20th

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Nutcracker Auditions are being held this SATURDAY, September 20th. 

AUDITION TIMES: Ages 5-7 audition from 1-1:40; Ages 8-10 audition from 1:45-2:25: Ages 11-12 audition from 2:30-3:10 and Ages 13 and up from 3:15-4:15. 

If you cannot make the audition, but would like to be cast in a part, please let the office know. Dancers trying out for Pointe parts MUST have Pointe shoes for audition. 

There is a $10 audition fee. Proper ballet attire and hair must be pulled back in a bun. Auditions are open to the public and we invite all local dance studios to join us!

Nutcracker Auditions

For additional information on the Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center and their programs, you can find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Patti-Eisenhauer-Dance-Center/

or on the web here http://www.pedancecenter.com/Home.html

Franklin Library: Book and Bag Sale 9/20-21

The monthly book and bag sale will be held this Saturday and Sunday. The Book sale will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday. The Bag Sale will open from 9:00 AM to noon on Sunday.

Music by Betty Kushner will be provided from 9-10 and 2-3 on Saturday

Franklin Public Library - Book Sale

This information was shared from the Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2014/09/library-book-sale.html

Senator Spilka Announces Fall Office Hours

Senator Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) or representatives from her staff will be available for district office hours this fall. Constituents are invited to share their concerns, questions and policy priorities and hear updates on the latest news and events from the State House and in the district.

Tuesday, October 21^st: Medway and Franklin Office Hours

8:00-9:00 AM

Muffin House

116 Main St., Medway

......

Elizabeth's Bagels and More

9:30-10:30 AM

Elizabeth's Bagels and More

456 W Central St., Franklin

...... 

Friday, October 31^st: Hopkinton, Holliston and Ashland Office Hours

8:00-9:00 AM
Golden Spoon

85 W Main St., Hopkinton

9:30-10:30 AM

Jasper Hill Café & Bistro

770 Washington St., Holliston

11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Sunnyside Café

24 Front St., Ashland

Thursday, November 6^th: Framingham and Natick Office Hours

11:30 AM- 12:30 PM

Panera Bread

400 Cochituate Rd., Framingham

1:00-2:00 PM

Nick's Pizza

179 W Central St. Natick

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.

MassBudget: New Census data on health coverage, income, and poverty

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. MA Again Leads in Health Coverage, but US incomes stagnant and poverty declining slowly    The economic security of working families depends on reliable access to affordable health care, as well as opportunities to earn good incomes and to share in the benefits of economic growth. New information released by the Census Bureau today shows that, in 2013, Massachusetts continued to lead the nation in the share of its state population covered by health insurance. With 96.3 percent of people in Massachusetts covered, the Commonwealth far exceeds the national average of 86.6 percent. Massachusetts has led the nation in health care coverage for its population since the implementation of the state's health reform in 2006. [For more on health insurance coverage rates, see MassBudget's new factsheet on this part of today's Census release, available HERE.]                                    Today's Census data also reveal that four years into an economic recovery, low and moderate income U.S. households are seeing limited benefits from the nation's economic growth - median household income is lower and the poverty rate is still higher than in 2007, just before the start of the Great Recession. Modest reductions in the overall and child poverty rates, however, did occur between 2012 and 2013. Specifically, the data show the following:     There was no statistically significant change in real U.S. median household income between 2012 and 2013. U.S median household income in 2013 stood at $51,939, an amount 8.0 percent (or $4,497) below pre-recession, 2007 levels (adjusted for inflation).   The U.S. poverty rate fell to 14.5 percent in 2013, which is lower than the 15.0 percent rate in 2012 and is the first statistically significant decline since 2006. The 2013 rate remains significantly higher than the pre-recession (2007) rate of 12.5 percent. The U.S. poverty rate for children dropped to 19.9 percent in 2013, a decline from 21.8 percent in 2012. This is the first statistically significant decline in the child poverty rate since 2000. Across the country, however, 1 in every 5 children still lived below the poverty line in 2013. Both short and long term factors have added to the challenges faced by low and moderate income households. In the near term, budget cuts due to sequestration as well as other austerity measures at the federal level during 2013 significantly reduced overall economic growth, likely impacting job and income growth. Over the long term, in a decades old trend, the well-being of working families has become increasingly disconnected from growth of the national economy. While workers' wages rose in lock-step with productivity gains throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, since the late 1970s, wage growth for most U.S. workers has fallen far short of growth in productivity. [See MassBudget's Labor Day release on workers' wages and incomes.]     The data in today's release provide a useful overview of poverty, income, and health coverage on the national level (using Current Population Survey data), as well as health coverage data at the state level (using American Community Survey data). On Thursday (9/18), the Census Bureau will release additional state-level data from the American Community Survey. When that data is released, MassBudget will provide analysis of changes in income, poverty and child poverty levels in Massachusetts. The full Census Bureau report is available on their website. Complete analysis of the national trends can be found at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 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

Live reporting - Closing

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT 
water conservation still in place

Lincoln and Daniels have a base coat
additional contract signed for Summer St
and other streets where water mains were repaired last year

L. OLD BUSINESS
Union Cemetery

Facility maintenance plan still needed

M. NEW BUSINESS
train whistles, this comes up every several years

Nutting - strict Federal regulations
engineering study required, we have four intersections
couple hundred thousands of dollars
long complicated and expensive process

Cerel - to reinforce what the administrator mentioned
the Town was dragged into the litigation when the constructor got stuck on the tracks


N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Feldman - Franklin Solar Challenge underway
SolarFlare starting to meet with those interested
volunteers looked for to help spread the word

Mercer - FHS dedication Sunday at 1:00
tours from 1:30 to 3:00
technology will be working as the students conduct the tours
a good opportunity to see what the tax dollars have brought
Saturday - tours from 10:00 to 2:00

Pfeffer - Housing Trust has a second house for lottery which should be held soon


P. ADJOURN

Live Reporting: Presentations

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS 

Ron Roux – Design Build, LLC

regarding work being done at Cook's Farm to use Franklin resources
some have been used so far, more to be used where possible
meeting and presentation scheduled to outline the proposal and scope of work to assess interest
will need to be competitive
at the same time we have a business and not every task/or trade will be available
how do you get the word out to do this?
I am here tonight
I don't know if the Milford paper is here tonight or if the Franklin paper is


H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS 

David McKearney, Board of Health

An overview of the Health Dept.
109 restaurants, 30 retail establishments, inspected 2x a year
regular inspection schedule doesn't include complaint inspections or re-inspections as requried

an education for new proprietors coming to town to operate

summer food events (4th of July, St Rocco's, Farmers Market)
all require inspections

perc testing for septic systems
may take time to witness the perc test, in some cases 80-90 mins per inch
do have some of the best turn around for approved plans

MA DEP relinquished some of the responsibilities but it does require additional time for us to accomplish this

Franklin has quite a few apartments, the local Health Dept is required to enforce housing codes
very time consuming, not infrequent that it ends up in court
some can be resolved with a quick order letter, some take many months
we get hording calls, these are difficult to resolve
they are successful if the individual has a support system, otherwise they are difficult to resolve

we get complaints about 'public nuisance'
if involving grass clippings, it is really a private issue
if it is a unkept pool breeding insects, that is a public nuisance

inspect swimming pools and spa, not personal ones but those in health clubs and hotels

summer months bring a lot of activity, kids camps operate here
camp needs to follow state code, CORI checks, etc.

inspections for personal services (manicure, pedicure, tanning salons, etc.)

also issue beaver permits; trap bans issued several years ago
the DPW is one of the biggest applicants, can damage the water supply
the number is increasing each year

all inspections require infield component and paperwork to complete the inspection

lots of foot traffic at the office, designated office hours during the day to meet, answer questions and register complaints

been here 10 years, lots of challenges but lots of success as well

H1N1 virus response was one of the most successful flu clinics in the state
good collaboration on something not done before

none smoking area established 30 feet from an entrance to a public facility
there is a learning curve with this but we have had good compliance

staffing is one of the most challenging issues we have faced
recently hired a part-time inspector and now feel we are adequately equipped to support the requirements

may come for secretarial coverage for full time
when we are not in the office, the window needs to be closed
that is not a good service

Kelly - thanks for all your hard work
the process in other towns is not as easy

Bissanti - I don;t think I have heard anything derogatory about your dept
would the Blackstone situation have been covered by the Dept of Health

McKearney - yes, we would be covering
we need authority to enter the house
the police and fire can go in due to the medical incident
but if the responsible party is taken away, we can't get permission to go in

Feldman - are we going to do anything about Ebola?

McKearney - we have the health infrastructure in place to prevent the spreading here
if a case did occur, it would be taken care of rapidly
the new respiratory virus occurring in the Midwest, they expect it to reach MA and to spread through the schools; not much different from a normal virus

Live reporting: Town Council - Sep 17, 2014

Present: Mercer, Kelly, Vallee, Pfeffer, Jones, Bissanti, Williams
Absent: Feldman, Padula


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS 
This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by Franklin Matters. 

Harvest Festival - downtown Franklin, Oct 5th

Lisa Piana, Executive Director of Downtown Partnership
touting the new brochure for Franklin
they are available at the Municipal Building, Downtown Partnership and many business
they will also be available at the Harvest Festival

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
new citizen addressing the train whistle problem
reference the quiet period per bylaws
newer technology available to minimize the noise
he is meeting with Norfolk to see how they

motion to go to the legislature items before getting to the appointments 
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

1. Resolution 14-56: Franklin Advisory Committee

motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0 

2. Resolution 14-57: Support for House Bill 1840, Seniors and Retired Volunteers Act of 2013

motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0 

3. Resolution 14-58: Authorization to Issue Request for Proposals – Emmons Street Property

Kelly recuses himself from consideration
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0 

much talked about proposal to put out and solicit proposals for the purchase of the property
reserving green space
60 days from time of advertisement to reply
responses reviewed by Economic Development and brought to the Council for decision
not a binding proposal, could re-issue if necessary with no legitimate responses

Jones - Economic Development committee approved 
maintaining an easement and green space
request the Council to move on this

Public comments

Lisa Piana, Downtown Partnership
2 questions would like to still address
1 - concerned with traffic backup if there would be a drive through
why not a clause to that effect
2 - question on the easement vs. town ownership
as to whether this would effect any grant funding for the statue
did speak with Rep Roy, should have an answer in a couple of days

Pfeffer - agrees with the EDC
with the easement and green space there are enough restrictions as to whether there would even be a response from a developer

Bissanti - EDC was left in the request proposal, hesitant about food but not against it overall
that is the meeting that I heard, there is also a committee formed to raise the funds for the statue

Nutting - at the end of the day, a P&S agreement could be worked out if the town needed to retain ownership

Mercer - I will support the measure tonight while sharing concerns about the drive through, we will have opportunity to address down the road



E. APPOINTMENTS 
Franklin Advisory Committee

Deborah L. Pellegri
Joseph F. Halligan Jr.
Paul R. Compton
Richard Ciccone

 motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0 


F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS 

Attention: Frankin Solar Challenge volunteers

Dear Franklin Solar Challenge Volunteers,

Thank you for offering to volunteer and help out with the Franklin Solar Challenge! This is a great program for the Town to reduce our dependence on the utility, help the environment, and receive great pricing on a solar PV system through tiered pricing with SolarFlair Energy. Remember, the more people that sign-up, the better price everyone gets and the town can get free solar installations as well! 

I'd like to reach out and discuss the next steps, along with describing the type of help that's needed. To start we will have a short meeting with all volunteers and SolarFlair on Monday, September 22 at 6 pm in the Municipal Building, Room 205. This meeting will include more information on solar along with a short presentation on what makes a home or business a good fit for solar. 

To kick off the efforts, we're looking for assistance at the Harvest Festival on Sunday Oct. 5^th. This is an all-day event and we would like to have waves of volunteers so that we're not taking up your whole day and you're able to enjoy the festival also :) 

After the Harvest Festival, we will have various types of marketing initiatives to spark interest in the program. These may include door hangers for homes that have been pre-qualified as good sites for solar and additional Town events like the Harvest Festival, where we need volunteers to staff the booth for a couple of hours.

Please respond to this email if you're still able to volunteer so that we know how many to expect at the meeting. I look forward to hearing back and meeting those of you that can donate some time to the program, and once again thank you for signing up!

Regards,

Brett Feldman  (email =  feldjamin@hotmail.com)
Franklin Town Council508-346-3643

solar farm under construction at Mount St Mary's Abbey in 2013

A new edition of The Franklin Connection is available

A new edition of The Franklin Connection has been published on the Town of Franklin web site.

Click the link below to read the latest edition.

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Senior/Oct14connection.pdf

WMRC Senior Expo - Sep 26, 2014

_______________________________________________
You are subscribed to the The Franklin Connection - Senior Newsletter mailing list.

William Lane feature as speaker at Franklin Art Association - Oct 1

The Franklin Art Association will meet Wednesday, October 1st from 6:30 to 9:00pm at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street. 

Refreshments and socialization will begin at 6:30. 

The program will feature William Lane, multimedia artist, who will demo a city scape in watercolor. 

Meetings are free and opened to the public. 

For more information, please email the FAA secretary at faasecretary@gmail.com or visit the website at www.franklinart.org

Franklin Art Association

Blackstone Heritage Corridor News

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Volume 2 Issue 9/ September 2014 In This Issue Greenway Challenge Video of the Month Ranger Walkabouts Greenway Challenge Connect on Facebook Become a Corridor Keeper Quick Links Volunteer Opportunities Get on the Bike Path Enjoying the Blackstone River Enjoy the Blackstone Valley on the go with our mobile Web app.  And, it's free! Click on the image above to get the free web app Ashton Mill ANNOUNCEMENT Call for local photographers! Do you enjoy taking photos of the beautiful Blackstone River Valley?  If so, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. has a contest for you. The nonprofit is searching for special images that capture the spirit and beauty of the Corridor to illustrate its 2015 Calendar. Submissions are due by email no later than noon on September 30, 2014.   Read contest details   VIDEO OF THE MONTH Canalfest 2014 - How to Build a Canal Click on the image to watch the video Canalfest returned to the canal district on September 6. What draws many people is the recreation of the Blackstone Canal. Take a look to see how the canal was constructed in just 2 hours. Enjoy a self-guided tour of Worcester: Quinsigamond Village, Walking Tour (PDF) Worcester Driving Tour (PDF) NEWS Blackstone Heritage Corridor Announces Hiring of Executive Director Donna M. Williams, Chair of Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. (Blackstone Heritage Corridor), is pleased to announce the hiring of Charlene Perkins Cutler as Executive Director, effective September 2.  In her role, Charlene will provide day-to-day guidance for thenewly formed nonprofit. The Blackstone Heritage Corridor manages operations in the Blackstone Corridor on behalf of the former federal commission; and, works with partners to preserve, protect and interpret (telling the story) the heritage of the 24 Corridor communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  "I have followed the success of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor for years and am thrilled to be part of such a great organization," says Charlene.  Read the press release   EVENT 2014 Greenway Challenge Course Has Been Revealed! The site maps are posted on the website. Make sure you practice the newly designed Mountain Bike Course this year. Thanks Team Bums for your work and continued support! Interested in volunteering? Contact Barbara Dixon at 401-762-0250, ext 5503 or barbara_dixon@partner.nps.gov. Check out the Greenway Challenge Facebook page and web site for the latest information. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES? We want to share news and information with our readers using social media. What social media sites do you use? GET INVOLVED   Become a Corridor Keeper Today! The success of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor has always been due, in large part, to public support and active participation by the people and communities of the Blackstone Valley. People like you! For more than 25 years, the people of the valley have shared in rediscovering their roots, their heritage and their common identity. They have supported the Corridor by speaking or writing to their elected officials, by showing up at public events, and by participating in numerous projects and programs. Join Today! Become a Sponsor! Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is a unique cultural landscape of industrial history and immigration in the interconnected system of the Blackstone River watershed. An energetic nonprofit, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. partners with organizations, local communities and businesses, and residents to insure the long term vitality of the Corridor. Read more

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