MassBudget: Local Data on Earned Paid Sick Time

If you click through to see the full report, you will find that the listing for our area is:

Greater Franklin (includes Norfolk and Wrentham) = 27%

So one in four employed in the Greater Franklin area do not have paid sick time. If they are sick and can not work, they go without pay.

EARNED PAID SICK TIME BY THE NUMBERS: Regional and Local Access in Massachusetts Access to earned paid sick time improves the economic security of working people and families in communities in every region of our Commonwealth. MassBudget's new fact sheet Earned Paid Sick Time By the Numbers: Regional and Local Access In Massachusetts provides data on the percentage of the workforce that currently lacks earned paid sick time in different cities and towns. The table below provides one example breakdown of the rates of workers in Central Massachusetts without earned paid sick time. To view data for your city or town in other parts of the state, please see full report available HERE.   MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108 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

Franklin Public Schools: Upcoming Events

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

FHS Curriculum Night on September 30 

Follow your FHS students' schedule and experience HS all over again

Remington / Jefferson Challenge

2K or 5K road race and complete SPARTAN Obstacle CourseSunday 10/5 at 10:45  at Remington/Jefferson       Races begin at 11:00Two Obstacle Courses ( 1 for adults and 1 for children)Great snacks and food available
See Remington/Jefferson web site and click onto PCC

 

Downtown Harvest Festival Sunday October 5^th 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Food, entertainment and fun- see Downtown Partnership web site for event schedule and sponsor list

JFK Ladybug Race

Kennedy School fun run on October 27^th  at 9:30 a.m.See JFK PCC web site for details

 

This e-mail has been sent to you by FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message.

To save searching for the sites mentioned here they are:

Remington Jefferson Challenge

Visit this page for more info and to register
http://teacherweb.com/MA/RemingtonMiddleSchoolPCC/RemingtonPCC/apt19.aspx

Ladybug 5K Road Race

Visit this page for more info and to register
http://www.ladybug5k.com/

The Franklin Downtown Partnership has more info about the Harvest Festival on their page here
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/

How dry is it?

Please be advised that the Water Conservation Measures are still in effect until further notice due to the dry weather conditions.

How dry is it?

On the walk along the Parmenter Nature Trail, which winds its way along the stream coming from Spruce Pond.  There had been a good deal of water which attracted ducks.

On the walk along the trail this past Sunday, the area is completely dry. No water, no ducks. Any dryer and this will be a real fire hazard.

frozen surface in Jan 2013

where is the water go?

The Franklin website is the source for the water conservation notice

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01E7CAC3-000F8513

On a brighter day when the Story Walk was still available

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2010/11/parmenter-school-story-walk-photos.html

And from deep in the archives of 2008

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2008/08/parmenter-nature-trail.html

Franklin Library: Science Friday

Miss Gina returns to the Franklin Public Library on Friday, Oct 3rd. Exploring the night sky is the topic this time for kids in grades 1-4.

You can register online or at the Library. (Unfortunately, the Library is the best option in this case as they buried the link to register in the photo itself and I can't find it elsewhere on the Library web places.)

Exploring the Night Sky with Miss Gina

This was shared from the Library page here
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2014/09/science-friday.html

FHS Soccer - top of the table

Both the FHS boys and girls soccer teams on sitting on the top of their division in the Hockomock League.

You can check out the posts on Hockomock Sports for the details

FHS Panthers

Girls

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-girls-soccer-stats-standings-092814

Boys

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-boys-soccer-stats-standings-092814

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - Oct 1, 2014

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.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

Eagle Scout
The Franklin Garden Club

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

- Franklin Cultural Council

Ian Kabat
Karen Wellerson Juhl

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
– Gary McCarraher, Fire Chief

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 14-59: Dedication of Town-Owned Land Known as Fletcher Field Located on
Peck Street For Use As A Public Playground Or Recreation Centre, As Provided In G.L. Chapter 45, Section 14 and Authorization For Town Administrator to Execute Grant Agreement With Commonwealth Of Massachusetts And To Take Other Action To Enable Town To Construct Playground
2. ByLaw Amendment 14-741: Chapter 65, Collection Containers – 2nd Reading

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION
– Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN

Franklin Municipal Building, location of the town offices and site of the Town Council meeting

You can find all the documents released with this agenda on the Franklin website here:
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2014/100114.pdf

Note: I would spend some time reviewing the proposed bylaw on collection containers.

Walk to Break the Silence - Oct 18th

Voices Against Violence provides comprehensive services including a 24 hour hotline, crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy and shelter to more the 3000 victims and survivors in the Metrowest area every year. Voices depends on the generosity of the community to ensure that life-saving services remain free and accessible to all. 

The "Walk to Break the Silence" is an annual, family-friendly, 1/2 day rally and walk-a-thon event in downtown Framingham that celebrates the strength and courage of victims and survivors. The event includes powerful visual art displays, games and face painting for the kids, inspiration from our speakers, and a little exercise too! Registration is free and there are several ways you can lend your support - you can be a Team Captain, a Walker, or a Virtual Friend!

The "Walk to Break the Silence" flyer:




For additional information about Voices Against Violence you can visit their webpage
http://smoc.org/voices-against-violence.php

To register for the Walk to Break the Silence, follow this link

Register to Walk to Break the Silence

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda and documents for Sep 23 meeting

Due to a technical issue, the following info did not arrive until after the meeting that I already reported on last Tuesday. To complete the reporting, here is the full agenda and the associated documents.

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 - 'the key to learning'

1. Routine Business

Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the September 9, 2014 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Clement
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: none

2. Guests/Presentations

a. Student Trip to China - Mike Walsh, FHS Students (Gabriela Blood and Haley Frank) (Note - the file size for this document is 26MB - quite large so it will take time to open - please be patient! It is worth opening and viewing.)

b. China Trip – Joyce Edwards, Jane Hogan

3. Discussion Only Items

Policy – First Readings:
1. GBGB – Staff Health and Safety
2. IJOC – School Volunteers
Collaborative Agreements – Maureen Sabolinski

Accept Collaborative


BICO Collaborative

Evaluation of Superintendent

4. Action Items

a. I recommend moving the following policies discussed to a second reading:
1. GBGB – Staff Health and Safety
2. IJOC – School Volunteers
b. I recommend approval of the Bi-County Collaborative Agreement.
c. I recommend approval of the Accept Collaborative Agreement.
d. I recommend adoption of the Superintendent Evaluation.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $847.61 from Target’s Take Charge of Education Program for FHS.
f. I recommend acceptance of a check for $500.00 from Reebok Foundation for in-house enrichment at Keller Elementary.

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

My recap of the live reporting for this meeting can be found here

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/09/school-committee-hears-about-trip-to.html

Note: Email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the documents attached.  

THE BLACK BOX - now open

After spending sometime at the dedication ceremony for the new Franklin High School last Sunday, I did stop in to see THE BLACK BOX. While the views of the theater are nothing in comparison to the new high school, the concept and opportunity is as great an event for Franklin.

THE BLACK BOX - 15 West Central St, Franklin

Yes, the new 850 seat FHS auditorium is amazing. If you need convincing, listen to the first concert held there. I recorded this while sitting up in the back where the acoustics still allowed for the capture of every note.

inside THE BLACK BOX last Sunday, Sep 20th

So how is THE BLACK BOX as great an opportunity for Franklin?

Simply, it is a black box and while there is nothing terribly unusual about it, the greatness of a black box is the potential it presents. This theater in downtown Franklin is already scheduled to provide cultural opportunities not previously available.

Yes, the Franklin School for Preforming Arts will use it for some of their productions. Peter Pan coming in October is the first.

Tickets are available for Peter Pan

A series of events for children is scheduled with Franklin's Jamie Barrett scheduled to appear first.

The first scheduled for the children's series is Jamie Barrett

A series of performances featuring local groups has the Brothers McCann lined up to appear in November

The Brothers McCann are scheduled for November 28th

Tickets for most shows go on sale October 1.

For more information on THE BLACK BOX you can visit their web page here

http://www.theblackboxonline.com/

The Young Democrats of FHS [feedly]

With the Massachusetts' state election approaching in November it is good to see some engagement among the high school youth as they prepare to turn 18 and register to vote. While sports and the performing arts also offer good after school programs, the Young Democrats of FHS is a great opportunity for the students to become aware of their civic responsibilities.

Now more than ever, young Americans are not politically engaged. According to a poll by the Harvard University Institute of Politics, fewer than 1 in 4 millennials under 30 “definitely” plan to vote in this year’s midterm elections in November. This same poll also found that more people between 18-29 years old identify as Democrats than Republicans. This means that election results do not match the political makeup of our country, so our representatives in Congress do not truly representative us. 

So, why should you care? As high school students, we are on the brink of turning 18, the time when we can have a voice in the country’s political system. Voting is more than filling in some circles on a ballot in the gym at FHS. It is utilizing your power to make change. 

Young people have most likely lost their desire to vote out of cynicism. We see and hear about what Congress is doing – or, not doing – every day. We have lost hope for the future, picturing a life riddled with college debt and a lack of jobs. We are not wrong for having these feelings, because our elected representatives do not reflect the young people’s interests. If you do not vote, you will not see change be made.

Continue reading the article at Pantherbook: http://pantherbook.org/student-life/2014/09/27/the-young-democrats-of-fhs/#sthash.PGrY1XQZ.dpuf

pantherbook article screenshot

Pantherbook is the website or blog published by FHS students. If you want to see more of what they talk about consider subscribing to Pantherbook.org/

“To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”

The Mass Climate Action Network has a good weekly podcast. This week they provide coverage on the 400,000 people that marched in New York City which most people were unaware of due to the lack of media coverage.

The past weekend in New York, four hundred thousand people strolled through the city in the largest climate march in history. This is the big news, even though it was competing with out latest war for attention. What did it all mean? Two things: first that a powerful, vibrant climate movement exists and second that local action is the next big step.

Continue reading the article here
http://massclimateaction.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/the-march-the-media-and-the-meaning-the-climate-minute-podcast/

To save a click or two, you can listen to this week's podcast here:



For more information on how you can help the Mass Climate Action Network, visit their website here

Mass Climate Action Network

Attention: Tag/Moving Sale 9/27/14 -> 9:00 - 5:00

Do you post yard/tag sales on your site?  We sold our home and are offering almost everything at our tag sale tomorrow. 

In Home Tag/Moving Sale - Everything Must Go! 

Furniture, area rugs, Weber gas grill, tools, lamps, artwork, kitchenwares, small kitchen electrics, crystal, Fiestaware service for 8 still in box, dolls, Hello Kitty bathroom set, linens, books, chest freezer, LL Bean sledding inner tubes, 2002 Chevy Trailblazer, and much more. 

478 Maple St, Franklin, 9/27, 9-5, no  previews or early birds.

from the photo archives of June 2012

Caregiver Support in Massachusetts

From the MA.GOV blog we find good tips for caregivers and a listing of resources.

The Massachusetts Family Caregiver Support Program empowers caregivers through information, education, support, and services that help enhance their quality of life. Caregivers may experience physical, emotional, and financial strain while caring for a loved one. With this in mind, the Commonwealth offers support resources to ease those stresses and reduce the challenges of caregiving. 

Care for the Caregiver 

Whether you are just beginning a caregiving role or continuing to care for an older person whose needs are increasing, it’s important to  take care of your own physical and mental health. Remember to recharge and take time for yourself. Rest, maintain healthy eating habits, get enough sleep each night, exercise, and communicate your needs to others when in need of help.

You can continue reading the MA.GOV article here  http://blog.mass.gov/blog/health/caregiver-support-in-massachusetts/

screen shot ma.gov article on caregiver support 

One resource we can add to the list for Franklin is the program started earlier this year at the Franklin Senior Center.

The Companion Caregiver Program at the Franklin Senior Center recently received an award from the Massachusetts Council on Aging for "innovative program". The award ceremony was on June 6 at Lake Pearl in Wrentham.

The program offers in home full time caregivers respite for 2-4 hours per week if they are caring for someone 60 years of age or older with Dementia or a major medical illness. There is NO restriction on age of caregiver to be eligible for the program. 

The cost of the program is between $8 and $12 per hour depending upon household income. This cost is at least $8 below current market rate.

Our companions provide socialization and stimulation for the recipient of care in the home setting. The companions are trained in Dementia and Elder Care, cultural competency, CPR and first aid, and fall risk. 

We tailor activities with the recipient based on our review of their interests.

For more information please feel free to contact Elaine Owens at the Franklin Senior Center. the number is 508-520-4945.

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/companion-caregiver-program.html

Map of the Harvest Festival - where is it all happening in downtown Franklin?

Want to know where things are happening at the Harvest Festival? Check out the official map showing the location of each booth and stage.

Franklin Downtown Partnership

For more information on the Harvest Festival, visit the Franklin Downtown Partnership webpage
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 9/26/14 - THU 10/2/14

FRI 9/26   10am-12pm   Girl Scouts Sign Ups at Franklin Public Library.
FRI 9/26   12-6pm   Franklin Farmers Market - Town Common
FRI 9/26   6:30pm   Art Night Uncorked - Franklin Art Center

SAT 9/27   8am-2pm   Medway Townwide Yard Sale (Map will be sold at Anne's Market - Medway Plaza, Town Clerk's Office, Charles River Bank, Middlesex Bank, Star Market and Medway Commons)
SAT 9/27  9am-12pm   Fun on Trail: if your child created and owl last week at the Library, come find it on the Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail (Grove Street entrance)
SAT 9/27   9:30am-4pm   Open Auditions for Nutcracker (FPAC), 15 W. Central Street, Franklin.
SAT 9/27   10am-2pm   Electronic Recycling to Benefit Franklin Food Pantry. Franklin Village Center (Stop & Shop Plaza)
SAT 9/27   4-7pm   Beer Extravaganza 5.0 at Pour Richard’s Wine & Spirits in Franklin.

SUN 9/28   9am-3pm  Autism Speaks Fund Raiser at Timeless Barber Shop
SUN 9/28   1-4pm   Pennywise and Snappy Dogs back at Pour Richard’s in Franklin.
SUN 9/28   1:30-4:30pm   Open Auditions for Humbag and Tis The Season (FPAC), 15 W. Central Street, Franklin.
SUN 9/28   2:30-3:30pm   Jamie Barrett Family Music Show to celebrate new Franklin Public Library Sunday hours.
SUN 9/28   iStories at the Franklin Public Library

MON 9/29   3-6pm   Farmers Market at Whole Foods Plaza in Bellingham

WED 10/1   6:30pm   Franklin Art Association Meeting, featuring artist and demonstration by William Lane. Open to public. Franklin Senior Center.

For all the Town of Franklin Public Meetings click HERE.

For event details click HERE.

*If you have any suggestions or events for the calendar, please email Renata@BetterLivingRE.com