Monday, October 13, 2014

"What is democracy for the Internet era?" (video)

Pia Mancini gave a TED Talk recently on "How to upgrade democracy for the Internet era." During her talk she says:
"it seems like the 18th-century slogan that was the basis for the formation of our modern democracies, "No taxation without representation," can now be updated to "No representation without a conversation." We want our seat at the table."




To extend her idea to an app some Franklin folks are already using, we could incorporate the feedback and conversation into the app that we used to report potholes or broken street lights. Imagine having such a poll and conversation with a tool in most folks hands. Yes, it is not in everyones' hand but access is available on desktop and laptop computers.

Franklin Smart Phone app
Franklin Smart Phone app

For more about the Commonwealth Connections app visit here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/10/yes-franklin-has-app-for-that.html


For more about Pia and her efforts to update democracy in Argentina follow this link
http://www.ted.com/talks/pia_mancini_how_to_upgrade_democracy_for_the_internet_era/

Where does FHS sit in the league standings?

The Hockomock League updated standings have been published by Hockomock Sports. You can find the Franklin High School Panthers in the standings for boys soccer, girls soccer, and volleyball by following the links listed here.

FHS Panthers
FHS Panthers

Boys Soccer

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-boys-soccer-stats-standings-101214

Girls Soccer

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-girls-soccer-stats-standings-101214
Note: the standing do not include Franklin's win over Central Catholic on Saturday


Volleyball

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-volleyball-stats-standings-101214


All of the Hockomock League results are shared by Hockomock Sports
http://www.hockomocksports.com/

5th Annual Night of Comedy - Nov 7



5th Annual Night of Comedy
5th Annual Night of Comedy

COMEDY NIGHT 2014 IS HERE!!

SEPAC is hosting our 5th Annual Night of Comedy on November 7th at Franklin Country Club starting 6:30 p.m.  

Comedy Night includes dinner buffet, silent auction, balloon raffle and a comedy show featuring comedians Ray Harrington (#1 on Amazon, #2 on Itunes), Brian Beaudoin (voted #1 comedian in RI), and Derek Furtado (2012's Last Comix Standing Winner).

In the past, this event has enabled us to host monthly workshops for parents, social events for children, and a monthly support group.  In addition, we have been able to assist programs, like the Franklin Fish Swim Team, Special Olympics and Best Buddies, that work with Special Needs children in Franklin.  

Tickets for this event are $50 per person.  Tables of ten can be purchased at a discount of $450, and will be reserved under a name of your choosing.  Please contact SEPAC at franklinsepac@gmail.com to purchase tickets, go to www.franklinsepac.org to pay through Paypal.  Tickets purchased on line will be available at the door on the evening of the event.

FEF Casino Night - Nov 1, 2014

The Franklin Education Foundation (FEF) will hold their annual casino night on Saturday November 1, 2014.

Held at the Franklin Elks Hall, 1077 Pond St, from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM. There will also be a Texas Hold-em Tournament beginning at 6:00 PM which will require a separate entry fee.

Franklin Elks - 1077 Pond St, Franklin, MA 02038
Franklin Elks - 1077 Pond St, Franklin, MA 02038

Tickets for the Casino Night are $25 each or 2 for $40.





From the About us page on the FEF website
We are an independent, non-profit, community-based organization developed to support to innovation and excellence in education. We do this by funding grants for teachers and other staff within the Franklin public school system. 
Since 1997, FEF has funded hundreds of grants totaling over $300,000. These grants have touched students at all levels from the early childhood development center through the high school.

For more information on the Franklin Education Foundation, visit their website here
http://www.franklined.org/

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - Oct 15, 2014


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
September 3, 2014

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

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

F. HEARINGS
Alcoholic Beverages Licensees – Failure to Pass Compliance Check – 7:10
• 99Restaurant
• British Beer Company

Public Hearing to determine whether it is in the public interest to accept Grace
Lane and Nina Lane – 7:10

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Senator Richard Ross
Representative Jeffrey Roy
Stephan Semerjian, Chief of Police
Brutus Cantoreggi, DPW Director

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 14-60: Order of Layout, Acceptance, and Taking of Grace Lane and Related Drainage Lot
2. Resolution 14-61: Order of Layout, Acceptance, and Taking of Nina Lane and Related Drainage Lot and Easement
3. Resolution 14-62: Local Licensing Authority’s Approval of Package Store Licensees’ Notifications of Change in Hours to Permit Earlier Sunday Openings
4. Resolution 14-63: Creation of a Senior Center Building Committee
5. Bylaw Amendment 14-742: Amendment to Chapter 185-§4. Districts Enumerated – Referral to Planning Board
5. Bylaw Amendment 14-743: Amendment to Chapter 185-§20. Signs – Referral to Planning Board
6. Bylaw Amendment 14-744: Amendment to Chapter 185 - §31. Site Plan and Design Review - Referral to Planning Board

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

The documents released for this agenda can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2014/101514.pdf

Franklin Senior Center - a new building committee is being formed to build out the 2nd floor
Franklin Senior Center - a new building committee is being formed to build out the 2nd floor

Community Service Project: Support the YMCA Youth Scholarship Fund




image
Click here to support YMCA Youth Membership Fund by...
My name is Ansh Tarafder and I am a 8th grader at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School In Franklin, Massachusetts. I am working on my...
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From Ansh's project page on GoFundMe
My name is Ansh Tarafder and I am a 8th grader at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School In Franklin, Massachusetts. I am working on my community service project in my school called Capstone. In my project, I am working on increasing health awareness in kids. I chose this project as we kids are the future of our country and we need to be healthy so that we can learn better and also help advance it. 
As a part of my project, I have set up a Wellness Committee in my school. We had our first meeting on 30th September 2014. From now on, the Committee will be working independently to increase awareness in my school community and I will continue to be a part of it. The Hockomock Area YMCA and Action For healthy Kids are supporting my efforts in this regard. 
My other goal is to raise $600 to sponsor 2 YMCA youth memberships for 2 kids who cannot afford it. I am a member of the YMCA and it is a fun & nice place for kids to play, exercise and get healthy. Please help me reach my goal by donating to my cause. Thank you to everyone who supported me in my project .
at the Franklin Farmers Market
at the Franklin Farmers Market

Regular trash and recycling collection schedule this week

Although Columbus Day is a holiday for some, it is not for the trash and recycle schedule this week. The normal schedule applies. There is NOT going to be a one day delay as Monday is not a holiday according to the Curbside Chronicle published earlier this year.

The Curbside Chronicle




You can also find a copy of the Curbside Chronicle on the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01EC59E7-000F8513.0/Curbside%20Calendar.pdf

regular schedule for collection the week of Monday Oct 13th
regular schedule for collection the week of Monday Oct 13th


Franklin girls top Central Catholic 3-2

From Hockomock Sports we find the summary of the soccer game on Saturday:
In the 2013 playoffs, then freshman Megan Adams turned into a revelation for Franklin. She scored four times during the Panthers run to the South sectional final, including a hat trick in the tournament opener against Milford. 
Because of a number of injuries this fall, Adams’ sophomore season has never really gotten going, but she finally got back on the field for the first time this Wednesday against Stoughton. 
On Saturday afternoon at Pisini Field, Adams came off the bench in her second game of the season and provided the game-winning goal with eight minutes remaining in Franklin’s 3-2 victory over visiting Central Catholic. 
“It’s been a frustrating season for me not playing and coming out here and obviously having a big part in the game just felt great, felt like last season, and I was right back in the team again,” said Adams after the win.

Continuing reading the full article in Hockomock Sports here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/adams-returns-and-scores-game-winner-for-franklin

the game begins
the game begins

corner kick
corner kick

Franklin's second goal
Franklin's second goal

1st shot that got blocked
1st shot that got blocked

2nd shot on the follow up found the net
2nd shot on the follow up found the net

celebrating the goal
celebrating the goal

final score 3-2
final score 3-2
All the scores from Saturday's action in the Hockomcok League can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-101114

Julia Roberts is Mother Nature (video)

Julia Roberts is Mother Nature





For more info on climate change you can visit the Mass Climate Action Network for their weekly summary of what's happening:
http://massclimateaction.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/the-genie-is-out-of-the-bottle-the-climate-minute-podcast/

You can listen to the weekly summary here:




Mass Climate Action Network
Mass Climate Action Network

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to the Franklin Matters webpage to view the embedded content (video,audio and documents)

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Soccer choice today Revs or Panthers???


If you love soccer today at 4:00 Pm you can sit at home or find a bar stool to watch the New England Revolution play the Montreal Impact. If the Revs win or tie, they secure a playoff position.

New England vs. Montreal
New England vs. Montreal

Or you can head out to Franklin High School to see the girls soccer team (ranked #1 in MA) play central Catholic (ranked #2). Either way you get to see some good soccer. In person, or remote.

Life is full of choices.  Which will be your choice today?



BTW - the complete girls soccer schedule for this fall season can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/franklin49.html

If you haven't been to a New England Revolution soccer game, they close out the season on Oct 26th against Toronto. It is quite reasonable to get a family to a Revs soccer game (especially compared to getting to a Patriots game)!


Franklin Dance Workshop: Free Children's Halloween Party


Free Children's Halloween Party
Oct 25 - 4-6 p.m.
@ The Franklin Dance Workshop


5 Flintlocke Rd, Franklin

Games, prizes, music, dancing, entertainment.....all free and open to the public!!!


Franklin Dance Workshop
Franklin Dance Workshop


Christine Bartelloni
Owner/Director
Franklin Dance Workshop

Franklin Liquor - Wine Tasting - Oct 22 and Oct 25

From Mark at Franklin Liquors we hear about these upcoming wine tasting events:

Franklin Liquors
Franklin Liquors

October 22nd 7pm

CopaFina Fine Wine Imports
Importers and Distributors of Limited Production Wines from South America
Our portfolio is comprised of a balanced representation of Argentina and Chile's best boutique wineries all of which:

- Are family owned and operated, from vine to bottle
- Practice sustainable and/or organic farming and production methods
- Produce limited production, hand-crafted wines - but with a keen eye on value
- Are limited in distribution throughout the United States, and are primarily distributed to on-premise accounts

President of Copa Fina: Shelbi Elkins

Shelbi Elkins launched Copa Fina in 2009, bringing together her experience as a strategy consultant and a passion for wine. As a business consultant, Shelbi specialized in growth strategy, logistics, and finance, primarily in the retail category, working with companies such as Nordstrom, Gap, the Walt Disney Company, and Cardinal Health.

Shelbi began learning about wine as a hobby, obtaining the Level 1 certification from The Court of Master Sommeliers, and studying at The Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America.

She began to seriously consider a break into the wine industry after traveling through Argentina in 2008. She fell in love with the country, the culture, and of course, the wines. She quickly identified that Argentine wines available in California was primarily limited to large, mass-produced brands.

The concept behind Copa Fina is simple: identify small, family-oriented producers whose wines deliver exceptional value for the price. Leveraging her background in big-business strategy, Shelbi seeks out boutique, yet value driver projects for long-term partnership.

In the summer of 2012, Shelbi ventured into Chile, where she identified a lineup of incredible boutique projects that fit perfectly into the Copa Fina portfolio.

Copa Fina's wines are distributed throughout northern and southern California to primarily on-premise accounts, and are available in select states through like-minded distribution partners.

http://www.copafina.com/about.html

http://www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/enthusiasts/discovery_success_elkins.html

http://www.meetup.com/Franklin-Wine-Club/events/201724442/


October 25th 4PM


Midnight Cellars Winery From Paso, CA Will Be Represented By Morgan Mellish, CSW Director of Sales and Marketing Find Midnight Cellars Winery On The Web @ http://www.midnightcellars.com
http://www.meetup.com/Franklin-Wine-Club/events/189759602/

News from Norfolk County Registry of Deeds



Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

Norfolk County, MA Quarterly Real Estate Activity Report (July-September 2014)

Citing both solid 3rd quarter growth in the dollar volume of real estate sales and double digit increases in the average sale price of a transaction, Norfolk County Register of Deeds Bill O'Donnell is hopeful that the worst of economic downturn is behind us and that the result will lead to improvements in both the real estate and mortgage markets.

Register O'Donnell noted, "At the end of 3 quarters the dollar volume of total sales increased from $1.9 billion to $2.1 billion, an 11% increase from the same time last year. Another promising indicator during the same period of time was that the average sales transaction (including both residential and commercial real estate sales) was $636,736, an increase of 16%. This solid increase is further evidence that Norfolk County is a very desirable place to live, to work and to raise a family."

However, the Register noted that there are some concerning indicators which reveal a decrease in real estate activity both for sales and refinancing. He noted, "Even with an increase in volume dollar sales, we are down 6% in the 3rd quarter. Mortgage recording activity continues to struggle with a 21% decrease (9,147 to 7,257) during the same period."

Another benchmark being carefully watched by the Register is mortgage foreclosures, which fell by a modest 2% in the third quarter. The Register also noted that Homestead filings were down by 9% compared to last year's 3rd quarter. "One reason for the reduced filings stems from legislation passed into law by the Legislature in 2011 which clarifies that there is no need to refile a Homestead after refinancing a mortgage," noted Register O'Donnell.

The Norfolk Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street in Dedham. It is an invaluable resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others to secure accurate and accessible land record information. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101 or on the web at www.norfolkdeeds.org.


Register William P. O'Donnell
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

phone: 781-234-3336

Forward email




Norfolk County Registry of Deeds | 649 High Street | Dedham, | MA | 02026-1831

FHS Football loses to KP, Boys Soccer ties, Volleyball and Field Hockey win



Franklin High School's homecoming game was played Friday night. KP beat the Panthers 26-7 as reported by Hockomock Sports. The other Panther team fared better in their competitions and their results are listed here:

King Philip, 26 @ Franklin, 7 - Final

1st Quarter: (KP) Mark Glebus 84 yard rush, Sam Fleck XP good (7-0); (KP) John DeLuca 33 yard pass to Andrew Robillard, S. Fleck P good (14-0).2nd Quarter: (F) Kyle Skidmore 34 yard pass to Andrew Parent, Nick Yelle XP good (14-7).3rd Quarter: (KP) Kyle Loewen 81 yard rush, XP fail (20-7).4th Quarter: (KP) M. Glebus 3 yard rush, XP fail (26-7).


Boys Soccer
FHS Panthers
FHS Panthers

Franklin, 2 vs. Xaverian, 2 - Final - Tim LaRowe and Adam Moessing scored for the Panthers while Austin Kent and Dan Dervay picked up assists.


Volleyball

Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 1 - Final - Megan Rogers had 16 assists, seven aces and two kills and Aubrie Kutil led the Panthers with eight kills.

Field Hockey

Franklin, 5 @ Attleboro, 1 - Final - Emily Jeffries scored two goals for the Panthers, including one on a penalty stroke that tied the game in the first half. Samantha Jones and Kate d'Entremont combined for the win in goal.

For the full set of results from Friday across the Hockomock League, you can visit this page
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-101014

Peter Pan coming to THE BLACK BOX




          Friday, October 17 to Sunday, October 26, 2014

The beloved family musical Peter Pan flies into Franklin this October, launching Franklin Performing Arts Company's 24th season and premiere year in THE BLACK BOX, FPAC's new theater, music, and event venue in downtown Franklin. The Tony® Award-winning classic features iconic characters and such memorable songs as "I'm Flying," "I Won't Grow Up," "I've Gotta Crow" and "Never Never Land." A musical adaptation of J.M. Barrie's celebrated 1904 play and 1911 novel, Peter Pan showcases timeless music by Morris "Moose" Charlap and Jule Styne with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Journey along on this high-flying, swashbuckling fantasy adventure to Neverland! FPAC's production will be presented with a professional live orchestra and the spectacular aerial effects of Flying By Foy.

buy tickets now



Franklin Performing Arts Company uses Vendini for ticketing, marketing, and box office management.

Franklin Performing Arts Company - PO Box 16, Franklin, MA, 02038, (508) 528-8668
Vendini, Inc. - 660 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94104, 1 (800) 901-7173


View as a web page.