In the News: underage liquor sales, Senior Center buildout

The Milford Daily News reports on the recent sting operation being reviewed at the Town Council meeting on Wednesday.

On Sept. 26, six police officers and three teenagers performed checks of the 35 businesses in town licensed to sell liquor. During the stings, the teens used their real Massachusetts driver’s licenses. 

Prior to each check, police photograph the teens, record their blood-alcohol level, and search them. Any cash given to them is photocopied, in case a business owner or bartender denies making the sale. 

Unlike a drug sting, departments must inform all of the businesses in the area in advance that they received the grant and will be conducting the checks. 

The 99 Restaurant & Pub on West Central Street and the British Beer Company in the Franklin Village Shopping Center were the only two establishments that sold an alcoholic drink to one of the undercover teens.

Continue reading the article here (subscription maybe required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20141015/NEWS/141018133/1994/NEWS

Franklin's Senior Center

The Milford Daily News also reports on the creation of a building committee to coordinate the buildout of the 2nd floor of the existing Senior Center. The building already has a second floor. It was left unfinished. There would need to be an elevator installed and then the finish work completed.

This has been talked of for some time. We have reported on the progress during the budget cycle as funds were set aside for this and for the expansion of the parking lot to accommodate the additional capacity provided.

The 3,000-square-foot unfinished space, used now for temporary storage, needs flooring and walls. The costliest aspect of the project will be installation of an elevator. 

In the months ahead, building committee members, including senior center director Karen Alves, must secure an architect and put the project out to bid. The town has saved approximately $700,000 for the work. And construction will not begin until next year. 

Alves has said the second floor should have space enough for at least two offices and a wide-open area for exercise programs. In the past, the senior center has hosted chair volleyball, Tai Chi and Zumba, among other exercise classes. 

Overall, space at the senior center is at a premium, since attendance has grown. Alves also expects the number of 65 and older residents to increase by more than 3,000 over the next seven years.

Continue reading the article here (subscription maybe required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20141015/NEWS/141018123/1994/NEWS


Photos from the grand opening of the facility in 2007 can be found here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157612392922276/

DelCarte Recreation in the rain

Even in the rain, the DelCarte Recreation area is glorious on an autumn morning. The geese were busy about their business and no one else was around.

trees along the water line

DelCarte Recreation and Conservation Area sign

A 360 view of DelCarte on a rainy Saturday morning




For additional posts on DelCarte, you can follow this link
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=franklinmatters.org%3A+Delcarte%2C+recreation

Church Yard Sale - Oct 18

The Franklin Federated Church will be holding their annual yard sale on Saturday, October 18 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Franklin Federated Church - annual yard sale - Oct 18

For additional information about Franklin Federated Church you can find them online here
http://franklinfederated.org/

Mark your Calendars for Hockomock Area YMCA Spooky Games!

The Hockomock Area YMCA invites area residents to enjoy a spooktacular evening as Spooky Games returns on Friday, October 24th from 6:30PM-8:00PM at its Bernon Family Branch (45 Forge Hill Road, Franklin), Invensys Foxboro Branch (67 Mechanic Street, Foxboro), and North Attleboro Branch (300 Elmwood Street, North Attleboro). 

This FREE event is open to members and non-members alike. Participants are encouraged to dress in costume. 

• The theme for the Bernon Family Branch is ‘Night at the Movies”. The Bernon Family Branch staff invites participants to visit Olaf’s Ice Adventure, Maneuver through our Lego Movie Obstacle Course, Journey the Road to Oz, and meet the Sanderson Sisters, and more. 
• The theme for the Invensys Foxboro Branch is ‘Haunted School House’. The Invensys Foxboro staff invites participants to play ghoulish games in math class, experiment in the horror lab, dare to try lunch lady snacks, and to beware of the Principal’s office. 
• The theme for the North Attleboro Branch is ‘Never Never Land, the dwelling place of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and the lost boys.’ The North Attleboro staff invites participants to visit Mermaid Lagoon and seek out the Treasure of the Tides, venture to Pixie Hollow to find fairies and fun, and to hike the Indian Camp to check on Chief and Princess Tiger Lily. 

Hockomock YMCA

At dusk, anyone seven years of age or older will want to head outdoors to check out Franklin branch’s ‘Batman’s Arcam City’ Haunted Woods or North Attleboro branch’s “Never Never Never Land’ Haunted Woods” both proudly presented by the Y’s Teen departments and volunteers. 

Admission to the outdoor activity will be $4.00 per person. For more information, call Michael Mahoney at 508-643-5265 or visit our website at www.hockymca.org.

In the News: simultaneous calls, Lincoln St contractor

Late last month, the fire department experienced one of its busiest days in some time.
Three alarms had sounded almost in succession. Then, with all available emergency crews dispatched, a dreaded fourth call came in: smoke alarm activation at Glen Meadow Apartments. 

"We had nothing left," Fire Chief Gary McCarraher recalled. 

According to McCarraher, that Monday in September provided yet another example of an alarming trend for the department: an increase in three or more simultaneous calls even as the overall number of responses remains unchanged. 

In fiscal year 2014, such calls made up 54 percent of the department’s total call volume, up from 44 percent the previous year.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here (subscription maybe required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20141014/NEWS/141018625/1994/NEWS

A Bedford-based contractor has drawn the ire of residents and town officials for problems with the roadwork underway on Lincoln Street. 

Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting and Department of Public Works Director Robert Cantoreggi have grown increasingly frustrated with Aggregate Industries, which in July started work on a stretch of Lincoln Street that begins at Elm Street and ends at Brook Street. 

Both have reached out to the company several times with concerns about delays and inconsistencies in its work schedule. 

Residents in the area have criticized the quality of the work, pointing out examples of poor oversight; the most glaring of these has been the need to tear up patches of just-paved road to adjust traffic calming islands built so tall that they blocked driveways.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here (subscription maybe required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20141014/NEWS/141018623/1994/NEWS

"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

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

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/