Candle Light Remembrance For Lexi and Sean Munroe

From Facebook, via Gillian Monroe, I find this event scheduled for Monday night Jan 12th:

Lexi & Sean

We will be having a candlelight remembrance for our daughter and son, Lexi & Sean Munroe. 

We will have candles, although you are welcome to bring your own. 

We'll also be releasing lanterns and balloons in memory of Lexi and Sean. 

Donation boxes for the Franklin Food Pantry will be set up. They are in need of toiletry items, peanut butter, tuna, chicken soup and shampoo. 

Thank you all.

This remembrance is scheduled for the Franklin Town Common at 7:00 PM

FM #108 - Emmons St RFP Discussion (audio)

The audio recording (podcast) for the Emmons St RFP discussion from Wednesday (Jan 7, 2015) night's Town Council meeting is available.

The run time is about 34 minutes.





You can also subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

My notes from the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/live-reporting.html


Note: If you have any suggestions/corrections to make, please feel free to let me know.

Norfolk Library: Trivets/Hot Plates Exhibit

On view in the Library foyer for the month of January will be a special exhibit of over 50 wooden Trivets/Hot Plates designed and built by Peter Mulliken of Franklin. 

Mr. Mulliken taught basic woodworking at the Dexter School in Brookline, MA for 41 years, retiring in 2012.

The trivets were an "end-of-term" project for those students who completed their major woodworking project ahead of schedule. They could choose from a wide selection of designs Peter had on hand or could make up one of their own. 

Project plans and drawings for some of the trivets will be on display in addition to basic woodworking reference books Peter found helpful while teaching the students.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, scout and 4-H leaders (and kids!) should plan on stopping by to view this fun exhibit.

screen grab of Norfolk Library home page

The Norfolk Library is located at 139 Main Street, Norfolk, MA 02056

FM #107 - Pond St Zoning Bylaw Discussion (audio)

The audio recording (podcast) is available for the Pond St zoning bylaw discussion from Wednesday's (Jan 7, 2015) Town Council meeting.

The run time is about 1 hour and 20 minutes.





You can also subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

My notes from the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/live-reporting-public-hearing-pond-st.html

Note: If you have any suggestions/corrections to make, please feel free to let me know.

A double Panther basketball win over KP

Hockomock Sports provides the scores for the double win by the Panthers over rivals KP. Both games were played in the new Franklin High School gymnasium.


Boys Basketball

King Philip, 43 @ Franklin, 58 - Final - Marcus Giese had another double-double, this time notching 21 points and 16 rebounds while senior Markus Bohmiller dropped a career-high 16 points off the bench. James O'Brien had 13 points for King Philip and Ryan Layman added 10 points.

Franklin's Marcus Giese (42) drives to the hoop against King Philip's Erich Ryan (44). (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Hockomock Sports provides a more indepth report on the boys game here

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/defensive-effort-in-middle-quarters-propels-panthers

Girls Basketball

King Philip, 35 @ Franklin, 65 - Final - Franklin's Jillian Spolidoro led all scorers with 15 points while Lexi Martin added 13 points and Aubrie Kutil chipped in with 10 points. Emily Sullivan led King Philip with 14 points.

Franklin's Jillian Spolidoro takes the ball to the hoop in the second quarter. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

Hockomock Sports provides a more indepth report on the girls game here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/spolidoro-gives-panthers-triple-threat-against-kp


For all the results across the Hockomock League on Thursday you can find it here  http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-010815

The latest from Mass Poetry

Festival update, The Writers House, Common Threads,                                                   View in your browser Poem of the Moment, U35 on Jan 20, and more Mass Poetry Festival Update We are in the process of finalizing the programming for the 2015 Massachusetts Poetry Festival, May 1-3 in historic downtown Salem, and the schedule will be up soon! In the meantime, learn more about one of our featured poets, Denise Duhamel. Denise Duhamel's most recent book of poetry Blowout (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2013) was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and winner of a 2014 Paterson Poetry Prize. Her other books include Ka-Ching! (Pittsburgh, 2009), Two and Two (Pittsburgh, 2005), Queen for a Day: Selected and New Poems (Pittsburgh, 2001), The Star-Spangled Banner (winner of the Crab Orchard Award, Southern Illinois University Press, 1999) and Kinky (Orchises Press, 1997.) She is the recipient of awards including fellowships from the Guggenhiem Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The guest editor for The Best American Poetry 2013, she is a professor at Florida International University in Miami. The Writers House at Merrimack College An installment in our Poetry Communities series Since opening its doors in September of 2013, the Writers House has become a creative community for writers, filmmakers, playwrights and poets in North Andover, Massachusetts. As a part of Merrimack College, the Writers House creates a niche space for students to write, read and create. It is the "president of the college's investment of the imagination," says Andrea Cohen, poet and director of the program. The Writers House fosters imagination and ingenuity across several mediums. In order to reach out to  as many students as possible, the Writers House offers a variety of programs and workshops. Read more. Join us for 2015's first U35! Tuesday, Jan 20, 7 p.m. The Marliave Restaurant, Boston   Featuring Alyssa Mazzarella, Matt Parker, and Victoria Thompson RSVP & share the event via Facebook Alyssa Mazzarella is an MFA candidate in poetry and a creative writing instructor at UMass Boston. In 2013, she received an Academy of American Poets Prize and a Mary Doyle Curran Creative Writing scholarship. She's previously taught at Baystate Correctional Center and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and holds a BFA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College. Her poems have appeared in Freshwater and Common Ground Review. Matt Parker has been an avid fan of poetry since his childhood, and used it as a life saver during his tumultuous adolescence. Matt began to share his poetry and encourage others to use it as a coping tool in his career field as a youth development professional; he is still learning and teaching poetry to students in schools & community settings, co-facilitating the Boston S.O.U.P. (society of urban poetry) project, and supporting community causes everywhere. Victoria Thompson studied in the MFA poetry program at the University of New Hampshire. She currently teaches 4th and 5th grade English as a Second Language in Boston Public Schools and lives in Arlington, MA. Poem of the Moment Jennifer Markell: Montebello Road How quickly they shut it down— three men, a garbage truck, cars backed up, leaves blowing wild. A gust sends stink: pork rind, coffee grounds, ferment of rotting pumpkins. The men haul bags, heave bales, bassinette, oven door. They laugh and shrug, step up, jump down Continue reading. Common Threads has arrived! We are thrilled to release Common Threads 2015, guest edited by Alice Kociemba, contributed to by Robert Pinsky, and graced with eight stunning poems by Massachusetts poets! It includes discussion questions, writing prompts and more, and boasts a complementary media package and a host of exciting events throughout 2015. Check out yesterday's official launch announcement for all the details. This week is a good one to curl up with our updated list of favorite poems for winter nights, wouldn't you say? Happy new year and warm thoughts to you and yours!   Donate Now Statewide Poetry Calendar • Participate • Articles • New Books by Massachusetts Poets • Massachusetts Poet Database • Poetry Partners • Funder Wall of Fame • Sponsorship Opportunities • 2014 Activities Report Share Tweet Forward

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Questions were raised, answers sought and opinions stated amid some tension

There was a full house in the Council Chambers on Wednesday evening. The meeting had officially opened at 6:00 PM and the Council went into Executive Session to discuss the negotiations on the fire fighter contract. Their meeting was held in the small conference room next to the Council Chambers to allow those arriving for the main meeting to enter the chambers. The Councilors filed in to the Chamber about 6:55 and got ready for the meeting.

The normal pledge of allegiance and moment of silence was skipped by Chairman Vallee as they "had already opened the meeting at 6:00".

The agenda was adjusted to include a motion by Councilor Kelly to officially vote on the Chairman. (Recall that the vote at the organization meeting in November was actually skipped at that time.

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/11/the-town-council-reorganizes-sort-of.html)

The minutes were approved from the Dec 17th session.

The change of manager for the liquor license for Artistry Kitchen was approved. As the use of the facility will be changing to a private function room until the new direction of the restaurant is ready to be re-opened, there needs to be an approval by the Planning Board. The use is different from that already approved. It is a minor deviation but does need to follow the process for approvals.

Former FinCom member Phyllis Messere Malcom was appointed to the Historical Commission.

"Community Development Grant"

There was a brief discussion on the possibility for Franklin to join in a "Community Development Grant" application. Bellingham is the lead community handling the paperwork and administration. Franklin and Hopedale are also possible partners. The measure will return to the Town Council in two weeks for approval.

Pond St zoning public hearing

The Pond St zoning public hearing opened. My notes from the long discussion are linked to. In brief, many of the questions and concerns raised were to gain assurances on what would be done. Right now, with the zoning change only, it is too early to say. Many folks don't understand the full process and the Council along with Jeff did not do a great job of explaining the process. My attempt at an overview would look like this:

• There is a second hearing for the zoning change. 
• If approved, the Economic Development Committee would then meet to draft the revisions to the new Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP is the official offer by the town of the property for sale. It would specify what could be done (within the zoning for the property) and what additional restrictions the Town may make to the purchaser.
• The RFP would be posted for a period of time.
• Responses, if any would be reviewed at the end of the period
• Depending upon the responses, there would be additional meetings at the EDC to make a recommendation to the Town Council to proceed with the sale or not
• If proceeding with the sale, then the Town Council would still hold meeting or meetings to decide (as done with the Emmons St property)
• All that before the developer would go before the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and other town organizations to obtain the necessary permits and approvals.

There were some tense moments during the discussion as some of the answers to the community were not appropriate and some of the community objected (rightly so) to the body language of some of the members of the Council. Councilor Kelly addressed this during the Councilor Comments at the end of the meeting but long after much of the crowd had dispersed.


The Town Council did approve to move the zoning change to a second reading.

The audio recording for the Pond St discussion can be found here  https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/Hc9V86zk

Emmons St

former councilor Glen Jones and Town Administrator Jeff Nutting

Emmons St discussion

The Emmons St discussion took a surprising turn. It was anticipated to be perhaps a more contentious discussion as the drive through option seemed to be a 'done deal'. However, as revealed by Jeff Nutting. A meeting by the developer, Mr Calarese took place on Monday morning and the proposal was changed to removed the food drive through. He would like to retain rights to a bank drive through. That revelation took the wind out of most of the sails and those that spoke appreciated the change in face of significant community objection.

How the change will really look as the 'final' negotiations take place remains to be seen. The deal will come back before the Council to require a 2/3 vote. We'll be able to see how well the legalese is drafted to meet the community desires and the need for the town to obtain additional revenue.


The audio recording for the Emmons St segment of the meeting can be found here   https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HyDbqXQk

Town Administrator Reports

Almost lost within the events of the evening were the real drivers to the selling of the town property at both the Emmons St and Pond St locations. Jeff Nutting provides updates on the overall town goals and objectives for 2015, showing much progress and accomplishments. He also laid out the objectives for this year. He provided updates on the Master Plan and the Five Year Financial Forecast.

The forecast says FY 2016 should be ok but FY 2017 is another budget year where balancing the budget will present some problems.

This financial reason is the driving factor behind the moves to sell both the Pond St and Emmons St properties. The town needs to expand its taxable base to bring in additional revenue. The link to the agenda for the financial forecast can be found here  http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/property-taxes-will-continue-to-be.html


The set of notes recorded live during the Town Council meeting can be found here:

• Live reporting - Closing

• Live reporting - Town Administrator annual report
• Live reporting: Emmons St discussion

• Live reporting: public hearing - Pond St property

• Live reporting: Artistry change of manager, Commun...

• Live Reporting: Town Council - Jan 7, 2015

"We're happy to that the food drive-through is now no longer on the table"

The local developer seeking to purchase a downtown property has changed his proposal to only include retail space after concerns were raised about the possibility for a drive-through restaurant at the site. 

Roger Calarese, developer of the Franklin Village Mall, submitted a proposal to raze the current building at 150 Emmons St. and replace it with a 5,300-square-foot commercial property. He had considered building a drive-through on the property, but cut it from the proposal in response to complaints from downtown business owners and residents. 

Calarese, who bid $500,000 for the property, has since taken the prospect of a restaurant drive-through off the table. However, he could still have a drive-through business there, such as a bank. His negotiations with a possible bank tenant, though, had fallen through. And it is unclear what type of retail business he now has in mind.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150108/NEWS/150107578/1994/NEWS#sthash.lSTkeHrx.dpuf

FHS Winter Sports Results for Wednesday

From Hockomock Sports we find that many of the Franklin High School winter teams were in action on Wednesday. Here are the results.

Boys Hockey

Franklin, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 1 - Final - Connor Anderson, Ryan Spillane and Joe Bourque scored the goals for the Panthers and Ryan Shea played strong in net, according to coach Chris Spillane. Tim Doherty had the goal for the Tigers in the second period that tied the game at 1-1, but Franklin added two goals, including an empty net goal, in the third period for the win.

FHS Panthers

Girls Hockey

Franklin, 1 vs. Medfield, 7 - Final

Wrestling

Franklin, 57 @ Taunton, 22 - Final - In the loss, Taunton had wins from Reilly Powell (106), Cullen Machado (152), Nuno Camara (170) and captain Santiago Lopez (195).

Indoor Track - Boys

Franklin, 48 vs. Taunton, 52 - Final - Damion Theodule has been one of the top 55M dash runners this season and he continued that on Wednesday. Theodule clocked in at 6.89, tied for the top finish among Hockomock teams, and Brian Cherenfant clocked in at 37.09 in the 300M race - the second best finish on the day. Terrence Gibson also had a big showing, registering a 5-11.00 in the high jump. Franklin's Luke Gordon also registered a 5-11.00 in the high jump and finished the 300M race in 37.54.

Indoor Track - Girls

Franklin, 55 vs. Taunton, 45 - Final - In a close matchup, all results mattered. Freshman Jessica Kroushl had arguably her best day of the season, clocking in at 7.69 in the 55M dash, which was the second best time of all 12 Hockomock schools. Sophomore Meghan Doherty (1:42.52) did well in the 600M race while Brittany Robinson dominated the 1000M race in 3:11.75, the top time on the day. Taunton was able to keep it close because of Jessica Maki's finish in the 300M race (42.76) and three of the top five finishes in the long jump: Jillian Purtell (16-03.75, first), Mariah O'Gara (15-07.50, fourth) and Leishnaly Rosado (15-05.00, fifth).

Swimming - Boys

Franklin, 29 @ Taunton, 61 - Final

Swimming - Girls

Franklin, 55 @ Taunton, 39 - Final

For the remainder of the Hockomock league results you can find them here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-010715

Good Energy Newsletter: January 2015

Energy efficiency tips, news and advice. View as Web page. January 2015 An Advisor's Unusual Attic Find, Plus Winter Warmth Tips Our latest Advisor of the Month shares how he made the leap from technician to advisor, his best winter warmth tips and how our team made a homeowner's day with a sentimental discovery. Read More > Home Automation: The Next Big Thing in Energy Efficiency? The world of home automation systems are making the most out of our addiction to technology. Learn how home automation systems can help keep your energy-efficient habits on autopilot in our latest guest contributor piece. Read More > Four Simple Ways to Avoid the "Flue" Think you've avoided the winter flu? Temper the hot water heater flue with these tips on how to keep flue gases out of your home, courtesy of our Connecticut Team of the Month.   Read More > Homeowner Cuts First Electric Bill in Half After Going Solar Our latest success story proves that a trip to the DMV can be worthwhile. Learn how one homeowner slashed her electricity costs by going solar, plus get a peek at her sleek new rooftop panels.  Read More > Connect with us   Forward email to a friend    Subscribe to Good Energy Please add Email@NextStepLiving.com to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox. Privacy Policy © 2014 NextStepLiving, Inc., 21 Drydock Avenue, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02110-2384