Franklin Public Schools: Follow up to today's incident

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

March 10, 2015

Dear Franklin Families and Staff,

Early this afternoon, the Franklin Police notified school administration that there had been a bomb threat made to Franklin High School.  The Franklin Police and Fire Departments arrived on the scene quickly and assisted school administration and staff in the evacuation process to ensure that all high school students and staff were safe.  

Because of the proximity to the high school, the Oak/Horace Mann and ECDC Complex were immediately placed in administrative lockdown. As an additional safety precaution, all other schools in the district were also placed on Administrative Lock Down shortly thereafter.  Administrative lockdown means that students and staff remain inside the building while continuing with their school day and that no individuals are allowed to enter or exit the building during this time. 

Parents were provided with both written and verbal communications regarding the situation via the district's emergency Blackboard Connect system. High school students were safely evacuated to the designated evacuation area.  At that time, they were dismissed early to allow police, fire, and safety personnel to respond to the threat and ensure that the area was secured.  Administrative lockdown was lifted in time for dismissal to proceed as usual in all the other schools. 

In speaking with the Franklin Police, it is our understanding that the call came in to the business line at the police department.  The Police are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. Police report that both the evacuation and lock down went smoothly as expected. Additionally, students and staff proceeded in an orderly manner, which was further facilitated by parent cooperation with police and administrative requests.

As always, the safety of our students and staff is our number one priority.  We plan to debrief with the police to review our implementation of our safety protocols.

Thank you for your continued understanding and support. 

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. 

Franklin Schools: Administrative Lock Down Over

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Hello,

We just received word from the Franklin Police that administrative lockdown is over at all of our schools.  Students at Franklin High School have already been dismissed and other schools in the district will be dismissed at the usual time.
We will provide you with further information as appropriate and based upon the direction from the police department.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Sally Winslow
Assistant Superintendent of Schools

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.

Franklin Public Schools: Administrative Lock down for schools

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Hello,

We have just been informed by the Franklin Police that there has been a bomb threat made to Franklin High School. The Franklin Police and Fire Departments are on the scene and are assisting school administration and staff in the evacuation process and all high school students are safe.  

As a safety precaution, all other schools in the district have been placed in Administrative Lock Down.  This means that students and staff will remain inside but will continue with their school day.  No one will be allowed to enter or exit the buildings during this time.  

Please do not go to the schools to try to pick up your children as it may interfere with our safety protocol. Parents have been directed to the police not to come to Franklin High School.  No one will be allowed on or off campus until deemed safe by the police. Please do not call the school at this time.

We will provide more information as soon as it is made available to us.

Thank you,

Sally Winslow
Assistant Superintendent of Schools

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. 

Safe walking around town has been challenged by the lack of passable sidewalks. Photo ops have also been limited as once you seen the white snow, what else is there?

Ah, there is more if you look closely. 

Join me on the adventures around town. Since I am catching up to this, not all the photos are from the same walk. 

Community room entrance at Central Park Terrace

Emmons St from Dean looking towards Main St

Federated Church keeps the faith!

There's a fire hydrant under there

the earth breath freezes

You want me to push the button to walk?

the Town Common is lovely in snow

why search for the paper in the snow when you can subscribe to
Franklin Matters and get it in your email once each day

Franklin in the snow

Safe walking around town has been challenged by the lack of passable sidewalks. Photo ops have also been limited as once you seen the white snow, what else is there?

Ah, there is more if you look closely. 

Join me on the adventures around town. Since I am catching up to this, not all the photos are from the same walk. 

Community room entrance at Cnetral Park Terrace

Emmons St from Dean looking towards Main St

Federated Church keeps the faith!

There's a fire hydrant under there

the earth breath freezes

You want me to puch the button to walk?

the Town Common is lovely in snow

why search for the paper in the snow when you can subscribe to
Franklin Matters and get it in your email once each day

Design Public Hearing will be held by MassDOT to discuss the proposed replacement of the West Central Street Bridge

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORATION - HIGHWAY DIVISION

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING

A Design Public Hearing will be held by MassDOT to discuss the proposed replacement of the West Central Street Bridge over CSX/MBTA Rail Road in the Town of Franklin, MA.

WHERE: 
Council Chambers, 2nd Floor
Municipal Building
355 East Central Street
Franklin, MA 02038

WHEN: 
Monday, April 6th, 2015, at 7:00 PM.

PURPOSE: 
The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with the opportunity to become fully acquainted with the proposed Shared Use Bridge over CSX/MBTA Rail Road replacement project. All comments and opinions made at the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible. 

PROPOSAL: 
The proposed project consists of the replacement of the West Central Street Bridge, which crosses over CSX and MBTA Commuter Rail tracks. Originally constructed in 1922, and rebuilt in 1967, it provided two lanes of traffic with no sidewalks prior to being closed to all traffic in 2008. It is a three (3) span timber structure on stone masonry piers and abutments approximately 58 feet in length. 

The new bridge will be a single span, prefabricated truss structure, 78 feet in length with an exposed concrete deck intended to restore pedestrian and non-vehicular travel (shared
use) over the tracks. 

The existing timber superstructure and timber piers will be completely removed and the abutments will be demolished to below finished grade. The existing stone masonry walls adjacent to the tracks (which support the timber piers) will be removed to the extent possible so as to not cause significant disruption to rail traffic. 

The limits of reconstruction of the travel way approaching the bridge extend from the existing bridge approximately 210 feet to the south and 340 feet to the north. A 12 foot wide paved travel way is proposed with 3 foot wide gravel shoulders and pedestrian and bicycle fencing. 

Proposed curb placement, pavement markings and signage will deter vehicular access, however design allowances for periodic emergency and maintenance vehicles (up to AASHTO H10 live loading) will be provided. 

Since the existing structure is already closed to traffic, no detours or multiple construction phases are anticipated. The project will commence with the erection of temporary utility supports and the relocation of active utilities currently supported on the existing structure followed by the complete removal of the existing bridge. 

The new substructure elements will be constructed and the new prefabricated trusses will be delivered and moved into position. Finally, all active utilities will be relocated and supported by the new structure and the remaining existing and temporary utility supports will be removed. 

The new structure will provide greater vertical clearance over the existing tracks, increasing from approximately 17’-0” to 18’-3”.

No property takings or temporary easements are anticipated in the present design.

Written views received by MassDOT subsequent to the date of this notice and up to five (5) days prior to the date of the hearing shall be displayed for public inspection and copying at the time and date listed above. Plans will be on display one-half hour before the hearing begins, with an engineer will be in attendance to answer questions regarding this project.

A project handout is available on the MassDOT website listed below. Written statements and other exhibits in place of, or in addition to, oral statements made at the Public Hearing regarding the proposed undertaking are to be submitted to Patricia A. Leavenworth, P.E., Chief Engineer, Massachusetts Department of Transportation – Highway Division, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116. 

Such submissions will also be accepted at the hearing. The final date of receipt of these
statements and exhibits for inclusion in the public hearing transcript will be ten (10) days after this Public Hearing. Project inquiries may be emailed to dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us 

This location is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats, such as audio tapes, Braille and large print), as available. 

For accommodation or language assistance, please contact MassDOT’s Chief Diversity and Civil Rights Officer by phone (857-368-8580), fax (857-368-0602), TTD/TTY (857-368-0603) or by email (MassDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us). 

Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting, and for more difficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language translation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten (10) business days before the meeting. 

In case of inclement weather, hearing cancellation announcements will be posted on the internet at: http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/

THOMAS J. TINLIN, P.E. .
ACTING HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR 

PATRICIA A. LEAVENWORTH, P.E
CHIEF ENGINEER



This public hearing notice was share from the Town of Franklin webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/020289A8-000F8513

Franklin Library: Adult coffee and craft - Friday, Mar 13

Adult coffee and craft is coming up this Frday at the Franklin Library. Maybe the 13th is your lucky day! 

You can make a fleece neck warmer to keep warm until Spring does arrive!

Franklin Library: Adult coffee and craft - Friday, Mar 13

Shared from the Franklin Library webpage here
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/03/adult-coffee-and-craft.html