WMRC and Franklin Downtown Partnership - Good News Initiative

Franklin Downtown Partnership webpage photo

Franklin Downtown Partnership

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Member Annoucements: WMRC 1490-AM's 'Good News' Initiative Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:25 AM PST

WMRC First Class Media, a Milford-based media company and Franklin Downtown Partnership member, has launched a "Good News" initiative and wants to hear your positive stories. WMRC is a locally owned multi-media company that supports local businesses. WMRC 1490 AM broadcasts reach listeners in 14 local towns in 3 counties, and it's website has logged 22,000 visits. If you are looking for a new audience to tell your positive stories to, WMRC First Class Media may have a way to help. To download and print a copy of the WMRC-First Class Media press release click here.

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FHS all stars for swimming

The Hockomock Sports has announced the All Stars for swimming and Franklin is well represented on both the boys and girls teams as voted on by the coaches.

Ashley Loomis	Franklin	200 Free
Leah Zogby	Franklin	500 Free
Jennifer Ayotte	Franklin	400 F.R.
Molly Brown	Franklin	400 F.R.

FHS Panthers

Connor Bourgeois	Franklin	50 Fr
Austen Sholudko	Franklin	200 F.R.

For the complete listing of girls team all stars
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/the-2015-hockomock-league-girls-swimming-all-stars

For the complete listing of boys team all stars
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/the-2015-hockomock-league-boys-swimming-all-stars

Attention Franklin Residents: Letter from the Police Chief

March 12, 2015

To all Franklin Residents

Greetings,
               
Let me begin by saying I am sure everyone is aware that on March 10, 2015 the Franklin Police and Fire Departments responded to a bomb scare threat at the Franklin High School.  This is the second such threat at the High School this Academic School Year.  The first was on September 30, 2014.  We believe that we have some very solid information to work with and our Detective Division is aggressively following up on every lead imaginable. 
               
In light of these situations and the obvious concerns and fears associated with them I feel it necessary to write you this letter. It is important that I assure you your Emergency Services personnel, as well as your school staff, faculty and especially the students have handled each of these situations with courage; working in mutual cooperation to bring an end to a bad situation as quickly as possible. Police, fire and school officials continually educate and train in the best practice methods of dealing with situations as these.  

I would like to tell you that there is one accepted method of emergency response that will guarantee the safety of everyone in these situations. Unfortunately that would be naive and is not the case. There is no one given response or proven method that can possibly cover all of the potential variables for every bad scenario we may face.  The one most difficult variable would be within the mind of the perpetrator(s) themselves.  Only he or she would know what they are thinking.  Given this, we use those methods that have proven to be effective.  We train with those methods in mind and we adapt those methods to what we believe works well for Franklin and the given circumstance(s) at the time.

Some of the keys to limiting or averting tragedy are being well trained and equipped, which we are. Working cooperatively with the schools and students, which we do.  Responding quickly and decisively. Accurately assessing the situation and then attacking the threat with every asset we have at our disposal. It's important to understand that at the same time we must do our best to control the initial potential for chaos. As other police units arrive we will then begin with a safe and orderly exit for all of the students, school staff and faculty.  

I would guess that not many of you have experienced a situation like this.  As a first responder, me and my police officers, the fire personnel, school staff and faculty have.  I can tell you there is no greater sinking feeling than responding to, or being involved in a call for emergency service that has the potential for such disaster. 

I want you to rest assured that even faced with such circumstances your police, fire and school officials maintain composure and focus on the task at hand which is to respond, assess, attack or eliminate the threat, all the while worrying about providing the necessary safety and security for all of the school children or civilians involved.  No small feat by any means.  

I am confident in telling you that the response of Franklin Emergency personnel and school staff is done well and with the safety and security of all of the school children, school faculty and civilians paramount in our response protocols and decision making.  None of us would or should expect anything less.

Sincerely

Stephan H. Semerjian
Chief of Police

This e-mail has been sent to you by TOWN OF FRANKLIN. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call.

Shop Small Collaboration Efforts Getting into the Details, Rolling up the Sleeves

Another gathering of about 20 or so folks interested and energized in talking up and collaborating about small business in Franklin meet Wednesday night at The Cake Bar.

We received an update from Susan Palmer on a smart phone app that can help to set up a scavenger hunt for individual businesses or for the collaborative as a whole. A subcommittee was formed and will begin meeting to work out some plans in more detail to bring back to the larger group.  http://museumtrek.com/

Kristine Spillane provided an update on her efforts to bring OurTownDaily online soon. The plans for this online media news center include re-introducing a 'trade show' to Franklin. Franklin antives may recall the trade show that took place at the end of April vacation. The first re-introduction is targeted for October and then would slot into the last weekend of the April vacation in 2016 and thereafter. You can find OurTownDaily.com and currently set up to follow their Twitter account @OurTownDaily

Shop Small Co-op

There was discussion around a 'progressive meals' which also lead to a subcommittee to form to work on the idea and bring back to the larger group. Jane Curran of Jane's Frames will lead that subcommittee.

Mark Lenzi of Franklin Liquors provided an update on a video ad service that can be placed on screens in a facility. Even if you don't have a place for it, an ad could be shown on it. Contact information will be snt out ia the group distribution listing. (new members of the group would be added to the distribution after last nights meeting).

Ed Szymanski of the PC Handyman provided an update on the business showcase table at Rockland Trust. He is making progress on that front.

Lisa Piana, Executive Director of the Downtown Partnership, provided brief updates on the flyers done by MetroWest and the partnership. WMRC's effort on 'Think Positive' and a schedule of business networking sessions being set up.

As the meeting broke additional side dicussions were conducted by 2-3 following up on a particular point of interest or just making the more personal connection now that folks have met in real life.

It is really good to see such energy doing good for Franklin Business! The next meeting is scheduled for Apr 9, 2015 also at the Cake Bar.

Thanks to Tracie Turinese for leading this collaboration!

Franklin Historical Museum: Antique Appraisal Day

Antique Appraisal Day

Sunday, April 12, 2015

1:00PM-4:00PM

The Franklin Historical Commission invites you to have your collectables and antiques appraised by certified appraiser Nancy Wyman of Coyle’s Auction Gallery of Bellingham. 1 to 3 items per person will be appraised at a rate of $5.00 per item.

Items to be appraised include Decorative Stoneware and Pottery; Vintage Clothing and Costume Jewelry; Fine China, glass and art glass; Oriental Rugs; Paintings and Prints; Lamps, Clocks, Decorative Accessories; Hummels and Music Boxes; Sterling Silver, Pewter and Brass; American, Victorian and Country Furniture and Accessories.

NO fine jewelry, no coins, no stamps and no weapons.

All proceeds to benefit the Friends of the Franklin Historical Museum

Franklin Historical Museum - maybe most of the snow will be gone by Appraisal Day?

not an April Fools Trick - monthly meeting - April 1

The Franklin Art Association will meet Wednesday, April, 1st, from 6:30 -9:00 pm at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street. 

Refreshments and socialization will begin at 6:30. The program will feature an oil stick demonstration presented by artist Carol Letvin. 

Meetings are free and opened to the public 

For more information, please visit our web site at www.franklinart.org and www.facebook.com/FranklinArtAssoc

Franklin Senior Center - how much snow will have melted by April 1?

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Franklin well represented on All Stars

The Hockomock League coaches have announced their all stars for Boys Hockey and Indoor Track.

The FHS boys hockey team had a historic season making it to the Super 8 this year. The first team to do so from the Hockomock League. Tht they were well represented on the All Stars and had the MVP in Ryan Spillane is no surprise.

Congratulations!

FHS Panthers

Boys Hockey All Stars

Ryan Spillane (MVP)	Franklin
Ryan Shea	Franklin
Alec Borkowski	Franklin
Joe Borque	Franklin
Kyle Filbert	Franklin

Mason Saunders, Franklin received 'honorable mention'

For the rest of the Hockomock Boys Hockey All Stars check here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/the-2015-hockomock-league-boys-hockey-all-stars

Indoor Track

For girls Indoor Track Franklin had Beth Neal (an 'at large' selection) and Brittany Robinson (as an 'honorable mention'). Luke Gordon represented the boys team.

The complete listing for the girls indoor
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/2015-hockomock-league-girls-indoor-track-all-stars

boys indoor
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/2015-hockomock-league-boys-indoor-track-all-stars

News from Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

	Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
	Register O'Donnell Reports on Feb '15 Real Estate Activity Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell reported surprisingly strong housing and mortgage finance numbers in the Norfolk County real estate market for February 2015. "Despite historic levels of snowfall experienced in Norfolk County during the month of February, real estate sales and average sale price of properties heated up and showed marked improvement from February 2014 numbers. Furthermore, the mortgage market also showed significant gains in February as an improving economy, coupled with continued low interest rates, resulted in increased mortgage refinance activity," noted Register O'Donnell. While the total number of deeds recorded in February 2015 increased by only 1%, compared to February 2014 numbers, the total volume of commercial and residential real estate sales rose by 27%, with overall sales at $334 million. Average sale price of commercial and residential property for the month of February 2015 also was up 25% to $740,024, compared to the same time last year. Register O'Donnell stated, "What these figures clearly show is that despite the brutal winter, there is a healthy pool of home buyers out there wanting to purchase property. The numbers also show that prospective buyers are competing amongst themselves for a limited number of properties. This seller's market is clearly driving up real estate prices. Usually, without a significant spike in inventory, real estate prices will rise." The total number of mortgages recorded in February 2015 rose 53% to 1,960 from 1,280 in February 2014. Total mortgage indebtedness for the same contrasting period of time actually fell by 73%. This was attributed to a $2.5 billion mortgage that was recorded against multiple properties in Massachusetts, including a Braintree property, in February 2014. Homestead recordings, which provide limited protection against the forced sale of an individual's primary residence to satisfy unsecured debt up to $500,000, fell 3% from February 2015 to February 2014. A total of 557 Homesteads were recorded versus 575 during this comparative time period. Information regarding the Homestead Act can found on the Registry's website at www.norfolkdeeds.org. There was also good news on the foreclosure front. The total number of foreclosure deeds recorded fell 14% in February 2015 as a total of 25 foreclosure deeds were recorded compared to 29 in the previous February of 2014. The Register stated, "While one foreclosure deed is one too many, I am encouraged by its downward trend. Anyone who has received a Notice of Foreclosure from a lender is encouraged to contact our partners Quincy Community Action Programs at (617)479-8181 ext. 376 or Neighbor Works Southern Mass at (508) 587-0950 ext. 46. Both agencies can provide guidance and assistance to homeowners." Register O'Donnell concluded, "While the inclement weather experienced in February had a disruptive impact on commerce, the Norfolk County real estate market appears to have weathered the storm." To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, "like" us on facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com @NorfolkDeeds. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, located at 649 High Street, Dedham, is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, 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 email: registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org phone: 781-234-3336 web: http://www.norfolkdeeds.org

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

http://www.norfolkdeeds.org

School Committee gets updated on FHS, receives feedback on security incidents

The School Committee meeting was held in the Lecture Hall at Franklin High School on Tuesday. This had been scheduled for January but was snowed out at that time. Yesterday was another challenging day for the schools and in particular for FHS with the bomb threat. This was not like the ones that occured in September (where the notification went to the high school) as this notification was received directly by the Franklin Police Department. Investigation is underway.

As the meeting was held in the Lecture Hall, it was not available for broadcast. Wireless internet was available in the room but only as part of the School network, hence access to certain parts of the internet (i.e. Facebook) were not available. I was able to record the meeting. Assuming the audio is worth listening too, I'll make it available this week.

about 15 parents participated in the School Committee meeting at the FHS Lecture Hall on Tuesday

The focal point of the meeting were several updates on the high school and all the good work being done there. Check the live reporting for updated links, photos and notes on the individual presentations covering

• the high school overall
• Panther TV
• Health and physical education
• Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) program
• the transition of the Tutoring Center to the Academic Center
• recently released numbers on the graduation rate and drop out rate
• Commencement planning

There was a good communiy presence to discuss the recent Parmenter incident and Tuesday's FHS incident. Most of the parents left after that portion of the meeting. Check the live reported notes for details on this portion of the meeting. The quick summary is the school district is 

• re-evaluating their current access process
• some of the buildings (i.e. the older ones) would need renovation to provide a more secure access
• the facility cost would need to be allocated as part of the Town budget
• parents would prefer to ere on the side of caution and have more 'administrative lockdowns' than less

Good Friday, Apr 3rd will be a half-day if necessary. Apr 11 and Apr 21 will also be used if the current 2 snow days available are used up. This passed by a 5-2 vote with some interesting discussion where Committee Chair Muallen went on record to agree with opposing views expressed by Committee members O'Malley and Jewel.


For all the live reporting captured during the meeting check here

• Live reporting - Closing

• Live reporting: Action Items

• Live reporting - Discussion only (continued)

• Live reporting: Discussion only items

• Live reporting: FHS Update (continued)

• Live reporting: School Committee - Mar 10, 2015

• 
  

One Book, One Community: Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

For the 49 folks who bothered to vote, the selection was  "Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan. Stay tuned to find out what events will be centered around the book.

Robin Sloan writes:

This is my first novel, and it grew from a story posted on this very website into a New York Times Best Seller published in more than twenty countries. 

It’s a tale of books and technology, cryptography and conspiracy, friendship and love. It begins in a mysterious San Francisco bookstore, but quickly reaches out into the wider world and the shadowed past. I talked about the ideas behind the book on NPR’s Morning Edition and had a real-life bibliophile adventure with the New York Times.

One Book, One Community: Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Shared from the Franklin Library webpage here http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/03/2015-one-book-one-community-winner-mr.html

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is now on Facebook and Twitter!

Happy March!

Did you know .... 

There are three easy ways to stay up to date on all the latest news from the Franklin Downtown Partnership?

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is now on Facebook and Twitter!

shared from FDP page

Find us on Facebook

Like and Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/franklindowntownpartnership.org

Franklin Downtown Partnership

Follow us on Twitter @FranklinDowntwn

Follow @FranklinDowntwn 

Subscribe Via Email 

On the website (see box to the right under Facebook and Twitter links) enter your email address into the box and click "Subscribe." You will receive an email prompting you to confirm. Once you confirm, you will receive an email after 3 p.m. each day that something new has been added to the website.

And we will soon be changing our e-mail address and adding Constant Contact so stay tuned....!   Watch for your membership renewals in the mail...you won't want to miss any FDP communication with the upcoming Streetscape project beginning this Spring!

Not yet a member?

You should consider joining. Franklin resident membership only $25. Students and senior citizens only $15. Business memberships start and $100 and scale to $275 depending upon the size of the company.

Additional info on member benefits and the application form can be found on the Franklin Downtown Partnership page here
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/p/membership-info.html
  

Reminder: Bottle/Can Drive - Saturday, Mar 14

There will be a Bottle and Can Drive on March 14th. 

It will be held at the FHS parking lot from 8-1PM and supports the All Night Party.

Last year this was part of the collection:

Bottle/Can Drive for All Night Party

Help them top last year's collection!

For additional information and to help the All Night Party visit their webpage
http://www.fhsallnightparty.com/

Reminder: HMEA Career Fair - March 19th

                Who: HMEA Inc.             

                What: HMEA Career Fair

                When: Thursday, March 19th 2015, 4-7 pm

                Where: HMEA Inc., 8 Forge Park, Franklin MA 02038

HMEA Career Fair

On Thursday March 19th, 2015, HMEA will open its doors in Franklin to the public to welcome job seekers to apply and interview for positions available company-wide. The agency is looking for people who are passionate about gaining experience and becoming an important factor in the lives of individuals with disabilities.

Whether you have an interest in working with children with Autism or joining a team of staff assisting adults with disabilities to earn gainful employment, there is an something for everyone.

Anyone who attends the career fair will automatically be entered into a drawing for a $100 gas card and two $25 gas cards. Interested candidates are asked to bring a copy of their resume and to be prepared to interview on the spot. 

Visit our website for more information at www.hmea.org.

Sport Management and Entertainment Career Fair at Gillette Stadium - Mar 28th

The New England Revolution & Kraft Sports Group will host their annual Sport Management and Entertainment Executive Lecture Career Fair on Saturday, March 28 at Showcase Live at Patriot Place. College students and members of the general public who are interested in a career in the sports industry are invited to attend the fair, which will take place just prior to the Revs’ home game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Gillette Stadium. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

The four-hour event will begin at 10 a.m. and feature a series of panels and presentations from sports professionals throughout the New England region. The career fair offers prospective employees an opportunity to network and interview with high-level professionals in the sports business that are looking to offer internships as well as part-time and full-time positions with their organizations.

Additional info on the career fair can be found here
http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/news/2015/03/new-england-revolution-kraft-sports-group-host-career-fair-march-28

Sports and Entertainment Career Fair - Mar 28

Live reporting - Closing

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report

Mock trial advanced to final 16 next on Thursday

Hockey made it to the Super 8 for the first time

Cheerleaders were competing at Sates today

Girls Basketball finished 19-6
Boys Basketball finished 18-6

Pisani in Wrestling advanced to second day at the New Englands


School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
May 12th - Training Room, training on communications

School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.
Harlem Wizard's Nov 13th

O'Malley
Globe Scholastic Art
Writing awards, Franklin represented in both of this listing


7. Executive Session
Personnel Update - 
motion to executive session, seconded, passed 7-0 via roll call