"a partial solution to the issue of parking"

From the Downtown Partnership general meeting on Thursday, Milford Daily News writes about the update on the construction project by Town Administrator Jeff Nutting:

At the meeting, he presented an artistic rendering of the finished island in front of the Rome Restaurant on East Central Street. 

“The island gets smaller and really busy between the flagpole, the sign, the troth, the planters; in working with the Downtown Partnership, we plan to buy the planters and then surround them with stonework — similar to in front of the Town Hall,” he said. 

Business owners say a lack of parking is one of the major barriers preventing more people from shopping and eating in the downtown. 

Nutting believes he has found a partial solution to the issue of parking: Next month, he will deliver a proposal to the Town Council asking for the removal of the downtown meters in favor of two-hour parking. In addition, commuter rail passes will only be active from 5 a.m. to noon, freeing up spots that might otherwise be taken.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150403/NEWS/150408542/1994/NEWS

This "Purple Heart" community received an "unqualified opinion"

The Town Council meeting was varied and efficiently conducted in just about an hour. The summary of items discussed and where appropriate voted on is as follows:

• A proclamation was made to recognize Franklin as a "Purple Heart Community"
• The liquor license transfer from Soco Rose to GBU was approved.
• The DPW was authorized to purchase a 'hot box' to help improve the pot hole patching process.
• Chief Gary McCarragher presented on Ping4Alerts, a new alert system being deployed by MEMA and Franklin for all the alerts and other targeted important notifications.
• The auditors talked about the "unqualified opinion" that Franklin received as being the highest rating and how "solid and well managed" Franklin was overall.
• The insurance payments for the Keller sprinkler incident required a Council vote to approve the disbursement. As the payments had come to the Franklin accounts, the Council needed to authorize the payments to the vendors involved. Most of the insurance reimbursements had gone directly to the vendors and hence did not require a Council vote.

The MEMA video touting Ping4Alerts




To get Ping4Alerts, follow the links on this MEMA page
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/massachusetts-alerts.html

Massachusetts alerts

For all the detailed notes reported live during the meeting, check these links:

• Live reporting: Legislation through to closing

• Live reporting: audit results - "an unqualified op...

• Live reporting: Ping4Alert

• Live reporting: License transfer and hot box purch...

• Live reporting: Town Council - Apr 1, 2015

Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids - be part of the studio audience!

We would like to invite the public to be part of a studio audience at our new Cable TV studio.  

We are inviting the public to a series of thirty-minute shows on topics trending in education with a focus on raising resilient children.

The first is to be held on April 14th at 9:30 a.m. at the studio on 23 Hutchinson Street.

The topic is:  Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids, featuring Jay Horrigan, who has a wealth of experience through his involvement with sports programs at all levels.

The new studio is beautiful... we are so lucky to have it in our town.  This is a great opportunity for people to visit and interact on topics of interest.

I am hosting the program

       Anne Bergen
(recently retired principal of Horace Mann Middle School)

main entrance to Franklin TV studio on Hutchinson St

Franklin Library: LEGO Mania - Apr 2

LEGO Mania returns to the Franklin Library on Thursday, Apr 2 and Apr 16 at 4:00 PM.

LEGO Mania

Ideal for those aged 3 - 12. Those of us whow would like to play with LEGOs will need to find another time/place.

This was shared from the Library page here
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/03/lego-club.html


Check out the work of Nathan Sawaya, the Brick Artist for some inpirational creations  http://www.brickartist.com/

image from The Brick Artist

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FHS lacrosse tops Canton - twice

From Hockomock Sports we find that both the boys and girls lacrosse teams topped their counterparts from Canton High School on Wednesday.


Boys Lacrosse

FHS Panthers

Canton, 6 @ Franklin, 17 - Final - After struggling against an aggressive Canton team early, Franklin finally settled down according to Panther's head coach Lou Verrochi. Jack Vail led the way with five goals and an assist, Austin Kent had two goals and four assists and Alex Campbell had two goals and two assists. DJ Shea had 11 saves in net and Mike Sullivan, Alec Borkowski and Sean Lockhart were "excellent in close defense," Verrochi said.

Girls Lacrosse

Franklin, 14 @ Canton, 4 - Final - Emily Jeffries led the way for the Panthers with four goals and an assist. Kendall Reardon added four assists for Franklin and Caroline Lounsbury and Diana Griffin each recorded their first career goals. For Canton, Mary McNeil had a hat trick and Mary Nee had a goal and an assist.

For all the results of the Hockomock spring action Wednesday, check here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-040115

2015 WMRC Local Music Awards

The stage is set for this year's WMRC Local Music Awards!  On May 17^th hundreds of musicians, fans and local music supporters will gather at Liz's Diamond Bar and Grille in Hopedale to honor, celebrate and relish all that The Greater Milford Area Local Music Scene offers.

The festivities will begin at 4:00pm with a special pre-awards show featuring the band TETER TODDERS and friends.  The official award ceremony starts at 5:00pm featuring a red carpet introduction of nominees, 10 live performances and 30 award presentations. 

 

WMRC 1490 AM

"There is such immense talent in our direct area" said event organizer, Ray Auger of WMRC First Class Media Solutions in Milford.  "Four years ago, I decided it was time to honor the talent that encompasses Milford and its surrounding 13 towns.  We make one hell of a night of it!  Everyone, 21 plus, is invited to attend and enjoy a night of local music at its best… and it's FREE!"

This event is designed to look and feel as if it would be a night at the Grammy Awards.  No detail is missed. There will be red carpet, VIP Lounge, SWAG, interviews; must-see-fashion, laminated VIP passes for those lucky enough to be granted access to the VIP Lounge, live performances and coveted trophies handed out throughout the night included the Stanley Cup of local music honors, The Headliner Award.  The WMRC LMAs were designed to honor the arts in style. 

"The focus on local music from WMRC has been amazing, says local musician and promoter Tom Pile.  "The WMRC Local Music Award event is a spectacular celebration of what the local artists have accomplished over the past year, voted on by their fans and peers. Every year seems to get better and better."

Voting for the 30 multi-genre categories begins April 1^st and runs through April 14^th.  For more details on the WMRC Local Music Awards like the Facebook page or visit http://wmrcdailynews.com./

In the News: forensic science, stone walls, opposition to pipeline, Purple Heart community

Franklin High School is making a forensic science course and state-of-the-art lab available to residents through its Lifelong Learning Institute. 

The course — wildly popular with high school students — will introduce how crime scene investigators pull from biology and chemistry, as well as mathematics and physics, to solve a murder or robbery.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150401/NEWS/150409710/1994/NEWS

Stone walls are a common sight in New England’s great open fields and dark, quiet forests. 

To New Hampshire author Kevin Gardner, each wall contributes to the story of the region’s history.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150401/NEWS/150409358/1994/NEWS

A small group of area residents has organized in opposition to Spectra Energy’s planned 10.1-mile natural gas pipeline in Massachusetts. 

Spectra Energy, a Texas-based company, has submitted a proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend its Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline system into the Northeast. The Atlantic Bridge pipeline, if approved, would connect into the existing 1,127-mile-long Algonquin line.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150402/NEWS/150409245/1994/NEWS

Joining more than 60 other cites and towns in the state, the Franklin Town Council has embraced the designation of “Purple Heart Community” in recognition of local veterans. 

The council at its meeting Wednesday approved a proclamation, which Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting will forward to the state’s Military Order of the Purple Heart chapter, declaring the town among the many Purple Heart Communities in Massachusetts.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150402/NEWS/150409175/1994/NEWS