MassBudget: New Federal Revenue Affects State Spending Trends

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. New Federal Revenue Affects State Spending Trends Implementation of the Affordable Care Act affects the state's fiscal condition in a number of ways. Most significantly, the law provides substantial new federal revenue to the state. It actually provides more in federal revenue than the net state costs of implementing provisions of that law. This is good for the state's overall fiscal health, but complicates any analysis of state budget trends. As has frequently been noted, the overall state budget was growing by more than 6% between 2014 and 2015, before budget cuts in February. That appears to be - and in most circumstances would be - an unsustainable rate of growth. New Federal Revenue Affects State Spending Trends finds, however, that overall state own source spending grew only 4%--about the same rate as our overall economy. The difference between this 4% figure and the commonly cited figures over 6% was new federal money that flowed through our state budget to provide health care coverage for people covered by the Affordable Care Act. This was a one-time increase to a new level of federal reimbursement (which will largely be sustained), that does not affect future growth rate trends and did not reflect state own source spending this year. While overall spending for MassHealth and health reform grew 8.6% from 2014 to 2015, net state spending for those programs grew 2.3%. Health care cost growth certainly remains a long term challenge, but the one-time increase in federal revenue that fueled this year's spending increase should not be seen as constituting a trend. And the administration's commitment to a thorough redetermination process should help to hold down cost growth next year. To read the full factsheet, please click HERE.  The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

Hockomock League Lacrosse MVP's from Franklin

Both the FHS girls and boys lacrosse teams have several players named to the All Star teams with Emily Jeffries and Jack Vail each named as the MVP for the league according to voting by the coaches released by Hockomock Sports.

Girls Lacrosse All Stars

FHS Panthers

Julia Jette
Emily Jeffries (MVP)
Julianne Pisani
Sam Jones
Nicole Ellin

Honorable Mention
Mackenzie Pleshaw

Boys Lacrosse All Stars

Jack Vail (MVP)
Eric Civetti
Austin Kent
Kyle Lundgren
Mike Sullivan
Alec Borkowski
Sean Lockhart
DJ Shea

Honorable Mention
Kyle Filbert


The full listing of the All Stars for the girls and boys can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/the-2015-hockomock-league-girls-lacrosse-all-stars

http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/the-2015-hockomock-league-boys-lacrosse-all-stars

In the News: road rage incident, no parade on the 4th

A 46-year-old Waltham man spat in a woman's face and threatened her with a metal pipe during a case of road rage Sunday in the area of Constitution Boulevard, police said. 

James M. Foley was arrested Sunday on West Central Street and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, disorderly conduct and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. 

Foley was held on $250 bail Monday at his Wrentham District Court arraignment.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150617/NEWS/150616881/1994/NEWS

There is a glaring absence in the schedule of events for the Fourth of July celebration: The parade. 

Organizers have cancelled this year's parade in response to concerns about the condition of the roads along the route. They also cited road construction in the downtown area and the safety of parade participants and spectators. 

“Suppose a horse breaks a foot, someone in the band trips in a pothole or an antique car breaks an axle,” said Warren Revell, long-time co-chairman of the Franklin 4th of July Coalition. 

Revell said the coalition did not discuss its plans to nix the parade with town officials.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150616/NEWS/150616906/1994/NEWS

Franklin Downtown Partnership says "THANK YOU"

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Thank You For a Great Strawberry Stroll Posted: 12 Jun 2015 10:43 AM PDT Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Thursday's 13th annual Strawberry Stroll was a sweet success! Nearly one thousand people came to downtown Franklin to enjoy the warmth (89 degrees F), good company, delicious treats, toe-tapping entertainment, sidewalk sales and the Partnership's Famous Strawberry Shortcakes! Thank you everyone for spending time in downtown Franklin. Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Many thanks to our sponsors who helped us make this all possible. Platinum Sponsor: Dean Bank (special thanks to Nicole and Jen for co-chairing the event!) Gold Sponsors: Dean College, SolarFlair Energy Silver Sponsor: Digital Credit Union Bronze Sponsors: Chestnut Dental Associates, Franklin Ford, Franklin Health & Rehabilitation Center, Keefe Insurance Agency, Middlesex Savings Bank and The Estate at Franklin. Friends of the Festival Sponsors: Garelick Farms, Jane's Frames, LeafFilter Gutter Protection, Nexamp and Simon's Furniture. Thanks to Dean College for donating the sliced strawberries and shortcakes, and to all our volunteers who handled the setup and cleanup. Last but not least, thank you Franklin DPW and the Franklin Police Department for your help.   Here are a sampling of photos from the event. There are many more photos on our Facebook page. More photos will be posted here on our website in the days to come. Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) Strawberry Stroll - 2015 (FDP Photo) This was shared from the Franklin Downtown Partnership page http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2015/06/thank-you-for-great-strawberry-stroll.html

#ShopFranklin: Kooky Critters

Via Kiernan Reed:

For this week’s #ShopFranklin Spotlight, I sat down with Holly Ricker Sennott of Kooky Critters! 

Arts and crafts are in Holly’s blood. Her grandmother painted and fired china, her other grandmother was a seamstress who taught her to crochet and sew, her great-grandma was a tailor, her mother sews, and her father enjoyed woodworking. “It definitely came down through the genes,” says Holly.  

Kooky Critters

The Kooky Critters themselves were born on a rainy summer day several years ago, when Holly and her three kids had gone through all of their craft supplies, watched every movie they had, and exhausted every other possible activity. Holly finally brought her family to the bookstore, where they found a book on how to make your own stuffed animals. While the kids loved the book’s ideas, Holly told them, “Guys, we can do better than this! You draw what you would want me to make.” 

The result was the first Kooky Critter, an adorable monster with crooked teeth and crazy eyes, but Holly didn’t stop there. “I was ready for something other than just being Mom,” Holly says, but she wanted to find something to do that would still allow her to be at home with her kids. When the monster t-shirt she made for her neighbor’s son was a huge hit with his friends, Holly’s neighbor suggested she turn it into a business, and the rest is history. 

Holly tries to “make items that are functional and helpful – they’re not just toys.” Holly makes several varieties of customizable Critters, including ones that keep kids’ lost teeth safe for the Tooth Fairy, but she’s most proud of her Worry Critters, Wilson and Willow. The Worry Critters grew out of Holly’s feeling of helplessness when one of her children experienced crippling anxiety. 

Several years later, a friend of Holly’s asked for a customized Critter that would help her child deal with his own anxiety issues, and the Worry Critters were the “culmination of her idea and my design.” The concept is simple: parent and child can work together to write down the worry on a slip of paper, which they put into the Worry Critter’s mouth and the Critter eats it. The worry is safe with the Critter, and the child can “be free of it for a little bit” and return to it when they’re ready to deal with it. “I call it my million-dollar idea that’ll never make me a million dollars, and I’m OK with that,” says Holly. 

Kooky Critters can also produce custom items based on kids’ drawings, which Holly says is a huge gift idea around the holidays. Even the #ShopFranklin community is getting into the fun, with a custom Kooky Critter now gracing the bagel rack at Elizabeth’s Bagels, and more in the works for other businesses around town. As a long-time resident of Franklin, community giving and support is important to Holly, and Kooky Critters gives away at least one Critter per month to school auctions, local foster children, families dealing with serious medical issues, and more. 

No matter what the design, every Kooky Critter is completely handmade, and it’s important to Holly to “be able to put my hands on every piece.” In order to grow her business without sacrificing that personal attention to each Critter, Holly is working on expanding her offerings to include patterns so that other people can sew their own Critters based on Holly’s designs. Holly’s family also helps out with the business, with her son handling website maintenance and her daughter creating custom graphics for the Kooky Critters Facebook page. 

While Holly and her husband originally settled in Franklin because of its easy accessibility to their jobs and families, Franklin’s support for the visual and performing arts has also been a plus for Holly’s family, particularly the music program in the Franklin schools. “If you have children, get them involved at some level. You will not regret it,” Holly says. As a business owner, Holly also appreciates the “tremendous support” Franklin offers for local businesses. “I love that sense of community that Franklin has,” says Holly.

Kooky Critters are sold through Holly’s website and Etsy store. Check out the Kooky Critters Facebook page for the latest on what’s happening in Holly’s workshop!

This was shared from Living In Franklin
http://livinginfranklin.com/2015/03/28/shopfranklin-spotlight-kooky-critters/

Franklin TV Broadcast: It Takes A Village: Drug Panel

The panel discussion lead by Dr Anne Bergen and Franklin's town leaders on the crisis around opiate use and misuse will be aired on Verizon (channel 26) and Comcast (channel 8) on the following days this week:

• Tuesday, June 16th - 9:00 am
• Wednesday, June 17th at 7:00 am



Franklin TV

• Saturday, June 20 at 8:30 pm

The interview with Norfolk Country District Attorney on the same issue will be aired on Thursday evening, June 18 at 6:30 pm.



For the full listing of shows on the broadcast schedule for this week, check here
http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf

Hockomock 2015 Track and Field All Stars

Congratulations to the Franklin High School representatives on the Hockomock Track & Field All Stars as voted on by the coaches in the league.

Girls Track

Jess Kroushl

Honorable Mention - Beth Neal

FHS Panthers

Boys Track

Logan Mitchell

Honorable Mention - Ryan Spelman


For the full listing of girls on the Hockomock All Stars
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/2015-hockomock-league-girls-track-field-all-stars

For the full listing of boys on the Hockomock All Stars
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/2015-hockomock-league-boys-track-field-all-stars

"Holliston close to owning entire rail trail property"

For fans of rail trails, the news out of Holliston is good.

Officials expect the town will own all of roughly 7-mile section of the Upper Charles Rail Trail that passes through Holliston by the end of the year, as the town has received the money to purchase two remaining segments of the trail from CSX Transportation. 

The town is ready to close on a 1.9-mile section from Hopping Brook Road to Cross Street. According to Upper Charles Rail Trail Committee Chairman Robert Weidknecht, the land will be purchased using $660,000 of Community Preservation Act money that was approved by Special Town Meeting in October. A purchase and sale agreement between selectmen and CSX was signed earlier this year. Town counsel is in the process of closing on the property.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150616/NEWS/150617410/1994/NEWS

MassBike image

For more on the Upper Charles River Trail -> http://www.uppercharlestrail.org/ 

or here ->  http://www.milfordtrail.org/

or from the MassBike site here  http://massbike.org/resourcesnew/pathstrails/

Additional trail maps can be found here  http://www.arrtinc.org/index.asp

Solid Waste fee reduction approved

The Town Council meeting on Wednesday, June 10 was the first of two budget hearings as well as a 'regular' meeting agenda.

The budget hearing attempted to take a short cut by not having departmental presentations, to just read the budget voting doc, let the individual councilors put a hold on the item to come back to it for a question (or two) and possible discussion.

Several items resulted in a 'hold' and the discussion was focused on specific questions. This method worked better on Wednesday than it did on Thursday in the second of the two budget hearings. We'll cover the discussion Thursday in a separate posting.

In the legislation portion of the agenda, the Council approved the creation of several revolving accounts. This is an annual action. The accounts provide for proper record keeping for the funds coming in as fees and going out to pay for the services rendered.

The Council approved the rate reduction for solid waste (i.e. trash and recycling) from the current $216/year to $200/year. This is a result of improved collections and a renegotiation of the contract for the tipping fees. There will be additional communications coming on how to ensure that what is in recycling is really recyclable and that no trash gets mixed in.

The first reading of a sewer connection was held and the Council was upset that the beneficiaries (i.e property owners) did not come to the meeting. They have a chance at the second reading scheduled for June 24th.

The bylaw on door-to-door solicitation is up for a change to restrict the hours to basically daylight hours. This is the result of a private vendor making solicitations without having been properly permitted.

Franklin Municipal Building

My notes reported live from the meeting can be found here

• Live reporting: Closing
• Live reporting: Legislation
• Live reporting: Budget Hearing #1

"there’s a wide range to learning everything in the early years"

The Sunday edition of the Boston Globe has a good article summarizing the changes to kindergarten curriculum over the year. The title of the article asks: "Is the Common Core killing kindergarten?"

LAST SPRING, Susan Sluyter quit teaching kindergarten in the Cambridge Public Schools. She’d spent nearly two decades in the classroom, and her departure wasn’t a happy one. In a resignation letter, Sluyter railed against a “disturbing era of testing and data” that had trickled down from the upper grades and was now assaulting kindergartners with a barrage of new academic demands that “smack of 1st or 2nd grade.” The school district did not respond to a request for comment. 

But Sluyter’s complaints touched a national nerve. Her letter went viral, prompting scores of sympathetic comments by other frustrated teachers and parents. Sluyter’s letter was fresh evidence for groups of early-childhood educators who oppose the kindergarten expectations for math and English Language Arts, or ELA, set by the new Common Core, the academic benchmarks for K-12 that most states have adopted to replace the historic patchwork of standards.

Continue reading the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2015/06/13/common-core-killing-kindergarten/lydG3pnscVEnTEoELUZWdP/story.html

Susan Sluyter's resignation letter can be found here
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/23/kindergarten-teacher-my-job-is-now-about-tests-and-data-not-children-i-quit/

"limit the hours to what are essentially daylight hours"

Recent complaints from residents concerning nighttime visits from solicitors have prompted the town to consider a change to its bylaw on door-to-door sales. 

The Town Council last week took up a measure that would restrict solicitation to daylight hours. Its current bylaw allows solicitation from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for businesses and advocacy groups that have registered with the police department and obtained a permit. The bylaw does not apply to political or religious organizations. 

The proposal would allow solicitors to work up until a half-hour before sunset, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said, noting that depending on the time of year that could be as early as 4 p.m. or as late as 8 p.m.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150615/NEWS/150617789/1994/NEWS


My notes from the Town Council meeting on Wednesday can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/06/live-reporting-legislation.html

Franklin High School: Class of 2015 - Scholarships and Awards

Over 100 organizations or businesses provided 146 scholarships to the Franklin High School's Class of 2015. The total value of the scholarships calculates to about $100,000 (as you review the list not all the amounts are provided). The total excludes the Dean College Scholarship which alone ls worth $120,000 (4 years at $30,000/year). 

The listing of scholarships and other awards for the FHS Class of 2015 and the underclass awards presented on June 4, 2015 can be found in the document here:

FHS dressed up for graduation

Thanks to Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski for coordinating to provide this information.

Tri-County Scholarships And Awards 2015

The following scholarships and awards were presented at the graduation ceremony at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School on Sunday, June 7, 2015.

Tri-County webpage rotating header

Austin Narewski Electrical Trade Scholarship
$750 – Jake Kelley – Carpentry – Franklin
$750 – Conor Flanagan – Plumbing - Norfolk

Chestnut Dental Associates Scholarship
$250 – Sasha Chalhoub – Dental – Attleboro

Craig DeGiso Memorial Scholarship
$2,500 – Anthony Muratori – Carpentry –Medway

David L. Gaboury Sr. Scholarship
$500 – Hank Ballard – Medical Careers – No. Attleboro
$500 – Jaycie Jordan – Graphic Communications – No. Attleboro

Dean Co-Operative Bank
$1,000 – Andre Ricci – Computer Info Systems – Wrentham

Dean College Scholarship
$35,000 – Alison Cifizzari – Graphic Communications – Medway

Don Coe Memorial Scholarship
$500 – Bryanna Haskell – Electrical – North Attleboro

Dorothea Martin Memorial Scholarship
$1,000 – Jessica Coates – Graphic Communications – Bellingham
$1,000 – Michael Ambrose – Engineering – Millis

EMC Scholarship
$1,000 – Rebecca Morandi – Computer Info Systems – Walpole
$1,000 – Christopher Ferreira – Computer Info Systems – North Attleboro
$1,000 – Matthew MacMaster – Computer Info Systems – Franklin
$1,000 – Hannah Varhol – Engineering – Rehoboth

Excellence in Carpentry Award
$250 – Jonathan Mingo – Carpentry – Seekonk

Franklin Community Cable Access - Franklin TV Award
$1,000 – Christopher Lenzi – Graphic Communications – Franklin

Franklin Youth Services Scholarship
$1,000 – Alyssa Gillespie – Early Childhood Careers – Franklin

Friends of Franklin Library in Honor of Wilma Winters
$1,000 – Caroline Read – Engineering – Franklin

George E. Young Memorial Tool Award
$250 – Brandon Hunsinger – Automotive Tech – Seekonk

Gerry Slaney Memorial Scholarship (TCTA)
$100 – Madison Ruff – Culinary Arts – Norfolk

James J. Donovan Scholarship
$1,000 – Savanah Cuevas – Cosmetology – Attleboro

James Paquette Scholarship
$750 – Karl Petersen – HVAC&R – Plainville

Kim Howie Memorial Scholarship
$500 – Megan Morse – Culinary Arts – Wrentham

Lexi & Sean Munroe Memorial Scholarship
$500 – Emily Spillane – Medical Careers – Franklin
$500 – Quinton White – Engineering – Franklin
$500 – John Gilmore – Culinary Arts – Franklin

Lou Bentley Memorial Scholarship
$500 – Nathan Badger – HVAC – North Attleboro

Louis E. Hoegler Scholarship
$800 – Sarah Scholl – Graphic Communications – Walpole

Michael J. Drinkwater Memorial Scholarship
$2,500 – Dillan Hoyt – Culinary Arts – Walpole
$2,500 – Michael Hinton - Culinary Arts - Seekonk

Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation Scholarship
$1,000 – Cassius Peter – Engineering – Franklin

Nadine M. (Nolin) Bryda Memorial Scholarship
$500 – Michael Hinton – Culinary Arts – Seekonk
$500 – Natalie Berganza – Cosmetology –Attleboro

Norfolk County Teachers Assoc. Book Award
$300 – Bethany MacPherson – Early Childhood Careers – North Attleboro

Norfolk Fire Fighters Association Award
$500 – Madison Ruff – Culinary Arts – Norfolk

North Attleboro Firefighter’s Kid’s Day Scholarship
$500 – Nathan Twyman – Engineering – North Attleboro
$500 – Nathan Badger – HVAC – North Attleboro
$500 – Christopher Ferreira – Computer Info Systems – North Attleboro

North Attleboro/Plainville Rotary Club Scholarship
$500 – Nathan Twyman – Engineering – North Attleboro

North TV Ed Andrew Scholarship
$500 – Christopher Ferreira – Computer Info Systems – North Attleboro

Patti Genoa Memorial Scholarship
$250 – Madison Kaplan – Dental – Attleboro
$250 – Brendan Black – Plumbing – Attleboro

Paul G. Foley Career & Education Award
$500 – Cameron Glennon – HVAC – North Attleboro
$500 – Shelby Setterlund – Cosmetology – Norfolk
$500 – Alexander Whearty – Carpentry – Norfolk

Plainville Lions Club Scholarship
$500 – Ariana Bergeron – Medical Careers – Plainville

Rebeckha Lynn Whitefield Memorial Scholarship
$500 – Evan Sheehan – Plumbing –Attleboro

Robert J. Rappa Scholarship
$800 – Christopher Lenzi – Graphic Communications – Franklin

Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation Scholarship
$2,500 – Leigha Tucker – Early Childhood Careers – Medway

Timothy Anderson Tool Award
$200 – Ryan O’Toole – HVAC&R – Medway

Todd E. Vogel Memorial Tool Award
$400 – Jacob Folsom – Electrical – Franklin

Tri-County Boosters Athlete Scholarship
$400 – Megan Morse – Culinary Arts – Wrentham
$400 – Evan Sheehan – Plumbing – Attleboro
$400 – Emily Spillane – Medical Careers – Franklin
$400 – Jake Ducharme – Carpentry – Norfolk
$400 – Samantha Gitschier – Medical Careers – Plainville
$400 – Amber Webb – Culinary Arts – Seekonk

Tri-County Teacher’s Association Award
$400 – Jonathan Mingo – Carpentry – Seekonk

Tri-County Teacher’s Association Scholarship
$400 – Ryan Trisoline – Computer Info Systems – North Attleboro

Walpole Co-Operative Bank Award
$1,000 – Laura Auerbach – Engineering – Franklin

Wrentham Lions Club Scholarship
$500 – Lauren Gregoire – Engineering – Franklin

Franklin Cultural Festival - Meeting - June 16 - 7:00 PM

We're wrapping up final planning for the Franklin Cultural Festival.  

Meeting: Tuesday, June 16, 7PM to 8 PM at THE BLACK BOX  

Your input and ideas are welcomed!

Franklin Cultural Festival - Arts Happen Here!

Follow us on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/FranklinCulturalFestival


Sign up to receive our updates here  http://www.franklinsculturalfestival.org/  There are links in the right column subscribe in order to receive updates via email (no more than once a day) or via RSS.

To contribute financially you can use the GoFundMe link here -> gofundme.com/tx62gs

Storytelling at the Memory Cafe - June 18th

Hi Steve,

If you are willing to post this that would be great.  This month's theme is storytelling.  

We will be creating our own story as a collaborative effort from an old photograph!  Next month we will have an old fashioned tea party!  

Please ask folks who are attending this month to bring a favorite book or story from their childhood!  

Any questions please let me know.  

thx Elaine

Franklin Senior Center

You can also find info on the memory cafe which is scheduled for every 3rd Thursday here

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Senior/memorycafe.pdf