Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Both FHS basketball teams top Sharon



Girls Basketball


  • Franklin, 45 @ Sharon, 33 – Final 

– Alyssa Piazza led the Eagles with 11 points. Sharon also got eight points from Charlotte Ransom and seven from Veronica Wallace.


Boys Basketball


  • Franklin, 55 @ Sharon, 41 – Final 

– Franklin turned a four point deficit at halftime into a nine point lead by the end of the third quarter. Sophomore Connor Peterson had 15 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, Tim Prunier had 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals and freshman Jay Dieterle added 13 points and four rebounds.

For the remainder of the results around the Hockomock League
http://www.hockomocksports.com/mondays-schedule-scoreboard-020116/

Franklin sophomore Connor Peterson releases a shot in the first half in a sea of Sharon defenders. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
Franklin sophomore Connor Peterson releases a shot in the first half in a sea of Sharon defenders. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)


Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief of Hockomock Sports, provides the full report on the FHS boys game

"Franklin’s defense certainly wasn’t bad in the first half, surrendering just 21 points to Sharon. But faced with a four point deficit at the break, Franklin head coach CJ Neely challenged his team to crank it up. 
The Panthers switched to a full court press to start the second half. The pressure worked off and turned it into a 10-3 run over the first three minutes of the quarter and then when Sharon got it within two again, the Panthers closed with another 10-3 in the last 2:30. 
“We played much more aggressive in the second half,” Neely said. “We didn’t want to come right away with the press, we thought they might expect it because we had some out a lot of games this year with pressure. I still thought our defense was pretty good. That’s the third straight game we’ve gone against a run from other teams early and they’ve been hitting tough shots, at least I think they’re tough.”
Continue reading the article online
http://www.hockomocksports.com/panthers-press-the-issue-in-second-half-against-sharon/

Meals on Wheels is looking for your help!


Wanted

Volunteers

To Deliver Meals

For homebound elders

In Franklin, Medway and Bellingham

Drivers – mileage reimbursement provided



Call… Tri Valley Meal Site 508-520-1422

Meals on Wheels screen grab
Meals on Wheels screen grab


For additional info about Meals On Wheels  http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/

February is for lovers: Library Lovers, that is

The Friends of the Franklin Library invites you to tell us about your favorite book.

Maybe it's one that moved you, or that you learned from, or helped you navigate a difficult time. Maybe the book was just fun to read, made you laugh or made you think differently about something. It could have been controversial, biographical, historical or mystical – there are dozens of genres.

Ben Franklin reading outside the Franklin Public Library
Ben Franklin reading outside the Franklin Public Library

How about a book that you loved as a child?

Or maybe your favorite "book" is actually one of the many databases the library offers to patrons.

Please send your favorites, along with a brief description of why you love them, and we'll collect and post the comments at the library and on Facebook.

Our email address is FoFL02038@gmail.com.

Many thanks!

In the News: Franklin Line feedback sought, $4,000 raised for resident displaced

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

State Rep. Shawn Dooley, R-Norfolk, Sen. Richard Ross, R-Wrentham, and Rep. Jeff Roy, D-Franklin, will host a community meeting to discuss the Franklin Line of the MBTA commuter rail. 
Last year’s harsh winter saw multiple cancellations, which affected the area significantly. Many residents travel to and from Boston every day for work, so a lack of public transportation can cause lasting damage to people’s individual finances as well as the Massachusetts economy as a whole. The commuter rail has experienced delays this year and the Franklin line is only running on schedule 86 percent of the time.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160201/roy-dooley-to-host-mbta-forum


In addition to the more than $12,000 raised to support a local family displaced by a house fire last week, area residents have donated almost $4,000 in aid to another of the building's residents. 
A GoFundMe online donation page has been set up to help Molly Corrigan, who also lived in the 11 Church St. building that was gutted by a three-alarm fire on Jan. 26. 
Corrigan grew up in town, and said she had lived in her apartment for the past year and a half. She said she was at work - at Milford's KinderCare Learning Center - when she heard about the fire.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160201/franklin-4k-raised-to-aid-fire-victim


Monday, February 1, 2016

Eian Bain is the new FHS football coach

Franklin High School Press Release
"The Franklin Public Schools are pleased to announce they have hired Eian Bain as FHS Head Football Coach. Coach Bain has coached at the collegiate level for three years, most recently as the Quarterback Coach for Framingham State University. He has also coached for a total of five years at both Foxboro and Ashland High Schools. As a collegiate football player, he started four years as a quarterback at Framingham State. 
The Franklin Public Schools would like to thank both the Screening and Finalist Committees for their efforts in the process. These committees were made up of fourteen stakeholders in the football program, including members of the alumni, Pop Warner, Gridiron Club, varsity coaches of other sports, returning players and school administrators."
Franklin High School in the rain
Franklin High School in the rain

Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief of Hockomock Sports provides an indepth article on the new FHS football coach Eian Bain.

“We’re going to establish a set of core values. I’m going to ask and expect the student-athletes to buy in, we have to buy in to be on the same page. We’re not going to talk about how many games we need to win,” Bain said. “Our goals are going to be about doing things the right way. It’s about discipline, accountability, and giving a relentless effort in everything we do. We want to establish a process and focus on the little things day by day. From day one we need to focus on process and take care of us and what we can control.”

Read the full article online
http://www.hockomocksports.com/franklin-hires-eian-bain-as-new-football-coach/

Franklin Line Schedule changes possible in May

Franklin Line commuters have you checked out the proposed schedule changes?

The MBTA is looking for your feedback by 2/12/16!
"Before these proposed new schedules go into effect on May 23, 2016, we’d like to get your feedback. Please take a moment to review the proposed schedule changes below and complete our Commuter Rail Customer Comment Form. 
We also invite you to attend a public meeting (complete public meeting schedule) to participate in a discussion of the Commuter Rail schedule changes. You can also provide us your comments by mail to: MBTA, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Commute Rail Schedule Committee; by phone at (617) 222-3200 or TTY (617) 222.5146 or email at crschedules@mbta.com. 
The deadline for public comments is Friday, February 12, 2016. 
We value your input and thank you for your participation!"
image of Franklin/Dean and Franklin/Forge Park schedule changes

  • The full proposed schedule can be found here

  • The comparison of changes station by station can be found here

Franklin outbound headed to Franklin/Forge Park
Franklin outbound headed to Franklin/Forge Park


Reminder: S.A.F.E. Community Coalition Feb 2 - 7:00 PM - Horace Mann Auditorium




This is a reminder about our S.A.F.E. Coalition meeting on February 2, 2016 featuring Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone and Our Kids.
View this email in your browser

Next Coalition meeting Tuesday, Feb. 2

The S.A.F.E. (Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment) Board is presenting Professor Robert Putnam, the author of Bowling Alone and Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, at our next coalition meeting on February 2, 2016 at the Mercer Auditorium at Horace Mann School, 224 Oak Street, Franklin, MA.

The coalition meeting begins at 7 p.m., and we expect Prof. Putnam to speak between 7:30 pm and 8:45 pm. He will begin with a presentation and then will sit down with Dr. Anne Bergen for a one on one dialogue. The program is not authorized for taping or re-broadcast, so this will be your only opportunity to hear this nationally acclaimed author in our area.

Our Kids is a groundbreaking examination of the growing inequality gap and why fewer Americans today have the opportunity for upward mobility. You can learn more about the book and research by clicking hereBowling Alone talks about how we have become increasingly disconnected from one another and how social structures have disintegrated. It should be a fascinating talk and of particular interest to those wishing to understand the sociological climate surrounding the opioid crisis.

 
Robert Putnam book talk on "Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis"

Talk about Our Kids

Prof. Robert Putnam
Author of Our Kids and Bowling Alone

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016
7.p.m. to 9 p.m.

Mercer Auditorium at Horace Mann School
224 Oak St, Franklin, MA 02038

Our Kids is a groundbreaking examination of the growing inequality gap and why fewer Americans today have the opportunity for upward mobility. You can learn more about the book and research by clicking here

Bowling Alone talks about how we have become increasingly disconnected from one another and how social structures have disintegrated.

Join us for a fascinating talk about the sociological climate surrounding the opioid crisis.
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You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in joining the fight against obioid abuse in our community.

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Franklin Art Association - meeting February 3, newsletter

The Franklin Art Association will meet on Wednesday, Feb.3, from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street. 
Refreshments and socialization will begin at 6:30. 
The program will feature a demo, from guest artist Elizabeth Ricketson. Elizabeth will do a colorful abstract. 
Meetings are free and opened to the public. 
For more information please visit our web site at www.franklinart.org or www.facebook.com/FranklinArtAssoc


From the FAA Newsletter:
Lots going on as we move into our pre-spring activities! I like just saying the word “spring”, even if it is a ways off! 
As you know there are 4 positions open on the Board next year. Paul Guarino and Peg Munson made a very informative presentation recently to FAA members who have shown some interest in learning more about how our organization is run. Their presentation is attached to this newsletter. We are hopeful that some of you will consider taking on a more active role within the FAA by agreeing to become an officer. Please give this serious thought, and if you are interested, let either Paul or Peg know. 
The FAA spring show will be at the Black Box again this year on April 30 - May 1st. Rebecca Skinner will chair the show! There will be sign up sheets available at the next meeting so that you can pick what you would like to volunteer for. It’s sure to be a fabulous event at an exciting venue. 
The Franklin Cultural Festival committee has started to meet to prepare for the 2nd annual Franklin Cultural Festival to be held on July 27th through July 30th. Last year the members of the art association made bowls for the Food Pantry fund raiser, painted a mural for an interactive painting event on the Common, helped kids make costumes from newspaper, facilitated watercolor painting, and exhibited paintings and photographs throughout the downtown area. So, the question is, what do we want to do this year? At a minimum, we should exhibit our beautiful artwork! Please let me know if you would like to be on the FAA committee that decides what our involvement will be this year! 
Warm regards, 
Sue Sheridan
Continue reading the Newsletter here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczVkxySm95bWJTanhwZXJhNnZGUXRnaW1HZWhR/view?usp=sharing


If you are interested in getting involved with the Art Association, they are looking for board members. The file shown outlines the duties of the board positions




For additional info, visit Franklin Art Association on the web  http://www.franklinart.org/

In the News: fund raiser for DeLucia family, libraries are very busy

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

"An online fundraiser aimed at helping a local family displaced by a house fire last week has already garnered more than $10,000. 
A GoFundMe page was set up last week to benefit the DeLucia family, whose Church Street residence was destroyed in a three-alarm fire Tuesday. The page shows a contribution tally of $12,415 as of Saturday."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160131/more-than-10k-raised-for-family-displaced-by-fire



"With the rise of the Internet, many predicted the end of libraries - that a local institution predicated on the printed word would soon be as outdated as a telegraph office. 
But now, years after web access became mainstream, municipalities in MetroWest and the Milford areas (among them Franklin, Marlborough, Upton, Hopkinton and Mendon) are not looking to shutter their libraries but expand, renovate and even replace them. 
Those who run, study and design libraries said the buildings have kept their relevance by being places for people to meet, take part in programs and learn how to use the electronic devices that access the Internet. 
And, yes, old fashioned books still account for the bulk of materials checked out."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160131/print-is-not-dead-but-libraries-are-changing

rendering of planned Library renovation
rendering of planned Library renovation

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - Feb 3, 2016


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS 
– This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may also be recorded by others.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS 
– Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to five minutes on a matter that is not on the Agenda. The Council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.

E. APPOINTMENTS

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS 

  1. Bill Board Discussion
  2. Recreation Department Update
  3. Mandatory Alcohol Awareness Training
  4. Master Plan Update
  5. Pond Street Discussion


I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION 
- Pending or threatened litigation
1. Proposed Excelon expansion of Medway electric generating facility pending before Energy Facilities Siting Board.
2. Proposed Spectra gas transmission line through Franklin.

P. ADJOURN
happy new year sign at the Recreation Dept earlier in January
happy new year sign at the Recreation Dept earlier in January


The documents released for this agenda can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/0230E0F5-000F8513

Capital plan, change to food service and calendar key items from School Committee meeting

The capital plan, a change to the food service, and approval of the school calendar for next year were key items from the School Committee meeting held Jan 26.  A discussion on a change to the winter breaks for future calendars led to a subcommittee being formed to look at the pros/cons of the change.



  • Schools Capital Plan


The School Dept capital plan was discussed at the School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, Jan 26. Franklin uses 'free cash' to funds the big ticket items not covered by the operating budget. The amount of 'free cash' varies year to year. The other primary draw on 'free cash' is to fund the potential shortfall in the snow/ice budget. If we have an easy winter, there is less needed. If the winter is a tough one (like 2015), then Franklin will wait until after snow removal bills are covered to see how much 'free cash' is available for capital items.

As part of the overall budget planning process, the capital budget items rise to discussion first. They are reviewed by the School Committee, then the Finance Committee and ultimately the Town Council. Last year, some of the capital items were approved for budgeting and some were held pending the final numbers on the winter snow removal bills. We'll see what happens this time around.

The full list of the items on the School Dept wish list for capital can be found here along with my notes on the discussion. 
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/01/live-reporting-school-committee-jan-26.html



  • Food service changes

In the discussion items section of the meeting, Whitson's will be replaced as the schools food service provider. The School District will hire their own food director and bring the service inhouse. The administrative and service fees paid to Whitson's will cover the personnel cost of the new director and provide a 'wash' budget wise. An interesting move as five years ago when Whitsons was brought in, the argument was the requirements were too onerous to keep up with. Now apparently, the realization is that the fees are too onerous and the requirements something that can be handled.


  • School Calendar

With no discussion, the vote to accept the calendar for 2016-2017 was complete and the food service discussion started. At the end of the food service discussion they went back to the calendar at the request of one member and spent a good deal off time talking about potential changes to future calendars and ultimately set up to form a subcommittee to look into it more fully. The key change being looked at the is the change from two winter breaks to one. Although it was mentioned again that 37 years ago, the one winter break was tried and didn't work. 

Excuse me but 37 years ago, things were just a little bit different in Franklin. The discussion merits a new look, layout the pros and cons and decide. The communications and change management for the calendar proposal would be as critical to the new calendar as the decision itself. 

Stay tuned for future updates on the discussion for possible changes to the 2017-2018 calendar.

The official calendar for the 2016-2017 school year can be found here
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_News/02308424-000F8513


  • All State Music Festival

Seven members of FHS were selected to be part of the All State music, this is the largest representation ever for the school.

Ian Carla - Drums - All State Jazz Band 
Cameron Crawley - Tuba - All State BandMatt Dao - Trumpet - All State Band 
Chris Cheri - viola - All State OrchestraKatelyn Davenport - viola - All State OrchestraAbigail Gleason - viola - All State OrchestraDominic Narducci - cello - All State Orchestra

The performance by the All State groups will be held on March 12th at Symphony Hall in Boston

Franklin School Committee
Franklin School Committee



  • Meeting notes

All the notes reported live during the meeting can be found here

FHS girls take Hockomock League Indoor Championships, boys 5th

With 5 first place finishes, the FHS girls indoor track team lead the way take 1st in the Hockomock League Championships in the meet at the Reggie Lewis Center on Saturday. The FHS boys team finished 5th


GIRLS TEAM RESULTS

FHS Panthers
FHS Panthers

1. Franklin – 97
2. Mansfield – 77.75
3. North Attleborough – 67
4. Taunton – 61
5. Oliver Ames – 56.75
6. Sharon – 34
7. King Philip – 33.75
8. Foxboro – 30.75
9. Canton – 20
10. Milford – 14
11. Stoughton – 13
12. Attleboro – 2

55M Dash
1. Jessica Kroushl, Franklin – 7.44

300M
1. Halle Atkinson, Franklin – 42.28

600M
4. Meghan Doherty, Franklin – 1:40.73

1000M
3. Brittany Robinson, Franklin – 3:07.21

1 Mile
1. Nicole Clermont, Franklin – 5:20.35

2 Mile
3. Sabrina Roche, Franklin – 12:04.58

55M Hurdles
4. Beth Neal, Franklin – 9.42

4×200 Relay
3. Franklin – 1:47.99

4×400 Relay
2. Franklin – 4:11.81

4×800 Relay
1. Franklin – 10:08.99

High Jump
1. Beth Neal, Franklin – 5-00.00



BOYS TEAM RESULTS


1. Mansfield – 121.50
2. Taunton – 73
3. North Attleboro – 60
4. Franklin – 59
5. Sharon – 44
6. King Philip – 41.50
7. Attleboro – 34
7. Stoughton – 34
9. Oliver Ames – 21
10. Foxboro – 7
10. Canton – 7
12. Milford – 6


300M
4. Luke Gordon, Franklin – 37.36

600M
1. Alec Hurd, Franklin – 1:27.20
4. Dominic Giardini, Franklin – 1:27.78

1 Mile
4. Ryan Spelman, Franklin – 4:33.31

4×400 Relay
4. Franklin – 3:42.99

4×800 Relay
2. Franklin – 8:47.44

High Jump
5. Luke Gordon, Franklin – 5-10.00

Long Jump
3. Chris Chieng, Franklin – 20-03.00


The FHS results are a subset of that published on Hockomock Sports
http://www.hockomocksports.com/hockomock-league-indoor-track-championships-2016/

The full meet results can be found here
http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/MeetResults.aspx?Meet=256859#19318

FHS wrestling takes 3rd in Hockomock League Championships


"For the second straight year, North Attleboro picked up a dominating win at the Hockomock League Championships, topping the tournament with an impressive 254 points. 
Oliver Ames finished second with 183, Franklin was third with 171, Sharon had 161 to finish fourth and Foxboro rounded out the top five with 155 points."
......
"Franklin finished third overall, sent four wrestlers to the finals and had two overall champions. Jordan Carlucci started things off with a second period pin at 106 for the Panthers and John Miller had a 3-2 win at 220. Mike Racca finished second at 113 and Nick Narducci was runner up at 126. The Panthers were helped along by their depth as well with TJ Remillard (120) and Evan Hernandez (195) getting third place finishes and Ed Cropper (160) finishing fourth at 160."
Hockomock Sports photo
Hockomock Sports photo

Continue reading the full meet summary
http://www.hockomocksports.com/hockomock-wrestling-championships-2016/


Additional photos from the Wrestling Championships can be found here
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/20152016/Winter-201516/Hockomock-Wrestling/i-HzBSMDM

FHS hockey ties Canton 0-0


Hockey


  • Canton, 0 @ Franklin, 0 – Final 

– Nick Jasinski made 15 saves for the Panthers and Justin Slocum made 25 saves for the Bulldogs.

Franklin goalie Nick Jasinski (31) denies Canton forward Matt Lazaro (9) in the second period on Saturday. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
Franklin goalie Nick Jasinski (31) denies Canton forward Matt Lazaro (9) in the second period on Saturday. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Josh Perry, Managing Editor of Hockomock Sports provides the in depth article on the game:

The top two teams in the Hockomock have been struggling to score goals consistently this season and on Saturday afternoon at Pirelli Veterans Memorial Rink Canton and Franklin continued to find offense hard to come by in a scoreless tie that provided plenty of excitement despite the puck never finding the back of the net. 
“I joked with Coach Spillane in the line, if that doesn’t sum up both of our seasons right there then I don’t know what does,” said Canton coach Brian Shuman. “We’re both struggling to put the puck in the net.” 
“Ironically that was one of the most wide open Franklin-Canton games. We both had plenty of chances.” 
Franklin coach Chris Spillane agreed with those sentiments. All season he has talked about the need for players to step up on the offensive side and that continued against the Bulldogs. 
“Canton has the same disease as Franklin, can’t put the puck in the net,” he laughed. “Both teams had really good opportunities and maybe credit the goaltenders, they stepped up and made stops when they had to but yeah it was a game with very few quality, wow that should’ve been a goal.”

Continue reading the article online
http://www.hockomocksports.com/canton-and-franklin-finish-scoreless-in-rematch/

In the News: Franklin school safety, internet purchase safe zones

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

Two local schools are testing out a system that will allow officials more control over who is allowed in the buildings and to keep track of visitors once they're inside. 
The system - currently being tested at Franklin High School and Gerald E. Parmenter Elementary School - has been in place since October. 
Once visitors are buzzed into the school, they're greeted by a school employee who asks them about their reason for entering and scans their license. 
"We make sure the license matches, put where they're going into the computer and it prints out a badge," said Erica Demers, who mans the desk at Parmenter. "We put a sticker on the badge, and it fades after a while, so people can't reuse them."

Parmenter School sign announcing PCC meeting on Feb 5
Parmenter School sign announcing PCC meeting on Feb 5

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160130/schools-testing-visitor-id-system


Looking for a safe place to meet someone after arranging to buy an item online but you don't want to get ripped off, robbed or worse? Area police departments are now offering a safe location for those transactions. 
The locations are called Internet Purchase Exchange Locations (IPEL) or Safe Trade Stations and are an easy spot to meet after making a deal on local “yard sale” groups on Facebook, local buying and selling apps such as “Close5” and “OfferUp,” or the ever-popular “Craigslist.” 
Rather than meet up with a worst-case scenario such as Philip Markoff, “The Craigslist Killer” who, in 2009, was charged with robbing and killing Boston-area victims he met on Craigslist, buyers and sellers can meet in a well-lit, video-recorded spot.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160130/safe-exchange-zones-springing-up-at-metrowest-milford-area-police-departments


The Safe Trade Station website mentioned in the article needs to get updated for the MA locations also referenced in the article.  http://www.safetradestations.com/