Keep it simple on Sat-Sun --- Use Franklin Dean Station, don't go to Forge Park

Due to railroad tie replacement, service will be suspended between Franklin and Forge Park/495 Stations in both directions on the following dates:

• Saturday, April 23, 2016
• Sunday, April 24, 2016

Outbound Franklin Line service will terminate at Franklin Station where passengers can connect with a shuttle bus to Forge Park/495 Station. Passengers desiring Inbound Franklin Line service from Forge Park/495 Station must board a shuttle bus to Franklin Station for Commuter Rail connection. Passengers are urged to park at Franklin Station if possible. Passengers should also allow additional travel time anticipating delays of approximately ten minutes.

Trains affected:

• Saturday, April 23, 2016 - All
• Sunday, April 24, 2016 - All

Affected stops:

• Franklin
• Forge Park / 495

From an alert posted on the MBTA.com

http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/transit_updates/?ttype=cr&route=Franklin+Line

Franklin train heading to Forge Park,which is what it won't do this Sat-Sun due to track work

American Legion 5 Miler Scholarship Fund Road Race - June 25

Jointly organized between the Franklin and Medway American Legion Posts for the benefit of students at Medway H.S., Franklin H.S and Tri-County Regional Vocational H.S. The 5 mile and 5k Road Race helps us raise money for our scholarship funds. 

Page 1 of the attachment is the flyer and page 2 is the registration information. 

The Road Race is on June 25th at 8:00 AM and is at Medway H.S.

The registration website is:
https://endurancecui.active.com/event-reg/select-race?e=32237654

Flyer
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczeWJ2enByZXJyeUhOSldaS1VnTFZGcHVrWDc0/view?usp=sharing

Event details and schedule

• Course is a 5 mile loop on paved roads. Post race refreshments. Prizes awarded by category. T-shirts for entrants. Raffle prizes. Help support our effort to give scholarships to high school students looking at the high cost of secondary education. All profits from this event will go to the Scholarship Funds for Medway Post 367 and Franklin Post 75.

• Start time is 8am. Course start in parking lot to Summer Street to Highland Street to Oak Street, to and thru Choate Park to Winthrop Street to Levering Street and back to Summer Street. for the last mile back to the high School entrance and the finish line in the parking lot.

American Legion 5 Miler Scholarship Fund Road Race - June 25

FHS baseball and boys lacrosse results from Thursday

Baseball

• Franklin, 5 vs. Catholic Memorial, 12 – Final 

– Josh Macchi drove in three runs with a double but the Panthers were unable to limit the Knights’ offense. Jake Lyons had a pair of hits and two runs scored, Nick Santucci scored twice and had one hit and Tyler Gomes drove in a pair of runs and scored once himself.

Boys Lacrosse

• Franklin, 5 vs. Beverly, 9 – Final 

– Sophomore Eric Civetti scored a hat trick and had one assist but the Panthers fell in a hole by halftime and couldn’t climb out. Freshman Jacob Alexander dominated at the faceoff X, winning 15/19 draws. Packie Watson and Sam Arsenault each added a goal and an assist for Franklin.

For all the other results around the Hockomock League
http://www.hockomocksports.com/thursdays-schedule-scoreboard-042116/

FHS Panthers

Tech Help for Seniors - Apr 28

Horace Mann Middle School Community Service Club will be hosting a Tech Help for Seniors session on Thursday April 28th from 2:15-3:15 pm. 

Students and teachers will be offering help with cell phones, IPads, tablets and laptops. 

Please join us at our school (Horace Mann Middle School 224 Oak St.). Park in the lot and go to the front entrance on the right. Students will be there to greet you at the door. 

If you have questions please email Colleen Donahue (donahuec@franklin.k12.ma.us) or Anthony Vizakis(vizakisa@franklin.k12.ma.us)

Horace Mann MIddle School, 224 Oak St

FHS baseball and girls lacrosse post wins on Wednesday

Baseball

• Franklin, 12 vs. Framingham, 4 – Final 

– Senior Nick Santucci made a splash in his first game of the season, knocking in five runs behind a three hit day. Santucci had a double, triple and a home run for the Panthers. Jake Lyons was 2-2 (and two walks) with three runs scored, Josh Macchi had three hits with an RBI and a run scored and Alex Bissanti had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI with a run scored. Sophomore Jake Noviello got the win on the mound, tossing six innings with eight strikeouts and just two walks, allowing two earned runs.

Softball

• Franklin, 0 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 2 – Final

Girls Lacrosse

• Franklin, 11 @ Andover, 10 – Final 

– Andover scored to get within one late and won the ensuing draw but Grace McDermott forced a turnover and the Panthers were able to run out the remaining 90 seconds to get the win. Kenzie Pleshaw led the way offensively with six goals, Julia Jette had two goals and two assists and Dani Lonati made seven saves in net.

For all of the Hockomock League results on Wednesday
http://www.hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-042016/

FHS Panthers

Should You Have To Pay To Build A New Gas Pipeline?

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Massachusetts. It oversees and regulates public utility companies that distribute electric power, natural gas, and water to Massachusetts citizens. 

Utility companies submit petitions (also called dockets) to the DPU regarding rates and operational contracts. The current dockets include a provision that ratepayers pay for the cost of new pipeline construction ($8 to $9 billion) through a surcharge on our electric utility bill. This is an unprecedented financial model, one that many claim is illegal. 

There are is currently two one new gas pipeline system under consideration —Kinder Morgan Northeast Energy Direct in the west, and Spectra Energy Access Northeast in the east. The pipeline company justifies these new systems with “peak demand” (at most, 30 days per year). 

In November 2015 the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office published findings from a thorough study and stated that other measures, such as energy efficiency, demand response through distributed grid, and renewables, would be more cost effective and far more environmentally responsible than new gas pipeline 

The DPU weighs citizen input through written comments and public hearings. If you don’t want to pay to construct dangerous, unnecessary, and environmentally irresponsible new gas pipelines, now is your opportunity to voice your opinion.

The hearings listed below are Final Public Hearings, so this will be your last chance to speak out.

TO PROVIDE WRITTEN COMMENTS:

You can write multiple e-mails/letters, choosing and expanding a topic for each one. You can send the same e-mail/letter for all three dockets. 

For each docket, 

a. Submit written comments to the Hearing Officer identified in the respective notice

b. Copy dpu.efiling@state.ma.us on the Hearing Officer e-mail

c. Put the docket identification as underlined in the subject line of the e-mail

d. Mail a hard copy to: 

Mark D. Marini, Secretary
Department of Public Utilities
One South Station
Boston, MA 02110

THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS IS THE DATE OF THE FINAL PUBLIC HEARING

1. National Grid: DPU Docket 16-05 Access Northeast - May 3, Stoughton High School, 7 p.m. Hearing Officer, David Gold, david.j.gold@state.ma.us
2. National Grid: DPU Docket 16-07 Northeast Energy Direct - May 11, Timony Grammar School, Methuen, 7 p.m. Hearing Officer, Jeffrey Leupold, Jeffrey.Leupold@state.ma.us
3. Eversource: DPU Docket #15-181 Access Northeast - May 23, Walpole High School, 7 p.m.  Hearing Officer, Laura Koepnick, Laura.Koepnick@state.ma.us

The DPU weighs citizen input through written comments and public hearings. If you don’t want to pay to construct dangerous, unnecessary, and environmentally irresponsible new gas pipelines, now is your opportunity to voice your opinion. 

The hearings listed below are Final Public Hearings, so this will be your last chance to speak out.

lawn sign in Franklin

First Annual 5k Race for Hope - May 21

Join Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC) in Norfolk as we put on our First Annual 5k Race for Hope!! Our goal is to create an environment where the church and community can join together in raising awareness and hope for those in our midst who suffer from human trafficking, drug addiction and other areas of injustice.

5K Run/Walk (rain or shine)

Date: Saturday, May 21, 2016

Time: Registration opens at 8:30am; Race begins at 9:30am

Location: Emmanuel Baptist Church (63 Rockwood Rd., Norfolk, MA) - Additional parking is a short walk away at the Freeman-Kennedy school located on 70 Boardman St. in Norfolk

Donations: Money raised will go towards supporting the Amirah House, a faith-based nonprofit organization located in the Boston area that strives “to provide a refuge for those seeking to break free from exploitation and heal in community on their journey toward lasting hope.” The Amirah House provides safe homes for those that want to break free from sexual exploitation. They believe each human life is sacred, created in God’s image, and therefore, worthy of love, mercy and justice. It’s their goal that each woman served at Amirah will be restored and empowered with a sense of her inherent value and God-given strengths.

We are asking all race participants to raise/donate a minimum of $25.00* to help cover the event costs.

How to participate:

1. Click "Join the Team" on the website https://www.crowdrise.com/5k-for-hope
2. Ask people to sponsor you. All of the proceeds from the race will benefit the Amirah House in Boston (www.amirahboston.org). Spread the word to your friends, family, co-workers, everyone! Help us bring hope to victims of injustice.
3. Show up on race day! Come to run, walk or just spend your morning with us as we gather together as a church and a community.

Race for Hope

Art Exhibit - April 29 - Jay Gluck

Come by and see some work by Jay Gluck , father of local resident Stephanie Ries 

Check out his work at artworksbyJay.com He has some great pieces of Boston

Art Exhibit - April 29 - Jay Gluck

Where: Franklin Art Center, 391 East Central St
When: Friday, April 29, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

For additional updates, check out the event page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/events/188158584904824/

“the evidence is insufficient"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

"The National Labor Relations Board has sided with Dean College after campus police claimed that they were wrongfully terminated and replaced with security guards after organizing and forming a union. 

The April 19 ruling from the NLRB dismisses the Dean College Campus Police Association’s charge that the college violated labor laws by terminating the force in December, just days after a union was organized. 

The ruling finds that there was “insufficient evidence” that the college violated labor laws. 

“Rather, the investigation established that the Employer actively began seeking an outside contractor in March 2015 prior to any union activity; the Employer was in communication with the contractor it chose, TeamOps, in June 2015, also prior to any union activity; and the employer officially agreed to hire TeamOps on November 4, 2015,” the ruling states."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160420/franklin-nlrb-sides-with-dean-college

Dean College

Oh. My. God. Kinder Morgan has indefinitely suspended the Northeast Direct pipeline!

Everyone,

UNBELIEVABLY WONDERFUL NEWS!  
Kinder Morgan has indefinitely suspended the Northeast Direct pipeline!  That doesn't mean it couldn't come back, it could, but I'll take it for now!

http://www.wcvb.com/news/kinder-morgan-suspends-pipeline-project/39130214

Absolutely awesome!

We can do the same.  We need to have lots and lots of abutters deny/rescind their surveying permissions in case Spectra wants to change the route or decides, now that Kinder Morgan is at least temporarily out, to get greedy and add more bells and whistles and new routes.  We can kill this pipeline as well!

Carolyn

sign on Franklin lawn

HMEA's incredABLE Day - May 22

HMEA's incredABLE Walk, Run and All-Day Family Fun
will celebrate the ABLE in all of us!

HMEA's 15th annual fundraiser of the year has a new name and look!

HMEA's incredABLE Day

HMEA's incredABLE Walk, Run and All-Day Family Fun raises funds to
help those with Autism and other developmental disabilities
live up to their potential and reach for independence.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

8:00 am to 3 pm

EMC² Corporation
Franklin, Massachusetts

HMEA's incredABLE Walk, Run and All-Day Family Fun includes a 5K walk, a kids' fun run and a 5K run that is registered and USATF Certified. Music, food and activities for the entire family await at the finish line. Thousands will attend. Thousands more will benefit from the services HMEA provides.

For more information on this incredABLE event visit www.hmea.org/incredable

About HMEA

HMEA was founded in 1961 on the basic principle that people diagnosed with Autism or other developmental disabilities have dreams for their lives. Our mission is to help them live that dream and our 700+ caring, committed and competent staff are dedicated to achieving that. We treat each person diagnosed with Autism or a developmental disability as an individual, with talents, abilities and challenges. And our care spans his or her lifetime — from the first few months of life through adulthood.      HMEA serves over 4,000 people who have Autism and other developmental disabilities throughout 110 communities in Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.hmea.org

Franklin Newcomers Meeting April 20

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club invites you to their monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 20th at 7:30 pm upstairs at "3" Restaurant, 461 West Central St, Franklin.

Attendees will enjoy a special presentation from Jeffrey Nutting, Franklin Town Administrator. He will update us on all the things happening in Franklin that are currently affecting residents. He will conclude with a Q andA format. 

Complimentary snacks and soft beverages will be provided. Cash bar available.

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club is a social club for residents of all ages and situations – not just those new to town. For more info, visit www.franklinnewcomers.com.

image from Franklin Newcomers webpage

Madelene Village scheduled for ZBA meeting - Apr 21

Madalene Village is a proposal to build a 40 unit condominium development along a stream by Fletcher Field with one entrance on Peck St and the other on Cottage. The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a hearing on the proposal Thursday, April 21 at 7:40. (ZBA meeting starts at 7:30 PM). A group of neighbors affected by the project are planning to participate.


Background documentation on the proposal:

1. Civil Engineering Plans for the development
2. The contact info for the development team
3. A 7/17/15 letter from the Town of Franklin to MassHousing citing the town's concerns about the project
4. A 12/18/15 letter from the Town of Franklin to MassHousing reiterating their concerns
5. A 2/12/16 site approval letter from MassHousing

The stream in question as seen from Wachusett St looking toward Fletcher Field

SAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
SAVE SPRUCE POND BROOK!
STOP MADELENE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT
ATTEND THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MEETING AND BE HEARD

Neighborhood Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/533620563465404/

The Mass Poetry Festival is almost here!

Get Your Festival Button! Festival Spotlight, How to Create and View your Custom Festival Schedule, Sneak Peeks, The Glories of Poetry in Translation View this email in your browser The 2016 Mass Poetry Festival is April 29 - May 1! Get Your Festival Button! Online button sales are open through Thursday, April 28 at 3:00 pm. After that, you will need to buy your button at the festival. Button pick-up (for those pre-purchased) and button sales take place at our headquarters (Old Town Hall at 32 Derby Square), at one of our outdoor info booths along the pedestrian walkway, or in the lobby of the Hawthorne Hotel or Peabody Essex Museum. General Admission - $20 Seniors and students - $7 Workshop fee - $10* BUY NOW. *The workshop fee is a flat fee that allows you to attend as many of our workshops as you'd like. At these prices, we will generate only enough revenue to cover half of the festival costs, but it is important to us to keep prices low so that everyone can attend. We encourage those who have the means to add a donation to their button purchase to help us continue to offer the festival experience at a low price. Festival Spotlight The State of Poetry Saturday, April 30, 3:15 p.m. - PEM Morse Auditorium The Mass Poetry Festival's annual State of Poetry panel is comprised of well-known poets and literary administrators who engage in a free flowing discussion about the state of poetry today—for instance: who gets published (and who doesn't), the impact of new technologies, trends in craft, and poetry's connection to the social context of our times. Panelists include festival headliners Sandra Beasley, Ada Limon, and Gregory Pardlo. Looking for more Festival panels and readings on the business of poetry? Check out these offerings: Friday, April 29 3:45 p.m. Received and In-Progress: Demystifying Submissions and the Publication Process with Karen Skofield, MRB Chelko, and Brandon Amico Saturday, April 30 11 a.m. Legal Issues for Poets and Publishers with lawyers Eric Karlberg, and Peter J. Caruso, II, Esq. 12:15 p.m. Small Press, Big Love: Publishing Poetry Collections with Independent Presses with Danielle Jones-Pruett, Carissa Halston, Enzo Surin, Liz Kay, Jen Lambert, Randolph Pfaff 3:15 p.m. The State of Poetry with Jennifer Jean, Sandra Beasley, Richard Blanco, Ada Limon, and Gregory Pardlo Sunday, May 1 11:15 a.m. How Did I Get Here? MA Book Award Winners Tell All with Amy Dryansky, Jeffery Harrison, and Daniel Tobin As a reminder, we do not check names at the door for events other than workshops or headline events that have reached capacity in the system, so these event is first-come first-served, like most others.  Sneak Peeks For a sampling of our headliners, check out some of Charles Simic's essays and read an interview with Martha Collins. The Glories of Poetry in Translation Join Mass Poetry before the festival on Thursday, April 28, for The Glories of Poetry in Translation, an event sponsored with The Poetry Society of America. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky hosts renowned poets and translators Rhina P. Espaillat, David Ferry, and Ellen Doré Watson, who will read from their translated works and share insights and stories on the experience and process of translation.  If you love the work we do to support poets and spread the love and power of poetry to students, T riders, and more, please consider supporting us with a recurring monthly donation of $10. Donate Now Share Tweet Forward Copyright © 2016 Mass Poetry, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up on our website. Our mailing address is: Mass Poetry 15 Channel Center Street, Suite 103 Boston, MA 02210 Add us to your address book

FHS boys lacrosse top Masconomet 14-3

Boys Lacrosse

• Franklin, 14 vs. Masconomet, 3 – Final 

– After leading by just a goal at the halftime break, the Panthers pounced in the second half. Franklin held a 4-3 lead at half before winning the second half 10-0. Senior Austin Kent had six goals and two assists and sophomore Eric Civetti scored five goals with one assist. Connor O’Rourke made seven saves in net while freshman Jacob Alexander had another huge game at the face off X.

For the full results around the Hockomock League on Tuesday
http://www.hockomocksports.com/tuesdays-schedule-scoreboard-041916/

FHS Panthers