“Everything about Daily Table is not normal”

From the Boston Globe Magazine, one of the Game Changers for 2016

"As the executive chef of Daily Table, the nonprofit grocery in Dorchester that has been an experiment in bringing food rescue efforts to the marketplace, Samad is faced with these challenges every day. The store is the creation of Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader Joe’s, who worked at the company for 31 years. 

Daily Table receives shipments of excess food donations from groceries, suppliers, and food rescue organizations throughout Greater Boston, sometimes without much warning. Then, Samad and his team must find ways to make healthy food on the fly, using creative methods to prep, prepare, preserve, and serve inexpensive food for its low-income neighborhood store, all while ensuring as little as possible goes to waste (it’s like the Food Network’s hit show Chopped, only the one with the fewest leftovers wins). Adding to the challenge: All of their prepared meals must meet their strict nutritional guidelines. Remarkably, most meals cost from $2 to $4, allowing shoppers using food stamps to get the most for their money."

Daily Table turns donations of excess food into prepared meals, most costing $2 to $4.
(Globe photo: JONATHAN WIGGS/GLOBE STAFF/FILE)

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2016/05/13/daily-table-mission-stop-food-waste-and-feed-hungry/z7BtUqM6uhmsPAi6CUkgHO/story.html

• For more info about Daily Table, visit them on the internet  http://dailytable.org/

Find other Game Changers online
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2016/05/12/who-made-globe-list-game-changers/F8JzcyATcJSBoPFFXDVpxL/story.html

Recap: Town Council - May 11, 2016

The recap of the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, May 11 can be found here.

• Franklin FISH

Barbara Steele presented on the Franklin FISH organization. It is an all volunteer non-profit organization that volunteers to drive folks to appointments. They have been providing this service for 43 years, number of rides has doubled over the past couple of years. Radius of about 20 miles but some do go to Boston, Providence etc. Call 508-528-2121 to volunteer.

• Council on Aging/Senior Center

Director Karen Alves provided several updates on program enhancements for the Senior Center. They are excited to be able to move upstairs to the new space in Sep/Oct timeframe. This will allow programing to be expanded. They will also conduct a survey this summer. 

Karen thanked the Town Council for their support. "We are the envy of all the Senior Centers in the area." The new space will include a conference room, a card room, the gift shop will be expanded downstairs. Upstairs there'll be a large multipurpose room. An elevator will provide access to the 2nd floor. There will also be a lending library in honor of Stella Jeon.

• Cottage Court

The issue here is that while the town has been providing some maintenance for the narrow roadway (it is still dirt/stone dust), there is no sewer service. The residences are all using septic systems. The water service is via a 'spaghetti pipe' that flows out from the center connection to each house. The residents have been paying taxes but getting services for a roadway that is private and legally the Town should not continue to do so. After discussion, the Council asked the Town Administrator to "look at our legal options."

• DPW water efficiency rebate to start June 1

The DPW will be offering rebates to residents to replace older toilets and clothes washing machine with more efficient (uses less water) models. It could be up to 200/rebate for the one clothes washer machine, or 2 toilets per household. Bring the purchase receipt to DPW to get the rebate. The program would start June 1. Links will be added to the DPW website to show what is eligible.


The published "Actions Taken" can be viewed here. The PDF contains active links to the documents for each blue link

• The Council approved funds for chip seal and crack seal work

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Council/May%2011%202016/Resolution%2016-31.pdf

• For reference, the listing of roads planned for rework during 2016 can be found here

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_PublicWorks/Construction_Projects/S01426F5B

repairs to the playground were completed last week, assuming inspection confirms
they are good, the playground should be able to open after May 16

My notes from the meeting recorded live can be found here

• Live reporting: Legislation through Closing
• Live reporting: Town Council - May 11, 2016
• 
  

Recap: School Committee spends time on FHS updates and choses to keep school vacations as they are for 2017-2018

The School Committee meeting this past Tuesday was a long and good one finishing after 9:00 PM.

Franklin High School presented a number of updates on the following topics:

a. Math Team - Robert Akie, FHS Teacher  

b. Robotics at FHS -  Alyssa Taranto, FHS Teacher  

c. Computer Science Programming - Jason Chetlen, FHS Teacher  

d. Poetry Out Loud - Ron DiBona and Dan Hudder, FHS Teachers  

e. Video Production - Autism Awareness PSA, Heather Moreau, FHS Teacher  

f. Science NHS - Family Science Night, Ann Butler, FHS Teacher  

g. Empty Bowls - Partnership with Franklin Food Pantry, Brenna Johnson, FHS Teacher  

h. MASS Academic Excellence Awards - Emily Waite & Domenic Narducci

Details on each of the updates can be found in the live reporting section here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/05/live-reporting-fhs-update.html

Emily Waite, Dominic Narducci, School Committee Chair O'Malley, Superintendent Sabolinski

After all the high school updates, the School Wellness Advisory Committee provided an update on their work. (see link for details)

The school calendar discussion resumed with the choice between the two options. Option 1 was approved as the 'recommendation' by a vote of the committee as a whole. It was then voted to amend twice, one to make the Wednesday before Thanksgiving a full no school day, and two, to move the Professional Development Day from the Monday of the last week of August to the Friday before the Labor Day weekend. All three votes were approved 7-0. So after much ado, additional sub committee work, etc. the possibility of a change to one vacation (either Mar or Apr) from the Feb/Apr schedule the district has today will wait for the 'next time'.

When the 'final' 2017-2018 calendar is posted it should appear here
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_SchoolCalDocs/index


The detailed notes taken live during the meeting Tuesday can be found here

• Live reporting: to Closing
• Live reporting: Calendar discussion and action ite...
• Live reporting: School Wellness Advisory Committee...
• Live reporting: FHS Update
• Live reporting: School Committee - May 10, 2016
• 
  

Petition to the Franklin Town Council: Plastic Bag Ban for the Town of Franklin, MA

"A single use plastic bag takes 20-1,000 years to decompose. This means that a plastic bag used once can remain in the environment for up to 1,000 years. As the bag decomposes, the chemicals from the manufacturing process, such as high density polyethylene (also known as HDPE), leach into various environments such as land and sea. On land, HDPE clogs soil and prevents aeration, causing poor absorption of water and nutrients. In marine environments, animals often mistake these bags as food. Once these organisms consume the bags, they often clog the digestive system and lead to a slow, painful death. 

In Franklin, if improperly disposed, the bags contribute to visual pollution and accumulate in nearby landfills- contributing to the startling statistic that only .25%- 1/4 of 1%- of plastic bags get recycled per year in the US. The US uses over 100 billion plastic bags per year. 

Although it might seem like a small, insignificant step for one town to ban plastic bags, no step is too small in protecting our planet. An average consumer family goes through 1,500 of these single use plastic bags per year. We have upwards of 32,000 people living in Franklin. Evidently, this is a large number of bags NOT contributing to the startling national statistics of plastic bag usage. 

This is where YOU come in. By signing this petition, not only are you pledging your support to our cause, but you are also promoting global sustainability. Your actions can make a difference- so start by signing this petition."

You can sign the petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/franklin-town-council-plastic-bag-ban-for-the-town-of-franklin-ma?recruiter=22322018&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-no_msg

screen grab of petition to ban plastic bags in Franklin, MA

Memorial Day - Veterans Breakfast

This event honors Franklin’s Veterans and is held at the Franklin Elks Lodge on Pond St. It is scheduled for Friday, May 27, 2016 at 9:00a.m.

Hosted by Franklin’s Veteran Agent, Dale Kurtz

Seating is limited. Sign up at the Senior Center by calling (508)-613-1315
or RSVP by email dkurtz@franklin.ma.us

one of the many war memorials on the Franklin Town Common, this one commemorates World War I

In the News: Cultural Festival applications, adult coloring at the Library

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

The performance opportunities application for this year's Franklin Cultural District Festival is now available. 

The festival will run from July 27-30, with opening ceremonies taking place at Franklin Town Common, located on Union Street. The closing ceremonies will take place at THE BLACK BOX, 15 W. Central St. 

Applications are due no later than May 23. For information and the application: franklinsculturalfestival.org.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160514/franklin-cultural-district-festival-releases-application

The application to propose a performance for the Festival can be found here
http://www.franklinsculturalfestival.org/2016/05/2nd-annual-franklin-cultural-festival.html

2nd Annual Franklin Cultural Festival - July 27-30

"With coloring a popular activity for children and adults, the Bacon Free Library has created a family coloring group that has become quite popular. Jain said participating in an activity like coloring makes it easier for older kids to talk with their parents and adults. 

"You don't have to make eye contact," she said. "That makes it a little easier to talk." 

Though Franklin does not have a group, adult coloring is sometimes offered on Saturdays as a special coffee and craft program, said Felicia Oti, director of the Franklin Public Library."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160514/local-libraries-show-that-coloring-isnt-just-for-kids-anymore

"This pipeline will cost us $4 billion with a tariff on our electric utility bills"

Dear Franklin residents,

Here are a few reasons why the Franklin Town Council should join Sharon and Walpole in passing resolutions against the proposed Spectra Energy natural gas pipeline that would run dangerously close to homes and the existing old pipeline.

1. The Marcellus shale fracked gas contains radon and benzene.
2. Shale fields pollute water and release greenhouse gases causing climate change.
3. Fracking has increased earthquakes exponentially.
4. There have been numerous gas explosions throughout the country.
5. A Spectra pipeline exploded on 4/29/16 in Pennsylvania destroying homes and badly burning a man.
6. Old and new gas pipes leak methane into the atmosphere causing climate change.
7. According to heetma.com there are 41 leaks in Franklin and over 20,000 in Massachusetts.
8. According to Representative Roy, if they repair 17% of the worst leaks we could save 40% of the gas.
9. There's no motivation to repair leaks as consumers pay for all the escaped gas on their utility bills.
10. According to numerous publications and recent permits most of this gas will travel to Nova Scotia for export.
11. This pipeline will cost us $4 billion with a tariff on our electric utility bills.
12. The Attorney General's independent study indicated we don't need more pipelines.
13. According to Distrigas, LNG by ship can make up the difference until we have more renewable energy.
14. There are an average of only 30 days a year when electric companies might need imported LNG.
15. There are plans for two hydroelectric lines from Quebec and for three large offshore wind farms.
16. Spectra is allowed to take as much as 150' on each side of the pipeline corridor decreasing property values and damaging the environment and possibly aquifers.
17.The future of our children and grandchildren depend on decreasing the use of fossil fuels.
18. Both Sharon and Walpole have passed resolutions against the proposed Spectra Energy pipeline.
For more information, please visit NoSpectraMa.org

Jim Hill

No Spectra sign on Franklin lawn