In the News: looking for gently used musical instruments, Rotary club to hold pasta supper

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

"International Arts Foundation, a Franklin nonprofit, is looking for donations of new art supplies and small, gently used musical instruments. 

Guitars, violins, and wind instruments are especially appreciated. All donations are tax-deductible. Pickup can be arranged. 

This organization gives underprivileged kids new art supplies, musical instruments and dance equipment free of charge. 

For more information, visit givekidsthearts.org or call 508-507-8209."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160526/arts-foundation-seeking-instrument-donations

Give Kids the Arts

"The Franklin Rotary Club International will host its 25th annual pasta supper at 5 p.m. June 9 at Central Park Terrace Hall, 1000 Central Park Terrace. All senior citizens are welcome to attend this annual event. 

The event is free. 

Seniors will not only enjoy a meal, they will also be entertained by Franklin native Tony Dale. Dale has performed at locations in California and Cape Cod."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160526/franklin-rotary-club-to-host-pasta-supper

LIve reporting: Budget Hearing #2 - May 26

meeting resumes to continue the budget hearing


F. HEARINGS
– 7:10 PM Budget:FY 2017 Budget Hearing

The budget document can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/05/franklin-ma-town-council-budget-hearing.html

Holds
210 - Police  (Vallee)
220 - Fire (Vallee)
fire expenses (Mercer)

Vallee - question on why no increase in personnel when in a survey we compared to other communities, the other towns must know something we don't know to have more people than we do

Semerjian - Any dept head would want more, you can't just add people and not be able to pay them

Vallee - you submitted for one policeman and I don't think that is adequate

Padula - rephrases question

Semerjian - if we put someone on, and don't have the fear of losing them, you could press harder. We are very fortunate in this communities. We work it the best way we can to make sure we do it within the constraints. There is a whole year to discuss this and nothing has been done since, and we're in the same situation.

Pfeffer - if you need some people, you need to come to the Council and let us work with the Town Administrator

Vallee - what is the problem with 3 ambulances?
McCarragher - We have staff for 7x24 for two not three

Vallee - how many did you request?
McCarragher - I asked to grow the budget for a period of 3-4 years so we could begin to staff the 3rd ambulance 10 hours, and then more and more. Incremental is really the way to grow the budget

Vallee - your responsibility is to do what is right

Pfeffer - How much overtime?
About 300K, but you're not going to reduce that?

Padula - does it take more time for an out of time to respond?
Absolutely,

Padula - we're doing our jobs but we want to look into this more closely

Mercer - last year you gave us some numbers
McCarragher - 1.5 per bed, up to 1.8

Mercer - have these facilities put more of a burden on the ambulance staffing
McCarragher - other communities are looking to bench mark off our numbers too

McCarragher - very few communities do use private ambulances, and it is going lower

hearing closed

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 16-33:Adoption of the FY 2017 Budget
Jones abstaining from vote (due to employment at Tri-County (which is part of the budget))

motion to approve FY 2017 budget of $116,417,305
via roll call, passed 8-1 (Jones abstain)

Motion to adjourn, passed

Live reporting: Town Council - Budget Hearing #2 - May 26, 2016

Present: Pellegri, Padula, Mercer, Vallee, Kelly, Pfeffer, Bissanti, Dellorco, Jones
Absent:  none


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
no minutes for approval this evening

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

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
none

E. APPOINTMENTS
none

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
none

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
none

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
none

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
none

L. OLD BUSINESS
none

M. NEW BUSINESS
none

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Pfeffer - parade on Monday
all the scout troops present, and schools have their bands march

Pellegri - Veterans Breakfast in the morning at the Elks

recess until 7:10 for budget hearing to resume

Paving preparations started

The grinding up of the top level of pavement happened overnight. The section from Ruggles to the bridge has been ground down the 1-2 inches that is normally done before putting down new pavement. The utility covers are now sticking up and will be a challenge to tires until the new pavement is laid down.

sidewalk work continues in front of the Berry Building

the Cottage and East Central/Main St intersection has been ground down

the grinding overnight ended at the bridge

Voices of Franklin: Jim Hill - "Pipe Dreams"

Pipe Dreams

When I was a child in the 1950s my parents and grandparents bought new homes with gas heat. Since then I’ve lived in several other homes with gas. Like most of my generation natural gas has been part of our lives for a long time. So what’s wrong with that? 

Well the more I learn the more it concerns me. The very word “natural” implies that it must be good for us, but arsenic is natural too. Even the commercials look beautiful and squeaky clean, so it must be good. Right? 

But, if we dig deeper, the truth is revealed. The commercials are so effective that I sometimes forget that natural gas (NG) is a fossil fuel and that it’s really methane and that when leaked increases global warming. Or that most domestic gas is extracted by fracking, a method that uses high pressure chemical infused water to fracture shale polluting air, water, and linked to earthquakes. 

The natural gas industry tells us that fracking is safe and that it’s producing all the gas we could possibly need. They’re excited. This could produce immense profits especially when it’s exported. But what will it cost us and is there really a NG shortage due to a lack of more pipelines? Why did we have a shortage in 2014 but not in 2015. After all 2015 was colder. 

Carol Churchill at Distrigas, the company that ships liquefied natural gas into Boston, told me that her company can supply all the gas New England needs during peak demand winter days without adding pipelines. She also says the problem in 2014 was that electric utilities didn’t have enough contracts for LNG to cover peak times and in 2015 they did. 

Electric companies now imply that that the sky will fall without a pipeline. Another obscure issue is that the new pipelines will be used to export fracked gas from Nova Scotia. Spectra Energy of Houston, the pipeline builder, denies this, but here’s the evidence. Fracking is really big in Pennsylvania, home of the Marcellus shale fields. To get the fracked gas to Nova Scotia it would travel through an 889 mile pipeline that runs from Dracut through Maine. 

The proposed pipeline through Franklin and eight other towns would dramatically increase NG that would travel under Boston Harbor to Beverly on to Dracut. Spectra has already received permission to reverse the direction from Dracut to reach the Maritime Provinces. 

The following excerpt was posted by Sutherland LNG on Feb 9, 2016. 

“Bear Head LNG and Pieridae Energy each announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted them separate authority to export as LNG gas imported from the United States to each company’s proposed liquefaction and LNG export terminal in Nova Scotia, Canada. DOE’s orders authorize Bear Head LNG and Pieridae Energy to export the LNG produced from gas imported into Canada from the United States via pipeline to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement with the United States.” 

Once the pipeline gas hits the world market where prices are much higher our costs will rise negating any implied savings. In addition, Eversource and National Grid expect electric rate payers to pay a $3 billion tariff on their electric bills to pay for the project. 

Eversouce has a 40% interest in the project and National Grid has a 20% interest. Basically they want to sell their gas to themselves and have us pay for it. Sweet deal for them and their shareholders. They get the profit, we assume the risk. 

According to Representative Roy, if 17% of the worst of the 20,000+ Massachusetts leaks were repaired we could save 40% of escaped gas reducing our bills and decreasing global warming. Isn’t this a better idea? 

But these companies have no motivation to fix leaks because consumers pay for the escaped gas. Yes, demand for electricity will increase, but fortunately offshore wind, solar and Quebec hydroelectricity are renewable options that will easily satisfy our future needs. 

According to the Attorney General’s independent study there’s no need for additional pipelines if we increase conservation efforts and improve demand response. Yes, we can save money and the planet without more NG. So why would we want to pay for the pipeline and more for fracked gas? This gas may be natural but so is arsenic.

James F Hill, Franklin

No Spectra gas pipeline sign on a Franklin lawn

FHS girls lacrosse tops Milford

Girls Lacrosse

• Milford, 3 @ Franklin, 21 – Final 

– Sophomore Kate Morse found the back of the cage twice and had four draw controls for the Panthers. Abby Egan added two goals and two assists and Shannon D’Arcangelo registered a hat trick in the win.

Boys Lacrosse

• Franklin, 7 vs. Dover-Sherborn, 8 – Final

For all the results around the Hockomock League on Wednesday

http://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-052516/

FHS Panthers

Franklin School for the Performing Arts - Open House - May 31

The Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) will hold an Open House from 4-8 p.m. at 38 Main Street in Franklin. The community is invited to meet FSPA faculty and staff, observe classes and rehearsals, tour the facility and learn about the school’s programs in music, dance and drama. 

Whether for recreational interest or serious study, prospective students and families will have the opportunity to hear about performing arts classes for all ages and experience levels. Registration is ongoing for all summer and fall programs. Beginners are welcome and encouraged. 

For more information, call FSPA at (508) 528-8668. Visit online at www.fspaonline.com.

Franklin School for the Performing Arts