Friday, February 24, 2017

"There's a real hunger for answers"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"With a goal of encouraging interest in science among young people, Franklin High School's "Family Science Night" will look to build on the success of past events. 
This year's event - on March 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. - will be the third for the school, and will consist of demonstrations and applications of scientific concepts. 
Science teacher Ann Ritchie said there will be some perennial favorites - such adding cornstarch and water to create a substance that seems to be neither solid nor liquid - as well as some new attractions. 
"There will be lots of opportunities to make things," she said. "We're very exited about a station called 'Ask a Scientist.' Thirty-six scientists from the area will be coming throughout the evening, and they'll be taking questions from the public."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170223/franklin-high-school-science-night-coming-in-march




Ash Wednesday - “Ashes to Go”

“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return...”

On Ash Wednesday, March 1st, the clergy of St. John's Episcopal Church, Rev. Dee Woodward and Rev. Chris Beukman, will be offering the Administration of Ashes at Forge Park Station in Franklin between 6:45 am until 8 am

All are welcome to partake.

Forge Park/495 station in 2010 (image via Wikipedia)
Forge Park/495 station in 2010 (image via Wikipedia)


Thursday, February 23, 2017

4th Annual Dean Dash 5k - Saturday, April 8

Dean College will host its 4th Annual Dean Dash 5k on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at the Franklin, MA campus.

The course will start and finish at Awpie Way, directly outside of Dean Hall at the Dean College campus, 99 Main Street, Franklin, MA. The race will begin promptly at 12:00 noon for competitors to take a 3.2-mile walk, jog, or run through the residential streets of Franklin. A hydration station will be waiting for you at the 2-mile mark.

Registration is $5 for Dean College students and kids 12 and under; $10 for faculty/staff/alumni; and $15 for family/community members. Registration prices will increase by $5 on race day. Price includes race t-shirt, race bib, drawstring bag souvenir, lunch, hydration station and live entertainment.

Whether you are a seasoned race enthusiast or a first-time runner, we hope you will join us by participating in this year’s race.

For more information and to register, visit www.dean.edu/deandash

set up for the Dean Dash 5K on the Dean campus
set up for the Dean Dash 5K on the Dean campus

Dean College is a private, residential New England college grounded in a culture and tradition that all students deserve the opportunity for academic and personal success. A uniquely supportive community for more than 150 years, Dean has woven together extensive student support and engagement with exceptional teaching and innovative campus activities. Our graduates are lifetime learners who thrive in their careers, embrace social responsibility and demonstrate leadership. This is The Dean Difference.

In the News: special ed costs; threat charge dropped

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A proposed tuition freeze at state-regulated private schools that serve students with high needs will further squeeze tight budgets at those learning centers, special education advocates say. 
"Our schools are already behind the starting line when the gun goes off," said Jim Major, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Schools. "The state sets our tuition rate below our costs, so as a result 64 percent of our members operate at a deficit, which was $23 million in fiscal 2015." 
When students have special needs that a public school can't meet, they are put in out-of-district placements at private schools that are licensed under Chapter 766. The public school districts are responsible for paying to send the students to the specialized schools, and the costs of fully serving a child with a severe disability are often significant. Tuition at a Chapter 766 school can range from around $38,000 for a day program, to more than $320,000 for a residential program, varying depending on the child's specific needs."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170222/special-education-schools-make-case-for-funding

http://maaps.org/
http://maaps.org/

"A former Tri-County student accused of threatening to "shoot up" the school had a charge against him dropped Wednesday. 
During a short hearing in Wrentham District Court, prosecutors said they would be moving to dismiss a "bomb or hijack threat with serious public alarm" charge against the student, Julius Willis. Judge Emogene Johnson Smith ordered a future hearing for April 10. 
Willis, 18, of 504 Ellis Road in North Attleborough, still faces charges of disturbing a school, resisting arrest, threatening to commit a crime and disorderly conduct."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170222/threat-charge-dropped-against-former-tri-county-student


FHS hockey teams drop games on Wednesday


Boys Hockey = Franklin, 3 vs. Marshfield, 4 – Final

Girls Hockey = Franklin, 0 @ Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 – Final

https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-022217/


Via the Twitterverse


https://twitter.com/FHSSports/status/834500843185532928
https://twitter.com/FHSSports/status/834500843185532928 via @FHSSports















"People are really looking for a way to express their concerns"

Lesley Vernon is the Franklin point person for distributing signs to interested Franklin residents. Please send an email to Lesley at peace4franklin@gmail.com 

Signs are free

"The latest lawn sign springing up in front yards around town does not involve politics, Mendy Tarkowski says. 
Its message is merely a simple one that's universal: "Hate has no home here." 
While the Medway resident did not create the phrase, Tarkowski brought the national campaign to the MetroWest and Milford region by way of a GoFundMe online fundraiser over the course of the past month. 
The statement was originally the creation of a third-grader in the Chicago area, who coined the term last fall following a contentious and divisive presidential election, according to a Facebook page maintained by organizers."

As a result of this article in the Gazette: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170207/medway-woman-works-to-bring-national-sign-campaign-area

https://www.gofundme.com/NoHateMetrowest
https://www.gofundme.com/NoHateMetrowest

Franklin Library: Family STEAM Challenge - Thurs, Feb 23, 10:30 AM



Family STEAM Challenge, Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m.
Family STEAM Challenge, Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m.

This was shared from the Franklin Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2017/02/family-steam-challenge-thursday.html

"important for women to step up and have more of a voice"

Franklin School Committee member Denise Schultz participated in this event on Wednesday:

"When Yolanda Greaves first ran for selectwoman in Ashland in 2012, there were six or seven men - plus her - running for three seats. 
At a candidates' forum, the question was: "What makes you different for this role?" 
After looking to her left, and looking to her right, Greaves briefly acknowledged to a chuckling audience that she was the only woman at the table. Then she talked about her background in government, business and volunteering that she said left her most qualified for the job. 
"As women, we have to know that we're doing this because we know that we're the right person to fill the role," Greaves told an audience of around 30 women who came out to the Framingham Public Library Wednesday night to learn more about running for office."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170222/metrowest-women-urge-other-women-run-for-local-office

H.R.610 - To distribute Federal funds for elementary and secondary education in the form of vouchers for eligible students and to repeal a certain rule relating to nutrition standards in schools.


Choices in Education Act of 2017


"This bill repeals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and limits the authority of the Department of Education (ED) such that ED is authorized only to award block grants to qualified states.

The bill establishes an education voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children within each LEA's geographical area. From these amounts, each LEA shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses.

To be eligible to receive a block grant, a state must: (1) comply with education voucher program requirements, and (2) make it lawful for parents of an eligible child to elect to enroll their child in any public or private elementary or secondary school in the state or to home-school their child."

No Hungry Kids Act


"The bill repeals a specified rule that established certain nutrition standards for the national school lunch and breakfast programs. (In general, the rule requires schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat in school meals; and meet children's nutritional needs within their caloric requirements.)"


https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/610

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/610
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/610


Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Dean College performs "A Midsummer Night's Dream" February 22 - 26, 2017

The School of the Arts at Dean College will perform A Midsummer Night's Dream, beginning Wednesday, February 22, 2017 through Sunday, February 26, 2017.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is perhaps the best loved of Shakespeare's plays. It brings together the realms of the mortal and immortal, colliding in a wood outside Athens, and from there the enchantment begins. Simple and engaging on the surface, it is none the less a highly original and sophisticated work, where love is capricious as the wind, and where a mischievous imp named Puck plays with fate as merrily as a baby with a toy.

You won't want to miss our talented students perform in this well-loved play!

The Dean College production of A Midsummer Night's Dream will take place in the Main Stage in the Campus Center at Dean College, 99 Main Street, Franklin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

General admission is $22, Seniors $12 and Children $7.

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit www.dean.edu/boxoffice.


Dean College, Main St Franklin
Dean College, Main St Franklin

"The town has graciously supported our capital requests"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"Growing insurance costs have complicated the creation of the school budget, district officials said. 
In a report at the Feb. 14 School Committee meeting, Chairman Kevin O'Malley said the budget process had begun. 
"Every day, we receive more interesting and troubling information," he said. "Today, we ran into the insurance monster that is devouring America." 
O'Malley said the district had prepared for a 7-percent increase in health insurance costs, but had learned that the increase would be 15.8 percent."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170221/insurance-costs-complicate-franklin-school-budget

The video of the meeting by Franklin TV is available for viewing on demand
http://view.earthchannel.com/PlayerController.aspx?PGD=franknma&eID=432

My recap of the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/02/school-committee-recap-feb-14-2017.html

screen grab via the remote participation of the School Committee meeting, Tuesday, Feb 14
screen grab via the remote participation of the School Committee meeting, Tuesday, Feb 14

FHS boys basketball takes the Franklin Winter Classic



Boys Basketball = Franklin, 70 vs. Dorchester, 53 – Final
– Josh Macchi was named the Franklin Winter Classic tournament MVP, leading the Panthers with 15 points. Connor Peterson and Connor Goldstein each added 12 points for the Panthers. Sophomore Jalen Samuels was named to the all-tournament team.

Girls Basketball = Franklin, 31 vs. Shepherd Hill, 45 – Final

https://hockomocksports.com/tuesdays-schedule-scoreboard-022117/

FHS Panthers
FHS Panthers

Girls via the Twitterverse
















Boys via the Twitterverse











Milford Daily News has a game recap for the Boys Basketball game
http://www.milforddailynews.com/sports/20170221/franklin-70-techboston-53-panthers-primed-for-postseason-run-after-winning-winter-classic

Franklin Library Genealogical Club - meeting March 30

The Franklin Library Genealogical Club will host their March meeting on Thursday 3/30/17 at the Franklin Historical Museum at 6:30PM. The topic will be Italian genealogy research with guest speaker Mary Tedesco.
Future meeting dates:
  • Mapping your genealogy with Evan Thornberry Thursday April 27
  • Photo Detecting 101 with Maureen Taylor Thursday June 29
If you’ve been working on your family history for many years or are just starting out, you’ll get useful information, tips and hints to further your research.
All meetings start at 6:30PM.
The museum is located at 80 West Central Street and is wheelchair accessible.
Franklin Library Genealogical Club - meeting March 30
Franklin Library Genealogical Club - meeting March 30


Visit the Historical Museum online  http://franklinhistoricalmuseum.org/
 

Franklin Library: Sparky's Puppets - Weds, February 22, 10:30 AM


Enter the magical world of children's stories, brought to life by colorful puppets and lively humor! Sparky’s puppets will perform “The Kingdom of Riddles,” a show about a knight’s quest to capture a unicorn for his king and queen! The knight will need help from the audience to solve riddles along the way! This performance also includes a special version of “The Princess and the Pea!

Sparky's Puppets, Wednesday, February 22, 10:30 a.m.
Sparky's Puppets, Wednesday, February 22, 10:30 a.m.

This was shared from the Franklin Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2017/02/sparkys-puppets-wednesday-february-22.html

How do you report a pothole?

The updated Town of Franklin webpage has a DPW Service Request Form to report street lights, potholes, downed trees and Other (please specify) issues.

You can also call the DPW 
Hours of Operation:
M, T, Th: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Wed: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Fri: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
 
Phone:
(508) 520-4910
(508) 553-5500


From the mobile device (in this case, a phone)



The updated Town of Franklin website is enabled for mobile use
The updated Town of Franklin website is enabled for mobile use



scroll down the Home Page to find a quick link for "Public Works Order"
scroll down the Home Page to find a quick link for "Public Works Order"


  click on the "Public Works Order" to open up the DPW Service Request Form
click on the "Public Works Order" to open up the DPW Service Request Form

From your desktop/laptop


 Scroll down the home page on the desktop/laptop versions to select the DPW Service Request Form
Scroll down the home page on the desktop/laptop versions to select the DPW Service Request Form

The form will ask the same questions whether on the mobile device or desktop/laptop
The form will ask the same questions whether on the mobile device or desktop/laptop
You can go directly to the form here
http://www.franklinma.gov/public-works/webforms/dpw-service-request-form