Franklin Public Library: Alchemy Laboratory and Lifesize Board Game

Alchemy Laboratory! Thursday, April 20th, 10:00 a.m.

In this exciting performance that blends science and magic, kids will help perform vanishes, transfigurations, and other amazing feats using everyday objects!

Lifesize Board Game! Thursday, April 20th, 3:30 p.m.

We’re turning the program room into a GIANT board game for the afternoon! Bring the whole family to play our board game, and get comfortable with the Dewey decimal system at the same time!

Temporary location of Franklin Public Library - 25 Kenwood Circle

EBC 5K Race for Hope - May 13

What: EBC 5K Race for Hope is a great 3.1-mile route through the quaint town of Norfolk, MA. 

When: Saturday May 13, 2017.  Registration opens at 8:00am.  Race start time is 9:00am.

Where: Race start and finish is at Emmanuel Baptist Church - 63 Rockwood Road, Norfolk, MA.  Overflow parking is available at the Freeman-Kennedy School - 70 Boardman Street, Norfolk,MA.

Who: The race is for people of all ages.  You can run, walk or push a stroller!

Why:   This year, we have selected, Bloom – A Place for Girls, as our proceeds recipient. Bloom, a branch of Teen Challenge, is a new faith-based residential program helping teen girls overcome addiction, abuse, wounds of sex trafficking, neglect and more. 

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Jeremiah 29:11

Cost: The registration fee is $25 per person if registered before May 1.  After May 1, the cost will be $30 per person.  We will have T-shirts for the first 100 entrants as well as awards and prizes for the top finishers.

Additional Information:  After the initial $25 registration fee, we are asking that each participant raise funds for Bloom. Please visit our crowdrise site to set up a fundraising page or to support another participant.

The purpose is for this race is less about competition and more about coming together for a common cause. 

At the race site, there will be informational booths, food, music and a few kid friendly activities.

Click HERE to sign up for the race! 

Click HERE to create a fundraising page or donate to a runner.

Click HERE for additional information about our proceeds recipient, Bloom.

Click HERE to Volunteer for the Race.

EBC 5K Race for Hope - May 13

Dean College: "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress"

The School of the Arts at Dean College will perform Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, beginning Thursday, April 20 through Sunday, April 23, 2017.

During an “over-the-top” wedding reception at a Knoxville, Tennessee estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings below. As the afternoon wears on, these five very different women joyously discover a common bond in this wickedly funny, irreverent and touching celebration of the women’s spirit.

You won’t want to miss our talented students perform!

The Dean College production of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress will take place in the PAS Stage located on School Street in Franklin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday – 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 boxoffice

Charles River Meadowlands Army Corps meeting reminder - Weds - Apr 19

​The public meeting scheduled by the Army Corps of Engineers to discuss their Master Plan for the Charles River Natural Valley Storage Area (a.k.a. the Charles River Meadowlands) will be held on Wednesday, April 19 from 5-8 pm at the Millis Town Library, 961 Main St, Millis…This is a unique opportunity to share concerns and views with decision makers at the Army. Please try to be there!

In OTHER NEWS, things are not aligning this year for an EarthDay Walk. SO, we are not doing a walk, cleanup, or paddle on either the 22nd or the29th. Maybe we can pull together something later in the year.​


For more info on the Charles River Meadowlands
https://www.charlesrivermeadowlands.org/

For more info on the Charles River Meadowlands

Related posts
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/04/important-news-from-charles-river.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/03/news-and-upcoming-charles-river.html

Highlights of Hope Celebration - RSVP now!

Join us for a celebration of volunteers, friends and supporters. New Hope presents... Highlights of Hope Celebration Highlights of Hope Annual Celebration  New Hope's Board of Directors invites you to join us for a celebration of our work, our community partnerships and our call to men to engage in creating communities free from violence. Phallacies, a men's performance group from UMass Amherst will kick off our breakfast with a spirited live performance.  Our agenda also includes a brief address from key note speaker Rilwan Feyisitan - Deputy Director at Community Action Partnership, followed by a survivor story and awards presentation. Highlights of Hope is a fundraiser, and all donations directly support our work in the community.  Event Details  Thursday May 18, 2017   7:30 -9:30 a.m. Dean College - Guidry Center  99 Main Street Franklin, MA Tickets are complimentary, the link below will bring you to our events page to RSVP.  Tables may be reserved by emailing development@new-hope.org RSVP Now

The Constant Contact Cares for Kids program supports youth oriented nonprofit organizations. Learn more about the Cares for Kids program. More than 600,000 small businesses and organizations trust Constant Contact to connect with their customers and members. Signup for a free 60-day trial. New Hope Inc | 140 Park Street | Attleboro | MA | 02703

Franklin Public Library: Vacation Activities - Wednesday, April 19

Wally the Green Monster Visit! Wednesday, April 19th, 9:30 a.m. 

We’re pleased to welcome back our friend Wally the Green Monster for a storytime and meet and greet! Wear your favorite Red Sox gear and bring your camera and your biggest smile!

Slime Time! Wednesday, April 19th, 3:30 p.m.

Make your very own slime to take home!

Pageturners” Tween Book Club, Third Wednesday of the Month, April 19th, 5:00 p.m.

Calling all readers! If you’re reading at a 4th-6th grade level and love talking about books, this book club is for you! Join us on the third Wednesday of the month at 5:00pm for a discussion, craft, and snacks all centered around an age- appropriate book!

Doggie Tales. Third Wednesday of the Month. Wednesday, April 19th, 6:30 p.m.

Improve your reading skills and make a new friend by reading aloud to a therapy dog! Bring your favorite book or pick out one of ours to read. The dogs and their handlers are from Pawsitive Touch and are trained for one-on-one sessions. For students in grades 2 and up. Call to Register!

Temporary location of Franklin Public Library - 25 Kenwood Circle

In the News: state budget issues; water ban updated

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

"The town’s legislative delegation last week warned local officials that state tax revenue is falling short of expectations. 

Local legislators - state senators Richard Ross, R-Wrentham, and Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin - gave an update on the budget process at a Town Council meeting. 

Spilka, chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said revenue projections had called for a 4.3 percent increase. She said, though, that weaker-than-expected returns began in February, a trend that continued into March and has resulted in collections $220 million below the benchmark. 

According to Spilka, a similar downturn last year began in April and eventually required $750 million in budget cuts. She said she hoped such cuts will not be needed this year."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170417/franklin-lawmakers-give-bleak-financial-forecast

"Town councilors have adopted a new bylaw on water restrictions but chose not to craft the measure to include private well owners. 

The Town Council, at its most recent meeting, passed a new ban bylaw that town officials said would more effectively describe current practices. While the previous bylaw defined the terms of the ban and the punishments for violation, the amendment includes different levels of conservation, more thoroughly talks about the terms used and delineates the precise activities prohibited during a ban. 

The measure passed by unanimous vote. 

Among the changes in the new bylaw is a requirement that those who use private wells to water their lawns display a sign to that effect. Falsely posting such a sign is prohibited and homeowners may be subject to a penalty."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170417/franklin-town-enacts-new-water-restriction-bylaw

Congratulations to all the Franklin finishers of the Boston Marathon

The official Boston Marathon results for the Franklin residents who completed the course on Monday are show below.

If you would like to inquire on another runner, you can use this link   http://baa.org/searchable-results.html

http://baa.org/

Best wishes to all the Franklin Marathon Runners

From the official Boston Marathon webpage, I pulled the listing of Franklin residents registered to run.

If you want to track an individual runner, you can follow their progress via
http://boston.r.mikatiming.de/2017/?pid=tracking

http://baa.org/

Norfolk County Mosquito Control District: Notice of Aerial Larval Control Application

In accordance with 333 CMR 13.04 (7) (a & b), please consider this as notification of the pending aerial application targeting mosquito larvae in the wetlands in the District. 

The Norfolk County Mosquito Control District will be conducting helicopter applications of the biorational larvicide Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) to control mosquito larvae.   

These applications will be conducted over specific large wetlands in the Towns of: Avon/Bellingham/Braintree/Canton/Dedham/Dover/Foxboro/Franklin/Holbrook/ Medfield/Medway/Millis/Milton/Needham/Norfolk/Norwood/Plainville/Quincy/ Randolph/Sharon/Stoughton/Walpole/Westwood/Weymouth/ Wrentham

These applications will be conducted for 2 to 4 days, anytime between April 9, 2017 and April 28, 2017. As always, the weather in the spring is unpredictable. For this reason the District cannot pin down actual application dates with any more accuracy at this time. 

The trade name of the granular formulations of Bti to be used is VectoBac GR (EPA Reg. #73049-486). For further information contact David A. Lawson, Director at (781) 762-3681 or the Boards of Health in the towns listed above. Information is also available on line at www.norfolkcountymosquito.org

The Norfolk County Mosquito Control District utilizes Geographic Information System (GIS) to document and distribute information to the public about various aspects of our program.

This was shared from the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/notification_of_aerial_application_board_of_health_march_2_2_0.pdf

In the News: 40B relief discussed

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

"Town councilors last week asked state lawmakers for relief from affordable housing rules, saying they feared housing developments unfettered by local regulations. 

The town’s legislative delegation - state Sens. Richard Ross, R-Wrentham, and Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin - spoke to the council Wednesday as part of a regular update on lawmaking efforts. 

Councilor Judith Pfeffer first raised the matter, criticizing the state’s 40B rules, which allows developers to avoid town zoning bylaws if affordable housing makes up less than 10 percent of the municipality’s housing stock. 

“No one wants to come out against affordable housing, but there has to be some kind of fail-safe,” she said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170416/franklin-councilors-seek-relief-from-affordable-housing

For the Franklin Matters recap of the Town Council meeting April 12
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/04/town-council-recap-of-april-12-2017.html

a row of forsythia surrounds a catch basin

Franklin Public Library: April 18 - Dino Discovery and Egg Hunt

Dino Discovery Animal Program! Tuesday, April 18th, 10:30 a.m.

This one of a kind program is a blast from the prehistoric past! Meet our most ancient animal friends in person and you even get to touch and hold real fossils that are millions of years old!

Egg Hunt in the Library! Tuesday, April 18th, 3:00 p.m.

Join us as we hunt for dino eggs around the library! You will be given clues that lead to eggs hidden in books all around the library! Use your knowledge of the collection AND of the Dewey Decimal system to track down your egg!!

Franklin Public Library: April 18 - Dino Discovery and Egg Hunt

For additional programs during the April vacation
http://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library

Town Council Recap of April 12, 2017

The Town council meeting of April 12, 2017 provided a variety of items for discussion and action. From the recognition of the FHS boys basketball team that opened the meeting, to the legislative update on what's happening at the State level on the budget and other items of interest, and then the legislation slated for action among which the key item was the Residential VII re-introduction for Summer St, there was something for everyone. 

FHS Boys Basketball

Skipping through the whereas and wherefor's of the proclamation language, regular readers are aware of the accomplishment of this year's FHS boys basketball team, getting to the Division 1 State Championship game for the first time in FHS history. Coach CJ Neely was also recognized as the Division 1 Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe. Council Bissanti read the proclamation that the Town offered to recognize the accomplishments of this team.

Council Bissanti read the proclamation

Council Bissanti read the proclamation 2

Legislative Update

Senator Karen Spilka, Senator Richard Ross, and Representative Jeffrey Roy presented status updates on the budget process and other legislation of interest (OPEB, school foundation funding, etc.). Details on their comments can be found 

• Live Reporting: Spilka, Ross, Roy update from Stat...

Residential VII - Summer St

The proposal brought before the Town Council (and Planning Board) in the week before Christmas and then voted down in the first meeting in January, was brought back before the Council for reconsideration. The Council procedures differ from Roberts Rules of Order and the re-introduction is allowed within 2 years of the initial denial. Hence it was back.

As the discussion was going to begin, Chairman Kelly also read a letter from the home owner asking for a continuation to a June meeting as the owner was exploring 'other options'. 

Discussion on the motion on the floor to refer the proposal to the Planning Board was diverted to a new discussion on the deferral to a proposed June 28th meeting. The motion to defer was voted down 5-3. They they returned to the original motion and voted NOT to send it to the Planning Board by a 6-2 vote. The Residential VII option for that land on Summer St seems to be done at this point. Other options, for example a 40B proposal, are still possible. Time will tell what the property owner decides to pursue.

ACTION: Mr. Vallee MOVED to postpone this agenda item until the June 27th Town Council meeting. SECONDED. Denied 3-5 (Yes: Padula, Kelly, Vallee; No: Dellorco, Jones, Mercer, Pellegri, Pfeffer; Recused: Bissanti). 

ACTION: The Town Council rejected a proposal to approve the resubmittal of zoning bylaw amendment 16-775: a zoning map change on Summer Street. Rejected 2-6 (Yes: Padula, Kelly; No: Dellorco, Jones, Mercer, Pellegri, Pfeffer, Vallee; Recused: Bissanti).

Other Legislation of note

The Council voted not to exercise their right of first refusal on property at 4 Mount St. If the land use is changed from farm, the new owner is liable for the back taxes for the period the land was a farm. The Town chose not to exercise its option as the land value and location (not connected to other Town land) would not have been sufficient to recover the costs for clean up of the land.

The Council voted to refer to the Planning Board the proposed bylaw allowing for
brewery, distillery and wine making facilities to offer tasting rooms. This had come up as a proposal before the Economic Development Committee and sounds like a real good opportunity for some revenue growth.

The Council approved the final reading of the bylaw updating the water conservation measures the town has been performing for decades. This version of bylaw does NOT include prohibition measures for private wells that had created controversy when discussed earlier this year.

The Council approved the first reading of amendments to the water and sewer system maps. There is a proposal for a school for developmentally challenged children being relocated from Attleboro to Mount St. The school would need the water and sewer to operate their facility and future development plans.

Additional details can be found in my notes recorded live during the meeting

• Live reporting: Closing
• Live reporting: Legislation
• Live Reporting: Spilka, Ross, Roy update from Stat...
• Live Reporting: Town Council - April 12, 2017

The full agenda and associated documents can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/04/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-april.html

April vacation programs with the Franklin Recreation Department

The Town of Franklin Recreation Department has a variety of programs and activities panned for the April vacation. Check out the brochure shown below for details on each one. 







Registration can be processed through the Town of Franklin webpage

did you know there was a disc golf course at Dacey Fields?

Franklin Library and Town offices closed for holiday

The Franklin Public Library is closed Sunday, April 16 to honor Easter Sunday. The Library and Town of Franklin offices will be closed on Monday, April 17 for Patriot's Day.

Library closed Sunday and Monday, April 16-17

For additional updated from the Franklin Library
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2017/04/library-closed-sunday-april-16-and.html

And for updates from the Town of Franklin
http://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/town-offices-will-be-closed-monday-april-17th-observance-patriots-day