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Friday, May 5, 2017
The Top Ten Reasons to Attend the 2017 Mass Poetry Festival!
Sunrise Montessori School Spring Fair - May 6
Join us for our Spring Fair!
Something for everyone - games, bouncy house, train ride, face painting, balloon animals, raffles and food. Fair will happen rain or shine!
All ages welcome!
WHEN: Saturday, May 6th
TIME: 12pm-2pm
WHERE: Sunrise Montessori School, 31 Hayward Street Franklin, MA
Something for everyone - games, bouncy house, train ride, face painting, balloon animals, raffles and food. Fair will happen rain or shine!
All ages welcome!
WHEN: Saturday, May 6th
TIME: 12pm-2pm
WHERE: Sunrise Montessori School, 31 Hayward Street Franklin, MA
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| Sunrise Montessori School Spring Fair - May 6 |
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Horace Mann: birthday, May 4; statue unveiling celebration May 7, 2017
On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 11 AM, Franklin will be honoring Horace Mann, the father of public education in America, with the unveiling of a statue bearing his likeness at Horace Mann Square. Mann was born in Franklin on May 4, 1796 and was self-educated in the town using books supplied by Benjamin Franklin which formed the nucleus of the nation’s first public library.
“The unveiling of the statue in his birthplace is a tribute to his work and to those whose great efforts mark the progress of education in the United States and the advancement of Mann’s ideals,” noted Rep. Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin), a member of the statue committee.
“Horace Mann’s contributions to public education are quintessential to the American story, providing opportunities for advancement and the achievement of the American Dream. Sunday’s ceremony will honor these contributions and highlight the intersection of our library and Mann’s own education.”
Tom Mercer, Town Councilor and Statue Committee member offered this quote from Horace Mann which to him highlighted the significance of Sunday’s event: "If ever there was a cause, if ever there can be a cause, worthy to be upheld by all of toil to sacrifice that the human heart can endure, it is the cause of Education."
The memorial was made possible by funding from the Massachusetts General Court and the Austin B. Fletcher Memorial Fund approved by the Town Council of Franklin, Massachusetts. Both bodies unanimously approved the project of honoring the memory of so illustrious a son of Franklin, and took the necessary steps to make it happen. The Square which houses the statue and memorial was generously donated and constructed by Roger Calarese, the developer of Horace Mann.
“The statue also stands as a monument to a fight that has been handed down to us— that we must strive unceasingly for better schools,” said Town Councilor Robert Dellorco, another member of the statue committee. “Well-educated, clear-thinking, creative citizens are essential to democracy and our democratic way of life, and it’s wonderful that we will be celebrating the life of the man that made it possible.”
Lisa Piana, Statue Committee member and Director of the Franklin Downtown Partnership stated: "I could not think of a better location for the Horace Mann statue than the Gateway to downtown Franklin. The Partnership is excited that the community came together to make this happen and we look forward to having a beautiful place to gather and appreciate Franklin's rich history."
Town Councilor and Committee Co-Chair Deb Pellegri noted that she was honored to serve as co-chair with Charlie Oteri and the whole committee. “Having co-chaired the Ben Franklin Statue Committee, I had the pleasure of working with our sculptor, Robert Shure,” she added. “I just knew that the Horace Mann Statue was going to be as fantastic as Ben's statue. The community will be very pleased.”
“With knowledge comes power, then there are no limits to what humans can achieve,” said Oteri, Co-Chair of the Committee.
In 1837, Mann left the practice of law and withdrew from the presidency of the Massachusetts State Senate to become the first Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education. He traveled among the people urging them to make their schools better—to improve school buildings, to provide better books and equipment, to enrich the course of study, and above all to provide better teachers.
Year after year, Horace Mann carried on his mission, and today, his name is held in grateful remembrance everywhere the common school opens doors of opportunity. He declared, “Without undervaluing any other human agency, it may be safely affirmed that the Common School...may become the most effective and benignant of all forces of civilization.”
The Statue Committee members include Pellegri and Charles Oteri as Co-Chairs, along with Roy, Dellorco, Piana, and Mercer.
A detailed program and history of Horace Mann will be distributed on Sunday (see below for the embedded document).
Limited edition mugs depicting the statue will be available for sale at the event.
A Facebook event page with information on Horace Mann and his work is posted at https://www.facebook.com/events/1102040296567751/
Here are some links to materials on Mann’s life and legacy:
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| Horace Mann birthplace monument in Franklin |
“Horace Mann’s contributions to public education are quintessential to the American story, providing opportunities for advancement and the achievement of the American Dream. Sunday’s ceremony will honor these contributions and highlight the intersection of our library and Mann’s own education.”
Tom Mercer, Town Councilor and Statue Committee member offered this quote from Horace Mann which to him highlighted the significance of Sunday’s event: "If ever there was a cause, if ever there can be a cause, worthy to be upheld by all of toil to sacrifice that the human heart can endure, it is the cause of Education."
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| Horace Mann gravesite, North Burial Ground in Providence, RI |
The memorial was made possible by funding from the Massachusetts General Court and the Austin B. Fletcher Memorial Fund approved by the Town Council of Franklin, Massachusetts. Both bodies unanimously approved the project of honoring the memory of so illustrious a son of Franklin, and took the necessary steps to make it happen. The Square which houses the statue and memorial was generously donated and constructed by Roger Calarese, the developer of Horace Mann.
“The statue also stands as a monument to a fight that has been handed down to us— that we must strive unceasingly for better schools,” said Town Councilor Robert Dellorco, another member of the statue committee. “Well-educated, clear-thinking, creative citizens are essential to democracy and our democratic way of life, and it’s wonderful that we will be celebrating the life of the man that made it possible.”
Lisa Piana, Statue Committee member and Director of the Franklin Downtown Partnership stated: "I could not think of a better location for the Horace Mann statue than the Gateway to downtown Franklin. The Partnership is excited that the community came together to make this happen and we look forward to having a beautiful place to gather and appreciate Franklin's rich history."
Town Councilor and Committee Co-Chair Deb Pellegri noted that she was honored to serve as co-chair with Charlie Oteri and the whole committee. “Having co-chaired the Ben Franklin Statue Committee, I had the pleasure of working with our sculptor, Robert Shure,” she added. “I just knew that the Horace Mann Statue was going to be as fantastic as Ben's statue. The community will be very pleased.”
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| the new statue is in place and ready to be unveiled on Sunday |
“With knowledge comes power, then there are no limits to what humans can achieve,” said Oteri, Co-Chair of the Committee.
In 1837, Mann left the practice of law and withdrew from the presidency of the Massachusetts State Senate to become the first Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education. He traveled among the people urging them to make their schools better—to improve school buildings, to provide better books and equipment, to enrich the course of study, and above all to provide better teachers.
Year after year, Horace Mann carried on his mission, and today, his name is held in grateful remembrance everywhere the common school opens doors of opportunity. He declared, “Without undervaluing any other human agency, it may be safely affirmed that the Common School...may become the most effective and benignant of all forces of civilization.”
The Statue Committee members include Pellegri and Charles Oteri as Co-Chairs, along with Roy, Dellorco, Piana, and Mercer.
A detailed program and history of Horace Mann will be distributed on Sunday (see below for the embedded document).
Limited edition mugs depicting the statue will be available for sale at the event.
A Facebook event page with information on Horace Mann and his work is posted at https://www.facebook.com/events/1102040296567751/
Here are some links to materials on Mann’s life and legacy:
- Program book from Inauguration of State House statue in 1865
- Program book from memorial dedication in Franklin in 1929
- Program book from Florida dedication in 1949
- Program book from re-dedication of State House statue in 1963
Franklin Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger on May 13 - Franklin Food Pantry Asks for Special Items and No Expired Food
The Franklin Food Pantry is appealing to the community for some very specific items in this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. On Saturday, May 13, Franklin letter carriers will pick up donated goods from town residents at their mailboxes and deliver them to the Franklin Food Pantry.
Because the Pantry is currently overstocked with green beans, chicken soup and canned corn, it is asking for residents to please consider donating the items most needed:
“In our current building, we have very limited space to store a surplus of items,” said Erin Lynch, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry. “That’s why we are asking the community for these very specific items, as well as no expired food. We are so appreciative of all the donations we receive, but unfortunately, we have space limitations.”
The Pantry receives roughly 13,000 pounds of food donations monthly. Every item is checked for expiration dates by volunteers. The expired food must be disposed of, which costs the Pantry time and money. Processing expired food items is challenging for the nonprofit because of its limited resources.
According to Sue Kilcoyne, pantry operations manager, “We receive thousands of pounds of outdated products each year. We are asking the community to please check expiration dates on their donations so that we can prevent excess waste and avoid volunteer burnout. This would be such a huge help to us, and much appreciated by our hard-working volunteers.”
If anyone is interested in volunteering for the event, they can sign up online at https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/volunteers-needed-for-stamp-out-hunger-may-13/.
Franklin residents can donate to the food drive by leaving a bag of non-perishable food where their letter carrier normally delivers their mail on Saturday, May 13. Some residents may receive the special yellow Stamp Out Hunger grocery bags to use, but any paper or plastic bag can be used. Letter carriers will pick up the bags during their normal mail rounds and will deliver the food to the Franklin Food Pantry.
“We are so thankful to the letter carriers, and a supportive community, for helping us acquire the items that are most needed,” said Lynch. “We have more than 1,000 individuals who count on us for food on a regular basis. We could not provide for them without the support of such a generous community.”
Lynch said that in lieu of donating goods, individuals who want to support the Pantry can donate online at www.franklinfoodpantry.org.
“Monetary donations give us the flexibility to purchase what we need, when we need it,” said Lynch. “We can also purchase fresh food such as fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products to supplement the canned and boxed food donations. We count on both types of donations to provide a wholesome and balanced inventory of products for our clients.”
For more information on the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com or call the Franklin Food Pantry at 508-528-3115. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a nationwide effort organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) that provides food to local food banks and pantries that would otherwise be faced with depleted stocks during the summer months. The food drive is the nation’s largest single-day drive, collecting a record 80 million pounds of nonperishable food last year.
Because the Pantry is currently overstocked with green beans, chicken soup and canned corn, it is asking for residents to please consider donating the items most needed:
Franklin Food Pantry Asks for Special Items and No Expired Food
- Canned fruit
- White tuna
- Coffee
- Laundry detergent
- Deodorant
- Feminine hygiene products
“In our current building, we have very limited space to store a surplus of items,” said Erin Lynch, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry. “That’s why we are asking the community for these very specific items, as well as no expired food. We are so appreciative of all the donations we receive, but unfortunately, we have space limitations.”
The Pantry receives roughly 13,000 pounds of food donations monthly. Every item is checked for expiration dates by volunteers. The expired food must be disposed of, which costs the Pantry time and money. Processing expired food items is challenging for the nonprofit because of its limited resources.
According to Sue Kilcoyne, pantry operations manager, “We receive thousands of pounds of outdated products each year. We are asking the community to please check expiration dates on their donations so that we can prevent excess waste and avoid volunteer burnout. This would be such a huge help to us, and much appreciated by our hard-working volunteers.”
If anyone is interested in volunteering for the event, they can sign up online at https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/volunteers-needed-for-stamp-out-hunger-may-13/.
Franklin residents can donate to the food drive by leaving a bag of non-perishable food where their letter carrier normally delivers their mail on Saturday, May 13. Some residents may receive the special yellow Stamp Out Hunger grocery bags to use, but any paper or plastic bag can be used. Letter carriers will pick up the bags during their normal mail rounds and will deliver the food to the Franklin Food Pantry.
“We are so thankful to the letter carriers, and a supportive community, for helping us acquire the items that are most needed,” said Lynch. “We have more than 1,000 individuals who count on us for food on a regular basis. We could not provide for them without the support of such a generous community.”
Lynch said that in lieu of donating goods, individuals who want to support the Pantry can donate online at www.franklinfoodpantry.org.
“Monetary donations give us the flexibility to purchase what we need, when we need it,” said Lynch. “We can also purchase fresh food such as fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products to supplement the canned and boxed food donations. We count on both types of donations to provide a wholesome and balanced inventory of products for our clients.”
For more information on the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com or call the Franklin Food Pantry at 508-528-3115. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a nationwide effort organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) that provides food to local food banks and pantries that would otherwise be faced with depleted stocks during the summer months. The food drive is the nation’s largest single-day drive, collecting a record 80 million pounds of nonperishable food last year.
FHS baseball, softball, and both lacrosse teams post wins on Wednesday
From Hockomock Sports, we share the results of the FHS spring sports action on Wednesday, May 3.
Baseball = Franklin, 4 @ Sharon, 0 – Final
– Franklin junior Bryan Woelfel tossed a complete game shutout and senior Jake Lyons had three hits to pace the Panthers past Sharon. Woelfel earned the win by going the distance, allowing just four hits, two walks and retiring seven batters on strikes. Lyons had a double and a run scored while Ryan Hodgkins had two hits and a run scored and Tyler Gomes went 1-for-1 with a walk and a sacrifice fly.
Softball = Sharon, 1 @ Franklin, 7 – Final
– Franklin’s offense started strong with a pair of runs in the first inning, tacked on single runs in each the third and the fourth and then put an exclamation point on the win with three more runs in the sixth inning. Jackie Cherry earned the win with five innings of work while Emily Valentino earned the save, retiring all six batters she faced. Alexx Niss went 3-for-4 with four RBI to pace Franklin’s offense while Olivia DiGiacomo was 2-for-4 with three runs and two assists from right field and Ally Shea recorded two hit and an RBI. FHS head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau said Tara Hartnett (shortstop) and Alyssa DaSilva (first) both had strong defense games for the Panthers.
Boys Lacrosse = Franklin, 19 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final
– Thirteen different players found the back of the net as Franklin recorded a league win in its first ever meeting with Stoughton. Zach Alexander recorded a hat trick, including one off an assist from his brother Jacob (goal, two assists). Nitin Chaudhury also had a hat trick for the Panthers.
Girls Lacrosse = Franklin, 15 vs. North Andover, 5 – Final
– Franklin sophomore Annie Walsh had a standout performance, netting a team-high six goals to pace the Panthers. Jordan Jette had four assists to go along with one goal, Erin Walsh scored a hat trick and had one helper, Caroline Lounsbury also netted a hat trick and Kelsey MacCallum scored a pair of goals and added one assist. FHS head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino said Halle Atkinson had a strong game in the midfield with two draw controls and two ground balls.
Boys Tennis = Sharon, 5 @ Franklin, 0 – Final
– Sharon prevailed from a competitive match with a win on the road, taking all five matches in straight sets. Senior Griffin Fein won 6-2, 7-5 at first singles, junior Fred Bondar won 6-4, 6-0 at second singles and junior Andre Olivei won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of senior Alex Romantz and freshman Alberto Olivei recorded a 6-3, 6-4 win at first doubles and sophomore Danujan Thirumavalavan and junior Ashwin Sreevatsa took a 6-3, 6-0 win at second doubles.
Girls Tennis = Franklin, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final
– Franklin’s Hannah Sweeney recorded a big win at first singles but Sharon only lost one game total in the other four matches to beat the Panthers. Sweeney won 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 at first singles but Sharon’s Emily Zhang and Lulu Yuan each won 6-0, 6-0 at second and third singles, respectively. The team of Katie Merport and Emily Wen won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and Rithika Neti and Sophia Fein paired up for a 6-0, 6-0 win at second doubles.
For other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-050317/
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| FHS Panthers |
Highlights of Hope Celebration: RSVP now
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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.
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| EBC 5K Race for Hope - May 13 |
1st Annual Race for Recovery - May 7
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170503/franklin-safe-coalition-hosting-first-5k-this-weekend
Click on the photo to go to the race webpage for more info and to register
"A local anti-opioid group will host a race this weekend in an effort to keep the issue of addiction in the public consciousness.
The Support for Addicts and Families through Empowerment (SAFE) Coalition will be holding its inaugural “Race for Recovery” at 8 a.m. Sunday at the Remington Middle School.
SAFE Vice President Jennifer Knight said the idea for the race arose from local high school seniors Hailey Metcalf and Megan Lazarek, who are part of the Franklin Peer to Peer teen group. Knight said connecting with high-school-aged youth had been a priority for SAFE."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170503/franklin-safe-coalition-hosting-first-5k-this-weekend
Click on the photo to go to the race webpage for more info and to register
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| 1st Annual Race for Recovery - May 7 |
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Live reporting: Finance Committee - May 3, 2017
Present: Dufour, Dowd, Conley, Huempfner, Weich, Fleming, Moses, Smith
Absent: Dewsnap
Action Items:
Appropriation/Transfers
Health insurance staying with Tufts, increasing co-pay and premiums like others are doing, maintaining a small increase due to the coordination and cooperation of the 13 unions to approve the increases
leaves about 50K in free cash for time being
likely will come back for approvals before year end
if not spent, it does roll over to next year's free cash
Discussion
Metacomet Communications
Gary Premo hired as new executive director
official statement on bond sale
bond rating, very high marks, SP 1+
we are double AA+ for long term bonds
2 weeks from today
land of low value to be auctioned
10 properties in morning, 11 in the afternoon
most of it tiny pieces of land
have to go through the process to offer it twice before it can become town owned properties
May 17, 10 AM and 2:00 PM
Adjournment
motion to adjourn, passed 8-0
Absent: Dewsnap
Action Items:
Appropriation/Transfers
- Snow and Ice
- $85,000 from free cash
- motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0
- Athletic Turf Fields
- bids received today, within estimated amount
- motion to recommend, seconded, passed 8-0 (Smith arrived)
- Library Historical Records
- looking to digitize the records of the prior newspapers, etc.
- motion to recommend, seconded, passed 8-0
- OPEB
- allocate free cash, $360,000
- keeping with guideline of 10%
- motion to recommend, seconded, passed 8-0
- Roads and Sidewalks
- $500,000 from free cash
- mostly to be used for chip seal, and crack seal on some streets
- listing of streets targeted to be checked to see if it is on the DPW page
- motion to recommend, seconded, passed 8-0
- Inter-Department Transfers
- FY 17 transfer
- $65,000 total from Health Ins to cover the follow amounts
- Rec Dept, $25,000
- busier activity than anticipated
- should be a wash at end of fiscal year
- Street lights more repairs
- costing more with lines found underground requiring repair
- HR hiring
- physical exams for new hires
- postage
- motion to recommend, seconded, passed 8-0
Health insurance staying with Tufts, increasing co-pay and premiums like others are doing, maintaining a small increase due to the coordination and cooperation of the 13 unions to approve the increases
leaves about 50K in free cash for time being
likely will come back for approvals before year end
if not spent, it does roll over to next year's free cash
Discussion
- Future Transfers
- LED street lights possible, via State offering 30% grant
- costs 120,000 per year for electricity
- the LEDs would save about 70,000 of the electricity cost and reduce the maintenance contract requirements
- possible $135,000 savings, and a pay back of 4 or 5 years
- authorize a short term band, pay the bill and use the savings to pay down the band
- replacing the street lights every 10-12 years instead of 3-5 years is also a savings
- would also get an audit of the street lights and the new ones would be GPS enabled, could use technology to check the status rather than driving around to check the lights
- grant funding reserved for us, project could be completed by Fall of 2019; everything owned by the Town could be LED (and powered 90% by the solar farm)
Metacomet Communications
Gary Premo hired as new executive director
official statement on bond sale
bond rating, very high marks, SP 1+
we are double AA+ for long term bonds
2 weeks from today
land of low value to be auctioned
10 properties in morning, 11 in the afternoon
most of it tiny pieces of land
have to go through the process to offer it twice before it can become town owned properties
May 17, 10 AM and 2:00 PM
Adjournment
motion to adjourn, passed 8-0
Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - Agenda - May 3, 2017
Action Items:
- Appropriation/Transfers
- Snow and Ice
- Athletic Turf Fields
- Library Historical Records
- OPEB
- Roads and Sidewalks
- Inter-Department Transfers
Discussion
- Future Transfers
Adjournment
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| How much did the snow and ice budget bury Franklin during the winter of 2016-2017? We'll find out in the FinCom meeting scheduled for Wednesday |
Balances update 2/28/17
- Gen Stab 5,006,646
- Fire Truck Stab 3,369
- Rec Fields Stab 873,615
- Open Space 1,085,668
- Traffic Stab 4,616
- OPEB Trust 2,815,899
- Property Acquis Stab 256,558
- Budget Stab 1,351,208
- Free Cash 1,497,040
OPEB Obligation: Pay as you go 93,975,598 as of 6/30/15
The agenda was shared from the Town of Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/fincom_agenda_2017-5-3.pdf
What's happening in May at THE BLACK BOX ???
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| Franklin Performing Arts Company PO Box 16 Franklin, Massachusetts 02038 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy. |  |
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