Monday, July 2, 2018

Franklin 4th of July schedule for Monday, July 2

The schedule for the Franklin 4th of July celebration for Monday, July 2

      6-10 PM: Rides and food booths open (WRISTBANDS FROM 6-10 PM - $30)

     7-10 PM: The News Team (a four piece rock and roll outfit that plays classic rock and funk hits)

Food Booths:
Democratic Party — Pizza and water
Knights of Columbus — Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and Gatorade
Republican Party — Corn dogs, nachos and root beer floats
Rod and Gun Club — Fried dough and French fries
Temple Etz Chaim — Soft pretzels, fresh squeezed lemonade and a raffle board
4th of July Coalition — Soda, seltzer water and ice cream


View the full schedule or download a copy (PDF) here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ruYRILk6bmkiq32hDsndMPOiQSA6vJbL/view?usp=sharing

Visit the 4th of July website for updates  https://www.franklin4th.com/
Consider contributing to the nonprofit volunteer based organization that does all the work to put this event together. There is a donation button on the webpage.




"Dragon Wagon" amusement ride on the Town Common
"Dragon Wagon" amusement ride on the Town Common

"Flying Bobs" amusement ride on the Town Common
"Flying Bobs" amusement ride on the Town Common

Trash/Recycling Delayed on Weds/Thu/Fri for 4th of July

With the 4th of July falling on Wednesday, those scheduled for Mon or Tues pickup will do so as normal. Those scheduled for Weds, will get picked up Thursday. Those for Thursday, on Friday. Those for Friday, on Saturday.


Collection Schedule
Waste Management collects trash and recycling once every week between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
on your designated service day. 

Holidays
Collection will be delayed one day if your collection day falls on or after one of these observed holidays. Please note if an observed Holiday falls on a Sunday there will be NO DELAY in collection.


  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
The updated solid waste flyer should have been delivered with the mail recently. If not, you can get a copy here or on the Town of Franklin page





Franklin Residents: Trash and Recycling pick up schedule - one delay from Wednesday
Franklin Residents: Trash and Recycling pick up schedule - one delay from Wednesday

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds: Register O'Donnell Hosts Computer Seminar



Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

Register O'Donnell Hosts Computer Seminar

As part of an ongoing effort to provide outreach to Norfolk County communities, Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell recently hosted a free informational seminar on computer assisted land record research.

At the seminar, attendees learned how to navigate the Registry's online research page www.norfolkdeeds.org and to access documents such as deeds, mortgage discharges, Homesteads and other land related materials. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds state-of-the-art computer system has more than 6 million land document images available for viewing, dating back to 1793.

Register O'Donnell noted, "We have put a great deal of effort into ensuring our land documents are online and are accessible within 24 business hours of recording. The feedback we have received from attendees indicates these computer seminars are very helpful whether or not the attendee is a real estate professional, genealogical enthusiast or simply an interested member of the general public."

For those attending the seminar, computer skills were not required. Each attendee received free reference materials, which they took home with them. Additionally, there were several staffers on hand, including Register O'Donnell, who were available to assist and answer questions.

"Those attending our recent Spring seminar learned how easy it is to look up land related documents. With this knowledge, they can do this research from the comfort and convenience of their home or work computer," noted the Register.

Register O'Donnell concluded, "Computer seminars are held by the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds twice each year in the fall and the spring. The dates are advertised in local papers throughout the county as well as through the Registry's social media outlets. For further information, you can contact Alicia Gardner at 781-461-6104 or at agardner@norfolkdeeds.org."

To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, like us at facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds and instagram.com/NorfolkDeeds.

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street, Dedham. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. All land record research information can be found on the Registry's website at www.norfolkdeeds.org. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org.


Register William P. O'Donnell
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

email: registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org
phone: 781-234-3336
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham,, MA 02026-1831

Sent by registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org in collaboration with
Constant Contact
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds:  Register O'Donnell Hosts Computer Seminar
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds:  Register O'Donnell Hosts Computer Seminar

"this is an opportunity to play offense rather than playing defense on this crisis"

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

"From the Berkshires to the Cape, cities and towns across Massachusetts are taking legal action against the makers of opioid drugs, joining a broad effort to hold them responsible for the ravages of opioid abuse. 
About one-third of all communities in the state have announced plans to sue pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, alleging the companies recklessly promoted painkillers while discounting the threat of long-term addiction they pose. 
Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey is also taking drug companies to court. In a lawsuit filed June 12, Healey accused Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin and other opioid drugs, of misleading prescribers and consumers about the risks of its products, contributing to the deaths of more than 670 Massachusetts residents who were prescribed Purdue drugs since 2009."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180701/massachusetts-communities-taking-drug-makers-to-court

Franklin's Town Council met in Executive Session on June 20, 2018 to discuss joining this law suit. As the discussion was held in 'executive session', we'll find out in a future agenda when either the Council will get a new item to discuss in open session or at some point the minutes of the executive session will be voted on to be released for public viewing. With two members of the Council as members of the SAFE Coalition (Casey and Dellorco), it is likely Franklin will take some action on this topic.

June 20 agenda
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-council/agenda/june-20-town-council-agenda

June 20 Action Taken
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/town_council_actions_taken_for_june_20_2018.pdf

Visit the SAFE Coalition webpage
Visit the SAFE Coalition webpage

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Franklin 4th of July schedule for Sunday, July 1

The schedule for the Franklin 4th of July celebration for Sunday, July 1

• 1-10 PM: Rides and food booths open 
 2:30-3:30 PM: School of Attleboro Rock
• 4:30-5:30 PM: Jamie Barrett
• 7-10 PM: Backyard Swagger Band (a high energy country rock cover band)

More about Backyard Swagger at http://www.backyardswagger.com/



Food Booths:
Democratic Party — Pizza and water
Knights of Columbus — Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and Gatorade
Republican Party — Corn dogs, nachos and root beer floats
Rod & Gun Club — Fried dough and French fries
Temple Etz Chaim — Soft pretzels, fresh squeezed lemonade and a raffle board
4th of July Coalition — Soda, seltzer water and ice cream


View the full schedule or download a copy (PDF) here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ruYRILk6bmkiq32hDsndMPOiQSA6vJbL/view?usp=sharing

Visit the 4th of July website for updates  https://www.franklin4th.com/
Consider contributing to the nonprofit volunteer based organization that does all the work to put this event together. There is a donation button on the webpage.



the strawberry kids ride is back
the strawberry kids ride is back
zero gravity amusement ride
zero gravity amusement ride

Concerts on the Common - Schedule for Summer 2018

The Concerts on the Common schedule for the Summer of 2018 is found here. 

The main program is scheduled to run on Wednesdays from 6:30 PM  - 8:30 PM. The Children's Programs from 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM. 

You can download a copy of the schedule
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oG2-XOINB4ziJgVbf_4N0B6MNJCrG_SJ/view?usp=sharing




The concerts will use the new stage. Franklin's Town Council authorized the purchase last year and it has arrived in time to be used this summer.

stage in the early morning dewy sunlight
stage in the early morning dewy sunlight

full stage view
full stage view

When is a Grand Bargain Actually a Grand Problem?

In Massachusetts, politics is something of a blood sport, and nowhere has that been made more clear than in the recent “grand bargain” legislation to avert the placing on the ballot issues put forth by interest groups, many with the best of intentions. These would have had crippling effects on small business in the Commonwealth and a chilling effect on the potential recruitment of new companies to our state. The process is broken and must be addressed, and because some changes are constitutional in nature, ironically ballot reform may have to be addressed with yet another ballot measure.

The process for placing an item on the ballot on which the people will decide the result is relatively simple. First, one needs an idea for a problem they believe must be fixed that our representatives are not addressing. Ten registered voters later, the issue is presented to the Attorney General’s office for review of format and an initial assessment of legality and/or constitutionality. Then the organizers raise the money necessary to get 64,750 to sign the petition to place it on the ballot. They need not support the petition, but believe that it deserves a public vote.

From there, the issue goes merrily off to the Legislature which may adopt the question into law, propose a substitute or do nothing. Then, the issue proponents go out and gather an additional 10,792 signatures and the issue goes to the ballot. If there is a legislative substitute, both go to the ballot. Once on the ballot, the issue goes to the people who will, no doubt, be subject of well-funded campaigns put forth by organizers and opponents designed to cast the issue in its most or least favorable light. In November, the people decide – UNLESS there is some kind of Legislative compromise by which the proponents agree to pull off their question from the ballot. The gun is placed firmly at the Legislature’s head at this point, and regardless of the feasibility of the solution, only getting most of what proponents want will lead to the removal from the ballot.

What is wrong with this process? Mostly everything, sadly. The threshold to get something on the ballot is absurdly low. No policy is inherently all good or all bad, but there are reasons that these issues were not put forth by our elected legislators in the first place. The best they can do is make something “less bad” or from another perspective “less good”. We hire our legislators to make the best possible policy decisions for us. Sometimes they are right; sometimes they are wrong, but there are, and should be, consequences at the ballot box if they choose a disastrous change in the law.

This year, four particularly challenging ballot propositions came forward, three of which would have crippled small business in our state. The first, the millionaire’s tax, was struck down by the courts on constitutional grounds, but proponents vow to bring it back in a more constitutionally acceptable manner. The second, a sales tax reduction proposition, would have lowered the sales tax in Massachusetts from 6.25% to 5%, repealing what at one time was put forward as a temporary measure, but whenever government and revenue are involved, temporary has a way of turning permanent. And, if successful, the legislature would have sought to replace that revenue with some other tax or fee. The third, the paid family leave initiative would have placed a new tax on businesses and employees alike to fund a new government entity to ensure up to 26 weeks per year, a kindhearted gesture with real financial consequences that could have put small businesses out of businesses. The fourth was, for many small businesses, the most frightening - the increase in minimum wage to the highest in the nation, put forth by union groups with no members actually paid at minimum wage.

So, now we have a compromise. The sales tax remains the same but we will have a weekend sales tax holiday in August. Paid family leave has been cut back in length and small businesses (under 25 employees) are exempt from paying in – but their employees will have to pay in. And the minimum wage will go up to $15 per hour, with a gradual phase out of time and a half for Sundays. There will not be a teen or training wage component, virtually guaranteeing that no business will hire young people to learn the importance of work.

The so-called “grand bargain” gave proponents most of what they wanted, all of which have very real consequences for small businesses and large businesses alike. We citizens and taxpayers are held hostage by interest groups, and ballot initiative reform is a necessity in this state. Legislators are wary of addressing it for fear of being labeled as against the will of the people. Our legislators are forced to respond and compromise on issues they might otherwise never have addressed as remedies for the people of the Commonwealth.

Our citizens deserve a fair system, devoid of governance by special interests, and we welcome the opportunity to work with our legislators toward reforming the ballot initiative process and allowing them to do the job of fashioning good through a deliberative process.

The Southeastern Massachusetts Legislative Alliance of Chambers [SEMLAC] is comprised of the following chambers of commerce: Bristol County, Cape Cod Canal Region, Cranberry Country, Sandwich, SouthCoast, Taunton Area, Tri-Town and United Regional. SEMLAC represents the business interests of the communities each chamber serves and addresses policy issues of importance to the region as a whole.

When is a Grand Bargain Actually a Grand Problem?
When is a Grand Bargain Actually a Grand Problem?