Franklin's Neighbor Brigade is ready to help!

"Welcome to the Franklin chapter of Neighbor Brigade! Our chapter was formed in April 2012. Whether you are seeking assistance or looking to provide help to another, you’ve come to the right place. Our volunteer chapter leaders donate time to coordinate the needs of families in crisis with the volunteers who want to help. Read on to learn more about their passion for Neighbor Brigade, and help us spread the word! We are always looking to expand our presence here in Franklin among volunteers and potential recipients alike. 

Neighbor Brigade establishes community-specific networks of volunteers that can be mobilized to help residents facing sudden crisis manage day-to-day tasks such as meal preparation, rides, and basic household chores. Our chapter is just one of 29 chapters helping their neighbors in crisis! To learn more about us and our other chapters, please visit our home page here."

Franklin Neighbor Brigade

"If you, your family or someone you know is experiencing a temporary crisis due to an illness, surgery, cancer, accident, fire, death or other life event, our network of volunteers may be able to provide temporary, non-monetary assistance with some of your day-to-day needs. 

Some of the services volunteers have provided in the past include meal deliver, dog walks, rides to doctor's appointments, help with errands, friendly visits, and light household needs. 

To request services, fill out our Client Application or call 1-855-241-4357. Neighbor Brigade should contact you within 24 hours."

Request services: http://bttr.im/klacf

Volunteer: http://bttr.im/g1jar

Franklin's Neighbor Brigade is ready to help!

Visit the Franklin Neighbor Brigade
https://app.betterimpact.com/PublicOrganization/d344e590-7541-488a-8594-34b5f451db96/1

Conservation Commission - Public Notices for Dec 6 meeting

Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 131, s.40 (The Wetlands Act) a Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2018, at 7:10 PM in Rm. 205 of the Franklin Municipal Building, 355 East Central Street, Franklin, MA on a Notice of Intent filed by Franklin Country Club of Franklin, MA for removal of an underground fuel storage tank and construction of a rinse area for mowing equipment in the buffer zone of bordering vegetated wetlands.

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/franklin_country_club_0.pdf

Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 131, s.40 (The Wetlands Act) a Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2018, at 7:15 PM in Rm. 205 of the Franklin Municipal Building, 355 East Central Street, Franklin, MA on an Amendment Request to Orders of Conditions filed by Franklin Department of Public Works for pumping station improvements in the buffer zone of bordering vegetated wetlands.

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/well_station_no._3.pdf

Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 131, s.40 (The Wetlands Act) a Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2018, at 7:20 PM in Rm. 205 of the Franklin Municipal Building, 355 East Central Street, Franklin, MA on a Notice of Intent filed by Spruce Pond Village Association of Franklin, MA for an aquatic management program in the buffer zone of bordering vegetated wetlands.

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/spruce_pond_aquatic_mgmt.pdf

Spruce Pond on a sunny day in November 2018

"When we show love and respect for each other we make the world a better place”

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

"With the first candle on the Town Common menorah lit, residents celebrated the first night of Hanukkah on Sunday evening. 

Close to 30 people headed downtown to celebrate in song and dance with Chabad Rabbi Mendy Kivman and his family. 

Kivman, who works at the Chabad House Jewish Community Center in Milford, said the meaning behind the first night of Hanukkah is to show the world that one little light has the power to rid the world of darkness. 

“One candle can push away a lot of darkness,” he said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181203/franklin-celebrates-first-night-of-hanukkah

Town Common menorah

"report any observations of eagles that are suspected or known to have nests"

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

"The number of bald eagles nesting in Massachusetts appears to be steadily growing amid three decades of efforts to re-establish a natural population of the nation’s animal here. 

State wildlife officials announced last week that they identified 76 territorial pairs of bald eagles this nesting season, up from 68 pairs last year and the 59 pairs counted in 2016. 

From those 76 nests this year, MassWildlife said 65 chicks hatched and survived to fly. Forty-five of the chicks were “banded with silver federal bands and color-coded state bands,” MassWildlife said. 

Bald eagles disappeared from Massachusetts around the turn of the 20th century, with the last known nesting attempt taking place in Sandwich in 1905, MassWildlife said. Upon discovering that some eagles were spending winters in the Quabbin Reservoir area in the early 1980s, MassWildlife and others began restoration efforts."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://franklin.wickedlocal.com/news/20181203/bald-eagle-population-rebounding-with-state-help

photo via Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Visit the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for more about the eagles
https://www.mass.gov/news/bald-eagle-numbers-on-the-rise

LET'S LAUGH TODAY in Franklin is on Wednesday, December 12

Trade all your holiday stress for laughter on Wednesday, December 12 from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Meetinghouse of the First Universalist Society in Franklin, 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin. 

LET'S LAUGH TODAY in
Franklin is on Weds, Dec 12

Come and enjoy this unique exercise of guided laughter exercises combined with gentle breathing that brings more oxygen to the body's cells. This oxygen boost gives enhanced vitality, energy and a feeling of real well-being. Any age and any level of physical ability can participate in this uplifting experience! 

New laughers are always welcomed! $5 donation to the church, $10 maximum per family. Please bring your water bottle because laughing can be dehydrating. 

LET'S LAUGH TODAY

Led by Certified Laughter Yoga Teachers, Linda and Bill Hamaker. www.letslaughtoday.com.  

If you have any questions, just call them at 508-660-2223 or e-mail billandlinda@letslaughtoday.com.

FSPA Holiday Showcase - Dec 11

The annual Holiday Showcase performed by the students of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts will be held on Tuesday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. at THE BLACK BOX. 

The showcase will feature Next Step junior dance ensemble, CenterStage senior dance ensemble, the FSPA Glee Club, Broadway Lads, Lite Brites, BLT2, Broadway Light, Broadway Ladies, and Broadway Bound musical theatre ensembles, and the FSPA Dance Company.

FSPA Holiday Showcase - Dec 11

Students will perform holiday classics as well as contemporary favorites. Later this spring, CenterStage, Broadway Bound, Broadway Light, and Broadway Ladies will travel to Walt Disney World in Florida to perform and take workshops with Disney performing artists.

Tickets for the FSPA Holiday Showcase are available at the door or by calling 508-528-8668.

Franklin Library: Renaissance V Brass Quintet Holiday Concert, Thursday, Dec 6

Get in the holiday spirit with the Renaissance V Brass Quintet! The holiday program will consist of music of the season dating from the 15th century to today including many well-known Christmas and holiday classics. This performance is free and open to the public.

Franklin Library: Renaissance V Brass Quintet Holiday Concert, Thursday, Dec 6

This was shared from the Town of Franklin Library page
https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/bulletins/renaissance-v-brass-quintet-holiday-concert

Southern Rail at OCC Coffeehouse on Saturday, Dec. 8

Southern Rail's Bluegrass Christmas concert is back by popular demand. Their mix of Christmas, Gospel, and Traditional Bluegrass is just the thing to usher in a season of joy and celebration.

Southern Rail's performances are high-energy exuberant fun, with riveting harmonies, irrepressible humor and sparkling banjo, mandolin, and guitar solo work. 

Over the years, Southern Rail's recordings, featuring their prolific songwriting, have graced Bluegrass Unlimited's Top Thirty Singles Chart for a combined total of 32 months, climbing to #11. One of Southern Rail's earlier CD's, a special Bluegrass Gospel compilation entitled Glory Train, was nominated for Best Gospel Recording of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Southern Rail at OCC Coffeehouse on Saturday, Dec. 8

The quartet is composed of Jim Muller, guitar and lead vocals, his wife, Sharon Horovitch, acoustic bass and harmony vocals, Rich Stillman, banjo and harmony vocals, and John Tibert, mandolin and harmony vocals. Press review quotes from Texas, California, Canada, Ireland and elsewhere include: "The best Gospel CD I've ever heard", "One of the most original and exciting groups in bluegrass", and "The vocal harmonies are exquisite and the musicianship is impeccable." See some of their videos on YouTube and on their website.

Tickets for the concert are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, available at the church office, 508-384-3110, or at www.musicatocc.org. Children 12 and under free with an adult. 

The event will be in the sanctuary of the church, accessible from the side door on Dedham St. (Route 1A). Parking is available behind the church and in the lot across the street. For more information and to be added to the mailing list, visit the website or contact Ken Graves, 508-384-8084, occmusic99@gmail.com.

UPCOMING SHOWS

---

AT OCC COFFEEHOUSE (Tickets now available for all shows on website. All shows are general admission seating, so arrive early for good seats.):

• Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, Mile Twelve, one of the outstanding bluegrass groups of the Boston area, touring worldwide.
• Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, Don White, a must-see storyteller-comedian-author-troubadour-folk singer-songwriter. With Mike Agranoff opening.
• Saturday, March 2, 2019, Fellswater, Boston's Celtic Music Ensemble. Back by popular demand.
• Friday, April 5, 2019, TBA, popular performer to be announced in December.
• Saturday, April 27, 2019, Bill and Kate Isles, an acoustic singer/soungwriter duo based in Duluth, Minnesota. Audiences feel they are listening to stories of the own lives, told by two of their best friends.

---

See website for complete OCC Coffeehouse season schedule, more details, and for ordering tickets.

In the News: hate mainstream in schools; Tri-County students visit education exhibit

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

"Hate speech and bias-motivated incidents, not all of which rise to the level of a crime, are growing at an alarming rate in public schools - and educators say the numbers only tell part of the story. 

“It is more likely that the number of actual incidents and number of students impacted are under-represented because many incidents are not reported,” said Fara Wolfson, a middle school teacher and co-chairwoman of the No Place for Hate Committee in Salem. 

In recent months, stories of hate-related incidents have spilled out of the schools and into the news. In November, a 10-year-old Muslim student at Hemenway Elementary School in Framingham received hate letters, including one threatening to kill her."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181202/hate-mainstream-in-massachusetts-schools

"Early education students at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School recently visited the Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibit. The exhibit was held at Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, hosted by Wonder of Learning Boston (WOL Boston). The trip was a rare and valuable opportunity for Tri-County students to experience the exhibit, which travels throughout the country and has not been hosted in Boston for decades. 

The Hundred Languages of Children is the basis of the Reggio Emilia approach, a model of early education that originated in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in the 1940s. The Reggio philosophy views children as having one hundred languages - or one hundred ways - through which they can express themselves. The approach is considered one of the best educational systems in the world for children from birth through age five, including principles of curiosity, interaction, problem-solving, and experiential learning. (WOL Boston)."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181202/tri-county-students-see-hundred-languages-exhibit

FM #154 - Economic Development meeting - Nov 28, 2018 (audio)

FM #154

This internet radio show or podcast is number 154 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording shares the Economic Development Subcommittee meeting held before the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.

The discussion only covered the first agenda item. The key question is whether to modify the existing brewing distillery bylaw to remove the kitchen requirement. Do tap rooms, tasting rooms, really need to have a kitchen. Comparison with other breweries where the food requirement is not as restrictive.

After some discussion on what it would include or not, it was determined to need additional research from the Administration staff to bring back to the EDC for a better discussion.

Discussion:

1. Brewery, Winery, Distillery Bylaw Issues - food requirement

Future Meetings:

2. Clark, Cutler McDermott Rezoning
3. Housing - Generally

a. R7a. Over 55 Housing Overlayb. Inclusionary Zoning Discussionc. Multi-Family Housing in Residential V and Commercial 1d. Downtown extension/C1/Village District Discussione. Affordable Housing Plan

The next meeting was scheduled for Dec 12, at 5:45 PM (also before the Town Council meeting).

The total meeting recording runs just about 20 minutes. Without further ado, here is the audio recording.





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This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can use your help.

How can you help?

In particular, if you have an interest in real estate, zoning or construction, I would like someone to follow the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Conservation Commission meetings. I’ll provide the guidance on note taking and sharing. You need to bring an inquisitive and open mind and willingness to learn and share.

Overall;

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
• If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark and Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

School Committee - recap (sort of) - Nov 27, 2018

The video replay of this meeting has been posted by Franklin TV and is available on demand
http://view.earthchannel.com/PlayerController.aspx?PGD=franknma&eID=601


As noted earlier, I decided to keep my fight with a cold (coughing and sniffles) to myself on Tuesday evening. So rather than attending the School Committee meeting in person, I was going to use the remote broadcast stream from Franklin TV. Alas, that was not to be. The stream was not functioning. 

When I tried to use the cable station, audio was not available. The audio did manage to get restored sometime along after I tweeted to alert folks of the problem. I had already lost context with the meeting and determined to wait for the broadcast replay to be made available by Franklin TV.

In the meantime, the MCAS presentation document shared during the meeting is available for your review here.
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/mcas-presentation-2018

MCAS Presentation Nov 27, 2018 from Franklin Matters

The Superintendent's Report is posted here to be shared. You can also get a copy from the Town of Franklin page
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/superintendents-report-112718




The full agenda and documents for this meeting can be found at the Town of Franklin page
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/pages/november-27-2018-school-committee-packet-documents

new sign at Parmenter School

Quickbooks Hands-On Workshop - Dec 11

Quickbooks Hands-On Workshop

Coworking Station of Walpole
55 West Street, Suite 201, Walpole, MA
Workshop by Score Boston

DECEMBER 11, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

http://www.coworkingstation.com/locations/walpole/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczUG9CangzWWVmckdXZ1RBeS00VGtPeGtBcEEw/view?usp=sharing

Quickbooks Hands-On Workshop - Dec 11

“You’ve got to regard education as a lifetime process"

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

"For generations, the career path for smart kids around Detroit was to get an engineering or business degree and get hired by an automaker or parts supplier. If you worked hard and didn’t screw up, you had a job for life with enough money to raise a family, take vacations and buy a weekend cottage in northern Michigan. 

Now that once-reliable route to prosperity appears to be vanishing, as evidenced by General Motors’ announcement this week that it plans to shed 8,000 white-collar jobs on top of 6,000 blue-collar ones. 

It was a humbling warning that in this era of rapid and disruptive technological change, those with a college education are not necessarily insulated from the kind of layoffs factory workers know all too well. 

The cutbacks reflect a transformation underway in both the auto industry and the broader U.S. economy, with nearly every type of business becoming oriented toward computers, software and automation."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20181201/salaried-workers-beware-gm-cuts-are-warning-for-all

This is not new. One can debate as to when this phenomenon started but I'd posit that it began in earnest with the great recession in 2007-2008.

I was affected at that time in late 2008, one of 3,000 cast off by a giant in financial services. Note, the company is still a giant in financial services.

The Bureau of Labor maintains the stats on unemployment and while the 'one' rate is easily quoted, there are other rates that are more insightful to showing what is happening with the work force.

The six state measures are based on the same definitions as those published for the U.S.:

• U-1, persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force;
• U-2, job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force;
• U-3, total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (this is the definition used for the official unemployment rate);
• U-4, total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers;
• U-5, total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other marginally attached workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers; and
• U-6, total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.

https://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm

This PDF shows the unemployment rate for 2013 to 2017. I'll have to spend some time to put it together to show the year over year changes. This only depicts the stats for the individual years  https://www.bls.gov/lau/maps/maseries.pdf

The Bureau of Labor also provides an outlook for careers based upon the stats they have acquired.  https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/

The chart shows the percentage change in employment for selected industries from June 2009, the end of the recession, through August 2017

There is a wealth of information available on employment and earnings
https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2017/data-on-display/wage-gains-by-industry.htm

Timeless CrossFit Training new sessions for Women, Girls, and Boys starting Dec 4

MC Alexander at Timeless CrossFit Training has new sessions for Womens fit boxing, girls, and boys strength and conditioning registrations open now to start Dec 4.

For details visit https://www.timelesscrossfit.com/

Timeless CrossFit Training new sessions for Women, girls, and boys starting Dec 4

Veterans Memorial Walkway Celebration - November 11, 2018 (Video)

If you missed this, or would like to revisit the wonderful celebration that recognized Franklin's veterans, the video is available for replay. 

Thank you Franklin TV. 

Thank you Dale Kurtz and your numerous helpers (all thanked in the video) for this lasting memorial.





The post with event details shared on Monday, November 12
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/virtuosity-deserves-some-concrete-and.html

Veterans Memorial Walkway on the Franklin Town Common