LET'S LAUGH TODAY in Franklin is on Wednesday, January 9

Trade all your holiday stress for laughter on Wednesday, January 9 from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Meetinghouse of the First Universalist Society in Franklin, 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin. 

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. 

MA Senate Ends 2017-2018 Session

Senate passes initiatives to increase financial literacy, shore up pipeline safety, and provide increased funding for line of duty benefits

The Massachusetts State Senate closed out the 2017–2018 legislative session today with action on a number of bills, spanning issues such as public safety, education, and consumer data protection, among other things. The Senate also passed a supplemental budget designed to address time-sensitive funding needs.

"I am proud of the work the Senate has done this session, and its commitment to working on important issues up to very last day," stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka. "I would like to thank each and everyone in the Senate for their insight, willingness to collaborate, and dedication to the people of the Commonwealth as we continue to move Massachusetts forward."

In response to public safety concerns raised by the Merrimack Valley gas fires, the Senate enacted legislation that requires all utilities to engage a professional engineer to review utility work plans. This follows a bill, signed by the Governor yesterday, that extends unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for workers locked out by National Grid for 26 weeks, or until the lockout ends, whichever comes first.

The Senate approved final passage of a consumer data protection bill, known as the 'Equifax' bill, that helps consumers protect their private information through free security freezes, free credit monitoring when a credit reporting agency is breached, and requiring prior consent from an agency to access a consumer's report, as well an explanation for the disclosure.

To better serve the needs of our students, the Senate passed a bill that allows for the establishment of standards for students in kindergarten through grade 12 on personal financial literacy. The bill also permits educational institutions to incorporate personal financial literacy standards into existing mathematics, social science, technology, business, or other curricula. The Senate also passed an initiative that improves governance and oversight of educational collaboratives and allows them to provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities over the age of 22 in certain circumstances.

The Senate acted to end gender discrimination in disability insurance, bringing it into line with insurance provided by employers and subject to federal nondiscrimination law. It also passed a supplemental budget to provide sufficient funding to cover line of duty benefits for the year.

The end-of-session activity follows the recent passage of a new law designed to regulate and tax short-term rentals, while creating a framework in which this innovative industry segment can grow.

Bills passed by both the House and Senate will be sent to the Governor, who has ten days to sign them into law. The next legislative session begins tomorrow, January 2, 2018


The MA Senate End of Session Report
https://malegislature.gov/cc/Reports/senate-session-2017-2018.pdf

For more information on the MA Senate
https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Senate

For more information on the MA House of Representatives
https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/House

MA Senate Ends 2017-2018 Session

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2019! 

If you want to stay informed on what matters in Franklin, MA, you have found the right place. Franklin has a whole lot going on. 

The budget cycle is just beginning. This sets the priorities for how our tax dollars are spent. 

This is also an election year for town offices. We operate with the "strong mayor" form of city government. Yes, technically we are a city. One of several in the Commonwealth that still choose to call ourselves a town. 

The Town Council is our major governing body. They hire the Town Administrator and approve all the management level municipal appointments. Jeff Nutting will be retiring sometime before July 2019. Jamie Hellen, the current Deputy Town Administrator was just hired by the Town Council to replace Jeff.

The School Committee is the governing body for the schools and school budget. They are responsible to hire the Superintendent and approve other school appointments. The school budget is developed within town guidelines and becomes a line item for approval by the Town Council.

Other elected Board and Commission positions will also be up for election in November. More information on the election process will be shared as it is released by Town Clerk, Teresa Burr.

Stay informed so you can be part of the meetings and conversations to provide your input on what Franklin will do/should do.

1 - The best way to stay informed is to subscribe to receive a daily dose of what matters via email (yes, only one email daily. It is scheduled to arrive in your Inbox between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM each day.)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html

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2 - The second best way is to follow us on Twitter. Everything posted to this web page and sent in the daily email is also shared via Twitter.

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3 - The third way, and least successful in catching all the information, is via Facebook. It is the least successful in that Facebook filters the posts so even though you may be a follower, you may not get to see all that is posted.
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• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
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I thank you all for reading, sharing your feedback, and sending me information to share with our neighbors and friends. Let's stay informed together with what is happening in Franklin.

Welcome to 2019

Steve Sherlock

(voluntary) Community Information Director

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2019

Draft Statewide Bicycle Transportation Plan - available for public comment

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that the Draft Statewide Bicycle Transportation Plan is now available for public comment. You can review the plan and provide feedback by clicking the link below.

2018 Statewide Bicycle Transportation Plan

https://massdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=c80930586c474a3486d391a850007694

To realize the potential for everyday biking in Massachusetts and underscore MassDOT’s commitment to safety, MassDOT is releasing a new Statewide Bicycle Transportation Plan to make biking in Massachusetts a safe, comfortable, and convenient option for everyday travel.

As part of the Bike Plan, MassDOT developed the Municipal Resource Guide for Bikeability in recognition of the important role the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts will play. Created for municipal staff, elected officials, community members, and anyone interested in biking, the Resource Guide introduces core concepts to enhance community bikeability and directs readers to additional resources for more detailed information. 

The public comment period for the draft Bicycle Plan is open until January 31, 2019.

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/10/31/18_08_31_MRGBiking.pdf

This was shared from the Mass.gov page
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/bicycle-plan

The bike lane markings painted as part of the Downtown Improvement
project that returned Main St to 2-way travel

"parents are also dealing with some of the same stresses"

"On Wednesday evening, November 14th, a group of 85 students and parents gathered to enjoy a meal together at Medway High School, after which The Well-Balanced Student, a Stanford University Challenge-Success film, was screened. The event, aimed at student mental health among the middle school crowd, was the first of a two-part collaboration of Medway Schools’ Director of Wellness, Ryan Sherman, and Franklin Schools’ Director of Health and Education, Kristin Letendre. The second film event, geared toward educating high school families, will take place at Franklin High School on January 8th. 

“Communities in general, especially here in the Metrowest region, are seeing great increases in student mental health concerns and overall stress,” says Sherman. Schools, he says, address the issue in many different ways, including educating about it in health class and incorporating social emotional learning, which teaches students techniques to cope with mental health concerns and self-management from Kindergarten through 12th grade. "

"Medway, says Sherman, has invested a lot in streamlining the process for students who need mental health counseling. Now, he says, in addition to responding to students who present with mental health concerns, “We’re looking for a next layer, of prevention, working with families and looking at what they can do to support what we do in school – how they can create a balanced life for students. How do we focus on prevention, lifestyle that hopefully will prevent students from exhaustion, high levels of stress or mental health concerns?
That was the impetus what got Franklin and Medway thinking about this.”

Continue reading the article about the first part of this program
https://www.localtownpages.com/content/medway-partners-franklin-parentchild-wellness-event-0

The January 8th event at Franklin High School, 218 Oak Street in Franklin, will include a dinner, from 5:30-6 p.m., followed by the film for families of students in grades 9-12 at 6-7:30 p.m. 

Daycare for younger siblings will be provided by members of Franklin High’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). 

In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held the following evening.

Register for the second part of the program here
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdArpFhHmHJEpNUVLmaNpkSuVSQ6735AfLy46HHQkh6_v2Ajg/viewform

Register for January 8 event at Franklin High School

For more information on the Challenge Success program, visit http://www.challengesuccess.org.


Shared via reminder of event 

Please join us for this important event @FranklinPSNews https://t.co/5dxc47BNNU

— jedwards40 (@jedwards40) December 31, 2018

"so often wrongly told their service is worthless and they can’t get any benefits"

From the Boston Globe, an article of interest for Franklin:

"Three Massachusetts combat veterans have won a court challenge against the state government, which denied them their Welcome Home Bonus money after deployments in Afghanistan because they received “other than honorable” discharges from the military. 

Lawyers in the case estimate the Suffolk Superior Court judge’s decision could affect about 4,000 veterans in Massachusetts, while two of the plaintiffs said they hope it will also draw more attention to the plight of former service members, including those with post-traumatic stress disorder, who struggle with resuming their lives after returning home. 

“When we enlist, we put our lives on the line to protect our country. But when we get out, we’re thrown in the back of the line,” said Washington Santos, an Army veteran in Revere who served in Afghanistan and is one of the plaintiffs in the case. “There isn’t that love or that care for a veteran as there should be.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/12/30/state-ordered-reconsider-denial-veterans-welcome-home-bonus-money/SJfptJtSNUPHx3OXbIGePI/story.html

Information on the Welcome Home Veterans Bonus Program
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-welcome-home-veterans-bonus

Or contact Franklin's Veterans Service Agent, Dale Kurtz
https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services

contact Franklin's Veterans Service Agent, Dale Kurtz

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities for Custodian, Electrician, Firefighter/Paramedics

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email.  

• Junior Building Custodian - Davis Thayer Elementary School 

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/jr.custodian-posting-dt-dec2018.pdf

• Town Electrician 

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/electrician-jobposting-oct2018.pdf

• Part-Time Custodian 

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/part-time.custodian-posting-october2018_0.pdf

• Firefighter/Paramedics - The Town of Franklin's Fire Department is in the Massachusetts Civil Service system. 
  • If you are currently a Firefighter/Paramedic in a Civil Service community and are interested in working for Franklin, send a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov. 
  • Please note: new hires must have and maintain a paramedic certification and complete an Associate's Degree within 5 years of the date they are hired.   

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment form instead

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/application_for_employment_-_town_of_franklin.pdf

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here

https://www.franklinma.gov/subscribe

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities for Custodian, Electrician, Firefighter/Paramedics