"will make sure things stay organized and up to date"

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

"Franklin is taking its past into the future as the town seeks a part-time archivist for the Franklin Historical Museum. 

Thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a professional toured the museum to determine its needs. The result was a decision to hire an archivist. That person will be paid with money from a grant the town received last fall. 

It’s unclear when the town will hire the archivist, but museum officials are interviewing candidates. About $30,000 is put aside for the job."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190112/franklin-museum-to-hire-new-archivist

one of the pieces in a Ben Franklin display for his birthday in 2015

In the News: plastic bags eliminated by BIG Y; breathalyzer tests require validation

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

Plastic bags being eliminated by BIG Y

"In a decision affecting all 70 Big Y supermarket locations across Massachusetts and Connecticut, Big Y Foods, Inc. this week announced it will eliminate plastic bags from checkout counters. 

That includes the store in Milford, off Rte. 109 and one in Franklin on Rte. 140.
The company uses 100 million plastic bags at checkout counters each year. 

“Single-use plastic bags create an inordinate amount of waste,” a press release from the company says. “Big Y recognizes its responsibility to cut down on unnecessary plastic waste that contributes to litter, harms the environment and can endanger wildlife.” 

The change won’t happen until 2020, allowing employees and customers to get used to the idea, and make the switch to reusable bags."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190111/milford-franklin-big-ys-to-eliminate-plastic-bags-in-2020

Recall that some FHS students in 2016 had created an online petition, brought forward a proposal, worked their way through the local legislative process before ultimately getting dismissed by the Economic Development Committee of the Town Council in one of their lesser highlight moments. The students can be happy now.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/11/nearly-60-massachusetts-municipalities.html

FHS students discussing the proposal with the EDC Nov 30, 2016

Balance of power plays out

"Prosecutors trying to get convictions for people suspected of driving drunk have seen their jobs get much more difficult after a Massachusetts judge ruled this week that Breathalyzer tests cannot be used as evidence in court. 

Judge Robert Brennan, who was hearing a consolidated test case that involved more than 400 Breathalyzer exams throughout the state, ruled the tests can’t be used until the Office of Alcohol Testing proves it results are accurate. 

Brennan’s ruling is being hailed by MetroWest defense attorneys as fair. 

“I think it’s the right decision,” said David Levinson, a Framingham lawyer. “There have been so many issues with the various testing devices. There has to be some kind of accountability.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190111/breathalyzer-court-ruling-roils-prosecutors-police

Interesting that many of the Google provided links to the MA Office of Alcohol Testing all end up at the District Attorneys page. There is also this reference but no page link. The office must truly being being rebuilt.  https://www.mass.gov/service-details/forensic-chemistry-sections

January 8 - Social Emotional Learning Forum a Success!

Social Emotional Learning Forum A Success! The Social Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts and I are incredibly proud to have brought together over 200 teachers, students and engaged residents at the Social Emotional Learning Forum on Tuesday, January 8, to learn more about the importance of social emotional learning for our children. We heard from a diverse panel of SEL experts, including Framingham School Committee Member Beverly Hugo, Director of Counseling and Social Emotional Learning at Ashland Public Schools Jennifer Cutler, Principal of Miller Elementary School in Holliston David Keim, and Parent Liaison, Natick Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Elise Gorseth. As Senate President, I am committed to improving education and advocating for mental health parity for residents across the Commonwealth. SEL is a critical 21st-century skill to foster resilient, empathetic, and workforce-ready graduates. Event materials and resources on SEL can be found online. The forum is part of my MetroWest Kids Initiative, designed to identify strategies to help children in MetroWest learn, grow and succeed, with a focus on social emotional learning. SEL is a research-backed framework to bring skills like stress management, positive relationship-building, responsible decision-making, and empathy into classrooms and throughout the community. Thank you again for demonstrating a commitment to social emotional learning in classrooms throughout the Commonwealth. We look forward to seeing you at our next forum! Sincerely, Office of Senate President Karen E. Spilka | 617-722-1500 | Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov www.karenspilka.com

Office of Senate President Karen E. Spilka  Massachusetts State House, Room 332, Boston, MA 02133 Sent by karen.spilka@masenate.gov in collaboration with Try it free today

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI Jan 11 - THU Jan 17

Friday, January 11

10:00am

 Knitting Group

Saturday, January 12

10:00am

 Franklin Historical Museum (Always free)

10:00am

 Enrollment Open House

11:00am

 Franklin Library: Staff available to talk Survey

3:00pm

 Franklin Library: Staff available to talk survey

7:30pm

 Mile Twelve

Sunday, January 13

7:30am

 All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast

1:00pm

 Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:15pm

 2nd Sunday Speaker: When Terrorism Struck Franklin

Monday, January 14

10:30am

 Move Along

11:00am

 Toddler Playgroup

3:00pm

 Monday Crafternoons

3:30pm

 Dungeons & Dragons for Kids

Tuesday, January 15

9:30am

 Cool Cruisers

10:30am

 Get Ready for Kindergarten

6:30pm

 Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardening - Indoor Seed Starting

7:00pm

 Finance Committee - Meeting (Capital Budget)

Wednesday, January 16

10:30am

 Terrific Toddlers

11:00am

 Toddler Playgroup

4:00pm

 Construction Junction

5:00pm

 Book Bites

7:30pm

 Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club

Thursday, January 17

 Ben Franklin's Birthday Readathon

9:30am

 Baby Tummy Time

10:30am

 Story & Craft

4:00pm

 Fandom Thursdays

7:00pm

 Anxiety in Relation to Learning/Developmental Disabilities and How to Address in the I

For the interactive version, please visit

http://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

For the Town of Franklin Public Meeting Calendar

http://www.franklinma.gov/calendar

Submit an event for the Community Calendar, please use this link

https://goo.gl/forms/7Pr1iBuAiIna7cUo2

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI Jan 11 - THU Jan 17

All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast - Jan 13

All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast

2nd Sunday of the month

Jan 13, Feb 10, Mar 10, Apr 14

7:30 - 11:00 AM

Pancakes - Scrambled Eggs - Sausage - Home Fries

(drinks are included)

Adults - $8 Kids (4 -12) - $4

(3 and under eat free)

FRANKLIN ROD and GUN CLUB
53 Florence Street
Franklin, MA 02038

Please visit www.franklinrodandgun.org for more info

Download a copy of the flyer here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zah6YdFe-IFngqZknj5OSdT7yKsjcUAP/view?usp=sharing

All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast - Jan 13

FHS boys indoor track team tops Taunton

Via HockomockSports we share the results of the FHS sports action on Thursday, Jan 10, 2019

Boys Hockey = Franklin, 0 vs. Pope Francis, 5 – Final

Boys Indoor Track = Franklin, 55 vs. Taunton, 45 – Final
– Franklin swept the 1000M race to highlight a close win over Taunton. Senior Michael Hagen set a new personal best time at 2:47.65 to win the race with classmate Nicholas Zaffino just 0:00.02 seconds behind. Senior Dylan Kehoe rounded out the top three for the Panthers. Andrew Faught (8.80) and Nicholas Mazzarella went 1-2 in the 55M hurdles for Franklin. Taunton’s Sebastien Celestin was a double winner, taking first in both the 55M dash (6.89, PR) and the 300M (37.50, PR).

Girls Indoor Track = Franklin, 47 vs. Taunton, 53 – Final
– Taunton won six individual events as well as the 4×400 relay to edge Franklin in a tight meet. Sophomore Olivia Dias was a double winner for the Tigers, winning the 55M dash (7.77) and the 600M (1:45.27) while Kerla Sylvestre won the 300M (43.46), senior Maggie Sullivan was first in the 1000M (3:17.26), Annabella Chavez had the top toss in the shot put (29-02.00), and Victoria Gravel won the long jump (15-10.00). Franklin’s Daniella Pierre was a double-winner, taking first in the high jump (4-10.00) and the 55M hurdles (8.92).


For the other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/thursdays-schedule-scoreboard-01-10-19/


The complete Indoor Track results
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/MeetResults.aspx?Meet=351375&show=all

The Franklin individual results
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jveiaXbqDSwe3IeYWiBcjT6dwcGIbeip/view?usp=sharing

FHS Panthers

Fine Crafters Wanted!

The Franklin Cultural Council is hosting a Juried Craft Fair as one element of Taste of ArtWeek, an event that also includes food trucks, a beer garden, and live performances on April 27. 

The Craft Fair will be made up of adult work by professional and semi-professional artisans, as well as a youth section of booths for crafters 18 and under. 

Taste of ArtWeek is a kick-off celebration to Franklin ArtWeek, part of the statewide ArtWeek festival, and is hosted by the Franklin Cultural Council in partnership with the Random Smile Project. 

To request a prospectus on the Craft Fair, please visit: http://bit.ly/Taste_craft_fair

Fine Crafters Wanted! 

Shared from Facebook:

Franklin Library: Ben Franklin Readathon, Jan 17

"In honor of the 313th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, the namesake of our town and founder of our library, the Franklin Public Library will be holding a “readathon” – a marathon reading of the full text of the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, first published in 1791. The book is considered a classic of American literature. According to the Library of Congress, “It was not only the first autobiography to achieve widespread popularity, but after two hundred years remains one of the most enduringly popular examples of the genre ever written.” 

Like other readathons, this one invites the public to participate! Readers are encouraged to sign up in advance for 15-minute segments. Commencing when the library opens at 9 AM on January 17, readers will share the words of Ben Franklin with anyone interested in dropping by for all or part of the event. It is expected that the reading will be completed by the time the library closes at 8 PM. Water and other refreshments will be available for readers and audience alike."

Event Timing: January 17, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Event Address: Franklin Public Library, 118 Main St, Franklin, MA

I had a chance to read the very last section in the readathon last year. It was fun.

To register to read, please visit the sign up form:
https://goo.gl/forms/fwuEPWusit7oFG7n2

Franklin Library: Ben Franklin Readathon, Jan 17

"the Commission was unable to come to an agreement on joint recommendations"

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

"After holding on to their public records law exemption in a landmark 2016 reform law aimed at making government more transparent, lawmakers assigned to come up with ways to open up the Legislature have now blown past two deadlines and are entering 2019 without consensus recommendations. 

In late 2017, as a statutory deadline approached for a commission tasked with studying the public availability of legislative records and information, the group had yet to meet, and lawmakers gave their colleagues on the panel another year to complete their work. 

The extra year, however, did not lead to the delivery of recommendations. The group of six representatives and six senators charged with examining legislative transparency and whether to apply public records law standards to the state Legislature is entering the 2019-2020 session, and near-term rules debates, with no report."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190110/legislative-commission-whiffs-on-public-records-report

For access to information on the Legislative Branch (both House and Senate)
https://www.mass.gov/topics/legislative-branch

Find information on the Legislative Branch of the Massachusetts state government

2nd Annual Valentine's Brunch - Feb 9

Valentine's Brunch

The Franklin Rotary Club is presenting its 2nd Annual Valentine's Brunch from 10:30 til 12 Noon on February 9 at the Franklin Housing Authority's Community Center at Central Park Terrace. 

The meal is free for all FHA residents and Franklin senior citizens. Several frittatas will be featured. 

Advance sign up is required at either the Community Center or at the Franklin Senior Center so that we can ensure enough food! 

This brunch was a big success last year.

The Rotary Club of Franklin

Spring Registration Opens for Lifelong Community Learning Classes

Registration opens for spring classes at Lifelong Community Learning on January 11. Classes begin in February and continue through the spring months.

Participation is open to individuals, organizations and businesses alike in Franklin and the surrounding region towns. Classes include everything from child care education and intermediate digital photography to various food and wine offerings. 

For children, the Kids’ Corner program includes cooking, language, robotics, family paint night, and so much more!

New this spring are a daylong babysitting certification class with the American Red Cross and a lifeguard certification class conducted in partnership with the Hockomock Area YMCA in Franklin.

This spring, participants will also find as many exercise and sports programs as ever, including yoga, Zumba, and community walking. Badminton is back along with men’s basketball, intermediate and advanced volleyball classes rounding out the field.

For more information, go to www.FranklinLifelongLearning.com and click on Lifelong Community Learning. Or call Lifelong Community Learning at 508-613-1480.

ABOUT US: Lifelong Community Learning is a program of the Franklin Public Schools Lifelong Learning Institute, dedicated to providing diverse and enriched education and experiences for all area residents and children – a resource for all ages.

FHS boys hockey rallies for tie; gymnastics wins tri-meet; wrestling posts big win

Via HockomockSports we share the results of the FHS sports action on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2019

Boys Hockey = Foxboro, 3 @ Franklin, 3 – Final
– Foxboro’s Ronnie MacLellan and Brendan Tully each scored once and had an assist, and Kirk Leach scored once as the Warriors built a 3-1 lead in the second period but Franklin scored a pair of third period goals to salvage a point. Zac Falvey scored in the first for Franklin but the Panthers trailed 2-1 after one. Junior Kyle Hedvig scored with 12:38 to go to bring the Panthers within one and senior Joey Lizotte netted a shorthanded breakaway with six minutes left to knot the score 3-3.

Wrestling = Franklin, 73 @ Taunton, 3 – Final
– Franklin’s Jake Carlucci (113), Alex Fracassa (126), Ken Sauer (138), Tommy Zogby (145), Caleb MacLean (160), Dominic Sackley (170), Dylan Nawn (182), Ben Jacoby (195), and Riley Downing (285) each earned pinfall victories for the Panthers. Taunton’s Tyler Lima earned a 5-2 win at 120.


Gymnastics = Taunton, 132.2 @ Franklin, 133.3 – Final
– Franklin freshman Kate Rudolph stepped up to take second overall in the All Around, helping the Panthers edge Taunton. With top gymnast Mia Lizotte sidelined with an injury, Rudolph stepped up to earn a 34.1 in All Around, which was second against Taunton and first against Medway. Rudolph earned a 9.1 on vault, 8.0 on bars, 8.4 on beam, and 8.6 on floor. Emma Owens added an 8.5 on the vault, 8.3 on the bars, and 8.7 on the floor.

Frankin, 133.3 vs. Medway, 132.15 – Final


For the other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-01-09-19/

"AMAZING WIN(s) by an AMAZING group of girls. Franklin scores a 133.3!! On a roll girls."

In the News: home heating assistance sought; "the multi-pronged process that is social emotional leaning"

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

"Human service activists and lawmakers rallied Wednesday outside the Statehouse, calling for the state to help offset a cut in federal funding by allocating $30 million to help low-income families afford winter home heating bills. 

Most of the 48,000 households in Massachusetts that heat with oil have used up their benefits or will do so by the end of January, according to the Massachusetts Association for Community Action, which said 160,000 households in Massachusetts are served under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. 

Funding for the federal program was reduced by $11 million this year, and has over several years been cut from $200 million a year to $136 million per year, MASSCAP said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190109/advocacy-group-seeks-30m-for-heating-bills

Keep Warm in Massachusetts: Need help paying your heating bills?

"For Beverly Hugo, teaching works best when educators focus on a student’s overall well-being, the key element to what academics call social-emotional learning. 

“We are trying to put child development back into the curriculum and less emphasis on testing - especially in K-12” Hugo said. “We use positive behavioral intervention and support.” 

Hugo, president of Massachusetts Association of School Committees, was one four panelists invited to speak Tuesday night at Senate President Karen Spilka’s forum on social-emotional learning, sponsored by Framingham State University. 

“We agree that we need to teach and support the whole child,” Spilka said in her opening remarks. “Tonight, we are focusing on successful implementation strategies for SEL (social- emotional learning) in our schools and our communities.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190109/at-ashland-confab-parents-teachers-talk-about-nurturing-well-rounded-students

Social and emotional learning (SEL)

“If we don’t take care of that, we don’t have to worry about education"

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

"Senate President Karen Spilka told a room full of environmental advocates on Wednesday that nothing the Legislature does in the next two years will be as important as addressing climate change, but the Democratic leader gave no assurances of what that policy solution might look like. 

Spilka, who was elected to her first full term as president last week, dropped by a breakfast event where she described a “real sense of urgency” on Beacon Hill to tackle climate change. 

“We all agree this is a matter of some urgency. It’s just how are we going to accomplish what we want to accomplish,” Spilka said at a breakfast at Carrie Nation organized by the Environmental League of Massachusetts. 

Spilka, of Ashland, asked activists in the room to step forward with “smart, practical, implementable ideas.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190109/climate-change-at-top-of-spilkas-list

The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) is committed to combating climate change