Monday, January 25, 2021

Franklin Senior Center: Memory Cafe - Jan 25 - 2 PM

Please join us tomorrow, Monday, January 25 at 2 PM for the incredible entertainment of PE James.  PE has been entertaining audiences with his singing and acoustic guitar for over 3 decades.  If you love music you won't want to miss this event.  

This month's "Where's the Toast" Memory Cafe' is generously sponsored by Benchmark. 

Click below to join our Memory Cafe' Monday at 2 PM
https://zoom.us/j/91674028130?pwd=NWdZS3hZTlpGOWpUNEtoN3FKZjRiZz09

Meeting ID: 916 7402 8130
Passcode: 161293 

Franklin Senior Center: Memory Cafe - Jan 25 - 2 PM
Franklin Senior Center: Memory Cafe - Jan 25 - 2 PM


MMA: Gov Baker, Lt Gov Polito provide updates on forthcoming MA budget

Gov Baker spoke to the MMA meeting on Friday, Lt Gov Polito spoke on Thursday. Highlights of their remarks including insights on the State budget to be released on Wednesday as shared here:

"During the MMA Annual Business Meeting this afternoon, Gov. Charlie Baker thanked hundreds of local officials for their “invaluable” partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic and announced that he would be filing legislation next week to authorize $200 million for the Chapter 90 local road and bridge program.

The governor highlighted a number of programs and recently signed laws intended to help give an economic boost to main streets and downtowns that have suffered during the pandemic, particularly a $626 million economic development bond, $16.5 billion transportation bond and a new small business relief initiative that has distributed $232 million thus far to more than 4,000 small businesses. The multi-year transportation bond law includes funding for the popular Complete Streets and Municipal Small Bridge grant programs, as well as new Municipal Pavement Partnership and Local Bottleneck Reduction grant programs. "

Continue reading the article online 
"Speaking to more than 800 local leaders from across the state during the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show this morning, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced that the administration’s state budget plan for fiscal 2022, set to be released next Wednesday, will increase general municipal aid by 3.5%.

This meets the administration’s commitment to increase the Unrestricted General Government Aid account at the same rate as the projected growth in state revenues. The consensus projection of 3.5% was announced by legislative and administration budget writers late last week."
Continue reading the article online 

New DLS Data Visualization Tool Now Available: Municipal Finance Snapshot

The Division of Local Services has a new tool available for quickly finding key financial and demographic information for all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. 

The Municipal Finance Snapshot Dashboard uses Tableau visualizations to display data in 14 financial categories including Average Single Family Tax Bill, Local Receipts, New Growth and much more. Selecting a city or town from the map provides a wealth of data about that community. 

Please visit the Municipal Finance Snapshot Dashboard to explore all the information DLS has to offer in a new, easy-to-use way! 

In a trial run of the new snapshot dashboard, I found this Town of Franklin info (image below). Go try for yourself:  
https://edit.mass.gov/info-details/city-and-town-municipal-finance-snapshots

Municipal Finance Snapshot - Town of Franklin Info
Municipal Finance Snapshot - Town of Franklin Info


“We don’t believe this is easier to do now”


"THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE between Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature on climate change legislation comes down to an issue where the two sides don’t seem very far apart at all.

Baker, in his roadmap for getting to net zero emissions by 2050, set a target for 2030 of a 45 percent reduction in emissions below a benchmark level. The Legislature, in the measure it passed at the end of last year’s legislation session, approved a 50 percent reduction. It was a mere 5-point difference, which lawmakers and environmental advocates dismissed as little more than a rounding error, but the Baker administration insisted it was a very big deal.

In his January 14 letter vetoing the legislation, Baker for the first time said those five percentage points would unnecessarily cost state residents $6 billion. Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington, the Senate’s point person on climate change, said he had never heard the number before, and hinted it might have been made up. Environmental advocates were also dismissive. House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka say they are determined to send the bill back to the governor as is.

Now, Kathleen Theoharides, the governor’s secretary of energy and environmental affairs, is explaining where the number came from and why the difference between 45 percent and 50 percent is so substantial. "

Continue reading the article online   https://commonwealthmagazine.org/environment/theoharides-explains-6b-cost-figure/ 

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Franklin, MA: School Committee Meeting - Agenda - Jan 26, 2021

 Franklin School Committee 
January 26, 2021 - 7:00 P.M.
 
I.    Routine Business
A.    Review of Agenda
B.    Citizen’s Comments
"In the spirit of open communication, “the Committee will hold a public participation segment (also called Citizen’s Comments) about matters not related to an agenda item at the beginning of each regular School Committee meeting. The Committee will listen to, but not respond to any comment made…. A Committee member may add an agenda item to a future meeting as a result of a citizen comment…. The Committee will hear public comments related to an agenda item when the Chair deems appropriate during the Committee meeting. Topics for discussion during the meeting must be limited to those items listed on the Committee meeting agenda for that evening…. ” - from Policy BEDH
C.    FHS Student Representative Comments
D.    Superintendent’s Report
 
II.    7:30 Guests/Presentations
A.    HMMS School Highlight -- Ms. Rebecca Motte and Mr. Craig Williams
 
B.    FHS Program of Study Update – Josh Hanna, Principal FHS
 
C.    Homework & Homework Policy – Dr. Joyce Edwards
III.    8:15 Discussion/Action Items
A.    2021-2022 School Calendar
I recommend approval of the 2021-2022 School Calendar as discussed.
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/disc-action-21-22-calendar
 
IV.    8:20 Discussion Only Items
A.    Reopening Status Update (January 22, 2021)
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/reopening-status-update-12221
 
V.    8:40 Information Matters
A.    School Committee Sub-Committee Reports (e.g. Ad Hoc Supt. Evaluation, Ad Hoc Facilities Analysis, Budget, Community Relations/Public Schools Advocacy, Policy, Transportation)
B.    School Committee Liaison Reports (e.g. Joint PCC, Substance Abuse Task Force, School Wellness Advisory Council, Franklin Racial & Social Justice Task Force)
 
VI.    9:00 New Business
A.    To discuss any future agenda items
 
VII.    Consent Agenda
A.    Approval of Minutes
I recommend approval of the minutes from the January 12, 2021 School Committee meeting as detailed.
B.    Transfers
I recommend approval of the budget transfers as detailed.
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/consent-action-b-transfers-4
C.    Remington Middle School Gift
I recommend acceptance of a check for $2,324.00 from Read-A-Thon for in-house enrichment at Remington Middle School as detailed.  https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/consent-c-rms
D.    Parmenter Gift
I recommend acceptance of a check for $2,327.97 from the Parmenter PCC for supplemental supplies as detailed.  https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/consent-d-parm-0
 
VIII.    Payment of Bills    Dr. Bergen

IX.    Payroll    Ms. Pond-Pfeffer
 
X.    Executive Session
A) Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A §21(a)(2) to conduct strategy session in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel.
 
XI.    9:15 Adjournment 
 
Meeting packet folder containiing the doc released for this agenda
 
 
Franklin, MA: School Committee Meeting - Agenda - Jan 26, 2021
Franklin, MA: School Committee Meeting - Agenda - Jan 26, 2021


FM #443 Town Council Mtg - P1 of 2 - 01/20/21 (audio)

FM #443 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 443 in the series.

This session shares the Franklin, MA Town Council meeting held on Wednesday, Jan 20, 2021.

The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: members of the Town Council, selected guests, and Town Administration personnel were in the Council Chambers, the public was remote via Zoom conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

I’ve split the full two hour thirty minutes meeting into two logical segments and almost equal segments:

  • First - covers the opening through the Subcommittee reports. Includes the public hearing on the new alcohol license, and on the street acceptances (1 hour and 16 minutes)
  • Second - covers Legislation for Action items (including the technically off topic rant) through to the close of the meeting (1 hour and 16 mins)

The show notes contain links to the meeting agenda including documents released for this agenda.

Let’s listen to this segment of the Town Council meeting of Jan 20, 2021. Audio file = https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HrrkpbYS

 


--------------

Agenda document (and released supporting materials in one PDF)
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-jan-20.html

My notes from the meeting
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/town-council-meeting-recap-jan-20-2021.html

-------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
 
How can you help?

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

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I 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 & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

 

FM #443 Town Council Mtg - P1 of 2 - 01/20/21 (audio)
FM #443 Town Council Mtg - P1 of 2 - 01/20/21 (audio)

FM #444 Town Council Mtg - P2 of 2 - 01/20/21 (audio)

FM #444 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 444 in the series.

This session shares the Franklin, MA Town Council meeting held on Wednesday, Jan 20, 2021.

The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: members of the Town Council, selected guests, and Town Administration personnel were in the Council Chambers, the public was remote via Zoom conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

I’ve split the full two hour thirty minutes meeting into two logical segments and almost equal segments:

  • First - covers the opening through the Subcommittee reports. Includes the public hearing on the new alcohol license, and on the street acceptances (1 hour and 16 minutes)
  • Second - covers Legislation for Action items (including the technically off topic rant) through to the close of the meeting (1 hour and 16 mins)

The show notes contain links to the meeting agenda including documents released for this agenda.

Let’s listen to this segment of the Town Council meeting of Jan 20, 2021. Audio file = https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HZ1WvS5S

--------------

Agenda document (and released supporting materials in one PDF)
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-jan-20.html

My notes from the meeting
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/town-council-meeting-recap-jan-20-2021.html

-------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
 
How can you help?

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

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I 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 & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

  

FM #444 Town Council Mtg - P2 of 2 - 01/20/21 (audio)
FM #444 Town Council Mtg - P2 of 2 - 01/20/21 (audio)

FM #442 Davis Thayer FA Subcomm - 01/20/21 (audio)

FM #442 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 442 in the series.

This session shares the Franklin, MA School Committee - Davis Thayer Facility Analysis Subcommittee meeting held on Wednesday, Jan 20, 2021.

The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: some of the Central Office personnel were in the Municipal Building, the remainder of the SubCommittee and public participants were remote via conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

The show notes contain links to the meeting agenda and to my notes.

The recording runs just about 90 minutes

Let’s listen to this segment of the Davis Thayer Facility Analysis meeting of Jan 20, 2021  

Audio file =  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-442-davis-thayer-fa-subcomm-01-20-21

--------------

Agenda doc
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/school-committee-davisthayer-facility.html  

My notes from the meeting
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/schcomm-davis-thayer-facility-analysis.html  

-------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
 
How can you help?

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

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I 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 & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

 

FM #442 Davis Thayer FA Subcomm - 01/20/21 (audio)
FM #442 Davis Thayer FA Subcomm - 01/20/21 (audio)

FHS girls hockey and girls basketball post big wins on Saturday

From HockomockSports.com we share the FHS sports results:

Boys Hockey  Franklin @ Taunton – Postponed to TBD.

Girls Hockey = Franklin, 7 vs. Boston Latin, 0 – Final 
– Franklin senior Amanda Lewandowski scored a hat trick as the Panthers skated to a win over BLA. Junior Maggie McCaffrey added a pair of goals while Molly Hurley and Libby Carter (two assists) each scored once in the win. Lyndsay Atkinson added three assists in the win while Gabby Colace had the shutout.

Girls Basketball =Taunton, 10 @ Franklin, 59 – Final 
– The Panthers continue to roll through the first three weeks of the season, completing the sweep of Taunton with a strong defensive performance and with 12 players getting on the scoresheet. Franklin jumped out to a 15-3 lead after one quarter, but things got tighter in the second as the Panthers were held to just eight points. Things picked up offensively for the hosts after the break, as they scored 20 points in the third and 36 for the second half. Taunton was held to just three made field goals for the game (one in the first, third, and fourth quarters). Olivia Quinn led the way with 13 points in the win, including eight in the second half and three made three-pointers. Franklin continues to showcase its depth. Elizabeth Wilson had eight points, Kaleigh Houlihan added seven, and Katie Peterson and Brigid Earley both had six. Jaelyn Fernandez paced the Tigers with four points (all from the line in the second quarter). 
 
 
Boys Basketball = Franklin, 65 @ Taunton, 72 – Final 
"After leading for nearly the entire game, Taunton’s advantage evaporated after Franklin’s strong start to the fourth quarter.

Instead of letting the visitors’ momentum snowball, the Tigers fought back.

Taunton’s answer was an 11-2 run over the next three minutes, jumping back ahead for good in a 72-65 win over Franklin to give the Tigers a regular season sweep of the Panthers.

“It was what you’d expect for a Saturday morning game, it didn’t feel like either team was there defensively,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey. “We were out of it defensively all day. It was a close game in the second half and we were acting like we were down 20. We have to get over our mistakes quicker, we have kids that dwell on them too long.”
Continue reading the game recap by Ryan Lanigan, founder and Editor-in-Chief of HockomockSports.com:  https://hockomocksports.com/taunton-boys-basketball-fourth-quarter-run-past-franklin/
 

For other results around the Hockomock League
 
Taunton junior Tristan Herry goes up for a layup against Franklin senior Declan Walmsley on Saturday morning. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
Taunton junior Tristan Herry goes up for a layup against Franklin senior Declan Walmsley on Saturday morning. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)


Reminder: fund raiser for Franklin Music Boosters closes out Monday, Jan 25 at 5 PM


"The Bring Love Back to Business Calendar Raffle is approaching the 5 PM deadline on Monday, January 25th!  Our music students have 3 more days to set up accounts, sell raffle tickets, and earn their Amazon gift cards.  They're doing an amazing job!"
Raffle tickets https://t.co/7nFwRRct4q 
Shared from Twitter:   https://t.co/5GAxgHD5w3


Franklin Music Booster Calendar Raffle Tickets for sale!
Franklin Music Booster Calendar Raffle Tickets for sale!

Tri-County Regional VTHS – HONOR ROLL - 2020-2021 Trimester 1

The Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School – HONOR ROLL for the School Year 2020-2021 Trimester 1 is available in the embedded PDF file.

Congratulations to all the students (and their families) for this accomplishment!

You can download a copy of the file from here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sR_SgjYVFA-Dh0hUl8Zaojcs29FxDp7j/view?usp=sharing


Tri-County Regional VTHS – HONOR ROLL - 2020-2021 Trimester 1
Tri-County Regional VTHS – HONOR ROLL - 2020-2021 Trimester 1


FHS Gymnastics: Meet Ashley - Meet Maia


Meet Ashley! @FHSSports @FranklinHS @FranklinMatters @R_Lanigan @BostonHeraldHS @MetroWestSports @HockomockSports @MyFM1013 @KatCornetta @FHSTrainingRoom @ashley_hammann https://t.co/1yUPgpmzZs
 
Meet Maia! @FHSSports  @FranklinHS  @FranklinMatters  @R_Lanigan  @BostonHeraldHS  @MetroWestSports  @HockomockSports  @MyFM1013
 @KatCornetta  @FHSTrainingRoom  @KeohaneMaia
https://t.co/KB5uwpCaIg


Tri-County RVTHS Offers Freshman Interactive Career Exploration Gaming Experience

This year, first-year students have an exciting opportunity to participate in an interactive career-based game designed by our Library Media Specialist, Ariel Dagan, in collaboration with guidance. This “game” empowers the Freshmen to navigate a career quest that draws upon their personal experiences and preferences to illustrate how they relate to their future career goals.

Through the interactive online game quests and challenges, the student will assemble a story about themselves to help determine a career path that reflects their personality and interests. They will earn a better understanding of their strengths and character and who they would like to become in the future.

“The year 2020, of all years, was perfect timing to roll out this game! It allowed students to combine their career interests and skills into a fun activity that students completed at
home. Student reflections revealed their unique personalities by the way they responded to the questions. In addition, I found that the remote camera setting was a tool utilized that helped boost confidence by giving them space to be themselves,” says Karen Kennedy, 9th Grade Guidance Counselor.

The interactive game ran for six weeks, and students accessed the program online at home. The game incorporates several tools, including Naviance, Careers In, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Naviance is a college planning and career assessment tool that helps identify students’ strengths, needs, and interests, giving them a better understanding of which career may suit their desires. Careers In (Salem Press) is a series that provides real-world information such as a day in the life, networking, earnings and advancement, work environment, and areas with high levels of employment. Through gameplay, the students will complete tasks using these online services to delve deeper into their interests and discover possible career paths.

The game includes over 40 engagement opportunities where students will compete in a boss battle, solve puzzles, and answer open-ended questions through a video or written journal. Since launch, over 80% of students have played the game and spent an average of xx hours engaging with the game. Students noted how the game helped solidify the path they were on or helped them discover different opportunities that excite them. This online game allows students to think introspectively and answer questions honestly as the answers are not publicized.

“The Tri-County Guidance Department strives to motivate every student to develop a well thought-out post-secondary goal, and progress in reaching those goals, prior to graduation. Our guidance team has a long history of success of implementing a goal-oriented career plan starting at day-1. This ‘Career-Focused Game’ developed by Mr. Dagan in collaboration with Ms. Kennedy and Mr. Casey gave the grade 9 students a fantastic start. It truly is the icing on the cake!” Scott O’Brien, Head of Guidance.

This career exploratory game concluded on January 4th, 2021 to allow students to decide their top three programs offered at Tri-County.

 

Freshman Interactive Career Exploration Gaming Experience
Freshman Interactive Career Exploration Gaming Experience

"Using your voice is a political choice" | Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman captured my attention (along with many others) on Wednesday. Here are a couple of videos that share insights into her person and poetry. 

Using your voice is a political choice | Amanda Gorman
"For anyone who believes poetry is stuffy or elitist, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman has some characteristically well-chosen words. According to Amanda, poetry is for everyone, because at its core it's all about connection and collaboration. In this fierce Talk, Amanda explains why poetry is inherently political (in the best way!), she pays homage to her honorary ancestors, and she stresses the value of speaking out despite your fears. "Poetry has never been the language of barriers, it's always been the language of bridges."
Direct video link = https://youtu.be/plU-QpcEswo
 
 
'Overjoyed': Hear from poet who stole the show at inauguration
"CNN's Anderson Cooper speaks with Amanda Gorman, the nation's first-ever youth poet laureate, after she delivered a poem at the inauguration of President Joe Biden"
Direct video link = https://youtu.be/qHhut5nhI8g


50+ program guest speaker series - PIVOT Your Job Search for 2021!

PIVOT Your Job Search for 2021!

Are you feeling stuck or discouraged about your job search?
Are you wondering what changes 2021 might bring?

NOW is the perfect time for a Job Search Pivot.

Join us for tips, tools, data & support to help you re-start or kickstart your job search, designed for people 50+.

Facilitated by:

  • Amy Avergun, Brain-Friendly Instructional Designer and Career Coach
  • Susan Drevitch Kelly, Director of 50+ Job Seekers Networking Groups and Career Services Consultant
  • Doug Dickson, Chair of Encore Boston Network and former career consultant

Wednesday, January 27, 10-11:50 AM

Brought to you by:  The 50+ Jobseekers Networking Groups and the Encore Boston Network
_._,_._
PIVOT Your Job Search for 2021!
PIVOT Your Job Search for 2021!