Franklin MAtters Weekly

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Week ending - Jun 10, 2012

This was a week were advance planning was evident all around.

The Finance Committee appropriated over $3.3M on a variety of projects that have been talked of for some time and are now taking a step forward. There is still a way to go for most of the projects but it is a start. Capital funds were established for a new fire truck, for the artificial turf fields and for the Senior Center. Money was put aside now for these items but more will be needed. A little bit at a time requires planning!

The Town Council also appropriated the same amount making the final approval that that FinCom had passed along to them. The FinCom votes were all 8-0 and the Town Council votes were all 9-0. Some discussion but everyone agreed this was good planning!

The Relay for Life was held on the high school field on Friday night into Saturday. Exactly how much money they raised to fight cancer is not known as this is written. There were dozens of teams, tents and bunches of folks still walking when Dolores and I stopped by Saturday morning. Planning for this event started months ago. Planning for this event was critical for successful execution!

The Parmenter 5K was held on Sunday. This is the 4th annual event and it has been growing in size each year. It is good to see so many folks coming out to exercise and fund raise for the school. Planning again.

Not much time left for kindergartners; school will be out for the summer soon. What are you planning to do with your summer? I hope you are planning to do something good!

The rain garden planted in a few locations around the Parmenter School is carefully planned to naturally treat rain water before it makes its way to the brooks and streams and eventually to the Charles River. Yes, planning!

Jun 10

Jun 9

Parmenter 5K and Bottle/Can drive

PHOTOS: Lighting the way in Franklin

Jun 8

Jun 7

Jun 6

Jun 5

Jun 4

DPW Construction Plans for 2012

Big Y: Franklin, MA

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Week ending - Jun 3, 2012

Memorial Day has come and gone and 387 Franklin High School seniors have officially begun their new life as graduates! In between these two significant events, much else has happened around Franklin.

What does the week ahead look like?
After setting the budget, the Finance Committee and Town Council get about approving some funding for specific projects.

The fire truck replacement fund gets this year's addition. If I recall correctly, this is the third year of building up the fund to help pay for a replacement.
The talk of renovating Davis Thayer gets to the step of funding an architect to develop the draft and estimates of what should be done and how much it would cost.
The outstanding work on the dams on the DelCarte property come up for funding.
A fund for Senior Center capital improvements is proposed
A fund for athletic field capital improvements is proposed
Funding for a new DPW garage and storage facility is up for discussion
Funding for street and sidewalk improvements

The Finance committee gets their first look at these items during their meeting Tuesday evening. Their vote is an input for the Town Council discussion and action item for their meeting on Wednesday evening.

(Note: if you do read the detail on Res 12-46, there will likely be a revision before approval. Obviously, a clerical error where the fund being established for the Senior Center would not be used to help the athletic fields.)

Jun 3

Jun 2

Jun 1

May 31

May 30

May 29

May 28

Memorial Day - 2012

Franklin, MA: Memorial Day activities

Monday, May 28, 2012

Week ending - May 27, 2012

What happened in the week leading up to Memorial Day weekend?

The Library Book Sale collected 164 pounds of food items for the Food Pantry as well as almost $181. Thank you, every bit helps our neighbors.

The Town Council may have spent more time on the budget on Wednesday night. For those who showed up on Thursday, there was very little discussion and 15 minutes later the FY 2013 budget was approved. (Note the Town Council did spend more time on the Budget on Wednesday, you can view the meeting here)

Jeff Roy launched his campaign for the 10th Norfolk House seat that Rep Jim Vallee has announced he will step aside from as his term expires later this year. There are five candidates for the Sep 6 primary on the Republican and Democratic slates looking to survive to face off for the Nov 8th election.

For me, the highlight of the week was the opportunity to participate as one of the judges for the Franklin High School Senior Project. What is the Senior Project? Kristy Yankee provided the following presentation and overview to the School Committee meeting earlier this year.
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/03/senior-project-and-healthpe-updates.html

I was one of the three judges for four presentations. Along with a teacher and school administrator, I was to observe the student's presentation and participate in a Q&A session to help determine their mastery of the subject matter. It was hard to score them as they were all so good. The learning experiences that they had will have a longer value than a single grade can indicate.

May 27

Measuring the Universe
AG issues emergency Open Meeting Law regulation

May 26

Franklin veterans gather for Memorial Day breakfast

MassVetsAdvisor.org launches Memorial Day weekend: Services and support for ...

May 25

May 24

May 23

May 22

May 21

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Week ending - May 20, 2012

The Town Council did something interesting this past week. They punted when they could have knocked the ball out of the park. Yes, I understand that is mixing metaphors and it is a deliberate choice.

The agenda was published on the Friday before their Wednesday meeting as normal. The agenda included Res 12-33 which was an endorsement of the People's Rights Amendment. I thought this interesting because while I consider my radar pretty good, there are always holes and new opportunities and this was a surprise.

The Town Council was going to step into a discussion on people's rights? A national discussion that derives itself with roots in local politics (yes, all politics is local). A discussion fraught with political overtones covering the full spectrum of the rainbow. This Council was indeed going to set new ground!

Alas, this was not to be. The agenda was modified and republished on Tuesday without Res 12-33 and the associated documentation. The item was left as a 'presentation'.

Wednesday evening comes and several members of the Council make their sentiments clear that this was not the proper forum for the Council to discuss this item.

I beg to disagree. There may be a better set of language to put forward for this issue. There are at least two proposals out there, there may very well be more. The problem I have with the Council is that the Council is indeed a good forum for this discussion. Why?

What does the US Constitution say? You may recall that the US Constitution begins

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

http://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/constitution/

What does the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts say? In the third paragraph, you'll recognize the key phrase but pay attention to the first two paragraphs!

The end of the institution, maintenance, and administration of government, is to secure the existence of the body politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who compose it with the power of enjoying in safety and tranquility their natural rights, and the blessings of life: and whenever these great objects are not obtained, the people have a right to alter the government, and to take measures necessary for their safety, prosperity and happiness.

The body politic is formed by a voluntary association of individuals: it is a social compact, by which the whole people covenants with each citizen, and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good. It is the duty of the people, therefore, in framing a constitution of government, to provide for an equitable mode of making laws, as well as for an impartial interpretation, and a faithful execution of them; that every man may, at all times, find his security in them.

We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit, and solemn compact with each other; and of forming a new constitution of civil government, for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain and establish the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/Constitution

And of course, the Franklin Charter, by which we are empowered to govern ourselves begins:

We, the people of the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts, in order to form a more perfect community, reaffirm the customary and traditional liberties of the people with respect to the conduct of our local government and take fullest advantage of the Home Rule Amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, do ordain and adopt this Home Rule Charter for our Town.

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_TownCharter/towncharter.pdf

So we have three levels of government, the two most local to us (MA and Franklin) clearly state that we the people have "a right to alter the government", the process includes "an equitable mode of making laws, as well as for an impartial interpretation, and a faithful execution of them; that every man may, at all times, find his security in them."

We should have a discussion on the people's rights amendment. Maybe we can come up with the phrasing that will correct the money problem!

May 20