In Other News

Beaver St. Interceptor Update for Franklin

Monday (1/13) - Friday (1/17): Grove Street will be closed at the
MBTA train tracks between the hours of 7am - 4pm. Traffic turning
onto Grove Street from Rt. 140 will be detoured over to Beaver Street
via Rt. 140. Please follow posted detour signs for directions. Please
follow the DPW Facebook page for detour maps and updated information
during the week.

Monday (1/13) - Friday (1/17): The construction crew will be
conducting the jack and bore trenchless installation of the new
sewer under Rt. 140. The work will be occurring off the road at 38
Pond Street and within the Franklin Village Mall Area. No traffic
impacts are expected.

At the Franklin Recreation Center, the construction of the new Beaver
Street Interceptor Pump Station will continue with form work and
concrete placement.

In Medway, a Creature Scavenger Hunt

If
you want to connect with nature, check out the scavenger hunt at the
Adams Street Meadow kiosk! An informative poster, designed by
Medway's very own Molly Kendall, is on display at the kiosk (located
behind the high school). Our Conservation Department is deeply
grateful for Molly's creativity and contribution.

Farmland Threat

In western Mass, the Daily Hampshire Gazette is reporting that some
locals are worried that the state’s new fast-track law, designed to
make it easier for solar and wind power companies to locate where
they want, may end up gobbling up the remaining fertile farmland of
the Pioneer Valley since it is mostly, flat, easy to develop and has
good solar and wind characteristics.

Another Educational Opportunity, Thanks to Ben

On Thurs.
1/30, Min Chen, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Boston’s Benjamin
Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology,
a 2-year college, which was begun with a bequest from Benjamin
Franklin, will conduct back-to-back afternoon sessions for students
at Franklin High School and Tri-County Vocational, sharing the town's
common thread with Ben Franklin as well as the modern career programs
available via commuter rail in Boston at the Institute. One
of the hallmarks of the Benjamin
Franklin Cummings Institute is the availability of paid
apprenticeships combined with classwork, making for an affordable
educational experience. Contact
the respective guidance departments for details.

Hospital Troubles South of the Border

In an echo of the troubles Massachusetts had recently with Steward
and its bankrupt hospitals, the Boston Globe and Providence Journal
are reporting that Prospect Medical Holdings, which operates wo
safety-net hospitals in Rhode Island, has filed for bankruptcy in
Dallas. Prospect owns two for-profit safety-net hospitals in Rhode
Island, Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and Our Lady of
Fatima in North Providence, as well as three hospitals in
Connecticut.