COMMUNITY PARK:  One of the questions on last month’s survey was your preference for the location of the park. Of the 193 that were mailed we received 26 which tells us the majority of residents either have no opinion or location doesn’t matter to them.

COMMUNITY CIVIC CENTER: The architect contract has been signed and a site plan with the topographical data has been submitted to the Crawford County Zoning Board along with our zoning application. The Zoning Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 22 in the Girard County Court House at 7:00 p.m., all are welcome to attend.

SEWER PROJECT: Rural Development has awarded $1.6 million toward the Franklin sewer project.

STORM SIRENS: Craig Stokes is meeting with County Commissioners and County Sheriff’s Department in attempts to secure a conclusion to this project.

RURAL WATER DISTRICT #7: The Annual Election Meeting was held April 4th due to Easter falling on the second Sunday. Two positions on the Board were open. One resident volunteered to fill a vacancy but the unanimous tally of votes cast re-elected Craig Stokes and Jerry Wayman and they resumed their positions.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE: This committee has been super busy.   They sent out 300 fund raising letters in an attempts to achieve the proposed budget dollars needed to complete all projects.
 
Additionally they are contacting all media to promote our upcoming events.  Our web site is continually being updated so visit it weekly to see changes, minutes from prior meetings and upcoming special event information. We are still seeking Franklin history and old photos to add to our History Link. This committee is in charge of planning our Memorial Ceremony on May 4th and much work has gone into this service.

Various newspapers and TV stations have been advised of our plans and we have been contacted by media from other areas such as Kansas City and Joplin. The National Associated Press has also been notified. This will be a short program with a few words from local clergy, remarks from the family of Josephine Maghe, the community’s only fatality,  and a moment of silence at 5:11 p.m. the time the tornado struck Franklin. We will assemble at the site of the old community hall at 4:30 p.m. We have invited other public figures who have aided Franklin but no time has been allotted for speeches.  Their presence will speak volumes about their support to our community.

We can’t urge you enough to say we want to see every resident, physically able, to attend this one hour service. We have been through a terrible disaster that affected each and everyone of us in different ways... anyone driving through Franklin can feel the effects of May 4, 2003.

Please lets stand united and help each other take a step forward towards closure to this devastation.

PLANNING AND LAND USE: This is another hard working committee with many projects going on. Volunteers are currently going door-to-door first on Broadway Street getting signatures on Right-Of-Entry Permit and Release forms and forms were also mailed to other property owners. This form will cover 2 projects that are coming up... the first is National Arbor Day, Friday, April 30. The Kansas Forestry Service will be delivering between 100-200 trees in 3 gallon size of Redbud and Oak varieties. This particular date was chosen by the State of Kansas and not us. This planting will begin on April 30th at 10:00 A.M. (we would have preferred a Saturday but that wasn’t our decision to make) and under the direction of Tim McDonnell, our County District Forester from Haysville, Kansas, the planting will begin up and down Broadway Street on both sides of the road.

These trees are classified as City Street Trees and not considered private property as they will be planted as close to the state’s road easement as possible.

We have gotten this far but now we need you... volunteers are needed on this project and we ask that you meet on the old community hall site prior to 10:00 A.M., in order to obtain your signature on a Volunteer Release form. Because of the size of trees all that is needed is a shovel. Refreshments will be served!

For additional details please call Veda Maxwell at 347-4747 or email ghost_dancer@ckt.net

The second project the above mentioned forms apply to is our Clean-Up event... this will be a lengthy project to be sure. Starting a few days after the Memorial Service the removal of damaged trees that the Forestry Service has advised must be cut down will begin. Again, unless we receive those signed releases our volunteers cannot go on your property... we need them returned no-later-than April 28th. The more volunteers we can sign up the sooner our community’s appearance will be improved. We realize that many of our property owners are senior citizens and cannot physically work along side of us but, to those who are younger we ask that you join us in this project which will benefit all of us. For more complete details please call Henry Ashbacher at 347-4070 or 620-249-2900.

Mark your calendar for:
April 30th Arbor Day Planting ----
May 4th Memorial Service
and approximately May 7th for Clean-Up.....
please don’t fail us, we are doing our very best for everyone in Franklin!