Franklin: Council approves Mann statue funds
- By Mike Gleason/Daily News StaffPosted Sep. 9, 2015 at 8:33 PM
FRANKLIN - The Town Council has voted to allocate $46,000 to a projectto build a statue of Horace Mann, securing the final piece of fundingneeded to honor the man known as the father of public education.The council at its meeting Wednesday night opted to transfer $28,000from the Adelbert Thayer Trust and $18,000 from the Austin FletcherTrust to the effort, which would place the statue at 150 Emmons St.Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting noted that State Rep. Jeffrey Roy,D-Franklin, had secured $50,000 in state funding for the $96,000 project.He said the $46,000 transferred Wednesday would come from trust fundsestablished to assist the town."It wouldn't be taxpayers' money, and it would come from interest earnedon the trust funds," he said.Town Clerk Deborah Pellegri, who led the statue committee, said thelocation was the site of the town's former municipal building and also theformer Horace Mann High School."(Mann) was born here in Franklin, on Central Street - we have a stonemarker to designate where he was born," she said. "We're proud of ournative son, and we honor him by naming many areas in town after him."A letter from Roy was read into the record. In it, he said the statue couldbecome a "shining monument" not only for the town, but for publiceducation in the United States. He said the statue's location, at a notabledowntown area, would represent an excellent gateway to the community.Franklin Schools Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski said that it was justabout a year before that the council presided over the opening of thetown's new high school. She said the statue would further cement thetown's legacy in promoting public education."It's an opportunity to create a public space that's easily accessible, notjust for school children, but college students and residents as well,"she said.The council unanimously approved the transfer of the funds.
Mike Gleason can be reached at 508-634-7546 or mgleason@wickedlocal.com.For news throughout the day, follow him on Twitter @MGleason_MDN.