What's happening in Franklin, MA: Friday, September 18, 2026 ???

Friday, September 18

9:00am Fallen Hero: Levi Pieri (Veterans Walkway, Franklin Town Common)

10:00am Knitting Group (Franklin Public Library)

1:00pm Library Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)

1:00pm Thrifty Threads (Franklin Federated Church)

2:00pm Farmers Market (Franklin Town Common)

3:00pm Critical Mass (live music) (Franklin Town Common)

7:00pm A Night at the Museum (Children’s Museum of Franklin)

For additional details on Library events -> https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events

Franklin Senior Center Calendar for September

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BDUk1yeDL0SMHUNPnqRRZIcMq3Bvyxl2/view?usp=sharing

*** Town Meetings today ***

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Find the full Community event calendar https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication: https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx

The School district calendar is found https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar

Fallen Hero Recognition: Levi Pieri - Sep 18, 2026, 9 AM

Memorial event today (9/18/26) at 9 AM at the Veterans Walkway on the Town Common to honor Private Levi Pieri, WWI. 

Fallen Hero Recognition during 2024

This program will include the placing of a Memorial Wreath for the day, the playing of Taps, a salute from those present, and a reading of whatever history  may be available for that veteran.  This is a way of keeping the memory of that veteran alive.

Levi Pieri, Pvt US Army, WWI

Little is known of Pvt. Pieri. He was inducted 31 Aug 1918, and served with 33rd Company, 9th Training Battalion. It appears that while moving through training at Camp Devens, Levi contracted a disease, most likely the world-wide outbreak of flu and passed on this date Sep 18, 1918, while only having served less than 3 weeks.

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The schedule of Fallen Heroes for the year on one page (PDF)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tlyiAK18owM81p8aJs1vhKc3p2bIK1cv/view?usp=drive_link

The video series of recognition ceremonies for 2024 (YTD) 

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/07/fallen-hero-recognition-ceremonies-for.html

Franklin Farmers Market Friday on the Town Common with musical entertainment from "Critical Mass"

"See you at the Franklin Farmers Market this Friday!

Join us on Friday, September 18, from 2–6 PM on the Town Common for another afternoon of local shopping, fresh food, and community. This week's market features 40+ local vendors, Critical Mass, and food truck from @tcscoops

Some of our weekly local vendors who are going to be there this week are: @edwardscoffeecompany, Eric's Sharper Edge, Everything Jalapeno and NOT, @fairmountfruitfarm, @first_leaves_family_farm, @franklin_hny and many more!

Whether you're stocking up on fresh produce, picking up handmade goods, or just stopping by to enjoy the afternoon, there's something for everyone.

Take a look through this week's vendor lineup and start planning your visit. We can't wait to see you there!"

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"Live music at the market this Friday!

We’re excited to have Critical Mass joining us on Sep 18 from 3–6 PM! Come spend the afternoon at the market, shop from your favorite local vendors, grab something to eat, and enjoy some live acoustic music from Critical Mass.

This performance is sponsored by the @franklinculturalcouncil02038 and the @masscultural

See you Friday!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdZ03n-n6LF/

Town Council recognizes retirees, proclaims Hunger Action Month, gets updates on legislative items, Food Pantry, Safe Coalition & 250 Annive Celebration (video)

The Franklin (MA) Town Council met on Wednesday, Sep 16 beginning at 6 PM. All 9 councilors were present to open the meeting, one left during the meeting. All votes recorded via voice vote and noted as 8 yes, 0 no, and 1 absent.

Follow along with the agenda here

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09162026-2512 

FRANKLIN TV video is available for replay in 2 parts. Zoom automatically restarted during the session and while Zoom and the cable broadcast resumed automatically, the YuTube stream needed to be restarted.

Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yU90Rl52sE

Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v6EpsdI8dY

Quick recap

Town administrator report

• announces grant received of $6 for Fire Dept
• reminder to sign up for the Franklin First newsletter 
• Touts future sessions Oct 14, 28, and Nov 4 to help prepare for the tax rate setting later this year

Proclamation: Hunger Action Month

Town Staff Retirements i. John Rondeau, Facilities, 35 Years ii. Michael Ellsworth, Facilities, 33 Years iii. Patrick Farrell, DPW, 32 Years iv. Irene McDonough, Facilities, 29 Years v. Jon Chalk, Fire Dept, 21 Years

Franklin Elks Riders Donation to Veterans’ Services Department; $2k donation, over $10k for the past several years

Franklin Food Pantry Update - Tina Powderly, Executive Director, Franklin Food Pantry; presentation slides  https://photos.app.goo.gl/2f1TjPBcXfMxVthM8 

next up, State Rep Roy and Senator Rausch with a legislative update

next up, Jen Levine with an update from the SAFE Coalition slides being captured to share via photo album - https://photos.app.goo.gl/1rD2MyGQg6hkdjC97g

next up, the 250 anniversary celebration committee, The slides captured https://photos.app.goo.gl/bN3cFQPgHFQLCWm46 

The Council did enter Executive Session to discuss sale of town property not to return to public meeting at approx. 10:45 PM

my notes in one PDF -

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WVXQJLaaFx2VZBVvIaNSlHYpN4KVt1PW/view?usp=drive_link

Photos of the recognitions and retirements

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zj3u5xQ78VKyvEcs6

FHS girls & boys soccer teams both top Foxboro by 1-0 scores on Thursday

Via Instagram, Franklin TV, and our subscription to HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the Fall sports competition for Franklin High School on Thursday, September 17, 2026

Boys Soccer = Foxboro, 0 @ Franklin, 1 – Final 

– Franklin earned its second straight win and handed Foxboro its first loss of the season with a 1-0 victory at home. Junior Cam Lambert broke the scoreless deadlock midway through the second half, running onto a ball over the top from senior Deacon Eglintine and finishing for the game’s lone goal. Senior Chuck Katz posted his second straight clean sheet in net.

Girls Soccer = Franklin, 1 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final 

– Foxboro held out for 63 minutes against the league’s top attacks, but Franklin eventually found a breakthrough and held on to pick up the win. The Warriors have been a difficult matchup for Franklin over the past few seasons and Thursday was no different. In the first half, Laila Rosen hit the bar, Phoebe Cuneo had a ball taken off her toe with an open goal, and Julia Luck made a diving save to deny Lily Strong. The goal finally came in the 63rd minute when Cuneo got free down the right win and crossed into the middle. After a small deflection, sophomore Halle Leblanc was able to get her knee onto it and direct it past the keeper. Foxboro had a couple of late chances on set pieces but couldn’t find the back of the net. Devyn Cairns made four saves for the Panthers to record the clean sheet. Foxboro’s defense of Peyton Kholes, Kiera D’Arcy, and Madelyn Jaworski had impressive performances.

Golf = Oliver Ames, 152 @ Franklin, 154 – Final

– Oliver Ames notched a close road win at Franklin Country Club, edging Franklin by two strokes for its fifth win of the season. Sophomore Owen Smith, junior captain Matthew Drohen, and senior captain Zachary Barrett each carded a 37 for the Tigers, while sophomore Anthony Shepard rounded out the scoring with a 41. Franklin senior Ben Burgess earned match medalist honors with a 36, including a birdie on two, while sophomore Ethan Helm and senior Tyler Perlman each shot 39 with birdies on seven and four, respectively. Junior Bryce Botelho added a 40 with six pars, and sophomore Albie Lombardo also shot 40 and birdied one.

For other results across the Hockomock League (subscription required)

https://hockomocksports.com/thursdays-schedule-scoreboard-09-17-26/

FHS Panther sports results shared via Twitter & subscription to HockomockSports.com

Franklin Public Schools issue reminder on Fan Expectations

Sports Season: Fan Expectations

As we kick off another exciting sports season, we look forward to seeing our Franklin community come together to cheer on our student-athletes!

To help ensure a safe, positive, and enjoyable experience for everyone, we ask all families and spectators to take a moment to review our fan expectations before attending sporting events.

Thank you for helping us promote good sportsmanship and make this a great season for everyone!

Go Panthers!

View the Fan Expectations Reminder: https://aptg.co/hVy9Nx

or read the embedded copy here:

Tri-County athletic results for Thursday, Sep 17, 2026

Shared from -  https://www.instagram.com/p/DdZ0-jmJVjj/

DPW Updates for Pine St & Pond St - Construction alert for week of Sep 21, 2026

Pine Street

"Over the next couple of weeks, our contractor will continue to connect the remaining water services to the newly installed main along the section from Beech St to Stanwood Drive, all water line work has been completed along the section from Beech St to Pond St. They will also be repaving some of the trench patches that were previously installed within the entire project limits.

The last remaining work under this contract will be some isolated sewer repairs on Stanwood Drive. We expect all work to be completed by the end of October.

If appropriate funding is available, our plan is to reconstruct the roadway travel surface on Pine St. during next year's construction season. This will allow any trench work completed this year to settle over the winter."

Shared from Town page -  https://www.franklinma.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/195

Pond St

"The Town’s Contractor will start milling operations next week on Pond Street from Old West Central Street to Oak Street.

Please seek alternate routes.

Delays should be expected."

Shared from - https://www.franklinma.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/196

Join Rise Up Saturday, September 19 at 10:00 AM

Whether you navigate disability or not, anyone 18+ is welcome to join us!

Learn more and sign up for emails to stay updated: alirheaume.com/rise-up

Rise Up

Saturday, September 19th at 10:00am

Socialize and Create Bookmarks!

82 West Central St, Franklin, MA 

*please avoid the use of fragrance when attending

Free, adaptive, and inclusive for anyone 18+

Photo of a diverse group of people sitting on a table doing a craft.

Hashtags: #Disability #Inclusion #Accessibility #DisabilityCommunity #RiseUp

Have you taken advantage of the Metacomet Land Trust hike series on Saturday at White Barn Farm ?? - Next one - Sep 19

Join us this Saturday for our monthly hike at @whitebarnfarmers! 

Enjoy views of Trout Pond, meet new people, and afterwards grab some coffee and breakfast at @thekitchenatwhitebarn. 

Registration is free, comment below or check our website events (link in bio)!

https://metacometlandtrust.org/events/

Shared from - https://www.instagram.com/p/DdZZ95OFth4/

Franklin Agriculture Commission will be at the Farmers Market - Sep 18

Stop by the Franklin Agricultural Commission table this Friday, September 18 from 2-5:30pm to learn more about how you can get involved and support Franklin agriculture! 

🌱 Commission Members — Associate & 3-year term openings

✍️ Grant Writing — Help local farmers with grant opportunities

👩‍🌾 Farm Volunteers — Help with seasonal chores and projects

Interested in getting involved? Learn more and apply to serve on the Agricultural Commission: https://buff.ly/gZles8A 

For grant writing or farm volunteer opportunities, email Jen Andersen Sweeney at jenhiker@yahoo.com.

There’s a place for you in Franklin agriculture!

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Friday, September 18, 2026

Yes, Franklin has it's own radio station -> wfpr.fm. Franklin Public Radio has a brand new schedule for the locally produced shows that fill our air waves. 

It is available anywhere, anytime at wfpr.fm or in the local Franklin, MA area at 102.9 on the FM dial.

Tune in to listen to the following:

8:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM   Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock  Franklin and its local government, services and events  (repeats Saturday at 2 PM)  

9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 7:00 PM

10:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 8:00 PM - Talkin’ the Blues – Jim Derick & Nick Remissong. 2 hours of awesome blues music, info, interviews  Showcasing the "Blues" as a basis for and influence of Country, Jazz and Rock and Roll, here and worldwide.

11:00 AM, 4:00 PM, and 9:00 PM - “The Vibe” show plays music for everyone searching for some enjoyment, some dance, a happy or thinking mood, and most importantly, having fun.  Tune in to wfpr.fm and listen to “DJ Vibe” spin music across many genres and join this new vibing experience

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf 

Franklin TV schedule for Friday, September 18, 2026

• Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 6, Verizon 26) = FRIDAY

8:30 am Frank Presents: Joe Pagliarulo

10:00 am Aging Boldfully: Fyzical

11:00 am Senior Connection: Kitchen Gadgets Pt. 1

12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: French Toast

12:30 pm Learn to Cook with Linda: Cashew Shrimp

1:30 pm     Pizzapalooza: Meat-Lovers Pt. 2

2:00 pm New England Candlepins Summer 2023 Show 1

3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Spring 2019 Show 2

3:30 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Pete Smith

7:30 pm Second Sunday Speaker Series: Scott Mason

9:00 pm Circle of Friends: Susan Werner

• Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel        (Comcast 8, Verizon 28) = FRIDAY

7:00 am FHS Concert Hour 02-25-26

8:30 am Battleship Cove: Inside the History Pt. 2

9:30 am All-Town Band Showcase 2026

11:00 am Arts Advocacy: How-Tos

1:00 pm 25th Anniversary Lions All-State Band

2:30 pm Varsity Football v Wachusett 09-10-26

9:30 pm FHSTC: Urinetown

• Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 9, Verizon 29) = FRIDAY

8:00 am Zoning Board of Appeals 09-03-26

2:00 pm Zoning Board of Appeals 09-03-26

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf 

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

School Committee gets insights & provides feedback on the District Improvement Plan (audio in 3 parts for ease of listening)

FM #1823-1824-1825 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, numbers 1823-1824-1825 in the series. 

This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM. All 7 of the members were present in Council Chambers.

Quick recap

• District Improvement plan updates by Central office departments

• Part 1 (includes meeting opening)

• Teaching & Learning

• Student Services

• Part 2

• Business/Finance 

• Human Resources

• Lifelong Community Learning

• Part 3 (includes meeting closing)

• Operations (Transportation & Food Services)

• Technology

Let’s listen to

Part 1 =  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1823-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-09-08-26-part-1-of-3/

Part 2 = https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1824-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-09-08-26-part-2-of-3/

Part 3 = https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1825-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-09-08-26-part-3-of-3/

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Franklin TV video available for replay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtMItnThh5E 

The meeting agenda can be found - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09082026-2487  

Note: the draft District Improvement Plan likely won't be available online until after approval at the next School Committee meeting. Last year's plan can be found online - https://heyzine.com/flip-book/24ecc9f7e5.html#page/1 

A photo album of the screens shared is available in the interim

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z7UrvSTy2mRHLPEC6 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. 

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

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news 

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!

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