"Where's The Toast?!" Memory Cafe DATE CHANGE to - Wed 1/31/24 at 1 PM

Hello All,

Due to an uptick in illness we are postponing our 1/17 Memory Cafe to a new date of Jan. 31 at 1 PM.  

"Where's The Toast?!" Memory Cafe DATE CHANGE

We hope that you will join us on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 1 PM for our "Where's The Toast?!" Memory Cafe at the Franklin Senior Center.  The Rob Show will be entertaining us with songs you all know and love.  

Memory Cafes are safe and inviting spaces for those experiencing memory loss, their family, friends and caretakers.  We hope that you can join us for this hour of fun, singing and friendship.  

If you or your loved one are experiencing any symptoms of sickness, or have been in close contact with someone who is sick, PLEASE refrain from joining us.  In this case sharing is NOT caring. You are welcome to wear a mask but it is not required.

Memory cafes are free but please respond that you will attend so I know how many folks will be joining us.  

Thank you,

Ariel

--

Ariel Doggett

Programming / Volunteer Coordinator

Phone: 508-520-4945

Fax: 508-520-4917

https://www.franklinma.gov/fsc

"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Ingersoll

There is no act of kindness too small

Change the Mass Flag information session - 06/21/22 (audio)

FM #819 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 819 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the information session held at the Franklin Public Library on the possible change to the Commonwealth of MA seal and flag. The session was held Tuesday, June 21, 2022.  

Kathleen Trefethen, a local supporter of the Change the Mass Flag movement  introduces organization founder David Detmold who then walks through a few slides depicting some of the changes to the seal & flag over the years before 1898. The current image has not changed since then. 

The information session runs about 57 minutes. Let’s listen to the discussion and some of the pros/cons on this topic.

Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-819-ma-state-seal-flag-change-info-session-06-21-22

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PDF of information sheet https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s7_9prafUIiWB3gXgoynNpoad0CieMD3/view?usp=sharing 

Change the MA Flag web page - https://changethemassflag.com/ 

Change the MA Flag - history https://changethemassflag.com/history/ 

A copy of the flyer for the event at the Library:   https://drive.google.com/file/d/15Yn1C3OK4z-c4zhlVbEgMmKZJJJWvpVm/view?usp=sharing 

There is a formal commission to make recommendations that coincidentally met earlier on Tuesday. The recording of that is available -> https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/4311 

Alan Earl’s Franklin Observer recap of the session https://franklinobserver.town.news/g/franklin-town-ma/n/84872/groups-says-now-time-change-state-flag 

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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

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"

current state seal/flag image and origination of elements it contains

David Detmold with one version of the seal/flag

Franklin.TV: Our Normal Returneth?

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 03/20/2022

After two years of COVID we are working on reopening our studio. I say ‘working on’ for a number of reasons. Topmost? Things are not simply what they were in 2019. We are entering a new time. This new time demands new thinking.

We are facing more technical changes, and with those, more operational changes. We also have to carefully consider how our staff (God bless ‘em.) can best balance a more flexible work schedule that now includes WFH. With our studio shuttered, they responded in time of COVID-crisis to get out there and cover as many live civic, school and sports events as possible. That meant working many more random nights and weekends. They made it happen without missing a beat.

We geared up, building small, portable TV control systems as ‘Flypaks’ that enable us to originate live from wherever with minimal setup effort. Our systems were also designed to be Zoom-friendly. We installed new systems in Town Chambers for effortless Zoom integration there as well.

Our radio operation became totally remote, with up to a dozen volunteers working, conducting guest interviews and producing programs from home via Zoom.

Now we’re headed back the other way, technically. We’re opening up studios that have been shuttered for the most part. But, they won’t be the same. They also must be Zoom-enabled. Our new normal brings new expectations. We also have to enable Zoom in the FHS auditorium, a very large venue with its own challenges.

The beginning of the pandemic forced us into technical overdrive for months in order to meet the challenges of TV and radio production in 2020.

Now, at the end of the pandemic in 2022 (hopefully) we need to rework our studios, our gear and production skills to integrate Zoom on demand – whenever, wherever. We also plan to work on integrating radio and TV programming where possible. Life in 2019 B.C. (Before COVID) feels like quaint ancient history.  Now, in 2022 A.D. (After Disaster) our lives are filled with change.

The only constant in life – is change. - Heraclitus

Do we simply succumb to it, or – do we master it? 

And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm. 
And, thank you for watching. 

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

Franklin.TV: Our Normal Returneth?

Falvey and Sherlock talk about the town Charter - P1 (audio)

FM #686 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 686 in the series. 

This shares my conversation with Frank Falvey, of Frank Presents, a long time Franklin resident and cable show host. This is the first of a series on the Town Charter, the process to change it, and some of the possible revisions that Frank and I discuss.  We start our discussion by painting the picture of the development of cable and radio broadcasting in Franklin and our individual show expansion.

 

Links to the current Town charter (modified in 2013) and the charter report for 1995 (prior changes) are included in the show notes. 

The recording runs about 34 minutes: Let’s listen to this recording of Frank and I talk about the charter.  Audio file => https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-686-charter-discussion-with-frank-falvey-p1

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Feedback via email -> info@franklin.tv

Current Town Charter ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/revised_2013_1.pdf 

Charter Commission Report - 1995

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczeUlRYUpQeFd0QXc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-afykQfGLjmP3-DNzc-H-uA

MA General Law Chapter 34  https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVI/Chapter34A/Section4 

Division of Local Services (DLS) - newsletter summarizing change change process https://www.mass.gov/doc/october4thpdf/download 

--------------

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

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!

------------------

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

 

Falvey and Sherlock in FHS for the first live broadcast on wfpr.fm Nov 2019

Online New Student/Kindergarten Registration and Change of Address Form

Franklin Public Schools is happy to announce the launch of our online New Student Registration/Change of Address Form. Parents/Guardians will be able to utilize this form to enroll a new student in Franklin Public Schools or change a current student’s address within Franklin. 

Once completed, parents/guardians will receive a personal confirmation email from their child’s school with further enrollment information. We are excited about this new endeavor and are hopeful it will make our registration process more efficient.

If you are interested in enrolling at the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC), please contact Laura Flanagan, school secretary, at flanaganla@franklinps.net to learn about availability and enrollment procedures. Once your child has been accepted and enrolled at ECDC, we will guide you through the Registration Process.

FIND THE NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION/CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM HERE: https://bit.ly/3fSCAbZ

*Please note that if your student is a current 5th or 8th grader attending school in Franklin, their records will be automatically transferred to the appropriate Franklin middle or high school and no action is required

 

Online New Student/Kindergarten Registration and Change of Address Form

"There is a crack in everything / That's how the light gets in"

The tweet contained this quote which caught my attention:

Vulnerability isn't generally the mode that is most welcome in this world, and even people who say they love Leonard Cohen's line, "There is a crack in everything / That's how the light gets in," tend to spend most of their time furiously hiding their own cracks from public display.

https://twitter.com/elamin88/status/1248989058195488770?s=19

So I followed the link to the article to begin reading:

Our apartment window has become a television screen, and we’ve started to name the people we can see when we look out of it, as if they’re characters in a new and still-captivating show. There’s Bruce Wayne, and the Lady with the Floofy Cats, and – dearest to my heart – Shouty French Dad. SFD appears to have approximately 10 children, all of them boys, all of them requiring cheetah levels of exercise every day.

A couple of months ago, in the before-time, I used to roll my eyes at SFD when I heard him yelling at his many children in multiple languages (it did not occur to me, until this moment, that he could probably hear me screaming at my own). Now that’s all changed. He’s still shouty, but I recognize what a good dad he is, as he ties the shoes of the little ones with ragged patience, and plays soccer with the older ones after they leave the apartment for their one hour of prison-yard exercise.

He’s doing the best he can. Or maybe he’s secretly sinking. It’s hard to judge, since the great pandemic see-saw is no respecter of emotional equilibrium. It might see you coping one day, and sobbing in the bathroom behind a locked door the next. What everyone does feel, it seems to me, is raw. Raw and human and fallible, open to the possibilities of catastrophe and grace, all at once.

Continue reading the article online
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-nothing-will-be-perfect-again-and-thats-just-fine/

ILLUSTRATION BY HANNA BARCZYK

MBTA Commuter Rail: Through June 25: Franklin Line Alert

Weekdays, June 13-25, due to Amtrak switch replacement near Readville, outbound trains 741 & 703 as well as inbound trains 718, 720, 722 & 746 will not stop at Back Bay & Ruggles. 

Trains 741, 720, 722 & 746 will board at the upper platform at Readville.

Last Updated: Jun 10 2019 11:47 AM


The current Franklin Schedule PDF can be found here
https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/route_pdfs/2019-spring/2019-05-20-franklin-accessible.pdf

trying to make sense of the announcement, the circle trains will NOT STOP
at Ruggles and BackBay from June 13 through June 25

MBTA: Franklin Line schedule change effective Monday, May 23

New Commuter Rail schedules become effective on Monday, May 23rd. To view updated schedules, go to mbta.com.

Please note that there will be no schedule changes for the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth, and Middleborough/Lakeville Lines.

new Franklin LIne schedule effective May 23 was handed out at South Station this week

Paper copies of the schedules are now available in the Boston-based stations (North Station, South Station, and Back Bay).

For all T-Alert subscribers, please know that your subscriptions may change as a result of the new schedules. To ensure you continue to receive the alerts that matter to you most, please visit mbta.com/subscribe and check or update your subscriptions.

For those who utilize the MBTA Commuter Rail application, please make sure to update the schedule in your application prior to travel on Monday. When opening the application, a prompt will appear stating that a new Commuter Rail schedule is available. Please check the update button to ensure that the new schedules have been updated in your application.


Last updated: May 18 2016 01:22 PM

The Franklin Line schedule can be found here
http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Documents/Schedules_and_Maps/Upcoming_Schedules/Commuter_Rail/Franklin.pdf?led=5/10/2016%205:18:51%20PM

ALERT: Changing Downtown Traffic Pattern Coming at the End of June

Dear Franklin Resident:

This is the first announcement to the community that the traffic pattern will be changing in Downtown Franklin toward the end of June, 2016. The one-way traffic pattern in downtown, which many have become accustomed to, will be changing to two-way traffic. Yes, that’s correct: traffic around the downtown triangle will soon become two-way! We encourage everyone to take it a little slower in their daily business to make sure you get accustomed to the new flow of traffic.

While the date has not been specified yet when the traffic pattern will become two-way, we can’t begin to educate the community soon enough. We encourage you to follow the town website and social media (Facebook, Twitter) feeds, as well as the Town’s traditional local media channels to stay tuned for specific updates over the coming month. We are counting on you to help spread the word.

Downtown Map 

A map is attached of the new traffic routes. I encourage you to print it out, send it to friends and family and begin to spread the word.

Future Notification

As part of the construction contract with the state, the Town will be placing electronic boards at all intersections of downtown when the traffic transitions to two-way. New lane markings will be painted around the entire downtown, as well as signage in key areas. Individual letters will also be distributed to all downtown businesses to help educate their customers of the traffic flow when exiting their business. The Town will also be doing as much publicity as possible through its own social media feeds and through traditional local media channels on this pattern change.

Public Benefits

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the community for their patience during the recent construction in downtown. The Town is installing many public benefits, including new sidewalks, new paving, better pedestrian-friendly accommodations, and many beautification efforts to enhance the vibrancy of the downtown. The planning effort for this project has taken well over a decade and I am confident residents will enjoy the new amenities.


If any resident has any questions, feel free to contact the Town Administrator’s Office at 508-520-4949.


Sincerely,

Jeff Nutting, Town Administrator
Jamie Hellen, Deputy Town Administrator

recent construction underway to complete the work before switching
to the new two-way traffic pattern in June

The memo on the Traffic Pattern containing the map with the new two-way flow

• The Town of Franklin is on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Town-of-Franklin-998859663537294/

• Follow the Town of Franklin on Twitter

https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA

• Visit the Town of Franklin website

http://franklin.ma.us/

MBTA - Starting May 23 - Commuter Rail Schedule Change

The new Commuter Rail spring schedules go into effect on Monday, May 23rd and are now available on the MBTA website at www.mbta.com. Please note that there will be no schedule changes for the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth, and Middleborough/Lakeville Lines. Paper copies of the schedules will be available in the Boston-based stations (North Station, South Station, and Back Bay) starting on Monday, May 16th. Last updated: Apr 14 2016 02:02 PM Click here for more information: http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=6442456079&month=&year= Sent by the MBTA.

Franklin commuter rail approaching Franklin Dean Station from Forge Park

For ease, the Franklin line new schedule can be found here



Or on the MBTA site
http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Smart_Forms/News,_Events_and_Press_Releases/04.12%20Franklin%20Final.pdf

Franklin Line Schedule changes possible in May

Franklin Line commuters have you checked out the proposed schedule changes?

The MBTA is looking for your feedback by 2/12/16!

"Before these proposed new schedules go into effect on May 23, 2016, we’d like to get your feedback. Please take a moment to review the proposed schedule changes below and complete our Commuter Rail Customer Comment Form. 

We also invite you to attend a public meeting (complete public meeting schedule) to participate in a discussion of the Commuter Rail schedule changes. You can also provide us your comments by mail to: MBTA, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Commute Rail Schedule Committee; by phone at (617) 222-3200 or TTY (617) 222.5146 or email at crschedules@mbta.com. 

The deadline for public comments is Friday, February 12, 2016. 

We value your input and thank you for your participation!"

image of Franklin/Dean and Franklin/Forge Park schedule changes

http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/MBTABackOnTrack/?id=6442455610

• The full proposed schedule can be found here

http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/Board_Meetings/1.8%20Franklin%20Line.pdf

• The comparison of changes station by station can be found here

http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/Board_Meetings/1.8%20Franklin%20Comparison.pdf

Franklin outbound headed to Franklin/Forge Park

Yard Waste Pickup re-scheduled to 4/27/15

If you subscribed to the news alerts, you should have received a voice message (or phone call) from DPW Director Robert Cantoreggi announcing that the yard waste pickup has been delayed two weeks. 

Instead of the schedule for this occurring the week of 4/13/15, it will now take place beginning the week of 4/27/15.

screen grab indicating change in the schedule for yard waste pickup

The full updated curbside schedule can be found on the Franklin DPW page here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/Curbside_Index

Franklin MAtters: Changes to be aware of

I spent some time at the Community Garden on Saturday talking with a few of the folks that came to tend their gardens. The better part of the time it was just Chris Clay and I chatting as we both took pictures and he explained this or that about the garden and plants. In the course of our conversation we got around to comparing notes and we found we have much in common.




With Irene providing the time, and the conversation with Chris providing the inspiration, I have done some clean up here on the website. You may notice that there are less navigation tabs. Yes, I removed a few.

The Welcome page has been updated to remove the audio option. The effort to produce that was not generating enough of an audience to continue. You can subscribe to receive updates as they are published via email daily or weekly. Your choice.

Why Franklin Matters - remains

I am resuming my Weekly Summary as a text only summary (no audio) so that tab remains.

I have combined all the Meeting Notes into one tab. On this page, the meetings for 2011 are at the top with those from 2010, 2009 and 2008 below as you continue to scroll down.

The Important Links tab provides easy access to some key pages. For example, I just added a link for Election 2011 to collect all the election information as it is published.





I hope these changes will be helpful. If you have suggestions for things I should do more (or less) of, please feel free to comment or send me an email.

Shift Happens

The latest version of this "Shift Happens" video focuses on Iowa. With a little research, this could be updated to focus on MA. Anyone want to take this on?



Thanks to Scott McLeod for putting this together and sharing it!

Changes afoot

Scene script:

Queue Dylan's "The times they are a changing" as background music

Focus on a cross roads with multiple options:

Announcement: I will switch the focus of my efforts from live reporting on Franklin's meetings to spending more time on the Franklin Food Pantry. I will not be live reporting on the meetings Tue and Wed this week. A more formal announcement will be made later.

Thank you for your readership. Thank you for your interest in Franklin.


Queue Pete Seeger singing "Turn, Turn, Turn" in the background.

Fade picture slowly, diminish music slowly



Franklin, MA

How do you do the impossible?

French artist JR creates a bridge with his art. Photos of peoples faces, side by side, face to face - how can you tell who is who?

Art asks questions that sometimes can not be asked with words.



Behind each image is a story.

The Inside out project website can be found here
http://www.insideoutproject.net/



Franklin, MA

Charter Changes - ballot question text

Jeff Nutting sent this along to share with you. This should be the text for the two ballot questions that Franklin voters will get to cast their ballot on in November:


SUMMARIES FOR TOWN OF FRANKLIN BALLOT QUESTIONS, RE: CHARTER AMENDMENT PER G.L. CH. 54, §58A (LAST SENTENCE)


Question #1 Summary:

The proposed changes to the Franklin Charter contained in Sections 1-7, 10-13, and 15-25 of the Home Rule legislation include updates to various provisions to comply with existing law or to reflect current municipal practice; they also include several technical corrections.
The major changes are summarized as follows: redefining duties of Town Council Clerk to comply with Open Meeting and Public Records laws, providing the Town Council with the ability to reorganize itself and flexibility in scheduling meetings, clarifying the Town Administrator's authority and duties including his appointing authority, updating the listing of standing committees and appointed positions to eliminate obsolete ones, provision for both a temporary and acting town administrator if the town administrator is absent or the position is vacant, reduction of the finance committee from eleven to nine members and updating of the process for their appointment, updating of annual budget and financial planning processes, elimination of obsolete section governing personnel suspension and removals, and elimination of obsolete transitional provisions in connection with charter's original adoption and prior amendment.


Question #2 Summary:

The proposed changes contained in Sections 8, 9, 14 and 26 of the Home Rule legislation eliminate Treasurer-Collector as an elected position and make it an appointed one; the appointment will be made by the Town Administrator and ratified by the Town Council as is presently the case for all other town officers except the Town Clerk. A transitional provision allows the incumbent Treasurer-Collector to continue in office until the end of his elected term.




Franklin, MA

Charter Changes - Approved by Governor

The changes to Franklin's charter were approved by Governor Patrick and are confirmed to be on the November ballot. The November election will give Franklin voters the chance to approve or reject the changes as proposed.


The actual PDF (Chapter 331 Acts of 2010) as signed by the House, Senate and Governor can be viewed here:





This will result in two ballot questions to appear on the November ballot. The text of those questions will be published here as well.


------


My reporting from Town Council meetings earlier this year on the Charter changes can be found here

1 - Charter revisions reviewed by subcommittee
http://franklinmattersweekly.blogspot.com/2010/01/fm-55-review-of-week-ending-12410.html 

2 - Charter revisions got a formal hearing
http://franklinmattersweekly.blogspot.com/2010/03/fm-60-week-ending-31410.html 

3 - Charter changes approved by a 6-2 vote (Jones, Zollo, voted no – Vallee was absent)
http://franklinmattersweekly.blogspot.com/2010/04/fm-64-week-ending-41110.html 




Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document.

Franklin, MA

the opportunity is now

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana 

Why am I on this kick about the School Committee/Administration and the District Improvement Plan?

And if by chance, you missed that, I talked about it here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/school-committee-say-it-isnt-so.html

and here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/well-take-money-thank-you.html


I worked with wonderful folks on the Steering Committee to develop the Strategic Plan for the Franklin Public Schools. That overall strategy plan is now being further detailed with specific actions and follow up items to bring us toward the vision of what the schools should be.

The history of Franklin voters funding education is terrible. One operational override has passed of the seven offered. The one that passed was clearly a town-wide effort to save operations across the board (fire, police, Library and schools). Each one that failed was essentially for the schools. Although there were other departmental effects, the bulk of the funding for the six failures was for the schools.

Hence, one could argue that Franklin doesn't fund the schools.

Hence, given the opportunity to put together the details for the strategic plan, one would expect a considerable focus on communications, outreach, etc.

As I have outlined already, the bulk of the work on the District Improvement Plan is there. The issue is relatively minor in that the parents, the PCC organizations were left out of the District Improvement Plan in the key section to increase awareness of the school funding priorities. The community is included in the high school renovation project. It had better be. The community is excluded from the budget process and that is where I raise the issue.

Given the history of Franklin funding education, given the methods the School Committee and Administration have used to communicate, something needs to be changed.

Hence the George Santayana quote.

The time for change is now.


Franklin, MA

Woodrow L. Abbott Field House

Let's reach out and draw from your memory banks on this one:


Apparently, the high school field house was once named the "Woodrow L. Abbott Field House" and then about 10 years ago (or so) the sign was removed and hence referred to as the Franklin High School Field House.


Who was Woodrow L Abbott?


Why was the change made?


You can send me an email or respond in the comments.


Thanks!



Franklin, MA