Raye Lynn Mercer shares some stories of 38 years at 38 Main St (audio)

FM #850 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 850 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Raye Lynn Mercer, founder and Director of the Franklin School for Performing Arts. We recorded this in the Franklin Public Radio Studio on Hutchinson St Wednesday, Sep 14, 2022.  

Starting their 38th year at 38 Main St in downtown Franklin, Raye Lynn shares the development of the Franklin School for Performing Arts (FSPA), and organic expansion over the years to include the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC), getting their own performance home with THE BLACK BOX, the development of the equity actors agreement, and the current season of performances that was just announced.

We cover a lot of ground in about 35 minutes but there are more stories to come so let’s listen to my conversation with Raye Lynn Mercer.

Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-850-raye-lynn-mercer-38-years-at-38-main-09-14-22

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

Relevant links for the organic growth from the origin point at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts

Franklin School for the Performing Arts  https://www.fspaonline.com/ 

Franklin Performing Arts Company https://www.fpaconline.com/ 

THE BLACK BOX   https://www.theblackboxonline.com/ 

Intermission   https://www.intermissioncafeonline.com/ 

Ballet Franklin   https://balletfranklin.com/ 

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

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"

Raye Lynn Mercer shares some stories of 38 years at 38 Main St (audio)

Reverend Doreen Cullen Oughton celebrates her first service as new pastor at Franklin Federated Church - Oct 2, 10 AM

The Franklin Federated Church is thrilled to announce that the Reverend Doreen Cullen Oughton was confirmed as our new pastor by a congregational vote on August 7, 2022. She will begin her ministry at our church on September 26, and her first worship service will be on Sunday, October 2nd at 10 AM.  

Please join us! 

Reverend Doreen Oughton

The Reverend Doreen Oughton has an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University and earned her Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School. She is an experienced pastor who has served as a solo, fulltime pastor for over twelve years. Prior to her ministry, she worked for many years as a therapist in addictions treatment. She is the current chair of the UCC Central Association Committee on Ministry and has served on the Board of Directors and Restorative Justice Committee. She has also been actively involved in the NAACP for many years and is a certified Racial Justice Facilitator.

We are excited to call a pastor with such a wealth of experience and a soulful energy and enthusiasm for the work of the church.    

All in the community are welcome to attend Rev. Oughton's first service on October 2 beginning at 10 AM.  Fellowship with light refreshments will follow the service.

Franklin Federated Church is:  A Community of Abundant Welcome to All, Growing Together in Christ and serving with Love   https://franklinfederated.org/

FHS girls and boys cross country, boys soccer, field hockey, golf, and volleyball teams posts wins on Wednesday

HockomockSports.com posted the results of Hockomock League competition on Wednesday, Sep 28, 2022. We share the FHS results here and provide the link to the full set below.

Boys Soccer = Canton, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final 

– Behind a pair of goals in each half, Franklin pushed its unbeaten streak to six games with a win over visiting Canton. Trey Lovell and Andrew O’Neill each had a goal and an assist in the win, bookending the scoring for the hosts. The two hooked up for the opener as O’Neill set Lovell in the 13th minute to make it 1-0. Lovell then assisted on Franklin’s second goal from center back Rex Cinelli to double the advantage. Sophomore Vignan Kamarthi opened his account in the 60th minute, taking a pass from Bradley Herndon for the Panthers’ third goal. O’Neill capped Franklin’s scoring, notching a goal in the second straight game off an assist from Garrett Scagliarini in the 75th minute. Franklin coach Fran Bositis praised the play of his midfield, noting the strong efforts from Noah Cain along with centerbacks Will Klawson and Cinelli.

Field Hockey = Franklin, 4 @ Canton, 2 – Final 

– Canton took the led on an early goal in the first quarter, but Franklin rallied with three straight to grab the lead and a win over its fellow division leader. Izzy Digirolamo put the Bulldogs in front after two minutes, but Payten Crandall tied it with the first of her three goals. The game remained tied until the third quarter. Haley Wernig put the Panthers in front off assists from Sophia Cuneo and Shaw Downing. Crandall’s second unassisted goal of the night made it 3-1 in the fourth but Canton answered back on a goal from Carolyn Schiavo. Crandall capped her hat trick and sealed the points by finishing off a pass from Emily Carney in the final minute. Devon Barry made one save for the Panthers.

Volleyball = Franklin, 3 @ Canton, 0 – Final 

– Franklin returned from a trip to Canton with a dominant 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-15) sweep of the Bulldogs. Taylor Lacerda continued to do it all for the Panthers, notching 12 digs, 10 kills, and a pair of aces while Makayla Kuykendall had a strong game with 11 kills, nine digs, and four aces. Sophomore Zoe Scibelli and junior Kelly Schiavo played great defense for Canton, adding six aces.

Boys Cross Country = King Philip, 31 @ Franklin, 27 – Final

Congrats to the boys on a big win vs KP today! Scoring five were: Tyler Apicella (2), Jake Vaccarezza (4), Will Boozang (6), Josh Diehl (7), and Jonathan Pink (8)

https://twitter.com/FranklinXCTrack/status/1575319805107871746

Girls Cross Country = King Philip 45 @ Franklin, 18 – Final 

– For King Philip, senior Kate Burban took third overall in 21:10 while senior Leah Burke (10th) clocked in at 22:35 and junior Rachel Bailer (12th) came in at 22:51.  

Congrats to the girls on a resounding win vs KP today! Scoring 5 were Alex Batla (1), Fiona Morrison (2), Ashley Tighe (4), Carli Walbert (5), and Abby Baker (6)

https://twitter.com/FranklinXCTrack/status/1575319731254468609

Golf = North Attleboro, 164 @ Franklin, 155 – Final 

– In a crossover clash between two of the top squads in the Kelley-Rex division, Franklin defended its home turf with a win over visiting North Attleboro. Tyler O’Brien and Jack Hagerty shared medalist honors in the win, each shooting a 37 on the day. CJ Steel added a 40 in the win and Caden Sullivan rounded out the Panthers’ scoring with a 41. Jordan Paradis led the visiting Rocketeers with a team-low round of 38.

Girls Soccer = Franklin, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final 

Josh Perry,  Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com, provides the game recap:

"Over the weekend, Canton played a tough, physical game against division rival Oliver Ames. It was Canton’s first loss of the season. Just a few days later, on Wednesday night at WWII Veterans Memorial Field, the Bulldogs had another competitive, physical encounter against division-leading Franklin. 

This time, the Bulldogs started the game without leading scorer Emily McCabe. The senior forward was nursing an injury and would likely only be able to play a half, so head coach Idris Senyonjo left her out of the starting lineup. Canton struggled without the focal point of its attack, but McCabe emerged in the second half and sparked a massive turnaround. 

With McCabe up front for the final 40 minutes, Canton put the pressure on the Panthers, rallying from a goal down for the second time in a week and pulling out a 2-1 victory."

Continue reading the game recap

https://hockomocksports.com/canton-girls-soccer-rallies-in-second-half-to-beat-franklin/

For a Photo Gallery from this game  https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2022-2023/Fall-2022/Canton-Franklin-Girls-Soccer-09-28-22/

For other results around the Hockomock League

https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-09-28-22/

the proper kind of ball watching during the FHS vs Canton girls soccer game (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Franklin TV: Town Council meeting replay available - 09/28/22 (video)

The Town Council had a relatively productive but light agenda before heading into Executive Session just before 8 PM on Wednesday.

The video replay is available on YouTube -> https://youtu.be/oZ84NlUKaNE

My notes will be shared here shortly. 

The agenda and documents released for the meeting can be  found ->    https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/september_28_town_council_mtg_agenda.pdf

Old South Meeting House, Washington St

Franklin TV: Finance Committee meeting available for replay - 09/28/22 (video)

The Finance Committee met and did their business in about thirty minutes before the Town Council came into the Council Chambers for their meeting to start at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

The Finance meeting did start a little after 6, so you get to listen to the intro of my radio show interview with Health Director Cathleen Liberty before the live stream of the meeting jumps into YouTube. If you want to continue listening to the health episode follow this link -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/09/conversation-with-town-of-franklin-ma.html   or find Franklin Matters on your favorite podcast app.

Finance Committee link to YouTube -> https://youtu.be/9ANddS7JyAA

Meeting agenda and documents released for this meeting ->

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/09/franklin-ma-finance-committee-agenda.html

Franklin TV: Finance Committee meeting available for replay - 09/28/22 (video)

Kendra Bidwell Ferreira demonstrates her work at the Franklin Art Assoc meeting - Oct 5

The Franklin Art Association monthly meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 5th at 6:30 pm at the Franklin Senior Center. The program will feature a discussion and demonstration of methods and techniques by Kendra Bidwell Ferreira. Kendra’s work is mainly contemporary colored pencil using ordinary subjects and compositions to portray them in an extraordinary way. Colored pencils allow her to combine the expressiveness of painting with the control of drawing. A recording of her demo will later be posted to the Franklin Art Association's YouTube channel and at www.franklinart.org.

Kendra received a good foundation in drawing in high school, then went on to earn her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art with a concentration in printmaking. She is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and holds a second signature status (CPX) in exploratory mediums with colored pencil. Kendra is also a Fellow Member of the American Artists’ Professional League, and an artist member of Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club and Providence Art Club. Kendra’s work has been included in many national and international art exhibitions and she has received numerous awards for her work.

All meetings are free and open to the public. The Art Association is supported in part by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Franklin Cultural Council and the Franklin Cultural District.

Franklin Art Association October 5 meeting features Kendra Bidwell Ferreira

Join the St. Mary's Women's Faith Formation group for a new series of meetings and discussions

The St. Mary's Women's Faith Formation group is please to announce that we will be viewing the Symbolon series: "The Catholic Faith Explained" by Dr. Edward Sri.  This series from the Augustine Institute consists of ten videos on a variety of topics.  We will view one 1/2 hour video each session and allow time for discussion and sharing.  

Our meetings will be via Zoom and are on a new night - the second Wednesday of the month from 7 - 8 pm.  

Please visit our web page (https://www.stmarysfranklin.org/womens-faith-formation)  for further information and to access the Zoom link.  

All women are welcome to attend!

The first meeting of this new series is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct 12.

St Mary's Faith Formation Announcement - Oct 12

Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Thursday, Sep 29, 2022

• wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Thursday

9:00a/12:00p/6:00p   A Priest, A Minister and a Rabbi

10:00a/1:00p/7:00p   Frank’s Music – Frank Falvey and Jim Derick

11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm   Frank Presents – Frank Falvey Presents 

• Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26) = Thursday

7:30 am The Only Cure Is Education

8:00 am Veterans' Call: Steve Crouteau

9:00 am Second Sunday Speaker Series: Wolfgang Bauer

10:30 am SAFE Coalition: Overdose Awareness

11:30 am Cooking Thyme: Sweet Corn Risotto

12:00 pm Brooke'n'Cookin: Mac'n'Cheese

12:30 pm Sandhya: Macaroons

1:00 pm Physician Focus: Concussions and Brain Injury

1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Black Bean, Roasted Pepper & Garlic Pizzetta

2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Show 3

3:00 pm Let's Talk Sports: Youth Sports

3:30 pm Joe Landry: The Railroad of Franklin

4:30 pm Frank Presents: Dashe Videira

7:00 pm Extended Play Sessions: Acoustic X

8:00 pm September 11th Remembrance

• Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28) = Thursday

7:00 am Public School Concert: Lifelong Music Pt. 2 05-14-19

9:00 am FHS PCC: Vaping Forum

11:30 am Cultural District: Brent Selby

2:00 pm Public School Concert: MICCA Showcase Pt. 1 03-14-18

3:30 pm Let's Talk Sports: Youth Sports

4:00 pm ArtWeek: Games

8:00 pm FHS Varsity Football: v Duxbury 09-23-22

• Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 11, Verizon 29) = Thursday

8:00 am Conservation Commission 09-15-22

2:00 pm Conservation Commission 09-15-22

7:00 pm Conservation Commission: LIVE, Chambers, 819 9511 0051

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

Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm)

Franklin Cultural Districts: #artshappenhere starting with poetry Wednesday!

Let's start with poetry. A great start and everything else follows. Dr Steinberg speaks at Dean Thursday. Farmers Market Friday. Harvest Festival Saturday. Tyrolean Festival at THE BLACK BOX & Oktoberfest at 67 Degrees. LiveARTS Concert on Sunday.

Yes, another set of #artshappenhere events in Franklin!

Wednesday, September 28

Fall Storywalk (Delcarte Recreation)

6:00pm - People's Poetry (open mic for poetry) (Escape Into Fiction)

6:30pm - Teen Poets Society (open mic for poetry) (Franklin Public Library)

Thursday, September 29

Fall Storywalk (Delcarte Recreation)

6:00pm - Dean Leadership Institute: Dr Charles Steinberg (Dean College - Guidry Center)

6:00pm - Nick & Emily (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

Friday, September 30

Fall Storywalk (Delcarte Recreation)

2:00pm - Farmers Market (Franklin Town Common)

3:30pm - Heather Dreary (live music) (Franklin Town Common)

6:00pm - Charlie Rock (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

6:00pm - Kendo Acoustic (live music) (67 Degrees Brewery)

Saturday, October 1

Fall Storywalk (Delcarte Recreation)

10:00am - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

12:00pm - Harvest Festival (street fair with vendors, music, etc.) (Downtown Franklin)

1:00pm - Tyrolean Festival (food & music) (THE BLACK BOX)

4:00pm - Nick & Emily (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

4:00pm - Oktoberfest Celebration - Afro Fusion Restaurant (67 Degrees Brewery)

6:00pm - Oktoberfest Celebration - Sudden Odd Behavior Music (67 Degrees Brewery)

Sunday, October 2

Fall Storywalk (Delcarte Recreation)

12:00pm - Pumpkin Patch Sale (St John’s Episcopal Church)

1:00pm - Jimmy Fund Walk (fund raiser) (La Cantina Winery)

1:00pm - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:00pm - Oktoberfest Celebration - Raina’s Plate (67 Degrees Brewery)

1:00pm - Oktoberfest Celebration - Scott Damgaard (67 Degrees Brewery)

3:00pm - LiveARTS: Musical Magic! (First Universalist Society - 262 Chestnut St)

Monday, October 3

Fall Storywalk (Delcarte Recreation)

4:00pm - Pumpkin Patch Sale (St John’s Episcopal Church)

Tuesday, October 4

Fall Storywalk (Delcarte Recreation)

4:00pm - Pumpkin Patch Sale (St John’s Episcopal Church)

6:30pm - Franklin Garden Club meeting (Franklin Public Library) 

6:30pm - Franklin LGBTQ Alliance meeting (Timeless CrossFit)

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

The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)

Find the full Community event calendar  https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

The Cultural calendar displays only the cultural events    https://www.franklinculture.org/things-do/pages/calendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26 

Franklin Cultural District: #Artshappenhere

October events, parking, and Town Council agenda items discussed in this Talk Franklin episode (audio)

FM #849 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 849 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my "Talk Franklin" conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen and Marketing/Communication Specialist Lily Rivera. We had our conversation via conference bridge.  

Topics for this session

• Fall Is here

• Oct 1 – Harvest Festival

• Oct 15 - Touch a truck, hydrants painting winners announced  (10 AM to 2 PM)

• Oct 19 - Heath fair – Library  (3 to 6 PM)

• Oct 22 – Del Carte Fall Gathering (9 AM to noon)

• EDC meeting recap

• Franklin For All prioritizations and timeline

• Downtown parking reviewed

• Dean neighborhood separate

• Proposals coming to Council for further discussion and possible action

• Town Council teasers

• Municipal aggregation 

• Thanks to Alan Earls and to me for spreading the word

The conversation runs about 34 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie and Lily. Audio file -> https://anchor.fm/letstalkfranklin/episodes/Fall-Festivities-and-Proposed-Changes-to-Parking-e1oel9h/a-a8jh4jc

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

Franklin for All webpage 

https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/franklin-for-all/

Economic Development Subcommittee recap

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/09/economic-development-committee-sep-21.html 

Municipal aggregation information

https://www.franklinma.gov/administrator/pages/municipal-aggregation 

Community & Cultural District calendar https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html 

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

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"

October events and Town Council agenda items discussed in this Talk Franklin episode (audio)

Franklin Garden Club Features Program on "Gardening with Dahlias" - Oct 4

The Franklin Garden Club, in conjunction with the Franklin Public Library, will co-sponsor a program on “Gardening with Dahlias” on Tuesday, October 4, at 7:00 p.m. at the Franklin Library, 118 Main Street, Franklin, MA.  

The program, open to the public free of charge, will be presented by Betsy Szymczak of Natick, MA, an expert in growing dahlias and begonias. This presentation features information on the history of dahlias, how to select dahlia tubers, where to plant, how to water and fertilize, and when to stake. Handouts will be available.

Szymczak is an avid outdoor vegetable and flower gardener who has a relatively small suburban yard. She started growing dahlias 10 years ago. Today, she is a member of the American Dahlia Society (ADS), as well as the Rhode Island, Connecticut and New England Dahlia Societies. She is an ADS candidate judge
In addition to growing dahlias, she also grows begonias. Eight years ago, she joined the Buxton Branch of the American Begonia Society (ABS). 

This diverse genus of plants, not native to North America, quickly became another plant passion that satisfied her need to garden year-round. She is an ABS certified begonia judge and was recently named ABS Judging Co-Chair. Szymczak has judged begonia sections at the Philadelphia and Boston Flower shows and is a student judge for the Gesneriad Society. She also volunteers at the Lyman Estate Greenhouses. 

Szymczak recently retired from 35+ years of teaching clinical microbiology at several Boston area colleges and universities.

Franklin Garden Club Features Program on "Gardening with Dahlias" - Oct 4