St Rocco Volunteer Appreciation Celebration - Oct 6

For the last time ever, booths have been dismantled, grills have been stored and aprons have been folded following the 40th and final St. Rocco Festival of Food which closed on August 12, 2018. The event began in 1979 as the brainchild of Father Michael Guarino who sought to create a religious, social and cultural event in Franklin. In addition to the variety of entertainment over the years, what most people remember is the food – many booths featuring everything from fried clams, calzones and sausages to authentic Italian pastries and fried dough. And the memories created each year would not be possible without the hundreds of volunteers who were the heart and soul of the festival.

On October 6, St. Mary’s Parish will celebrate all who made St. Rocco possible during its 40-year run. Invitations have been sent electronically to individuals who have volunteered in any capacity over the years. Anyone who has volunteered at any time, whether staffing a booth for a few hours, helping with setup or showing up for cleanup, is invited to attend.

The event will begin with a Mass of thanksgiving at 4:00 at St. Mary’s Church in Franklin. Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Michael Guarino, founder of the St. Rocco Festival, and will feature special music by St. Mary’s choir. Following Mass there will be a reception at the Guidery Student Center at Dean College, open to all. As part of the celebration, there will be special recognition of those extraordinary people who have volunteered at every one of the 40 Feast of Rocco Festivals.

Festival memorabilia will be on display at the celebration to give guests a peek back through the window of time. On display will be old booth signage, a variety of aprons and photos of memories throughout the years. Family and friends are what the Feast of St. Rocco was built on and celebrating the people who helped make it happen is the purpose of this event.

To ensure plentiful food and ample seating, a head count is needed by Monday, September 24 at high noon! If you have helped at any St. Rocco Festival in the past 40 years and have not received an invitation by email, please contact the St. Mary’s Parish Rectory. And if you know of any volunteer who may not know about this event, please ask them to reach out as well. Contact Paula Coughlin by email at parishpublishing@stmarysfranklin.org or by phone at 508-528-0020.

St Rocco Volunteer Appreciation Celebration - Oct 6

THE BLACK BOX presents The Disney Songbook - Sep 15

On Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 pm, THE BLACK BOX will present the next installment in its cabaret series: BLACK BOX Cabaret presents The Disney Songbook. The audience will enjoy favorite songs from Snow White all the way to Moana. 

Guest artists from the Franklin Performing Arts Company accompanied by the Acme Rhythm Section will sing their way through Disney’s music of the stage and screens big and small. THE BLACK BOX provides an intimate cabaret setting to celebrate the music of Disney.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for Students/Seniors and are available at www.theblackboxonline.com or by calling (508) 528-3370. You can follow THE BLACK BOX on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates. THE BLACK BOX is located at 15 W. Central St. in Franklin, MA.

THE BLACK BOX presents The Disney Songbook - Sep 15

FHS football and girls soccer teams post wins on Friday

Via HockomockSports.com and Twitter, we share the fall sports results for Franklin High School.


Football = Franklin, 34 vs. Andover, 10 – Final

Boys Soccer = Milford, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final 
– Milford junior Walisson de Oliveira scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with under 10 minutes to go, to lift the Hawks to a win on the road. de Oliveira opened the scoring off an assist from Anthony Salvador but Franklin freshman Terry O’Neill tied the game just before halftime. de Oliveira scored the unassisted game-winner with seven minutes to play.

Girls Soccer = Franklin, 4 @ Milford, 0 – Final 
– Erin Quaile, Calen Frongillo, Carly Alston, and Sydney St. Marie each scored in the first half to put Franklin in control of its season opener. Grace Gallo and Halle Atkinson each had assists in the win.


For all the results around the Hockomcok League on Friday
https://hockomocksports.com/fridays-schedule-scoreboard-09-07-18/

The new concession stand was open for business Friday (@FranklinRec photo)

So proud of the teamwork everyone @TOFranklinMA showed to get this project complete. Special thanks to Mike Socci for coordinating the construction. Good luck tonight @FHSFAN pic.twitter.com/YAvRgVNDnt

— Franklin Recreation (@FranklinRec) September 7, 2018

[Boys Fall Varsity Football] Franklin HS defeats Andover HS, 34 to 10.

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) September 8, 2018

FHS up 34-10 over Andover with under 2 min. GREAT night by our Panthers!!! pic.twitter.com/1LvGZ8Cxzj

— FranklinHighSchool (@FranklinHS) September 8, 2018

At the half: Franklin 21 Andover 3 #LETSGO

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) September 8, 2018

awesome first win today in our first game!! 4-0 over milford. goals by Erin, Sydney, Calen, and Carly (pk). assists by Grace and Halle. great start to the season, let’s keep it going!!!💪🏼

— FHS Girls Varsity Soccer (@fhsgvsoccer) September 7, 2018

Sign up meeting complete....74 students signed up with more to come! Wow! Amazing! Parent meeting Wed 6:30 library. @FranklinHS @FHSSports @kateluvs2laugh pic.twitter.com/ipEObRJTd1

— FHSUnifiedSports (@FranklinUnified) September 7, 2018

Bottle and can fundraiser tomorrow (9/8) @PirelliArena from 730 - 1230 to support FHS boy's ice hockey (rink parking lot) @FHS_Puck @tlangevin19

— FHSPantherHockey (@FHSPantherHocke) September 7, 2018

Franklin Volleyball store is now live!!! Support the program and get some great gear to wear to games :-) #fhsvolleyball2018 https://t.co/PGrJTxzLMm

— FHS Panthers VBall (@Franklin_VBall) September 8, 2018

FHS Volleyball and Field Hockey previews for 2018 season

HockomockSports.com has published their Field Hockey and Volleyball Previews for the 2018 season. The recap for Franklin High School is shared here. The link for the preview of the other teams around the league is provided below.

FRANKLIN =Field Hockey

2017 Record: 10-8-2
2017 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Michelle Hess

Michelle Hess returns to the Franklin bench this season after eight years away from the program and she inherits a team that has the talent to compete for a league title and expectations of being able to make a deep run in the state tournament as well.

Senior midfielder Cassi Ronan is the primary playmaker for the Panthers and was the team’s leading scorer last fall with 16 goals and eight assists. One of the league’s top players, Ronan will be the primary focus of the opposition, but senior Regan Paterson can take some of that pressure off and will chip in with goals from the forward position. Senior Emily Valentino and junior Maeve Ledwith will provide organization for the defensive unit and senior Christina Luccini will be back in goal to backstop the defense.

“We are looking to improve on last years record and would love to go further in the tournament,” said Hess.

FRANKLIN = Volleyball

2017 Record: 15-5
2017 Finish: Reached D1 Central/West Quarterfinal
Coach: Kelsey Weymouth

Former North Attleboro standout Kelsey Weymouth takes over as head coach of the Franklin Panthers and she has a lot of talent to work with right away.

The Panthers have Lauren McGrath, Ellie Wiesniewski, Riley Marino, Maggie Doyle, and Hailey Sanders back, all of whom either starter or played in plenty of sets last season. McGrath is in her third year as the starting setting and is a vocal leader for the team while Marino is a standout defensive specialist as the libero. Doyle is a tall presence in the middle that will be a big part of the defense as well as Sanders, who plays on the right side. Wisniewski and sophomore Allyson Bonnet-Eymard will be the main focuses on the outside for the Panthers.

“I am extremely excited to be apart of this Franklin program and coach these girls into being successful volleyball players,” Weymouth said. “I am going to do everything in my power to continue the previous success of this program. My girls have been extremely welcoming and that’s a good feeling coming in a new head coach.”


For the field hockey preview of the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-league-field-hockey-preview-2018/

For the volleyball preview of the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/2018-hockomock-volleyball-preview/

FHS Volleyball and Field Hockey previews for 2018 season

In the News: changes in personnel at Police Dept; MA Governor campaigns to include 3 debates

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Four fresh faces have joined the ranks at the Franklin Police Department, while it said goodbye to four others. 

During Wednesday’s Town Council meeting, the newest additions to Franklin’s finest were sworn in. Officers Connor Crosman, Tyler Peabody, Andressa Rosa and Amanda Ayer took on their new titles, while Detective Michael Kenney, and officers Robert Burchill, Paul Fiorio and Brian Chander said their goodbyes. 

The moves keep the department’s roster at 46 officers. 

Police Sgt. Brian Johnson said the new recruits look promising so far. Crosman has some experience with the Hopkinton Police Department and came with a high recommendation, Johnson said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180907/franklin-pd-hires-four-retires-four

Officers Connor Crosman, Tyler Peabody, Andressa Rosa
and Amanda Ayer getting sworn in by Town Clerk Teresa Burr

retiring Detective Michael Kenney, and officers Robert Burchill, Brian Chander and Paul Fiorio 

"Gov. Charlie Baker has agreed to three televised debates against Democrat Jay Gonzalez between now and the general election in November, according to a spokesman for the Republican’s campaign, who said the dates and times for those debates are still being negotiated. 

Gonzalez, who won the Democratic primary on Tuesday, had said earlier in the day that he had accepted invitations from five media outlets and consortiums looking to sponsor events and would be open to more. His campaign manager called Baker’s decision to participate in three “disappointing.” 

Baker spokesman Terry MacCormack said the governor had accepted invitations from WBZ-TV, WGBH, and a media consortium that includes the Boston Globe, WBUR, WCVB, UMass, and the ABC and CBS affiliates in Springfield. 

“The Baker-Polito campaign has accepted invitations for three debates and looks forward to productive conversations about Governor Baker’s strong record of bipartisan results, including 180,000 new jobs, historic funding for education and nation-leading reforms to curb the opioid epidemic,” MacCormack said in a statement."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180907/baker-agrees-to-three-debates

3 Governor debates to be scheduled

Lifelong Community Learning: News You Can Use!

Two Terrific Workshops Coming Your Way in September

September 2018 Lifelong Community Learning NEWS YOU CAN USE! Citizen Police Academy September 12 The Franklin Police Department and Franklin Public School's Lifelong Community Learning will present the second annual Citizen Police Academy beginning September 12 as part of their continuing community partnership. Classes will be held once a week for ten weeks on Wednesday nights 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM at the Franklin Police Station, 911 Panther Way.  The fee for the 10-week class is $90 CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION and TO REGISTER Football We Hardly Know You September 13 Not as familiar with football as you would like to be? Lifelong Community Learning can help with that! Beginning September 13, a two-night, interactive workshop, designed to help you see what you've been missing, will take place at Franklin High School. The fee for the two-night class is $40.  . CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION and TO REGISTER Lifelong Community Learning, 218 Oak St., Franklin, MA 02038 LCL@franklinps.net www.FranklinLifelongLearning.com

FPS- Lifelong Lommunity Learning | 218 Oak Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Sent by lcl@franklinps.net in collaboration with Try it free today

MassBudget: FY 2019 state budget provides modest increases to early education, local aid

And a chance to give your feedback on our Budget Monitors

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Sept. 6, 2018 FY 2019 state budget provides modest increases to early education, local aid And a chance to give your feedback on MassBudget's Budget Monitors, below With the national economy in the ninth year of an economic recovery, budget writers in Massachusetts were able this year to provide modest increases in funding for early education, local aid, and several other important investments. This new funding does not, in many cases, reverse the budget cuts imposed after the tax cuts of the late 1990s and early 2000s. After accounting for increases in this year's budget (and inflation) state spending on early education and care is down 17 percent since 2001. Funding for Local Aid is down 40 percent. And funding for Environment and Recreation programs is down 30 percent. The cost of tax cuts and the long-term trend in health care costs have limited the Commonwealth's ability to make investments in education, infrastructure, and other building blocks of healthy communities and a strong economy. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center's latest Budget Monitor finds that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Budget (officially called the General Appropriations Act or GAA for short) includes several new initiatives, including the following: A restructuring and funding increase for adult mental health services. The reforms are aimed at providing more coordinated, standardized, and consistent treatment that will better align with health care systems, and will be more comprehensive, particularly for people who also have substance use disorders. An increase in the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), from 23 percent of the federal credit amount to 30 percent. Research has shown that - in addition to encouraging people to work and helping families to make ends meet - the EITC improves health outcomes for mothers and children, and boosts children's academic performance and lifelong earnings. A new process to provide greater scrutiny and reporting on "tax expenditures," which are special tax exemptions, deductions, credits, or other rules that result in forgone revenue with the intention of advancing other policy goals. The state will begin to evaluate the administration, fiscal impact, and cost-effectiveness of the Commonwealth's tax expenditures on a rotating schedule. For procedural reasons this section was ultimately enacted separately from the budget. While the Legislature overrode virtually all of the Governor's vetoes, one significant reform didn't survive the veto process: a proposal by the Legislature to remove a restriction that bars families from receiving Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) benefits for a child conceived while the family was receiving public assistance. The Budget Monitor at this link describes the final funding levels and significant policy initiatives in each major section of the budget. Links from the Table of Contents below allow readers to jump to specific sections. Each section also provides links to our online budget tools including our Budget Browser (which provides funding information for every line item in the state budget going back to FY 2001) and, where applicable, to our Children's Budget. We want to hear from you Our Budget Monitors provide extensive information on each budget proposal starting with the release of the Governor's budget in the winter through the entire legislative process until the final General Appropriations Act is signed into law in the summer. In order to make our Monitors useful to you, our readers, please fill out this short (one-minute) survey to let us know how you use our Monitor and how we might improve it. Thank you from the MassBudget Team. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center's latest Budget Monitor

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI 9/7/18 - THU 9/13/18

FRIDAY 9/7/18

9:30am   Mommy Real Talk @ Franklin Public Library

10am-12pm   Knitting Group @ Franklin Public Library

12-6pm   Farmers Market @ Town Common

5-8pm   Back2School Open House @ Russian School of Math

8pm   New England Artist Series: Alex Lee-Clark and the 8tet @ The Black Box

SATURDAY 9/8/18

10am-2pm   FSPA Open House @ FSPA

10am-1pm   Franklin Historical Museum Open
1-4pm 2nd Annual Norfolk County Farm Bureau FUNdraiser @ Pour Richard's

2pm   OCC Concert: Notable Blend Show @ OCC, Wrentham
2-10pm Team Remission Commission Pub Crawl Fundraiser (Jimmy Fund Walk) @ Franklin

8pm   Circle of Friends Coffeehouse: Chris Smithers @ FUSF

SUNDAY 9/9/18

1-4pm   Franklin Historical Museum Open

1:15pm   Second Sunday Speaker Series @ Franklin Historical Museum

2-5pm   Open House @ Encore (both locations: Franklin and Millis)

MONDAY 9/10/18

10:30am   Move Along @ Franklin Public Library

11am   Toddler Playgroup @ Franklin Public Library

3-5pm   Monday Crafternoons @ Franklin Public Library

TUESDAY 9/11/18

9:30am   Cool Cruisers @ Franklin Public Library

10am   Franklin Veteran’s Walkway Groundbreaking (rain or shine) @ Town Common

10:30am   Get Ready for Kindergarten @ Franklin Public Library

6:30pm   Yankee Quilters Meeting @ St. John’s Episcopal Church

6:30pm   Medieval and Spanish Blues Guitarist Claude Burbon @ Franklin Public Library

7:30pm   Franklin and Bellingham Rail Trail Committee Meeting (public welcome) @ Franklin YMCA

WEDNESDAY 9/12/18

10:30am   Teriffic Toddlers @ Franklin Public Library

11am   Toddler Playgroup @ Franklin Public Library

4pm   Construction Junction @ Franklin Public Library

6:30pm   Teen Advisory Board @ Franklin Public Library
7:30pm Let's Laugh Today - laughter yoga @ FUSF

THURSDAY 9/13/18

9:30am   Baby Tummy Time @ Franklin Public Library

10:30am   Story and Craft @ Franklin Public Library

5-8pm   Franklin Historical Museum Open

7pm   Healing Hearts Community Support Group @ Franklin YMCA

For the Town of Franklin Public Calendar click HERE.

For all other events and Franklin happenings click HERE.

Submit an event for the Community Calendar, please use this FORM