Town of Franklin: January 2021 E-Newsletter

Lots of news, updates, links and more! Stay informed about what is happening in Franklin!

Subscribe for News January 2022 Edition Community Preservation Act Funding & Public Hearings Applications to receive Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds for the 2023 fiscal year are now open. Applications are due on Monday, Feb. 28th, 2022 at 4pm. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is required by law to have one public hearing per year to hear input on how to allocate CPA funds. The Franklin CPC has decided on two public sessions. The first will be held on Jan 4th at 7pm and the second public forum will be on Jan. 18th at 4pm. Access all Community Preservation information here. Rezoning Franklin Downtown Franklin Introducing Franklin For All. A study with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council aimed at rezoning Franklin center for economic growth and diverse housing opportunities. Mark your calendars! The first Franklin for All public forum will take place on Monday, March 7, 2022 at 7pm. We want to hear from you! Sign up here for our email list to stay up to date on engagement opportunities.  Learn more at our Franklin For All website. Veterans' Services Veterans' Memorial Walkway Thank you to Richard Douglas, Bob Gardner, John Hefele, Dick Hynes, Jim Lane, Bob Markunis and Rose Turco for helping us hang holiday wreaths on the Veterans Memorial Walkway. Jan 11th –Tune It Out guitar classes will resume. Classes are held every Tuesday from 5:30 – 6:30 pm at the Senior Center. This program is led by music instructor Jamie Barrett with the help of three other guitar instructors. Thank you to Jamie, Mike Allard, Charlie Brewer and Heath Nisbett for volunteering their time for this program! All vets are invited to the classes. Guitar experience is not required. Equipment is provided! Jan. 20 – Veterans' Council Meeting – 7pm at the Senior Center. All are invited. Jan. 27 – Vietnam Peace Day – On this day in 1973, the Paris Peace Accords arranged a ceasefire which officially ended America's involvement in the 20-year Vietnam War. Important Notice: The Senior Center will be closed to the public from Jan. 1st - Jan.10th. Unfortunately, this means the Jan 5th monthly coffee social has been cancelled. However, next social is Feb 2nd at 10am! The Cafe will be closed until further notice. Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or mask will be required at all Veterans' events and activities. Franklin Fire Department Open Burning Notice The Franklin Fire Department would like to remind you that Open Burning Season runs from January 15th through May 1st. A permit is required and they will be available on our website starting January 15th. You must call the Burning Permit Hotline at 508-553-5574 in between 9am and noon each day to see if burning is allowed.  Additional information can be found here. Franklin Public Library Library Event Highlights Jan 8th. - The Saturday Binge Animation Nation is a meeting for the anime, cartoon, manga and graphic and novel obsessed. Join them for an afternoon anime watch party from 1pm-4pm. Jan. 11th - Girls Who Code Want to learn more about the Girls Who Code program? Come to the parent open house from 7pm-8pm to ask questions, see the curriculum and sign up early if you're interested! Jan. 22nd - "Drive In" Movie Families! Join us for a "Drive-In" movie (indoors of course) in our big program room at 10:30pm! First we'll decorate our "cars" (aka boxes we've been saving up for the event) then we'll relax and enjoy a movie and some popcorn in our spiffy new rides! You're welcome to bring your own box to decorate, or use one of ours! Jan. 22nd - Author Visit with Chris Woolf Author of Bumbling Through the Hindu Kush: A Memoir of Fear and Kindness in Afghanistan, Chris Woolf will be visiting the library at 3pm to discuss his memoir documents his personal experience of war and resilience, stuck behind rebel lines on the wrong side of the mountains, in 1991. In addition to writing, Woolf runs a voiceover company he co-founded here in Franklin in 2018, called The Voice Depot. This program is free and open to the public. Jan. 25th - Book Club Join the FPL Book Club as they discuss The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce at 7pm. Library Hours The Franklin Public Library will be closed on Monday, Jan.17th for Martin Luther King Day. The Library's regular hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and Sunday 1:30-5pm. Library Calendar of Events - January 2022 Franklin Public School District FPS Return from Winter Break It was delightful to have students and staff in school on Monday, January 3 as we welcomed everyone back to the district this morning following our winter break. As a result of the recent spike in COVID cases due to the Omicron variant, we distributed DESE-supplied rapid antigen tests to faculty/staff, distributed DESE-supplied KN-95 masks to faculty/staff, and have shored up our effective mitigation strategies including fully stocking PPE and creating distance, where possible, among student desks. Managing case counts continues to be important as the health of our students and faculty/staff is paramount. Students needing to isolate or quarantine lose out on valuable, in-person learning time. Faculty and staff who need to isolate or quarantine for either themselves or as caregivers can not be in person for work limiting learning and also necessitating substitutes, which are in short supply. Having adequate staff to safely operate schools is a worry right now. COVID-19 doesn't just impact individuals and families, it affects the entire Franklin population. We have collectively learned so much as a community in managing COVID for these past 22 months. Indeed, with a collective effort, care and consideration for each other, and good communication, we will weather this spike in cases. FPS thanks you for your support and implementation of health and safety practices in the community. Visit our Back to School website for the Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard & Protocols Department of Public Works Christmas Tree Collection Notice The Franklin Department of Public Works will commence Christmas Tree Collection Jan. 10th- Jan. 14th during normal trash collection hours. Assessors FY 2022 3rd Quarter Tax Bills contain new valuations based mainly on the Calendar Year 2020 real estate market. Assessments are as of Jan.1st, 2021 using each property's physical status as of June 30th, 2021. Assessment challenges are submitted by the Abatement Application process. An Assessing Office available State Form must be received in the Assessors Office by 4pm on Feb.1st. 2022. Access the Abatement Application here. Water Sewer Division The Winter Season is upon us, so please be prepared! If your house has a history of frozen pipes please let the water drip! Even if you've never had trouble in the past, you may want to consider it. Get tips and tricks for keeping your pipes from freezing here. Franklin Historical Museum Second Sunday Speaker Series Jan. 9th at 1pm - Byzantine and Russian Icons: Dennis Sardella, docent at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, MA discusses the world of Byzantine and Russian Icons. As always, admission is free! Town of Franklin Calendar Keep up with meetings, departments & committees. The schedule and links can be found on our website calendar. Keep up with all things culture in Franklin! Arts, theater, dining, live music & more! Find out what's happening in town! Visit our website! Talk Franklin: Podcast from the TA's Office Subscribe to our Town podcast and listen to bi-weekly episodes detailing news and updates about our town. Town of Franklin 355 East Central Street Franklin, MA 02038 (508) 520-4949 Visit our Website

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