Thursday, August 4, 2022

Town of Franklin August 2022 E-Newsletter

August 2022 Edition

Upcoming Election Information

The State Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 from 6am-8pm at Franklin High School Gymnasium. In person Early Voting will take place August 27 - September 2 at the Franklin High School Gymnasium or Franklin Municipal Building.

Franklin High School In Person Early Voting Dates

August 27 9am-3pm | August 29 9am-3pm

August 30 9am-3pm | August 31 9am-5pm

September 1 9am-3pm | September 2 8am-12pm

You may also early vote in person at the Franklin Municipal Building Monday through Thursday from 8am-4pm and Friday from 8am-1pm, now until September 2nd, 2022.

The last day to register to vote is August 27th 9am - 5pm.

You may register to vote or update any information online via the Massachusetts Online Voter Registration System.

Department of Public Works

Fall Residential Rain Barrel Program Now Open!

Reduce your water bill by utilizing a rain barrel to collect rainwater. When it rains you SAVE!

The Fall Residential Rain Barrel Program is currently open to residents - residents can order directly from The Great American Rain Barrel Company. The deadline to order is September 5 and pick up will be at the DPW on September 14 from 4-6pm.

Order your rain barrel today!

Learn more about rain barrels here.

Join the fun and enter into Franklin's Hydrant Painting Event!

The Town of Franklin Department of Public Works is hosting a fire hydrant painting event! Registration is open until August 12, 2022. Proposed designs must be submitted for approval along with a completed application. Applicants will be notified by August 19, 2022.

For more information including event rules, application and frequently asked questions, please click here.

Franklin Public Schools

Summer Reading

We're excited to welcome students, faculty and staff next month to formally begin the 2022-2023 academic year! With the first day of school approaching, we remind students and their families to work towards their summer reading and math enrichment goals. District specific summer learning opportunities can be found here. Happy learning!

22-23 School Calendar Now Available

The School Calendar for the 22-23 school year is now available. The first day for students will be Monday, August 30, 2022. Be sure to register your Pre K -12 student(s) via Aspen, our online registration portal.

Franklin Public Library

Event Highlights!

August 4 - Whalemobile

Kids ages 5+ are welcome to join us for a special 30 minute journey inside Nile—the life-sized inflatable humpback whale, to learn about how whales and humans are similar and different, and have a chance to touch baleen, teeth and bones! REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Register on our website to reserve your 30minute time slot, event is from 10am - 12pm.

August 13 - Will Parker Concert

Children's songwriter and teaching artist Will Parker writes and performs music for "kids ages 1-

100." Will plays guitar and harmonica and sings original songs that engage the audience in singing-along, dancing, high-fiving, and imaginative play! Will's whimsical and interactive show begins at 10:30am.

August 17 - Rainforest Reptiles Desert Animals

Travel with us to the different rainforests around the world and meet the alligators, turtles, snakes and more that call these places home! Animal Fun for All Ages! Program begins at 1pm.

August 27 - Bollywood Dance

People of all ages are invited to join us at 9:30am for Bollywood Dancing with Deepa Bhaskar. Bollywood Dance is an expressive and eclectic dance form that fuses Indian classical and folk dance with various other dances styles from all around the world!

Library Hours

The Library's summer hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am - 8pm, Friday and Saturday, 9am - 5pm. The library is closed on Sundays in July and August.

Library Calendar of Events - August 2022

Food, Music, Movies and More!

Fall Recreation Programs

The Recreation department has released their fall program brochure.

Fall registration opens August 1st at 8:30am.

Sunday Speaker Series at the Franklin Historical Museum!

Join us Sunday, August 14 at 1pm for our presentation entitled "Firestorm: A Childhood Amidst the Ruins of War".

Wolfgang Bauer, a former Franklin Town Manager and currently a representative to the Charles River Pollution Control District, was born in Hamburg, Germany in the midst of the 1943 Allied firebombing that destroyed much of the city and killed tens of thousands. Bauer will review some of the main features of the bombing raids and discuss his life as a small child growing up in the wreckage of a once-prosperous city; a situation now being repeated in Ukraine in the 21st century.

Veterans' Services

August 3 - Coffee Social starts at 10am in the Senior Center Café. In honor of National Purple Heart Day, we will be recognizing Franklin Purple Heart recipients at the Social. All veterans are welcome!

August 6 - Franklin Elks Lodge on Pond Street is sponsoring a Dinner-Dance FUNdraiser from 6-10 pm with all proceeds going to the Monument Restoration Fund. Tickets are $20/pp. All members of the community are invited to join us for a night of fun featuring a pasta dinner, DJ with dancing and amazing raffle baskets! Tickets are available in the Veterans' office.

August 7 - National Purple Heart Day - Honors the brave men and women who were either wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military. Please let our office know if you or a family member (residing in Franklin) is a Purple Heart recipient and we'll add them to our database!

August 18 - Veterans' Council Meeting - 7pm at the Senior Center.

Veterans Memorial Walkway - The next engraved brick installation will be in November to coincide with Veterans' Day. Veterans need not be from Franklin to be honored with a brick. All members of the U.S. military are eligible. Brick order forms are available in the Town Hall and Senior Center lobbies and on the Veterans' Services page on the Town website.

For information about COVID-19 booster appointments and clinics in the Boston VA Healthcare System, click here.

Contact the Veterans' Services Office at 508-613-1315 or access their department page to learn more.

Board of Assessors

The Board of Assessors expresses its sincere appreciation for the cooperation of the Franklin citizens in the Assessors Office ongoing cyclical property inspection program. In recent months visits have also been made for building permit and sales verification. With accurate information the Assessors have greater assurance that the taxable valuations represents Fair & Equitable Assessments.

Applications for Statutory Tax Exemptions are available on our website. We suggest applicants to make every effort to complete the forms to return them after Labor Day. For questions, please call 508-520-4920 or make an appointment.

Annual FY 2024 renewal applications for Chapters 61, 61A and 61B will be available mid-September and due back by September 30. New applications for FY 2024 must also be completed and submitted during this time.

The Assessors Office wishes to emphasize that while every effort is made to see that the Tax Maps and the associated AxisGIS parcels are as accurate as possible, these depictions are meant to be a general guide for our property inventory. They are not as-built plot plans nor are they surveys, and are not sufficient for property conveyance purposes.

Reminder: you may want to record a Homestead Declaration at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds; information on this is available at NorfolkDeeds.org where you will also find other helpful cautions for property owners.

The Board and its Staff wish you continued pleasant and safe Summer season!