Showing posts with label BEN 4 Franklin. Show all posts

Thursday, April 30, 2026

BEN's Bulletin: Downtown Walk & Talk on Saturday, May 2

BEN's Bulletin (04/28/26)

The sun's coming out and so are we! This bulletin focuses on this Saturday's Jane's Walk, in partnership with Congress for a New Urbanism New England.

As always, join our monthly meeting every third Thursday at 7pm at Franklin TV or virtually at the following link: meet.ben4franklin.org.

Jane's Walk - Saturday, May 2

Join our fourth annual walking discussion of downtown Franklin! The free event is part of an international series in memory of social activist and placemaker Jane Jacobs. The ~1.5-hour tour will explore how land use decisions impact the look and feel of streets and neighborhoods, celebrate culture, highlight history, and promote economic development.

The walk will start at Franklin TV (23 Hutchinson Street) at 10:30am. Parking is available on site.
All are welcome, including paws and wheels!
This year, we will be joined by regional planning professionals from Congress for a New Urbanism (CNU) New England!
Stick around after the walk for pizza, refreshments, and further reflections!

For further information and to RSVP, visit ben4franklin.org/janes-walk-2026.

Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) was a writer, urbanist, and activist who championed a community-based approach to city-building. Despite no formal training as a planner, her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, introduced ground-breaking ideas about how cities function, evolve, and fail that have become conceptual pillars for today’s architects, planners, policymakers, activists, and other city builders. Jacobs lived in Greenwich Village until 1968, where she helped push back on car-centered urban planning and invigorated neighborhood activism.

Jane's Walk was founded in 2006 by a group of Jacobs’ friends and colleagues as a way to honor her life and activate her ideas. Over the next decade, the movement saw rapid global uptake by urban activists around the world. The movement continues to grow every year and has now reached over 500 cities!

CNU New England is the regional chapter of CNU, the nation's leading organization promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities, and healthier living conditions. CNU have met nationally since 1993, with the New England chapter starting in 2004. Its members include public and private sector leaders, community activists, and multidisciplinary professionals.

What We're Consuming

OPINION: Market Rate Housing for $100,00 Per Unit? (Franklin Observer)
Aging into uncertainty: Baby boomers feeling crushed by housing crunch (Boston Globe)
Penciling Out: Navigating the Boston/Massachusetts Climate & Affordable Housing Context (Boston Society For Architecture)
The Return of the Townhouse (City Journal)

Reach out with any comments or questions. Thanks!

The BEN Brigade

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Thursday, April 16, 2026

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Thursday, April 16, 2026 ???

Thursday, April 16

** Fund raising Via Panera Bread for Franklin Children’s School

3:00pm Back to Life: Youth Theater Project (SAFE Coalition)

7:00pm BEN 4 Franklin Mtg (Franklin TV and Radio)

Library & Senior Center events

For additional details on Library events ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events

For additional details on Senior Center events ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

Note: Senior Center checking on why their events are suddenly being shown as "All Day". You can use the monthly newsletter for specific program/event times

*** Town Meetings today ***

Town Council Monthly Office Hours

Thursday, April 16 Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

Joint Budget Subcommittee Meeting

Thursday, April 16 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04162026-2252

ZBA Meeting-no meeting

Thursday, April 16 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04162026-2236

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Find the full Community event calendar https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication: https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Old Colony Habitat for Humanity shines their Volunteer Spotlight on Kim Mu-Chow

via Old Colony Habitat for Humanity

Volunteer Appreciation Spotlight

In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month, we are so excited to kick off our very first spotlight with none other than the queen herself, Kim Mu-Chow! 💙

Kim Mu-Chow

Kim is the definition of dedicated, selfless, and joyful service. Whether she’s supporting her church community, serving on regional committees, rescuing and delivering food, or lending her time and talent to countless local organizations - Kim shows up with heart every single time. And we are so lucky she chooses to share that energy with Old Colony Habitat for Humanity!

From being inspired by Habitat’s mission to jumping right into our Franklin build, Kim has been all in - helping bring Sally’s home to life with passion and purpose.

When we asked about her favorite moments, it was clear just how much this experience means to her.

Some moments include:

💫 Working side by side with Sally and her family
💫 Building connections at Women’s Build Day (and proving just how much can get done!)
💫 Watching the home transform with so much love poured into every detail
💫 And discovering a hidden talent - scraping anything and everything (even on her own 20-year-old label at home!)

Kim, thank you for your incredible generosity, your spirit, and the joy you bring to every build day. You truly make a difference, and we are so grateful to have you as part of our Habitat family.

Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/1CcLpY2e6B/

Thursday, March 19, 2026

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Thursday, March 19, 2026 ???

Thursday, March 19

8:30am Town Official Office Hours (Franklin Senior Center)

1:00pm Painting with Amy (Franklin Senior Center)

6:00pm All Town Band Concert (Franklin High School)

7:00pm BEN 4 Franklin Mtg (Franklin TV and Radio)

For additional details on Library events ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events

For additional details on Senior Center events ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

Note: Senior Center checking on why their events are suddenly being shown as "All Day". You can use the monthly newsletter for specific program/event times

*** Town Meetings today ***

Franklin School Committee Meeting

Thursday, March 19 Time: 5:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03192026-2161

ZBA Meeting- no meeting

Thursday, March 19

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Find the full Community event calendar https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication: https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

Monday, December 29, 2025

Boston Globe Editorial: "Getting to yes on housing in Massachusetts"

"Over the next decade, state housing officials estimate that Massachusetts will need another 222,000 homes. These homes are necessary to attract young professionals, to prevent families with young children from leaving, to empty the homeless shelters, and to let seniors age in their communities.

"Getting to yes on housing in Massachusetts"

More housing is also needed to mitigate climbing prices that are hurting not only lower-income residents, but even those who are solidly middle class. The median price of a single-family home in Massachusetts this year, as of November, was an astonishing $640,000, according to The Warren Group.

Zillow ranked Greater Boston as the fifth most expensive rental market in the country, with average rent hovering just under $3,000 a month, according to the Boston Foundation’s 2025 Housing Report Card."

Continue reading the editorial with this shared link ->

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/28/opinion/housing-reforms-massachusetts/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Getting to "yes" on housing is a key issue for Franklin. Basic supply / demand economics are at play. Unless, and until, we increase the supply to meet the demand housing costs will continue to rise making it less affordable.

Consider the Building Equitable Neighborhoods For Franklin (BEN 4 Franklin) group. They want to understand zoning to advocate for the right changes to make to enable sustainable and affordable growth. Find out more at https://ben4franklin.org/