Happy anniversary Franklin Matters readers! We celebrate 15 years bringing you timely and accurate news!

Happy anniversary to us!

You have read, asked questions, subscribed, commented, sent us something to post, etc. And we welcome that. It take two to tango.

For the folks who may be new, welcome to the group! You may have questions someone has asked before (hence an easy answer) or have a question no one has asked before (and we'll go figure it out).

Integration with Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) will continue. Someday, not too far away, there will be one page with three views to “Watch, Listen, and Read” all of Franklin’s information. 

1. Franklin TV and the three channels will be the “Watch” view

2. Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) will be the “Listen” 

3. last but not least, to help tie them all together will be Franklin Matters as the “Read’ view

What do you get for a free subscription?

If you haven't already Subscribed; please do, you will receive only one email per day with all that matters. https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html

Why Franklin Matters - why I started this in 2006/2007 and have been at it since https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/why-franklin-matters.html

Meeting notes: the archive on meeting notes and audio recordings for meetings going back to 2008. If interested, a link to the 2007 archives is also available. 

https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/meeting-notes.html

wfpr.rm podcasts, or play anywhere Radio shows. The link to each podcast as well as the most current episode of each can be found on the page in alphabetical order. https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/franklin-matters-radio.html

The Franklin Matters Radio archives grow regularly as recordings of meetings and interviews are posted. https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/fm-podcasts.html

Among the radio shows posted there are some regular series

• Talk Franklin - a regular discussion with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen

• Town Council Quarterbacking with Chair Tom Mercer - a post meeting recap

• Interviews with candidates for the Franklin local election (every two years)

• Audio segments of meetings and events recorded, many of them shared via wfpr.fm radio

• If you look for an episode and find a broken link, please let me know. I did change podcast hosts in February 2021. Links prior to that may be in the older format and I can’t update them all easily. They are available and I will do them as you need them.

Key links - a page with collections of writing around a topic. For example the “Election Collections” for each local election since 2007 are available

https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/important-links.html

Community Events - built upon the “Cultural Calendar”, this adds the other community events to provide a more holistic view of what is happening. The Town and School official meetings are maintained on their respective calendars.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

• 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.

Happy anniversary Franklin Matters readers! 15 years old and fresh as ever!

St John’s Episcopal Church Celebrates 125 years of ministry in Franklin

Join us on Sunday, September 11 at 10 AM for a historical Worship Service (in the style of 1897). You’re even invited to wear period costumes! This will be followed by a festive picnic, viewing of historical artifacts, learning about our connections to the native peoples of the area and the Armenian community in Franklin, creation of a timeline, a scavenger hunt for the kids, and mystery photos to identify. If you’ve ever had a connection to St John’s, or if you think you might like to, please join us for this celebration.

Our community began during the ‘Third Awakening’ of Christianity which followed the civil war. A series of revival meetings held in Franklin by traveling missionaries from the U.S. Army Church during the summer of 1897 inspired a community of local Episcopalians to establish the “St. John's Mission.”  The community held their services in the Baptist Meeting House until 1910 when they succeeded in raising funds to build their own church on School Street.  

The church grew steadily in the early twentieth-century and, by the 1950s, outgrew the School Street sanctuary, which was sold to Dean College.  The mission community formally joined the Episcopal Diocese as a parish in 1961, at which point the diocese recommended that they purchase a larger site out of the town center. 

In 1966, the construction of the present church and parish hall down in the leafy dell at 237 Pleasant St. was completed and celebrated.  Throughout our history, St. John’s has been active in the civic life of the town, particularly in the institution and support of a robust Franklin Food Bank and the success of the interfaith Council. 

The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and a branch of the Jesus Movement. We walk the middle way between Catholic and Protestant, seeking God’s presence in Word and Sacrament, as well as in all of Humanity and Creation. 

Our governance is democratic; our priesthood is not restricted to one gender; and many of our priests are married. At St John’s, we welcome all kinds of families: Gay, Straight, Transgender, Single Parents, Divorced, Widowed, Recovering, Seeking, Young, Old, and unsure.

St John’s Episcopal Church, 237 Pleasant Street, Franklin

For more information:

Call 508-528-2387 Email Admin@StJohnsFranklinMA.org

Like us on Facebook  and Twitter

See our website at www.stjohnsfranklinma.org  

St John's Episcopal Church

67 Degrees celebrates Second Anniversary - Feb 26, 2022

"SAVE THE DATE, SAVE THE DATE. 

Whose bringing the confetti 🎊!?!? 

Another revolution around the 🌞 and we are happy to invite you to celebrate our second year in existence on Saturday 2/26  from 12 - 10 PM @67degrees.brew

We have a day full of food with 

@fresh_start.market for lunch 12 - 4 PM, 

@thecaribbeanpress for dinner 4 - 8 PM, 

tasty treats by @leonasbakingco, 

and music with @damgaardscott @ 5 PM, 

of course tasty brews and other goodies. 

SAVE THE DATE. See you then. Cheers!"

Shared from Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaD8839LwMP/

67 Degrees celebrates Second Anniversary - Feb 26, 2022 

On the last day before leaving Facebook My true love sent to me

"On the last day before leaving Facebook 

My true love sent to me

A daily newsletter via email"

Yes, only one email and a good one each day with everything that matters!

The audio session to celebrate the anniversary of Franklin Matters can be found here -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/11/happy-anniversary-franklin-matters.html 

On the last day before leaving Facebook My true love sent to me

 

On the fifth day before leaving Facebook, my true love sent to me

"On the fifth day before leaving Facebook 

My true love sent to me

Five regular meetings to report on"  (Town Council, Finance Committee, School Committee, Board of Health, Community Preservation Committee)

While I 'follow the money" with the Town Council, Finance Committee, and School Committee, the Board of Health and the Community Preservation Committee are usually scheduled such that I can regularly attend.

If you have an interesting in doing any reporting, please feel free to reach out and let me know.

The audio acknowledging the anniversary this November, and the leaving of Facebook.

There was life before Facebook and there will be life after. https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/11/happy-anniversary-franklin-matters.html 

On the fifth day before leaving Facebook, my true love sent to me

"You Are the Object of a Secret Extraction Operation"

As part of the run up to Nov 30, there'll be a series of articles on Facebook and its technology. I have made my decision. Maybe the information will help inform you.

"You Are the Object of a Secret Extraction Operation" 

- By Shoshana Zuboff 

Dr. Zuboff is a professor emeritus at Harvard Business School and the author of “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism.”

"Facebook is not just any corporation. It reached trillion-dollar status in a single decade by applying the logic of what I call surveillance capitalism — an economic system built on the secret extraction and manipulation of human data — to its vision of connecting the entire world. Facebook and other leading surveillance capitalist corporations now control information flows and communication infrastructures across the world.

These infrastructures are critical to the possibility of a democratic society, yet our democracies have allowed these companies to own, operate and mediate our information spaces unconstrained by public law. The result has been a hidden revolution in how information is produced, circulated and acted upon. A parade of revelations since 2016, amplified by the whistle-blower Frances Haugen’s documentation and personal testimony, bears witness to the consequences of this revolution."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/opinion/facebook-privacy.html

"Why Facebook won’t let you control your own news feed"

"In at least two experiments over the years, Facebook has explored what happens when it turns off its controversial news feed ranking system — the software that decides for each user which posts they’ll see and in what order, internal documents show. That leaves users to see all the posts from all of their friends in simple, chronological order.

Both tests appear to have taught Facebook’s researchers the same lesson: Users are better off with Facebook’s software calling the shots.

The internal research documents, some previously unreported, help to explain why Facebook seems so wedded to its automated ranking system, known as the news feed algorithm. That system is under intense public scrutiny."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/13/facebook-news-feed-algorithm-how-to-turn-it-off/

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/11/happy-anniversary-franklin-matters.html

Happy anniversary Franklin Matters! Goodbye Facebook! (audio)

Let’s celebrate your readership (and growing numbers of readers) as we enter November 2021. 

It was only in November 2007 that FranklinMatters.org came into existence. I had started reporting on Franklin about two years prior, and as the override vote became a reality, during 2007 my reporting increased to cover it. There had been talk of getting it on the ballot and then all the informational meetings began to prepare for the vote when it was set for May 22, 2007.

After the vote passed, I continued to report on what was happening and my ‘regular’ readers began complaining about ‘this Franklin stuff’ that was taking me away from other topics I had been writing about. Hence, plans began for a new page. As the 2007 local election was also scheduled for November, I decided to make the switch after the election and begin preparing the new page for that introduction.

The Facebook page was added in 2010 and will be deleted at the end of November 2021. There was life before Facebook, and there will be life after the Franklin Matters page goes away from Facebook. 

So to be clear, while the Franklin Matters feed to Facebook will go away, Franklin Matters will not.

My commitment will continue to be providing timely and accurate information to all interested. I will continue to ‘follow the money’ focusing on the School Committee, Finance Committee, and Town Council meetings. In my current retirement lifestyle, some of the extra time I have, can then be applied to expanding my reporting to include the quality of life items that ‘following the money’ provides for us.

The content will continue to be text based with appropriate links to the supporting or source documents. Audio will be made available when practical. Photos will be shared. Multiple social media channels will help spread the information to where you can find it. Except that Facebook will not be part of our journey forward.

Email is the best source. One email daily with all that matters. 

Twitter will continue to be used for sharing the individual items as well as for capturing my notes during meetings or events. The podcast will share the audio files of meetings and interviews.

Integration with Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) will continue. Someday, not too far away, there will be one page with three views to “Watch, Listen, and Read” all of Franklin’s information. 

1. Franklin TV and the three channels will be the “Watch” view

2. Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) will be the “Listen” 

3. last but not least, to help tie them all together will be Franklin Matters as the “Read’ view

It does take two to tango, so you have a role to play as we take this journey together to keep informed on what matters in Franklin.  What do you need to do? I am glad you asked.

• 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 reading, listening, and asking questions.

My ‘radar’ is pretty good but not perfect. So if you want to know something, don’t be bashful. Ask. Send me an email, or use Twitter. You can also use Facebook messenger. I will still participate on Facebook primarily to keep up with family connections so you can use that if you choose.

I also host a monthly “Franklin Matters Q&A” event. It is usually hybrid. I’ll be in person at the Senior Center with a Zoom link to enable remote participation. It provides some time for a quick overview of what’s current and time for in depth Q&A to answer your questions.

Let me close with this is my public service effort for Franklin because I believe Franklin matters. If you do too, then we are on this journey together.

Audio file -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/28cb4f2e-5832-4c3e-b588-b927519bff91

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If you need or want help setting up one of the options to remain 'in the know' , sign up here ->   https://forms.gle/x4gWma8PgrmDD1i66

You can find all the archives for the Override Vote in 2007 on my personal blog  https://steves2cents.blogspot.com/2007/04/franklin-override-collection.html  

All the posts for the Election Collection in 2007 are also there

https://steves2cents.blogspot.com/2007/11/franklin-election-2007.html 

Fall house cleaning

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/10/welcome-little-fall-house-cleaning-is.html 

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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!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

the monthly “Franklin Matters Q&A” event is usually hybrid

Representative Jeff Roy appointed to 250th American Revolution Anniversary Commission

Speaker Mariano appointed Representative Jeffrey Roy (D-Franklin) to the special commission to investigate and study the promotion and celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the American Revolution. The Massachusetts Commission on the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution was established in the FY22 state budget which was signed by Governor Charlie Baker on July 16, 2021. 
 
Revolution 250 will explore the history of the American Revolution and the ways that this story still resonates in society today. Culminating in 2026, 250 years since the American colonies declared independence from the British Empire, the organization will pull together residents, visitors, planners, educators, artists, students, the business community, and politicians to recognize the importance of our culture and values. 
 
The Commission’s members — leaders in the historical, cultural, tourism, and political sectors — are expected to partner with the other states, and with the federal America 250 Commission, to commemorate, celebrate, and investigate the will and determination of the people 250 years ago who risked their “lives, liberty, and property” for the cause of American Independence. 
 
“It is a great honor for me to serve on this commission given my love of, appreciation for, and understanding of history,” said Representative Roy.  “I have worked closely with the Massachusetts Historical Commission over the past year on this legislation and am committed to ensuring that the anniversary does not pass without appropriate acknowledgment from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is sure to be a great educational effort and will be a boost for our local economy.” 
 
Franklin and Medway have a long and distinguished connection to the events surrounding American independence. Franklin is home to the first public library in America started with a donation of books by Benjamin Franklin, as well it being along the route that saw the victorious French army march through on their return from the battlefield of Yorktown. Medway’s Evergreen Cemetery is the final resting place for about 50 Revolutionary War veterans. 
 
The Commission will be tasked with overseeing the operations of Revolution 250, a consortium of organizations working together to commemorate the 250th anniversaries of the events that led to American Revolution. With over 30 institutional members, it operates under the fiscal sponsorship of the Massachusetts Historical Society. 
 
To learn more about the commission, including news, upcoming events and how to become a sponsor visit the website https://revolution250.org/. 

Representative Jeff Roy appointed to 250th American Revolution Anniversary Commission

FSPA Celebrates 35th Anniversary

The Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) will celebrate its 35th Anniversary Season beginning in September. Since 1985, FSPA has been dedicated to the enjoyment of the arts for all ages and to the artistic growth and development of young people. Founded by Director Raye Lynn Mercer and built upon the notion that arts experiences are an integral part of a well-rounded education, FSPA provides a nurturing environment where students grow skills for the stage – and for life. 

Children develop a sense of independence and accomplishment at an early age, while gaining confidence, poise, and self-esteem. The performing arts impart life skills, expanding students’ ability to communicate effectively, whether in the secondary school classroom or other public speaking opportunities. The arts also enhance creativity and imagination, developing improvisatory skills to navigate a rapidly changing world.

With a distinguished faculty of Boston-area artists, expansive roster of classes and extensive calendar of wide-ranging performance opportunities, FSPA serves students of all ages and levels of ability, whether for recreational enjoyment or serious study.

FSPA’s Music Department offers private voice lessons and instruction on all instruments, along with group voice classes, music theory and chamber music, jazz, and percussion ensembles. Performing opportunities for singers include the FSPA Glee Club, studio voice recitals, opera scenes, acoustic coffee houses, and musical theater showcases. FSPA’s innovative Little Music School program teaches children as young as 18 months to play the piano and offers creative and engaging general music classes for children ages 1-5.

The Dance Department provides programs for all ages and levels in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, commercial dance, dance for musical theater, and contemporary, and also features classes for boys, adults and beginner teens. Performance opportunities include Spring Concert, Ballet Conservatory performances, Next Step and CenterStage ensembles, and FSPA Dance Company. Many dancers are also cast, by audition, in Franklin Performing Arts Company’s annual holiday production of The Nutcracker, featuring professional orchestra and special guest artists.

For drama students, beginning in kindergarten, FSPA offers an extensive range of acting and musical theater classes that build performance skills and explore theater games, improvisation, character development, and scene work. Musical theater troupes for students in grades 5-12 are cast each year, with annual performance trips to Walt Disney World for select ensembles. FSPA students also perform, through audition, in Franklin Performing Arts Company’s annual season of shows alongside FSPA alumni, professional performers, and Broadway guests.

FSPA Celebrates 35th Anniversary

Alumni of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts have gone on to Broadway, national tours, extensive regional theater, professional opera, TV and feature film, professional dance companies, and more.

For more information, visit www.FSPAonline.com or call 508-528-8668. Follow FSPA on Facebook, Instagram (@fspaonline), Twitter (@fspaonline), and YouTube.

Odd Fellows Celebrating 141 Years in Franklin

William F. Ray Odd Fellows Lodge #71 has been a good neighbor in the Town of Franklin for 141 years, and counting. The local lodge was celebrating their 100th anniversary at the same time that the town was celebrating the Bi-Centennial Celebration in 1978. 

Their former location was the three story brick building on Depot St., which the lodge sold to Central West Realty Trust in 1981. That property was renovated and then named “The Brickyard” and housed various businesses for several years until the building was leveled for the Dean Bank addition and drive through lot.

After the sale of the Depot St. building in 1985, the lodge members bought the Varsinic Bogigian house and land at 330 West Central St. near the corner of Rte. 140 and Beaver St. in Franklin. The house was a smaller and more manageable property than the former Depot St. property, and with some internal renovations, was turned into our present day lodge hall.  
The hall was dedicated on December 3, 1985 and was honored during the ceremony by a visit from Sovereign Grand Master George Shaw, the highest ranking officer in the World Order. Being just one of 10,000 lodges in 30 countries, Odd Fellowship has the distinction of being the largest fraternal order in the world under one leader.

In 1996, Past Grand, John Gardner, engaged the Cub Scouts in Franklin and offered the Lodge to be the Parent Non-Profit Organization behind the creation of the new Pack #17. From approximately one dozen scouts in that year, the Pack grew to become the largest Pack in Franklin with 78 scouts. William F. Ray Lodge has provided a home base of operations for the scouts and we annually put on a Children’s Christmas Party in their behalf at neighboring Rising Sun Lodge in Medway. 

The Franklin lodge also assisted the Franklin Youth Soccer Association by allowing them full use of the building for their headquarters before obtaining more permanent quarters on Cottage St. Accepting the hospitality of the Odd Fellows Lodge enabled the FYSA to grow from a small and splintered organization, with its members working out of kitchens and basements, to a much more organized and centrally operated entity.

In the early 80’s and into the 90’s, the Franklin Odd Fellows ran 11 years of benefit volleyball tournaments for the Arthritis Foundation and raised over $27,000 for this worthy cause. We also organized an Arthritis Walk in Franklin, but it was lightly attended. The Grand Lodge, I.O.O.F. of Massachusetts in Worcester followed our lead and has been running with it ever since with such events as the Boston and the Worcester Walk-a-Thons, the Spring Charity Ball in Worcester and an annual golf tournament. 

This year, the golf tournament will be held at the Quail Hollow Golf and Country Club in Oakham, MA on June 17, the day after Father’s Day. The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Mass. raise more money for the National Arthritis Foundation than any other state in the country.

Local charities that the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs support are the scouting programs and foodbanks, the Franklin and Bellingham Rail Trail effort, the Odd Fellows Full Care Nursing Home, the Odd Fellows Children’s Summer Camp in Belfast, Maine, the Children’s Pilgrimage for Youth, the Veterans Walkway project and others. Nationally we support a Visual Research Foundation at the Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Wilmer Eye Institute, a National Disaster Relief Fund, the Living Legacy Program, The Home for Little Wanderers, the Mass. Diabetes Foundation and an Education Scholarship Fund for our community’s youth. Odd Fellowship internationally supports S.O.S., a program of building children’s orphanage villages in Cambodia. 

Nationally, the Odd Fellows are celebrating their 200th Anniversary in this country and celebrations will be occurring in all 50 states. Internationally, Odd Fellowship is much older in England where it originated in the early 1600s but it is much younger in many of the 30 countries worldwide. Members who travel in this country and abroad will be welcomed at any lodge in any state or in any country. One of the Franklin members has made meetings in the New England States and Minnesota in this country and has also participated in meetings in the Netherlands and in Germany.

Our warm and personal affiliation with our Brothers and Sisters in the Order has attracted many notable names throughout our country’s rich history. The following have all been Odd Fellows: William Jennings Bryan, Sec of State; Wyatt Earp, Law Officer from the Old Wild West; Robert C. Byrd, U.S. Senator; Charlie Chaplin, Comedic Actor & Film Director; Ulysses S. Grant, 18th U.S. President; Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th U.S. President; Warren G. Harding, 29th U.S. President; Charles Lindbergh, American aviator, author, inventor and social activist; William McKinley, 25th U.S. President; Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd U.S. President; and Lucy Hobbs Taylor, first U.S. female dentist. A record of all past officers of our local Franklin lodge, going back to our institution in 1878, can be found in our web site under the History Tab.

The local lodge is currently undergoing a 2 year long building upgrade with a new roof, all new windows, new siding, insulation, a new bulkhead and garage door. Member and builder, Chris Miller, has generously given his time, as well as other dedicated members who work full time jobs and manage to find a few hours on weekends to work at the lodge. 

To help support our charities, the members are planning on a Second Annual Fundraiser Cornhole Tournament to be held at the Bellingham Sportsman Club at 360 Lake St., Bellingham, MA 02019 on June 23, 2019 at 1:00 PM. The cost of admission per player will be $20 per person with drinks available from the bar and the DJ services of Rich Gillespie of New Style Entertainment. Look for future notifications to come on this event.

The mission statement for the Odd Fellows fraternal organization is as follows: 

“We endeavor to elevate the character of mankind, to provide aid to our community, to make it and the world a better place to live, to aid the less fortunate members of our society by donating to charities, to support the youth of our community and help them grow, to aid our own members in times of distress, to support science and research foundations for the elimination of diseases and poverty and to support our community in every way possible.” 

The sister and supporting organization to the Odd Fellows is the Rebekah Assembly of Massachusetts who do a great job every year raising funds and awarding scholarships to needy high school students aspiring to go to college. Membership into either the Odd Fellows, or the Rebekahs, is open to both male and female and we honor a non-discrimination policy that comes directly from our Sovereign Grand Lodge.

More information on the Odd Fellows organization and history can be found at the following web sites:
franklinmassoddfellows.org
massioof.org
odd-fellows.org

Odd Fellows Celebrating 141 Years in Franklin