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| The Drummers' Studio 15th Anniversary Celebration - June 21 |
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| La Cantina Winery celebrates 10 year anniversary |
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| You're invited: The GlenPharmer Gala - May 8, 2025 |
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| You're invited: The GlenPharmer Gala - May 8, 2025 |
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| The Shed celebrates 2 years; Join them in celebrating |
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| radio tower new extention securely placed in 2022 |
And – as always –Thank you for watching.Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm.And staying informed at Franklin●news.
Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf
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| Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA |
Today (8/17/24) is Rise Up's one year anniversary 🎉I took a chance in August 2023 to start something our community was missing, and it has paid off!!
Rise Up celebrates 1 year anniversary »Rise Up is a social hour intended to connect the community with those navigating life with disability.»Anyone 18+ is welcome to join us, disability or not.»We've had so much fun and are looking forward to another year, so come join us!»Special Thanks to:- all the attendees who show up- my mom and dad for always taking me and helping me run it- Steve Sherlock for the continued support and community connections- Franklin EMS and Police Dept for joining us and educating us- Representative Roy and James Gay for joining and supporting us- Lisa for joining us and sharing your Merge resource with us- Franklin United Methodist Church for providing us space to host»This is what community is all about!!»If you're interested in joining and/or want to be a guest speaker/resource, message me.»Learn more about Rise Up and sign up for emails ->https://alirheaume.com/rise-up
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| Franklin Food Pantry: Celebrating One Year at 341 W. Central St. |
"Happy one year anniversary!
That’s right - it’s been one year since we moved to 341 W. Central St.! We are grateful to the Franklin community and everyone who has supported our mission for more than 30 years.
We have come so far but there is more work to be done – and the best way to celebrate with us is to support us!
Please make a monetary contribution to The Panty. No amount is too small (or too big!) and will make a lasting impact in strengthening our community.
Thank you, Franklin!!!
"Did you know that Massachusetts’ official state insect is the ladybug?The law was passed in 1974 after a large group of second graders from Kennedy School in Franklin, Mass. visited lawmakers at the State House in Boston while wearing homemade ladybug costumes.Since ladybugs are considered good luck, and protect plants from pests without being harmful to gardens, the children and their teachers considered the insect worthy of becoming the Bay State’s official state’s bug."
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| Former students of Franklin School who helped pass a bug making the ladybug Massachusetts' official state insect celebrate the 50th anniversary of their success with an event at the Franklin Historical Museum on Saturday, April 20, 2024 (MassLive photo by Liesel Nygard).Liesel Nygard |
Via Lyn MacLean:
“Serendipity?”
A wave of serendipity falls upon us in the most unexpected of ways. February 3, 2023 weather was forecast for unprecedented freezing temperatures. I prepared by opening the sink cabinets and kept the faucets running with a slight drip.
The next morning, I came downstairs to see my Golden’s wet paw prints shining in a straight line beckoning me to follow them to the kitchen. Then, I saw it, water everywhere! Yes, our 50+-year-old home caught up with us. The pipes had burst. I proceeded to the basement to find water everywhere, including boxed mementos from my deceased parent's home that I thought were placed in a “water-safe-space”.
“The Find”
For thirteen days I worked to discard damaged items. This process began an emotional journey that I was not prepared for. Keeping their boxes seemed to be the only way I could really honor my mother, or at least respect what was important to her.
Unpacking the last boxes, I discovered a plastic bag that uncovered a memory that was tucked away in my ten-year-old mind. 
sewing materials for a quilt square
The contents included chintz fabric and a hand sketch that I witnessed my mother drawing, erasing, and perfecting. This bag included sewing materials for a quilt square that my mother had volunteered to make for Franklin’s bi-centennial celebration 45 years ago in 1978. I could not believe that it was dry, almost like she gave me this gift. I conducted research about this quilt to satisfy my own curiosities and now share with you.
“ Quilt”: Woven Legacy
The Franklin bi-centennial celebration was a grassroots effort by local residents to celebrate the 200th year from when Franklin was incorporated on March 2, 1778. This was a chance to remind town residents of Franklin’s deep-rooted history. The celebration that year included a Bi-Centennial parade.
In addition, a commemoration coin was created to highlight the origins of the town name and displayed the Little Red Brick Schoolhouse honoring this as the hometown of the American education reformer Horace Mann. 
bi-centennial quilt
Another legacy project for this event was the creation of a bi-centennial quilt. This project was directed by Mrs. Loretta DeBaggis, the Franklin Youth Services Bicentennial Quilt Committee chairman. The making of the quilt was sewn by 33 volunteers. They were asked to make two replica applique squares to incorporate into two 116” x 72” quilts representing 40 historic and landmark locations within the town. Example sites included were the Ray Memorial Library, Little Brick School, and others like my mother’s assignment, the Wittrup House. One quilt was to be auctioned off to raise funds for the Franklin Youth Services group. The second quilt was to be on display for the town as a commemoration of the event.
I was fortunate to interview Mrs. Loretta DeBaggis who now resides in Florida. Listening to her reminisce about the project warmed my heart. Her love for the project shined through with comments such as “We had a great time, we laughed and had so much fun doing it”. Knowing the vast scale of this undertaking it was clear to me that it was time happily served by her. Mrs. DeBaggis donated the fabric and notions for the quilt from her decorator shop above the Mill Store where she sewed drapery, costumes, and tablecloths. Upon reflection, this quilt is a swatch kaleidoscope representing many Franklin families far beyond the actual sewers.
the Wittrup House
Mrs. DeBaggis selected the various historic sites she wanted to be represented in the quilt. She drew many of the patterns for sewers who were not comfortable with the sketch component of the process and her mother spent countless hours hand-quilting each square into the entire quilt. When I asked Mrs. DeBaggis which was her favorite square she replied “The town dump!”
She shared that her husband had built the quilt frame and also a sewer, he asked if he could make a square. She suggested he represent the Town dump since he enjoyed scavenging the dump weekly for treasures. Since Sesame Street was quite popular at that time, he chose to have Oscar the Grouch emerging from a trash can providing a touch of whimsy to an intentionally primitive style quilt. Oscar provided a nod to our youth, helping them connect to this project.
What’s Next?
We have five years before we reach Franklin’s 250th anniversary, a remarkable milestone to reach. If our town wishes to highlight its amazing history once again, then it will be individuals stepping up to volunteer, initiate ideas, and implement action to keep the heartbeat of Franklin’s heritage alive. Will you be one of those trailblazers? Time will only tell how many individuals have the time to help decide how to best embrace the 250-year mark. As much as the day my pipes burst was a hardship to my family, deep down I like to think that my mother led me to find her hidden treasure. I am honored that her effort and stitched signature are on display for her grandchildren to view in that very notable quilt.
Thank you to the volunteer sewers for sharing their skills with our town. Many have since passed away, however, the extended families can view their artistic work on continuous display in the Franklin Historical Museum located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin, MA.
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| commemoration coin - 1 |
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| commemoration coin - 2 |
spot - (noun) 1. a small round or roundish mark. 2. a particular place or pointeleven - (noun) one more than ten
Friday, Sep 15 is the 20th anniversary of International Dot Day!
Visit this blog post for resources from NCTE and https://t.co/A1n2qjVWyE that celebrate author Peter H. Reynold's THE DOT and the story's powerful themes of bravery, creativity, & self-expression. https://t.co/fNv4daHyCz
Shared from -> https://t.co/TuYCIV6nFB
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| 20 ways to celebrate connecting the Dots on the 20th anniversary |
FM #911 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 911 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares my recorded conversation about the Hockomock Area YMCA celebrating its 50th Anniversary. We had our conversation via the Zoom conference bridge on Tuesday, December 20, 2022.
At a high level our topics were:
Introductions and background on their Franklin or Y ‘story’
Scott Martin, Executive Director
Jim Downs, President & CEO of Hockomock Area YMCA
Mary Clermont, Franklin resident & critical volunteer with multiple roles over the years
Capital campaign and growth of services
COVID response with Food distribution first responders day care
Good stories of folks growing with the Y
The recording runs about 44 minutes. Let’s listen in to the discussion about the Hockomock YMCA’s 50 years. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-911-hockomock-area-ymca-50th-anniv-12-20-22
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Hockomock YMCA homepage -> https://www.hockymca.org/
Bernon branch in Franklin -> https://www.hockymca.org/franklin/
50th Anniversary page -> https://www.hockymca.org/50-years/
Membership page -> https://www.hockymca.org/ymca-membership/
Donation are welcomed -> https://www.hockymca.org/franklin/social-responsibility/giving/
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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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