We have a day full of food with
67 Degrees celebrates Second Anniversary - Feb 26, 2022 |
Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
67 Degrees celebrates Second Anniversary - Feb 26, 2022 |
"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
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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
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
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On the fifth day before leaving Facebook, my true love sent to me |
"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."
"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."
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.
Franklin TV and the three channels will be the “Watch” view
Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) will be the “Listen”
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"
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FSPA Celebrates 35th Anniversary |
“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.”
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Odd Fellows Celebrating 141 Years in Franklin |
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Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).bestbuddies.org | ||||
Best Buddies International 100 SE 2nd Street, Suite 2200 Miami, FL 33131 Phone: (305) 374-2233 |
LIVE Reading of Shelley's "Frankenreads" on Halloween ![]() 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," and to acknowledge this milestone, the Library of Congress hosts "Frankenreads," a live, day-long reading of the novel in its entirety by Library staff, friends and some very special guests. The program will be streamed LIVE on Halloween, Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET: Watch LIVE on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY7dn_7dj9o |
"Nina DiPerrio started teaching at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Franklin about the same time “Dancing with the Stars” premiered on ABC in 2005. Her bragging rights include performing with professionals from the hit show who were encouraging and eager to share their knowledge.
DiPerrio credits the popular television show with bringing an influx of new students to the studio and changing the demographic. Younger people especially, are eager to give ballroom dancing a whirl.
“Most people say it’s something they always wanted to do, but never tried before. ‘Dancing with the Stars’ showed that it’s doable, that dance is not something that is out of their reach,” said DiPerrio, who started dance lessons at age 5. “The Fred Astaire studios put a lot of emphasis on community and the social aspect, and create a very encouraging and inviting atmosphere.”
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Debunking Common Ballroom Dance Myths |
"With just a couple days to go before primary elections, contested races have heated up across Massachusetts.
The primary, scheduled for Tuesday, will decide which Democratic and Republican candidates will go on to run against one another in the general election scheduled for Nov. 6.
This year, the primary is scheduled for the day after Labor Day, which could complicate voting for some people, such as families with school-age children and college students, who might be leaving the state."
"With the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Plymouth Colony a little more than a year away, state officials this past week looked ahead to what the commemoration would mean for Massachusetts.
Michele Pecoraro, executive director of the nonprofit organization Plymouth 400, offered up the countdown at a press conference Tuesday in the State Library, where she said the 2020 event series would “reflect the history and culture of the commonwealth from a holistic view.”
“The native people and English settlers left historic footprints throughout Massachusetts, from Provincetown to Mashpee, from Aquinnah to Plymouth and right on into Boston and beyond,” she said.
The Plymouth 400 “signature events” will launch on April 24, 2020 with an opening ceremony and run through Thanksgiving week. They will deal with themes including exploration, innovation, self-governance, immigration and religious expression, Pecoraro said."