What's happening in Franklin, MA: Thursday, March 6, 2025 ???

Thursday, March 6

• "Look Up" Gallery (during Franklin Public Library open hours)

8:30am General Mtg - Franklin Downtown Partnership (Dean College)

5:00pm Board Game Night (Pete's Nerd Emporium)

7:00pm 350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting (First Universalist Society Franklin)

For additional details on the Library & Senior Center calendar check the interactive version on the Town page -> https://franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

**   Town Meetings today   **

Conservation Commission Meeting

March 6, 2025, 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/299?fileID=4146 

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Why are there multiple calendars?

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

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 Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37&showPastEvents=false

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-calendars

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Wednesday, October 30, 2024 ???

Wednesday, October 30

7am Fiber Art Installation (Franklin Public Library)

8am Early Voting (Town Clerk's Office, 355 E Central St) 

1pm Scribblers Writing Group (recording session at TV Studio)

4pm 5th Annual Pumpkin Patch (St John's Episcopal Church) 

5pm Weekly Trivia Night (Glen Pharmer Distillery)

**   Town Meetings today   **

Board of Assessors Meeting (3rd floor trng room)

Event Date:  Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - 5:00pm

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/agenda_10-30-2024.pdf

Police Station Building Committee Meeting  (Council Chambers & broadcast)

Event Date:  Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - 5:30pm

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/2024-10-30_police_station_building_committee_packet.pdf

Franklin Historical Commission agenda (demolition request)

Event Date:  Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - 6:00pm

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/events/fhc_demo_hearing_agenda_and_meeting_notice_10-30-24.pdf

Conservation Commission Meeting  (3rd floor trng room & broadcast)

Event Date:  Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - 7:00pm

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/10-30_revised_conservation_agenda.pdf

Town Council Meeting (Council Chambers & broadcast)

Event Date:  Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - 7:00pm

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/town_council_meeting_october_30_2024_packet_2.pdf

What's happening today in Franklin? 

---------------

Why are there multiple calendars?

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

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 Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/upcoming

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

Notice of Intents Filed recently

Notice of Intent - 55 Constitution Boulevard - Conservation

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/55_constitution_blvd_noi_public_hearing_notice.pdf

Notice of Intent - Prospect Street Culvert Repair - Conservation

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/prospect_st_row_repair_noi_public_hearing_notice.pdf

Notice of Intents Filed recently

Regional Tree Planting & Protection Plan Webinar - Oct 23

Regional Tree Planting  & Protection Plan Webinar 

Virtually on October 23 at 7 PM

Massachusetts has lost over 3.5% of its tree cover

Trees are one of our greatest climate solutions––providing cooler neighborhoods, clean air, flood mitigation, cleaner water, and mental health benefits––yet our watershed is losing tree canopy at an alarming rate. Since 2000, Massachusetts has lost over 3.5% of its tree cover. Regional planning will help maximize the benefits of existing trees, help protect mature trees from invasive species, and identify new opportunities for tree planting to build a robust, healthy tree canopy. 

Join the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) and Franklin Conservation Department, a Charles River Climate Compact Member, on October 23 at 7 PM to hear about the state of tree canopy across the watershed and our work with the Climate Compact that helps municipalities protect, maintain, and grow our tree canopy. 

Register here (https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrd-mgqj0jGtOm5q8ZvQ6hwaL0j3V4zcc8#/registration).

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/conservation/news/regional-tree-planting-protection-plan-webinar

WEBINAR: Introducing the Property Owner Guide to Managing Stormwater on Commercial and Industrial Properties

WEBINAR: Introducing the Property Owner Guide to Managing Stormwater

Monday, September 30th 2024 1:00PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Join the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) for an informative presentation on the Property Owner Guide to Managing Stormwater on Commercial and Industrial Properties (aka, the Guide, scheduled for public release on September 30, 2024). 

The purpose of the Guide is to provide a high-level explanation of the problems associated with uncontrolled stormwater and what private property owners can do to reduce these impacts by improving site operations and making simple changes to the physical layout of their sites to reduce stormwater volume and pollutants.  The audience for the Guide is property owners and managers of commercial, industrial and institutional properties who are responsible for making decisions regarding site improvements to manage stormwater. 

 Entities (including consultants and state, regional and/or local agencies and organizations) who work with property owners in developing stormwater plans will also find the guide useful.  This guidance is timely in that it will help support compliance with stormwater permits issued under the Clean Water Act's Residual Designation Authority (RDA) affecting property owners having larger impervious surfaces including the anticipated permit in the Mashapaug Pond watershed in Rhode Island and permits in Massachusetts and New Hampshire coming in 2024, and one issued in Vermont in 2020. 

The impact of polluted stormwater from impervious surfaces on receiving water quality is well known, as are its contributions to localized flooding. Commercial, industrial and institutional properties have unique challenges, constraints and goals for their properties that must be considered for successfully incorporating pollutant reduction and stormwater treatment measures. 

The Guide builds upon the design guidance in the New England Stormwater Retrofit Manual but is customized to be more accessible to a non-technical audience by providing illustrative case examples of options for managing stormwater and presenting guidance that is easily understood by a non-technical reader. 

The Guide's focus is on operational best management practices and physical improvements known as Green Stormwater Infrastructure ("GSI") to manage and improve water quality at its source.  The guide was developed by VHB for the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Network with support from an ad hoc committee comprised of members from the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center, the Rhode Island Stormwater Innovation Center, the New England Environmental Finance Center, and RIDEM's Office of Water Resources. 

Presenters:
Theresa McGovern, VHB 
Anna Keimel, VHB 

Online Webinar: Register Here!

<Text copied from "The SNEP Network">

Read more -> https://www.franklinma.gov/conservation/news/webinar-introducing-property-owner-guide-managing-stormwater

Property Owner Guide to Managing Stormwater on Commercial and Industrial Properties

Schmidt's Farm & Maple Hill Planning Session scheduled for Oct 16, 2024

Schmidt's Farm & Maple Hill

Schmidt's Farm & Maple Hill Planning Session

We want you to participate!

Come join us at the Franklin Senior Center (10 Daniel McCahill Street) on Wednesday, October 16 from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM to see preliminary concept designs for Schmidt's Farm and the Maple Hill Conservation Area. 

Light refreshments will be provided. Be sure to bring your input!

Shared from ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/conservation/news/schmidts-farm-maple-hill-planning-session

Franklin's Water Conservation Measures have ended for this 2024 calendar year

"Franklin Residents ~ In accordance with the Town’s Water Management Act Permit Water Conservation Restrictions have ENDED.

Residents are always encouraged to protect the future of our national and local water supply through water-efficient practices within your home and daily habits.

Please see our website for more information:

https://www.franklinma.gov/water.../pages/water-conservation

Thank you for your cooperation!"

Note: The operative word is "conservation."  These measures occur every year due to the state permit we have. A couple of times we have gone into the "water ban" status; once due to the fire at the well and another time due to drought conditions.

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/TGV5VKeMr7KS1B5E/

You can also hear about the water system from well to faucet in a 3-part podcast series  -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/09/town-of-franklin-all-about-water-system.html

Franklin's Water Conservation Measures have ended for this 2024 calendar year

Town of Franklin: Municipal Building Renovation Update - Many Departments now working remotely

Municipal Building Renovation Update

IN-PERSON ACCESS TO THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENTS IS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE DUE TO RENOVATIONS. ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE FULLY STAFFED AND WORKING REMOTELY.

• BUILDING DEPARTMENT - Please call 508-520-4926 and someone will call you back.  Department contact numbers, business cards and forms can be found outside the department door. 
• BOARD OF HEALTH - Please call 508-520-4929 and someone will call you back.

• 

  Many Departments now working remotely

  TREASURER/COLLECTOR - Please call 508-520-4950 and someone will call you back. Drive-up window is not available. Payments can be left in the WHITE drop box located at the corner of the Municipal Building.  There will also be a Treasurer/Collector employee located in the Town Clerk's office to accept payments. You may also contact us by emailing treasurer@franklinma.gov.
• CONSERVATION - Please call or email our Conservation Agent Breeka Li Goodlander at 508-520-4929 / bgoodlander@franklinma.gov and she will get back to you. Her business card will be located in front of the building department doors.
• PLANNING DEPARTMENT - Please call 508-553-4852 or email our Town Planner Amy Love at alove@franklinma.gov and she will get back to you. Business cards are in front of the building department doors.

The ASSESSORS DEPT staff are working onsite in the Municipal Building.  They are currently located in the 3rd floor conference room. Take elevator up to 3rd floor, turn left, and turn left again at the end of the hall. 

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/urgent-alerts/municipal-building-renovation-update

Wasted Food, Hunger, and the Climate Emergency: How Food Recovery Helps - Sep 12

September is Hunger Action Month — a yearly, nationwide campaign to raise hunger awareness and inspire people to take action. This year, the Franklin Food Pantry is bringing attention to food rescue and recovery.

Join us as we welcome Liz Miller, Community Relations Manager at Spoonfuls, a Massachusetts-based food recovery organization, as she examines how collecting fresh, edible food that would otherwise go to waste, and distributing it to social service agencies like The Pantry can help address food insecurity and the climate crisis.

Get Tickets

• When: Thursday, September 12, 2024, from 7 to 9 PM
• Where: First Universalist Society in Franklin (FUSF), 262 Chestnut St, Franklin, MA
• RSVP: To secure your spot, please click HERE.       

How Food Recovery Helps - Sep 12

Admission is free however tickets are limited, and registration is required. If you would like to make a donation to support The Pantry, please click HERE.

This event is open to anyone in the community who aspires to learn about food insecurity and is hosted by FUSF's Food Justice Team.

For more information, please email info@franklinfoodpantry.org.

DelCarte - Upcoming treatment visit July 19, 2024

This email notification is to inform you that SOLitude Lake Management will be on-site at Del Carte Ponds in Franklin, MA  on July 19, 2024 to conduct a treatment of the Upper and Lower Ponds using Flumiguard SC. This treatment will be conducted in accordance with the Order of Conditions and MassDEP License to Apply Chemicals for Control of Nuisance Aquatic Vegetation.

Restrictions are as follows:

Swimming - until 07/20/2024

Livestock Watering - until 07/20/2024

Drinking - until 07/20/2024

Irrigation - until 07/24/2024

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Project Manager, Tanner Poole at tanner.poole@solitudelake.com or 508-834-2838, who will be responsible for compliance with the permit conditions.

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/conservation/news/delcarte-upcoming-treatment-visit-july-19th-2024

DelCarte - Upcoming treatment visit July 19, 2024

You can be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics

Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? See below for ways to get involved!

You can be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics

Ideas and Solutions

Want some tips to find out how you can reduce plastic waste? The good news is, anyone can get involved. You can start out small, or really challenge yourself! Get inspired using the menu options at this link: https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/

Plastic Free Pledge

This year’s Plastic Free July campaign focuses on small changes each of us can make to reduce plastic waste under the slogan “Small steps, big difference”. Each year millions of Plastic Free July participants from over 190 countries worldwide are together making a big difference by choosing to refuse single-use plastic. An astonishing 10 billion kgs of household waste has been avoided by participants over the last five year because millions of people choose to make a change for cleaner streets, healthy oceans,  and beautiful communities or just to do the right thing. Choose one single-use plastic to avoid or take the pledge to avoid single-use cups, plastic drink bottles, or plastic food wrap. These “Top 3” items are single-use plastic items we commonly use each day that most of us can be easily replaced by;

• Refilling reusable water bottles from the tap
• Bringing a reusable cup or sitting and enjoy a real cup
• Switching from plastic wrap to reusable containers or wax wraps.

Take the pledge here: https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/take-the-challenge/ 

Take the Challenge

Whether you’re a beginner looking for a few single-use plastics to avoid, ready to take next steps or want to share with others, we have ideas to inspire you at home, work, school, and within the community. Best of all, being part of Plastic Free July will help you to find great alternatives that can become new habits forever.

• Take the challenge- this link (https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/take-the-challenge/) will open in a new window and get ideas, solutions, stories of other participants and news from across the global movement
• Do the Plastic Free July Quiz- this link (https://survey.thinkfieldpanel.com.au/wcfs/29402) will open in a new window (it takes less than 5 minutes) to discover the items you use and decide what you’d like to choose to refuse
• Decide to take your first step- this link (https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/category/getting-started/) will open in a new window or really challenge yourself- this link (https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/category/next-steps/#categories) will open in a new window!

Go the Distance

From now through October 31st, Adventure Scientists looking for volunteers to visit any national park or National Park-managed land, like Yellowstone or Lake Clark, in the United States to record plastic trash, including the amount and type of trash, and submit via a survey on your smartphone. Remember, taking the trash with you and disposing of it is always appreciated. Anyone can participate; all you need is a smartphone, a visit to a national park or NPS-managed land, and to complete a short training online. Thanks to you, Adventure Scientists removed 8,177 pieces of trash from 31 parks last year and helped inform pollution solutions for our parks.

There are 18 National Parks or NPS-Land in Massachusetts alone. Where will you visit? To see all Parks and NPS-managed land click this link: https://www.nps.gov/findapark/advanced-search.htm?s=MA&p=1&v=0

For more information on Plastic Free July® see here: https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

Earth day, earth month, conversation with Breeki Li, Ryan, Amy & Jamie leads to songs about weather (audio)

FM #1184 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1184 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, Deputy Town Administrator Amy Frigulietti, Conservation Agent Breeki Li Goodlander and Recreation Director Ryan Jette on Monday, April 29, 2024.    

We get a very brief recap of current events (it’s all about the budget) and jump right into Earth Day and the other activities of the Conservation and Recreation departments

Conservation

• Projects more this year than last
• Friends of Conservation group forming

Recreation 

• Growth in participation 
• Field upgrades at Fletcher & King St
• Beaver Pond has a new kayak launch

We close out with discussion and laughter around the Top 35 songs about weather

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Eu2npqGS0fH9N0Uc0iB5WCitoawIMFdJ/view?usp=drive_link 

Our conversation runs about 41 minutes.    Audio link -> https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/letstalkfranklin/episodes/Talk-Franklin--A-Podcast-from-the-Town-Administrators-Office---April-29--2024-e2j2h3e/a-ab7j5t3

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Contact info: for Jamie & Amy -> https://www.franklinma.gov/administrator 

Conservation page ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/conservation 

Recreation page ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/recreation-department 

Fact checking update:

• In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired a young activist, Denis Hayes, to be the National Coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event "Earth Day"  https://www.earthday.org/history/   

• The group garnered worldwide attention with 1987 album Diesel and Dust. Its singles "The Dead Heart" and "Beds Are Burning" illuminated the plight of indigenous Australians  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Oil 

YouTube playlist of the "weather songs" ->

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL2XKlvMgLAnp1WMUR3vAtWNuAJ6ziK1d&si=tNTGfeWOCn7JAKPw

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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 www.franklin.news/ or  www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

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"

Earth day, earth month, conversation with Breeki Li, Ryan, Amy & Jamie leads to songs about weather (audio)

Sustainability Subcommittee schedules discussion with Conservation & Storm Water - April 30 - 5:30 PM

Master Plan Update Committee

Sustainability Subcommittee

Date:  Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - 5:30pm

Agenda doc contains remote participation info ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/sustainability_-agenda_2024-4-30.pdf

Sustainability Subcommittee schedules discussion with Conservation & Storm Water - April 30 - 5:30 PM