Franklin Interact coordinating with Franklin Rec & Senior Center schedule "Voices of Franklin" event - Aug 18

FM #1791 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1791 in the series. 

This session shares my conversation with Syed Azhar of the Franklin Interact Club on Monday, August 3, 2026. Our conversation was conducted in the Franklin TV & Radio studios.

Franklin Interact Club

The Franklin Interact Club is a service club for teens (high school & middle school) in the Franklin area sponsored by the Franklin Rotary. You must be a Franklin resident and between the ages of 12 to 18 to be a member.

The show notes provide links to their web page, social accounts, email, etc.

Special event at the Senior Center, Tuesday, August 18

• Coordinated with Franklin Recreation and the Senior Center

• “Voices of Franklin”

• Starts at 11:00 runs to 1:30 PM

• Games, lunch, then a cross generational discussion

Let’s listen to my conversation with Syed and find out how you participate in the “Voices of Franklin” discussion August 18.

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1791-franklin-interact-08-03-26/

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Interact webpage   https://sites.google.com/view/franklinmainteractclub/home 

The Interact Club GoFundMe page https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-franklin-interact-club-make-a-difference/donate?

Application for new members https://forms.gle/qALcp6beLc9Zs6Ef7 

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/franklin.ma.interact 

Facebook page -> https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580646612868 

Email for additional questions franklinmainteract@gmail.com 

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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

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

 

For additional information, please visit 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"

Italian Roundtable: Experiences of 20th Century Immigrants - November 14, 2025 (audio)

FM #1583 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1583 in the series. 

Gino Carlucci was the Master of Ceremonies for the "Italian Roundtable: Experiences of 20th Century Immigrants" held on Friday, November 14, 2025 at the Franklin Senior Center.

Quattro Eroi Lodge 1414 Order Sons and Daughters of Italy In America put this program together.  The participants for the discussion in order of speaking (for TV viewing from left to right) were:

• Eddie Colace - Franklin  

• Phyllis Vozzella - Franklin

• Antonio Cence - Bellingham 

• Al Pizzi - Franklin

• Mike Narducci - Medway

They shared their experiences on the following topics:

• Age/year of move

• Memories of home town

• Initial impressions

• Steps taken to adjust

• Career/job/family

• Places lived

• Changes observed during lifetime

The recording runs about 1 hour and 15 minutes

Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1583-italian-roundtable-discussion-11-14-25/

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The program available at the Senior Center for this roundtable is available in PDF

Italian Roundtable: Experiences of 20th
Century Immigrants - Nov 14, 2025 (audio)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EvXCw-7i5Br8qjMK96jWBZ7b-jlZwMyI/view?usp=drive_link  

Quattro Eroi Lodge 1414 -> https://www.osiama.org/quattro-eroi-1414

When the Franklin TV video of this event is available, we'll share that also.

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

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

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

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!

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

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

2025 Biennial Election: Planning Board Candidate Discussion with BEN4Franklin (video)

Hosted by members of BEN 4 Franklin: Cobi Frongillo, Kimberly Mu-Chow, Gino Carlucci, Ndoumbe Ndoye, & Maxwell Morrongiello Planning Board candidates: Mark Mucciarone, Erik Steltzer Planning Board Associate candidate: William Lee, IV Recorded, edited by Steve Sherlock, Franklin Matters/Franklin Public Radio

video link -> https://youtu.be/NDFpuQoKBpg

Visit BEN 4 Franklin's website to learn more about the group. Sign up for the newsletter, join the monthly meetings (3rd Thursday at 7 PM at Franklin TV Studio)

https://ben4franklin.org/

2025 Town of Franklin Biennial Election

Discussion of VA and State Survivor Benefits for Franklin, MA - Sep 15 at 9 AM

Discussion of VA and State Survivor Benefits
for Franklin, MA - Sep 15 at 9 AM

Join us Monday, September 15, 2025 at 9:00 AM for a discussion of VA and State Survivor Benefits.

Coffee and Pastries will be provided!

The event is open to Veterans, Service Members, Spouses & their Children.

Julia Dhar: How to have constructive conversations | TED (video)

"We need to figure out how we go into conversations not looking for the victory, but the progress," says world debate champion Julia Dhar.

In this practical talk, she shares three essential features of productive disagreements grounded in curiosity and purpose.

The end result? Constructive conversations that sharpen your argument and strengthen your relationships."

Video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFZtNN6eNvQ

The three takeaways

• Choose curiosity over clash
• expect development of your ideas through discussion
• anchor in common purpose

Can you be a Christian AND a Patriot? 3 Franklin pastors schedule a discussion for Weds, Oct 2

Can you be a Christian AND a Patriot?

What is the place of patriotism in Christianity?

Three local pastors: Jacob Juncker, Kathy McAdams, and Doreen Oughton help to define “Christian” Nationalism, discuss why it’s not actually Christian or patriotic, and explore ways that we can all resist it.

Christian Nationalism involves the melding of the worship of cross and flag, confusion of Christian with American values, and the amassing of wealth and power over, and fear of, others. 

“Christian nationalism is the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Popularly, Christian nationalists assert that America is and must remain a ‘Christian nation’—not merely as an observation about American history, but as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future. “ – Paul D. Miller, “What Is Christian Nationalism?”; Christianity Today, February 3, 2021

Wednesday, October 2, from 7-8:30 PM

At Franklin United Methodist Church and on Zoom

For more information or for Zoom link: Email jacob@franklinumc.org

Can you be a Christian AND a Patriot?  3 Franklin pastors schedule a discussion for Weds, Oct 2

Community Read discussion scheduled for Tracy Kidder's "Rough Sleepers"

"Community Read Discussion incoming! 

We have two dates and times! (1 behind, 1 forthcoming!)

What are some questions you have to start us off?"

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/C5RUC42Jlo1/

Community Read discussion scheduled for Tracy Kidder's "Rough Sleepers"

We talk path dependence, critical juncture, and behavioral changes in this Making Sense of Climate episode (audio)

FM #1138 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1138 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the output of The Climate Minute podcast episode hosted by Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist. We met to record in the Franklin TV & Public Radio studio on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.  

The topic thread we talked of as we continued this "making sense of climate" discussion went something like this:

• Climate Leader Community

• State pilot to allow gas bans in 10 communities 

• Path dependence 

• Critical juncture

• Behavioral changes underlying energy revolution/overshoot/planetary management

• Need for new behavior now

• End of world? Viewpoints matter.

This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well. 

If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.  

The conversation runs about 54 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted.

Audio link ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1138-making-sense-of-climate-38-01-16-24

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Links to references made during this episode

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yCyhz-ZVVJImfYvJXnbaOmMhXE9RRX1E/view?usp=drive_link 

Link to the MA page on Climate Leader Communities -> https://www.mass.gov/info-details/climate-leader-communities 

Links to other places you can find The Climate Minute

• You can listen to the #ClimateMinute on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-climate-minute/id589025783 

• You can listen to the #ClimateMinute on Podbean https://massclimateaction.podbean.com/ 

• You can listen to the #ClimateMinute on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3UIZfLRoUQVLXUY2jMAsCk 

** See the page that collects all the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html 

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

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!

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

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

We talk path dependence, critical juncture, and behavioral changes in this Making Sense of Climate episode (audio)

"We gathered on the site of the great battle of our Civil War in order to prevent another one"

Via Braver Angels 

"On July 5, 2023—160 years after the Battle of Gettysburg—the unthinkable happened.

We came to @Gettysburg to launch a movement, bringing together 650 conservatives and liberals on equal terms to clarify differences, find common ground where it exists, and strengthen our nation.

It was hard to pull off.

How do you bring people of opposing viewpoints together during such an intense time of division?

We leaned on a small, scrappy staff and a dedicated group of volunteers who put everything they had into making the convention happen.

And then, it did."

Read the full thread in this PDF ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/188dE76N8YydAEV743jbqwyZ-aDyTAgwb/view?usp=drive_link

View the YouTube playlist of the convention that gathered 600 folks in Gettysburg College this July 2023 -> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKRBV_e51mrpjB5Dfc6mQWqR4eZxvteDY

witf.org, the public news service for 17 communities in Central PA provides some video of some of the conventions goers. ->    https://www.witf.org/2023/07/14/hundreds-gather-at-gettysburg-college-to-bridge-political-divides-through-constructive-conversations/

For more about Braver Angels, the group that organized this event ->    https://braverangels.org/our-mission/

"We were led by our two co-Chairs, Erica Manuel (

@ericut

), CEO & Executive Director of

@InstLocGov

and Wilk Wilkinson (

@wilksopinion

), host of

@DeratetheHate

podcast"