Attention - Franklin Residents: Job Opportunities

Job Opportunities

• Police Patrol Officer - candidates must be graduates of the Full-time Basic Massachusetts Police Training Committee (MPTC) Academy or equivalent
• Firefighter/Paramedics - The Town of Franklin's Fire Department is in the Massachusetts Civil Service system. 
  • If you are currently a Firefighter/Paramedic in a Civil Service community and are interested in working for Franklin, send a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov. 
  • Please note: new hires must have and maintain a paramedic certification and complete an Associate's Degree within 5 years of the date they are hired.   

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email.  

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.
http://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/files/application-employment-town-franklin

Attention - Franklin Residents: Job Opportunities

“We’re always looking for great people"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"It’s rare for a town to have so many open positions at once, said Assistant Town Administrator Jaime Hellen, and an opportune time to get involved in the community. 

With five paid openings available, it’s important to fill those gaps in to ensure the best quality of service possible, according to Hellen. The town is seeking residents, or even considering out-of-towners for open positions in the library, DPW, municipal office and fire station. 

The town is also always looking for part-time summer workers in the DPW and Facilities departments, he said, and the willingness of residents to lend a helping hand has always been a plus. 

Fire Chief Gary McCarraher said he’s looking at a few potential retirements before the end of this year and is starting to recruit as seen fit. Not sure how many people might retire, he said it’s important to prepare. For now, only one position is open in his department."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180520/multiple-franklin-town-positions-open

The updated posted containing info on all the positions currently being hired
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/05/town-of-franklin-job-opportunities_16.html

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities (updated)

4th Quarter Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Bills Due May 1, 2018

4th Quarter Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Bills Due May 1, 2018
Fiscal Year 2018 4th Quarter Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Bills will be mailed out on March 30, 2018.

The due date for these bills is, May 1, 2018.

Reminders:
You can pay online at http://www.franklinma.gov/home/pages/online-payments. 

If you are mailing in your payment, please be sure to include the remittance copy with your check.

If you choose to use your Online Banking to pay your bills, please remember to reference the bill number(s) you are paying.

This is an automatic message from Town of Franklin MA.

4th Quarter Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Bills Due May 1, 2018

This was shared from
http://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/4th-quarter-real-estate-and-personal-property-tax-bills-due-may-1-2018

Need some Franklin gear?

The FHS webpage has a online store to purchase Franklin clothing

https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/#/lockers/panthers-28

The FHS webpage has a online store to purchase Franklin clothing

From the FHS School page, select Parents and scroll down the listing to select "School Store (online)"

#GivingTuesday options

A few of the many options to contribute to a worthy Franklin cause today!

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"Community.

A thriving town center.

Local businesses and services.

A gathering place.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is hard at work revitalizing the center of town. We rely on memberships, sponsors and gifts to further our cause.

You can support the Franklin Downtown Partnership and 100% of your donation will go right back to the community. 

We know you have many worthy causes and groups vying for your charitable dollars. We hope you will consider giving to the FDP on this #GivingTuesday. We have a donation button on our website's homepage or you can donate using the button below.

Thank you,

The Franklin Downtown Partnership"

You can support the Franklin Downtown Partnership

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S.A.F.E. is a coalition of community partners who have come together to provide support, education, treatment options, and coping mechanisms for those affected by substance abuse disorder. We do so by empowering those affected, including their families, with the tools necessary to succeed on their journey to recovery. We understand that while I can't, we can

Donate to the SAFE Coalition !

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Donate to help HMEA

"Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities.

Your donation today will provide an individual with disabilities 
the tools necessary to Reach for Independence!"

https://hmea.org/givingtuesday2017/

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Donate to help the Franklin Food Pantry raise enough for 1,000 bags of groaceries

Our wish is that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones, and that you enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday in good cheer and with a festive spirit.

With all of the gifts checked off on your list, you saved the best for last. Today, #GivingTuesday, you can give the gift of hope to help a neighbor you may never have met. 

Hope that there will be an after-school snack. Hope that no one has to choose between paying for heat and buying food. Hope that hunger doesn't get in the way of making friends. Hope there is enough food in the house to make a lunch for school. 

Every bag of groceries our clients take home is full of hope. Our goal is to raise enough funds to fill 1,000 bags of groceries.

1,000 people. 294 children. 140 seniors. Your neighbors. Our community. Give them the gift of hope today, #GivingTuesday. Give now. 

For the donations already made and for those still to come, 

THANK YOU!

-Erin

Give them the gift of hope today, #GivingTuesday

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And there are many other organizations in Franklin looking to you for help today.

“Now, the common is really decorated nicely”

You can get Santa twice this weekend. Saturday in Bellingham and Sunday in Franklin.  From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Santa Claus will take a quick jaunt through Bellingham Saturday evening before being delivered to the town common for a lighting ceremony involving hot cocoa, holiday songs and seasonal cheer. 

Santa’s journey will start at 5:25 p.m. at the Bellingham Middle School, and he will be escorted along South Main Street to the common. Local residents are invited to join the escort or view the procession along the route while students hand out candy canes. 

Santa’s quick trip to the common is organized by the Bellingham Lions Club. 

The lighting itself - which begins at 6 p.m. - is a tradition that dates back to the establishment of the town common 20 years ago. Town Common Trustee Chairwoman Joanne Arcand said the ceremony had grown a lot over the years."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20171124/bellingham-town-common-lighting-set-for-saturday


Reminder: The Committee For Concerts on the Common presents The Annual Christmas on the Common Sunday, November 26, 2017 - 4:00 PM

Annual Christmas on the Common - Sunday, Nov 28 - 4:00 PM

Additional info on Franklin's event can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/11/annual-christmas-on-common-sunday-nov.html

Franklin's downtown: before and after

"It took over two years and $7 million, but Downtown Franklin, MA’s road and streetscape remodeling project was worth the effort and inconvenience.  For many long months in 2015 and 2016, construction equipment and road workers disrupted the downtown area.  But now the “facelift” has Downtown Franklin looking great!  The quickest way to show you the striking success of the enhancements to the downtown district of Franklin, Massachusetts is by this series of “before and after” photos:"

“before and after” photo from 02038.com

“before and after” photo from 02038.com

Continue reading Warren Reynolds' summary of the changes including the before and after photos http://02038.com/2017/05/downtown-franklin-facelift/

Note: it was indeed more than two years for the second phase of the downtown improvement project. The first phase addressed Emmons, Depot, and Dean Sts and was funded separately from the separate phase, the combined total of the two phases was $7M.

Confirmation of this can be found on the Planning and Community Development page

http://www.franklinma.gov/downtown-revitalization

Town Offices will be closed on Monday, May 29

Town Offices will be closed on Monday, May 29th in Observance of Memorial Day and will reopen on Tuesday, May 30th at 8 AM.

Town Offices will be closed on Monday, May 29

This was shared from the Town of Franklin page: http://www.franklinma.gov/node/125673

"we’re looking forward to beautifying downtown”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Volunteers worked in the downtown and town common areas Saturday morning as part of a “beautification day.” 

Participants planted a variety of flowers along the bridges and roads of downtown and in the common to ensure the areas remained bright and vibrant throughout the warmer months. The day is a joint effort between the Franklin Downtown Partnership and the Franklin Garden Club. 

Eileen Mason, who coordinates the event, said it had been going well through the early morning hours. 

“So far, so good,” she said. “It’s a great day.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170520/sprucing-up-downtown-franklin

Franklin Garden Club members were working on the flower beds
last week in prep for the mulch to be laid out today

Franklin Liquor: Wine Classes

Thursday, April 6 - 7-8:30pm

Easter Garden Bulb Basket and Spring Wines

Get ready for Easter by joining Franklin Liquors, Hillside Nursery and Vinitas WineWorks for an evening of flowers and wine! Design a garden basket of Easter Bulbs for yourself or as a gift, and welcome Spring by tasting through an assortment of seasonal wines
http://www.medwayschools.org/sites/medwayps/files/file/file/adult_sp17.pdf


Thursday, April 13th - 7-8:30pm

Franklin Wine Club Event: Wines From Abruzzo In Central Italy

Guest: Dave Abbot Mascerelli Wine
Masciarelli is the leading Estate of Abruzzo.

The Abruzzo region today is on the cutting edge of grape growing and winemaking in all of Italy. We will talk about the special set of climates and soils that makes Abruzzo unique. We will talk about the grape varieties that have evolved in Abruzzo for over a thousand years. And we will talk about Gianni Masciarelli, the curious skeptic, biological savant, and energy management genius who took Abruzzo from a sleepy wine backwater to the cutting edge.
https://www.meetup.com/Franklin-Wine-Club/events/238658836/

Franklin Liquors features wine tasting and training classes

Excise Taxes Due - March 15th

Excise Taxes are due Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Many payment options available:

• Visit our friendly office to pay in-person
• Drive Through Window
• White drop box outside our building
• Easy Online Pay

Please Note: Online payments will be accepted with interest up to 60 days after the due date.

Excise Taxes Due - March 15th

This was shared from the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/excise-taxes-dues-march-15th

Franklin turns 239 - come and celebrate at the Birthday Party - March 5

The Franklin Historical Museum will celebrate our Town’s 239th Birthday on Sunday March 5th in the museum library at 1:00PM. All are invited to visit the museum and share in the celebration.

Franklin’s rich history began with the establishment of the official town charter on March 2, 1778. The original founding fathers, with such names as Pond, Failes, Fisher, Metcalf, Hawes, Whiting, Partridge, Clark and Darling, to name a few, originally intended to name our town Exeter. Upon hearing of the exciting news that was just hitting the shores of our young country, these men scratched out the name Exeter and instead applied to establish the town of Franklin. This gesture was to honor Diplomat Benjamin Franklin who had just successfully negotiated a treaty with France as an ally against Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.

So we celebrate the name, the man and our town each year, reminding ourselves of our place in history. To help celebrate, we invite all residents who share their March 2nd birthday with the town to join us. You will be recognized for your shared birthday and your own place in history. All residents are invited to join us for cake and coffee on Sunday the 5th at 1:00PM.

The museum is located at 80 West Central Street and is wheelchair accessible.

Visit the Historical Museum online  http://franklinhistoricalmuseum.org/
 

Franklin Historical Museum

"He’s the heart and soul of our team"

By KEN HAMWEY, Staff Sports Writer for localtownpages - Franklin

"Some may think that Franklin High basketball coach CJ Neely is overly effusive in describing junior captain Paul Mahon. 

The Panthers’ coach, who directed his squad to the Sectional finals last year and a co-championship in the Kelly-Rex Division of the Hockomock League, is extremely bullish on his off-guard, calling him “a coach’s dream, one of the best defensive players in the league, the ultimate competitor and a good person, on and off the court.’’ 

Mahon, a 5-foot-10, 155-pound off-guard, is indeed special. He’s humble in his role as Franklin’s only captain, and he’s willing to learn what he doesn’t know. He’s also encouraging when teammates need an emotional lift, and he’s quick to offer assistance and friendship to the less fortunate. 

Consider this situation — his best friend since early childhood is a Down syndrome youth, and Mahon often shoots jump shots with him in their back yards or in Franklin High’s gym. The 17-year-old Mahon also attends his friend’s Special Olympics events. “I always try to encourage him,’’ Mahon said."

Continue reading the article online
http://www.localtownpages.com/content/mahon-classy-captain-franklin-hoop-squad

FHS Boys Basketball Captain Paul Mahon

"I just wanted to make Franklin competitive"

By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer for localtownpages - Franklin

"On April 29, in a ceremony taking place at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, the Franklin Wrestling Program, under the guidance of Coach Carmine Colace, will be inducted into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as the Team of the Decade for the 1990’s. 

Throughout the 90’s the Panther grapplers were able to win seven state championships (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999 and 2000), finished second twice; won eight Hockomock League Titles (including six in a row from 1990-95) had two undefeated seasons and averaged 20 wins per season with Colace at the helm. What’s even more impressive is throughout his coaching career, Colace’s teams have collected 10 State Titles, finished second five times and during his 25 year run have never finished lower than fifth once they reached the Sectionals. 

“Wrestling in the state of Massachusetts had some dominant teams in the 60’s, but nothing like the team we had here at Franklin,” Colace said. “The 1999 team was probably the best team that we have ever had here, and we actually lost a game that year. During the State Tournament, we had already wrapped up the title after the first day of competition and really didn’t need to wrestle on day two. That’s how impressive they were.”

Continue reading the article online
http://www.localtownpages.com/content/franklin-wrestling-makes-history-thanks-coach-colace

Franklin Wrestling Makes History Thanks to Coach Colace

Fall foliage in Franklin - 2016

As I have walked around Franklin the past several weeks, I have enjoyed the fall foliage. With my phone camera handy I have captured quite a few photos and here is the best of the lot.

Enjoy!




The photos are embedded as part of a Flickr album.

You can also view the photos directly at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/albums/72157674822931832

If you have good ones to share, please let me know via email!

Previews of the new Town of Franklin webpage

What will the new Town of Franklin website look like? Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen provided several screenshots (shown below) and a list of the features as a result of the upgrade:

• There will be email subscription pages for Town Council agendas and roll calls, all legal notices and public hearings, and job postings. Anyone can subscribe to email lists to get notices on those topics and more
• A new GIS and Maps page focusing on the wealth of GIS services the town has, and some fun maps to browse
• A new Franklin Development site filled with information and available sites for commercial development, as well as a wealth of town demographic information
• A new 'one stop shop' for all social media accounts for the town and school departments and organizations
• Revamped calendar with auto downloads to smartphone calendars and RSS feeds
• A new Town Council page, with member profiles and subcommittee information
• A "Meet Me in Franklin" page that highlights some of the unique places of interest for residents and visitors of Franklin
• Town Blog for the most up to date news
• An ever changing rotation of pictures of Franklin throughout the site
• Enhanced search capabilities
• Customer service request forms
• And much more ...

Instead of using Franklin.MA.US you can now go to FranklinMA.GOV

new Town of Franklin home page

new Town of Franklin - Town Administrator page

new Town of Franklin - calendar page

new Town of Franklin - Town Clerk page

new Town of Franklin - online payments page

new Town of Franklin - social media accounts page. Want to follow the Twitter account or Facebook page?

To repeat what was mentioned in the post earlier this week
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/10/overhauled-in-effort-to-make-it-more.html

One of the drawbacks of the new site will be the links from here to the Franklin website will break. There is supposed to be a landing page for those who find a broken link with advice for what to do next. As most of the content did get copied over to the new site, a search of the new site should find it.

If what you look for you find here and don't successfully link to there, let me know. There are thousands of possible links to fix and I will do them upon request.

I had a habit of making my own copy of most documents to always provide a good link for readers. This was especially the case for something posted to the 'Franklin News" page which was cleaned out periodically (and broke all the links as soon as the cleaning took place).

While there are thousands of links that could break, I hope that you won't find too many. If you do, please comment on that posting or send me an email (shersteve @ gmail. dot com), and I'll find the doc and fix the link.

"overhauled in an effort to make it more accessible for those on the go"

"The new town website will go live this week, with officials touting its mobile-friendly design and better organization of information. 

Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said the site is scheduled to go up on Thursday, Oct. 20, but it may be a few days before visitors see the changes. He said it typically takes one to two days for new pages to go live. 

Among the new features of the site will be email subscription offerings for additional items (like Town Council agendas, legal notices and public hearings) and a development page, aimed at providing information on available commercial properties."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161017/new-franklin-website-launches-this-week

new mobile version of Town of  Franklin webpage

new mobile version of Town of  Franklin webpage - another page view

One of the drawbacks of the new site will be the links from here to the Franklin website will break. There is supposed to be a landing page for those who find a broken link with advice for what to do next. As most of the content did get copied over to the new site, a search of the new site should find it.

If what you look for you find here and don't successfully link to there, let me know. There are thousands of possible links to fix and I will do them upon request.

I had a habit of making my own copy of most documents to always provide a good link for readers. This was especially the case for something posted to the 'Franklin News" page which was cleaned out periodically (and broke all the links as soon as the cleaning took place).

While there are thousands of links that could break, I hope that you won't find too many. If you do, please comment on that posting or send me an email (shersteve @ gmail. dot com), and I'll find the doc and fix the link.

"We'll likely never get to a point where the project is 'done.'"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The town hopes to launch a new version of its website later this fall, with a focus on mobile accessibility and a smoother flow of information. 

Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said the change, set for late October or early November, represents a reorganization and rebranding of the site. 

"We're looking to make it mobile-friendly," he said. "When you look at the site on a smart phone, we want town forms and applications to be available." 

Hellen said the new site will feature a lot of interactive mapping and land-use data, allowing easier access to town information.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160918/franklin-town-website-relaunch-coming

The look and feel of the Town of Franklin webpage will change in Oct or November

Franklin can use your help!

The Town of Franklin encourages all residents who are interested in volunteering to apply now to any committee. If you have been curious or interested in giving your time, expertise or perspective on behalf of your community, now is an excellent time to get involved.

Current Committee Vacancies:

• Community Garden 2 Term 1 year
• Cultural Council 4 Term 3 years
• Finance 1 Term 1 year
• Council on Aging 1 Term 1 year

To apply for a volunteer position on a Town Committee, please visit the Town’s website and fill out the online volunteer form at:
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/VOLUNTEER%20FORM.pdf

Franklin can use your help in a number of volunteer committee positions

Interested parties may also visit the Town Administrator’s Office in the Municipal Building to fill out an application in person or call the office to have staff assist in applying.

If there are no current vacancies for a committee you are interested in, please apply and we will keep you application on file until one comes up.

For more information or questions about a Board or Committee, please visit the individual committee website or contact the Town Administrator’s Office, at 508-520-4949.


This was shared from the official Town of Franklin webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/024C5CF1-000F8513

or find a copy here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczYWwzZ1JwQkJmdzQ/view?usp=sharing

Town office closed Monday, trash delayed one day this week

"Residents- Please remember Trash and Recycling will be delayed a day due to the Labor Day Holiday on Mon Sept 5th."

https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/771348632339611648

trash and recycling by the roadside as required

pic.twitter.com/Q48gjYsKT5

— Town of Franklin, MA (@TOFranklinMA) September 1, 2016