What's happening in Franklin, MA: Thursday, January 23, 2025 ???

Thursday, January 23

• No Trash/Recycling Delay scheduled due to MLK Jr Holiday Monday
• Fiber Art Installation (Franklin Public Library)

1:30pm Ben Franklin Autobiography LIVE Readathon (Franklin Historical Museum)

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

6:30pm The Golden Age of Silent Movies (Franklin Public Library)

**   Town Meetings today   **

Conservation Commission Meeting

January 23, 2025, 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/238?fileID=2608

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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/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

CINEMA 80: Silent Saturday - "The Big Parade"

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6pm. The program is free but donations are encouraged.  

The Big Parade

The lineup for October includes:

• The Big Parade – With a showing timed for proximity to Veteran’s Day, The Big Parade a 1925 American drama has been praised as one of the best and most realistic films about World War I. 

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10AM-1PM and Sunday afternoons from 1:00PM-4:00PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.    Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786.

   

Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Cinema 80: Silent Saturday - Nosferatu

`CINEMA 80’

Silent Saturday - Nosferatu

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6 PM. The program is free but donations are encouraged.  

• Nosferatu— a timeless classic that tells the tale of a vampire in extra-creepy black and white

After the movie, Chris Leverone responds to questions about the film and often the era in which the film is set.

Cinema 80: Silent Saturday - "The General"

`CINEMA 80’

Silent Saturday - "The General"

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6 PM. The program is free but donations are encouraged.  

• The General – Buster Keaton outdoes himself with non-stop action and comedy, loosely based on a real incident in the American Civil War. It has insane chase scenes involving lots of trains, horses, and soldiers and timings that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. 

After the movie, Chris Leverone responds to questions about the film and often the era in which the film is set.

Cinema 80: Silent Saturday - "The Black Pirate"

`CINEMA 80’

Silent Saturday - "The Black Pirate"

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6 PM. The program is free but donations are encouraged.  

• Saturday, Oct 5 - The Black Pirate (1926) Starring that sure-fire action-hero, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., in a tale of pirates, vengeance, and love.... After the movie, Chris Leverone responds to questions about the film and often the era in which the film is set.

Cinema 80: "Silent Saturday" - Man with a Movie Camera

`CINEMA 80’

"Silent Saturday" - Man with a Movie Camera

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is coming back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6pm. The program is free but donations are encouraged.  

The lineup for September includes:

• 9/28, Man with a Movie Camera –a 1929 mesmerizing showcase of communist life by the Ukrainian Photo Cinema Administration

Cinema 80: "Silent Saturday" - Orochi

Cinema 80: "Silent Saturday" - Orochi

`CINEMA 80’

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is coming back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6pm. The program is free but donations are encouraged.  

The lineup for September includes:

• 9/21, Orochi – a 1925 Japanese film that tells the story of a troubled samurai.

Cinema 80: "Silent Saturday" - Shorts by D.W. Griffith

`CINEMA 80’

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is coming back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6 PM. 

The program is free but donations are encouraged.  

The lineup for September includes:

• 9/14, Shorts by the tremendously innovative film maker D.W. Griffith

Silent Saturdays: "The Lost Battalion" - May 25 at 6:00 PM

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on the Saturdays of May. Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

May 25 – "The Lost Battalion"

• May 25 – "The Lost Battalion" 

-- a 1919 American silent war film about units of the 77th Infantry Division (the "Lost Battalion") penetrating deep into the Argonne Forest of France during World War I. The film was directed by Burton L. King and features Major Charles W. Whittlesey and a number of actual soldiers from the 77th who portrayed themselves in the film. It was released July 2, 1919 in North America. The film was remade in 2001 by Russell Mulcahy

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1 PM - 4 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Check their current needs listing here ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/

Visit the Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com 

Silent Saturdays: "The Sheik" - May 18 at 6:00 PM

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on the Saturdays of May: Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

• May 18 – The Sheik, a 1921 American silent romantic drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky, directed by George Melford, and starring Rudolph Valentino. It was the film that made Valentino a national heart throb and box office smash.  

By Paramount Pictures - Screenshot from www.silentgents.com, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7791996

The film relies heavily on exoticism – the culture and people of Arab North Africa – to add interest to what remains largely a story of desires and mores. IMDB summarizes the film as follows: A charming Arabian sheik becomes infatuated with an adventurous, modern-thinking Englishwoman and abducts her to his home in the Saharan desert. (approximately 80 minutes)

The Sheik had enormous influence on popular culture at the time and for decades after.

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1 PM - 4 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Check their current needs listing here ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/

Visit the Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com 

Silent Saturdays: Short Films from Oz - May 11 at 6:00 PM

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on the Saturdays of May: Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

L. Frank Baum

• May 11 – Short Films from Oz 

- a collection of short films produced by L. Frank Baum in the 1910s, based on his own famous 1900 children’s book, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

 

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1 PM - 4 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Check their current needs listing here ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/

Visit the Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com 

Silent Saturdays: "Wings" - May 4 at 6:00 PM

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on the Saturdays of the May: Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

• May 4 -- Wings, a 1927 WWI epic, and the first Oscar winner for Best Picture.

"Wings" - May 4 at 6:00 PM

A romantic action-war picture, starring Clara Bow, Paramount's biggest star at the time. The film was shot on location on a budget of $2 million (equivalent to $34.42 million in 2023) at Kelly Field in San Antonio. Hundreds of extras and some 300 pilots were involved in the filming, including pilots and planes of the United States Army Air Corps.

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1 PM - 4 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Check their current needs listing here ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/

Visit the Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com 

Reminder: Special Programs in honor of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day at the Historical Museum - Apr 27 & 28

April 27 & 28 Special Programs in honor of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24), which marks the beginning of the organized killing of Armenians within the Ottoman empire in 1915. This event was responsible for many survivors fleeing to America, many of whom established a vibrant local community in Franklin, including Camp Haiastan, still located on Summer St.

Saturday, April 27 – During regular museum hours, we expect to share items from Franklin’s Armenian past as well as short films about the Armenian Genocide plus the Silent Saturday showing of Ravished Armenia.

Ravished Armenia

Sunday April 28 - Franklin’s Mark Minichelli will discuss the history of the genocide and the local community and will share video of his grandmother, Helen Boghosian, a genocide survivor who lived most of her life in Franklin.

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10AM-1PM and Sunday afternoons from 1:00PM-4:00PM. When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. 

Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786.   

Visit the Franklin Historical Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Silent Saturdays: "Ravished Armenia" - April 27 at 6 PM

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on four Saturdays of the month: Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

• April 27 – Ravished Armenia, a portion of a 1919 drama about the then contemporary Armenian genocide as well as other period shorts. Ravished Armenia is being shown in connection with the museum’s other Armenian Genocide Remembrance activities

Ravished Armenia

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1 PM - 4 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Check their current needs listing here ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/

Visit the Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Silent Saturdays: Early Animation Short Films - April 20 at 6 PM

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on four Saturdays of the month: Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

• April 20 – Early Animation Shorts,  including Steamboat Willie, The Dinosaur and The Missing Link, and other gems.
  
  

  

  Early Animation Shorts

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1 PM - 4 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Check their current needs listing here ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/

Visit the Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Chris Leverone is the first up in a new "Producers Series" as we go inside Franklin TV operations (audio)

FM #1171 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1171 in the series. 

Chris Leverone

This session shares my conversation with Chris Leverone “Levvy”. We had our discussion at the Franklin TV Studios on Monday, April 1, 2024.

We talk about 

• The history of Silent movies, Magic lanterns

• Documentarian, sharing stories

• Zen Center “Pointing at the Moon” video podcasts

If you are interested in doing a project in video or audio, contact the studio with your idea. Info@Franklin.tv

The recording runs about 35 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Chris. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1169-producer-series-chris-leverone-04-01-24

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Provide Zen Center -> https://providencezen.org/ 

Providence Zen Center video series -> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_bcfzn6hkdTW4Vtxwt-Y8F7rPxqFKapu 

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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"

Chris is hardly recognizable under the cover as he did camera work at the FHS Class of 2022 Graduation

Silent Saturdays: "Metropolis" - April 13 at 6 PM

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on four Saturdays of the month: Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

• April 13 – Metropolis, is a formative film in the science fiction genre by Fritz Lang. It portrays a convincing, futuristic and totalitarian city complete with creepy robots. 

Metropolis

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1 PM - 4 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Check their current needs listing here ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/

Visit the Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Silent Saturdays: "The Thief of Baghdad" - April 6 at 6 PM

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on four Saturdays of the month: Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

The Thief of Baghdad

• April 6 -- The Thief of Baghdad, a Douglas Fairbanks classic with marvelous stunts and production design that brings the audience into a fanciful `Thousand and One Nights’ landscape of mischief, mystery, and intrigue.

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1 PM - 4 PM. 

When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Check their current needs listing here ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/

Visit the Museum online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com

Rep. Jeff Roy worked with Empty Bowls on a Silent Auction item

Yesterday Rep. Jeff Roy worked with Empty Bowls making a ceramic tray for the annual fundraiser on Thurs. May 23rd, 6-8pm in the FHS cafeteria.  

Tickets go on sale Monday through the pantry’s website.

@FranklinFoodPan

@FranklinPSNews

@TOFranklinMA

@FranklinHS

@FCC02038

@FHS_EmptyBowls

Shared from -> https://twitter.com/johnsonb_ms/status/1773168494613323797

Ticket for Empty Bowls -> https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/emptybowls/

Rep. Jeff Roy worked with Empty Bowls on a Silent Auction item

`Cinema 80’ Feature Films Continue (Free) - " The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" - March 23

Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on each Saturday of the month (except the last): Chris Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV. He developed this program of films in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center.

• March 23 - "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"

Caligari is the first great film in the horror canon, and an excellent specimen of German Expressionism, with warped images and warped characters that hypnotized Weimar Germany.

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" - March 23