- Archaeology at Franklin State Forest
- DPW Touch a Truck
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 *
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Statue of CCC worker Freetown St Forest |
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Dianna Doucette |
a. A Chapter 40B primer by the state Department of Housing and CommunityDevelopment (DHCD) https://www.mass.gov/chapter-40-b-planning-and-informationb. A staff memo and slideshow will be forthcoming at the meeting.
a. Friendly 40B process -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/2a._-_friendly_40b_process.pdfb. Median Income Qualifications -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/2b._-_median_income_qualifications.pdfc. 121 Grove Street Application -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/2c._-_121_grove_st._application_redacted.pdfd. 121 Grove Street Site Plan -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/2d._-_121_grove_st._site_plan.pdfe. Planning Board comment letter -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/2e._-_planning_board_letter.pdff. Conservation Commission comment letter ->
The agenda doc contains remote participation info -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/_2023-02-22_edc_agenda_.pdf
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Chapter 40B primer by the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) |
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905.
"Thanks to @MassDCR for an incredible job building a new parking lot for expanded State Forest access! Thanks to @jeffroy for your advocacy on this important state project! It’s summer, Franklin, let’s go explore Franklin State Forest!!!"
State forest parking lot on Grove St is ready for use |
“It’s one of the hardest things I have had to do yet,” Franklin Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said last week regarding the closure of the town’s recreational areas, “especially for someone like me who is an avid outdoorsman, and loves sports and being outside.Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
“It’s toughest on the kids and families who all want to be outside utilizing our playgrounds and school grounds,” he wrote via email.
In Franklin, closures have included not only playgrounds and school grounds, but also Chilson Beach at Beaver Pond and the Beaver Pond field. The state forest land, though, is still open at this time, as is the Southern New England Trunkline Trail that passes on into Bellingham, Blackstone, Millville, Uxbridge, Douglas and beyond.
“As for town forests, we have kept those open and have actually set up a new site with a challenge and used trails and walks as a way to help give people something to do and look forward to doing with the whole family,” Hellen noted."
This section of the SNETT trail you can get to from the Lake St parking area |
"All coastal beach reservation parking areas managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation will be closed to reduce groups of people from gathering during the coronavirus outbreak......
Gov. Charlie Baker issued the emergency order that goes into effect Friday at noon.
DCR will open select state parks early and expand access to other parks to provide additional open space opportunities for residents, the governor said. DCR will also be limiting the amount of parking spaces available at certain high-visitation state parks.
DCR’s ice rinks, visitor centers, campgrounds, playgrounds, fitness areas, athletic fields, athletic courts, golf courses and bathroom facilities will remain closed until May 4"Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
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Hiking in MA State Parks |
"Most people, of a certain age, know the term CCC. A public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed and unmarried men. There were CCC camps and environmental projects in every state. The project was responsible for planting more than three billion trees and constructed trails and shelters in more than 800 parks nationwide during its nine years of existence. These programs and projects helped to shape the modern national and state park systems we enjoy today. Join us to learn about Franklin's own CCC Camp and it's place in this program's history.
Contrary to what a casual observer might assume, the Franklin State Forest is not the forest primeval - undisturbed by humans -- but a "modern" invention – spawned by a 1914 act of the Massachusetts legislature that authorized gradual creation of state forests around the commonwealth. It was finally made a reality during the Great Depression through "bargain" land purchases and with plantings and improvements by President Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, which had a large encampment in town for a time. Further modest enlargements were made in the late 20th century.
Join us Sunday afternoon, September 9 at 1:15 as local historian Alan Earls, tells the forest's story through Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) records, maps, and film clips made in 1935 by Franklin's pioneer documentarian, Stanley Chilson."
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The Amazing Story of the Franklin State Forest |
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Second Sunday Speaker Series continues at the Franklin Historical Museum - Sep 9 |
"The town is considering a land swap with the state that would both allow work at the landfill and expand the state forest.
At its meeting earlier this month, the Town Council requested legislation that would give the town nearly five acres of land next to its recycling center on Beaver Street in return for 29 acres next to the forest.
Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said the trade would accomplish several things.
"It would allow us to cap the old landfill," he said. "The town would also be able to expand its recycling center."
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an old logging road in the State Forest not far from some of the land involved in the swap |
"Though the busy season at the Franklin State Forest has passed, state officials are reminding area residents that the property remains open during the winter.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation put out a notice this month to promote the winter recreational use of the 843-acre forest. Park Supervisor William "Tom" Ashton said that there are many ways that locals make use of the land, even after snow has fallen.
"During the wintertime, there are activities like snowshoeing and hiking," he said, adding that cross-country skiing and fat tire snow biking are other options. "We want to let people know that, 'Hey, we're still here - we have a beautiful park with a lot of wonderful scenery.'"
The notice highlights the forest's pine trees as being especially scenic when they are blanketed in new snow."
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winter forest land |
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look up once in a while, quite a view |
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old logging road |
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remnants of trees come in odd shapes |
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and yes, in New England forests you will find stone walls |
"The Town Council accepted about 20 acres of land off of Lincoln Street, which abuts Helen Keller Elementary School and Annie Sullivan Middle School.
Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said the parcel comes from a developer of Rolling Brook Estates, a nearby housing development. He said the town wanted to keep the land as open space, since children often walk through to get to the schools.
Councilor Andrew Bissanti, though, questioned the acquisition of the plot, asking whether anything could be built there.
"It's touted as a great piece of land... I see nothing but rivers and streams," he said. "I'm not for taking land off the tax roll on behalf of a developer."
"The Friends of the Upton State Forest on Saturday are guiding a historical tour of the landmarks and sites hidden within the forest.
Friends member Bill Taylor said that the event is part of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor GO! program, which is an “effort to educate people about the history of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor.”
The walk is actually the 60th on the program of events for the GO! program, which runs through the month of September, he said.
Walkers will explore various historic items in the forest, including cellar holes, surface quarrying, stone walls, cut stones, water crossings, early roads and an old cranberry bog while discussing “who used the land that is now Upton State forest.”
"The Department of Conservation and Recreation has announced a new Healthy Heart Trail at Franklin State Forest.
This trail is one of more than 70 Healthy Heart Trails that DCR has designated across the commonwealth to promote good health and a connection with nature. Park supervisor Tom Ashton and his staff have marked the 1.2-mile trail that covers several rolling hills. Ashton encourages visitors to access the trail at the entrance adjacent to the Hockomock YMCA, as well as the gate along Grove Street.
Covering 843 acres in the Forge Hill area, Franklin State Forest is a minimally developed property managed for passive recreation. For maps or information: mass.gov/dcr."
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on a trail in the Franklin Town Forest off Summer St |
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a trail in the Franklin Town Forest off Summer St (not where the rock walk is scheduled to take place) |
Franklin Federated Church will present this year’s annual Christmas concert, “Peace on Earth,” 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at the church at 171 Main St.
The concert will feature an arrangement of classical music and Christmas melodies performed by “Quartet Duviteux,” a string quartet of young musicians who met as students at the New England Conservatory of Music. Maria van der Sloot, violin, is from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada; Luther Warren also plays violin and comes from Minneapolis, Minnesota; Linda Numagami plays viola and comes from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and cellist Marza Merophi Wilks was born in Peru and spent her high school years in Ithaca, New York.
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling the church office at 508-528-3803.
Franklin Performing Arts Company will present “Snow White and the Seven Elves,” an original panto, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12, and 2 p.m. Dec. 13, at the Black Box, 15 W. Central St.
The production follows in the tradition of a British panto, a type of show that retells a well-known fairy tale in an exaggerated style filled with audience participation, popular songs, slapstick comedy, jokes and dances.
Starting on Thanksgiving day, all state parks and forests will be free and open to all residents.
The free entry from Nov. 26 through Nov. 29 by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation is being done as a thank you to those currently serving or have served in the armed forces.
Find out more information on parks and forests nearby at mass.gov/dcr.
The three new athletic fields at Franklin High School are now under construction, with the turf field expected to open first, just in time for the fall sports season.
Although the new high school has been open since September, the work represents the final phase of a $104.5 million project that began in October 2012.
The school will host fields for baseball, softball, football, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse.
The baseball and softball fields, located on the footprint of the razed high school building, will not be ready until 2017, according to Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting. While construction will likely wrap up over the summer, the grass needs time to grow.
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the site of the future turf field as it appeared on Apr 12 |
Several local parks are participating in the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation's annual Park Serve Day on Saturday.
The program encourages residents to help DCR staff get parks and beaches ready for summer by cleaning coastlines, clearing trails, planting flowers, painting picnic tables, mowing, weeding and picking up litter, according to a press release from DCR.
“This effort is a true collaboration, in partnership with residents, friends groups and local officials, which will benefit the tens of thousands of visitors heading to DCR parks this season,” DCR Commissioner Jack Murray said in the release. “We all have a role to play in preserving and enhancing our forests and parks. Park Serve Day provides an opportunity for residents to experience our great resources first-hand and spread the word about what the commonwealth has to offer.”
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Franklin State Forest entrance on Grove St |
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Franklin State Forest trail map |
Author Michael Tougias has written many area guidebooks including River Days: Exploring the Connecticut River from Source to Sea, Exploring the Hidden Charles: A Guide to Outdoor Activities on Boston's Celebrated River, and New England Wild Places: Journey's Through the Back Country, as well as Until I Have No Country: A Novel of King Philip's War in New England and the non-Fiction King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict.
This guidebook was developed as an initiative of the Franklin Open Space Committee with support from the Department of Community Planning including former director Todd Ford, current Director Daniel Ben Yisrael, Town Ecologist Rich Vacca, and GIS Specialist Nick Alfieri as well as input and support from the Conservation Commission. Special thanks go to the graphic arts class of Mr. Eskay Sriram at Tri-County Regional Vocational School, which provided several excellent candidates for cover illustrations. The illustration selected was created by Corey Gray.
“The DCR forest vision draft, if ever adopted, would represent a major improvement in the state’s practices and policies for cutting on forest lands, because it would much more emphasize stewardship, habitat, recreation, and scenic values, with less emphasis on timber cutting,’’ said Gregor McGregor, a member of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, which advises local boards in communities around the state.
The draft plan represents “a paradigm shift,’’ he said, in moving land use away from timbering and toward ecosystem values.
As it now stands, the 1.42-mile trail through Franklin State Forest looks like "a BMX course" or "mogul ski hills," but bicyclists, equestrians and politicians who gathered at the trail head yesterday envisioned a smoother path.
The goal is to forge a trail from Franklin to Bellingham, and ultimately to Palmer in Central Massachusetts.
Among those at yesterday's brainstorming session, state Rep. James Vallee said he wants to create a trail conducive to bicycling, horseback riding, hiking and other activities.
"It's in pretty good condition, it's in a pretty good state," but not quite ready for such pursuits, he said.
read the full article about the efforts to improve the rail trail in the Milford Daily News here