Roots & Branches: History of Soccer in Massachusetts June 14, 2026 (video)

The presentation on "Roots & Branches: History of Soccer in Massachusetts" conducted at the Franklin Historical Museum, June 14, 2026 was recorded by Franklin TV and the video is now available for replay.

video link -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSZlMhhykeg

Mitzi fills us in on all that is happening at the Franklin Public Library this July (video & audio)

FM #1776 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1776 in the series. 

This session shares my conversation with Mitzi Gousie, Programming and Outreach Librarian with the Franklin Public Library. We had our discussion virtually on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

 

We talk about 

• Reviewed the regular open hours, book sale and holiday scheduling for the month

• Limited services during regular hours on Friday, July 3

• Closed all day Saturday, July 4 for the holiday 

• Library events for July 2026

• In calendar order rather than by category this time around

Note: Updated after we recorded this, the Sunday hours will return in September 2026.

Registration for those events required should be done through the Town website, Library page. There are nefarious folks trying to convince folks otherwise via Facebook. Be safe, use the official Town and Library pages.

The show notes include links to the Library page and to the calendar of events where registration for some of the events is required/recommended.

The recording runs about 33 minutes, so let’s listen in.

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1776-franklin-public-library-july-2026-highlights-06-23-26/

Video link -  https://youtu.be/Zj16PPfOylA

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Mitzi Gousie’s email - mgousie@minlib.net 

Franklin Public Library page -  https://www.franklinma.gov/233/Franklin-Public-Library 

Library event calendar - https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events 

July 2026 newsletter - https://myemail.constantcontact.com/July-2026-Franklin-Public-Library-News---Events.html?soid=1142311312837&aid=eSZsKlPO2D4  

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

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"

Aging Boldfully: Sisters United Against Cancer (video)

Aging Boldfully is a new show on Franklin TV's All Access channel hosted by Susan Rohrbach.  Sisters United Against Cancer are Susan's guests for this recent show.

The show description: 

"Aging Boldfully is about living your next chapter outside of your comfort zone—fully embracing the uniqueness of you.

For many of us, the idea of aging doesn’t appear on our radar until we approach our 60s, when retirement begins to loom. During this time, our attention often narrows to one critical goal: ensuring financial independence. While that focus is important, it can distract us from an equally vital question: What am I going to do with the rest of my life? 

Each of our journeys is unique. Rather than clinging to the tired concept of “retirement,” we have the chance to rethink and redesign this new chapter. What will life look like now that we are the CEO of our own story? 

Aging Boldfully will explore the themes that matter most as we step into this phase—purpose, relevance, resilience, physical health, mental well-being, intentional living, and mindfulness. It will showcase members of our community who are finding meaning, living with purpose, and overcoming obstacles—real examples of what it means to age not just gracefully, but boldfully."

Video link -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYHAWR0H9Yw

 

“I Make a Good Living...” Tom Hanks 2023 Commencement Address to Harvard

"Tom Hanks had Harvard graduates laughing out loud during his 2023 commencement address with a brutally funny self-roast. The Oscar-winning actor joked that he had never attended Harvard, never taken a class, and never even stepped inside the library, yet makes a great living playing people who did. 

Reflecting on his own unconventional educational journey through community college, California State University, and the “School of Hard Knocks,” Hanks delivered a heartfelt and humorous message about life, learning, and success. His candid remarks struck a chord with graduates and quickly became one of the ceremony’s most memorable moments."

Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVga4CX6kXA

250 to 250: Establishment of Washington D.C., Narrated by Lisa Ann Walter (video)

"Lisa Ann Walter is an actress, comedian, and producer who proudly calls Washington, D.C. her hometown. Walter was born and raised in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area where she marched in protests for women’s reproductive rights and the Equal Rights Amendment, as well as against the Vietnam War. Walter went to college in the area, researching and writing her term papers at the Library of Congress. Her connection and understanding of the area are why she narrates the story of how Washington, D.C. became America’s capital."

Another in the series of 250 to 250 - https://www.youtube.com/@twofiftytotwofifty

Direct Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA8TimpCDhQ

Playlist of 250 to 250 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO4pJ0qT4zuG2Cp_J3JEVpiP0sAW1uoBW

The Guardian: ‘Some are prayers, some are protests’: 76 musicians reimagine America the Beautiful

"Despite what you may have heard, there is no definitive version of the song America the Beautiful.

Katharine Lee Bates wrote its lyrics as a poem in 1893, inspired by an ecstatic road trip from the Massachusetts house she shared with her longtime companion Katharine Coman to a teaching gig in Colorado. Over the next few decades, dozens of musicians set it to music, including a tune by New Jersey’s Samuel A Ward. The uniting of the text to a hymn Ward had previously composed in 1882 became, in time, a standard. In 1972, Ray Charles recorded the more or less definitive performance of it. But everyone from Pete Seeger to Tammy Faye Messner have tried their hand at Bates’s ode to equality between peoples and equanimity with nature. At Joe Biden’s inauguration, Jennifer Lopez belted it into a medley, while Carrie Underwood struggled through it at Donald Trump’s second one.

The Korean-born, New Jersey-based pianist Min Kwon has spent her career thinking of ways to build communities through interpretation. As professor of piano at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, she curated concerts featuring university pianists at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall – like a 2015 performance of 50 variations on a waltz the Viennese music publisher Anton Diabelli commissioned in the 1820s from composers including Franz Schubert and Franz Liszt. After that challenge, she says: “I wanted to create a kind of new American Diabelli.” She just needed to find the right theme."

Continue reading the article with this shared link - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jun/23/america-the-beautiful-song-min-kwon?CMP=share_btn_url

YouTube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6nRyFScCuc

Franklin School Committee approves contracts & takes action on policies in short meeting (video)

The Franklin School Committee met as scheduled on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. 6 of their 7 members participated, 5 in Chambers, 1 remotely so all votes were via roll call.

Franklin TV video is available for replay -  https://www.youtube.com/live/QlvJl3dksVE?&t=90 

The meeting agenda  -  https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06232026-2374

My meeting notes in one PDF -  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sGhFpmgdY19KlxeJaUDB2zFewLPN1wuS/view?usp=drive_link

Quick recap:

• After opening the meeting, the Committee entered Executive Session for about 15 minutes returning to open session. In open session, they voted to approve Cafeteria Workers, Secretaries and Van Drivers Unions Contracts by a 6-0-1 roll call vote (1 absent)
• Voted to send policy JKAA - Prevention Criteria for use of Physical Restraint, Seclusion and Time-outs for Students to a second reading, via 6-0-1 roll call vote (1 absent)
• Voted the elimination of policy CL - Administrative Reports via 6-0-1 roll call vote (1 absent)
• Voted the approval of the FSC Meeting, Conduct & Discussion Structure manual via 6-0-1 roll call vote (1 absent)
• Voted the approval of the Consent Agenda via 6-0-1 roll call vote (1 absent)
• Some updates from the existing subcommittees, some done for the school year, Horace Mann Legacy to meet on 2nd Monday beginning July (except October)

Once Upon A Town: Depot Plaza (video)

Joe Landry & Scott Mason talk about Depot Plaza in this video production recorded with a live audience at the Franklin TV Studio.

Video link = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxbqOcfTTUw

Memorial Day Ceremonies in the Town of Franklin (MA) 2026 (video)

Due to the weather the parade was canceled on Memorial Day 2026. The ceremonies at Dean College, Union St Cemetery and St Mary's Cemetery did happened as scheduled. 

The ceremonies on the Town Common at noon also ran as scheduled. 

The Franklin TV recording captured all of those and is available - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WILTuEWRF1g

The Franklin Matters recap includes photos, audio, and a copy of the program

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/05/town-of-franklin-2026-memorial-day.html

Honor guard preparing 21 gun salute

CommonWealth Beacon: "DiZoglio’s campaign to audit the Legislature is fueled by misinformation, political ambition, and personal attacks"

"TWO WEEKS AGO, the House passed legislation that establishes a framework for a constitutionally viable financial audit of the Legislature, and that subjects the Legislature and governor’s office to public records law for the first time.

The bill provides the state auditor, Diana DiZoglio, with all of the documents that she has requested and codifies into law an extensive list of documents that the Legislature must make available to the public.

To craft the audit section of this legislation, the House worked diligently to address the separation of powers concerns that have been raised by constitutional scholars, while working closely with good-government and transparency advocates at the ACLU of Massachusetts and Common Cause Massachusetts to draft the public records portion of the bill.

In other words, the House bill demonstrates the advantages that are unique to the legislative process – a system through which members of the public, experts, and advocates from across the political spectrum can come together to arm legislators with a baseline of facts and best practices in order to produce practical, effective legislation that is responsive to our constituents.

Since then, experts on this issue have argued that the House bill takes “an important step toward enhancing legislative transparency.” Upon passage, the ACLU of Massachusetts said that this approach will give residents the legal right “to documents providing a wealth of insight into legislative and gubernatorial operations, finances, audits, ethics, and where individual legislators stand on important policy decisions.”

The problem, though, is that you probably didn’t hear any of that."

Continue reading the Opinion piece by Ronald Mariano, speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

https://commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/dizoglios-campaign-to-audit-the-legislature-is-fueled-by-misinformation-political-ambition-and-personal-attacks

Franklin's State Rep Jeff Roy outlined this issue recently 

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/06/whats-up-with-audit-state-rep-jeff-roy.html  

Memorial Day Breakfast - Franklin Senior Center 5/22/26 (video)

Franklin TV recording of the Memorial Day Breakfast 2026 is available for viewing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e3-D_DO_xs

Memorial Day Breakfast - Franklin Senior Center 5/22/26 (video)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s new film shines a light on the human cost of unregulated social media (video)

"Life moves pretty fast. It is Monday lunchtime when Jennifer Siebel Newsom drops into the Guardian’s office in Washington, just a couple of blocks from the White House, for an interview to promote her new film. Less than two hours later her husband, the California governor, Gavin Newsom, announces that the couple are under investigation by the justice department.

One strand of the investigation specifically targets Siebel Newsom’s taxes and the California Partners Project, a gender equity non-profit she co-founded that received $4.3m in donations solicited by her husband. Gavin Newsom denounced the move as a “personal vendetta” directed by Donald Trump because the governor is considering running for US president.

Even before the news breaks, Siebel Newsom’s verdict on Trump is withering. “I feel sorry for our country right now because when the father figure, the leader, the president is such a broken, damaging, harmful role model, everyone’s being traumatised,” she says, more in sorrow than in anger. “Everyone’s mental health is not what it could be – should be.”

.....

Siebel Newsom’s newest film is Miss Representation: Rise Up, a bracing study of the cultural backlash against women and girls in the era of social media algorithms and AI deepfakes, the rise of the manosphere and “trad wives”, and, of course, the pernicious influence of Trump, who bragged on tape about grabbing women by the genitals and has been found liable for sexual abuse."

Continue reading via this shared link - https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jun/19/jennifer-siebel-newsom-documentary-miss-representation-rise-up?CMP 

Trailer for her original film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7KEisjEG3M

The Town of Franklin recognized for another first - "first municipality in the country to adopt social prescribing"

via Town of Franklin:

"Franklin's Social Prescriptions initiative was recently featured by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism (BINJ).

In 2025, the Town of Franklin became the first municipality in the country to adopt social prescribing, a healthcare approach that connects residents with arts, culture, recreation, and other community-based activities to help address social isolation and support overall well-being.

More than a year later, the program continues to make an impact through partnerships that connect residents to meaningful community experiences."

Read the full article -  https://binj.news/2026/06/16/creative-remediation-the-mass-municipality-bucking-trends-with-social-prescriptions

Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/188aJ536gT/

Additional info on the Art Pharmacy program

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/art-pharmacy-officially-launching-5125.html

The Franklin TV video of the May 2025 launch of Art Pharmacy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKvpBwHdyNE

SAFE Coalition: Family Recovery Webinar Series available for replay (video)

Did you miss one of our Family Recovery Webinar Series sessions? Good news — you can catch up anytime! Head to our website to watch past episodes covering topics like:

💚 Navigating court options for families in crisis

💚 Why family support matters

💚 Strategies for self-care

💚 The science of addiction

🔗 LINK = https://www.safecoalitionma.org/get-support/webinar

Each webinar is free to watch and packed with practical knowledge for families navigating addiction and recovery. New episodes coming soon!

Shared from - https://www.instagram.com/p/DZqUNCgmVVi/

Come along with us as we go inside the Lift Station of the Beaver St Interceptor Project (BSI) (video)

Our thanks to Doug Martin, P.E., Water and Sewer Superintendent for the Town of Franklin (MA) for providing us access and helping explain the workings of this new pump/life station. Thanks also to Mike Ammendolia, Construction Supervisor for Methuen Construction which built the pump/life station. This project consists of the replacement and repair of Franklin's largest piece of sewer infrastructure, originally constructed in 1914. The cost for this pump/life station installation was about $8M or about 25% of the total $30M project. The project is being financed by a SRF loan from the State of MA and the sewer user fees. Additional info on the BSI Project can be found on the Town of Franklin project page https://www.franklinma.gov/557/Beaver-Street-Interceptor-BSI-Project My thanks also to Chris Leverone and Joe Landry for capturing the video footage. And especially to Chris for handling the bulk of the editing.

Video link - https://youtu.be/uH48wRHdIFA

25' Underground and inside the new BSI Lift Station on Beaver St

Additional photos of the Lift Station

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/efvzmzzGno4KbMiU8

FPS Food Services video touts local beef from Weatherlow Farms

Check out our video of how we made local meatballs for Franklin Lunch!

https://youtube.com/shorts/43SBAYQe14w?feature=share

Last week, kitchens across all Franklin Schools were buzzing with excitement. Our amazing District Chef cooked up a storm, turning premium, local Ground Beef from Weatherlow Farms into 3,900 spectacular, scratch-made Beef Meatballs!! Our students absolutely devoured them!

Massive shoutout to Weatherlow Farms for bringing the best of local agriculture right to our cafeterias.

Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/1D7WDEB2nr/

Aging Boldfully: Fyzical with Chris Correnti and Winslow Woodacre (audio & video)

Aging Boldfully is a new show on Franklin TV's All Access channel hosted by Susan Rohrbach.  Chris Correnti and Winslow Woodacre was Susan's guest for this recent show.

The show description: 

"Aging Boldfully is about living your next chapter outside of your comfort zone—fully embracing the uniqueness of you.

For many of us, the idea of aging doesn’t appear on our radar until we approach our 60s, when retirement begins to loom. During this time, our attention often narrows to one critical goal: ensuring financial independence. While that focus is important, it can distract us from an equally vital question: What am I going to do with the rest of my life? 

Each of our journeys is unique. Rather than clinging to the tired concept of “retirement,” we have the chance to rethink and redesign this new chapter. What will life look like now that we are the CEO of our own story? 

Aging Boldfully will explore the themes that matter most as we step into this phase—purpose, relevance, resilience, physical health, mental well-being, intentional living, and mindfulness. It will showcase members of our community who are finding meaning, living with purpose, and overcoming obstacles—real examples of what it means to age not just gracefully, but boldfully."

Video link -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv31YKPkT9w

Audio link -  https://aging-boldfully.captivate.fm/episode/episode-009-fyzical-with-chris-correnti-and-winslow-woodacre

 

What's up with the Audit? State Rep Jeff Roy takes time to explain the issue & what the MA House has done (audio)

FM #1764 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1764 in the series. 

This session shares my conversation with State Representative Jeffrey Roy. We had our discussion virtually via Zoom on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

 

We talk about 

• Background on the audit issue

• What info is available today including annual audits

• The Supreme Judicial Court hearing on the Auditor vs. the Attorney General

• Legislation enhancing the audit process in light of the decision

• Records request process outlined

The show notes include links to the presentation doc and supporting material. 

The recording runs about 47 minutes, so let’s watch and/or listen in.

Video link - https://youtu.be/EakyZVjB64c 

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1764-state-rep-jeff-roy-explains-the-audit-issue-06-11-26/

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Presentation document - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TfRPWL7MprCn0AGkEiai7KmH6o_9eLdv/view?usp=drive_link 

Audit types  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audit  

What is the “GAGAS” or Yellow book ?  https://www.gao.gov/yellowbook  

Details of the legislation discussed H.5469  - https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5469   Note: H.5469 is now before the MA Senate where they will need to review and decide before moving to the Governor.

Representative Roy’s House page - https://malegislature.gov/People/Profile/JNR1 

The full Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) video session -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvtF3hgWgOc 

SJC audit ruling (extracted from the full docket)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dnJpSOKv4_edgRaBQT_V77cz7Ta0FKl7/view?usp=drive_link

The link to the Climate bill public website reference: BU Student generate project archive with the info on the development of the major MA climate legislation passed in 2022 by Gov Baker - "Chapter 179, An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind" https://sites.bu.edu/masslaw/2023/02/10/chapter-179-an-act-driving-clean-energy-and-offshore-wind/ 

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

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 it!

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

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

3rd Annual Celebration of Life Pin Fun Run & Fireworks Festival - June 20 (video)

For Kids' Sake Foundation hosts its annual community fundraising 5K and fireworks festival--this year's 5K features a first-of-its-kind collectible enamel pin experience along the race route, including a limited-edition collaboration pin with An Unlikely Story, the Plainville bookstore owned by Diary of a Wimpy Kid creator Jeff Kinney. 

The starting line in 2025 (courtesy photo)

The evening also includes: live music, food and drink vendors, festival games, silent auction & raffle prizes, and an incredible professional fireworks finale

All proceeds fund CAR-T cancer research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Seattle Children's Hospital. 

Free fireworks and festival admission for all.

Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 5–11 PM

Field of Dreams, 80 School Street, Plainville, MA 02762

Register, donate, or learn more: forkidssakefoundation.org/5k2026

Aging Boldfully: Positive Psychology with Dr. Anne Bergen (audio & video)

Aging Boldfully is a new show on Franklin TV's All Access channel hosted by Susan Rohrbach. Dr. Anne Bergen was Susan's guest for this recent show.

The show description: 

"Aging Boldfully is about living your next chapter outside of your comfort zone—fully embracing the uniqueness of you.

For many of us, the idea of aging doesn’t appear on our radar until we approach our 60s, when retirement begins to loom. During this time, our attention often narrows to one critical goal: ensuring financial independence. While that focus is important, it can distract us from an equally vital question: What am I going to do with the rest of my life? 

Each of our journeys is unique. Rather than clinging to the tired concept of “retirement,” we have the chance to rethink and redesign this new chapter. What will life look like now that we are the CEO of our own story? 

Aging Boldfully will explore the themes that matter most as we step into this phase—purpose, relevance, resilience, physical health, mental well-being, intentional living, and mindfulness. It will showcase members of our community who are finding meaning, living with purpose, and overcoming obstacles—real examples of what it means to age not just gracefully, but boldfully."

Video  link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75i6Y7HQ2iU

Audio link - https://aging-boldfully.captivate.fm/episode/episode-008-anne-bergen