"Love Letter" is coming to Franklin Public Library - May 13 through June 24

Love Letter is coming to Franklin. Accessibility is key! 

These will be shared with our Community at the Franklin Public Library beginning Saturday May 13 - June 24th. 

This textured art collection is dedicated to our low vision and blind community and can be enjoyed by many. It invites you to feel your way around the canvas.

 

Love Letter is coming to Franklin - Amy Adams creates a collection dedicated to love vision/blind

Heard about the Franklin For All Forum? the audio and transcript are now available

FM #748 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 748 in the series. 

This shares the Franklin For All Forum that was held on Monday, March 7, 2022.

The meeting was held in the Council Chambers. It was hosted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) via Zoom and broadcast via Franklin TV as well as live streamed. 

This recording runs about 2 hours and 25 minutes.  Let’s listen to the Franklin For All Forum held Mar 7, 2022.  Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-748-franklin-for-all-forum-03-07-22

NEW: A transcript of the recording is available. The transcript is part of a pilot by Franklin Matters using the transcription service provided by Otter.ai https://otter.ai/  (Note: if there should be a more accurate spelling of your name, please let me know and I can update the online copy. For those whose name could not be determined via the recording, please let me know.)

Transcript =>  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WEsjmEFESie06Bx4bAOSxhMbhpY45gsL/view?usp=sharing

Links to the meeting information and my notes captured during the Forum are in the show notes. 

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**** Visioning Survey ****  The survey is open for your input ->       https://mapc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bDBzodBPnt8a5Ce 

Franklin For All project page -> https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/franklin-for-all/  

My notes captured via Twitter and shared in summary form

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iojwdwbOUUfrvfnwuy_xn59P8yVws5Jq/view?usp=sharing 

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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 www.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"

QR code takes you to the Franklin For All page

QR code takes you to the Franklin For All visioning survey

Franklin Health Department: Screen Time Survey Launched for All Ages to respond to

Franklin Health Department: Screen Time Survey Launched

Survey closes Wednesday, March 16, 2022

The Town of Franklin Health Department is releasing a survey to all residents regarding time spent using a computer, laptop, iPad, video games, phone and television (screen time) for all ages. Data will be collected by the health department to assist in applying for grant funding. 

The deadline for survey completion is March 16, 2022.

Survey is available here:   https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RWkMgyoIgxdIbWJCUwWqrCZ2BeeAKH1q-tHocOOjtTc/viewform?edit_requested=true

Shared from Town of Franklin page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/franklin-health-department-screen-time-survey-launched

Screen Time Survey Launched for All Ages to respond to

Election results could lead to a community vision

The election results are in and unofficial for a period of time. The Town Clerk's office will validate all the totals and then make them 'official'. Given the posted 'unofficial' results, there are not likely to be any significant changes due to the margins shown in the races.

Now the real work of the newly elected officials commences. These are volunteer positions (with the exception of the Town Clerk). They will begin (or resume)  working to provide oversight and make policy decisions for all of us on how the Town of Franklin operates.

The challenges ahead of us remain. 

• How do we come out of the devastation wrought by the pandemic? 
• How do we address the issues of inequity or gaps raised by the pandemic? 
• How do we properly fund our schools and all the Town services we need as a community?

Maybe we can frame this in a discussion of what we want to be in 2028? Why 2028? The 250th anniversary of the Town's incorporation on March 4, 1778.

Maybe by working to develop a community vision, we can determine how to get there. There may still be differences of opinion or priority but with agreement on a 'common goal' we might be able to move the discussion from divisive to constructive and respectful.

We are neighbors. Let us celebrate the diversity among us. Let us figure out what we need to be like in 2028 and get the civil discussion going.

For me, Franklin does matter, and I'd much rather prefer to be in a civil discussion on the vision for Franklin than in any divisive discussion.

Your Community information director

Steve Sherlock

The unofficial results are shared here:

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/11/unofficial-results-town-of-franklin.html

Thanks to Jamie Barrett for bringing music to end the day at the polls on Tuesday!

Election results could lead to a community vision

Announcing free Virtual Concert: Afternoon Serenade with Precious Perez - Aug 13

Join Us For a Free Virtual Concert: Afternoon Serenade with Precious Perez When: Friday, August 20, 1:00 PM Where: Join on Zoom or by phone   Precious Perez is a classically trained pop/R&B and Latin vocalist/songwriter currently pursuing a double major in music education and vocal performance at Berklee College of Music. Her goal is to make a difference through doing what she loves and showing the world that blind people are as capable as everyone else. She hopes to inspire future generations to pursue their dreams and be successful in the same way that she has, because she knows that anything is possible, and giving up is never an option. As an activist and music educator, she will be able to make a difference by using her reach as a Puerto Rican Spanish speaker to crush stereotypes by sharing her experiences across cultures and doing what has not been done while advocating for all of the communities she represents. She is confident that she can lead, she can achieve, and she can be the one who alters the way people see.   Join us as Precious shares her talent and her message! Below is the information to join via Zoom on by phone.   Time: Aug 20, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)   Join Zoom Meeting Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86953965465?pwd=OU90ZmhGc21yNE04V3lNV3NNd1dwdz09   Meeting ID: 869 5396 5465 Passcode: 268762 One tap mobile +13017158592,,86953965465# US (Washington DC) +13126266799,,86953965465# US (Chicago) 877 853 5247 US Toll-free Meeting ID: 869 5396 5465

Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired | 200 Ivy Street, Brookline, MA 02446 Sent by advancement@mabcommunity.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!

MBTA's Rail Vision Update: Open House and Presentation on Wednesday, October 23

Dear Rail Vision Subscribers, The MBTA and MassDOT invite you to participate in a Rail Vision Open House and Presentation. It will take place on Wednesday, October 23, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM in the Transportation Board Room at 10 Park Plaza (2nd floor). The goal of the event is to provide updates on the results of the analysis for the Rail Vision alternatives, while gathering input from riders and non-riders alike on these futures. The first half-hour will be an Open House format, with maps, boards describing the service alternatives, and providing an opportunity for discussion with the study team. There will be a presentation at 6:00 PM, followed by Q&A. Please share the meeting information as widely as you can with your organizations, communities and contacts. It is posted on the project website (https://www.mbta.com/projects/rail-vision). Just a reminder as well that the Advisory Committee meets on Friday, October 18, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM, also in the Transportation Board Room at 10 Park Plaza, 2nd floor. Public comment is welcome at the end of the meeting. The Rail Vision Team This location is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats, such as audio tapes, Braille and large print), as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact MassDOT's Chief Diversity and Civil Rights Officer by phone (857-368-8580), fax (857-368-0602), TTD/TTY (857-368-0603) or by email MASSDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us. Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting, and for more difficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language translation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten business days before the meeting. Title VI Notice of Nondiscrimination: MassDOT complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related federal and state statutes and regulations. It is the policy of MassDOT to ensure that no person or group of persons shall on the grounds of Title VI protected categories, including race, color, national origin, or under additional federal and state protected categories including sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, ancestry, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era veterans), or background, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity administered by MassDOT. To request additional information about this commitment, or to file a complaint under Title VI or a related nondiscrimination provision, please contact MassDOT's Title VI Specialist by phone at (857) 368-8580, TTY at (857) 368-8580, fax (857) 368-0602or by e-mail at MASSDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us. If information is needed in another language, please contact the MassDOT Title VI Specialist by phone at (857) 368-8580. Caso esta informação seja necessária em outro idioma, favor contar o Especialista em Título VI do MassDOT pelo fone 857-368-8580. Si necesita información en otro lenguaje, favor contactar al especialista de MassDOT del Título VI al 857-368-8580.   如果需要使用其它语言了解信息，请联系马萨诸塞州交通部（MassDOT）《民权法》第六章专职人员，电话 857-368-8580。 如果需要使用其它語言了解信息，請聯系馬薩諸塞州交通部（MassDOT）《民權法》第六章專職人員，電話 857-368-8580。   Questions?   Contact Us   https://www.mass.gov/forms/contact-massdot This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of the: Massachusetts Department of Transportation · 10 Park Plaza, Suite 4160 · Boston, MA 02116 877-623-6846

MBTA's Rail Vision Update -Survey open until March 29

Dear Rail Vision Subscribers,

Thanks to more than 100 participants at last week's Rail Vision Open House. Our team heard lots of comments and suggestions, explained the alternatives, and learned about your challenges and preferences. You can follow up by visiting the project website where there are fact sheets on each alternative that include a map of the service area, service features, and a summary of benefits and trade-offs. You can share additional comments by emailing us at RailVision@state.ma.us.

The Rail Vision Non-Rider Survey remains available until March 29. It can be accessed on any device by visiting www.MBTARailVisionSurvey.com. The survey takes about 20 seconds to complete and is a creative way for people who do not regularly use the rail system to let us know what is important to them. Non-rider voices and their responses will help frame alternatives we hope will inspire more drivers to leave the highway and board a train more regularly. Please share the survey link widely.

If you were not able to attend the open house, you can find the presentation on the study website, along with materials from our past Advisory Committee meetings. You can also send comments and questions via the website.

The Rail Vision Team


This location is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats, such as audio tapes, Braille and large print), as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact MassDOT's Chief Diversity and Civil Rights Officer by phone (857-368-8580), fax (857-368-0602), TTD/TTY (857-368-0603) or by email

MASSDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us. Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting, and for more difficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language translation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten business days before the meeting.

Title VI Notice of Nondiscrimination: MassDOT complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related federal and state statutes and regulations. It is the policy of MassDOT to ensure that no person or group of persons shall on the grounds of Title VI protected categories, including race, color, national origin, or under additional federal and state protected categories including sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, ancestry, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era veterans), or background, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity administered by MassDOT. 

To request additional information about this commitment, or to file a complaint under Title VI or a related nondiscrimination provision, please contact MassDOT's Title VI Specialist by phone at (857) 368-8580, TTY at (857) 368-8580, fax (857) 368-0602or by e-mail at MASSDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us.

If information is needed in another language, please contact the MassDOT Title VI Specialist by phone at (857) 368-8580.

MBTA's Rail Vision Update  -Survey open until March 29   Questions?   Contact Us

Senior Center - Low Vision Lecture - Jan 8

Low Vision Lecture features Dr. Nicole Ross from the New England College of Optometry. Dr. Ross is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Specialty and Advanced Care a the NE College of Optometry. 

Her clinical area of expertise is in Low Vision Rehabilitation. She will answer questions on the latest developments in low vision rehabilitation. 

Please call to sign up (508) 520-4945

For more about the Franklin Senior Center: https://www.franklinma.gov/fsc

Senior Center - Low Vision Lecture - Jan 8

View this email in your browser Unleashing the Power of Culture  Executive Director Anita Walker Vibrant cities and towns. Children experiencing the delight of discovery while exercising their creative minds. Our icons of liberty preserved and celebrated. Our science museums, helping us understand our world and inspiring a new generation to make it even better. This is the Power of Culture. The Mass Cultural Council is committed to unleashing this power across the Commonwealth. Learn more about our work to elevate the cultural life of the Commonwealth through the arts, humanities, and sciences to enrich communities, grow the economy, increase accessibility, and foster creative youth development. Our New Vision About the Mass Cultural Council The Mass Cultural Council is a state agency supporting the arts, sciences, and humanities, to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. It pursues its mission through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. Copyright © 2017 Mass Cultural Council, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Mass Cultural Council 10 St. James Avenue Boston, MA 02116

Live reporting - FHS Visioning Team

2. Guests/Presentations
a. FHS Visioning Committee – Peter Light, Team

As part of the FHS renovation project, there was an effort to develop a vision for the high school.
A community effort to develop what the building, education and the community will look like in 50 years.

(a copy of the presentation will be added later)

35 teachers, administrators, students and parents.
Not just about the facility, what about the school functioning within

list of team members part of the presentation

Parts of the report will address

• guiding principles
• key words
• school transformation and development map
• 21st century learning
• why come to school?
• student success (how do you define it?)
• project based learning
• school organizational structure
• strategic plan

Key words

• collaborative
• flexible
• technology
• project based learning
• innovative
• convenient
• aesthetically pleasing
• labs for active learning
• open functionality

included a school transformation map
where are we today, where will we be after the renovations and other educational efforts are completed

a foundational experience is the basis for further growth
supportive education, themes,  and ultimately a capstone experience
skills development and a demonstration of those skills
portfolio assessment desired as a long term goal

the model was something that the community and the high school actually agreed upon

learning and organizational structures

next evaluation is 4.5 years away for NEASC, time coincidental to do the visioning and start planning for the evaluation

developing additional academies to go along with the Franklin Arts Academy
specific proposals to be brought forward when ready for implementation

original visioning team was seven years ago, started with the Freshman Collaborative

the vision of the new school is a chart to really see, it is highly efficient and utilizes the existing facility to minimize the renovation expense and maximize the educational benefits

Whatever we do put in will meet the needs of the community and the students for the next 50 years.

Mrs Belastock - Most amazing thing was to all come out with the same vision despite coming at it from many avenues, across 8 different tables. Lots of learning around the table and around the room. Hearing from the students and parents was very eye-opening.

Mr Schmidt - This was pure education, something they don't get to do much of, everything tends to be curriculum focused, where are you, how are you going to get there,  but this allowed us to step back and really get into this. To create something to get to the future, it might take us time to get there but it is what we believe in.

Jared - I was thinking we were creating a building and we ended up designing a building around the educational requirements and goals.

Light - We need to get the students involved more. Every time we have done so it has been wonderful.

Mrs Sabolinski - Everybody on the committee came together as equals, every one was open, comfortable with sharing, their thoughts, being profound and insightful. Came together as a high performing team.

Cafasso - a lot of the focus in the past couple of years has been on the building itself, the walls and structure. It is good to hear this being discussed on what will be happing inside the building.

Rohrbach - It was a personally rewarding experience, to get to know people in a different way. The students were so articulate. It was a rewarding process. It also struck me that we are really on our way with what has been happening. Not an ah-ha moment but revealing.

Trahan - this is so much more than just the building

Sabolinski - when we get the report, we will try and summarize it.

Glynn - you had a great sound bite there, "building around the education"

Jared- there is no space for collaboration in the building today, we either take over a lab, or some go to the library.

Light - the FHS classroom is 770 sq ft where the state minimum is 800+ the size does challenge us in getting enough students into the room and then to have some work space within the room

Lima - we have issues where trying to run a lab, we would blow circuits, the needs of the infrastructure need to be upgraded to be competitive, form follows function, and Jared stated that quite eloquently

Roy - when is the report due?
Sabolinski - no date yet, we are still providing some data for it
Cafasso - March 30 is an important night, the committee is invited, the entire design team and the project manager have been involved from the beginning, what you'll see on the 30th will be drawn from this

Roy - in the discussion was there consideration of staffing for this?
Light - actually in the visioning there wasn't a consideration for students and staffing. What you're looking for came after that effort, the MSBA provides a standard based formula

For our population, we would end up with a building of 268,000 sq ft. Our facility is about 380,000 sq ft. The excess comes mostly in the field house, corridors are double wide compared to standards, the bathroom (54 in the building) probably 30 more than a school being built today. Should plan on 23 students per classroom.

Sabolinski - there is no mention of staffing levels or teaching levels in the March 30th presentation.
Light - we do that on an annual basis by comparison to other high schools of comparable size as part of our budget process.

Roy - I ma looking at it and nothing I would like to see more than this come to fruition. I am worried about staffing this. I am hoping that the community will be able to support this.


Franklin, MA

TEDxPhilly - High School Stinks

A quick set of slides from Chris Lehman, who presented this at TEDxPhilly,  asks some good questions about making education more relevant and worthwhile.

TEDxPhilly - High School Stinks

View more presentations from Chris Lehmann.

If you have the opportunity to participate in the visioning exercise for FHS, it would be a good thing to do. Time intense, yes - but a good thing. Details available here

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/11/in-new-vision-for-high-school.html

and here:

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/11/live-reporting-superintendent-report.html

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the slide deck.


Franklin, MA