Re-discover Franklin on Franklin Downtown Partnership’s Website

The Franklin Downtown Partnership invites you to visit their website. The FDP’s website recently had a facelift making it easier to navigate and re-discover all that Franklin has to offer.

Look for us at franklindowntownpartnership.org. It’s a great way to see what’s new and happening in downtown and throughout the town. 

FDP’s new website

You will find dates for upcoming events such as the Ladybug Trail Spring Walk in April, the June Strawberry Stroll, and September’s Harvest Festival. Go to the “Visit Franklin” page to shop for all your needs by category – such as business services, medical professionals, pet services, shopping, entertainment, restaurants, and more.

The Partnership works with many community groups and businesses always with the goal to strengthen our connections and keep business strong and thriving. We all benefit from these partnerships making Franklin a great place to live, work, and visit. 

Stay up to date info and follow the Downtown Partnership on Instagram and Facebook at:  https://www.instagram.com/franklindowntownpartnership/  and  

https://www.facebook.com/franklindowntownpartnership.org/

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization made up of more than 350 business owners, residents, and community leaders working to revitalize downtown Franklin. Residents can join the Downtown Partnership for $25. The Partnership manages events like the Strawberry Stroll and the Harvest Festival, and initiatives such as beautification, streetscape design, greenspace, alley murals, and sculpture projects. For more information go to www.franklindowntownpartnership.org

Bi-County Collaborative Launches New Website

Executive Director Jeanne Sullivan is pleased to announce that the Bi-County Collaborative (BICO) has launched a new website.

This new website, https://bicounty.org, includes a modern, user-friendly design for families that gives visitors easier access to key information about the collaborative’s various programs and services.

Bi-County Collaborative Launches New Website

The new design provides many new features for users to explore, including an interactive academic calendar that offers a subscription service as well as a listing of professional development opportunities with an online registration and payment service. Additionally, BICO’s new website offers a plethora of online resources such as part of their parent training series. 

“Our new website is an excellent resource for families to access information about BICO with ease,” said Executive Director Sullivan. “John Guilfoil Public Relations did an excellent job displaying all of our information and resources in an interactive and accessible design.”

Franklin Community Survey, final days to get your input registered!!!

The Town of Franklin website (franklinma.gov) was last redesigned in 2016, and is now in need of modernization. Since that time, the website host (CivicPlus) has upgraded their platform to incorporate new design features and components for municipalities to better communicate information to users via their websites.

Town staff are working on a comprehensive redesign the Town's website, seeking to uphold our commitment to an accessible, informative, and user-friendly experience for all. Recognizing that the key to a successful revamp comes from obtaining insight from our website users, we invite you to participate in this initiative.

Your opinions and preferences play a critical role in shaping our online presence as we seek to be more engaging and user friendly.    

Respond to the survey ->  https://forms.gle/gfQr7p2qRvNDCX5R8

We greatly appreciate your input!

Franklin Community Survey, final days to get your input registered!!!

Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting - Agenda for June 24 virtual only meeting

Franklin Public Schools - Franklin School Committee

Community Relations Subcommittee

June 24, 2024 - 5:00 PM

Virtual Only

A G E N D A

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."

● New FPS Website

● FY25 Communication Planning

Agenda doc ->   https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/community_relations_subcom_agenda_-_6_24_24.pdf

Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting - Agenda for June 24 virtual only meeting

Reminder! - Franklin Website Upgrade Community Survey

Reminder! - Franklin Website Upgrade Community Survey

The Town of Franklin is updating their website, and we need your help!

The administrative team is working on constructing a new more accessible website for the Franklin community. As part of this project, we're seeking valuable insight from the community through a survey that will ask various questions about your opinions on the current website. This is in order to make the most accessible, informative, and user-friendly experience for the next version of the website. 

This survey will have a deadline of July 1, 2024

Please click the link below to fill out the Community Survey: https://forms.gle/gfQr7p2qRvNDCX5R8

We greatly appreciate your input!

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/reminder-franklin-website-upgrade-community-survey

The Town of Franklin is conducting a Survey to upgrade the town website, please provide your input!

The Town of Franklin is conducting a Survey to upgrade the town website, please provide your input!

Franklin Website Upgrade Community Survey

The Town of Franklin is updating their website, and we need your help!

The administrative team is working on constructing a new more accessible website for the Franklin community. As part of this project, we're seeking valuable insight from the community through a survey that will ask various questions about your opinions on the current website. This is in order to make the most accessible, informative, and user-friendly experience for the next version of the website. 

Please click the link below to fill out the Community Survey:

https://forms.gle/gfQr7p2qRvNDCX5R8

We greatly appreciate your input!

Shared from ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/franklin-website-upgrade-community-survey

The Town of Franklin is conducting a Survey to upgrade the town website, please provide your input!

Calling All Photographers! - Help Populate the new Town Website with imagery of Franklin

Calling All Photographers! - Help Populate the new Town Website with imagery of Franklin

The Town of Franklin's website is getting a makeover!

The administrative team is working on constructing a new more accessible website for the Franklin community. As part of this project, we're seeking photographers to populate our website pages with imagery of our town and community members.

We seek talented photographers to help bring our vision to life through compelling visuals. The photographs will be used across various platforms, including our website, social media channels, and print materials.

For more information, click here: https://www.franklinculture.org/calling-all-photographers

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/calling-all-photographers-help-populate-new-town-website-imagery-franklin

Calling All Photographers! - Help Populate the new Town Website with imagery of Franklin

 

Porchfest Franklin website goes live, sign up to host or play

Porchfest is coming to Franklin, MA!! It is an outdoor music event that will be held on Saturday, June 1st from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM with a rain date of June 2nd.

Come spend the day in Franklin’s beautiful Cultural District while listening to live music. Musicians and bands of all genres will be performing on porches and patios throughout the district. This walkable event is also the perfect opportunity to check out our local shops and restaurants. Public bathrooms will be available.

If you would like to host a band or performer on your Porch or if you have a band or are a performer and would be interested in performing at Franklin PorchFest, go to our website https://franklin.porchfest.info and register for the event. All the information you need to register is on our website. Also on our website you will find links so you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Porchfest is made possible with funds granted from the Mass Cultural Council through the Franklin Cultural District Committee. The Franklin PorchFest Committee is thankful for the support it has received from the Cultural Council, the Cultural District and the Town of Franklin.

Save the date! We look forward to seeing you June 1st!

Porchfest Franklin website goes live, sign up to host or play

Wright Old School Chocolate Announces a new website

Exciting news! We've improved our website for a better user experience! We are excited to announce that we have migrated our website from GoDaddy to Squarespace in order to improve your user experienc Exciting news! We've improved our website for a better user experience! We are excited to announce that we have migrated our website from GoDaddy to Squarespace in order to improve your user experience. This new platform offers a range of features and improvements that we believe will greatly enhance your experience on our website. Why the change? After careful consideration, we decided to migrate to Squarespace as it offers a more user-friendly and visually appealing website. One particular distinction is the use of Gift Cards. Squarespace has a much easier way to redeem the gift card in checkout. With Squarespace, we can create a more seamless and engaging experience for you. What's new? Our new website has been designed with the user in mind, with improved navigation, better layout, and new features that will make it easier and more enjoyable to use. Here are some of the improvements you can expect: A fresh, modern design that's easy on the eyes Improved navigation to make it easier to find what you're looking for A new search function that helps you find the content you need quickly and easily Faster load times for improved performance Better mobile responsiveness for a seamless browsing experience on any device More in-depth product information and new product lines Easier redemption of gift cards When will it be ready? Our new website is now live and ready to use! You can visit us at our usual web address and explore the improvements we've made. We hope you enjoy the new experience and look forward to hearing your feedback. Thank you for your continued support and loyalty. Best regards, Peter W. Carlson, Founder  GET IN TOUCH  Wright Old School Chocolate 127 Old West Street Walpole, MA, 02081 United States Powered by Squarespace

"the system did not scale fast enough to accommodate the increased volume."

 

"Massachusetts is a global leader in heavy-duty technology fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence, yet the state government continues to have a nightmarish time running a simple website to let residents easily book COVID-19 vaccine appointments.

The latest and most spectacular failure occurred Thursday morning, when the state’s main vaccine scheduling site repeatedly crashed under heavy traffic from thousands of newly eligible residents chasing the few available appointments. It resumed service later in the day.

The state issued a statement Thursday evening from PrepMod, one of its vendors for the online appointments, in which the company took responsibility for the site crash. “As public health servants and your partner, we are sorry for not meeting expectations,’' the PrepMod statement said. “We accept full responsibility for the problem today."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/02/18/business/why-cant-massachusetts-vaccine-website-work-better/ 

"THE STATE WEBSITE for finding an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine crashed Thursday morning as a torrent of people 65 and above rushed to sign up, the latest chapter in the Baker administration’s ongoing difficulty responding to the pandemic.

Many people who logged on to the website at 8 a.m. were met with a message saying “this application crashed” and to try again later. By about 8:25 a.m. it was possible to get into the website, but it appeared all the appointments had been booked at major mass vaccination sites and other locations. Later in the morning the website was accessible but no appointments were available except in Greenfield."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/states-vaccine-appointment-website-struggles/ 

Mass.gov -> Update on vaccine scheduling website

Mass.gov (@MassGov) tweeted at 9:27 PM on Thu, Feb 18, 2021:

"The state's website to find and book vaccine appointments experienced delays and technical difficulties and the administration sincerely apologizes for the frustration and inconvenience residents experienced over the course of the day. (1/6) 

Despite these difficulties, 60,000 mass vaccination appointments for the week were booked. At this time, there are no availabilities for Fenway, Foxboro, Danvers, Natick, Dartmouth and Springfield. (2/6)

After the web vendor Prep Mod addressed the issues, the state’s website is currently operating. The Administration is now pressure testing the site to ensure the vendor’s adjustments are adequate. (3/6)

While the mass vaccination sites are booked for the week, a small number of appointments for other locations will be posted over the next several days. This includes pharmacies and regional collaboratives. (4/6)

Currently, approximately one million residents are now eligible and because supply is still severely limited by the federal government, it is expected to take at least a month for residents to book appointments. (5/6)

The Command Center will continue to work on website improvements to streamline and improve this process.” -Command Spokesperson (6/6)"

Shared from Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MassGov/status/1362589531040608262

Note: "at least a month" ???  in my day, one million divided by 100,000 per week came out to something closer to 2.5 months (at 4 weeks/month)

Mass.gov ->  Update on vaccine scheduling website

new webpage to explore -> Industrial History New England

"This new website is a celebration of New England as a landscape of work and innovation and a portal for exploring the American birthplace of a revolution that triggered the most profound set of social and environmental changes in human history."

Shared from Twitter:   https://t.co/A6zJj5rzrU

Explore the web page -> https://industrialhistorynewengland.org/

new webpage -> Industrial History New England

Franklin Cultural District Partners Meeting - Sep 14

Dear Franklin Cultural District Partners,

It is hard to believe that the summer of 2020 is now behind us. As fall approaches we would like to remind you of the upcoming FCD Partners Meeting scheduled for Monday, September 14th at 7:00 PM. We will once again be using the video conferencing platform, Zoom. On Friday we will send out the meeting agenda which will have the Zoom meeting link.

At our September 14th meeting our guest speaker will be Anne Marie Tracey.  Anne Marie is the Marketing and Communication Specialist for the Town of Franklin/Franklin Public Schools. Anne Marie will be discussing the Franklin Cultural District's website (https://www.franklinculture.org/). We will also be sharing an overview of the Massachusetts Area Planning Council, Regional Indicators Project.

We hope everyone is able to attend this meeting. If you have any questions, please reply to this email and we will do our best to assist you.

The Franklin Cultural District Committee looks forward to seeing you on Monday evening.

Best regards,

Nancy

 ___________________________________

Nancy Schoen

Chair, Franklin Cultural District Committee 

nschoenfranklinculture@gmail.com 

Franklin Cultural District Partners Meeting  - Sep 14

Franklin Cultural District Committee - Agenda - Aug 31, 2020

Welcome

Franklin Cultural District Website

• Anne Marie Tracey, Presentation and Discussion

Next Cultural District Meeting Dates

• Monday, September 14, 2020 at 6:30 PM
• Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 6:30 PM, FCD & FDP Business Listening Session

Next Cultural District Partner Meeting Date

• Monday, September 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.

Adjourn

The listings of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.

For Additional information, contact: 

Bryan W. Taberner, AICP, Director
Department of Planning and Community Development 

508-520-4907; btaberner@franklinma.gov 

Connection info contained in the Agenda

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/agendas/cultural_district_committee_agenda_august_31_2020.pdf

Franklin Cultural District Committee - Agenda - Aug 31, 2020

Franklin Public Schools: Website Email Subscriptions Update

Website Email Subscriptions Update

A recent update in our website e-subscriber notification system has improved the communications between our families/community and the School District.

These website communications are OPT IN/OPT OUT. If you have ever subscribed to news or alerts from one or more of our schools on our website you will now be receiving these emails. You can change your subscription by adding notifications (perhaps your child has moved on to Middle or High School) or you can unsubscribe from notifications. 

Please visit our website at www.franklinps.net/subscribe to make any changes to your current e-subscription. 

Please note, these notifications are NOT the Regroup alerts you may have subscribed to from individual schools. These are notifications from the Franklin School District website when News, Urgent Alerts and/or School Committee information is posted. 

If you have any questions please reach out to us at 508-553-4819 and thank you for your patience as we adjust to this change.

Thank you again!

Franklin Public Schools

Franklin Public Schools: Website Email Subscriptions Update

Be aware of dark patterns - Video

To be good consumers of information on the internet, we need to be aware of dark patterns: 

"Dark Patterns are tricks used in websites and apps that make you buy or sign up for things that you didn't mean to. The purpose of this site is to spread awareness and to shame companies that use them."

Quote shared from the home page of Dark Patterns  https://darkpatterns.org/


Nerdwriter posted this recent 7 minute video explanation of dark patterns (note he does do a promo at the end as he supports himself via ads and donations via Patreon. His videos are really good so going all the way until the ad sell is worth it!): 




Check out the types of dark patterns:  https://darkpatterns.org/types-of-dark-pattern

If you have found a dark pattern and want to share, you can add it to the dark pattern website listing:  https://darkpatterns.org/

Harry Brignull provides a 30 minute version on dark patterns:

Help Around Town - web service to connect work and helpers

Have you tried this site/service?

"At HelpAroundTown.com we connect people who need help with neighbors seeking local, flexible work opportunities. Get paid or volunteer, get rated and  recommended, build your professional reputation as you earn money and help a local neighbor, business or non-profit. Free to post a job, get jobs and get custom job alerts tailored to your interests and location."

Link directly to the Franklin section:
https://www.helparoundtown.com/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&location=Franklin%2C+MA

https://www.helparoundtown.com/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&location=Franklin%2C+MA

Tip of hat to Ryan Jette for the link

Town of Franklin: Police Dept - Use of Force Data

"The Franklin Police Department believes in transparency and open information. To this extent the website will also provide information on documented use of force incidents within the agency. The Franklin Police Department has a Use of Force Policy, and a separate but equally important policy on specific incidents that require an officer to file a report when force was used. Both of these policies are available for viewing. These policies conform with State and Federal guidelines, and are reviewed annually during weapons training. They are also reviewed or revised when there is a significant Court decision that has direct bearing on the policy.

Franklin Police Use of Force Policy

Franklin Police Use of Force Reporting Policy

We will also be publishing information on our own Use of Force data. We pride ourselves on having a group of talented and professional officers. No police department can realistically expect to operate without having to ever use any amount of force. To this extent, based on the number of daily police interactions, calls for service, and custodies, we process every year, we believe these numbers reflect the strong training, and verbal control tactics employed by our officers."

This was shared from the Town of Franklin Police Dept webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/police-department/pages/use-force-data

The Franklin Police headquarters i  located at 911 Panther Way

Reminder from the Franklin Town Clerk regarding Census, Dog Registration, and Town Election

Greeting Franklin Residents! Here is what’s happening this week of January 22. 

Census Forms

Everyone should be receiving their Census and Dog Registration Forms for 2017 in the mail. Please return your Census form within 10 days of receiving it. This is mandated by the Massachusetts General Laws.

Biennial Town Election

This year will be our Biennial Town Election, November 7, 2017. To register to vote you may visit (registertovotema.com) or request a registration form from the Town Clerks office. Last day to register to vote is October 18, 2017

Dog registration

Dog registration is due April 1st. NEW: A late fee will apply after April 1st. You may register your dog online at https://franklinma.viewpointcloud.com/

Town Clerk Contact info

Please visit our website http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk for further information or please contact us at (508)520-4900 (townclerk@franklin.ma.us) with any questions.

Thank you,

Teresa M. Burr
Town Clerk


This was shared from the Town of Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/notice-town-clerk-regarding-census-dog-registration-and-town-elections

Town Clerk page on the revised Town of Franklin website

"e-permitting could create some efficiencies within town"

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

"As part of an ongoing effort to make its website more convenient, the town will be adding e-permitting services in the beginning of 2017. 

Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen said the Town Council had approved a pilot program - at $35,000 - earlier this month, though the process did not begin there.

"Over the summer, we had a huge group of department heads and staff interview (e-permitting) companies to determine the best way forward," he said. "This is cloud-based technology that will enable citizens to set up an online account, with their email and information, and be able to do business with the town."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161218/franklin-town-website-to-add-e-permitting

Town of Franklin: Town Clerk webpage where there will soon be a link to renew dog licenses online

In the Franklin Matters notes from the Town Council meeting on Dec 7, dog licenses were targeted to start in the Town Clerk's office and hence the 'rush' for the approval to get the software ready for the renewals to begin in January. It would expand to other Town Clerk services and then to other departments over time assuming successful.

For the complete summary of the Town Council meeting Dec 7
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/12/2-police-officers-sworn-in-tax-rate-set.html