Franklin's Event Outlook: Sep 23, 2022 to Sep 29, 2022

Have you noticed how the calendar is filling up? While the usual events continue; book/bag sale, Farmers Market, etc. with this outlook we also get 

• a Bollywood Dance Party at the Library
• a storywalk at DelCarte
• Circle of Friends hosts their first concert since Feb 2020
• People's Poetry opens for the 2nd time at Escape Into Fiction 
• and the Dean Leadership Institute Fall program opens with Dr Charles Steinberg of the Worcester Red Sox (formerly Pawsox)

Yes, #artshappenhere in Franklin....

Friday, September 23

12:00pm - Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)

2:00pm - Farmers Market (Town Common) Farmers Market

5:00pm - Thee Taco Guy (food truck) (67 Degrees Brewery)

6:00pm - Sioo (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

6:00pm - Anna Freitas Trio (live music) (67 Degrees Brewery)

8:00pm - Matt Zajac's Rock Night (3 bands, live music - ticketed event) (THE BLACK BOX)

Saturday, September 24

7:00am - Fitness Open House (sample classes offered) (Franklin YMCA)

9:00am - Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)

9:30am - Bollywood Dance Party (family event) (Franklin Public Library)

10:00am - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

10:30am - Fall Storywalk (Franklin Library at the DelCarte Open Space)

11:00am - Yoga in the Taproom (ticketed event) (67 Degrees Brewery)

1:00pm - Bag Sale (Franklin Public Library)

5:30pm - Community Cookout (Franklin Methodist Church)

6:00pm - Matt Zajac (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

6:00pm -  Mike Malone (live music) (67 Degrees Brewery)

8:00pm - Pamela Means - Power of the Protest Song (Circle of Friends Coffeehouse)

Sunday, September 25

8:00am - PMC Kids Ride (Jefferson Elementary School)

1:00pm - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

Wednesday, September 28

6:00pm - People's Poetry (Escape Into Fiction)

Thursday, September 29

6:00pm - Dean Leadership Institute: Dr Charles Steinberg (registration required - free) (Dean College; Guidry Center)

6:00pm - Nick & Emily (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

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The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)

Find the full calendar  https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26 

Community Calendar

Board of Health votes to bring septic unit into compliance

FM #846 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 846 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the Franklin (MA) Board of Health meeting held on Thursday, Sep 22, 2022. There was only one item on the agenda, an unpermitted septic issue discovered during the sale of the property at 366 Pond St. 

After hearing the details of the issue, the Board voted to have the unit brought into compliance with the town bylaws within 45 days. 

The meeting runs just about 22 minutes.

Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-846-board-of-health-meeting-09-22-22

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Agenda document for this meeting

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/9-22-22_2.pdf

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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"

Board of Health votes to bring septic unit into compliance

FHS field hockey and volleyball teams post wins on Thursday

HockomockSports.com posted the results of Hockomock League competition on Thursday, Sep 22, 2022. We share the FHS results here and provide the link to the full set below.

Field Hockey = North Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final 

– Holding a one-goal lead at halftime, Franklin scored three goals in the third quarter to pull away from the visiting Rocketeers. Haley Wernig scored just over five minutes into the second quarter for the only goal of the first half. Less than a minute into the third quarter, Wernig scored her second on an assist from Kaitlyn Carney. Midway through the third quarter, Payten Crandall extended the lead to 3-0 off a feed from Emily Carney, who then scored with just one second left in the quarter to make it 4-0. Wernig completed the hat trick midway through the fourth off a pass from Crandall. Devon Barry (two saves) and Megan Sullivan (two saves) combined for the shutout for Franklin.

Volleyball = North Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final 

– Franklin had a strong overall performance, recording 30 kills and 20 aces as a team in a 3-0 (25-7, 25-8, 25-14) win over North Attleboro.

For other results around the Hockomock League

https://hockomocksports.com/thursdays-schedule-scoreboard-09-22-22/

FHS Panthers

Library book sale, bag sale this weekend

Book Sale - All books are just $1 

Friday, September 23rd, 1:00-5:00 PM.  

Saturday, September 24th, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

Bag Sale - $5 A Bag

Saturday, September 24th, from 1:00-4:00 PM

Come fill a brown bag with all the books you can!

Library book sale, bag sale this weekend

“Sounds Of Surveillance” by Si-Mark And Scott-Funkel (audio)

Sharing from a Mark Hurst email:

"A quick note today: I wanted to share with you a song that I helped put together with friends from WFMU, the amazing radio station that broadcasts Techtonic. A few weeks back, I was speaking with Scott Williams (himself a DJ on Thursday afternoons) about an idea we’ve batted around for a few years, of changing a well-known song into a tech-themed dystopian version. Almost immediately Scott said he knew just what song to work with: “It practically writes itself!” And thus was born “Sounds of Surveillance.”

Once Scott and I worked the lyrics into shape, he put the band together: Greg Harrison on drums, Matt Fiveash on bass, Lily Wen as audio engineer, and Scott himself on guitar and organ. Soon after the live recording session with the band, he and I went into the studio to sing the vocals, after which he added some more post-production magic to make the track shine.

If you like the song, you can pitch in to WFMU, which is about to start its annual October fundraiser. (New t-shirts are available for the fall, and WFMU has the best t-shirts.)

And now, the track."

- - -

Listen to “Sounds Of Surveillance” by Si-Mark And Scott-Funkel

LYRICS:
Sounds of Surveillance
by Si-mark and Scott-funkel

Hello Siri, my old friend
You’ve come to spy on me again
Because the websites that I’ve been browsing
Give you insight into my thinking
Paranoia that you planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sounds of surveillance

And in the metaverse I saw
Three billion people, maybe more
People texting without speaking
People swiping without reading
People monitored by devices that never cared
No one dared
Disturb the sounds of surveillance

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the screen flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the screen said, “The billions in profits are written in the smartphone apps
Like Google Maps”
And whispered in the sounds of surveillance

- - -

Here’s the link again: Listen to “Sounds Of Surveillance” by Si-Mark And Scott-Funkel.

“Sounds Of Surveillance” by Si-Mark And Scott-Funkel

Mark Hurst · Sounds Of Surveillance - Si-Mark And Scott-Funkel

Tufts University's Center for State Policy Analysis provides insights on Ballot Question #2

"If there's a question on the November ballot that will cause voter's to sit up and scratch their head for a minute, it's probably Question 2.

Supporters of the dental insurance initiative say it is intended to wring out wasteful spending from the system by requiring at least 83 cents of every dollar collected in premiums to go toward care, and not administrative costs, taxes or profit. This is also known as a loss-ratio.

But what will it mean for consumers? A new report published this morning by Tufts University's Center for State Policy Analysis concludes that if Question 2 passes, it could cause some smaller insurers to leave the market, leaving consumers with fewer choices.

As for cost, one way insurers could try to come into compliance with the new rules would be to allow dentists to charge more for services. That would cause patients to more quickly hit their annual caps and wind up paying more out of pocket. CSPA Executive Director Evan Horowitz, however, writes in the report that "while it might inspire price increases that trickle down to consumers, the scale of these increases should be limited."

Other mechanisms insurers would have to meet the 83 percent loss-ratio would be to lower consumer premiums, cover more services or streamline their operations.

Horowitz said part of the problem in predicting the scale of the impact to the dental insurance industry is that the question has been "built on relatively thin information. It’s not clear whether dental insurers are currently close to — or far from — the proposed 83 percent requirements." Massachusetts would also be the first state in the country to impose an 83-cent loss-ratio on dental insurers.

Based on available data, CSPA finds that most large insurers probably have loss-ratios close to 80 percent, making compliance a lighter lift.

"Based on the limited information we do have, it seems likely that insurers will be able to meet the new standards with a mix of operational changes that includes somewhat increased prices for dental care," Horowitz concludes."

Shared from the MASSterList email -> https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Breaking-down-Question-2.html?soid=1107496303234&aid=472__lI5e0s

Direct link to the report -> https://cspa.tufts.edu/node/741

PDF of the report -> https://cspa.tufts.edu/sites/g/files/lrezom361/files/2022-09/cSPA_new_rules_dental_insurance.pdf

Tufts University's Center for State Policy Analysis provides insights on Ballot Question #2

Additional coverage on this ballot question from CommonWealth Magazine

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/politics/ballot-question-would-shift-profits-from-insurers-to-dentists/

VETERANS' EXPO - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 - 10 AM to 2 PM at the VA Brockton Campus

VETERANS' EXPO - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 

- 10 AM - 2 PM at the VA Brockton Campus

Vets, Troops, Family & Friends are Invited! NEW COVID Boosters!

Live Bands, Music, Free Food, Fun Prizes! Jobs & Career Fair! 

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/veterans-expo-saturday-september-24-10-am-2-pm-va-brockton-campus

VETERANS' EXPO - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. VA Brockton Campus!

Spot impersonator scams and share what you know

Spot impersonator scams and share what you know By Jim Kreidler During Hispanic Heritage Month, let's take a moment to look at impersonator scams, which are the issue reported most to the FTC by people living in majority Latino communities.  These scams happen when someone pretends to be someone they're not — say, from a government agency or a well-known business — and tries to get you to pay or give them sensitive information. And if you don't, they say something bad will happen. But it's a scam. Read more ->  https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/09/spot-impersonator-scams-and-share-what-you-know

Spot impersonator scams and share what you know

Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Friday, Sep 23, 2022

• wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Friday

9:00a/12:00p /6:00p Chapters – Jim Derick  Insightful, life-affirming stories and interviews

10:00a/1:00p/7:00p Music to Lift the Spirit - Jim Derick & Frank Falvey

11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm Senior Story Hour – Senior Center Scribblers Group

• Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26) = FRIDAY

7:30 am Franklin Art Association: Vincent Crotty

9:00 am Frank Presents: Caron Grupposo

10:00 am Physician Focus: Too Much Medicine?

11:00 am Senior Connection: COVID Updates

12:00 pm Brooke'n'Cookin: Mac'n'Cheese

12:30 pm Sandhya: Macaroons

1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Emergency Pizza

2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Fall 2019 Show 2

6:30 pm Norfolk County Prevention Coalition: Safe Prescribing

7:30 pm Concerts on the Common: Reminisants

• Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28) = FRIDAY

7:00 am Public School Event: FHS Pops Night 05-09-18

8:30 am It Takes A Village: Gretchen Scotland

9:30 am Universe of Adolescent Sleep

11:30 am FHS Varsity Volleyball: v Attleboro

1:00 pm All-Town Showcase: Band

2:40 pm FHS PCC: Vaping Forum

6:00 pm Let's Talk Sports: Youth Sports

9:30 pm FHS Varsity Field Hockey: v King Philip 09-12-22

• Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 11, Verizon 29) =  FRIDAY

8:00 am Zoning Board of Appeals 09-08-22

2:00 pm Zoning Board of Appeals 09-08-22

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm)

Dr. Charles Steinberg to open Fall Dean Leadership Institute Speaker Series - Sep 29

Dean College is pleased to welcome Dr. Charles Steinberg, president of the Worcester Red Sox, as the first speaker of the Dean Leadership Institute (DLI) Fall Speaker Series. 

Dr. Charles Steinberg joined the Worcester Red Sox, known as the Pawtucket Red Sox at the time, as president on November 5, 2015 after many years as Executive Vice President of the Boston Red Sox. In a vast career in which he has also worked with the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig, "Dr. Charles" has helped revamp and re-energize the WooSox front office while leading the effort to aggressively reach out to the community to restore and enhance bonds of connection. He has also been instrumental in the community engagement of Central Massachusetts, including the development of Worcester’s Polar Park and the relocation of the franchise to the city in 2021.

The program is FREE and open to the public. RSVP to attend the Dean Leadership Institute event on September 29, 2022 (https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=4b46fee6-5f34-4a3c-afe8-1a4ac93373e2&envId=p-znTBbqSjmkypIjo1twnSVg) . 

Dr. Charles Steinberg to open Fall Dean Leadership Institute Speaker Series - Sep 29

Economic Development Committee - Sep 21 - video replay available

The Economic Development Subcommittee meeting met on Wednesday, Sep 21. The video recording is available for replay here.

Agenda:

1. Discussion: “Franklin For All” MAPC Study Conclusion & Committee Recommendations

a. Staff Memo Implementation Timeline

b. Franklin For All Executive Summary and Final Report -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_for_all_executive_summary_summary_memos.pdf

c. Franklin - DHCD Approved Housing Production Plan -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_housing_production_plan_-_final_with_approval_ltr.pdf

2. Downtown Parking Lot Proposal

a. Downtown Parking Lot Town Administrator Memo

b. Downtown Parking District Maps Current vs. Proposed

c. Traffic Fines Bylaw materials

d. Downtown Parking Bylaw Parking Rates Proposal

Agenda doc and remote information -> 

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/09-21-22_edc_agenda.pdf

YouTube link ->  https://youtu.be/0juF7Nd2ngk

My notes captured during the meeting via Twitter can be found in one PDF doc

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V880A9wPIyLuq-GjD9f6AJ0mYbGIzwrs/view?usp=sharing

 

Bryan Taberner addressing the EDC

FHS golf, volleyball, and both girls and boys soccer teams post wins on Wednesday

HockomockSports.com posted the results of Hockomock League competition on Wednesday, Sep 21, 2022. We share the FHS results here and provide the link to the full set below. We also include a couple of updates from the FHS sports booster Twitter accounts.

Boys Soccer = Franklin, 3 @ Sharon, 0 – Final 

– After staking a one-goal lead at halftime, Franklin put away two more in the second to earn an impressive 3-0 decision on the road at Sharon. Sophomore Garrett Scagliarini put the visitors ahead with a goal in the opening half, finishing off an assist from Hansy Jacques. Jacques then got one of his own in the second half to double the Panthers’ advantage, linking up with Andrew O’Neill to make it 2-0. Will Kryzak then recorded an assist for the third straight game, setting up Wyatt Herndon for his first career goal.

3-0 win against Sharon to continue to 4-1-1 on the season (Still only ranked 5th in the hock though). Goals scored by Gary (from Hans), Hans (from Katie O’Neill’s brother), and Wyatt (from unknown). Juice to Gary for beating defenders left and right. Next game Friday at North.  https://twitter.com/_FranklinSoccer/status/1572708766898061313

Girls Soccer = Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final 

– Olivia Costa scored a pair of goals to lift Franklin to a home win that moves the Panthers a half-game ahead in the division. Kelly O’Connor and Tori Carmignani each scored once and each assisted on another goal. Norah Anderson’s header capped the scoring for the Panthers, who also got a pair of assists from Anya Zub and an assist from Katie Ewald. Sharon faced the Kelley-Rex leaders without a pair of starters and struggled to get the attack going against Franklin’s defense. Jordanna Morris and Sally Brouhard both had strong games in defense for the Eagles.

Volleyball = Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final 

– Franklin continued to roll against league opponents, this time with an impressive 3-0 sweep (25-14, 25-14, 25-11) of visiting Sharon. Juniors Grace Lacerda and Taylor Lacerda (five aces) paced the offense with 12 kills apiece. 

Golf = Franklin, 149 @ Sharon, 172 – Final

Panthers bounce back and clinch sectionals‼️ 149-172 over Sharon

Obrien-35

B.Collins-38

Hags-38

Caden-38

https://twitter.com/FHSGolfTeam/status/1572710958757289992

For other results around the Hockomock League

https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-09-21-22/

FHS Panthers

Franklin School Cmte: Policy Subcommittee Meeting - Sep 28 at 6 PM

FRANKLIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Policy Subcommittee Meeting

DATE:9/28/2022 TIME: 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Location: 3rd Floor Municipal Building – Training Room

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.”

I. Distribution of Approved Policies

A. AC - Nondiscrimination

B. ACAB - Harassment Including Sexual Harassment

C. ADC - Tobacco Products on School Premises Prohibited

D. EB - Safety Program

II. Discussion of Policies sent to School Committee

A. none

III. Policy Revisions & New Policies - New Discussion Item

A. JICH, Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Use by Students Prohibited

B. JLCDD - Managing Life Threatening Food Allergies

C. JLCDD-E - Protocols and Guidelines for Managing Life Threatening Food Allergies

D. JJEA - Crowdfunding Policy

E. JJE - Student Fundraising Activities

F. JJF - Student Activity Accounts

G. JJF-R - Student Activity Accounts

H. Continued Review of E Policies

Agenda doc and remote connection info ->   https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/9_28_2022_policy_subcom_agenda_.pdf

Franklin School Cmte:  Policy Subcommittee Meeting - Sep 28 at 6 PM

National Grid electric rates to increase this winter but not for Franklin's Municipal Aggregation customers

"NATIONAL GRID said the price of electricity it supplies to customers in Massachusetts this winter is going to skyrocket to record levels because the cost of natural gas, the primary fuel used to generate power in New England, is soaring.

The utility said on Wednesday that the cost of electricity provided under its basic service plan will more than double on November 1, rising from 14.8 cents a kilowatt hour last winter to 33.9 cents this winter, the highest level ever."

Continue reading the article online -> 

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/energy/national-grid-says-electricity-prices-to-skyrocket/

For the Franklin National Grid customers who are part of Municipal Aggregation, there is no increase. Our contract price is not affect by this rate change.

For more about Franklin's Municipal Aggregation program, visit the town page

https://www.franklinma.gov/administrator/pages/municipal-aggregation

Franklin's Municipal Aggregation program

Other CommonWealth Mag coverage of the National Grid rate increase

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/energy/healey-calls-national-grid-rate-hike-devastating/

Boston Globe (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/21/business/your-electric-bill-is-about-go-up-heres-why/

More Perfect Union: 061 - Queen Elizabeth's Passing, The Future of The Monarchy and UK & US Government (audio)

In this episode, the group sits down to discuss the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, what this means for the UK, what the future of the monarchy might look like, the pros and cons of a monarchy, the differences between US and UK politics and much more.

Audio file -> https://more-perfect-union.captivate.fm/episode/061-queen-elizabeths-passing-the-future-of-the-monarchy-and-uk-us-government

Franklin.TV: A More Perfect Union (audio)

More Perfect Union - WFPR

Discussing American Politics and Current Events

Peter Fasciano, Dr. Michael Walker Jones, Dr. Natalia Linos, Jeff Roy, Chris Woolf and Nick Remissong host a round table discussion on current events and American politics, bringing about thoughtful conversation, compelling discourse, and a look at what the future might hold for the United States.

Find all the episodes online -> https://more-perfect-union.captivate.fm/episodes  or subscribe with your favorite podcast app