Finance Committee gets the answer on how much it would take to fully fund Technology (add $1.5M/year) (audio)

FM #1608 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1608 in the series. 

This session shares the Finance Committee meeting conducted Wednesday, December 12, 2025. All 9 members of the Committee participated, 8 in Council Chambers, with 1 remote; hence a roll call for required votes.

Quick recap:

• Technology Director Tim Rapoza was the key presenter and outlined the technology requirements for licenses, hardware, and software which enable the Town and Schools to deliver the services they do

• Key question: How much it would take to fully fund Technology for the hardware, software, licenses and personnel to support Town and School needs. Answer = add $1.5M/year to the existing budget

The recording runs just about 2 and ½ hours, let’s listen

Audio link ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1608-franklin-ma-finance-cmte-mtg-12-10-25/

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Franklin TV video link ->  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeAQEXjI0D8 

Agenda doc -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12102025-2039  

Finance Cmte gets the answer on how
much it would take to fully fund
Technology (add $1.5M/year)

The presentation doc https://franklintechnology2025.my.canva.site/ 

Pictures of the slides presented are captured in one album ->   https://photos.app.goo.gl/ThWM9bemHaA48xk69 

My notes can be found in one PDF ->    https://drive.google.com/file/d/10VfXGVVfuS1pge0RwuA3VxKgYAoZKuCx/view?usp=drive_link 

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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

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. 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!

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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"

Senior Story Hour - WFPR: Episode 094 - Saint Stephen, Love, Words, Seance, and December Themes (audio)

In this episode, The Franklin Senior Center Writers Group shares stories, poems, and writings about winter carols, hymns, and songs, poems of love, a short story about words, a seance for a dead poet, and reflecting on old December work.

Audio link -> https://senior-scribblers.captivate.fm/episode/episode-094-saint-stephen-love-words-seance-and-december-themes

Senior Story Hour - WFPR

Senior Story Hour - WFPR = The Franklin Senior Center Writer's Group

Steve Sherlock hosts The Franklin Senior Center Writer's Group for a monthly reading of short stories, essays, poetry and more. 

Find more episodes here (or on your favorite podcast app) ->  https://senior-scribblers.captivate.fm/episodes

Talking with JM Celi about the next stage in the "Unlife of Lisa Cooper" (audio & video)

FM #1607 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1607 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my recorded conversation with local author J.M. Celi. We had our conversation via Zoom to record the video & audio on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. 

Our conversation lets you find out more about Jamie and his third independently published work “The Unlife of Lisa Cooper: Vengeance." 

This is the second in the planned series of the vampire, Siobhan McSweeny or Lisa Cooper.  

We talk about Jamie’s writing process, the road through multiple reviews and edits to publication. He has some other works out for possible publication. He is working on the outline for the 3rd in the Lisa series. There may be other works covering specific decade time periods in Boston. 

The recording runs about 39 minutes so let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie

Video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQAW9ZvaJhc

Audio link ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1607-author-jm-celi-12-09-25/

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J.M. Celi’s author web site -> https://www.jmceli.com/

“The Unlife of Lisa Cooper: Conviction", “The Vampires of 1863” and “The Unlife of Lisa Cooper: Vengeance"  can be found in most bookstores. 

Prior audio recordings

• Vampires of 1863 - https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/07/talking-boston-vampires-and-writing.html

• Unlife of Lisa Cooper -  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/11/author-jm-celi-wrote-book-he-couldnt.html 

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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!

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

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

School Committee recognizes the Championship volleyball team, approves the capital budget, hears about Student Services (audio)

FM #1605 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1605 in the series. 

This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. All 7 members of the committee were present. 

Quick recap:

• FHS Volleyball team recognized for D1 State Championship for first time

• Student Services presentation

• Link to slides included below

• Capital budget presentation

• Link to slides included below

• Franklin (MA) School enrollment

• Yes, total of Franklin MA and shown where they end up FPS, or elsewhere

• Numbers mentioned during recent Town Council meeting shown to be in error with these statistics

• Link to the 2 page document included below

• Citizen Comments

• Steve Sherlock stepped up to talk about

• “Hold harmless” is akin to OPEB, Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) was for years an unfunded mandate that drove every budget discussion until the Town realized that the funding requirement for the Norfolk County Retirement would be fulfilled shortly (now slipped to approx. 2035) but then once complete, those funds could be shifted to pay down the OPEB liability. The Town has a plan to fund OPEB. The School can not come up with a plan to fund hold harmless without Town help. There needs to be a plan as part of whatever financial plan the Town puts together.

• While the Town (and correctly so) touts clean audits, that wasn’t always the case. The current revolving funds policy to maintain a year's worth arose as a result of an audit issue revealed during 2007. Part of the resolution was (1) the hiring of Miriam Goodman in March 2008 and (2) the intro of the policy to keep one year's worth of funds in the revolving accounts

• Audio of student services available https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/12/insights-into-student-services-how-in.html 

• Community calendar reminder, this week only Weds doesn't have a booster club, youth sports or otherwise a fundraising effort by eating at one of Franklin’s restaurants. Let me know of your fundraising efforts and they can get published on the Community Calendar  

• Action: To submit a community or cultural event, please use this form:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar 

• entered into Executive Session not to return to open meeting

The recording runs about 3 hours and 45 minutes

Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1605-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-12-09-25/

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Additional links to key documents for this session

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/12/school-committee-recognizes.html 

Full School Committee & Supt Giguere with the FHS volleyball team

The State D1 Champion FHS volleyball team showcases their jackets

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

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"

The voice message left from the Franklin Senior Center robocall touting the Winter Wonderland on Thursday, Dec 11 (audio)

FM #1604 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1604 in the series. 

This episode shares the voice message left from the Franklin Senior Center robocall touting the Winter Wonderland on Thursday, Dec 11, 2025. 

“The Franklin Senior Center is hosting our 4th annual Winter Wonderland Community Event!

It's on Thursday, December 11 from 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM. Come one, come all! The entire community is invited, we hope to see you there! 

This is open to all ages. 

This is a completely free event but be sure to bring a little extra money for the large scale raffle put together by our Friends of Franklin Elders Inc. - FOFE”

Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1604-fsc-winter-wonderland-msg-12-11-25/

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The text and links referenced can be found at Franklin Matters https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/12/you-are-invited-to-winter-wonderland-at.html 

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

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"