Community Preservation Act Public Hearings Set to Begin in January 2022

The new portal to accept ideas or applications for funding for Community Preservation is now open. As required by law, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is required to have one public hearing per year to hear input on how to allocate Community Preservation funds. The Franklin CPC has decided on two public sessions in January. 

The committee legal notice can be found HERE ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/2021-12-20_cpc_legal_ad_.pdf

The public hearing dates are:
1. January 4, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building at 355 East Central Street  Agenda = https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/2022-01-04_cpc_agenda_-_hearing_1.pdf
2. January 18, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building at 355 East Central Street   Agenda =   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/2022-01-18_cpc_agenda_-_hearing_2.pdf

Citizens may attend in person, through Zoom, offer comments and opinions, ask questions or submit ideas for consideration in our new online portal. Hard copy applications are also available by contacting Alecia Alleyne in the Town Administrator's Office at 508-520-4949 or by emailing aalleyne@franklinma.gov.

The Online application can be found HERE or by copying this link into your internet browser: https://franklinma.viewpointcloud.com/categories/1097

The Application for Funding for the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) beginning July 1, 2022 must be received by 4:00 PM on Monday, February 28, 2022. After the first year of CPA funding, applications will be then taken on a rolling basis. 

Applicants should review the State CPA legislation prior to submitting any applications for CPA Funding. Please keep in mind that there are legal limitations on the use of CPA funds. 

Additional information regarding the CPC & CPA can be found at the following links:

1.  Community Preservation Coalition -> https://www.communitypreservation.org/about
2.  MA State Legislator - Community Preservation ->   https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter44B
3.  Secretary of State Page - Accepting the CPA ->   https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elecpa/cpaidx.htm

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was passed in 2000 to help communities empower themselves to raise a dedicated revenue source for the purposes of open space preservation, historic preservation, affordable housing and recreation. 

The Town of Franklin approved the Community Preservation Act by local ballot November 2020. 

Please bookmark the Franklin CPC website: https://www.franklinma.gov/community-preservation-committee

Commonwealth of MA  CPA legislation ->   https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter44B

Shared from the Town of Franklin page ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/2022-cpa-funding-application-now-live

Community Preservation Act

26 Franklin High School Music Students were accepted to the Massachusetts Central District Honor Band, Chorus, and Orchestra

Twenty-six members of the Franklin High School music program virtually auditioned and were accepted into the 2022 Massachusetts Central District Honor Ensembles. Twelve of these Franklin High School students received All-State audition recommendations.  

Due to the pandemic, the festival will continue to look a bit different this year. Students will participate in one virtual rehearsal with the conductor.  Students will then be tasked with practicing their music and submitting a recording of their performance.  

Central Districts will have each part edited into a virtual audio performance.  Accepted Franklin High School students are as follows:

• Central District Orchestra: Aadit Bhatia - Violin, Christopher Broyles - Viola, Shreya Choudhury - Violin, Kyle Formato - Cello, Vivienne Loukota - Viola, Jossalyn Mascio - Violin, Patrik O'Brien - Cello, Weylan O'Connell - Bass, Anton Sackley - Percussion, Pritam Sompally - Viola, Sarayu Vijayanagaram - Violin, Leo Yang - Violin
• Central District Band: Adithya Balagurumoorthy - Baritone Saxophone, Karah Bradanese - Clarinet, Thomas Bradley - Trombone, Emma Brown - Flute, Nipun Goel - Trumpet, Derek Halet - Trumpet, Joel Keller - Tuba, Sydney Lincourt - Clarinet, William Olbrys - Trombone, Lola Richardson - Flute, Zachary Simms - French Horn, Maria Zaki - Flute
• Central District Chorus: Margaret Diehl - Alto
• Central District Jazz Band: Colin Manocchio - Trombone, Ian Richardon - Bass 

Franklin High School Music Students were accepted to the Massachusetts Central District 

An Update from Your Congressman - Jake Auchincloss

Hello, I'm your representative in Congress, and I write to keep you informed. I want to share with you three significant developments since I last wrote.  Raising the Debt Ceiling  Last week, the House addressed the debt limit and prevented a catastrophic debt default. Raising the debt ceiling is about meeting obligations we've already made. We should not be playing games with the full faith and credit of the United States.  As Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, I am working to support a strong economy that works for everyone. I recently spoke with the Financial Times and penned an op-ed in FOX News about how we can work together to tackle inflation as the next major bipartisan policy initiative in Congress.   Holding Big Tech Accountable for Vaccine Disinformation  Last week, I led other Democratic members in a letter to PayPal urging the corporation to ban the use of its online payment system on websites that perpetuate COVID-19 vaccine and treatment disinformation. Specifically, the letter calls on PayPal to deactivate the accounts of the "Disinformation Dozen." More than 800,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. The majority of these deaths have come after the approval of safe, free, and effective vaccines.  Throughout this pandemic, PayPal has played a role in financing vaccine disinformation spreaders and should consider banning the use of its online payments system on websites that perpetuate dangerous lies about COVID-19 treatment and immunization. I spoke about the letter during a recent interview on MSNBC that you can watch here. End of the Year Events   On Saturday December 11th I hosted an in-person town hall in Brookline. It was a great opportunity to meet with constituents and hear about issues important to them. I was also able to give updates on how I'm representing our values and advancing our priorities. We discussed a wide range of topics from the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill to protecting voting rights. If you were not able to join us, you can watch a recording of the event here. Please continue to be on the lookout for future events my office will be hosting where we can meet in person to discuss what's happening in Congress.  As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to close by sharing a report our office put together highlighting our accomplishments in Congress thus far. This year alone, despite the limitations of COVID-19, we've hosted over 30 district events, including more than 20 city and town-specific roundtables, traversed the MA-04 district conducting more than 100 in-person visits to each of our 34 cities and towns; responded to over 112,000 messages and successfully closed out over 1,100 casework requests in every city and town in the district; and successfully brought home federal funds including $154.8 million in tax cuts delivered to over 76,000 families in the Fourth District.  As we look forward to the new year, my priorities remain: Putting the pandemic behind us, Putting a strong economy ahead of us, and Protecting the integrity of our democracy I hope you are able to take some time to enjoy the holiday season with friends and family. To stay up to date on the state of play in Congress, please make sure to like my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram.  Sincerely, Jake Auchincloss Member of Congress OFFICE LOCATIONS WASHINGTON DC OFFICE • 1524 Longworth House Office Building • Washington, DC 20515 • Phone: (202) 225-5931 NEWTON DISTRICT OFFICE • 29 Crafts Street Suite 375 • Newton, MA 02458 • Phone : (617) 332-3333 ATTLEBORO DISTRICT OFFICE • 8 N. Main St. Suite 200 • Attleboro, MA 02703 • Phone : (508) 431-1110   WEBSITE  |  CONTACT View Congressman Auchincloss's first year highlights on his webpage https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases/memorandum-re-jake-auchincloss-first-year-office

FHS boys basketball, boys hockey, and girls basketball teams all post wins on Monday; girls in Overtime!

Via HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the FHS winter sports action on Monday:

Boys Basketball = Oliver Ames, 48 @ Franklin 64 – Final 

– Franklin saw its 22-point halftime lead shrink to single digits going into the fourth quarter, but the Panthers bounced back and closed out strong to get a win over visiting Oliver Ames. Franklin built a 37-15 lead by the break behind a balanced scoring attack and strong defense. Franklin hit half of its 12 three-pointers in the second quarter alone, two apiece from Geino Scaringello and Justin Allen (team-high 12 points) and one each from Andrew O’Neil and Hansy Jacques, to take a commanding lead. OA came roaring back in the third as Zach Tagliamonte scored 10 of his team-high 14 points in the third and Dan Reilly had nine of his 12 points to make it 46-37 going into the fourth. Ben Harvey had half of his eight points in the fourth, Henry Digiorgio scored five of his seven, and Allen added another three to pull away.

Boys Hockey = Franklin, 6 vs. St. John’s Shrewsbury, 3 – Final 

– Franklin saw its three-goal lead evaporate in a three-minute span in the second period but the Panthers bounced back with a big third period, scoring three more times to get the win over St. John’s Shrewsbury. Adam Quinn (from Ben Jarosz and Ben Paterson) and Ryan Sicchio (from Logan Marchand) scored for a 2-0 lead at the midway point of the first, and Siccio (from Dylan Marchand and Quinn) added a second just over two minutes into the second to make it 3-0. SJS scored three times within the next four minutes to tie the contest 3-3 through two periods. In the third, Quinn got his second of the day (from Paterson and Sicchio) at the midway point of the third and Dom Lampasona (from Anthony Lampasona) added a key insurance goal less than a minute later. Anthony Lampasona tacked on a key empty net goal (margin of victory) in the final seconds on an assist from Christian Shabbick. Cole Porter made 31 saves in net for the Panthers.

Girls Basketball = Franklin, 51 @ Oliver Ames, 48 – Final (OT)

Josh Perry, Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com, provides the game recap:

"Even though the winter has barely gotten underway, anticipation for a matchup of the defending league champions had been building for months. Franklin and Oliver Ames finished last year unbeaten in their respective divisions and unfortunately couldn’t find a date to play each other in the pandemic-shortened season. Ten months later, both teams were 2-0, both look like favorites to repeat as division champs, and on Monday night at the Nixon Gym they finally squared off. 

It was a game that lived up to all that hype.

Franklin extended its win streak to 38 games, dating back to the beginning of the 2019-20 season, with a 51-48 overtime victory. Neither team held a lead larger than six points at any stage and there were eight lead changes in the fourth quarter and overtime alone.

“We got a bounce,” said Franklin coach John Leighton. “That bounce could’ve gone the other way and they could’ve won the game. That’s how close of a game it was."

Continue reading the game recap ->  https://hockomocksports.com/franklin-girls-basketball-outlasts-oliver-ames-in-overtime-thriller/

- For a photo gallery of this game ->  https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2021-2022/Winter-2021-2022/Oliver-Ames-Franklin-Girls-Basketball-12-20-21/

https://hockomocksports.com/mondays-schedule-scoreboard-12-20-21/

Stefany Padula (21) buried a big three-pointer late in overtime that turned out to be the game-winner, lifting Franklin to a win at Oliver Ames. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Panther TV: FHS Band, Winter Concert - Dec 9, 2021 (video)

"FHS Band,Winter Concert, December 9, 2021
@FranklinHSMusic @FHSPantherbook @FranklinPSNews @FranklinHS"

https://t.co/bdL3rrfgyV or  https://youtu.be/NxIPLwBuJu4

Shared from Twitter:  https://twitter.com/fhspanthertv/status/1472984916606529538

St Mary's Women's Faith Formation - January 8, 2020 Meeting

Please join the  St. Mary's Women's Faith Formation group on January 8, 2022 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM as we again have the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Aldona Lingertat, who will be speaking on the topic of "Types, Forms, and Examples of Prayer". 

Dr. Lingertat is Director of the Master of Arts in Ministry Program and the Master of Theological Studies Program at St. John's Seminary.   

We are extending an invitation to all women to join us either in person (One Church Square, Franklin - lower level Parish Hall) or via Zoom. 

Please email Deacon Guy (deaconguy@stmarysfranklin.org) if you are interested in the  Zoom link contact information. 

Also, please note that those attending in person will be required to wear a mask, as Cardinal O'Malley has requested for all parish events occurring through mid-January 2022.

St Mary's Women's Faith Formation - January 8, 2020 Meeting

 

December Holiday Hours for the Franklin Public Library

December Holiday Hours for the Franklin Public Library

December Holiday Hours 

Thursday, December 23. Closing at 2:00 PM

Friday, December 24. Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 PM

Saturday, December 25. Closed for Christmas Day

Sunday, December 26. OPEN 1:30-5:00 PM

Thursday, December 30. Closing at 2:00 PM

Friday, December 31. Closing at 2:00 PM

Saturday, January 1. Closed for New Year's Day

Sunday, January 2. OPEN 1:30-5:00 PM

Shared from the Town of Franklin page ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/imce/u231/december_2021_hours.png

December Holiday Hours for the Franklin Public Library

No Trash Delay ~ Dec. 20-24 and Dec. 27-31

No Trash Delay ~ Dec. 20-24 and Dec. 27-31

No Trash Delay ~ Dec. 20-24 and Dec. 27-31

Shared from the Town of Franklin page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/recycling-solid-waste/news/no-trash-delay-dec-20-24-and-dec-27-31

Candlelight vigil coverage as the Franklin community came together Sunday evening

"Bethany Manning stood on the top step of the brick gazebo in the town common Sunday night and looked out over a sea of people wrapped in winter coats and holding candles in gloved hands, the small flames flickering in the cold, gentle breeze. 

Manning, speaking into a microphone so the crowd of several hundred could hear, remembered her friend, Shirley Branco Owen, who was killed Friday morning, allegedly at the hands of her former husband, Brendon J. Owen. 

Shirley Owen was a “daughter, a mother, a sister, an aunt, and a friend to everyone that had the blessing to know her,” Manning said. “She was the light in every room, and she was a hot ticket. She got things done. And boy, boy, did she advocate and do everything for her amazing children.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/19/metro/franklin-community-mourns-loss-woman-killed-horrific-domestic-violence-case/

Photos from the Milford Daily News coverage

https://www.milforddailynews.com/picture-gallery/news/2021/12/20/shirley-owen-honored-franklin-ma-community-prayer-vigil-after-murder/8964048002/

Franklin Matters audio of the event 

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/12/candlelight-vigil-for-shirley-owens.html

Mourners at a candlelight vigil honored Shirley Branco Owen, who was killed Friday morning.JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

Looking for films to view during the holidays? 'Return of the Jedi' One of 25 Added to National Film Registry

'Return of the Jedi' Among 25 Eclectic Films Joining National Film Registry Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today the annual selection of 25 influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Selected for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation's film heritage, the newest selections include epic trilogies, major roles for Jennifer Lopez and Cicely Tyson, extraordinary animated features, comedy and music, and films that took on racially-motivated violence against people of color decades ago. The 2021 selections represent one of the most diverse classes of films to enter the registry, with movies dating back nearly 120 years and representing the work of Hollywood studios, independent filmmakers, documentarians, women directors, filmmakers of color, students and the silent era of film. The selections bring the number of films in the registry to 825, representing a portion of the 1.7 million films in the Library's collections. "Films help reflect our cultural history and creativity — and show us new ways of looking at ourselves — though movies haven't always been deemed worthy of preservation. The National Film Registry will preserve our cinematic heritage, and we are proud to add 25 more films this year," said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. "The Library of Congress will work with our partners in the film community to ensure these films are preserved for generations to come." Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will host a television special Friday, Dec. 17, starting at 8 p.m. ET to screen a selection of motion pictures named to the registry this year. Hayden will join TCM host and film historian Jacqueline Stewart, who is chair of the National Film Preservation Board, to discuss the films. Also, select titles from 30 years of the National Film Registry are freely available online in the Library's National Screening Room. Follow the conversation about the 2021 National Film Registry on Twitter and Instagram at @librarycongress and #NatFilmRegistry. Films Selected for the 2021 National Film Registry (chronological order) Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902) Jubilo (1919) The Flying Ace (1926) Hellbound Train (1930) Flowers and Trees (1932) Strangers on a Train (1951) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) Evergreen (1965) Requiem-29 (1970) The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971) Pink Flamingos (1972) Sounder (1972) The Long Goodbye (1973) Cooley High (1975) Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) Chicana (1979) The Wobblies (1979) Star Wars Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Stop Making Sense (1984) Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987) The Watermelon Woman (1996) Selena (1997) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) WALL•E (2008) Click here for more information on this year's entries to the National Film Registry.