Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Franklin Food Pantry Launches ‘The Pantry Food Elves Holiday Drive’ - "12 Days of Donating” Campaign Celebrates 17 Years

The Franklin Food Pantry is excited to announce Food Elves 2022. This year the Franklin Food Elves “12 Days of Donating” Campaign marks 17 years of helping neighbors in need during the holiday season and beyond. Between December 1 through 12, the neighborhood collection by local middle and high school students serves as the largest fundraiser for The Franklin Food Pantry. In 2021, the Food Elves collected over $95,000 and we are excited to see what they accomplish this year!  

 

The Elves collect monetary donations only for The Pantry. With several food and fund drives underway, the Pantry is quickly filling up its small warehouse. The Pantry uses monetary donations to purchase chicken, beef and other meats, dairy products, eggs, fresh vegetables, and fruits at a deep discount from the Greater Boston Food Bank at a time when the need for those items is highest. With food prices increasing nationally by 13.1% and locally by 10.9% this year, it’s more expensive than ever to serve our neighbors in need. 

 

Our amazing community is highly involved at this time of year, collecting food for the Pantry and educating their neighbors about food insecurity,” said Tina Powderly, Executive Director for the Franklin Food Pantry. “We are grateful for the bountiful donations of food we receive. But, after the holidays, when end-of-year giving naturally subsides and food drives lessen, monetary donations help us continue to meet the increasing need through the leaner months that follow. 

 

“Our Food Elves are amazing students who are dedicated to giving back to the community. We appreciate their commitment and hard work as well as the tireless efforts of our district parents. Special thanks to Colleen Bond, Lisa Frankina, Deb Morandi, Denise Flynn Wright, Kathleen McGuigan, Laurie Cain and Kristen DeMayo.”  

 

The Food Elves distribute flyers about their donation drive and our signature purple envelopes in their neighborhoods. Their flyers direct community members about how to donate. Donations can be made in two ways: through a check donation that the Elves will pick up personally; or through each Elf’s own online personal campaign page. Each Elf sets their own fundraising goal and will be able to keep track of how much they personally raise. Students will receive 12 community service hours for in-person fundraising and 10 hours for online only fundraising 


The deadline to sign up as an in-person Food Elf is 11/4. After 11/4 students can sign up for online fundraising only. The Food Elves program is a wonderful way to develop and encourage a lifelong commitment to service. Students can sign up to be a Food Elf and get more information here. 

 

If an Elf doesn’t visit your neighborhood, you can donate to the general page here. 


Franklin Food Pantry Launches ‘The Pantry Food Elves Holiday Drive’
Franklin Food Pantry Launches ‘The Pantry Food Elves Holiday Drive’


About the Franklin Food Pantry 

The Franklin Food Pantry is not funded by the Town of Franklin. As a private, nonprofit organization, it depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other strategic partners. It is grateful for its many partnerships, including that with the Greater Boston Food Bank, that allow us to achieve greater buying power and lower our costs. Donations and grants fund food purchases, keep the lights on, and put gas in the food truck. Other programs include home delivery, Weekend Backpack Program for Franklin school children in need, mobile pantry, emergency food bags and holiday meal packages. The Pantry is located at 43 W. Central St. in Franklin on Route 140 across from the Franklin Fire Station. Visitwww.franklinfoodpantry.org for more information. 

 

Please don't make this an "apathy election" - get out and vote on or before Nov 8

“There does seem to be a certain lack of intensity.”

⁃ Sec. of State Bill Galvin on the 2022 state election

There’s your early leader in the clubhouse for understatement of the year. And according to Galvin, the “slow” pace of mail-in voting points to a turnout of hundreds of thousands fewer voters than the last midterms.

It’s not as if the 2018 ballot was significantly sexier than this year’s uncompetitive dud. The Warren-Diehl Senate race never polled closer than 22 points. The Baker-Gonzalez gubernatorial matchup was like an old Mutt & Jeff comic strip without the hilarity. The ballot questions were low-key affairs.

This cycle features an open governor’s race that held the potential for competitiveness until GOP leadership drove their chances into a bridge abutment, vacancies for attorney general and auditor, and ballot questions touching on third-rail issues of taxation and immigration. And while the Congressional seats are barely contested, a red-hot battle for Capitol control in the lower 49 states could have conceivably pulled out some message-sending locals."
Continue reading Jon Keller's opinion online -> 
https://massterlist.com/2022/10/25/the-apathy-election/

The Election Collection contains all the info that should be helpful to Franklin voters. If you don't find something, please let me know and we'll se if it can be obtained.


Election Collection 2022: State election November 8
Election Collection 2022: State election November 8

Franklin Fire Dept schedules Open House & Touch-a-truck for Saturday, Oct 29

The @Franklin_fire_department will host their annual Open House on October 29th, 2022 from 10am - 2pm at the 40 West Central St. Headquarters! Explore our firetrucks and meet Sparky the fire dog. Feel free to wear your Halloween costumes and trick or treat around the station!


Fire Dept schedules Open House & Touch-a-truck for Saturday, Oct 29
Fire Dept schedules Open House & Touch-a-truck for Saturday, Oct 29

SAFE Coalition schedules take back your medications day - Oct 29

Get those old medications our of your house and disposed of properly!
Join us October 29th - it could save a life!

shared from Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CkHb2GSLV7Y/

SAFE Coalition schedules take back your medications  day - Oct 29
SAFE Coalition schedules take back your medications  day - Oct 29

Boston Globe: "What should be on the Massachusetts state flag? Readers weigh in"

"Massachusetts is reexamining its state seal and motto — and by extension the state flag — after a special commission voted unanimously in May to recommend replacing both. The decision was seen as a win for activists and members of the state’s Indigenous population, who have long objected to the current image, which depicts a Native American man standing before a blue shield, a bow in one hand and a downward pointing arrow in the other. Above him is a broadsword brandished by an upraised arm; below him is the Latin motto, which translates to “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.”

But as reported in August, divisions still existed among the 19-member volunteer commission. One Indigenous member said he regretted his vote and worried that an important piece of history would be lost should the state seal be replaced."

Continue reading the Boston Globe article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/25/lifestyle/what-should-be-massachusetts-state-flag-readers-weigh/

Boston Globe: "What should be on the Massachusetts state flag? Readers weigh in"
Boston Globe: "What should be on the Massachusetts state flag? Readers weigh in"


Franklin Public Library: teens Murder Mystery Party - Oct 26 at 6 PM

Teen Murder Mystery Party! Wednesday October 26th 6:00PM 

Teens (ages 13+) are invited to step back in time this Halloween to solve a murder inspired by the true events of the Salem Witch Trials!

Shared from Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CkGTUIkuqMu/

Franklin Public Library: teens Murder Mystery Party - Oct 26 at 6 PM
Franklin Public Library: teens Murder Mystery Party - Oct 26 at 6 PM


The Guardian: "Virtually all children on Earth will face more frequent heatwaves by 2050"

"The climate crisis is also a children’s rights crisis: one in four children globally are already affected by the climate emergency and by 2050 virtually every child in every region will face more frequent heatwaves, according to a new Unicef report.

For hundreds of millions of children, heatwaves will also last longer and be more extreme, increasing the threat of death, disease, hunger and forced migration.

The findings come less than a fortnight before the Cop27 UN climate talks get underway in Egypt, and after a catastrophic year of extreme weather events – heatwaves, storms, floods, fires and droughts – have demonstrated the speed and magnitude of the climate breakdown facing the planet.

According to Unicef, 559 million children currently endure at least four to five dangerous heatwaves annually, but the number will quadruple to 2 billion by 2050 – even if global heating is curtailed to 1.7 degrees, currently the best-case scenario on the table."

Continue reading The Guardian article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/25/global-heatwaves-2050-unicef-report

   
A Palestinian mother showers her child during a heatwave in the southern Gaza Strip in August 2022. Photograph: Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
A Palestinian mother showers her child during a heatwave in the southern Gaza Strip in August 2022. Photograph: Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Wednesday, Oct 26, 2022

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

9:00 AM 12:00 Noon and 6:00 PM Franklin Matters Radio/FPS Voice – Steve Sherlock
Franklin and its local government, services and events  (repeats Saturday at 9 AM)

10:00 AM 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM  The Wonderful World of Wine – Mark Lenzi, Kim Simone    All about wine, its culture, lore and finer points

11:00 AM 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock
Franklin and its local government, services and events (repeats Saturday at 3 PM)

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

7:30 am It Takes A Village: Philip Hulbig
8:30 am Metrowest Symposium: Sharing Identity on Social Media
10:00 am Lessons For Littles
11:30 am Cooking Thyme: Apple Crisp
12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Stromboli
12:30 pm Sandya: Pasta
1:00 pm Norfolk County Prevention Coalition: Healthy Communities
1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Meat-Lovers Pt. 2
2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Fall 2019 Show 5
3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Show 7
5:30 pm Veterans' Call: VA Pension
6:00 pm Celebrate With Pride: Pt. 2
7:30 pm 4th of July 2022: Granite Brass
9:00 pm Franklin Cultural Council: Pamela Means

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

7:00 am Public School Concert: Sullivan Winter Music 2019
8:30 am Pack 92 Pinewood Derby 2022
10:00 am SAFE Coalition: Michelle Palladini
11:00 am Public School Concert: Elementary Winter Music Pt. 1 12-11-18
1:00 pm FHS Girls Varsity Soccer: v Untitled
3:00 pm Let's Talk Sports: Episode 7
3:30 pm U. S. Army: Jazz Ambassadors 04-01-19
8:00 pm FHS Varsity Field Hockey: v Taunton 10-17-22

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

8:00 am Town Council: 10-19-22
2:00 pm Town Council: 10-19-22
7:00 pp Finance Committee, LIVE, Chambers, 814 8702 6597


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

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Tabulator/voting machine testing - October 26 at 9 AM

Our Town Clerk Nancy Danello has scheduled the tabulator/voting machine testing for Wednesday, Oct 26 at 9 AM in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Building.

Observers welcome!
  • See for yourself how voting is paper ballot based
  • See how the machines have no connection to the internet
This is an opportunity to ask about how the vote is tabulated by the machine, cross checked manually, and then tallied in a spreadsheet to produce the 'unofficial results'. The Town Clerk then has time in the office to validate the checks, etc. to confirm and produce the 'official results'.

The testing was completed prior to the September primary and reported on previously: https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/08/town-clerks-office-completes-testing-of.html


All of our tabulators have been tested for accuracy & have been confirmed as ready for voters
All of our tabulators have been tested for accuracy & have been confirmed as ready for voters (Town of Franklin photo)

"The Great Pumpkin Weigh In" at the Farmers Market - Oct 28, 2022

"The Great Pumpkin Weigh In" is scheduled for the 'last' Farmers Market of this season on Friday, October 28, 2022. 

Don't forget to stop by this Friday for the Touch a Tractor and a Pumpkin Contest to finish out the market season!

We will also have the music stylings of Peter Salzberg with his saxophone all afternoon...

SHARE this with your friends you want to come with you & we'll see you there!

Shared from Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CkGBB7itw8s

"The Great Pumpkin Weigh In" at the Farmers Market - Oct 28, 2022
"The Great Pumpkin Weigh In" at the Farmers Market - Oct 28, 2022