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Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Giving Tuesday - Franklin Food Pantry
CommonWealth Magazine: vaccines priorities set by CDC; "police reform milestones and missed opportunities"
From CommonWealth Magazine we share two articles of interest for Franklin:
"A FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE recommended on Tuesday that the initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccines expected to become available starting in two weeks should go to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities before being rolled out to other high-priority groups over the coming months.
Gov. Charlie Baker said the anticipated arrival of the vaccines means there is “light at the end of the tunnel,” but he cautioned that most of the general public won’t gain access to the shots until April, May, or June at the earliest.The two vaccines awaiting emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration have been developed by Pfizer and Moderna. Both vaccines are said to be 94 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 and 100 percent effective in warding off severe cases of the disease. Each vaccine requires two shots, administered roughly four weeks apart, so even if someone is given an initial dose in December the final dose is unlikely to be taken until January.
“It’s going to take awhile before people literally start finishing the vaccine process and start to generate antibodies,” Baker said."
"IT’S BEEN SIX MONTHS since members of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus hung their heads in silence over the death of George Floyd, the unarmed black man killed beneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.
The moment spurred nationwide calls for specific and targeted police reform, including on Beacon Hill. Those calls were heard on Tuesday as both the House and Senate passed a compromise police reform bill heralded by many top legislators, including members of the caucus, as groundbreaking. The House voted to pass the measure 92-67, and the Senate 28-12.
“This landmark legislation will begin to address the inequities we’ve seen for years,” said Springfield Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, chair of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus."
Franklin Senior Center: Connection Newsletter for December 2020
CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
Your Monthly Franklin Senior Center Newsletter
To Receive This Newsletter Monthly or Other Town Notifications, Please Click Here.
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Franklin Senior Center: Connection Newsletter for December 2020 |
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Franklin (MA) Board Of Health - Agenda - Dec 2, 2020
Duly Scheduled Meeting And Public Hearing
1) Reading and Acceptance of November 4, 2020 meeting minutes
2) OLD BUSINESS
3) NEW BUSINESS
• Discussion of Rooster residing at 145 Beech Street
• 324 Prospect Street
• Update on 76 Jordan Street dwelling
• Prescription Pharmacy
Chairman opens the floor for any other new business
(4) CITIZENS COMMENTARY
5) ADJOURNMENT
SWAC invites you to "Give 2020 the Boot(camp) December Fitness Challenge"
Check out our "Give 2020 the Boot(camp) Fitness Challenge" calendar for links to different exercises to do each day starting tomorrow, December 1st. Keep track of your success on the attached printable calendar, or anywhere! You can also create your own fitness routine! No matter how you do it or how you track it, we can work together and motivate each other to enter a new year stronger and healthier!
Let's Give 2020 the Boot, Franklin! #SWACfitnesschallenge
Find the SWAC Fitness Challenge Clickable Calendar on our website here: https://bit.ly/Swac2020
Find the printable SWAC Fitness Calendar here: https://bit.ly/Swac2020print
FHS' Lewandowski, K Carney, Bell, and S Carney named field hockey Hockomock League All-stars
Below are the official 20020 Hockomock League Field Hockey All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Kelley-Rex Division MVP
Amanda Lewandowski, Franklin
Kelley-Rex Division All Stars
Amanda Lewandowski, Franklin
Kaitlyn Carney, Franklin
Stephanie Bell, Franklin
Honorable Mention:
Sara Carney, Franklin
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FHS' Lewandowski, K Carney, Bell, and S Carney named field hockey Hockomock League All-stars |
Franklin Public Library: December 2020 News & Events
Library News
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Franklin Public Library is currently closed to the public. Curbside Pickup is available Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the vestibule of the entrance at the top of the parking lot ramp. Library Staff are available by phone (508-520-4941) and email (frkill@minlib.net) Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday hours are not available at this time.
The Library will be closed and Curbside Pickup will not be available on December 25-27, 2020 and January 1-3, 2021. The Library will be closing at 2:00 p.m. on December 24th & December 31st.
No donations are being accepted at this time. Please do not place them in the return bins or outside the building.
Curbside Pickup
Not sure how Curbside Pickup works? Unsure how to return your materials? Follow these steps to get started!
https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/pages/curbside-pickup
How to Get a Library Card While the Library is Closed
Apply for a Minuteman Library Card Online! Your card allows you to place requests and provides access to our online resources.
https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/pages/get-library-card
Curbside Printing
The Franklin Public Library is now offering Curbside Printing! Library staff will now print black and white documents up to ten pages in length free of charge. Send your file to frkill@minlib.net . Your document will be printed and placed in a sealed envelope for your privacy. Once you have been notified that your document is ready, pick it up under your last name on the Cubside Pickup carts in the glass vestibule at the top of the parking lot ramp. For documents over ten pages or in color, please email frkill@minlib.net for further information.
New Materials
See the latest additions to the Franklin Public Library's collection of books, movies, and music for all ages!
https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/pages/new-materials
Programs for Children and Teens
Weekly Virtual Events for Kids!
- Wake Up Wiggles! Mondays 10:30AM on Facebook Live!
- Zoom Tummy Time for Babies! Tuesdays @9:30AM
email Miss Caleigh at ckeating@minlib.net to register for Tummy Time! - Zoom Toe Tapping Tuesdays! (Super Silly Dance Class for Ages 2+!) Tuesdays @4:00PM
email Miss Bree at bcomeau@minlib.net to register for Cool Cruisers! - Bookworm Bounce! Thursdays @4:00PM on Facebook Live!
Teen Advisory Board, 2nd Wednesday of the Month on Zoom @7:30PM!
Teens! Want to get involved at the library from a distance? Join us as we plan teen-centric events, book displays, revamp our website and more! The perfect way to earn community service hours remotely! Email ckeating@minlib.net to get involved!
Special Programs for Families
Winter StoryWalk at DelCarte Reservation!
The Franklin Recreation Department and the Franklin Public Library are teaming up again for a cozy winter StoryWalk at DelCarte Reservation! Bundle up, mask up, and check out this season's story, Got to Get To Bear's! by Brian Lies! The StoryWalk will be up from early December to mid-January!
Zoom Cooking Class: Holiday Cupcakes! Saturday December 19th, 1:00 p.m.
Join Miss Sandhya of Sandhya's Kitchen for a special zoom cooking class for kids and their grown-ups! We will be making holiday themed cupcakes! To register and receive the recipe and zoom link, please email ckeating@minlib.net!
Teen Noon Year's Eve Mystery Party! December 31st, 12:00 p.m.
Join us on Zoom for a teen-centric celebration, as we ring in 2021 with an interactive mystery! To register and receive the zoom link, please email ckeating@minlib.net!
Adults
Kitchen Table Art Workshop: Secret Pockets, Sunday, December 6, 3:00 p.m.
Got a secret? Secret Pockets are collage card creations that become secret pockets for more images, messages, quotes, and treasures, keepsakes and whatever else you might like. They can be created as intuition or inspiration cards, as mini-diaries, or artists' trading cards – the possibilities are endless. This workshop is for adult and young adult artists and non-artists, no experience needed. A limited number of kits containing materials and tools to be used in the workshop will be available for pick up curbside at the library. More info and registration at www.thecreativitycurator.com. Please register early if you would like to receive one of the kits since quantities are limited. Priority for Franklin residents. Registrants who don't receive a kit will be provided with a supply list to assemble their own. Contact Jacqueline Burke Volpe thecreativitycurator@gmail.com .
Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are with Marjorie Turner Hollman,Wednesday, December 9, 7:00 p.m.
Getting outdoors can be exciting and challenging. For some, it's especially challenging. You, or those you love, may have health and/or mobility issues that preclude venturing onto rocky or rooty trails. Your children may have special needs. You may have toddlers, or older parents who can no longer venture onto the demanding trails they used to.
If you are like many these days, you are spending a lot more time outdoors. Getting out on trails has taken on new appeal. But do you worry about finding a safe place to park when you consider visiting a local trail? What are the best clothes to wear? Things to bring with you? Regardless of your challenges, the outdoors is not off-limits.
"How do you find all these trails?" Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are is the answer. You'll learn how to discover Easy Walks when visiting a new area, find new places to walk nearby as well, and so much more. Author Marjorie Turner Hollman loves the outdoors, and has completed three guides to Easy Walking trails in Massachusetts. With limited mobility, she uses hiking poles when heading outdoors. She has been published in local, regional, and national publications. For more information, please visit https://marjorieturner.com/easy-walks/ .
To register for this Zoom program, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkfu6tqz8vH9WgKXxj1R0STVp13y6...
Franklin Public Library Book Club, Tuesday, December 22, 7:00 p.m.
The book for discussion is Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah.
Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.
To reserve a copy of the book or for more information, please contact Assistant Library Director Kim Shipala at kshipala@minlib.net . To register, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEscuqupjgoGd0XAfQuUAIIChGwkzL... .
Online Resources
Even though we are closed to the public, the Library still has so much to offer! Here are updates and information regarding the Library's services during this closure:
- Our digital library is still open! Explore our collection of audiobooks, ebooks, and more at https://minuteman.overdrive.com/ . On your phone or tablet, download the Libby and Minuteman Library Network apps!
- Learn a new language with Rosetta Stone, or try out Kanopy, hoopla, and Consumer Reports on the Featured Databases page (exclusively available to Franklin residents).
- Learn something new, find articles for school assignments, read newspapers like the New York Times, or pick up a new skill using the links on our Databases & Research Resources page.
- Tune in to our Facebook page for streaming storytimes, book discussions, and other live programs. https://www.facebook.com/FranklinPublicLibrary/
- For email Reference service, or help with your library account, send questions to frkill@minlib.net . Inquiries will be answered within 24 hours.
- Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!
A Statement from House Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Spilka - Nov 30, 2020
“Today, we are pleased to announce the filing of An Act Relative to Justice, Equity and Accountability in Law Enforcement in the Commonwealth, the result of the deliberations of the conference committee on police reform and racial justice.
The compromise reached, which is intentional in bringing better transparency and accountability to policing in Massachusetts, represents one of the most comprehensive approaches to police reform and racial justice in the United States since the tragic murder of George Floyd.
Our approach strikes a balance that will provide greater protections for the rights of all residents through a strong police officer certification process via a new, independent agency, and setting clear standards for training and use of force, while providing a wider range of tools for law enforcement to provide for the safety of the public.
While there is still much work to be done, we are proud of the foundation laid by this bill as we continue to build toward racial justice and equity.
We would like to sincerely thank Senators Brownsberger and Chang-DÃaz and Representatives Cronin and González for their efforts in advancing this important legislation.”
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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S2963 |
CommonWealth Magazine: police reform compromise reached; state budget fails funding schools
From CommonWealth Magazine we share two articles of interest for Franklin:
"AFTER FOUR MONTHS of closed-door negotiations, six members of the House and Senate reported out compromise police reform legislation on Monday that establishes a certification system for officers and punts the contentious issue of immunity to a special legislative commission.
The bill released by a House-Senate conference committee would create a civilian-led Peace Officer Standards and Training commission that will establish standards for police, investigate misconduct claims, and decertify officers found in violation.
The proposed legislation bars the use of deadly force unless all de-escalation tactics have been used and failed. Chokeholds, similar to what killed Eric Garner in 2014, and restraining of the neck are prohibited. The legislation also requires that, if an officer witnesses another using deadly force improperly, he or she is required to intervene."
"AFTER MONTHS OF limbo, the state budget working its way through Beacon Hill obscures a difficult truth—funding levels will fall short of what our schools, particularly those that are the most under-resourced, need to successfully educate their students for the rest of the year. The challenges will remain even if the COVID-19 pandemic subsides over the coming months. We need targeted, progressive tax revenue to give our schools the resources to successfully navigate this crisis.
So far, the state’s answer to the pandemic is to repeatedly lower the bar for how it defines a safe return to school rather than providing adequate resources so schools can really be safe. One in 10 of the 1,800 school buildings in the state is over a century old, a figure that is true for one in five in our Gateway Cities which educate many of our state’s lowest-income students. Making these buildings safe for both students and faculty requires upgrading airflow and ventilation. Districts also must provide safe transportation for students. This costs money. Given the link between community wealth and the historical legacy of racism, kids of color and the schools that educate them tend to have fewer resources than those in wealthier districts. "
FTC Consumer Alert: Giving wisely in the time of COVID
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In the News: Town Council candidate statements
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"Election season is not yet quite over for Franklin, which is holding a special town election next week — unusually on a Saturday — to fill a vacancy on the Town Council.
Franklin's special town election will fill a seat on the Town Council.
There are four candidates seeking the post left behind this fall by nearly three-year member Eamon McCarthy Earls, who exited the top governing board to pursue law studies. Candidates include Greg Chiklis, Alan Earls, Cobi Frongillo and KP Sompally.
The special election is set to take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. next Saturday. Polls will be open at Franklin High School, 218 Oak St.
Candidates all provided statements, which appear here in the order candidates will be listed on the ballot."
For all the relevant info for the special election scheduled for Dec 5 to fill one Town Council seat visit the "election collection" https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/2020-election-collection.html
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2020 Election Collection |
Monday, November 30, 2020
Franklin (MA) School Committee - budget workshop - Dec 1
The world has changed a little bit since January 2020. The School Committee is now somewhat more 'experienced' albeit during this pandemic period. This workshop is designed to help them prepare for the FY 2022.
(Note: the fiscal government calendar runs from July 1 to the next June 30, with the year called as the ending June year. So we are operating in Nov 2020 in the FY 2021 fiscal budget and planning for the budget that would fund operations for July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 - hence FY 2022).
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budget process overview |
- Jan 14,2020 (budget workshop) (audio) https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/01/fm-192-school-committee-budget-workshop.html
FHS' Cain, O'Neill, and Moccia named boys soccer all-stars for Fall 2020
Below are the official 20020 Hockomock League Boys Soccer All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
KELLEY-REX DIVISION ALL STARS
Terry O’Neill, Franklin
What changes after COVID-19
"We’re almost there.” That’s what I’ve been thinking recently, and especially during our eerily sparse Thanksgiving celebrations. Things may be unpleasant now, but if everything goes well, then sometime next summer, we should reach the end of this miserable journey through plagueland.But on closer inspection, the more I realize I don’t really know what “there” will look like. For all the talk of a “return to normal,” large chunks of the old normal are due for a post-covid-19 rethink. And I’m not just talking about movies heading to video or takeout cocktails — though, please, let’s keep the takeout cocktails. The more I think about it, the more I think I’m talking about practically everything.The most obvious place to start is with the health-care system. Hopefully, people are already considering how to strengthen the medical supply chains that broke early in the pandemic and stayed broken too long — including reforming the reimbursement systems that reward medical procedures rather than basics such as protective equipment. We need to reward nursing homes for the basics, too, like cleaning and infectious-disease control, rather than costly extra services — a perverse system that damn near amounted to geronticide when the pandemic hit. These things should have been fixed decades ago; the next best time is right now."
- What has changed and should remain?
- What has changed and should return to 'normal'?
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a recent School Committee meeting with 45 participants in Zoom, others in the room and others watching via cable |
CommonWealth Magazine: "Not easy being young during COVID"
From CommonWealth Magazine we share an article of interest for Franklin:
"WE’VE KNOWN for as long as COVID-19 has been in our collective headspace that the illness is most threatening to older people. But when it comes to financial and mental health, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic fall most heavily on young people.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the MassINC Polling Group has surveyed Massachusetts residents on many elements of physical, mental, and economic well-being. The data clearly illustrate that the coronavirus crisis is one that piles impacts on vulnerable populations.
Groups hardest hit by the pandemic are disproportionately young — immigrants, frontline workers, people of color, and Gateway City residents. Add this to the fact that COVID also poses specific challenges to people just because of their phase of life, not because they fall into any of these groups. Young people are much more likely to be part-time and hourly workers, renters, and parents of young children, all of whom are facing unique hardship. All of this is often overlooked in conversations focusing on the virus itself, since young people tend to be at relatively lower risk of serious health impacts."
The Sun Chronicle: "Hockomock Area YMCA theater groups will present shows in early December"
"Students in the Hockomock Area YMCA's Broad-Y Academy and Theatre Institute will in early December present virtual productions they have been preparing for the last few months.The Broad-Y Academy will present "A Virtual Christmas Carol" at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 and 1 p.m. Dec. 6. It’s the classic Dickens story with a modern twist -- all the scenes take place via phone or video call.Twenty local youth ages 7-14 rehearsed and prerecorded the play on Zoom from their own homes. “It was so fun to see how each student took the time to set up and decorate their individual performance space to make it special even though we were physically apart,” says Director Julia Paolino.Simultaneously, The Theatre Institute, an intensive pre-professional training program for high school students, has been hard at work crafting their annual musical theater showcase, which will be streamed at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5. This year’s showcase is titled “Together Apart” and features songs in which the characters exist in physically separate spaces, but connect with each other nonetheless."
The Sun Chronicle: "Hockomock Area YMCA theater groups will present shows in early December" |
Voices of Franklin: Dellorco Endorses Chiklis
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - Dec 2, 2020
This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon Channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by others.
Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to five minutes on a matter that is not on the agenda. The Council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.
None Scheduled
None Scheduled
None Scheduled
1 Franklin Tax Classification Hearing
- Legislation for Action Items: 10a., 10b., 10c., 10d.
2 Comcast of Massachusetts II, INC. Cable Television Renewal License 12/2/2020 - 12/1/2030
Legislation for Action Item: 10e.
3 Bylaw Amendment 20-863: Chapter 82, Municipal Service Fees - Temporary reduction in Municipal Service Fees for Common Victualer All Alcohol and Wine & Malt Licenses for the 2021 License Renewal Season
Legislation for Action Item: 10f.
7. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
None Scheduled
Cyber Fraud Spear Phishing Incident: Town Administrator, Jamie Hellen & IT Director, Tim Rapoza
a. Capital Budget Subcommittee
b. Budget Subcommittee
c. Economic Development Subcommittee
10a. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
Resolution 20-68: Tax Classification Residential Factor (Motion to Approve Resolution 20-68 - Majority Vote) https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/10a._20-68.pdf
Resolution 20-69: Tax Classification - Open Space Exemption (Motion to Approve Resolution 20-69 - Majority Vote) https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/10b._20-69_resolution_-_tax_classification_open_space_exemption_0.pdf
Resolution 20-70: Tax Classification Small Business Exemption (Motion to Approve Resolution 20-70 - Majority Vote) https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/10c._20-70_resolution_-_tax_classification_small_business_exemption_0.pdf
Resolution 20-71: Tax Classification Residential Property Exemption (Motion to Approve Resolution 20-71 - Majority Vote) https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/10d._20-71_resolution_-_tax_classification_residential_property_exemption_0.pdf
Resolution 20-72: Comcast of Massachusetts II, Inc. Cable License Renewal (Motion to approve Resolution 20-72 - Majority Vote) https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/10e._20-72_cable_0.pdf
Bylaw Amendment 20-863: Chapter 82, Municipal Service Fees - Temporary reduction in Municipal Service Fees for Common Victualer All Alcohol and Wine & Malt Licenses for the 2021 License Renewal Season - Second Reading (Motion to Adopt Bylaw Amendment 20-863 - Majority Roll Call Vote) https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/10f._20-863_fees_0.pdf
Resolution 20-73: Gift acceptance - Police Department, $2,025 (Motion to Approve Resolution 20-73 - Majority Vote) https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/10g._20-73_gift_pd.pdf
Resolution 20-74: Cable Funds in Support of PEG Service and Programming per MGL Ch. 44, §53F3/4 (Motion to Approve Resolution 20-74 - Majority Vote) https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/10h._20-74_peg.pdf
None Scheduled
Note:
Two-Thirds Vote: requires 6 votes
Majority Vote: requires majority of members present and voting
Stream the premiere of Christopher Rice's The Tappy Christmas Special: LIVE!
Premiering November 29th 7:30 PM
Filmed in front of a LIVE studio audience in December 2019, this hour long special features over 15 holiday favorites, a live band, and of course... TAP DANCING!
Available to stream for one week, through December 6th, 7:30PM
Click here (https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/43288) to buy a ticket for the scheduled Premiere!
NOTE: for the scheduled premiere, you can use your access code up to 1 hour prior to the event until the end of the event. You can not rewind or rewatch the stream.
Click here (https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/43289) to watch the show at your convenience On Demand between Nov 29th and December 6th.
NOTE: For Video On Demand, you can use your access code anytime between November 29th, 7:30 pm and December 6th, 7:30 PM and it is valid for 48 hours from the first time it is entered/used. Please note the 48 hours will be cut short if you do not watch 48 hours prior to the end of the watch period, December 6th, 7:30 PM. Video On Demand events allow you to rewind at any time.
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The Tappy Christmas Special: LIVE! (Premiere and on-demand recordings) |
Preview/trailer -> https://youtu.be/APKYV748Giw