Wednesday, September 30, 2020
“All I Really Want” Democracy Remix (YouTube video)
The cast of Jagged Little Pill redid Alanis Morissette's "All I really Want" - https://youtu.be/eUKRMz4PY5U
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Wednesday night: 2 important meetings
First meeting:
Facilities Analysis Sub Committee Meeting
Wednesday, Sep 30 - 5:00 PM
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/09/facilities-analysis-sub-committee.html
Wednesday, Sep 30 - 5:00 PM
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/09/facilities-analysis-sub-committee.html
The consultants will come back with the completed facility analysis for review and discussion. This committee had suspended work during the summer due to the preparations required for reopening schools.
Second meeting:
Economic Development Subcommittee - Business Listening & Networking Session #1: Downtown Franklin, The Crossing & Franklin Cultural District
Wednesday, Sep 30 - 6:30 PM
The Market Study provides a lot of insights to what Franklin could do to improve. This is the first of a series of listening sessions to gather input before making the action and priority list.
a recent photo of DelCarte but not directly related to either meeting
Economic Development Subcommittee: Business Listening & Networking Session #1 - Sep 30
Economic Development Subcommittee Meeting
Agenda & Meeting Packet
September 30, 2020
6:30 PM
Agenda:
1. Business Listening & Networking Session #1: Downtown Franklin, The Crossing & Franklin Cultural District.
The members of the EDC will host the first in a series of five Business Listening & Networking Sessions on sectors of the Town’s economy.
Anyone is invited to attend and offer public comments.
Link to the agenda doc:
The Market Study: https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/mai/files/8a._final_town_of_franklin_market_study_1.pdf
 |
| The Market Study |
2020 Hockomock League Golf Preview: Franklin High School
High schools sports is underway and HockomockSports.com has published their preview of the golf teams in the Hockomock League. We share the Franklin outlook here and provide the link to the full listing.
FRANKLIN
2019 Record: 14-4
Coach: Dustin Picillo
2019 Record: 14-4
Coach: Dustin Picillo
With six starters returning from last year’s 14-win team, including five experienced seniors, the Panthers are primed to make a push for the Kelley-Rex division title. After sharing the crown with OA in 2018, the Franklin finished second last year but will be one of the top challengers as rival Mansfield looks to repeat. Franklin calls Franklin Country Club home and will host teams on the front nine (par 35).
Spearheading the way for the Panthers will be senior Jack Paterson, returning after a stellar 2019 campaign. After finishing the regular season in the top five with an average score of 38.2, Paterson capped the season by shooting a 76 at Blue Hill Country Club to take home the individual title at the Hockomock League Championships. Seniors Nolan Norton, Brian Sandham, Sean Connelly, and Pat Dolan, who is coming off a breakout season in 2019, will make up the backbone of the Panthers this season. Juniors Caroline Woelfel and Jack MacKinnon will also be in the mix after gaining valuable experience on the course a year ago, while underclassmen Jack Hagerty, Ben Paterson, and CJ Steel have impressed in the early going.
“We are excited about our team this year,” said head coach Dustin Picillo. “Greens are firm and fast at FCC which has given us an early test of where we are at. We’re excited to get started against Attleboro.”
For the full listing
 |
| 2020 Hockomock League Golf Preview: Franklin High School |
Bottle/Can drive to benefit Scouts BSA Troop 126 held on Oct 3 and Oct 10
On Saturday, October 3, and Saturday, October 10, 2020, Scouts BSA Troop 126 will be having a bottle and can drive, to raise money for camping equipment and exciting trips like whitewater rafting. Our troop is in Franklin, which means your contributions will directly benefit the youth of your community.
If you wish to donate bottles or cans, please drop them off at the Elks parking lot, 1077 Pond Street, on October 3 or 10, 2020, between 10 A.M. and 12 P.M.
If you are a Town of Franklin resident and are unable to come, but you would still like to contribute, please fill out our Google Form to have your donation collected at your curbside. Please complete the form by Friday at 5 P.M., and please have curbside bottles and cans out by 7 A.M. We thank you in advance for your contribution and your support for local Scouting!
Google form for pickup
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelJfph-q1qFM0iZiUUFU1F0R9E3k7vF6PeYvf6yKsHX_SmfQ/viewform
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelJfph-q1qFM0iZiUUFU1F0R9E3k7vF6PeYvf6yKsHX_SmfQ/viewform
 |
| Bottle/Can drive to benefit Scouts BSA Troop 126 held on Oct 3 and Oct 10 |
Sculpture Park - September 2020 (slide show)
A walk through the Sculpture Park this weekend enabled me to capture some current photos.
To view the album directly in Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/albums/72157716169151072
MMA: "The flu shot is even more important this year"
From the Mass Municipal Association:
"In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging everyone over the age of 6 months to get an influenza vaccine this year.
Both the flu and COVID-19 are respiratory illnesses that can lead to hospitalization for pneumonia and other serious – sometimes life-threatening – complications.
According to research conducted over multiple flu seasons, people who get the flu vaccine and still get sick have a 37% lower risk of being admitted to the hospital for treatment and an 82% lower risk of admission to an intensive care unit. Due to the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the hospital, it’s particularly important this year to keep flu cases out of hospitals.
After getting the flu shot, it takes about two weeks for the body to develop protection against the flu. That’s why it’s a good idea to get the vaccine before the flu starts to spread in your community."
Continue reading the article online
https://www.mma.org/the-flu-shot-is-even-more-important-this-year/
https://www.mma.org/the-flu-shot-is-even-more-important-this-year/
 |
| MMA: "The flu shot is even more important this year" |
In the News: "Lawmakers make plea for federal dollars"; 3 year old loses part of leg in accident
From the Milford Daily News, an article of interest for Franklin:
"Dozens of lawmakers want the Baker administration to act promptly to aid workers who missed out on up to $1,800 in additional benefits because of “arbitrary” and “punitive” eligibility requirements.
More than 110 legislators, almost all Democrats and no Republicans, wrote to Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta on Thursday, urging her to work with the House and Senate to raise the state’s minimum unemployment benefit payments so all recipients can access a pool of federal aid.
A small but unclear number of Bay State residents facing major economic strain fell just short of qualifying for the temporary Lost Wages Assistance federal program, lawmakers say, blocking off additional aid that could help them survive the pandemic’s continuing upheaval."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
"Sarah Reardon “got the kind of phone call that no parent ever wants to get.”She was unpacking boxes on Aug. 22 at her new home in Franklin while her two daughters, Alexa, 6, and Abigail, 3, stayed at their father’s home in Lakeville for a few days. That Saturday, she received a hysterical call from her children’s father riding in the back of an ambulance.Abigail had been backed over by a riding lawn mower.He told her the ambulance was on its way toward Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, which had the closest Level 1 Trauma center."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
In the News: "Open or closed? Town officials have to decide"
From the Milford Daily News, an article of interest for Franklin:
"Franklin Town Manager Jamie Hellen agreed that the pandemic has spurred some innovations that are likely to continue after the outbreak subsides. For instance, he said the town has been conducting some inspections via photo or video, which has been successful so far. In addition, the Town Council and other boards are meeting in person at the Franklin Municipal Building, but broadcasting sessions and taking public comment virtually via video-conferencing.
Hellen said the town worked with the local cable access television station to outfit its meeting chambers for video-conferencing participation, and he doesn’t anticipate that format going away anytime soon, though Franklin is looking to reopen some of its facilities in November.
“Citizen engagement in our meetings has been at an all-time high,” Hellen said. “And I think the great thing is, because they’ve had more access through Zoom or Google Hangout or whatever technology, we’re going to end up continuing to use to be that portal for public participation, I think if we removed it, I think people would be disappointed.”
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
 |
| Board of Health meeting conducted virtually in September |
RSVP for "Housing to Build a Just Recovery," Envisioning Equity Pt. I Recap, and more
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Monday, September 28, 2020
Town of Franklin, MA: Halloween Activity Guidelines
The State released health and safety standards related to Halloween activities.
FYI: The Town of Franklin does not manage or schedule trick-or-treat.
Please follow the state guidelines if you choose to participate. https://t.co/zYWzr7hF8Z
Shared from Twitter: https://t.co/19pZyp1tAH
 |
| Town of Franklin, MA: Halloween Activity Guidelines |
Three Voices of Franklin: Vote Yes for the Community Preservation Act
We urge residents to vote for Franklin’s future by voting Yes for the Community Preservation Act in the upcoming election!
This is our chance to fund Franklin’s special needs that too often go ignored or postponed, such as protecting open space for water supply protection and farms, parks, new playgrounds or improving current recreation, preserving the Brick School and the South Meeting House, and creating new community housing.
Our local CPA contributions will allow Franklin to receive a distribution from the state CPA fund. This state distribution comes from the fees paid on transactions at the Registry of Deeds. Those fees were raised in 2019, which mean that the state contribution is secured for the future. This year the state match is estimated to be more than 20% for the 176 cities and towns which have already voted CPA. Franklin would begin to receive a share of that pool in 2022 if CPA is approved.
This question asks us to approve a CPA surcharge of 2% on our property tax. Residential properties would get an automatic $100,000 exemption, and exemptions would be offered to low-income families and moderate-income seniors.
The average homeowner in Franklin would pay about $105 a year... or about $2 a week... less than one cup of coffee, let alone a latte! Far less than a year’s gym membership and less each week than a train ticket to Boston, parking in the MBTA lots or a new pencil case for a kindergarten student.
The funds raised by the CPA stay in Franklin in a dedicated fund for eligible projects. A five to nine-person committee will evaluate proposals annually and the final section will be made by the Town Council.
It’s estimated that the funds raised through CPA would be more than $1 Million a year and the fund would grow to allow Franklin to invest in many of the “wish list” goals for historic buildings, open space, parks and recreation, and much needed community housing for seniors and families – all projects that are often set aside for “someday.”
Well, if we pass CPA, we can make that “someday” possible. If each family gives a little, we all will get much more in return. Please look for the Community Preservation Act at the bottom of the ballot and vote “Yes”!
For more information, sign up at CPA4Franklin@gmail.com.
Monique Doyle
Susan Speers
Roberta Trahan
Roberta Trahan
 |
| Three Voices of Franklin: Yes for the Community Preservation Act |
Warren Reynolds: "Demand Far Outstrips Supply In Franklin, MA Real Estate"
Realtor Warren Reynolds has a short video on the real estate market in Franklin. The amount of homes for sale has dropped sharply. The number of homes sold this year is also lower (as a result) than previous years.
Continue reading Warren's article, to view the charts he mentions in the video"Looking at the year-to-date home sales figures for Franklin, MA as of mid-September, you’d be justified in thinking that the local real estate market is having a very bad year.Single family home sales in Franklin, Massachusetts have fallen off a cliff so far in 2020. Sales volume is down 24% compared to 2019. The number of homes sold year-to-date is just about at the lows of the 2009 – 2011 Great Recession."
The video link = https://youtu.be/LZRmnzjN0HM
Housing is a key factor of life here in Franklin. The demographic study by the School Dept forecast declining enrollment and that was based upon annual home sales of 275. You hear Warren say we have only 167 year to date. We are not in the range to maintain our population, never mind try and grow the population.
The Davis Thayer Facility study resumes this week (Weds, Sep 30). We should be able to find out the latest on the population and facility analysis.
FHS PCC Meeting - Oct 5
FHS PCC (@FHS_PCC) tweeted at 4:34 PM on Sun, Sep 27, 2020:
Mark your calendars! October 5th 7 PM will be our first PCC Meeting of the year!Link for the meeting invite - https://t.co/Zq1ZyX15bV and link for parent question form https://t.co/NDBXVRgCNp
Shared from Twitter https://t.co/oBJrhJAdrV
 |
| FHS PCC Meeting - Oct 5 |
Register O’Donnell Discusses How to Record a Land Document
Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell today reminded residents that even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Registry process to record land documents is designed to make it as easy and seamless as possible. “Whether the document in question is a deed, mortgage, homestead, mortgage discharge or any other type of land document, Registry staff have been trained to record the documents in as expeditious and accurate a manner as possible,” noted O’Donnell.
Register O’Donnell further noted, “As the depository of over 8 million land documents, there are certain basic steps that need to be followed when submitting a land document for recording. First and foremost, the document needs to be associated with one of the twenty-eight communities comprising Norfolk County. In addition, the document must be an original; we will not record photo copies or documents submitted via fax. Please note in many cases, land documents require signatures be notarized before they are recorded.”
“It should also be noted that the Registry does not draft land documents. The Registry of Deeds is in the business of recording land documents only. If an individual is unsure if a drafted land document, particularly a deed, is in proper order, it may be prudent to have a lawyer familiar with real estate law review the document for its accuracy. A simple mistake on a deed for example could lead to a major problem.”
Another important point to note is that there are various fees set by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts associated with the recording of land documents at the Registry. Recording fees vary depending on the specific land document type. The Registry’s website, www.norfolkdeeds.org has a fee schedule that can be consulted for specific recording fee amounts. The Registry accepts checks made out to the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. The Registry also accepts cash payment.
“Once you have a land document ready for recording and know the fee and type of payment,” stated O’Donnell, “you can then choose how to actually get the document delivered to the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Registry of Deeds building is currently closed to all members of the general public and real estate professionals alike. The options to get an original document and payment to the Registry of Deeds for recording are via regular mail, Federal Express, or placing the document and payment in a drop-off box located just outside the main entrance to our building located at 649 High Street, Dedham, MA.”
’Donnell concluded by stating, “Our trained recording staff is more than happy to record your land documents. Land documents are recorded in an expeditious manner once they arrive here at the Registry. It should also be noted that institutional users such as lending institutions and law firms have the additional option to submit documents electronically via our two e-file vendors, Simplifile and ePN. Finally, if you have any questions about land documents in general, please call our Customer Service Center at 781-461-6101, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30AM-4:30PM.”
To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives like us at facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds and instagram.com/NorfolkDeeds.
The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street in Dedham. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. All land record research information can be found on the Registry’s website www.norfolkdeeds.org. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center via telephone at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org.
 |
| Register O’Donnell Discusses How to Record a Land Document |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)