Dutch Mill Bulbs - fund raiser for ECDC |
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 *
Monday, September 19, 2022
Dutch Mill Bulbs - fund raiser for ECDC
Read about the proposed Downtown Parking District Bylaw - discussion scheduled for Weds EDC Mtg - Sep 21 at 6 PM
a. 1-hour parking limit on the Main Street and East Central Street corridors between the hours of 6:00AM to 6:00PM.b. The parking is free and is intended to incubate a greater rotation of cars to do basic errands and stops. Examples: Post office, banks, shopping, lunch, coffee, breakfast, drop off, etc. MOST travel downtown during the daytime are for short errands.c. Parking in these spaces are also free between 6:00 PM to midnight for evening commerce, no time restrictions.d. From midnight to 6:00 AM there will be NO OVERNIGHT parking spaces Monday through Saturday.e. Sunday is free parking without time limits.
a. Davis-Thayer and the Library.i. D-T: The Town is finalizing ownership of the former school property and will prohibit overnight parking between midnight and 6:00AM. During the daytime parking is free to use the ball fields and playgrounds for families.ii. The Library lot is owned by Dean College on a long term lease basis and will remain parking for Library patrons and those who use the Town Common. There will be no overnight parking allowed between Midnight and 6:00AM.b. Ferrara’s Municipal Lot and the Depot Street Municipal Loti. The Town proposes to eliminate all dedicated parking uses (commuter and merchant) in favor of a first come, first serve parking lot for all uses.ii. The Town intends to purchase “Flowbird” kiosks for self pay. See attached quote for 3 kiosks and information packet on the company. Flowbird allows for quarters, cash, credit card, debit card, Apple Pay/Google Pay/ Samsung Pay and an app. Only personal checks will not be accepted.iii. The lot can be used by citizens, shoppers, commuters, merchants, employees, customers. First come, first serve every day.iv. The lot spaces will be available from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM for $3 per day unlimited time.1. The current bylaw only allows quarterly passes, which are $180/quarter, or $3 a day for a regular business week.v. From 6:00 PM to Midnight the lot spaces are available free for downtown commerce.vi. From Midnight to 6:00 AM there will be NO OVERNIGHT parking.vii. Please note the first commuter train leaves Downtown at 5:15 AM (the last time we checked and is certainly subject to changes by the MBTA).
○ As a sidebar, the #1 complaint town staff have received this year is excessive speeding on most town roads, the lack of drivers following signage, requests for reduced speed limits on many roads in town and greater traffic enforcement.
Senior Story Hour - WFPR: Episode 045 - Work & Post Summer Stories (audio)
In this episode, The Franklin Senior Center Writers Group share stories, poems, writings plays and more about work & labor, end of summer stories, "The Hokey Pokey" in the style of Shakespeare and more.
This episode aired on Franklin Radio for September 2022.
“We have a lot of work to do, and we can’t spend our time responding to fantasies"
"On Election Day in Shutesbury, population 1,700, voters place their marked ballots into a narrow wooden box on their way out of town hall. With the turn of a crank and a “ding!” of a bell, each ballot gets passed through a wheeled mechanism and falls into a bottom compartment of the box. White numbers on the manual counter tick up by one: The ballot is counted.So the town’s part-time clerk, Grace Bannasch, was confused when she began getting pummeled with public records requests demanding voting machine tapes and serial numbers, copies of digital ballots, and file names, all related to the November 2020 presidential election.She’s not the only one. Municipal elections officials across Massachusetts have been bombarded with these types of requests, which elections experts and political scientists say stem from supporters of Donald Trump who believe there are documents that will prove widespread election fraud in the 2020 election.The problem has become so pervasive that it’s caught the attention of Secretary of State William F. Galvin, whose office has contacted Attorney General Maura Healey and is working on a coordinated response."
"We get 2-3 sometimes more on a daily basis. Some of the requests that are coming through are very time consuming... and the majority all have the same language and are looking for the exact same information.....
But, we do our jobs to the best of our abilities with a smile on our faces :)"
"our democracy remains in jeopardy"
"Nearly two years after President Donald Trump refused to accept his defeat in the 2020 election, some of his most loyal Republican acolytes might follow in his footsteps.When asked, six Trump-backed Republican nominees for governor and the Senate in midterm battlegrounds would not commit to accepting this year’s election results, and another five Republicans ignored or declined to answer a question about embracing the November outcome. All of them, along with many other GOP candidates, have preemptively cast doubt on how their states count votes.The New York Times contacted Republican and Democratic candidates or their aides in 20 key contests for governor and the Senate. All of the Democrats said, or have said publicly, that they would respect the November results — including Stacey Abrams of Georgia, who refused to concede her 2018 defeat to Brian Kemp in the state’s race for governor. Kemp, now running against her for another term, “will of course accept the outcome of the 2022 election,” said his press secretary, Tate Mitchell."
....
“The most important thing is to not get depressed about the elections and say, ‘Oh, it’s going to be stolen, so what’s the point of doing this?’” Diehl, the Republican nominee for governor of Massachusetts, said in a recent radio interview.
Diehl’s spokesperson, Peggy Rose, replied “no comment” when asked if he would agree to the outcome of the November election.
His Democratic opponent, Maura Healey, the state’s attorney general, said, “We will always accept the will of the people.”
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Geoff Diehl, the Republican nominee for governor in Massachusetts, has not said whether he would accept the election's results. DAVID L. RYAN/GLOBE STAFF |
Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Monday, Sep 19, 2022
- wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Monday
2 hours of awesome blues music, info, interviews
- Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26) = MONDAY
- Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28) = MONDAY
- Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 11, Verizon 29) = MONDAY
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Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) |
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Making Sense of Climate #15 - yes, there is hope - 09/13/22 (audio)
FM #845 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 845 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist. We recorded this via the Zoom conference bridge Tuesday, Sep 13, 2022.
This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well.
If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.
The conversation runs about 48 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted
Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-845-making-sense-of-climate-15-09-13-22--------------
Our opening comments lead to my Iceland/Greenland trip recap
The Carbon Almanac - Seth Godein, et al -> https://thecarbonalmanac.org/
The Book of Hope - A survival guide for trying times by Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams https://www.amazon.com/Book-Hope-Survival-Trying-Global/dp/1250784093
3 plans, 2 books and hopes… https://steves2cents.blogspot.com/2022/09/3-plans-2-books-and-hope-for-work-ahead.html
Maine SC decision leads to discussion of Manchin side deal, and how to build green stuff.
10 towns, who pays, is Boston one?
See the page that collects the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.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!
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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"
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a neighborhood view in Ilulissat, Greenland - icebergs just along the shore |
Economic Development Subcommittee Steering Committee - Sep 21 at 6 PM
a. Staff Memo Implementation Timelineb. Franklin For All Executive Summary and Final Report -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_for_all_executive_summary_summary_memos.pdfc. Franklin - DHCD Approved Housing Production Plan -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_housing_production_plan_-_final_with_approval_ltr.pdf
a. Downtown Parking Lot Town Administrator Memob. Downtown Parking District Maps Current vs. Proposedc. Traffic Fines Bylaw materialsd. Downtown Parking Bylaw Parking Rates Proposal
Franklin TV: Autumnal Equinox
Among my favorite pastimes – stereography. Size this page to 8.5 inches wide (letter size) or simply print it. Completely relax your gaze, (like daydreaming) and stare through and beyond these images to view them in 3D.
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm
And, thank you for watching
The Hockomock Area YMCA held its Reach Out Annual Campaign Breakfast on September 15th at Gillette Stadium
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Nadine Bullock, the event's testimonial speaker |
The Hockomock Y’s Board of Directors issued a $50,000 challenge to event attendees, matching all leadership gifts of $500 or more. Vice Chair of the Y’s Board of Directors Farzin Karim shared her own personal story, “I benefited because someone just like one of you in this room, made a donation to the Y and allowed me to experience camp for a couple of weeks at a local YMCA. And in that experience at the Y, it changed my life. You have an opportunity to change someone’s life this morning and make a difference.”
Where Cause Meets Community. At the Hockomock Area YMCA, strengthening community is our cause. The Hockomock Area YMCA is an organization of men, women, and children sharing a commitment to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility.Our YMCA is committed to partnering and collaborating with others to create and deliver lasting personal and social change in the 15 communities we are privileged to serve. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a not-for-profit charitable cause-driven organization with facilities in North Attleboro, Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield. For more information visit www.hockymca.org/our-cause/
Franklin Art Association October 5 meeting features Kendra Bidwell Ferreira
The Franklin Art Association monthly meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 5th at 6:30 pm at the Franklin Senior Center. The program will feature a discussion and demonstration of methods and techniques by Kendra Bidwell Ferreira. Kendra’s work is mainly contemporary colored pencil using ordinary subjects and compositions to portray them in an extraordinary way. Colored pencils allow her to combine the expressiveness of painting with the control of drawing. A recording of her demo will later be posted to the Franklin Art Association's YouTube channel and at www.franklinart.org.
Kendra received a good foundation in drawing in high school, then went on to earn her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art with a concentration in printmaking. She is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and holds a second signature status (CPX) in exploratory mediums with colored pencil. Kendra is also a Fellow Member of the American Artists’ Professional League, and an artist member of Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club and Providence Art Club. Kendra’s work has been included in many national and international art exhibitions and she has received numerous awards for her work.
All meetings are free and open to the public. The Art Association is supported in part by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Franklin Cultural Council and the Franklin Cultural District.
Franklin Art Association October 5 meeting features Kendra Bidwell Ferreira
Get your questions answered at the Franklin Q&A - Weds, Sep 21 - hybrid event - 11 AM
- Steve provides some updates on what's happened in the past month in the first 10-15 minutes, then opens the floor to answer whatever questions you have.
- Special guest Town Councilor Melanie Hamblen
A Priest A Rabbi and A Minister Walk Into A Radio Station: 024 - How & When To Join The Clergy (audio)
In this episode, Dr. Pandora Carlucci and Jay Horrigan are joined by Reverend Junger, Reverend McAdams and Rabbi Alpert to talk about each clergy members story of how they got involved in their respective religions, what each of their processes involves, when they knew they wanted to join and much more.
Audio file -> https://priest-rabbi-minister.captivate.fm/episode/024-how-when-to-join-the-clergy
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“A Priest, a Minister, and a Rabbi Walk Into a Radio Station” |
Jay Horrigan and Dr. Pandora Carlucci join Pastor Junger, Reverend McAdams and Rabbi Alpert to discuss faith in their congregations and how listeners can embrace faith in their own lives.
Got student loans? Spot scams related to the Sweet lawsuit
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Got student loans? Spot scams related to the Sweet lawsuit |
The Economist reads | The hunt for votes
- A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America’s First Presidential Campaign. By Edward Larson
- The Making of the President: 1960, by T.H. White
- Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail. By Hunter S. Thompson
- What It Takes. By Richard Ben Cramer
- Losers: The Road to Everyplace but the White House. By Michael Lewis