Save the Date: Panther Pride Night = Nov 7

Save the Date! 

Panther Pride Night is November 7, 2019 and features Clubs, Activities, and  Athletic Teams! 

Join us from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM in the gym to see all that Franklin High School has to offer!

Save the Date: Panther Pride Night = Nov 7

This was shared from Twitter  https://twitter.com/MsTaranto/status/1184989478496149507

Insights on "What do we do to get out the vote for November 5th?" (audio)

FM #174

This internet radio show or podcast is number 174 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording shares insights gathered with candidates for the Town of Franklin to be held November 5. Conducted over the two evenings when the candidate meet and greet events were hosted by LaCantina Winery (Oct 3) and Pour Richard’s Wine and Spirits (Oct 10).

This recording is the first product of the collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio and not the last.

Given the social nature of the meet and greet, we did not want to get into great details on positions for one topic or another so we decided that we could address one topic in common with all the candidates: What do we do to get out the vote for November 5th?

For reference, and for the period from 2003 to 2018 specifically, I developed a general rule that in round numbers for

• a local elections, we get about 20% turnout
• an override or school debt exclusion we get about 40% turnout
• a State office election we get about 60% turnout
• a national or Presidential election, we get 80% turnout

The details that led to this generalization can be found
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/franklin-ma-official-results-for-110618.html

Let’s listen in to the insights shared by the candidates on “how to get out the vote for November 5th?” The recording runs approx 31 minutes.

Note: there is one person (Representative Jeff Roy) who willingly shared his insights who is not a candidate running in this election.

Follow this link, or click on the button in the image
https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HZXBB6mX



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This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can always use your help.

How can you help?

Overall:
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
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!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

Town Administrator's Statement on the old turf and water quality issue (audio)

FM #175

This internet radio show or podcast is number 175 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording shares Town Administrator Jamie Hellen’s statement on the ‘hot topic’ around the old turf carpet stored at the Beaver St field since the new turf was replaced in 2017.

This is one of the shorter podcasts I have shared recently but as Jamie mentions in his statement 

“as we've been advised by the town attorney, will not be making too many more public statements other than what I'm am able to say tonight” 

I thought it important to share his audio as extracted from the Town Council meeting Wednesday, Oct 16, 2019.  The statement runs approx 6 minutes.

The show notes summarize what we know and what we do not know as well as provide the link to the text document with the transcription of Jamie’s statement.

https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HNppT7dX



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bags of the acrylic coated infill ready for install at FHS in August 2017

new turf carpet being installed at Beaver St field in August 2017

What we know:

• The prior conversations around the field replacements (completed in 2017) were centered around the crumb rubber infill. The Town spent more for an acrylic coated infill (which apparently was installed), the issue now is not with the infill but the with chemicals used to treat the carpet itself.
• A third party filed a complaint with DEP about the old turf stored at the Beaver St fields
• Article in TheIntercept about PFAS found in the turf itself  https://theintercept.com/2019/10/08/pfas-chemicals-artificial-turf-soccer/
• Article in the Boston Globe alleging potential issues with the water supply and shared via Franklin Matters  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/10/we-will-work-with-dep-to-resolve-matter.html
• The Franklin community on Facebook reacts in the conversation around the article and issue
• Town Administrator Jamie Hellen makes statement at Town Council meeting 10/16/19 https://drive.google.com/open?id=14VSvuZvTifTbeHO4bWFtIy2YxVdjRF4O

What we don’t know:

• What happened to the Conservation Commission mitigation measures from when the field was first installed (in 2004?)?
• Where was the old carpet and bags of unused infill taken?
• While PFAS in the water supply was tested by Town of Franklin in 2018 and is not mandated by Fed/State for testing now, is PFAS still being tested by ToF now?
• What will the State and/or Federal agencies do with PFAS and the recent revelations (if anything)?

-------------

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can always use your help.

How can you help?

Overall:

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
• If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
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!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

“I want people to be able to see it’s possible"

Josh Perry, Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com, writes about the female golfers in the Hockomock League. FHS sophomore Caroline Woelfel was mentioned in the Golf Season Preview article but has not appeared in the individual match results as posted.

"On Thursday morning at Blue Hill Country Club in Canton, the best golfers in the Hockomock teed it up for the league’s annual championship tournament. Among the league’s elite were three female golfers, seniors Tate Hadges of Oliver Ames, Jillian Berand of North Attleboro, and Kayla Schuberth of King Philip, which several of the coaches believed was the most girls to take part in the tournament in a single season. 

Not only did the trio qualify for the tournament, Hadges and Berand were the top golfers on their respective teams and Schuberth’s average score was among the 20 best in the league coming into the week. For each of the three, and for Mansfield’s Ava Haggis who was not at the Hocks but was also one of the league’s top performers this season, being the lone girl on the boy’s team didn’t stop them from reaching their potential. 

“I’m so happy when any of the girls play really well,” said Schuberth. “It’s just fun to see some of us dominating the guys’ league. It’s pretty cool.” 

“It was weird coming in thinking I’m going to be in one of the top spots on the team and that’s something I hadn’t really done before,” Hadges said. “Coming off a strong summer gave me more confidence to say, yeah I’m a female on an all-boys team but I have the ability to do it and to compete against all of them.”

Continue reading about the Hockomock League female golfers
https://hockomocksports.com/female-golfers-conquering-hockomock-league-courses/

Tate Hadges of Oliver Ames (left), Kayla Schuberth of King Philip (center), and Jillian Berand of North Attleboro competed in the Hockomock championship tournament this week. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

FHS football tops Attleboro 37-7 on Saturday

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

"If there is a question about whether or not Franklin can challenge the top teams in Div. 1, it centers on the line of scrimmage and whether the Panthers are capable of winning the battle in the trenches. On Saturday afternoon at Tozier-Cassidy Field, Franklin may have provided an answer. 

The Panthers bounced back from last week’s loss to Mansfield, dominated the line on both sides of the ball, held Attleboro off the scoreboard for almost the full 48 minutes, and improved their chances at a home playoff game with a convincing 37-7 victory. 

“With the guys that they have, I knew it would be tough,” said Franklin coach Eian Bain. “It was a key to our game to try and out-quick them, out-technique, because just the sheer size and ability they have we had to find another gear. We had a lot of success up front today.” 

Attleboro tried to show off its power running game, led by junior Michael Strachan (12 carries, 37 yards), on the opening drive and got down to the Franklin 34-yard-line. A snap slipped through quarterback Jason Weir’s hands for an 11-yard loss, senior Austin Jordan stuffed Strachan for a two-yard loss, and the Panthers forced a turnover on downs. That set the tone for the game."

Continue reading the football game recap
https://hockomocksports.com/franklin-football-bounces-back-with-big-win-at-attleboro/

For a photo gallery from this game
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2019-2020/Fall-2019/Attleboro-Franklin-Football-10-19-19/

Franklin linebacker Austin Jordan (3) chases down an Attleboro running back during the Panthers’ 37-7 win at Tozier-Cassidy Field. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

CORI-Friendly Career Fair - Nov 13

CORI-Friendly Career Fair - November 13, 2019

Open to Veterans and Other Job-Seekers

CORI-Friendly Career Fair - November 13, 2019

Register for this by contacting a MassShare contact center as outlined in the left column of the image

This will be held at the VFW Post 2452 in Norwood

Shared from the Town of Franklin Veterans Service page

https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/cori-friendly-career-fair-november-13-2019

Franklin Public Schools: Website Email Subscriptions Update

Website Email Subscriptions Update

A recent update in our website e-subscriber notification system has improved the communications between our families/community and the School District.

These website communications are OPT IN/OPT OUT. If you have ever subscribed to news or alerts from one or more of our schools on our website you will now be receiving these emails. You can change your subscription by adding notifications (perhaps your child has moved on to Middle or High School) or you can unsubscribe from notifications. 

Please visit our website at www.franklinps.net/subscribe to make any changes to your current e-subscription. 

Please note, these notifications are NOT the Regroup alerts you may have subscribed to from individual schools. These are notifications from the Franklin School District website when News, Urgent Alerts and/or School Committee information is posted. 

If you have any questions please reach out to us at 508-553-4819 and thank you for your patience as we adjust to this change.

Thank you again!

Franklin Public Schools

Franklin Public Schools: Website Email Subscriptions Update

In the News: Economic Development Workshop Tuesday; State providing aid for cyber-security

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The Town of Franklin and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council will hold an economic development visioning workshop for residents from 6-8:30 p.m. next Tuesday in the third-floor training room of the Franklin Municipal Building, 355 East Central St.

The public comment session will feature a presentation by an MAPC representative on goals of the town and MAPC’s development project and the current state of economic activity in Franklin.

The town and the MAPC are undertaking a business development strategy to support business growth in Franklin’s three strategic growth locations: the downtown Franklin Commercial District; the Crossing (near Union and Cottage streets); and the Mixed Business Innovation District (near Fisher and Hayward streets).

The main goal of that project is to increase the economic activity within those older commercial areas and the town as a whole. The resulting market analysis will guide the development of a business recruitment and retention strategy including the future creation of business recruitment materials to capitalize on the market potential of these districts."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191018/franklin-hosts-development-workshop-on-tuesday

Get your copy of the flyer
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/econ._dev._event_10222019_flyer.pdf

Economic Development Workshop Tuesday

"As more and more aspects of daily life and business become connected through the internet, and as cities and towns increasingly find themselves the targets of cyberattacks, the Baker administration has announced a new effort to help each of the state’s 351 cities and towns bolster their cybersecurity readiness.

The effort will be backed by $300,000 in funding managed by the MassCyberCenter at the MassTech Collaborative, which plans to host a series of statewide workshops at which communities can get assistance developing or reviewing their cyber incident response plans and can collaborate with neighboring communities.

Speaking at the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Forum, Gov. Charlie Baker said it is critical that the state, local governments and the private sector make cybersecurity part of everything they do in an increasingly technological world.

“Most people, when they think about cybersecurity, think it’s primarily or exclusively about your phone and your laptop and your iPad and all the rest. But as we digitize more and more of our other building infrastructure - our heating systems, our cooling systems, our ventilation systems - those become, for all intents and purposes, targets,” he said. “And one of the things that we in state and local government need to do as well as our colleagues in the private sector need to do is make sure that as we digitize and electrify a lot of these processes that have typically been mechanical that we’re doing the work we need to do to ensure that they’re secure because they can be attacked.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191018/state-helping-towns-bulk-up-cyber-defenses

For more about the MassCyberCenter at MassTech https://www.masscybercenter.org/2019-massachusetts-cybersecurity-forum

MassCyberCenter at the MassTech Collaborative

Molsky's Mountain Drifters in Foxboro this Sunday, Oct 20

MOLSKY'S MOUNTAIN DRIFTERS

at Orpheum Theatre

Sunday, Oct. 20, 7:30 PM

Molsky's Mountain Drifters packs a punch with three of the most captivating performers in the most recent generation of Old-Time and American Roots music. The band features Bruce Molsky, (Grammy nominated, revered Old-Time music ambassador and Berklee College of Music Visiting Scholar) along with guitar genre bender Stash Wyslouch (of the Deadly Gentlemen) on guitar and vocals, and master of the clawhammer banjo, Allison de Groot (of The Goodbye Girls).

Bruce Molsky, "one of America's premier fiddling talents" (Mother Jones) and Grammy-nominated artist on fiddle, banjo, guitar and song is delighted to present his new group already on tour in the US. Bruce's previous collaborations, with Anonymous 4, 1865 – Songs of Hope and Home from the American Civil War, was released to rave reviews and was on the top 10 Billboard charts for weeks. He is also a special guest on legendary guitarist Mark Knopfler's latest CD, Tracker and is working on his 3rd album with Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny's supergroup Mozaik. You can also hear Bruce on BBC TV Transatlantic Sessions singing with Joan Osborne, Julie Fowlis and fiddling with Scottish legend Aly Bain and America's great dobroist Jerry Douglas. Bruce is also Berklee College of Music's Visiting Scholar in the American Roots Program.

Molsky's Mountain Drifters

Stash Wyslouch is one of bluegrasss great young genre-bending pioneers, a brilliant and free-thinking mind (Chris Eldridge, Punch Brothers). Coming over from the punk-metal world, Stash brings great sensitivity and real emotion to the trio, plus superb guitar and vocal chops.

Allison de Groot combines wide ranging virtuosity and passion for old-time music. With her own bands The Goodbye Girls and Oh My Darling, she has played Trafalgar Square in London, Newport Folk Festival, Stockholm Folk Festival, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and Tønder Festival in Denmark. Like Bruce, Allison loves collaborating and bringing new ideas to old music, and brings a fresh approach to the trio.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, available at the Orpheum Theatre box office, 508-543-2787, or online at Orpheum website https://ymlpmail3.net/4da6demmsacaehbymaaahwwagaeqjs/click.php. 

All tickets are reserved seating. For more information, call 508-543-2787 or email boxoffice@orpheum.org.

"This is a massive, societal undertaking"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"While traveling to Yellowstone National Park in a car during the summer of 2018, state Rep. Marjorie Decker and her family were escorted by pilot cars through active wildfires, the road illuminated by glowing flames. 

“It was 40 minutes of driving through thick smoke with (my two) grandmothers and the kids,” said Decker, D-Cambridge, as volunteer firefighters chopped down trees to allow drivers through. Some residents were evacuated, while others stayed put and went about their daily lives, taking detours around fires and limiting their time outside. 

While on the road, Decker said her family had to regularly monitor for smoke, air quality and location of the fires. 

“Boy, my anxiety was just right up there,” she said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191018/climate-change-proves-to-be-hot-topic-in-franklin

"This is a massive, societal undertaking"

FM #173

This internet radio show or podcast is number 173 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording shares the candidate interview with current Town Councilor Melanie Hamblen. Conducted in the studios of Franklin TV and Radio, this is a product of the collaboration with the local cable and radio operations.

We reviewed the following questions, some of them were ‘crowd sourced.’ Some of you may remember the call for input solicited in August 2019 for this election. Thank you for your contributions. 

Hopefully, the information provided here, and in the other interviews, will enable a good choice among the candidates for each position.

• There are and have been many opportunities to volunteer with community groups in Franklin. Have you taken advantage of any of these? Which ones, and why did you choose that/those?
• Where do you get your news about Franklin?
• For all those running for Town Council: We are in a constant water shortage. We are adding to our population and increasing out need for water. Given that all those who live in Franklin draw their water from the same aquifer, do you support a ban on using water for what I will call cosmetic use (lawn watering) during water shortages, even for those with a private well? If not, why not, considering that those with private wells are still dangerously affecting our water level for uses other than vanity? Or put simply: Do you support the private use of wells for lawn irrigation at times when the town's aquifer is dangerously low for use by the community for essential use in homes and fire prevention?
• What degree of development do you feel is appropriate for Franklin, and how would you balance the need for affordable housing, with the need to avoid congestion?
• The Town Administrator has suggested that Franklin needs to pass an override measure. What actions will you take to support the passage of this measure?
• Why should I vote for you?

Let’s listen in to the conversation on these questions with Melanie. The recording runs approx 24 minutes.





-------------

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can always use your help.

How can you help?

Overall:

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
• If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
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!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

Let the Bidding Begin at The Gift of Music Fall Fundraising Gala!

The Gift of Music Fall Fundraising Gala will be held on November 10, 2019, and online bidding for our auction is open NOW! The Gift of Music Fall Fundraising Gala will help Encore Music Education Foundation Inc support our mission:

“To bring music into the lives of those who might not otherwise be able to afford lessons and classes; to purchase musical instruments for individuals and music education programs; to support students attending college to study music; to provide educational resources and materials for students of music; and, finally, to recognize, through the establishment of our scholarship awards, those students who exhibit excellence in the study of their chosen instrument.”

We are very proud that, since December, 2015, the Foundation has already awarded over $25,000 to very deserving music students, ranging in age from eight to eighteen, as well as providing financial support to music programs within the surrounding communities. Our future goal is to increase our financial impact to an annual contribution of $20,000 in scholarships and subsidies.

Our online auction is open NOW! Bidding is open from now, until 9 pm on November 10th on the night of our live event. Get ahead and preview and bid on auction items ranging from exotic vacation getaways to donated items guaranteed to delight and surprise. 

Proceeds from your auction event will go to Encore Music Education Foundation Inc. in order to support providing all with the chance to receive the gift of music. So, tell your friends, family, community, and get everyone in on the auction action!

Click here to bid on items and see our online auction!
https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/auctionhome.action?auctionId=341694523

Click here to buy tickets to our in-person event!
https://www.eventbrite.com/signin/?referrer=%2Fmyevent%3Feid%3D74437308995

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczVEZtMzlGTk9lbTdsbWR0WTlDSWFjRnIyVkp3/view?usp=sharing

Let the Bidding Begin at The Gift of Music Fall Fundraising Gala!

FHS girls soccer tops Mansfield 1-0

Via HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the FHS fall sports action on Friday, Oct 18, 2019

** Boys Soccer = Franklin, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final
– Mansfield freshman Aiden Steele scored a goal and had an assist to help the Hornets knock off Franklin to keep their postseason hopes alive. Steele set up Colin True in the 55th minute for the opener, and then scored his first career goal in the 68th minute off a corner from sophomore Matt Hyland. Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan said his defense played great, adding Peter Oldow and Colin Caridi had phenomenal games in the midfield.

** Girls Soccer = Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 1 – Final
Josh Perry, Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com, provides the game recap:

"In a game of few scoring chances, it took only one moment of skill, only one defensive lapse, to decide a winner in Friday night’s match at Pisini Stadium. 

The only goal of the game arrived with eight minutes before the break, as sophomore Riley Fitzpatrick showed a deft touch to tap in Rachel Hogan’s cross on the edge of the six-yard-box and lift Franklin to a 1-0 victory over rival Mansfield. 

“She’s awfully good athletically,” Franklin coach Tom Geysen said of Fitzpatrick. “She played far more aggressively than she has at any other point in the season and that makes a big difference. If you can put pressure up front on their backs, somebody’s going to make a mistake.” 

Most of the game was played in the middle of the pitch, as the two teams did a good job of cancelling each other out and limiting the ability for either to get into the final third. When the teams did get the ball forward, both defenses stood tall to clear their lines and keep both goalies largely untroubled."

Continue reading the game recap:
https://hockomocksports.com/fitzpatrick-nets-winner-as-franklin-girls-soccer-edges-mansfield/

For a Photo Gallery from this game:
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2019-2020/Fall-2019/Franklin-Mansfield-Girls-Soccer-10-18-19/

For other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/fridays-schedule-scoreboard-10-18-19/

Sophomore Riley Fitzpatrick (11) scored on a Rachel Hogan cross eight minutes before halftime to hand Franklin a 1-0 win against Mansfield. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Franklin Art Association: Meeting and Art Demonstration - Rosemarie Morelli - Nov 6

The Franklin Art Association will meet on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street in Franklin. Refreshments and social time will begin at 6:30 PM, followed by a short business meeting and an oil painting demonstration by award-winning artist and instructor, Rosemarie Morelli.

Morelli will discuss strategies of design along with some time-saving tricks of the trade. She will demonstrate the steps on how to design a well-composed scene of multiple characters in any environment. She will also demonstrate how to properly and efficiently use resources such as Plein air sketch studies, props, live models and photographs best suited to achieve a good painting that is believable, realistic and better unified in color and light.

Morelli's painting, "Sailing On the Margaret Todd," which won First Place in the Cape Cod Art Association's National Juried Exhibition will be on display with other examples of her paintings.

FAA meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month, September through May, and are free and open to the public. For more information log on to www.franklinart.org

"Sailing On the Margaret Todd" by Rosemarie Morelli

MBTA Reminder: Franklin Line notice - shuttle bus through November 24

Weekends, through Nov 24, Franklin Train service is replaced by free buses between Forge Park/495 and Readville for a Fairmount Line connection while PTC is installed. There will be no service at Back Bay, Ruggles, Endicott, Islington and Norwood Depot.

Please visit https://www.mbta.com/FRKwork for more details about bus shuttle schedules. Visit MBTA.com/PTC for more information on how this project will improve commuter rail safety and travel. Passengers may experience delays of up to 30 minutes as a result of shuttle bus connections.

There will be no Franklin line service at Back Bay and Ruggles stations on weekends. Please travel to South Station to reach a Franklin Line station. If you are travelling inbound, please board a Worcester/Framingham line Train for direct connection to Back Bay or a Providence/Stoughton line Train for a direct connection to Back Bay or Ruggles.

We also recommend the subway: board the Red Line at South Station and transfer to the Orange Line at Downtown Crossing to reach Back Bay or Ruggles.

Due to proximity of adjacent stations, bus shuttles will not serve Endicott, Islington and Norwood Depot stations:
- Endicott station customers, please use Readville or Dedham Corp stations.
- Islington station customers, please use Dedham Corp station.
- Norwood Depot customers, please use Norwood Central or Dedham Corp station.

8:40 PM and 10:40 PM departures from Forge Park as well as 11:20 PM departure from South Station will be accommodated by a bus for the entire trip between South Station and Forge Park (including the portion between South Station and Readville).

Additional weekends may be added to the train service suspension between Forge Park/495 and Readville as work progresses on the Franklin line.

Thank you for your patience while we improve the signal system on your Commuter Rail line.

For more information: https://www.mbta.com/FRKwork

MBTA Update: Franklin Line notice - shuttle bus through October 20

Update: St John's Pumpkin Patch is cancelled this year

"The St John's Pumpkin Patch is cancelled this year. Unfortunately, the growers in New Mexico experienced an early freeze which left them with 300 acres of frozen pumpkins that they couldn't ship. 

We hope to be able to do this next year."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Rev. Kathy McAdams, Rector

St. John's Episcopal Church, Franklin, MA
I'm off on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but call my cell in an emergency

cell) 857-237-9428

www.StJohnsFranklinMA.org

"Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity." - Horace Mann, native of Franklin, MA

Update: St John's Pumpkin Patch is cancelled this year

MassBudget: Gas Tax Hikes May Challenge Long-Term Revenue Sustainability and Equity

Gas Tax Hikes May Challenge Long-Term Revenue Sustainability and Equity Read Our Latest Report Examining The Pros and Cons of Higher Gas Taxes Raising Massachusetts tax revenue by increasing the state's gas tax would hit low- and moderate-income residents hardest and may be a shrinking source for the state's long-term transportation goals. If policymakers decide to increase the gas tax, its impact could be offset with tax credits for low-and moderate-income households. Our latest report, The Pros and Cons of Higher Gas Taxes, and How They Could be Offset for Lower-Income Families, models how an increase to the state's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can create a financial buffer for low- and moderate-income families that would be most impacted by an increased gas tax. For example, a 10-cent increase in the gas tax, now at 24 cents, could be offset by an 8 percentage point increase in the EITC, which would benefit families in the lower 40 percent of household earnings. Net revenue to the Commonwealth would be lower, but the financial impact on lower-income households would be offset by the tax credit. Among the report's highlights: A 10-cent tax increase would represent almost 0.20 percent of income for the lowest-income fifth of households, while households with the highest-income 1 percent of incomes would contribute less than 0.001 percent of their income in gas taxes. Offsetting the impact of a 10-cent gas tax increase on lower-income families would require an 8-percentage point increase to the state EITC match, reducing the revenue gain by $75 million. Including all state and local taxes and fees, the U.S. average gas tax nationwide is 36.17 cents - almost 10 cents above the Massachusetts total rate of 26.54 cents. The number of gallons of gasoline taxed in Massachusetts used to grow substantially faster than the population. For the last two decades the number of gallons taxed per person has declined. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for low-income working families that supports about 400,000 households in Massachusetts. "This paper identifies how increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit could support low-income families who'd otherwise bear the greatest brunt of a gas tax increase," said Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, Executive Director of Children's HealthWatch.   https://childrenshealthwatch.org/  "The EITC is one of our most successful programs at keeping working families out of poverty, with large benefits for children's health and education and maternal mental health. If the increase to this program was large enough, it could be a win-win." There has been discussion in recent months about a potential increase to the gas tax, last increased in 2013. "Transportation for Massachusetts supports a 25-cent gas tax increase to improve roads, bridges, and transit statewide. To help address equity concerns, it makes sense to pair this increase with low-income tax credits such as a stronger state EITC," said Chris Dempsey, Director of the Transportation for Massachusetts https://www.t4ma.org/ advocacy coalition. To read the full report, click here http://massbudget.org/report_window.php?loc=GasTax_Pro-Con_2019.html The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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