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 *
10:00am Post Thanksgiving Rail Trail Walk (Grove St entrance)
12:30pm Fill the Cruiser at the Raillery Pub
4:00pm Piano Steve (live music) (La Cantina Winery)
Sunday, November 26
1:00pm Franklin Historical Museum (always free)
4:00pm Santa Arrives at the Town Common
Tuesday, November 28
2:30pm Rainbow Café (Franklin Senior Center)
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The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open for viewing (and purchasing the art displayed) during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)
I'm your representative in Congress and I write to keep you informed.
On the Hill
The War in Israel: In a recent interview I was asked how Israel should respond to anger on the Arab Street. My response – if Israel had let Arab popular opinion dictate its strategy in 1947; 1967; 1973, it would have been destroyed. Israel should pursue its mission: rescue the hostages, destroy Hamas, and help architect just post-war governance for Gaza. This latter requires that Israel not only buttress a peaceful alternative to Hamas in Gaza, but also that it cease & reverse inflammatory, destabilizing actions in the West Bank.
Funding the Government: When House Republicans took us to the brink in September, I vowed it would be the last time I'd vote to bail out their dysfunction without a clear, credible, and concrete plan for supporting Ukraine. Last week, I kept my word.
Since we last voted on a continuing resolution, the world has only become more dangerous for democracies. Congress must demonstrate through its power of the purse that the United States stands with its allies in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Despite credible efforts that reflect the bipartisan majorities in both chambers in favor of aid, there is no clear and concrete plan from Republicans to demonstrate global leadership to friends and foes alike. I could not support a short-term spending measure, cobbled together as the GOP careens from crisis to crisis, that fails to defend democracy.
Military Promotion Blockade:I led the Democrats on the House Select Committee on China in pressuring Leader McConnell to break Tuberville's blockade of military promotions. No Republicans from the Select Committee on China would join us, despite Senate Republicans recently raising the alarm on force readiness in the Indo-Pacific.
Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce:At the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, I argued that Democrats should negotiate on border policy with Republicans as part of a compromise that strengthens border security and unlocks further support for Ukraine.
I also emphasized that the most important way that federal and state officials can improve the Bay State business climate is to expand the supply and deepen the affordability of housing.
MIT Visit: Attending MIT was one of the best decisions I made in my career (and my life – I met my wife there!) I was honored to return as part of its alumni series to discuss Congress, to encourage students to help rebuild trust in society, and to reflect on how MIT's emphasis on science, enterprise, and bold ideas have shaped my policy-making.
And remember: check your passport before you buy the ticket! Some countries require that your passport be valid for up to six months after your date of return. So even if your passport hasn't expired, it might need to be renewed before travel. Check travel.state.gov for entry requirements.
Pioneering AI Summit: Earlier this year, I raised awareness of AI in Congress by giving the first AI-drafted speech in history on the House floor. Since then, I've been working with legislators, regulators, and technologists to understand and prepare for this general-purpose technology.
At the Flagship Pioneering AI Summit, I advocated for Congress to fund a public cloud for civil society & researchers as a counterweight to Big Tech, but cautioned against knee-jerk, sweeping legislation before national lawmakers have been able to assess various efforts by the Administration, states, civil society, and industry to see what works and what doesn't.
Congress should ultimately craft legislation that induces competition, not furthers monopoly power; that unlocks innovation in domains like biomedical R&D and education; and that prevents further degradation in trust, particularly through disinformation and defamation on social media.
Happy Thanksgiving: I hope everyone is able to spend the upcoming holiday with friends and loved ones. As the representative of a cranberry-growing district: please make sure to include that delicious dish!
Onwards,
Jake
WASHINGTON 15 Independence Avenue SE 1524 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-5931
NEWTON 29 Crafts Street Suite 375 Newton, MA 02458 Phone: (617) 332-3333
ATTLEBORO 8 North Main Steet Suite 200 Attleboro, MA 02703 Phone: (508) 431-1110
In about 35 minutes, the Franklin (MA) Town Council heard the tax assessor's update and voted on the series of resolutions to approve setting the tax rate for FY 2024 as $11.79/thousand.
The tax rate is in and of itself a simple calculation: how much revenue do we need to raise from the total assessed value of Franklin? As most folks would realize, the valuations have been rising recently.
The table here depicts the last 5 years 2020-2024 for assessed value by property classification.
Residential Commercial Industrial Personal Property Total
The combination of new growth and the 'automatic' 2.5% increase allowed provides the revenue allowed to be raised to fund the budget approved by the Town Council. The final adjustment for the FY 2024 budget was approved by the Finance Committee on Nov 8 and then by the Council Nov 15.
The key decision at the tax rate hearing is to maintain the single tax rate or move to a split tax rate. The Board of Assessors memo to the Council lays out the argument distinctly:
"A single tax rate means that all property classes (residential, commercial, industrial and personal) are taxed at the same tax rate. A dual tax rate means the commercial-industrial-personal tax rate is increased while the residential rate is decreased. In other words, some of the residential tax burden is shifted towards commercial, industrial and personal properties.
Please note that a dual tax rate does not produce more tax revenue, it simply shifts the burden." (Bold added for emphasis)
Franklin has historically had an approximate 80-20 split between residential and commercial/industrial as shown in the following chart.
the residential vs. commercial/industrial split has been in the 80-20 range over time
As the assessed valuation increases over time, the tax rate will drop. As the valuation decreases, the tax rate will increase. The tax rate is a good talking point but is simply the result of math driven by the assessed values and the amount to be raised to meet the budget.
as the assessed valuation increases, the rate decreases, and vice versa
The rate means little to the average home owner. Whether the rate goes up or down, it is more important to know what the valuation of the residence is. The chart here shows that over time, the tax rate can go up or down but the average tax bill will continue to increase.
whether the rate goes up or down, the overall tax bill does increase
Ryan Lanigan, founder and Editor-in-Chief of HockomockSports.com, provides the game recap for the annual FHS vs. KP Thanksgiving game at Fenway Park on Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023.
"Before King Philip took its third trip in as many seasons to Gillette Stadium next week, the Warriors had some unfinished business to take care of at Fenway Park.
King Philip snapped a brief two-game losing skid to Thanksgiving Day rival Franklin with an emphatic 35-0 win, clinching the Hockomock League Kelley-Rex division title outright, the program’s first league crown since 2017.
The Warriors entered each of the past two seasons with a chance at the league title on Thanksgiving but the Panthers won both in games that came down to the wire. KP clinched at least a share of this year’s title at the end of October with a win over North but made sure they wouldn’t be sharing the banner with anyone else by winning on Tuesday night.
“It was huge,” said King Philip head coach Brian Lee, who earned his 150th career victory, of winning the Hock title. “I was talking to a couple of coaches, and they’re asking if we’re going to play everybody or not. Yeah, we’re playing everybody. We want the Hock. The Hock is a great league, coming out of the Hock always prepares you for the playoffs. If have an opportunity to go get that Hock title, that’s what you want to do. Get that first, now we can see what we can do next week.
Continue reading the game recap (subscription required)
King Philip junior Drew Laplante breaks free for a 31-yard touchdown in the first quarter against Franklin at Fenway Park. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
"Three people — two adults and one juvenile — are being charged after police allege they helped hide a 15-year-old girl who ran away from home and avoided discovery for 11 days last month.
Alison Caruso, 48, of 8 Independence Way, Franklin, will be summonsed to Dedham Juvenile Court and is charged with concealing or harboring a fleeing child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Deputy Police Chief James West said.
She will also be summonsed to Wrentham District Court and charged with intimidation of a witness and reckless endangerment of a child.
In addition, Andrew Conway, 57, of 5 Constitution Court, Hopkinton, will also be summonsed to Dedham Juvenile Court and is charged with concealing or harboring a fleeing child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
Please be advised that the Norfolk Superior Court ruled that Norfolk County Director John J. Cronin and the County Commissioners, Peter H. Collins, Joseph P. Shea and Richard R. Staiti violated state law. A copy of the Judge’s ruling and decision is available here: https://files.norfolkdeeds.org/file/Judgment-County-Lawsuit.pdf.
There has been unlawful interference into the operation and management of the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds which deals with the biggest asset most of us have – the real estate title to our home. The taxpayers should be aware that I commenced the above lawsuit pro-se – or on my own without the assistance of legal counsel. So, while the Norfolk County Commissioners spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer monies on legal fees the Registry of Deeds spent zero (0) dollars in legal fees to get this favorable ruling from the Norfolk Superior Court.
Please read the attached article about the Registry of Deeds win published in The Dedham Times which is available by clicking the image below.
The 28 communities that make up Norfolk County receive and pay a yearly assessment to support the Norfolk County Government. Many actions including questionable spending and management decisions done by the Norfolk County Government are concerning. These actions and unsound management would not be tolerated if done by our local government in our hometown communities. Lynch Marini and Associates, Inc. Certified Public Accountants wrote in a recent Norfolk County Government audit “For the current fiscal year, this leaves a potential range of misstatements between $645,000.00 and $2.3 million between respective fund balances…” Would a finding like this be accepted in your hometown community by those with oversight responsibilities?
There is one more lawsuit involving the Registry of Deeds against the Norfolk County Commissioners. This lawsuit deals with the conversion of millions of dollars in deeds excise monies that is dedicated for the Registry’s use under state law. This taking of deeds excise monies outlined in state law by County Director John Cronin and the 3 County Commissioners changed over 30 years of financial practice interpreting state law by the Norfolk County Government dating back to 1989. I have a fiduciary duty to Registry of Deeds users including every property owner that owns a home or business as well as the taxpayers to get the Norfolk Superior Court to rule. (Please note the Norfolk County Commissioners sued the Town of Walpole which is still going on. Also, the Norfolk County Commissioners are involved in another lawsuit against a neighborhood group.) These two lawsuits involving the Norfolk County Commissioners are in addition to the 2 lawsuits involving the Registry of Deeds against the Norfolk County Commissioners discussed in this letter.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.
"Private jets belonging to 200 celebrities, CEOs, oligarchs and billionaires have spent a combined total of 11 years in the air since the start of 2022.
The carbon footprint of all those flights – a jaw-dropping 44,739 journeys – would be the equivalent of the total emissions of almost 40,000 Britons.
The Guardian used public data to track flights by private aircraft owned by celebrities and businesspeople including Elon Musk, the Rolling Stones, the Murdoch family and Kylie Jenner over 21 months.
The figures track the almost 300 jets belonging to those on the list and find that they emitted an estimated 415,518 tonnes of CO2."
Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe requied)
9:00 AM 12:00 Noon and 6:00 PMFranklin Matters Radio/FPS Voice – Steve Sherlock Franklin and its local government, services and events (repeats Saturday at 9 AM)
"Please join us this Friday, November 24 and Saturday, November 25 for our annual Fill the Cruiser event.
On Friday, November 24, we will be parked in front of BJ’s Wholesale Club and Marshalls from 9 AM until 3 PM. On Saturday, November 25, we will be parked in front of the Raillery Public House from 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM.
We are excited to fill as many cruisers with new and unwrapped toys, and for the older kiddos, we are requesting gift cards. Come by, say hi to our amazing officers and help us fill our cruisers."
According to the US Department of Energy, heat gain and heat loss through windows are responsible for 25%–30% of residential heating and cooling energy use. Energy efficient windows are an important consideration for both new and existing homes; in addition to saving money on heating and cooling costs, they can also add to the resale value of your home.
Are my windows working to keep my home warm?
You can quickly determine if your windows are sealing properly on a cold, windy day. If your windows are closed, but you can still feel cold drafts with hands near the window edges, you should probably take action to seal the suspect windows; there are several low-cost sealing options available at most local and big-box hardware stores.
New Windows versus Window Replacement
New windows typically cost around $1000 or more per window, since a trained carpenter is replacing the window frame. Costs can be reduced if the existing window frame is left in place and a smaller window frame and window is installed inside the existing frame. Companies that advertise “replacement in a day” are likely selling “window replacements” and not new windows. Typically, glass area decreases and they can be less aesthetically pleasing.
The following testimonial was written by David Rittenhouse in March, 2023, and can be found on the EnergizeFranklin.org website:
“I used Arthur Home Improvement in 2007 to replace 21 windows, 2 sliding doors, remove siding, add ½ inch insulation and add vinyl siding. The Harvey vinyl windows and siding have required virtually no maintenance. I couldn't be happier with the way the project went, and how they have held up during the 16 years since. The house is definitely easier to heat and cool with the new windows and the insulation under the siding.”
For more information on this and other energy-saving ideas, please visit EnergizeFranklin.org !
Energize Franklin: Save Money and Energy by Improving or Replacing Inefficient Drafty Windows
