27 FHS Music Students performed with the Massachusetts Central District Honor Band, Chorus and Orchestra

Twenty seven members of the Franklin High School music program auditioned and were accepted into the 2024 Massachusetts Central District Honor Ensembles. The performance took place on January 13th at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA.

27 FHS Music Students performed with the  Massachusetts Central District Honor Band, Chorus and Orchestra

Participating in the Central District Band were

• Gavin Abdel-Aziz - Trombone
• Emma Anderson-French Horn
• Jake Blanchard - French Horn
• Karah Bradanese - Clarinet
• Peter Bryan - Trumpet
• Daniel Campbell - Trumpet
• Lauren Curtis - Trombone
• Alexander Fioravanti - Euphonium
• Francis Fracassa - French Horn
• Liam Geoghegan - Tenor Saxophone
• John Kane IV - Baritone Saxophone
• Lola Richardson - Flute
• Isabelle Simino - Trombone
• Gabriel Terry - Trombone
• Maria Zaki - Flute
• Katharina Zercie - Bass Trombone

Franklin High School students performing with the Central District Jazz Band were

• Adithya Balagurumoorthy - Baritone Saxophone
• Thomas Bradley - Trombone
• Emelia Chambers - Trumpet
• Brady Devlin - Trumpet
• Weylan O’Connell - Bass
• Aidan Padula and Anton Sackley - Drum Set

Selected to perform with the Central District Orchestra is

• Victoria Courtright-Lim - Violin
• Emily Liu - Violin
• Adam Peng - Cello
• Zo Pietras - Violin

Historic Happenings for February at the Franklin Historical Museum

February at the Franklin Historical Museum puts some love in the air and takes up the proposition that Silents are golden...

For Your Valentine's...

The Art and Commerce of Valentine's Cards

The Second Sunday Speaker Series at the museum continues on Feb. 12, 2024 with Postal Poetry: The Art and Commerce of Valentine's Cards. Historical Commission chair Alan Earls will explore the remarkably long story of Valentine's greetings and how entrepreneurs and new technologies turned sentiment into big business in the 19th century. The story includes key Massachusetts innovators like Louis Prang and pioneering woman business leader, Esther Howland – plus images of many beautiful old cards.  A limited number of free, vintage reprint sample cards will be available at the event. Doors open at 1 and the presentation begins at 1:15 at Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central Street, Franklin, MA. FREE

Feature Films Return

Safety Last

Later in the month, the Museum will welcome the public to Cinema 80 – a new program of films of the 20th century, curated by Chris Leverone in cooperation with the Franklin Senior Center. Leverone, a videographer and graphics artist from Franklin, has directed promotional and fundraising videos, and is currently a producer at Franklin TV and is extremely passionate about film. Silent Saturdays start at 6 PM on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24.

The Freshman

On Feb, 17 Cinema 80 will screen the first of two treasures by comic genius Harold Lloyd, Safety Last, an over-the-top version of a young man trying to make good in the big city story (in this case, bustling, Jazz-Age Los Angeles). Then, on Feb. 24 it's The Freshman, a hilarious look at college culture 100 years ago, (we are a college town after all!). Both films are about 75 minutes in length.

"We are excited to provide this free, innovative programming in a time slot that should leave people free to squeeze even more into their Saturday night," said Commission Chair Alan Earls. "The best of the silent films are amazing and just as entertaining as anything Hollywood is doing today, we are sure our Franklin audience will agree," he added.

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday afternoons from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry.

FHS wrestling team tops King Philip on Wednesday

Via Twitter and our subscription to HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the fall sports competition for Franklin High School on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2024. 

Girls Hockey = Franklin, 1 @ Medway, 4 – Final

Haley Wernig puts the Panthers on the board early in the third off a nice feed from Maddie O’Brien. 

Plenty of time to close the 3-1 gap.  https://twitter.com/FHSGirlsPuck/status/1747767872548438205

Wrestling = King Philip, 26 @ Franklin, 45 - Final

What a match against king Philip 45-26. Pins from Carter, Rosenberger, O’Connell, Large. OW goes to Quinn Carter with a huge pin to set the tone. https://twitter.com/FHSWrestle/status/1747827740898623657

For other results around the Hockomock League (subscription required)

https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-01-17-24/

FHS Panther sports results shared via Twitter & subscription to HockomockSports.com

Town of Franklin: 2024 Presidential Primary Election Schedule

Per Town Clerk, Nancy Danello, the schedule for the Presidential Primary is as follows:

IN PERSON EARLY VOTING

Franklin High School Gymnasium, 218 Oak St

• February 24 (Saturday) 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• February 26 (Monday) 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
• February 27 (Tuesday) 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
• February 28 (Wed.) 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• February 29 (Thursday) 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
• March 1 (Friday) 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Early Voting also held in the Town Clerk’s Office During normal business hours

Mon., Tues., Thurs. 8AM to 4PM Wednesday 8AM to 6PM and Fri 8AM to 1PM

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION DAY 

TUESDAY, MARCH 5 

6:00 AM TO 8:00 PM

Shared from ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/news/2024_presidential_primary_election_schedule.pdf 

Town of Franklin: 2024 Presidential Primary Election Schedule

HMEA fund raising concert at THE BLACK BOX - Feb 17

The British are coming! 

Tickets are on sale now for our annual Beatles tribute fundraiser at THE BLACK BOX in Franklin.

Swing by on February 17 to see and listen to our favorite Beatles tribute band - Studio Two - The Beatles Tribute! We’ll be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America, all in support of HMEA’s programs. A limited number of tickets are available with the link https://www.hmea.org/beatles/

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/C2KsT-oNNm5/

HMEA fund raising concert at THE BLACK BOX - Feb 17

Mark your calendar for these Franklin Downtown Partnership Calendar of sponsored events for 2024

Save the dates!! 

Announcing the 2024 Franklin Downtown Partnership Calendar of sponsored events and general meetings! Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering at any of the events. Teamwork makes the dream work!

Mark your calendar for these Franklin Downtown Partnership Calendar of sponsored events for 2024

https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0kS7WS5ujEP7LcKakC83BbRtaPNpTeBZrvtAqszswVLccmqJW8Q57pPePGHPdSNLgl&id=100071168539757&mibextid=Nif5oz

Town Council hears about the Franklin Food Pantry operations and the Town of Franklin Crisis Intervention Team (video)

The Franklin Town Council met as scheduled on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2024. The Franklin TV video is available for replay here -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4koHoGH73g

The meeting agenda can be found here -> 

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/town_council_agenda_-_jan_17_2023.pdf

My notes captured via Twitter during the meeting are collected in one easy to read PDF file ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1srDHwwmM28LbjTIs5NDNHjVBRDW9dTv3/view?usp=drive_link

Tina Powderly, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry, provides an update

Homelessness Report - Amy Frigulietti, Deputy Town Administrator and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)

National report ranks MA as #1 most improved in tax fairness

Primarily due to the passage of the Fair Share Amendment, a new national report finds that the Commonwealth is the top-ranking state for improvements in tax fairness. The middle class in Massachusetts pays a smaller share of their income in state + local taxes than in 32 other states. Today, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) released "Who Pays?," the only distributional analysis of tax systems in all 50 states. The comprehensive 7th edition of the report ranks the progressivity and regressivity of state tax systems by measuring effective state and local tax rates paid by all income groups. Massachusetts's relative ranking among the 50 states (in terms of tax progressivity since 2022) improves several positions, the most of any state. This is overwhelmingly a result of the Fair Share Amendment. However, there is still work to be done. Massachusetts's top 1% still pay a lower share than the bottom 95%. With our tax system still regressive under current law, we can look to neighbors Maine, Vermont and New York for examples of states that have created fair (progressive) tax codes. Read more.  Read our summary ▶️Watch on YouTube: Phineas Baxandall speaks on the findings of ITEP's report The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) is a leading think tank advancing policy solutions to create an inclusive, thriving Commonwealth for all. Support our work today!

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 1 State Street, Suite 1250 , Boston, MA 02109 Sent by pbaxandall@massbudget.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!

Metrowest Networkers Group Meeting on Fridays

1st & 3rd Fridays of the month.  10 am - Noon

7 Bishop Street, Framingham, MA 01702

At the headquarters for the South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC)

Our next meeting is this coming Friday Jan-19.

We have two brief presentations scheduled!

Our standard agenda is based on the Acton Networkers agenda.

Parking:   From Bishop Street, turn east into the access road opposite Clark St.

Plenty of parking! Park in back, in the BIG parking lot. Go in the back entrance to the CUDDY CENTER. This is the building located closer to the south. Once inside, turn left, proceed to a corridor and then turn right to go to our meeting area.

 Website:   http://mwnetworkers.wix.com/home

It has menus for articles, videos, and a forum (in case you prefer to post instead of email). It even has a list of area coaches.

 Google Group: metrowest-networkers-group@googlegroups.com

LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12943261/

If you need a job and want to meet people, we hope to see you there!

--

Ed Lawrence

www.getstart-ed.com

CPRW; NCOPE

Certified Interview Coach

Authorized DISC Administrator

Member, CPRW Certification Committee

Metrowest Networkers Group Meeting on Fridays

Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) schedule for Thursday, Jan 18, 2023

• wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Thursday

9:00a/12:00p/6:00p   A Priest, A Minister, and a Rabbi

10:00a/1:00p/7:00p   Frank’s Music – Frank Falvey and Jim Derick

11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm   Frank Presents – Frank Falvey Presents

• Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 6, Verizon 26) = Thursday

8:00 am Veterans' Call: Steve Crouteau

9:00 am Arts Advocacy Day: Marketing

10:30 am SAFE Coalition: Task Force

11:30 am Cooking Thyme: Appetizers

12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Waffles

12:30 pm The Only Cure Is Education

1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Healthy Pizza Crusts

2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer 2018 Show 1

3:00 pm Riffin' on Main Street: Thomas J. Lynch

4:00 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Pete Smith

4:30 pm Second Sunday Speaker Series: Rob Lawson

6:30 pm Extended Play Sessions: Acoustic X

8:00 pm Frank Presents: Daniela Masters Pt 1

9:30 pm The Black Box: Disney Stars of Broadway

• Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel        (Comcast 8, Verizon 28) = Thursday

7:00 am Public School Concert: Elementary Winter Music Pt. 3 01-15-19

8:30 am Public School Event: Lifelong Music Pt. 1 01-28-19

10:00 am FHS Varsity Swimming v Attleboro 01-12-24

12:00 pm ArtWeek: Theater in the Open

1:00 pm Public School Event: Concert Hour Day 1

2:30 pm Metrowest Arts & Culture Symposium 2023

5:00 pm MICCA Festival 2019

8:30 pm FHS Girls Varsity Basketball v Wachusett 01-10-24

• Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 9, Verizon 29) = Thursday

8:00 am Conservation Commission 01-11-24

12:00 pm Master Plan Committee 01-10-24

2:00 pm Conservation Commission 01-11-24

7:30 pm Zoning Board of Appeals: LIVE, Remote  915 7481 6603

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

Franklin Cultural District: Ben's Book events all week & more as #artshappenhere

Wednesday, January 17

9:30am Ben Franklin Autobiography* LIVE Readathon (Franklin Historical Museum)

11:00am Franklin Q&A (Franklin Senior Center & remote)

6:30pm SPECIAL Trivia Night (Teddie Gallagher’s)

7:00pm State of the Commonwealth Address (online, & YouTube)

Thursday, January 18

8:30am Town Council Office Hours (Franklin Senior Center)

6:30pm World PREMIERE, “The Boatbuilders” Pre-release Screening & Discussion (Franklin Public Library)

Friday, January 19

1:00pm Library Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)

2:00pm Get to know ‘Ben’s Books’ (Franklin Public Library)

6:00pm Jigsaw Puzzle Tournament and Sale (First Universalist Society in Franklin (FUSF))

Saturday, January 20

9:00am Library Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)

10:00am Ben Franklin, America’s First Scientist (Franklin Historical Museum)

10:00am Jigsaw Puzzle Tournament and Sale (First Universalist Society in Franklin (FUSF))

10:30am Children’s Ben Franklin Story Time (Escape Into Fiction Bookstore)

11:00am Preschool & Kindergarten Open House (Sunrise Montessori School)

1:00pm Library "Books by the Bag Sale" (Franklin Public Library)

6:30pm Vera Meyer and Ben Franklin’s Glass Armonica (Franklin Public Library)

Sunday, January 21

7:30am All you can eat Breakfast (Franklin Rod & Gun Club)

1:00pm Ben Franklin Considered and Reconsidered (Franklin Historical Museum)

1:00pm Children's Museum of Franklin pop up (Elks Lodge)

Tuesday, January 23

2:30pm Rainbow Café

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

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)

Visit the Cultural District page ->  https://www.franklinculture.org/

Find the full Community event calendar   https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:   https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/month/39/2023-12

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26 

Franklin Cultural District: Arts are happening here!

Franklin Art Association monthly meeting features Phil Pariseau - Feb 7, 2024

The Franklin Art Association's February meeting will take place on  Wednesday, February 7 at 6:30 PM at the Franklin (MA) Senior Center, when our Demo Artist will be painter Phil Pariseau.

Phil Pariseau is a self-taught glass artist working on Cape Cod and Franklin, MA.

Phil's early interest in glass began with a glass blowing class more than 25 years ago and developed into a passion for creating kiln-formed pieces of art and unique glass gifts. Combining various techniques of fusing, raking, temperature manipulation, slumping, his pieces often produce a flow that results in a unique designed to capture light and color beautifully. Phil's glass pieces are known for their distinctive and colorful qualities, including one-of-a-kind wall hangings, sculptures, plates, bowls, and seasonal artwork.

Phil will be demonstrating his approach to glass fusing and designing his sculpture pieces.

Meetings are held at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill St., Franklin, MA, with a business meeting starting at 6:45 PM, refreshments and socialization starts at 6:30 PM, the monthly demonstration/workshop starts at ~7 PM  and runs until ~9 PM. As always, our meetings are free and open to the public.

Franklin Art Association monthly meeting features Phil Pariseau - Feb 7, 2024