Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Golf Foursomes Needed for June 10 FPAC Fundraising Event

Hello everyone! 
We're looking forward to a great FPAC Golf Tournament this summer, but many of you whom we anticipate playing are not yet registered! 
We need at least 3 more foursomes to hold the tournament this year. Please register if you haven't already, and encourage your friends to register a foursome before June 3rd. 
Thank you!
Arielle Hardy,
Development Director
 
Golf Foursomes Needed for June 10 FPAC Fundraising Event
Golf Foursomes Needed for June 10 FPAC Fundraising Event

 

Register for the FPAC Golf outing June 10 -> https://www.fpaconline.com/events.php?id=1747 


FPAC support options -> https://www.fpaconline.com/pages.php?pname=fpac_support_us 


Let’s listen to my conversation with Arielle and Alan. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1212-fpac-golf-outing-fundraising-05-16-24

IFB - Forge Hill Tank Mixer Replacement and Sediment Removal

IFB - Forge Hill Tank Mixer Replacement and Sediment Removal

In accordance with MGL c. 30 section 39m, it is the intention of the Town of Franklin to retain the services of a company for the purposes of Elevated Water Tank Mixer Replacement and Sediment Removal at the Forge Hill Tank in the Town of Franklin.

Additional Information:  IFB - Forge Hill Tank Mixer Replacement and Sediment Removal

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/purchasing/bids/ifb-forge-hill-tank-mixer-replacement-and-sediment-removal

IFB - Forge Hill Tank Mixer Replacement and Sediment Removal
IFB - Forge Hill Tank Mixer Replacement and Sediment Removal

Escape Into Fiction scheduled to close their doors June 15

Via Escape Into Fiction 

"There seems to be some mis-information about the last day. So I wanted to post the actual date!
Saturday June 15th 10-4pm will be our last day.
Make sure you come in before then to use your gift cards, pick your next favorite item and get summer ready!
I will eventually open back up ONLINE once I settle into a new home in Ohio, and at that time the gift cards you still have will be active again, just in case you are unable to use before then."

 

Escape Into Fiction scheduled to close their doors June 15
Escape Into Fiction scheduled to close their doors June 15

Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) schedule for Wednesday, May 29, 2024

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

9:00 AM 12:00 Noon and 6:00 PM Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock
Franklin and its local government, services and events  (repeats Saturday at 9 AM)

10:00 AM 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM  The Wonderful World of Wine – Mark Lenzi, Kim Simone    All about wine, its culture, lore and finer point.
11:00 AM 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock
Franklin and its local government, services and events (repeats Saturday at 3 PM)

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

7:30 am Mental Health: Raeleen Sullivan
8:30 am Sons & Daughters of Italy: Paolo DiGregorio
10:00 am Metrowest Symposium: Sharing Identity on Social Media
11:30 am Cooking Thyme: Ice Cream
12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Tai Salad
12:30 pm Cooking with Linda: "Marry Me" Chicken
1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Margherita Pizza
2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer 2018 Show 1
3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Show 6
3:30 pm Celebrate with Pride: Second Son
5:30 pm Veterans' Call: SHINE
6:30 pm Concerts on the Common: David Penza & Backyard Swagger
9:30 pm Circle of Friends: Garnet Rogers

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

8:30 am Public School Event: Horace Mann Winter Music 2021
10:00 am SAFE Coalition: The Hamlins
11:00 am All-Town Showcase 2024: Chorus and Orchestra
12:30 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Student Athletes May 2024
1:30 pm Rec Basketball: 6th - 8th Grade Girls Championship
5:00 pm FHS Varsity Softball v Bishop Feehan 05-13-24
8:30 pm MSTCA Track Meet Pt 2

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

8:00 am Town Council 05-22-24
1:00 pm Town Council 05-22-24
6:30 pm Master Plan Committee  CHAMBERS  833 8544 8981

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
Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, May 28, 2024?

Tuesday, May 28
8:00am Early Voting for Special Election (Town Clerk's Office)
7:00pm Musical Bingo (Raillery Public House)

Reminder: trash/recycling pick up schedule is delayed one day this week

** Town Meetings today
  • Franklin Public Schools Budget Subcommittee Meeting (3rd floor training room)
Event Date:  Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - 6:00pm

  • Design Review Meeting
Event Date:  Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - 7:00pm (virtual meeting)

  • Franklin Public School Committee Meeting (Council Chambers)
Event Date:  Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - 7:00pm



What's happening today in Franklin?
What's happening today in Franklin? 
---------------

Why are there multiple calendars?
There is a Cultural events calendar upon which other community events are layered to create the Community calendar.

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

The Cultural calendar displays only the cultural events      https://www.franklinculture.org/things-do/pages/calendar

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

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

Jay & I cover Franklin's Current Issues in this Q&A 3 part series (audio)

FM #1215-1216-1217 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1215-1216-1217 in the series. 


This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Jay Horrigan, Franklin resident, Franklin TV & Radio talent and fellow Board of Directors member for the Franklin Community Cable Access organization. We met to record this conversation in the studio on Thursday, May 16, 2024.  

We spent enough time in the studio discussing current events that our wives were sending out queries as to where we were. The conversation is split into 3 sections to better enable sharing via the radio time slot (less than an hour).

We talk about 

  • Jay’s story and what he keeps busy with

  • Spend time to answer current issue questions 

    • June 11 override vote

    • How the $6.8M was determined

    • What is an override vs a debt exclusion

    • Development of the ‘fiscal cliff’ post COVID

    • State vs Commonwealth (no real difference in operation)

    • Fund allocation from the override in FY 2025 and following

    • Coordination of Town and School

    • Explanation of the bigger ‘pie’, budget, etc.

    • Franklin TV video archives of Town, School, and other committee meetings

    • Condense the Town Council and School Committee meetings via audio as Town Council Quarterbacking and Chalkboard Chat answering the 2 questions: What just happened? What does that mean for us as residents and taxpayers?

    • Does the override tie to the redistricting plan?

    • School ‘master plan’ va Town Master Plan

    • Modular units helped to accommodate the school ‘population bubble’

    • Mr G’s analogy on how the redistricting was done, stepping back to better align students with the better school facilities

    • How the “Portrait of the Graduate” plays into this

    • Teachers are being reduced gradually to account for the decline in school enrollment


Part 1 of this conversation runs about 53 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Jay. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1215-franklin-current-issues-qa-with-jay-horrigan-05-16-24



Part 2 of this conversation runs about 30 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Jay.


In this second episode we answer more questions

  • How does the override provide funds for school teachers’ pay?

  • Teacher union president Donna Grady interview provides insights to teacher issues

  • Teacher retention issue, is it related to the ‘massive new schools’?

  • Better expectation for future funding of the Schools post override

  • Difference in level of planning for redistricting, the ‘plan’ vs the implementation plan to work out the details

  • Civic engagement, the parents concerned about the redistricting can be involved in the implementation plan

  • What is the goal of the Town “master plan”? What do we want Franklin to be when we grow up?

  • The issue with the middle school after school activities and late bus, how is that related to the override?

  • School funding of buses vs parent cost, a change from $360 to $500 if the override fails, along with other activities and sports fees will increase if the override fails

  • Sense of community and ‘commonwealth’ vs the divisive and personal focal points we hear

  • Timing of the override June vs. November, better for the students educational experience

  • Demise of newspapers, rise of newsletters, flyers sent home replaced by email and PDFs on the schools pages



Part 3 of this conversation runs about 38 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Jay.


  • The possibility of an underride and what it would do

  • Concern of getting the message out amidst the Presidential campaign ads

  • School planning needed for redistricting, 2 summers needed

  • Disruption for school year in November if the underride succeeds

  • Assuming override passes, when would taxpayers see the increase?

  • How does the new apartment revenues flow to the Town (about 10 minutes in P3)

  • Tax increment financing (TIF) (Tegra Medical - 2009, Hamilton Technology - 2011, Cold Chain - 2015, Plansee - 2022)

  • What’s happening with Davis Thayer

  • Redistricting tied to override?

  • Redistricting tied to new police station?


Audio link ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1217-franklin-current-issues-qa-part-3-of-3-05-16-24


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


Contact info for Jay -> jayhorrigan@gmail.com 


Town override summary page ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget/webforms/fy25-override-information 


State vs Commonwealth info ->  https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/whats-the-difference-between-a-commonwealth-and-a-state


Donna Grady interview -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/05/talking-about-teaching-education-with.html 


Police Station Building Committee May 13, 2024 -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/01/police-station-building-cmte-agrees-on.html 


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


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 www.franklin.news/ or  www.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 or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters" 


Jay & I cover Franklin's Current Issues in this Q&A 3 part series (audio)
Jay & I cover Franklin's Current Issues in this Q&A 3 part series (audio) 

FHS baseball falls to Bridgewater-Raynham on Monday


Baseball = Franklin, 4  @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 5 - Final
BR 5, Franklin 4. Miller was solid in a no decision (4inn, 2R & 5Ks). Offensively, DiGiorgio (2-4,R,RBI) Yuknis (2-4,2RBI) Caccavelli (2B,RBI) Goguen (1-2,2B) Kryzak (H,R) Winer (1-3) Phillip (1-3) Cinelli & Morin (R). Franklin finishes reg. season at 14-8. Next up: Playoffs:TBD


FHS baseball falls to Bridgewater-Raynham on Monday
FHS baseball falls to Bridgewater-Raynham on Monday

Democracy, Refreshed: Increase the membership of the House

By Danielle Allen, Contributing Opinions columnist
As I wrote in the first part of this course, we desperately need to renovate our democracy. Our institutions weren’t built for the country as it has become — and we have been cobbling on additions and extensions decade after decade.We need a plan for functional institutions of self-government in 21st-century conditions. There’s so much work to do. Where to begin?

I propose we start with the first branch of government — the branch of the federal government that was designed by the framers to be closest to we the people. What if we increased the size of the House?

Given that most of us are pretty frustrated with Congress, this might sound crazy. But growing the House is the key to unlocking our present paralysis and leaning into some serious democracy renovation.
Continuing to read the Washington Post via my gift article =  https://wapo.st/3V10gAx

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