📰 BEN's Bulletin: New Format, MBTA Communities

Key meetings, events, and resources!

BEN's Bulletin (07/08/24)   We've launched and now we're shaping up! This is the new format of our newsletter, where we'll be sharing information on key meetings, events, and resources. Please feel free to provide feedback. As always, we meet every THIRD THURSDAY at Franklin TV (unless otherwise noted). Our next meeting is July 18 at 7 PM. All are welcome! Our agenda and previous minutes will be shared in advance of the meeting. Key Agenda Items It'll be a relatively quiet season for meetings, but BEN's keeping an eye on MBTA Communities Act compliance and the Master Plan.  For live links and photos, see the items on our Google Doc. What We're Reading Starter homes begin with starter lots (Commonwealth Beacon) How Creative Design Can Turn Strict Zoning Codes Into Success Stories (Strong Towns) The senior struggle to age in community (Commonwealth Beacon) Reach out with any comments or questions. Thanks! The BEN Brigade Know someone else who may be interested in this content? Please share! Newsletter Sign Up Ben 4 Franklin, https://ben4franklin.org/ Send free email today

Get your Franklin questions answered, in person or remotely - Wednesday, July 17 at 11 AM

What is going on with .... ? 

What happened to ....? 

How come .... ?

Join Steve Sherlock, Community Information Director, for Franklin Matters & Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm),  for an informal and informative Q&A session. 

What is the session about?

• 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.

When: Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at 11:00 AM  

Where:  via Zoom or in person at the Senior Center

If you want the Zoom link, please use this form or check with the Senior Center front desk:      https://forms.gle/46H3gb4FZ4HSvwQJ6

Download this flyer as a reminder or to share ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TtkaAUuDNWXSPuEymSFFRUtQ3br-Y4UE/view?usp=drive_link

Get your Franklin questions answered, in person or remotely - Wednesday, July 17 at 11 AM

Lowell Folk Festival brings a wide variety of folk music from around the world to Lowell, oh and for FREE!

via the Lowell Folk Festival

2024 Lowell Folk Festival Announces Full Performance Schedule - Music, Food, and Crafts From Around the World Showcased Throughout Lowell, MA  July 26-28 #lowellfolk 

LEARN MORE: https://t.co/kmTYf6WgMD  or ->   https://lowellfolkfestival.org/

Shared from -> https://t.co/3y6TNI2VIw

Friday's Concerts on the Common rescheduled to Sept 6, 2024

The weather on Friday did change the plans for Concerts on the Common. They posted an update to Facebook at 1 PM that apparently didn't get caught by some folks (yup, we didn't see it until later).

"CONCERTS ON THE COMMON UPDATE:

Due to this evenings weather we will be canceling the Reminicents concert and Back to the Future Movie. We will hold a makeup day on September 6th

Mike Tarrara will still play tonight from 3-5PM"

So friendly reminder: for day of updates, check for the host organization first. Given the Facebook algorithm, there is no guarantee I'll get it in time. 

Concerts on the Common updates by Franklin Recreation ->   https://www.facebook.com/FranklinRecreationDepartment

Franklin Farmers Market - >   https://www.facebook.com/FranklinFarmersMarketMA

Friday's Concerts on the Common rescheduled to Sept 6, 2024

Beaver Street Interceptor: Construction updates for week of July 15 - 19, 2024

Beaver Street Interceptor (BSI)

 

 

 

BSI Construction Update for the Week of July 15!

Monday (7/15) - Friday (7/19) the construction crew will continue work on Rt. 140 at the Grove Street intersection between the hours of 7am - 4pm. Expect lane closures as the work progresses.

Continuing on Monday (7/15) thru Wednesday (7/17) between 7am to 5pm, the cleaning and lining of the existing Beaver Street Interceptor will be occurring on Hayward Street from Fisher Street to the Moseley Mill. During this time by-pass pumping will be set up and those affected will be notified.

At the Franklin Recreation Center, the construction of the new Beaver Street Interceptor Pump Station will continue with excavation of the pump station within the sheet pile area. 

Please reference the interactive map below and posted signs for details and updates.

Beaver Street Interceptor: Construction updates for week of July 15 - 19, 2024

We appreciate the public's continued support and understanding and will
continue to communicate regularly via social media, our dedicated email list, and the construction map below as work progresses.

BEAVER STREET INTERCEPTOR HOTLINE: 508-553-5526
(PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AND WE WILL RETURN YOUR CALL)
EMAIL: BSI-info@franklinma.gov

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/water-sewer-division/pages/beaver-street-interceptor

Sheriff's Summer Safety Fest in Plainville - July 20

We're excited to announce our first Sheriff's Summer Safety Fest of the summer! On Saturday, July 20th, join us at Telford Park (142 South Street in Plainville) from 1-4pm for a fun, free, and family-friendly afternoon with activities, summer safety resources, inflatables and more!

Norfolk County Sheriff's Office | 200 West St | Dedham, MA 02027 US

Reminder: Pokémon card show on July 14

We are hosting a Pokémon card show on July 14th 2024 from 11 AM - 4 PM at 15 Main St. Franklin MA inside Depot Plaza.

Vendor tables are sold out. We typically carry 15-20 dealers at the show. No admission fee, Free parking and lots of fun!

Pokémon card show on July 14

Pokémon Trainers Universe has been hosting this event for just a little over 3 years and we were the first show to host only Pokémon cards, this is an exclusive card show meaning no sports cards. We have dealers from all over New England who show up. The people going to the show can get cards appraised, buy cards and sell cards and related memorabilia.

Pokémon Trainers Universe is one of our two stores within the building. PTU carry’s the largest inventory of single cards in New England and is becoming a destination for collectors. We specialize in rare and hard to find quality cards. Open Monday-Saturday. Closed Thursdays and Sundays. Sign up on our mailing list to be notified of all future events!

We also have a Pokémon club on the first Monday of every month on site from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM.

Poke Trainers Universe | Pokemon | Franklin, MA, USA (pokemontrainersuniverse.com) Sincerely, Rod Crochiere

15 Main St. Franklin, MA 02038

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Friday, July 12, 2024?

Friday, July 12

10:00am Knitting Group (Franklin Public Library)

12:00pm Eat Around the World: Germany (Franklin Senior Center - ticketed)

1:00pm Henry the Juggler (Franklin Public Library)

2:00pm Franklin Farmers Market (Franklin Town Common)

3:00pm Mike Tarara (live music) (Franklin Town Common)

5:30pm Reminiscents (live music) (Franklin Town Common)

7:30pm Jack Cappadona (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

8:30pm Movie: Back to the Future (Franklin Town Common)

**  NO Town Meetings today

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

What vendors and activities are at the Farmer's Market today - July 12, 2024 ??

We are glad you asked.  

Thanks to the good folks operating the Franklin Farmer's Market, we have the answers to share. 

Concerts on the Common also has some musical entertainment and closes out the day with a movie for the family "Back to the Future"

Farmer's Market today - July 12, 2024

Master Plan Update Cmte conducts public hearing, gets feedback to consider (audio)

FM #1244 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1244 in the series. 

This session shares the Franklin (MA) Master Plan Update Committee Public Hearing held on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. 10 members participated, 9 in chambers, 1 remote (for a portion of session, she did join in person - Williams), 3 were absent (Gallagher, Hagen, Halligan).

Quick recap:

• Overview presentation coordinate by Chair Jones, and each subcommittee chair, before getting into the public portion

• Presentation doc was not included with the agenda very few (outside of the committee) likely had time to preview the goals before the session

• Good input from the multiple commenters both in person and participating remotely

• Next meeting for the committee scheduled for July 24 to incorporate the feedback from this session, and then begin work on the objectives (which have not yet been revealed) to assign them to responsible Town departments, etc.

The recording runs about 77 minutes, so let’s listen in. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1244-master-plan-update-cmte-public-hearing-07-10-24

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

The Franklin TV video is available for replay ->  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK0miWgTjaU 

Agenda doc  -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/master_plan_agenda_-_july_10_2024.docx.pdf    

Presentation doc ->  

https://www.franklinma.gov/master-plan-update-committee/files/draft-goals-presentation 

My notes in one PDF ->  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nF1FzxJfke50IOjftj5Xqum8QFtSDozP/view?usp=drive_link 

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

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!

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

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Master Plan Update Cmte conducts public hearing, gets feedback to consider (audio)

Fire Dept dive drill conducted at Chilson Beach Thursday, July 11

Via the Franklin Fire Dept Twitter account: 

"The Franklin Fire Department conducted a dive drill today (7/11/24) at Chilson Beach - Beaver Pond with the Bristol North Dive Team. We have three members assigned to this team."

Fire Dept dive drill conducted at Chilson Beach Thursday, July 11

You can view additional photos -> https://x.com/FranklinMAfire/status/1811438721386119527

Master Plan Testimony Outline by Max Morrongiello

Below is a copy of an outline of my testimony from last night.

Best,

Maxwell Morrongiello

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

"My Name Is Maxwell Morrongiello. I live at 127 Central Park Terrace

Imagine a not too distant future, where you are in an area with bustling storefronts, a vibrant local economy, and transit oriented housing near a commuter rail and easy access to the highway. 

This, in fact, is not Franklin's downtown, but a revitalized and completely reimagined Forge Park 2 Miles to the west. This Master Plan Committee can lay the groundwork to make this future a reality.

Forge Park should be reimagined to have the following features:

·      Transit Oriented Mixed Use Development with easy access to 495 and the commuter rail

o  Think Assembly Row in Somerville

o  Limited traffic disruption to the rest of town

·      Connection to the Rail Trail

·      The Town should explore private and public bus options including

o  Implementing a Logan Express Bus Service

o  Direct Bus service to Worcester

o  Direct Bus Service to Providence

o  A joint agreement with RIPTA and MASSDOT to provide connection to RIPTA in exchange for increased commuter rail service

o  GATRA Fixed Route service

·      Zipcar and other car rental options

o  Would be utilized by reverse commuters from Boston,

o   Utilized by Franklin residents who don't often need a vehicle

During the Master Plan process Franklin Downtown has received a bulk of the attention. Don't neglect implementing a bright and bold vision for Forge Park!"

The Franklin TV link should bring you directly to Max's comments -> https://www.youtube.com/live/qK0miWgTjaU?si=SdA9QWEeoy3VD3U-&t=2547

Watch "How the US Is Destroying Young People’s Future | Scott Galloway | TED" on YouTube

Via TED Talks  

"In a scorching talk, marketing professor and podcaster Scott Galloway dissects the data showing that, by many measures, young people in the US are worse off financially than ever before. He unpacks the root causes and effects of this "great intergenerational theft," asking why we let it continue and showing how we could make it end. (Note: This talk contains mature language.)"

Video link -> https://youtu.be/qEJ4hkpQW8E?si=2jV_uweZKbYrNctM

For a more in depth version (albeit five years ago), Scott covers many of the same topics in this 30 minute version.

Video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brp9DpJsEi4

For more about Scott, visit his TED profile page -> 

https://www.ted.com/talks/scott_galloway_how_the_us_is_destroying_young_people_s_future

Note: given the timed delivery nature of TED Talks, it is better to watch them multiple times, or stop after a point is made and think about it. Time is needed to digest the impact of the ideas presented.

Bonus link (a 14 minute talk Followed by a Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson) ->   https://www.ted.com/talks/scott_galloway_how_amazon_apple_facebook_and_google_manipulate_our_emotions?subtitle=en

The next Veterans Council Meeting is August 15, 2024

There will be no Veterans Council Meeting in July.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 7:00 PM at the Senior Center.

Any Franklin resident interested in Veterans' activities is welcome to join us. Veterans Council meets the third Thursday of every month unless otherwise noted.

The next Veterans Council Meeting is August 15, 2024

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/no-july-2024-veterans-council-meeting

Town of Franklin: Invitation For Bid on Tree Trimming and Removal

IFB - Tree Trimming and Removal

In accordance with MGL c. 30 section 39m, it is the intention of the Town of Franklin to retain the services of a tree removal, stump grinding and tree trimming firm. 

Additional Information:  Tree Trimming and Removal

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/purchasing/bids/ifb-tree-trimming-and-removal

Town of Franklin: Invitation For Bid on Tree Trimming and Removal