"Dollars & Sense in Franklin" shares the potential cuts for the FY 2026 budget

Welcome!

From the volunteers who brought you OneFranklin, we hope this newsletter serves as a monthly resource for busy Franklinites interested in our town's financial health. We'll include important upcoming meetings, action steps you can take, and more!

"Dollars & Sense in Franklin" shares the potential cuts for the FY 2026 budget

Potential Cuts

At the October 23 Joint Budget Subcommittee meeting, Town Administrator Hellen was asked what cuts the Town might have to make in light of the expected multimillion dollar shortfall (~1:51-1:54). He responded that, while numbers could change, the tiers presented at the 6/26/24 Town Council meeting (2:25-2:50) were the likeliest cuts. 

This means that the following cuts are likely in 2025. These cuts would not restore any cut services to the school system, nor would they close the entire deficit.  Additional potential cuts, including to Franklin Public Schools, will be covered in future Dollars and Sense. 

potential cuts for the FY 2026 budget

Important Dates

12/10 @ 7:00 School Committee Meeting

12/11 @ 7:00 Finance Committee Meeting

12/17 @ 7:00 Joint Budget Subcommittee Meeting (JBSC)

12/18 @ 7:00 Town Council Meeting

Zoom links are released with meeting agendas 48 hours in advance. All meetings are streamed on Franklin Town Hall YouTube (https://bit.ly/FTV-TownHall).

These are items shared from the email newsletter Dollars & Sense. Additional items will be shared over the next couple of days. You can download the full PDF version -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/15pPqEXZrlBAplHHjtbNbxe8tGpClZeW5/view?usp=drive_link

Lifelong Community Learning: Winter registration is open!

Over 25 classes to choose from...

There's something for everyone at Lifelong Community Learning! For information and to register, visit: Lifelong Community Learning All Classes

Lifelong Learning Institute - Franklin Public Schools | 218 Oak Street Room 137 | Franklin, MA 02038 US

Celebration of the 2024 MA Climate Bill held on Tuesday, Dec 3

Governor Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) posted Tue, Dec 03, 2024:

"We brought together labor and lawmakers, industry and advocates to end the years-long delays tying up clean energy infrastructure – and they got it done.

With this bill, we're cutting through the red tape and clearing the way for good jobs, cleaner air and lower energy costs for https://t.co/HijcirX8Ge"

Environmental League of Massachusetts (@EnviroLeagueMA) posted Tue, Dec 03, 2024:

"MA leads the way! @MassGovernor celebrated signing the 2024 #ClimateBill today, which will transform #CleanEnergy siting & permitting, improve community engagement & increase #RenewableEnergy access. 

We applaud the signing of this bill & its acceleration of a clean energy future. https://t.co/tMUpPsC1Ye

Celebration of the 2024 MA Climate Bill held on Tuesday, Dec 3

Franklin's Rep Roy captures a selfie at the event

Rep Roy posted to his blog 

https://jeffreyroy.com/2024/12/04/governor-signs-climate-and-energy-bill/

The formal, public bill signing happened on Tuesday, Dec 3 as noted above. The legislation did get signed earlier and the press release (including link to the actual legislation item) can be found here -> 

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/11/governor-healey-signs-climate-law-to.html

 

Women's Faith Formation: next meeting scheduled for Dec 7 at 9:00 AM

The St Mary Women's Faith Formation group will hold monthly meetings the second Saturday of each month (with the exception of December which will be the 1st Saturday) from 9:00 - 10:00 AM in person. 

Since the fire recovery efforts are underway, the meeting will be held using the modular unit attached to the school. Please take the ramp to enter.

Women's Faith Formation

We plan to watch a short video and then break into small groups for discussion. Light refreshments will be served. This is an informal, welcoming group of women open to sharing insights with each other. 

We are looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones!

Note:  Meeting dates will be December 7th, January 11th, February 8th, March 8th, April 8th, and May 10th

Franklin Public Schools Schedule Series of Winter Concerts

Winter Concerts

The concerts are all listed on the Community & Cultural calendar.

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CdZRAcQ4h/

FREE -> Hands Only CPR Class - December 18, 2024

 Hands Only CPR Class - December 18, 2024

The Town of Franklin Health & Fire Department is having another free hands only CPR for community members on Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024. 

This class teaches participants how to recognize cardiac arrest and to effectively perform hands-only CPR in order to save a life. 

This class is for educational purposes only and participants will not receive a CPR certification. 

Approximately 1 hour long FREE instructional class (including hands-on practice).

**SIGN UP LINK: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945ACAF2EAAF9C25-53527007-handsonly

Download the flyer as a reminder or to share -> 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15eTBx55RsdJSEmNATKfYSr9GekGBebkx/view?usp=drive_link

Franklin LGBTQ Alliance Newsletter - Meeting Dec 6

Join us for our monthly meeting Thursday at Franklin TV!

Franklin LGBTQ Alliance In this newsletter we include an invitation to our next meeting and community events, including our next book club discussion, and include more opportunities to get involved. You Are Invited To Our November Monthly Meeting!   When: December 5th at 6:30 PM   Where: Franklin TV at 23 Hutchinson St. in Franklin   What: Come hang out and help make ornaments for the Franklin Senior Center! Announcing our new Events Coordinator...Rion James (he/they)!   "Rion has lived in Franklin since he was 3. He works at stop and shop filling online shopping orders, but aspires to be a preschool teacher one day. Rion loves to read and write, watch tv, play video games, and cuddle his dog Sonic. He is excited to put our group out more and hopefully bring in more people in the community and allies together."   Join us in welcoming Rion as a new FLA officer! FLA Events Join us for Wicked Queer Game Night!!   When: First Saturdays (December 7th)   Where: Pete's Nerd Emporium at 10 Main St in Franklin   When: 6:30 to 8:30pm LGBTQ+ Book Club on the second Wednesdays of each month! Join us December 11th at 6:30pm at Pete's Nerd Emporium (10 Main St, Franklin) Join us as we read Guapa by Saleem Haddad!   You can get your copy at the Franklin Public Library.    "Set over the course of twenty-four hours,  Guapa follows Rasa, a gay man living in an unnamed Arab country, as he tries to carve out a life for himself in the midst of political and social upheaval. Rasa spends his days translating for Western journalists and pining for the nights when he can sneak his lover, Taymour, into his room. One night Rasa's grandmother—the woman who raised him—catches them in bed together. The following day Rasa is consumed by the search for his best friend Maj, a fiery activist and drag queen star of the underground bar, Guapa, who has been arrested by the police. Ashamed to go home and face his grandmother, and reeling from the potential loss of the three most important people in his life, Rasa roams the city's slums and prisons, the lavish weddings of the country's elite, and the bars where outcasts and intellectuals drink to a long-lost revolution. Each new encounter leads him closer to confronting his own identity, as he revisits his childhood and probes the secrets that haunt his family. As Rasa confronts the simultaneous collapse of political hope and his closest personal relationships, he is forced to discover the roots of his alienation and try to re-emerge into a society that may never accept him. (goodreads)"   We hope you will read with us!  If you are not on our email list, sign up to receive future emails with this form.  This newsletter was shortened for publication here. To view the full set of content -> View this email in your browser

Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) schedule for Wednesday, Dec 4, 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)

• This segment features the December 2024 event highlights for the Library -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/11/mitzi-i-preview-all-key-events-at.html

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 points.

• Mark & Kim talk about "What to serve with the bird - beer for wine lovers"
   -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/11/the-wonderful-world-of-wine-www-episode_02001955722.html

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)

• This features the Dec 2024 event highlights at the Senior Center -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/11/sarah-ariel-reveal-december-event.html

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

7:30 am  Mental Health: Rion James

8:30 am  Veterans Day Luncheon 2024

10:00 am  Second Sunday Speaker Series: Rod & Gun Club

11:30 am  Cooking Thyme: Lasagna

12:00 pm  Brook'n'Cookin: Chicken Salad

12:30 pm  Cooking with Linda: Stuffing

1:30 pm  Pizzapalooza: White Pizza

2:00 pm  New England Candlepins: Summer 2018 Show 4

3:00 pm  Candlepin New Generation: Show 5

5:00 pm  Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter

6:30 pm  The Black Box: Wicked

9:30 pm  Circle of Friends: Joe Jencks

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

8:30 am  Public School Concert: Horace Mann Winter Music 2022

10:00 am  SAFE Coalition: Woody Geissman

11:00 am  Public School Event: Remington Winter Music 2021

12:30 pm  FHS Varsity Volleyball v Stoughton 09-23-24

3:00 pm  Winning Ways with the MIAA: Referee Shortage Pt1

4:00 pm  FHS Varsity Field Hockey v Concord Carlisle 09-18-24

6:00 pm  Public School Event: FHS Winter Music 2021

7:30 pm  FHS Varsity Swimming v Attleboro 01-12-24

10:00 pm  FHS Girls Varsity Soccer v Milford 10-24-24

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

8:00 am Town Council 11-20-24

2:00 pm Town Council 11-20-24

6:00 pm Police Station Building Committee 11-14-24

6:30 pm Master Plan Committee  TRAINING Floor 3  879 7637 9325

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

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 ???

Tuesday, December 3

• Fiber Art Installation (Franklin Public Library)
• Winter Coat Drive (4 drop off locations)
• Franklin Art Association, Art Show & Sale  (Norfolk Public Library)

10:00am Community Closet (Franklin United Methodist Church)

6:00pm Table Top (Franklin Public Library)

7:30pm Voice of Franklin, part of Toastmasters International (Franklin TV Studio)

**   Town Meetings today   **

Franklin Cemetery Association Annual Meeting (Senior Center)

Event Date:  Tuesday, December 3, 2024 - 6:00pm

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/events/franklin_cemetery_association_annual_meeting.pdf

What's happening today in Franklin? 

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Why are there multiple calendars?

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:

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/upcoming

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

Luminaries again for sale by Boy Scout Troop 126

Franklin Boy Scouts Troop 126 are again selling luminaries. The scouts hope everyone will share them on New  Year's Eve. 

Luminaries again for sale by Boy Scout Troop 126

They must be preordered and can be picked up at the Franklin Historical Museum at 80 West Central Street on Sunday, December 22nd, from 1-3 PM and Saturday, December 28th, from 10 AM - 2 PM 

(A portion of the proceeds is shared with both the Franklin Historical Museum and the Franklin Food Pantry.) 

Boy Scouts will also deliver the kits to Franklin residents for an extra $3. Then, on New Year’s Eve, at 6 PM, everyone joins together in lighting their luminaries! 

More information is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KOnNLt6Og7vXOCryhSSmYpHv5b0LXnc7/view?usp=sharing

Scout Troop 126 selling luminaries to "Light up Franklin" for 2024