Franklin Matters

Thursday, February 27, 2025

School Committee Legislative Forum - Feb 24, 2025 (audio)

FM #1388 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1388 in the series.

This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee Legislative Forum held on Monday, Feb 24, 2025. The Forum was held in the FHS Lecture Hall and broadcast via cable, Zoom, and to YouTube by Franklin TV. The audio of that recording is available here as a podcast.

School Committee Chair Dave Callaghan was host, welcomed Superintendent Lucas Giguere who provided a briefing on the school redistricting and school budget.

Chair Callaghan turned to the legislative delegation, Senator Becca Rausch and State Representative Jeff Roy for their opening remarks before getting into some prepared questions. After the prepared questions, the audience was allowed to ask questions or make comments.

The recording runs about 1 hour & 55 minutes, so let’s listen in. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1388-school-cmte-legislative-forum-02-24-25/

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The Franklin TV video is available for replay here ->

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuUN6giRqc0

The agenda doc can be found ->

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02242025-1582

My full set of notes taken during the meeting can be found in one PDF ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pX-uJFiDmOih9nE4vdq9QSr7qeGlQwQH/view?usp=drive_link

Photos taken during the event ->

https://photos.app.goo.gl/821vCMxw7Br6KakP8

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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
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And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

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!

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School Superintendent Lucas Giguere

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Thursday, February 27, 2025 ???

Thursday, February 27

5pm Board Game Night (Pete's Nerd Emporium)

for additional details on Library events -> https://franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=24&showPastEvents=false

** Town Meetings today **

Town Administrator Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02272025-1604

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) - No meeting, next scheduled meeting March 13

https://franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02272025-1539

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Why are there multiple calendars?

What's happening today in Franklin?

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/calendar.aspx?CID=37&showPastEvents=false

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

Economic Development Subcmte recommends adding shared kitchen definition for Council review (video)

The Economic Development Subcommittee meeting was conducted as scheduled on Wednesday. The meeting started and then restarted to get to the correct Zoom link so few minutes were repeated for some on the video recording and net new for others who joined the real Zoom link.

Franklin TV video replay -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aC6kDo1DtM&t=408

The meeting agenda and docs released for this session

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/02/economic-development-to-review-proposed.html

Quick recap:

The shared kitchen definition and addition to the use tables for commercial (not residential) zones was discussed, clarified, and then moved to bring to the Town Council by a 4-0 vote.
The naming of the Crossing Neighborhood District and the minor additions was agreed to in concept but after discussion determined that it is an opportunity to do more with than "just renaming". Especially with the Master Plan approved, some of those items can be considered for implementation here.

map displaying the proposed Crossing Neighborhood District changes

My full set of notes captured during the meeting

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CkUfWVxVbGsGOp9bj8Ew6yDP8BiZDsvy/view?usp=drive_link

Franklin High School Concert Hour - Lecture Hall - Feb 26, 2025 (video)

The Franklin TV video of the FHS Concert hour -> https://www.youtube.com/live/nFh1lL4Ftu0?&t=73

FHS basketball playoff double header scheduled for Feb 27

PLAYOFFS!!!

Schedule for the week for Live Streams for Franklin TV.

Please checkout Franklin Pride TV on YouTube for sports

https://bit.ly/FTV-Schools

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

FAA Art Show &Reception scheduled for Foxboro March 2, 2025 from 5 to 7 PM

Supporting Artists: Upcoming FAA Art Show

Supporting Artists: Upcoming FAA Art Show

Upcoming art event & what the future holds for the Franklin Arts Academy by Ash Montani

"On Sunday, March 2nd from 5-7 PM, the Franklin Arts Academy will be running an art show hosted at Hunakai Studio School of Fine Arts in Foxborough.

The show will feature stunning 2D and 3D visual art created by FAA students and is open to anyone at no cost! It will be a fun night for artists and supporters to come together as a community to support both the program and the studio, as well as enjoying beautiful works of art.

Free refreshments will be provided to attendees, so make sure you stop by!"

Continue reading the article at Pantherbook -> https://sites.google.com/franklinps.net/pantherbook/school-news/faa-art-show-in-foxboro

Check out the Franklin Public Library's full schedule of event highlights for March 2025

Library Hours

The Library’s hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Franklin Public Library’s 2025 Reading Challenge!

March: Say her name!

Welcome to the Franklin Public Library's second Annual Reading Challenge! For each monthly prompt that you complete and submit on time you will receive a Free Book Coupon that's good at the library's Book Sale. Submissions MUST be submitted by the last day of each month in order to qualify for that month's Free Book Coupon. For complete details and to sign-up, visit our website! Grand prizes made possible by the Friends of the Franklin Library!

Franklin Public Library VITA: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

Open Saturdays from 9:30 to 4:00 PM

The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax return preparation to qualified individuals. Qualified individuals generally includes: People who generally make $68,000 or less, Persons with disabilities; and Limited English-speaking taxpayers. This is a walk in site with potential wait times.

Learn more at the Library Web Page under adult services or email site coordinator Mitzi Gousie at mgousie@minlib.net

https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events

ESL & Adult Literacy Program

The Franklin Public Library has started an English as a Second Language and Adult Literacy Program to serve Franklin and its surrounding communities. Volunteers and students do not need to be Franklin residents. If interested, fill out the registration form on the library’s website.

Special Events for Kids

Music at the Blissful! Saturday, March 8th @ 10:30AM

Join us for a fun, high energy music program for children and their grownups! Musician Evan Haller brings the energy to get the whole crowd up and dancing!

Mario Party! Tuesday, March 11th @ 1:00PM

It’s a half day for the Franklin Public Schools and we are celebrating with a special in-person real life version of Mario Party! Work your way through the stations and games, and find more surprises along the way!

“Drive-In” Movie! Wednesday, March 12th @ 1:00PM

Families! Join us for a “Drive-In” movie (indoors of course!) in our program room! First we’ll decorate our “cars” (aka boxes we’ve been saving up for the event) then we’ll relax and enjoy a movie and some popcorn in our spiffy new rides! You’re welcome to bring your own box to decorate, or use one of ours!

Local Hero Storytime! Tuesday, March 18th @ 1:00PM

Join us as we welcome our friends from the Franklin Fire Department for a special local hero storytime!

Crafternoon! Tuesday, March 18th @ 2:00PM

Join us for a fun afternoon of crafting for kiddos of all ages! We'll have an assortment of seasonal crafts for all to enjoy!

Kat Chapman Concert! Saturday, March 22nd @ 10:30AM

Join us for a super fun music and movement program for kiddos! Kat Chapman has an extensive background as a touring singer-songwriter, performer, and music enrichment specialist. Come and sing or play along with rhythm and props!

Special Events for Adults

JUNTO Non Fiction Book Club, Thursday, March 20th 6:30PM

The JUNTO (from the Spanish junta or assembly) was a club for mutual improvement established in 1727 by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin Public Library’s JUNTO Book Club is a place to discuss a book of the month and share our insights from the book and discuss how! The March Book is Eve by Cat Bohannon! Get a physical or digital copy through the Library Catalog!

Hydrangeas P's & Q's, Tuesday, March 4th @7:00PM

This presentation addresses common issues raised about hydrangeas, including when and how to plant; how to raise or lower the soil pH to control bloom color; when and how to prune hydrangea that bloom on old wood (e.g. H macrophylla, H serrata) and new wood (e.g. H arborescens, H paniculata); and common fungal problems and pests. And extra time is saved to answer your questions.

Maker Moment: Hand Warmers, Thursday, March 6th @6:30PM

Registration Required

Join Mrs. Mitzi for a craft class guaranteed to warn your hands and hopefully your heart! We will be stitching together heart shaped hand warmers. All Materials Provided. This program is designed for adults 18+ but open to ages 15+.

Special Events for All Ages

Irish in America, Saturday, March 15th @3:00PM

Free Concert

A musical journey celebrating the ‘Irish in America‘. Irish immigrants captured the heart of the nation with their mix of Irish jigs, ballads, folk songs, storytelling and humor. Every year is a new show so, get your green on, warm up your voices, and enjoy the warmth, spirit and hilarity of the ‘Irish in America’. This program is funded in part by a grant from the Franklin cultural council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Franklin Library Book Sale

Friday, March 14th, 1:00-5:00pm. Saturday, March 15th, 9:00am to 12:00 Noon

All books are just one dollar!

Bag Sale - $5 A Bag—Saturday, March 15th, from 1:00-4:00pm

Come fill a brown bag with all the books you can!

Phase 8 - Sewer Lining Project Starts Tuesday March 4, 2025

Below is the anticipated schedule for the Sewer Lining work that National Watermain will be conducting:

Phase 8 - Sewer Lining Project
Tuesday (3/4) – Pine Street (#161/152 to #169/170), Stanwood Drive (Pine St to #39/36)
Wednesday (3/5) – Stanwood Drive (#8/11 to #20/31), Pine Street (#80/81 to #102/103)
Thursday (3/6) – Pine Street (#102/103 to #152/151)
Friday (3/7) – Pine Street (Mary Ann Dr to #80/81)
Monday (3/10) – Mary Ann Drive (#9/10 to Pine St), Pine St (Mary Ann Dr to #9/28)
Tuesday (3/11) – Pine Street (#9/28 to Pond St)

Please follow posted detour signs and use caution when driving in these areas.

During this part of the lining residents that will be affected will be notified. If you experience any issues please call the DPW at 508-553-5500.

This work will help to improve the structural integrity of our sewer system and reduce groundwater intrusion which reduces our bill from the Charles River Pollution Control District.

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=44

Panther's Cup scheduled for June 13, 2025. FHS football fund raiser

Panther's Cup scheduled for June 13

Fellow Alumni.

Let’s spread the word to other Alumni and friends about this years Golf outing. The FHS Coaching staff are working hard to get the players ready to compete each year.

One of our jobs as fellow brothers is to help in any way we can. Spreading the word is a big step helping out. Getting a foursome or even sponsoring a hall will help.

Let’s help give back like past alumni we watched play and idolize.

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

There are still openings with the Early Childhood Center (ECDC)

Early Childhood Center (ECDC) registration is open

The FX O'Regan Early Childhood Center (ECDC) announces that preschool registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now OPEN!!

Please CLICK HERE: https://www.franklinps.net/o/ecdc to access the ECDC website and the application for next year.

Applications are also available at the ECDC and the Superintendent's Office.

Sound Bath Meditation Workshop scheduled for March 10

One session of Sound Bath Meditation can help you clear your mind, melt tension. and reduce stress.

For information and to register, visit:

Community Learning Exercise & Wellness Classes

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

Boston GLobe: "Roy will join Mariano’s inner circle as a close advisor"

"State Representative Jeffrey Roy, who was first appointed chair of the powerful energy committee in 2021 and is dating a lobbyist with business before the committee, was removed from his post as chairman of the Joint Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy committee and promoted by House Speaker Ron Mariano into his leadership team.

The move thrusts Roy into Beacon Hill’s powerful inner circle and assures the seven-term Democrat sees no cut to his compensation despite losing the coveted committee post.

The leadership shakeup comes after a series of stories published by the Globe last year revealed Roy’s relationship with lobbyist Jennifer Crawford, a partner in the state’s highest-grossing influence firm.

Mariano told reporters Wednesday that removing Roy from the top of the energy committee and promoting him into the leadership ranks makes “some of the negative things that he’s been attributed with goes away.”

Continue reading the article in the Globe:

State Representative Jeffrey Roy

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/26/metro/roy-crawford-committee-chairmanship-state-house-mariano/

You can access the full article at the Boston Globe with your Franklin Library card -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/02/how-to-access-online-resources-with.html

You can also listen to my converdsation with State Rep Jeff Roy recorded earlier in February. During this interview, Jeff did talk about this issue and the GLobe reporting on it. He has had other chairmanship roles and was open to a different role to help the Speaker and continue to deliver for the Franklin and Medway community he represents.

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/02/state-rep-jeff-roy-looks-back-on-2024.html

Childhood vaccines: Their safety and potential side effects

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Childhood vaccines: What research shows about their safety and rare side effects

Dear readers,

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, is now at the helm of the nation's health and human services department, and the future of vaccines in the U.S. has become unpredictable.

"We don't know what's going to happen and what's going to change," Dr. Kristen Panthagani, a third-year emergency medicine resident and science communicator, told me.

At The Journalist's Resource, we strive to provide reporters with research-based primers and tip sheets. So, I decided to write a piece that explains in detail what research shows about the safety, effectiveness and side effects of childhood vaccines. The result is a 5,600-word reference guide. You can borrow from it when you need to or republish parts or all of it, as long as you adhere to a few basic guidelines.

In the piece you will find the following resources:

5 quick tips when reporting on vaccines.
What's known about vaccine safety.
Common vaccine side effects.
How vaccine side effects are tracked in the U.S.
A list of childhood vaccines along with their safety and side effects, based on what large systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found.
More resources for reporting on vaccines.

These are unsettling times for many scientists, doctors and health journalists who have long relied on information from federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration for their work. Some pages and data tools have been taken down, so have some research studies.

So, before closing this week's newsletter, I wanted to acknowledge the mental toll of the current non-stop news cycle on journalists. For me, it's reminiscent of the pressures of covering the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but at a larger scale and in all directions. Please don't forget to take care of yourself. Take short breaks. Do a few jumping jacks. Do a little dance. Pick up the phone and call a friend, or better yet, plan a Sunday brunch. We have a list of more practical tips to help you care for yourself.

Listen to Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong talk about burnout in his recent interview with The New York Times. Don't ignore the signals your body is sending you. And read this 2024 Poynter article by Kristen Hare.

For dealing with uncertainty in this chaotic world, a great piece of advice recently arrived in my inbox via author and journalist Oliver Burkeman's insightful newsletter, The Imperfectionist: "[A]s far as you can manage it, you should make sure your psychological center of gravity is in your real and immediate world – the world of your family and friends and neighborhood, your work and your creative projects, as opposed to the world of presidencies and governments, social forces and global emergencies."

I'm immensely grateful for your hard work. Please take good care.

Naseem Miller
Senior editor for health at The Journalist's Resource