5th Joint Budget Listening Session held with remote participation option on Saturday, March 8 (audio)

FM #1400 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1400 in the series. 

This session shares the Joint Budget Listening Session held Saturday, March 8, 2025 Council Chambers. 8 of the 10 members participated along with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen & School Supt Lucas Giguere.

Brief statements by Town Administrator Jamie Hellen and Superintendent Lucas Giguere opened the session before going to the audience for questions and comments. More than 14 folks stepped up to comment or ask a question, some multiple questions. Felicia Oti, Library Director spoke to the work being done by the Library.

Link to the Town page with the budget materials for both Town and School sides

https://www.franklinma.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=500 

As of today, $3.8M short, got a slight update with the preview of the preliminary budget being presented to the Town Council Wednesday, March 5.

The recording runs about 2 hours 7 minutes , so let’s listen in. Audio link ->

https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1400-joint-budget-subcmte-listening-session-5-03-08-25/

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

Franklin TV video for viewing -> https://www.youtube.com/live/LlUDdpZqkNg?&t=13 

My notes captured during the session

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wBaFVj9_9K0Rj1z23CGl2--vaO0QsoIn/view?usp=drive_link 

Updated FY 2026 budget document -> https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4593/2025-03-05-Town-Council-Preliminary-Budget-Presentation-v2 

Citizen discounts and exemptions -> https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/4418/Local-and-State-Assistance-Programs-PDF 

You can find the collection of video, audio, and transcripts for the prior sessions here ->  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/02/joint-budget-listening-sessions-fy-2026.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

• 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!

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

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

5th Joint Budget Listening Session held with remote participation option on Saturday, March 8 (audio)

2025 D1 Championship for FHS Cheerleaders

2025 D1 Championship for FHS Cheerleaders

 

"Congratulations Franklin Varsity Cheerleading on another D1 State Championship"

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1551606135109407/posts/3924275234509140

Kennedy PCC fund raiser all day Tuesday, March 11 at Maks Roast Beef & Pizza

Kennedy PCC fund raiser all day
Tuesday, March 11  at Maks Roast Beef & Pizza

Don’t cook this Tuesday (March 11) and support Kennedy!

Shared from ->   https://www.facebook.com/groups/FranklinParents/posts/3020537451429884/

Positive Trends Continue in Norfolk County's Real Estate Market

Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell reported that Norfolk County recordings for the month of February 2025 indicate an increase in overall real estate activity compared to last year, including increases in both the total number of deeds and mortgages recorded.

The Registry of Deeds recorded 6,870 documents in February 2025. This was 1% more than in February 2024, but a 12% decrease compared to January 2025.

Positive Trends Continue in Norfolk County's Real Estate Market

“Overall, the increase in document recordings compared to the previous year is a positive indicator for the real estate market, highlighting steady growth in both commercial and residential sectors. Despite a slight dip in activity from the previous month, the year-over-year growth suggests a consistent trend for the market,” stated Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell.

The total number of deeds recorded for February 2025, which reflects both commercial and residential real estate sales and transfers, was 1,035, up 8% from February 2024, but down 10% from January 2025. According to the Federal Reserve Bank, home listings in Norfolk County increased by 15% in February 2025 compared to February 2024.

“Since mid-2024, the real estate market in Norfolk County has experienced a sustained increase in the number of deeds recorded. This upward momentum has continued all the way up to the traditional homebuying season,” noted Register O’Donnell. “We will need to wait and see if this trend persists, especially as we approach the peak months for real estate activity. Factors such as interest rates, economic conditions, and the inventory of available property will play crucial roles in determining whether the market can maintain its current pace.”

In February, lending activity increased compared to the same month a year ago. A total of 983 mortgages were recorded in February 2025, up 7% from February 2024, but down 14% from January 2025. According to The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, average mortgage interest rate in February 2024 were between 6.63% and 6.94%, while in February 2025, they were between 6.76% and 6.89%.

“The increase in mortgage activity continued in February compared to the same month last year. Mortgage interest rates have remained relatively stable, staying within a narrow range compared to this time last year. Even though rates are higher than in 2021 and 2022, some borrowers still find them attractive,” stated Register O’Donnell. “As we move forward, it will be important to watch how changes in the economy and interest rates affect both the lending market and overall real estate activity in Norfolk County.”

The average sale price of commercial and residential properties for February 2025 rose to $1,061,849, a 7% increase compared to February 2024, but a decrease of 14% from January 2025. The total dollar volume of commercial and residential sales is also up, increasing by 4% from last year but down 30% from the previous month.

“Norfolk County is undeniably a sought-after location for both living and working, thanks to the vibrant communities and the dedicated efforts of municipal staff and leaders,” remarked Register O'Donnell. “However, even as property listings increase, the limited property inventory is still unable to meet the high demand. Many would agree that the market poses challenges for buyers, particularly those purchasing their first home.”

 

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds has been closely monitoring the foreclosure market. In February 2025, there were seven foreclosure deeds recorded as a result of mortgage foreclosures taking place in Norfolk County, up from the six recorded in February 2024. Additionally, there were 19 notices to foreclose, the first step in the foreclosure process, which is fewer than the 26 recorded in February 2024.

“Unforeseen events can happen to any of us, and sometimes these events can have severe emotional and financial impacts. I urge anyone struggling to pay their mortgage, or who knows someone in this situation, to reach out to one of the non-profit organizations listed on our website, www.norfolkdeeds.org,” said Register O'Donnell

For the past several years, the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds has partnered with Quincy Community Action Programs (617-479-8181 x376) and NeighborWorks Housing Solutions (508-587-0950) to help anyone facing challenges paying their mortgage. Another option for homeowners is to contact the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Consumer Advocacy and Response Division (CARD) at 617-727-8400.

Register O'Donnell concluded, “The real estate market in Norfolk County has shown signs of growth and stability over the past year. February 2025 saw an increase in both the total number of deeds and mortgages recorded compared to February 2024, indicating a healthy demand for property in the area. While there are some challenges with limited property inventory, especially for first-time buyers, Norfolk County continues to be a great place to live and work. As we move into the traditional home buying season, we look forward to continued growth in the months ahead.”

To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, “like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/norfolkdeeds. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @norfolkdeeds.

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, located at 649 High St., Dedham, is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities, and others with a need for secure, accurate, and accessible land record information. All land record research information can be found on the Registry's website, www.norfolkdeeds.org. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101 or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org.

Hear about the Children’s Museum of Franklin! at Teddy Gallagher's Sunday, Mar 23 from 2 to 5 PM

Hear about the Children’s Museum of Franklin!
 at Teddy Gallagher's Sunday, Mar 23 from 2 to 5 PM

 

"Teddy’s honored and proud to support the new Children’s Museum of Franklin!  

Please come by and show your support for this incredible endeavor. Sunday 3/23 2:00-5:00PM.  

See you all then!! "

 

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

For additional info on the Children's Museum ->  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/childrens-museum-update-you-can-help.html

Franklin Leo’s Club has food drive for New Beginnings through March 24

Franklin Leo’s Club has food drive
for New Beginnings through March 24

"Please consider donating food items for New Beginnings!  

We are collecting thru March 24th from the locations listed with the exception of Rockland Trust - 58 Main St. 

They are undergoing renovations and can only accept donations thru Friday, March 14th. 

For more information about New Beginnings please visit: https://www.newbeginningskitchen.com/

Shared from ->   https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15q7f1Knh2

The Guardian: "Trump administration cancels classes at National Fire Academy amid funding freeze"

"The country’s pre-eminent federal fire training academy canceled classes, effective immediately, on Saturday amid the ongoing flurry of funding freezes and staffing cuts by Donald Trump’s administration.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that National Fire Academy (NFA) courses had been canceled amid a “process of evaluating agency programs and spending to ensure alignment with Administration priorities”, according to a notice sent to instructors, students and fire departments. Instructors were told to cancel all future travel until further notice.

Firefighters, emergency medical service providers and other first responders from across the country travel to the NFA’s Maryland campus for the federally funded institution’s free training programs.

“The NFA is a powerhouse for the fire service,” said Marc Bashoor, a former Maryland fire chief and West Virginia emergency services director with 44 years of fire safety experience. “It’s not a ‘nice to have’. It is the one avenue we have to bring people from all over the country to learn from and with each other. If we want to continue to have one of the premier fire services in the world, we need to have the National Fire Academy.”

Shared from (subscription maybe required) -> https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/08/trump-administration-national-fire-academy

wfpr.fm Schedule for Monday, March 10, 2025 - Franklin Public Radio

Available anywhere, anytime at wfpr.fm or in the Franklin area FM dial at 102.9 

Time/Day			Monday
7:00 AM	12:00 Noon	5:00 PM	Jazz
8:00 AM	1:00 PM	6:00 PM	Chapters - Derick
9:00 AM	2:00 PM	7:00 PM	Music 2 Lift Spirit - Falvey
10:00 AM	3:00 PM	8:00 PM	Senior Story Hour - Sherlock, et al
11:00 AM	4:00 PM	9:00 PM	Frank Musings/ Presents - Falvey

Monday

• Chapters – Jim Derick  Insightful, life-affirming stories and interviews
• Music to Lift the Spirit - Frank Falvey
• Senior Story Hour – Senior Center Writers Group
• Frank’s Musings/Presents – with Frank Falvey

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule

Franklin TV schedule for Monday, March 10, 2025

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

7:00 am Riffin' on Main Street: Pauline Spender

8:00 am SAFE Coalition: Woody Geissman

9:00 am Critical Conversations: Social Media

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

12:30 pm Cooking with Linda: Monkey Bread

1:05 pm Cooking Thyme: Red Pepper Soup

1:33 pm Pizzapalooza: Meat-Lovers Pt. 1

2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer '19 Show 2

3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Show 11

4:00 pm Franklin Art Association: Erin Spencer

5:30 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Pete Smith

7:00 pm Care For Ukraine

8:30 pm  Circle of Friends: Tracy Grammer

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

9:30 am Winning Ways with the MIAA: Pete Smith

10:30 am FHS Concert Hour 02-26-25

12:00 pm All-Town Showcase 2024: Chorus and Orchestra

1:30 pm FHS Girls Varsity Hockey v Canton 02-05-25

3:30 pm FHS Winter Jazz 01-29-25

5:00 pm FHS Girls Varsity Basketball: v Bishop Feehan 03-06-23

7:30 pm SAFE Coalition: Woody Geissman

8:30 pm FHS Boys Varsity Hockey v Arlington 02-25-25

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

 

8:00 am Planning Board 02-24-25

10:00 am Joint Budget Subcommittee Listening Session 2 02-12-25

12:30 pm Police Station Building Committee 02-25-25

2:00 pm Planning Board 02-24-25

7:00 pm Planning Board  CHAMBERS  834 8599 6424

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: Sunday, March 9, 2025 ???

Sunday, March 9 = Daylight Saving Time starts

"Look Up" Gallery (Franklin Public Library - Community Room during open hours)

11:00am Sunday Brunch (Teddy Gallagher's Irish Pub)

1:00pm Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:15pm Second Sunday Speaker (Franklin Historical Museum)

7:00pm Rehearsal for Distinguished Young Women (Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center)

** NO  Town Meetings today   **

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

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

FPAC Announces Cast for Mel Brooks’ The Producers

The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) is excited to announce the cast of Mel Brooks’ The Producers running March 14-23 at THE BLACK BOX in Franklin, MA. The production is directed by FPAC Artistic Director Raye Lynn Mercer, with choreography by Associate Director Broadway’s Clay Rice-Thomson (Moulin Rouge!, KING KONG, Matilda, Newsies), and music direction by Hallie Wetzell. 

The Producers is a Mel Brooks comedy full of adult humor and innuendo. Audience discretion is advised.

(L-R) Nick Paone, Paul Rescigno, Katie Mariko Murray

Leading the cast are FPAC’s Nick Paone as Max Bialystock and NYC’s Paul Rescigno as Leo Bloom. They are joined by NYC’s Katie Mariko Murray (Disney’s Frozen on tour) as Ulla, Anthony Fett (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on tour) as Roger DeBris, Robert Mintz as Carmen Ghia, and Franklin favorite Timothy Ayres-Kerr as Franz Liebkind.

The ensemble is made up of artists from NYC, the Boston-Providence-Franklin area, and Musical Theater students from Dean College: Andrew Scott Holmes, Casey Harkness Andrade, Melissa Baratta, Elijah Bondar, Marissa J. Browning, Nya Dekrines, Heather Dorler, Shaina Dunn, Charley Eastman, Kim Frigon, Julia Lavoie, Alex LeBlanc, David Livingston, Conor Meehan, Caroline Merten, Anissa Perona, Myranda Rose Silva, Kellie Stamp, Jason Robert Warner, and Isis Wilson.

Joining the ensemble on stage at THE BLACK BOX are FPAC Student Apprentices from the Franklin School for the Performing Arts: Elena Baker, Ani Corkran, Helena Cornwell, Devin Curley, Brodie DeAngelis, Devin DeAngelis, Baree Frigon, Kayla Hoben, Hailey Hulbig, Madeleine Jacomme, Katherine LeBlanc, Matthew Packard, Kate Settle, Angelina Willey, and Michael Wirkus.

The plot of The Producers is simple: a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history, thereby bilking their backers (all "little old ladies") out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit. The antics of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom as they maneuver their way fecklessly through finding a show, hiring a director, raising the money and finally going to prison for their misdeeds is a lesson in broad comic construction. At the core of the insanely funny adventure is a poignant emotional journey of two very different men who become friends. With a truly hysterical book co-written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan (Annie) and music and lyrics by Mr. Brooks, The Producers skewers Broadway traditions and takes no prisoners.

FPAC is an Actors’ Equity Small Professional Theater company based at THE BLACK BOX in downtown Franklin. Each season, FPAC produces musicals, plays, ballets, and more featuring Broadway stars, professional actors, local artists, and students of the arts.

Tickets for The Producers are available at FPAConline.com/tickets or by calling the box office at 508-528-3370. Follow Franklin Performing Arts Company and THE BLACK BOX on Facebook and Instagram for updates on programming.

5th Joint Budget Listening Session held with remote participation option on Saturday (video)

The 5th in the series of 6 Joint Budget Listening Sessions was held in the Council Chambers on Saturday, March 8, 2025. This was the only one enabled for Zoom participation and about 10 folks took advantage of this.

The deficit at this point is $3.8M a light increase over the initial projection of $3.6M

Franklin TV video for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/live/LlUDdpZqkNg?&t=13

The agenda doc contains the updated preliminary budget information released this week -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/Joint-Budget-Subcommittee-6/?#_03082025-1557

The audio will be made available and the transcript in the next couple of days. You can find the collection of video, audio and transcripts for the prior sessions here ->  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/02/joint-budget-listening-sessions-fy-2026.html

My notes captured during the listening session can be found in one PDF file

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wBaFVj9_9K0Rj1z23CGl2--vaO0QsoIn/view?usp=drive_link