Wednesday, July 30, 2025

"In the logic of money, the old can never beat the new." (video)

"Every minute, a building in Europe is destroyed—not by wind, flood, or fire but by human hands. Real-estate speculators have built a system that puts profit before people and planet. And it’s not only walls and roofs that are lost! This talk exposes the hidden costs of demolition and shows why a home’s true value far exceeds its market price.

Olaf Grawert (@houseeurope.eu @olafgrawert) plans, writes, and speaks about architecture—not just as a profession, but as a cultural-economic and political force. As founding partner of b+ (bplus.xyz) and co-initiator of HouseEurope! (houseeurope.eu), he addresses the big questions of how we adapt buildings and the systems behind them. From campaigns to classrooms, buildings to books, his projects push the boundaries between theory and practice, redefining architecture as more than simply building."

View the full TedX Talk ->  https://youtu.be/2ENMWPx9_-0

How do we lead moral lives in the age of bullies?

"We are living in an age of bullies. Those with power are less constrained today than they have been in my lifetime, since the end of the second world war.

How do we lead moral lives in the age of bullies?
How do we lead moral lives in the age of bullies?
The question is: how do we lead moral lives in this era?

Vladimir Putin launches a horrendous war on Ukraine. After Hamas’s atrocity, Benjamin Netanyahu bombs Gaza to smithereens and is now starving to death its remaining occupants.

Trump abducts thousands of hardworking people within the US and puts them into detention camps – splitting their families, spreading fear. His immigration agents are accused of targeting people with brown skin.

He usurps the powers of Congress, defies the courts, and prosecutes his enemies."

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Yes, Franklin has it's own radio station -> wfpr.fm. Franklin Public Radio introduced a brand new schedule early in 2025 for the locally produced shows that fill our air waves. 

It is available anywhere, anytime at wfpr.fm or in the local Franklin, MA area at 102.9 on the FM dial.

Tune in to listen to the following:
 
Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Wednesday
Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Wednesday


8:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM   Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock 
Franklin and its local government, services and events  (repeats Saturday at 2 PM)  

9:00 AM, 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM  The Wonderful World of Wine – Mark Lenzi, Kim Simone  All about wine, its culture, lore and finer points.    (repeats Saturday at 1 PM)  



Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf 

Franklin TV schedule for Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (Your local Public, Education & Government "PEG" station)

  • Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 6, Verizon 26) = WEDNESDAY
7:30 am Mental Health: Raeleen Sullivan
8:30 am FSPA Spring 2025 Show 3
10:00 am Sons & Daughters of Italy: Paolo DiGregorio
11:30 am Cooking Thyme: Grillin'
12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin': Quinoa
12:30 pm Cooking with Linda: Trifles
1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: White Pizza
2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer 2018 Show 3
3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Show 9
3:30 pm 4th of July 2025: Midnight Ride
5:30 pm The Drummer's Studio: 12th Anniversary
8:30 pm Concerts on the Common: Mike Tarara

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

7:00 am All-Town Showcase 2024: Chorus and Orchestra
8:30 am Public School Event: Elementary Music Pt. 1 06-04-18
10:00 am SAFE Coalition: Task Force
11:00 am All-Town Showcase 2024: Chorus and Orchestra
12:30 pm Franklin Fury Softball v Dedham 07-23-25
4:00 pm Tri County Graduation 2025
6:00 pm FHS Graduation 2025
8:30 pm FHS Varsity Baseball v Oliver Ames 03-31-25

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

8:00 am Town Council 07-23-25
2:00 pm Town Council 07-23-25


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, July 29, 2025

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, July 29, 2025 ???

Library & Senior Center events
Library & Senior Center events
Tuesday, July 29


2:30pm Rainbow Cafe (Franklin Senior Center)

5:00pm CANCELED due to weather Youth Summer Track Meet (Franklin High School)


For additional details on Library & Senior Center events ->        



**  Town Meetings today   **


Massachusetts Strategic Health Group Meeting

Tuesday, July 29 Time: 1:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07292025-1836 



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


FPAC Searching for Kids to Star in ANNIE and PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) is seeking young local actors ages 8-18 to complete their casts for their October production of Annie and November production of Peter and the Starcatcher at THE BLACK BOX. 

Children’s Auditions for both shows will be held on September 6th from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at THE BLACK BOX located at 15 W. Central Street in Franklin, MA. Those auditioning for Annie are asked to prepare 16-32 bars of a musical theater song and those auditioning for Peter and the Starcatcher are given the option of preparing a brief monologue or reading one provided at the audition. Sign-ups for audition time slots are open now at FPAConline.com/auditions

FPAC Searching for Kids to Star in ANNIE and PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
FPAC Searching for Kids to Star in ANNIE
and PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
Those auditioning for both shows are asked to sign up for two slots in the same “group” when possible. For full character descriptions and instrument information, visit FPAConline.com/auditions. All questions regarding the audition/casting process can be emailed to FPACcasting@gmail.com

Annie will be directed by FPAC Artistic Director Raye Lynn Mercer, choreographed by Broadway’s Clay Rice-Thomson (Moulin Rouge, Matilda, Newsies, King Kong), with music direction by FPAC’s Resident Music Director Hallie Wetzell. The production runs October 17-26 at THE BLACK BOX. Peter and the Starcatcher will be directed by NYC’s Ali Funkhouser and run November 21-23 at THE BLACK BOX. 

FPAC is a professional regional theater (Actors’ Equity SPT Tier 1). The casts and creative teams are made up of Broadway stars, professionals from NYC and Boston, local talent, and student apprentices. All performers 18 (high school) and under cast in FPAC productions appear as “Student Apprentices.” 

The FPAC Student Apprentice program gives students of the arts a chance to share the stage with and be directed/choreographed by Broadway stars and New York, Boston, and local professional artists. A learning experience in the world of professional regional theater, Student Apprentices are sometimes called upon to assist FPAC’s Stage Management team and crew with things like technical rehearsals, upkeep of THE BLACK BOX space, and more. 

Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including “Tomorrow.” 

Peter and the Starcatcher is a play with music that upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants, to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair… and the bonds of friendship, duty, and love.

Tickets for FPAC’s entire 2025-26 Season will be available soon at FPAConline.com or by calling the box office at 508-528-3370. 

4 hour plus Town Council meeting?? try our 30 minute condensed recap (audio)

FM #1485 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1485 in the series. 


This session of the radio show shares our “Town Council Quarterbacking” with Town Council Chair Tom Mercer. We had our conversation via the Zoom Conference Bridge on Monday, July 28, 2025. Our conversation condensed the Town Council meeting of July 23, 2025.


We focus on two questions:

  • ok, what just happened? 

  • What does it mean for Franklin residents and taxpayers?


Discussion items: 

Fire Department - Swearing In of New Firefighter / Paramedic 

  • i. Jeffrey Wolcott, a backfill for an existing & funded position

Annual Reappointments and New Appointments of Boards and Committees Members 

  • i. See “Committee Appointments” in packet for member names

ABCC Transactions

  • New Section 12 Restaurant All Alcoholic Beverages License and Approval of Xiao Xia Zhang as the Manager - Kojo Asian Fusion LLC d/b/a Kojo, Located at 28 East Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038.

  • License Modification - Change of Location of a Section 15 Wine and Malt Beverages Package Store License: The Little Shop of Olive Oils Inc. d/b/a The Little Shop of Olive Oils,, Located at 5 Main St., Franklin, MA 02038

Legislation for Action

  • Resolution 25-27: FY26 Community Preservation Appropriation of Funds - Capital 

Friendly 40b

  • Resolution 25-49: Franklin Town Council Support for Proposed GL Chapter 40B Affordable Housing Project at 202 Washington Street Pursuant to DHCD’s Local Initiative Program (LIP)

Residential Commercial Kitchens

  • j. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 25-938: Residential Commercial Kitchens - A Zoning Bylaw to Amend Chapter 185, Section 3 of the Code of the Town of Franklin

  • Zoning Bylaw Amendment 25-939: Residential Commercial Kitchens - A Zoning Bylaw to Amend the Franklin Town Code at Chapter 185, Attachment 8, Use Regulations Schedule Part Vii: Accessory Uses - Referral to the Planning Board

New Service Fee

  • Bylaw Amendment 25-940: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 82, Fees, Municipal Service, by Adding a New Service Fee: Residential Commercial Kitchen - First Reading. Moved to 2nd

Resolution 25-50: Adoption of Local Initiative Program “Friendly 40B” Policy, 

  • Motion to Amend, fails 4-5

  • Motion to table and deliberate at a future meeting, Seconded. Nondebatable - Via roll call, passes 5-4 to be tabled for later date (Yes - Sheridan, Frongillo, Pellegri, Hamblen, Mercer; No - Cormier-Leger, Chandler, Jones, Dellorco)

Crossing Neighborhood Zoning District

  • Zoning Bylaw Amendment 25-929: Creation of the Crossing Neighborhood Zoning District - A Zoning Bylaw Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 185, Section 4,Districts Enumerated - Referral to the Planning Board Motion to referral, second 

  • Next 6 votes all relate to this one, all 6 moved to Planning Board, to return to Council likely in September

EV Charging Stations

  • Bylaw Amendment 25-936: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 73, Departmental Revolving Funds (EV Charging Stations) 

  • Bylaw Amendment 25–937: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 82,Fees, Municipal Service (EV Charging Stations) 

Acceptance of Gifts

  • Resolution 25-51: Acceptance of Gifts - Senior Center ($1,646), Veterans’ Services ($400), Fire Department ($1,025), Police Department ($1,000), Recreation (AED)

TOWN ADMINISTRATORS REPORT

  • Research forthcoming on alcohol license handling. Options for other than the Council 

  • Local aid cut $231,000 from final State budget; Further pressure next year, Aug 11 Finance Cmte

  • Raeleen Gallivan has a new position elsewhere closer to her home

  • Amy Frigulietti has a new position in Yarmouth



The conversation runs about 33 minutes Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1485-town-council-quarterbacking-07-28-25/



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The Franklin TV video for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dc10zX_m3k 


The agenda docs and supporting material ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07232025-1829 


My full set of notes: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HG6gba9gs32QQmenYy89A426iD-eGNLd/view?usp=drive_link 


Audio link ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1484-town-council-mtg-07-23-25/ 


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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

  • 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!

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


4 hour plus Town Council meeting?? try our 30 minute condensed recap (audio)
4 hour plus Town Council meeting?? try our 30 minute condensed recap (audio)