Franklin TV: Franklin, 1932

Here’s a Last Look – in 3D.

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 02/15/2026

Through much of December and January our Historical Museum displayed three dazzling dioramas depicting Franklin life in 1932. The exhibits are the patient painstaking work of Scott Mason – as detailed examples of miniature settings created by HO scale railroad enthusiasts. Scott raises it to a high art form.

dazzling dioramas depicting Franklin life in 1932

Before the dioramas were retired (until the next time) I was compelled to get to the Museum and, working with Scott and Chris Leverone, we stereographed Scott’s liliputian landscapes from several teeny viewpoints, producing another historical form of art – Holmes 3D stereograms.

3D images were first introduced in 1850 England by Prince Albert at the first International Exposition in London’s Crystal Palace. The stereogram cards often depicted landscapes, events and dignitaries, You inserted the cards into a stereopticon to see them as if you were actually there.

dazzling dioramas depicting Franklin life in 1932 - 2

dazzling dioramas depicting Franklin life in 1932 - 3

Later examples of stereography came to broad popularity as Viewmaster disks that many of us collected as kids. Disney continues to produce Viewmaster disks depicting its many characters in 3D antics. Today’s 3D movies and virtual reality games are based on the same optical principles that produced these images.

 

You can actually see these images in 3D right off the page by staring far beyond them in order to fuse the Left and Right image into one 3D view.

And – as always –

Thank you for watching. 

Thanks for listening to wfpr●fm,

and staying informed at Franklin●news.

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

Franklin Police Complete Annual Mental Health Training

Via Franklin Police Dept:

Franklin Police Complete Annual Mental Health Training

Today (2/12/26), the Department concluded its annual Mental Health Training, led by the head of our Co-Response Program, Clinician Kallie Montagano.

Officers received continued instruction on the Section 12 process and had the opportunity to hear from guest speakers representing Tri-Valley Elder Services, Foundations Group Recovery Centers, and the Department of Children and Families.

Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/1A76QcE2Bm/

FPAC to perform "Into the Woods" March 13-22 at THE BLACK BOX

Once upon a time… 📖 Don’t miss Ali Funkhouser (@alifunk ) as Cinderella, Anissa Perona ( @anissaperona ) as Rapunzel, Robbie Rescigno as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf, and Paul Rescigno as Rapunzel’s Prince (@therescignos ) this March in FPAC’s Into the Woods!

FPAC presents James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s timeless, yet relevant, Into the Woods March 13-22 at THE BLACK BOX! Directed by FPAC Artistic Director Raye Lynn Mercer. The story follows a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk.

When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.

🚨Content Advisory: Into the Woods contains some violence, death, and darker themes that may not be suitable for all audiences, particularly young children. The musical adaptation of the classic fairy tales includes a “darker” and less “happy ending” focused story than traditional fairy tales.

Matinee performances will feature an “Act 1 Only” option for kids with activities/supervision provided next door at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts during Act 2.

Shared from - https://www.instagram.com/p/DUqYRl_DVI8/

Tickets available online - https://fpaconline.com/into-the-woods/

Food Pantry closed for week of Feb 16 - 21 to clean and stock

Franklin Food Pantry closed for week of Feb 16 - 21 to clean and stock

The Pantry will be closed beginning Monday, February 16, 2026, and reopen for shopping on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

During this time, a small team of staff and volunteers will be hard at work deep-cleaning, taking inventory, and restocking our shelves.

This information has been shared with our wonderful clients and additional resources are available on our website.

Shared from - https://www.instagram.com/p/DUtYPmFDG26/

Rod and Gun Club Breakfast - Sunday, Feb 15 from 7:30 to 11:00 AM

Rod and Gun Club Breakfast - Sunday,
Feb 15 from 7:30 to 11:00 AM

We do a video the morning of each breakfast, and we have our all-you-can-eat breakfast this Sunday morning (Feb. 15 from 7:30-11 AM at 53 Florence St. Franklin, MA).

Who here thinks I should make our awesome volunteers read breakfast-related pickup lines on camera in honor of Valentine's Day??

Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17wSHnJxQb/

A housing idea returns in Vermont: "state officials are reviving the idea of the catalog home"

A housing idea returns in Vermont: "state officials
are reviving the idea of the catalog home"

"In order to build the housing of the future, Vermont is hearkening back to a tool from the past.

A century ago, companies like Sears sold mail-order blueprints for modest homes that proliferated across the country and in some corners of Vermont. Now, state officials are reviving the idea of the catalog home in a bid to smooth the construction process and boost Vermont’s housing stock.

While cities such as South Bend, Indiana, and Kalamazoo, Michigan, have taken on similar initiatives in recent years, Vermont is the first state to do so, officials say.

“We want to give folks easy access to open-source construction plans,” said Alex Farrell, commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development. And, he added, “We’re wanting to give these people … some assurance that as long as you’re choosing one of these designs, you’re going to get your permit.”

The state does not have a target for how much the home designs will cost to construct, but officials are trying to make them “as efficient and affordable as possible,” Farrell said.

Read the full story from @vermontpublic/@vtdigger housing reporter Carly Berlin at the link in our bio. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDigger"

Shared from - https://www.instagram.com/p/DUqDg9TDELa/

The link to the article referenced - https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2026-02-11/vermont-develops-catalog-of-prevetted-home-designs-for-faster-building

Boston Globe: "Homeland Security wants social media sites to expose anti-ICE accounts"

"The Department of Homeland Security is expanding its efforts to identify Americans who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement by sending tech companies legal requests for the names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other identifying data behind social media accounts that track or criticize the agency.

Boston Globe: "Homeland Security wants
social media sites to expose anti-ICE accounts"

In recent months, Google, Reddit, Discord and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, have received hundreds of administrative subpoenas from DHS, according to four government officials and tech employees privy to the requests. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Google, Meta and Reddit complied with some of the requests, the government officials said. In the subpoenas, the department asked the companies for identifying details of accounts that do not have a real person’s name attached and that have criticized ICE or pointed to the locations of ICE agents. The New York Times saw two subpoenas that were sent to Meta over the past six months."

Continue reading the article via this 'shared link' - 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/14/business/social-media-expose-anti-ice-accounts/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

"A two-week digital detox reversed 10 years of attention decline"

vis Steve Magness

"A two-week digital detox reversed 10 years of attention decline (Castelo et al, 2025). A one-week social media break cut depression by 25% and anxiety by 16%, effects rivaling clinical therapy. And after just 72 hours without a phone, brain scans showed the reward centers were still firing at smartphone cues—even when people swore they felt fine (Schmitgen et al., Computers in Human Behavior, 2025).

We're running on the same dopamine and serotonin pathways as substance addiction. The only difference? The substance is in your pocket 16 hours a day.

Be intentional on how you're handling social media. Yes, I get the irony of this being posted on here. But to me, that's the point. We need to figure out how to have better relationships with this stuff. And that starts with knowledge ... and then taking small actions."

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DUf8f9PDSt4/

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Sunday, February 15, 2026

Yes, Franklin has it's own radio station -> wfpr.fm. Franklin Public Radio has a schedule full of 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 Sunday

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

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Sunday

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Saturday, February 14, 2026 ???

Saturday, February 14 = Valentine's Day

9:00am     Thrifty Threads (Franklin Federated Church)

10:00am Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

10:00am Train Town 3 (Franklin in Miniature) (Franklin Historical Museum)

10:00am    Bake Sale to support the Franklin LGBTQ Alliance! (outside Stop & Shop)

10:30am Weekend Wiggles! (Franklin Public Library)

2:00pm Craftalong for Adults (Franklin Public Library)

7:00pm Laura May Band (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

8:00pm Karaoke at The Raillery (Raillery Public House)

For additional details on Library events -> 

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

*** NO  Town Meetings today   ***

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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 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-calendar

Get Ready to Rock at Franklin Food Pantry’s "Party for The Pantry" Fundraiser

The Franklin Food Pantry is set to bring the house down with the return of the annual fundraiser, Party for The Pantry, on Saturday, March 28, 2026. 

Get Ready to Rock at Franklin Food Pantry’s
"Party for The Pantry" Fundraiser

This 21+ event transforms THE BLACK BOX into a rock-and-roll venue for a night of live music with local bands Fab 3, Karate Show, and South Street Six. 

The evening also features door prizes, an online auction, and silent auction including exclusive luxury travel packages from AmFund to the Amalfi Coast, Ireland, the Greek Islands, Alaska, and more. 

All proceeds from Party for The Pantry directly benefit the Franklin Food Pantry, which provides food assistance to Franklin and surrounding communities. 

What: Party for The Pantry

When: Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 7 PM 

Where: THE BLACK BOX 15 W. Central St. Franklin, MA 02038

Tickets: Available online www.franklinfoodpantry.org

Interested in sponsoring this event and gaining name recognition while supporting the Franklin Food Pantry? Please contact Jen Johnson, Fund Development Associate, at Jjohnson@franklinfoodpantry.org.

School Committee hear the details on "level service" budget that comes in at 2.5% increase (audio)

FM #1658 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1658 in the series. 

This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. All 7 members of the committee were present. 

Quick recap:

• The committee conducted the budget hearing for the FY 2027 school budget. Excluding the health care costs ($8.8M), they presented a 'level service' budget that stays within a 2.5% increase. Multiple questions to clarify amounts, rational, and sometimes accounting moves were raised and discussed. Many compliments on the layout and clarity of the budget were provided to Supt Lucas Giguere and to Business Administrator Jana Melotti

• The next step on the budget will be the School Committee vote on Feb 24. The complete timeline is provided in the budget folder

The recording runs about 2 hours and 45 minutes

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1658-school-cmte-mtg-fy-27-budget-hearing-02-10-26/

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Additional links to the meeting recap, Franklin TV video, and key documents for this session

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/02/school-committee-hear-details-on-level.html    

the school budget for FY 2027 

All the docs associated with the budget for FY 2027 

https://www.franklinps.net/documents/about-us/school-district-budget(2)/fy2027-budget/860340 

Budget timeline https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/Fpsd/37787646-f072-494b-b560-903c09ba25be/UPDATED_-_Budget_Calendar_FY27.pdf?disposition=inline

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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 out. 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"

FHS girls & boys basketball teams top Sharon on Friday

Via Instagram, Franklin TV, and our subscription to HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the Winter sports competition for Franklin High School on Friday, February 13, 2026

Boys basketball = Franklin, 62 @ Sharon, 37 – Final 

– Franklin jumped out to an early advantage, built a comfortable lead by halftime, and ran away with it in the third to sweep the season series against Sharon. Five different Panthers chipped in in the scoring column to take a 12-5 lead after one, and then senior Jack Sullivan took over for the visitors. Sullivan scored 11 of his 21 points (tying a career-high) in the second while senior Justice Samuels and sophomore Danny Santos each had five points as Franklin’s lead ballooned to 33-12 by halftime. The Panthers’ defense continued to slow Sharon, holding the Eagles to single digits again in the third to carry a 51-19 lead into the final eight minutes. Sophomores Gio Carlucci (12 points) and Cam Lambert (10 points) also scored in double figures for Franklin.

Girls basketball = Sharon, 44 @ Franklin, 53 – Final 

– Franklin celebrated senior night with a win over Sharon that clinched the outright Kelley-Rex division title. The Panthers knocked down four threes in the first (one each from Liz Dumais, Sophia Sacramone, Kaylee Fernandes, and Ava Bonney) to take a 14-11 lead after one. Freshman Lila McCarty scored six of Sharon’s 11 in the quarter. The lead bloomed to double digits in the second, as Franklin outscored the Eagles 17-9. Dumais added six points and Bonney and Sacramone each hit their second threes of the night. Anaisha Sharma scored five points for Sharon to keep the Eagles within 11 (31-20). The teams went back and forth in the third, as Brielle Nicholls scored five of Franklin’s 14 points with Sacramone and Tessah Rodrigues each hit threes. Dharma Trivedi had half of Sharon’s 12 in the quarter. The Eagles kept pushing, as Mccarty scored six and Sharma chipped in with four points in the fourth. Nicholls scored five more and Rodrigues hit another three to keep the Panthers in front. Nicholls led the hosts with 12, Dumais scored 10, Sacramone had nine, and Rodrigues and Bonney each finished with eight points. McCarty led all scorers with 14, while Sharma and Trivedo each had nine, and Taylor Bien-Aime chipped in with seven points.

For other results across the Hockomock League (subscription required)  

https://hockomocksports.com/fridays-schedule-scoreboard-02-13-26/

FHS Panther sports results shared via Twitter & subscription to HockomockSports.com

FREE Empty Bowls Open Studio bowl-making - February 26

FREE Empty Bowls Open Studio bowl-making - February 26

Looking for a fun, creative way to give back? Join us for a FREE Empty Bowls Open Studio bowl-making on Thursday, February 26th from 5:30pm to 7pm at Franklin High School.

Whether you’re a pro or have never touched clay, we’ll provide everything you need to create a ceramic bowl that will be given to attendees at the 11th Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser on May 14th.

This free event is open to individuals ages 8+ (kids under 12 must be accompanied by an adult).

Space is limited so please sign up only if you can make it, and remember to cancel if plans change so someone else can join! Sign-up link.

Questions? Reach out to Jen Johnson at jjohnson@franklinfoodpantry.org

Shared from - https://www.instagram.com/p/DUqX1NKDOSH/

Congressional Update and Q&A with Congressman Jake Auchincloss - Feb 22 in Foxborough

Hi neighbor, On Sunday, February 22, I'll be hosting a Congressional Update and Q&A in Foxborough. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and hear updates on how I'm working to represent the district's values and priorities. Congressional Update and Q&A with Congressman Jake Auchincloss   Sunday, February 22 3:00pm – 4:00pm Foxborough, MA Doors will open at 2:30pm.  Location provided upon RSVP HERE. *By registering for this event, you grant our office permission to send you future communications and updates. Sincerely, Jake Auchincloss

Franklin Welcomes The World - June 25 & June 26

The Town of Franklin will host two days of festivities celebrating the international soccer games playing at neighboring Gillette Stadium. These events will take place on June 25 and June 26 on the Franklin Town Common and at one of our community partner locations, Haywood Manor.

The festivities will include live streamed games on a large screen; enabling viewing from the Town Common and the Haywood lawn; as well as community vendors, food trucks and live music. These free, community-centered days are designed to create a welcoming, festive atmosphere for residents and visitors while supporting downtown activity and cultural tourism.

Programming is also part of the broader ‘Franklin Welcomes the World’ marketing campaign, reinforcing Franklin’s role as a regional gathering place during a global event.

Viewing party & Community Engagement Primary Location:

Franklin Town Common & Hayward Manor

LED screen viewing area with open lawn seating at Haywood Manor; will host outdoor viewing, including a beer garden component (pending licensing and approvals).

Watch Party/Festivity Timeline: 3-9pm June 25th+26th Streamed games:

Thursday, June 25

•   4pm Ecuador v Germany
•   7pm Tunisia v Netherlands
•   10pm USA - Go watch elsewhere!   

Friday, June 26

•   3pm Norway v France
•   8pm Uruguay v Spain

Community Engagement Elements | Vendors & Community Partners

Presented on the Town Common and Haywood Manor. Note that the beer garden is at Haywood Manor only, and no alcohol is permitted on the Town Common.

• Live music performances before and/or after matches
• Community Partners/Vendors on the Town Common
• Food trucks
• Wayfinding and signage connecting the Common, downtown, and partner locations + ‘Franklin Welcomes the World’ marketing campaign

Estimated Attendance

Projected total attendance: 1,000–1,500 visitors over two days, Audience includes: Franklin residents, Regional visitors attending Gillette matches,

Families, young adults, and soccer fans.