Tri-County Track & Field fund raiser - Wednesday, April 1 at Uno's Bellingham

Fuel the Fast!

Tri-County Track & Field fund raiser -
Wednesday, April 1 at Uno's Bellingham

Track & Field is teaming up with Uno’s in Bellingham for a fundraiser on Wednesday, April 1st.

Show this ticket when you order (phone or paper works!) and a portion of your meal supports the team.

Let’s make it a great night!

#WorkHardTodayCounts

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Hw7dn6h3A/

Summer Youth Open Track & Field meets set for July 2026, set your calendar!

Save the date(s) and Spread the word!

Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/181KHnv8EJ/

Voices of Franklin: KP Sompally shares his resilient journey

Against All Odds: A Resilient Journey from Hyderabad, India to Boston  

What was meant to be a routine international journey turned into an extraordinary experience of endurance, uncertainty, and human connection. Traveling from Hyderabad, India to Boston, USA, I expected a fairly direct trip covering approximately 7,500 miles within 21 hours. Instead, the journey unfolded into a 20,000-mile, 38-hour odyssey across multiple countries and cultures.

Singapore Airport

The trip began in Hyderabad with high hopes and a simple itinerary. However, like many international travelers returning from vacation in recent times, I encountered unexpected disruptions that reshaped my entire travel route. Instead of a straightforward path, airlines rerouted the travel at nearly triple the one-way ticket price. My travel rerouted through Singapore, Taiwan, and Seattle before finally reaching Boston, Massachusetts.

Airports that once symbolized efficiency and connectivity are now witnessing unprecedented levels of congestion and unpredictability. Long layovers, sudden rescheduling, and extended waiting periods have become the new normal. What should have been a seamless transit became a test of patience and adaptability.

Despite the chaos, this journey offered a unique perspective on humanity. During extended layovers, I met fellow travelers from diverse backgrounds—students, families, professionals, and tourists—each carrying their own stories of delays, missed connections, and resilience. Conversations in crowded terminals turned strangers into companions, sharing not just travel updates but also encouragement and empathy.

Taipei Airport

The experience highlighted a broader reality: international travel today is no longer just about reaching a destination, but about navigating uncertainty. For travelers, especially those returning from vacations, preparation is key—staying informed, remaining flexible, and expecting the unexpected.

After 38 long hours, I finally arrived in Boston. Exhausted but grateful, the journey was a reminder that even in chaos, there are moments of connection, learning, and perseverance.

This is not just my story—it reflects the reality faced by countless international travelers today.

Sincerely,

KP Sompally

Franklin long time resident 

If you have something to say, you can find the guidelines here
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Voices of Franklin: KP Sompally shares his resilient journey

The Infrastructure of Trust: How Local Civic Hubs Are Rebuilding Democracy Across Rural America - Ford Foundation

"Across rural America, democracy is upheld from the community level up—and when organizers lack infrastructure and support, the effects are wide-ranging. In towns where Main Streets have gone dark, grocery stores have closed, and residents are moving away, communities need spaces and structures that allow people to come together, work through differences, and solve shared problems.

The Trust for Civic Life, a Ford grantee, invests in local efforts that help people connect and create their community’s future together, strengthening civic life and democracy for all residents. The organization’s grantmaking model is built around the core belief: that national problems are solved in local communities. Central to that is a structure the Trust calls “Civic Hubs”: locally based, locally led organizations that create the culture and conditions for people to discuss the decisions that affect them most and act together toward meaningful change. Here, Charlie Brown, executive director of the Trust for Civic Life, discusses their approach and the lessons they’ve learned from communities across the Heartland."

Continue reading about "civic hubs"

https://www.fordfoundation.org/news-and-stories/stories/the-infrastructure-of-trust-how-local-civic-hubs-are-rebuilding-democracy-across-rural-america/

Looking for debt relief? Here’s how to avoid a scam

Looking for debt relief? Here's how to avoid a scam By BCP Staff If you're dealing with a lot of debt, you might be looking for help. Some companies offer a range of free and paid services, like budget counseling and debt management classes. But others are dishonest and will take your money for the promise of getting rid of your debt — just to leave you even worse off. So, how can you avoid scams while you're trying to pay off your debt? Read more ->  https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/03/looking-debt-relief-heres-how-avoid-scam?utm_source=govdelivery

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Sunday, March 29, 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

No Kings Franklin collected photos

For those participating today, feel free to add your picture or pictures here

Anything unrelated to today will be removed when found

Shared album

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xYCz8suYGpaiYmaU7

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Saturday, March 28, 2026 ???

Saturday, March 28

9:00am Thrifty Threads (Franklin Federated Church)

10:00am Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

10:00am    Volunteer Income Tax Preparation with VITA (Franklin Public Library)

10:00am No Kings Rally (Franklin Town Common)

10:30am Buddy The Brain - reading, book signing (Tatnuck Bookseller)

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

11:00am Community Open House (762 Washington St)

11:30am No Kings Rally (i495 & RT 140, Franklin)

1:00pm Painting for Adults! (Franklin Public Library)

7:00pm Party for The Pantry (THE BLACK BOX)

7:30pm James Keelaghan (ticketed concert) (Circle of Friends Coffeehouse)

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

 

*** 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

Town of Franklin releases the proposed FY 2027 Budget

View this in your browser

FY27 Budget Now Available Friday, March 27, 2026 The Town of Franklin's Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Budget has been submitted by the Town Administrator and is now available for public review. Residents are encouraged to explore the proposed budget to better understand how Town resources are allocated to support core municipal services, infrastructure, and community priorities. View Budget Materials: FY27 Operating Budget FY27 Operating Budget Materials Budget Timeline Printed copies of the FY27 Budget are also available for public review at the Franklin Senior Center, Municipal Building (Town Clerk's Office and Town Administrator's Office), and the Franklin Public Library. Budget Hearing Schedule: Finance Committee Meeting - Budget Hearing Dates Monday, April 6, 2026 at 6 p.m. | Council Chambers Topic: General Government Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 6 p.m. | Council Chambers Topic: Schools Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 6 p.m. | Council Chambers Topic: Public Safety and Department of Public Works Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 6 p.m. | Council Chambers (if necessary)  Town Council Meeting - Budget Hearing Dates (agendas to be posted) Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 6 p.m. | Council Chambers Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 6 p.m. | Council Chambers All residents are welcome to attend budget hearings in person. Meetings may also be viewed live on the Franklin Town Hall TV YouTube channel, Comcast Channel 9, or Verizon Channel 29, or accessed by phone or Zoom. Meetings are recorded and available for replay on Franklin TV. Learn About the Budget Process The Town has provided additional resources on the budget development process: Budget Process Budget Process Flowchart Residents can also tune in to two episodes of the Franklin MAtters Podcast with Town staff members, which provide an overview of the Town's budget cycle and explain the process in greater detail: Listen: Podcast Episodes Community participation is an important part of the budget process. Residents are encouraged to review the materials, attend public hearings, and share feedback to help inform decision-making and shape the Town's priorities for the coming fiscal year. View it on website

Producers Series: Talking with Vibe about music, public radio, and podcasting (audio)

FM #1700 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1700 in the series. 

This session shares my conversation with David Butler, also known as “Vibe”. Vibe started with one show, Turntables (The Turntable Show), in conjunction with Pauly G, and now does a separate (podcast) show called “The Vibe”. You can listen to both at wfpr.fm or on Soundcloud. We had our discussion at the Franklin TV Studios on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

 

We talk about 

• Creation of The Vibe experience

• The fun place to explore and learn at Franklin Public Radio

• Show development, how they come to be

• If you have an interest reach out

If you are interested in doing a project in video or audio, contact the studio with your idea. Info@Franklin.tv or info@wfpr.fm 

The recording runs about 40 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Vibe.

Audio link -  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1700-producer-series-the-vibe-03-12-26/

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

Franklin Public Radio - https://wfpr.fm/ 

Franklin TV webpage - https://franklin.tv/ 

You can listen to one or more of The Vibe’s shows on Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/wfpr/sets/the-vibe

You can listen to The Turntable show on Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/wfpr/sets/the-turntable-show 

My intro to Rhiannon Giddens - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbeekjZP-CI 

The mash up of Blackbird and Little Blue “Blackbird Blue”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-LVkm6g4gA 

Jacob Collier’s “Little Blue” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2zLSkhANSY

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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 softball, girls & boys tennis teams all top Oliver Ames on Friday

Via Instagram, Franklin TV, and our subscription to HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the Spring sports competition for Franklin High School on Friday, March 27, 2026

Softball = Oliver Ames, 5 @ Franklin, 17 – Final (6 Inn.)

– Visiting Oliver Ames plated a pair in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 3-3, but Franklin answered in a big way, plating 10 runs in the bottom half to run away with the win. Senior Lindsey Solomon smacked a two-out single to left to bring Jackie Solomine and Bethany Morgan home in the top of the fourth to make it 3-3, but the game didn’t stay tied for long. Senior Ciara O’Brien launched a three-run home run, Amelia Rakitin and Phoebe O’Connor followed with RBI singles, Abby Souza drew a bases-loaded walk, Sophia Sacramone had an RBI ground out, and O’Brien tacked on another RBI single as the Panthers blew the game open and took a 13-3 lead. O’Connor had a team-high four hits, four runs, and three RBI, O’Brien finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored, and Addi Weiss (RBI, two runs) and Olivia Ross (two RBI, two runs) each had two hits in the win. Katie Berg went 2-for-3 with a home run, Piper McGuire went 2-for-3, and Solomon finished with two hits and an RBI for the Tigers.

Oliver Ames, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final 

– Franklin won a pair of singles matches and swept doubles to knock off visiting Oliver Ames. Senior Romane Celestine (6-3, 6-1) and senior Jackson Labella (6-3, 6-4) earned wins at second and third singles, respectively, while the doubles teams of senior Max Sebell and junior Ronan Saidha (first doubles, 6-4, 6-0) and juniors Rick Yuan and Rushil Partidar (second doubles, 6-0, 6-1) both rolled in straight sets. Oliver Ames’ lone win came at first singles with senior Brendan Teehan earning a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory.

Franklin, 4 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final 

– Franklin won two singles matches and swept doubles to earn a victory on the road at Oliver Ames. Senior Avalon Thomes battled through a three-set match to win at second singles (7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 11-9) and senior Anna Powers rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles, while the doubles teams of Alexa Buliang and Genevieve Camile (first doubles, 6-2, 6-0) and Lilly Depoto and Julianne Love (second doubles, 6-4, 6-2) both won in straight sets. Oliver Ames’ earned a hard-fought win at first singles with Ada Visnauskis earning a 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 11-9 victory.

For other results across the Hockomock League (subscription required)  

https://hockomocksports.com/fridays-schedule-scoreboard-03-27-26/

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

FHS representatives on the Hockomock League All Stars for Girls and Boys Basketball

Catching up to share the FHS representatives on the Hockomock League All Stars for Girls and Boys Basketball 

2026 Hockomock League Girls Basketball All Stars

Below are the official 2026 Hockomock League Girls Basketball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Kelley-Rex Division MVP

Morgan Tatum, King Philip

Davenport Division MVP

Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames

Hockomock League All Stars

• Brielle Nicholls, Franklin
• Tessah Rodrigues, Franklin

Honorable Mentions

• Ava Bonney, Franklin

FHS representatives on the Hockomock League All Stars for Girls and Boys Basketball

2026 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars

Below are the official 2026 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Kelley-Rex Division MVP

Connor Houle, Attleboro

Davenport Division MVP

Justin Grimaldi, Oliver Ames

Hockomock League All Stars

• Danny Santos, Franklin

Honorable Mentions

• Jack Sullivan, Franklin

Girls

https://hockomocksports.com/2026-hockomock-league-girls-basketball-all-stars/

Boys

https://hockomocksports.com/2026-hockomock-league-boys-basketball-all-stars/

FHS representatives on the Hockomock League All Stars for girls and boys hockey

Catching up to share the FHS representatives on the Hockomock League All Stars for girls and boys hockey.

 

2026 Hockomock League Girls Hockey All Stars

Below are the official 2026 Hockomock League Girls Hockey All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Hockomock League MVP

Kiki Lynch, King Philip

Hockomock League All Stars

• Jenny McLaughlin, Franklin

Honorable Mentions

• Abby Trevino, Franklin

FHS representatives on the Hockomock League All Stars for girls and boys hockey

2026 Hockomock League Boys Hockey All Stars

Below are the official 2026 Hockomock League Boys Hockey All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Kelley-Rex Division MVP

Jameson Vallarelli, Taunton

Davenport Division MVP

Teddy Shuman, Canton

Hockomock League All Stars

• Thomas Quinn, Franklin
• Drake McAlpine, Franklin

Honorable Mentions

• Rocco Lampasona, Franklin

Girls

https://hockomocksports.com/2026-hockomock-league-girls-hockey-all-stars/

Boys

https://hockomocksports.com/2026-hockomock-league-boys-hockey-all-stars/