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Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Celebrate Trails Day, Saturday April 25
Franklin Fire Dept conducts "training in rope rescue operations"
"Over the past two weeks, members of have been training in rope rescue operations, focusing on a variety of high-hazard scenarios.
Crews worked through complex evolutions including high and low angle rescues, elevator emergencies, and the use of aerial apparatus for access and patient removal.
Every scenario reinforces the skills, teamwork, and decision-making required to operate safely and effectively.
We would like to thank Spec Rescue International, Inc. for the excellent training opportunity"
Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16iBvEZ6pY/
Watch the Kentucky Derby & listen to music by Rob Bellamy at La Cantina May 2
"GET READY FOR THE KENTUCKY DERBY 2026
Join us on May 2nd for the most exciting race of the year! Wear your best hat, bring your friends, and enjoy the excitement of the Derby with us.
After the race, stick around for live music with Rob Bellamy
Good vibes, great company, and an unforgettable day at La Cantina Winery.
See you there! "
Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/1BNsdWEqtE/
The Guardian: "Falling fertility, debt and AI: is the US headed toward a population crisis?"
"Remember environmentalist Paul Ehrlich’s 1960s-vintage prediction about how overpopulation would deplete the Earth’s resources and condemn millions to starvation? His Malthusian condemnation of humanity’s voracious appetite has kept a grip on the debate over the future of the planet, even scaring the young out of having children.
Ehrlich was wrong. Yet as we have come around to the thought that overpopulation won’t kill us all, we are being walloped by another demographic emergency: we are not having too many kids, we are having too few. This problem is real.
The most recent scare came from government figures released last week suggesting the fall in US fertility – the number of children a woman will have over her lifetime – may be speeding up, hitting a record low of 1.57 in 2025, below the 1.62 projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in January last year.
This is well below the 2.1 children per woman needed to maintain a stable population, a rate we haven’t hit since the Great Recession of 2008. The population hasn’t started shrinking, but it is getting older fast. While this won’t starve us, it will further erode the rickety foundation of US social stability."
Shared from - https://www.theguardian.com/
Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Yes, Franklin has it's own radio station -> wfpr.fm. Franklin Public Radio has a brand new schedule 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:
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| wfpr.fm Schedule for Tuesday, Franklin Public Radio |
Tuesday
SAFE Radio – Jim Derick and Dr. Anne Bergen Addressing issues of Drug Abuse Disorder
Jazz Journey – with Pamela Hines - An insightful tour of Jazz Greats in a golden era
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| Franklin Public Radio wfpr.fm Schedule for Tuesday |
Franklin TV schedule for Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (Your local Public, Education & Government "PEG" station)
- Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 6, Verizon 26) = TUESDAY
7:00 am ArtWeek: Theater in the Open
7:30 am Once Upon A Town: Schools
9:00 am Metrowest Symposium: Festivals & Community Celebrations
10:00 am Frank Presents: Djuna Perkins
12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Taquitos
12:30 pm Cooking with Linda: Italian Sausage
1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Margherita Pizza
2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer '19 Show 2
3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Show 4
3:30 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Referee Shortage 2
5:30 pm Jon Mitchell & Randy LaRosa: 12-Tone Music
9:00 pm Metrowest Summit: World Cup 02-26-26
Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 28) = TUESDAY
7:00 am Middle School Winter Music: 2025: Band
8:30 am FHS Concert Hour 02-25-26
10:00 am Metrowest Symposium: Festivals & Community Celebrations
1:00 pm FHS Varsity Softball v North Attleboro 04-08-26
3:00 pm MSTCA Track Meet Pt 1 04-28-24
7:00 pm All-Town Chorus & Orchestra 2026
8:30 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Referee Shortage 2
9:30 pm Franklin Footlighters: High School Musical Jr.
Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 9, Verizon 29) = TUESDAY
8:00 am School Committee 04-14-26: School Committee 04-14-26
12:00 pm Joint Budget Subcommittee 04-16-26
2:00 pm School Committee 04-14-26: School Committee 04-14-26
6:00 pm Finance Committee 04-07-26
Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf
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| Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA |
Monday, April 20, 2026
Audi recording of the Franklin Commission on Disability Meeting held on April 2, 2026 (audio)
FM #1720 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1720 in the series.
The meeting recording runs just about 1 hour
Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1720-commission-on-disability-mtg-04-02-26/
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The meeting agenda -
https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04022026-2209
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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"
What's happening in Franklin, MA: Monday, April 20, 2026 ???
Monday, April 20
- Marathon Monday, Patriot's Day
- School vacation week
- Town offices and buildings closed for the MA holiday
- No scheduled delay for trash/recycling pickup
3:30pm Lions All-State Band Concert (Franklin High School)
*** 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
The School district calendar is found https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar
SAFE Coalition: Hear Mark's Story (video)
"Mark represents everything we stand for at SAFE: compassion, dedication, and meeting people where they are. He reminds us that every person deserves dignity, respect, and to never feel alone—and that’s exactly what we strive to provide to everyone who walks through our doors.
Will you join Mark in investing in people?
Together, we can continue to show up, stand beside those in need,
and turn hope into action."
Donate here - https://secure.qgiv.com/event/safe2026/donate
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| Additional info on the SAFE Gala held recently |
FY 2027 Budget Narrative: Technology Information Services Department
General Purpose
The mission of the Technology Information Services Department is to furnish secure, dependable, and consistent technology services and support to all Town and School District personnel and students within the Franklin Public School system. Furthermore, the department is dedicated to the maintenance and development of the foundational physical infrastructure, foreseeing future growth to enhance efficiencies and foster opportunities across computing and learning environments.
The Technology Information Services Department comprises 10 full-time and 2 part-time employees. As a Town/School "merged" department, we assume responsibility for supporting all technology initiatives and employees across both town and school departments, serving approximately 1,000+ end users and approximately 4,800 public school students. Despite the fact that, as a merged department, we support both town and school, the department's employee salaries are funded solely by the budget allocated to the Franklin Public School system.
Our team manages a diverse array of approximately 7,000 end-user computing devices, including Chromebooks, desktops, laptops, tablets, and cell phones and an array of peripheral devices connected to this equipment. These devices require access to a wide range of software and services. Our computing and network environment is built upon a private fiber optic wide area network (WAN), interconnecting 22 buildings throughout the town and providing access to over 100 file, application, and print servers.
Moreover, we ensure ubiquitous, enterprise-class wireless network access in all school and town buildings, facilitating seamless connectivity for our users.
Core Functions
● Provide, support and maintain a reliable, stable Information Technology environment.
● Provide, support and maintain a secure network infrastructure for data, internet access and email communications.
● Provide, support and maintain a secure and reliable remote learning and working environment.
● Provide the Town and Schools with proper support for our public facing websites.
● Provide secure and reliable backup of all user data.
● Work with the Facilities Department to create the proper physical environment to support ongoing and future technology initiatives.
● Make recommendations regarding changes and upgrades to existing technology.
● Increase efficiencies in all departments by working closely with department personnel to research and implement new technologies.
● Support and build data continuity between departments.
● Approve, negotiate and oversee the procurement process for all technology related purchases for the Town and School District.
● Adhere to state standards as related to technology.
● Ensure proper software licensing and compliance.
Staffing
All Technology Staff salaries are funded fully via the School Department (Account 300)
● One (1) Director of Technology
● One (1) Sr. Systems Administrator
● One (1) Sr. Network Administrator and Security Specialist
● One (1) Jr. Network Administrator/ Systems Administrator
● Five (5) Technology Support Technicians
● One (1) Database Administrator
● One (1) Part-Time Administrative Assistant
● One (1) Part-Time Inventory Specialist
Strategic Initiatives & Accomplishments
● Implemented new, upgraded version of Patriot Systems AssessPro software to a cloud based system
● Capital initiatives funded in FY26
○ Replacement of 47 Town laptops○ Replacement of 72 School laptops
● Security “penetration test” by EOTSS
● Developed comprehensive cybersecurity incident response plan
● Implement an electronic document management system for the HR department
● Implement upgraded version of our Employee Access portal
● Began soft roll-out of Tyler Content Management system
● Began encouraging departments to take advantage of AI within Google Workspace (Gemini)
● Extend warranty and support for the Town/School server stack/virtual env. until 2027
$100K
● Wireless Access Point 3 year license replacement $115,000
● Replace/upgrade end-of-life PA and bell system at Franklin High School
● Position the town and school district to take advantage of the rapidly changing world of AI. Staying ahead of this relatively recent development is imperative to the ongoing function of the town and schools on many levels from both a security standpoint as well as leveraging the potential benefits.
● Implement an Applicant tracking / hiring / onboarding system for the HR department.
FY27 Requested Budget Highlights
● Hardware Maint. Services - Decrease of $21,637
● Other IT Service Contracts - Increase of $10,421
● Consulting Services - Decrease of $20,000
FY27 Requested Budget Summary
● Security is an ongoing challenge for several reasons. The first challenge is acquiring talented, experienced candidates for the salaries we can support within the town/school budget. In lieu of hiring a full time specialist, we are investigating and piloting a “Virtual CISO” consultant (Chief Information Security Officer). This person will work with existing Technology Department personnel to implement a fully developed disaster recovery plan and incident response plan.
● Staffing continues to be an issue in the technology sector. Finding viable candidates requires providing competitive wages and this is where we struggle the most; especially in the more highly skilled positions requiring advanced degrees or experience.
● Technology replacement. While we were able to make a sizable dent in this area with our generous capital funding, the replacement of aging equipment is an ongoing challenge. Some estimates of our needs in the next few years are listed here:
○ FY27
■ Nearly 300 laptops for K-8 teachers purchased in 2020 are now 5+ years old. This happens every 3-4 years (roughly $360,000)■ Annual replacement of approximately 400 Chromebooks for our students - $100,000
○ FY28
■ Replace Virtual Environment or explore cloud alternatives -$600K-$800K■ Annual replacement of approximately 400 Chromebooks for our students - $100,000■ 110 laptops for our FHS teachers (laptops purchased in 2023) This happens every 3-4 years $120,000
○ FY29
■ Annual replacement of approximately 400 Chromebooks for our students - $100,000■ Replace Wireless Access Points for Town and School est. $600,000● Of course this is not an all-inclusive list and many unanticipated lower cost items will reveal themselves as the years progress ($10,000-$30,000 range) In order to meet these challenges into the future, I recommend the implementation of a Technology stabilization fund similar to the funding created for the fire truck replacement● As is common knowledge, underfunding aging equipment replacement is a ticking time bomb and will ultimately result in increased costs, lower productivity, employee frustration and complaints.
The PDF of this section -
For the full FY 2027 budget narrative - https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8912/FY27-Budget-Narrative-FINAL-1
The complete set of FY 2027 budget information can be found https://www.franklinma.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=577
Franklin Fathers schedule Wine tasting evening, Thursday, April 23
Come raise a glass to the end of “Fake Spring” with Franklin Fathers and our friends at @pourrichardswinema!
The event kicks off next Thursday, April 23, at 7 PM.
Come hear more about us and our upcoming events; we’ve got a full slate coming up as the weather gets warmer!
Shared from - https://www.instagram.com/p/DXMUj0GkT8h/
Look for some Horace Mann mugs at the Empty Bowls silent auction
via Jeff Roy
This year, we've decided to design and make mugs to commemorate Horace Mann's 230th birthday.
You can find these mugs at the 11th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser silent auction scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6 PM at Franklin High School.
I'm looking forward to seeing you at the event. "
You can purchase tickets at https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/happenings/events/emptybowls-2/
Additional photos can be found - https://www.facebook.com/share/1EjE7sNKxe/
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