Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios: A Royal Conservatory of Music Founding School and Official Assessment Center

Royal Conservatory of Music Assessment Results Are In!

Another round of Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) assessments has come and gone! Three times per year, students of all ages and musical abilities come to Encore Music Academy and Recording Studio to perform their exams in front of adjudicators who travel from all across Canada and the U.S. in order to administer assessments. 

In addition to academic assessments in music theory, harmony, analysis, and history, students perform practical assessments on their instrument of choice. Instruments represented include piano, voice, classical guitar, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums, violin, and viola. In August, students from all over the northeast traveled to Encore to take their assessments. 

 

The Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program provides a recognized national standard of success in music study from beginner to advanced levels. It inspires excellence through individual student assessments that are central to the program, while also supporting teachers with high-quality and innovative resources. The RCM allows students to measure and celebrate accomplishment and track their progress throughout the country. All students and teachers across the United States are invited to participate, and Encore Music Academy is proud to offer these opportunities at the school and through outreach to the surrounding communities.

Levels of achievement are determined by the following scale:

 

• First Class Honors with Distinction: An assessment score of 90 to 100.

• First Class Honors: An assessment score of 80 to 89.

• Honors: An assessment score of 70 to 79.

• Pass: An assessment score of 60 to 69.

Students are graded on proficiency in the following areas: performance; technical requirements; aural skills; rhythm; and, sight-reading ability. This year, Encore is very proud to recognize the following Encore students for their outstanding achievement in Royal Conservatory of Music assessments this August:

First Class Honors with Distinction Romir Iyer, 14 of Franklin, Piano Level 7 Lexi Schneider, 15 of Franklin, Theory Level 5 Ananya Sharma, 13 of Franklin, Theory Level 5 A.J. Trull, 17 of Franklin, Theory Level 7 Anisha Vipul, 12 of Hopkinton, Theory Level 7 First Class Honors Arya Chiplunkar, 8 of Hopkinton, Piano Level 1 Khushi Chiplunkar, 11 of Hopkinton, Voice Level 2

To learn more about Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios and the Royal Conservatory of Music program, please visit: www.encoremusicacademy.net*

3 Bent Street, Franklin, MA 02038 

info@encoremusicacademy.net
Phone: (508) 533-7700

Reminder: Bike and Helmet Safety Event - September 12 - 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM at Franklin High School

When:    September 12th, 9:30-11:00 AM

Where:     Franklin High School Parking Lot

Hosted by Alison Rheaume, Representative Roy, and the Franklin Police Department

Free helmets!! (while supplies last)

• free bike raffle
• bike course*
• coloring table*
• fire truck
• vendor tables
• decorate your helmet*
• “Buddy the Brain” story stroll

*All activities include adaptive options!

visit the event webpage for additional details - 

https://alirheaume.com/safetyevent

Thanks To Yanks announces Ms Hiran Jani as Director of Marketing

Michael Shain. the president and founder of Thanks To Yanks a local charity that serves our military community is pleased to announce that the organization has a new  Director of marketing, Ms. Hiran Jani. 

She says the following: "I'm Hiran, a proud resident of Franklin for 12 years. I truly love the town, my greatest strength and inspiration comes from my loving husband and son. I have a deep love of my town, my community and my country, I believe in giving back and supporting one another to, help build   a kinder community, I am very  grateful to have the opportunity  to  serve our military  families  and make a positive impact, in their lives today and in the future. "

For more information on Thanks To Yanks, please "Like" them on Facebook.

Franklin Cultural Council FY27 Grant Applications open until October 16, 2026

It’s time to write your Franklin Cultural Council FY27 Grant Applications!  

From now until October 16th, the Franklin Cultural Council is accepting applications for grants which support arts and culture programs for Franklinites. 

 

Here is the link to the portal where you can learn more and start YOUR GRANT APPLICATION:  https://massculturalcouncil.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp

Shared from -  https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DUh2qSfcu/

Fall/Winter Cultural District Guide 'call for featured artists and writers' - deadline extended to Sep 7

"Due to the flurry of anxious emails about our #callforartists timeline for the upcoming Fall/Winter Cultural District Guide 'call for featured artists and writers' we're extending the submission deadline to September 7th - woo! ⁠
⁠
Don't stress and submit your work!⁠
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Our profile is linked up with more information!"

Direct link - https://www.franklinma.gov/1382/Cultural-District-Guide-FallWinter-Featu

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

Once Upon a Town: The Post Office (video)

via Joe Landry:

Here is a video that Scott Mason and I taped at Franklin TV on the Post Office in Franklin. If you're interested in seeing other programs that we taped, go to Franklin TV's website and you'll see the links there.

Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTH6nG2ewlU

Once Upon A Town series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbAODFjFPJ0xqTzKPf3dVwpO7soS5PkTW

Have you seen Franklin Fire Department's emergency preparedness tips for National Preparedness Month ??

September Is National Preparedness Month 

Throughout September, the Franklin Fire Department will share preparedness tips, helpful resources, and information from trusted local and national organizations to help you and your household be ready for emergencies.

Prepare today. Be ready tomorrow.

Learn more: https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/203/Emergency-Preparedness

Town of Franklin

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

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Wednesday, September 2, 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:

8:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 6:00 PM - Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock covering Franklin, its local government, services, and events 

• This hour features Mitzi GOusie talking about the event highlights at the Library in September   https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/08/mitzi-gives-us-inside-view-on-event.html

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)  

• This segment features Episode 323 - Destination Weddings, Wine, and the Language of Italy With Jennifer Martin   https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/08/the-wonderful-world-of-wine-www-episode_01047380197.html
   

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, September 2, 2026 (Your local Public, Education & Government "PEG" station)

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

7:30 am     Arts Advocacy Day: Marketing

8:30 am Franklin Art Association: Katie Kindilien

10:00 am Second Sunday Speaker Series: Peter Glass

11:30 am Cooking Thyme: Ice Cream

12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Taquitos

12:30 pm Learn to Cook with Linda: Sticky Buns

1:30 pm     Pizzapalooza: Meat-Lovers Pt. 1

2:00 pm New England Candlepins Summer 2023 Show 1

3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Show 1

4:00 pm Aging Agenda: Arthur Vigeant

5:00 pm Franklin Matters: Kitchen Center

6:00 pm Franklin 4th: George Cross Project

8:30 pm Circle of Friends: Susan Werner

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

8:30 am Middle School Spring Band 06-04-26

10:00 am Metrowest Symposium: Sharing Identity on Social Media

11:00 am FHS Winter Music: Band and Wind Ensemble

3:30 pm Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter

5:15 pm Cultural Council: BT ALC Big Band

7:00 pm FHS Varsity Football v Wachusett 09-12-25

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

8:00 am Town Council 08-12-26

1:00 pm Town Council 08-12-26

6:00 pm  Police Station Bldg Committee  

and Town Council  CHAMBERS  829 8209 4740

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

Town of Franklin - UNOFFICAL Results - State Primary - Sep 1, 2026

Registered voters    25,457

Total votes cast         6,207

Per cent turnout        24.38%

The voters have left, the votes are tallied

The PDF for the State Primary unofficial results 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13y3X25SmeZyO5SLmIspjj5tTOws-a4qy/view?usp=drive_link

Thanks to Town Clerk Nancy Danello, her staff and all the poll workers! and to those voters who did cast a ballot

View the embedded file here

Town Council to consider Medway & Millis Sewer Capacity Transfer Proposal - 09/02/26

On the Town Council agenda for the Wednesday, Sep 2 session is return of the excess sewer capacity item from earlier this year.

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

August 28, 2026

To: Town Council

From: Jamie Hellen, Town Administrator

RE: Medway & Millis Sewer

After a meeting between representatives from Millis and Medway the Franklin Town Councilors Dellorco and LeBlanc, and Franklin Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, communities agree to the following proposed rate and number of gallons being transferred, as follows:

● 150,000 gallon transfer to each community;

● At a rate of $10.50 per gallon;

● All other language from the previous draft agreements remains unchanged (except some tweaks by the lawyers highlighted in yellow).

Staff have attached 3 tables of data that were requested:

● Table 1 - Projected sewer flow versus usage.

● Table 2 - Outstanding development in the pipeline (Title V projected capacity versus expected). Please note, with all permitted or pipelined development, the Town expects 100,339 Gallons Per Day (GPD) of sewer flow, which represents nearly

800-1,000 units of housing and more commercial development.

● Table 3 - Historic flows for the past 20 years.

If approved, some of the benefits to Franklin include:

● $3,150,000 million in combined revenue to stabilize sewer rates and provide for capital investments into the system to make it better;

 

● Reduces the sewer operating budget by about $98,000 in Franklin’s annual capital assessment from the Charles River Pollution Control District (CRPCD), further stabilizing the need for a rate increase due for the operating budget;

● Over time, as Millis and Medway use their capacity, we expect Franklin’s Annual O&M assessment from CRPCD to decrease by more than $225,000. This will be a long term, gradual change.

● Enables the town to further control development, while still having a surplus amount for decades to come.

Letter shared from - https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10799/11a-i---MEMO---Medway-and-Millis-Sewer-Transfers-1

11.        PRESENTATIONS / DISCUSSION -

a.                Update on the Sewer Capacity Transfer to Medway & Millis

i. Town Administrator Memo on Sewer Transfers

●     Data Request: Table 1 - Current Residential & Commercial Flows

●     Data Request: Table 2 - Ongoing, Approved, Anticipated Development

●     Data Request: Table 3 - 20-year historic sewer flows

●     See Legislation for Action #12a. (Millis)

●     See Legislation for action #12b. (Medway)

●     See Legislation for action #12c. (District Amendment)

You can find the full agenda - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09022026-2482

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, September 1, 2026 ???

Tuesday, September 1

6:00 AM to 8:00 PM State Primary Election (Franklin High School)

Town Clerk's Office at Municipal Bldg is closed today

12:00pm Community Closet (Franklin United Methodist Church)

5:00pm Tuesday Night Cruise (Kings Brick Oven Pizza & Pub)

6:00pm Franklin Garden Club: A program on “Bitters, The Missing Ingredient” (Franklin Senior Center)

For additional details on Library events -> https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events

For additional details on Senior Center events ->   

https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10676/September-2026-Newsletter?bidId=

***  Town Meetings today ***

250th Anniversary Celebration Communications Subcommittee Meeting

Tuesday, September 1 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09012026-2475 

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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

Franklin Achieves Formal Compliance with MBTA Communities Law

The Town of Franklin is pleased to announce that it has achieved formal compliance with the Commonwealth’s MBTA Communities law, also known as Section 3A of the Zoning Act. As of June 2026, Franklin is the 157th municipality in Massachusetts to comply with the law.

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) recently completed its review of Franklin’s compliance application and confirmed that the Town’s designated General Residential V, Commercial I, Crossing Neighborhood and Downtown Commercial districts meet the requirements of Section 3A and the state’s implementing regulations.

Franklin is designated as a Commuter Rail community under the law. The Town’s compliance district includes approximately 103.6 acres and provides for an estimated 1,955 multifamily housing units, with at least 75% of the required land area and unit capacity located within one-half mile of a transit station.

EOHLC recognized the Town’s work to meet the requirements of the MBTA Communities law and formally determined that Franklin’s district satisfies the state’s compliance requirements.

“This is an important milestone for Franklin and reflects a great deal of work by Town staff, boards and committees,” said Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. “The Town has worked to meet the requirements of the MBTA Communities law while taking a thoughtful approach to planning for Franklin’s future and the housing needs of our community.”

Franklin’s formal compliance also makes the Town eligible to apply for funding through the MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund, part of the Commonwealth’s Community One Stop for Growth program.

The Town will continue to consider housing, infrastructure, sustainability and long-term planning as it works to support Franklin’s future.