Tom Mercer and I condense the 3 hour Town Council meeting to about 35 minutes (audio)

FM #1431 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1431 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 Thursday, April 17, 2025.  

Our conversation condensed the Town Council meeting of April 16, 2025. 

We focus on two questions:

• ok, what just happened? 

• What does it mean for Franklin residents and taxpayers?

Topic for this session:

• School Committee Chair D Callaghan provided an update on recent meeting updates including the potential naming of the "Horace Mann Campus"

• per Town Clerk Nancy Danello, notification of election coming via mail re: the override election June 3. Postcard with QR code to register to vote, also includes a vote by mail application. Only one card to head of household not one per every voter

• Appointment of the 2025 election workers was approved by unanimous vote

• Resolution 25-18: June 3, 2025 Election Early & Mail in Voting was approved unanimously. The scheduled early voting dates will be added to the Community calendar

• Proclamations and recognition for 

• the FHS Cheerleaders, National Champs for 5th year

• the FHS boys basketball team, State Division 1 Champs

• members of the Dean College Athletic Training first responders who saved the life of an individual at a recent athletic event

• Public hearing conducted on 2 related bylaw changes to allow Shared-Use Commercial Kitchens in commercial zones. The Planning Board had approved also, these measures were moved to a second reading (at a future meeting)

• Presentation and update on work being done by  Franklin Police Department Mental Health Clinician Division - Kallie Montagano, Clinician Program Manager 

• Followed by an update on the Franklin Crisis Action Team by Deputy Administrator Amy Friguiletti. Housing and temp shelter the top issue the FCAT group sees

• A Zoning Bylaw to Amend Chapter 185, Section 24, Floodplain District - Referral to the Planning Board was approved unanimously. Apparently, the Town slipped in knowing that this had a 5 year life expectancy and was due to be updated. Only minor changes required but the due process is being initiated now with this referral

• Approval for acceptance of gifts

Let’s listen to my conversation with Tom as we recap the Town Council meeting. Approx. 35 minutes Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1431-town-council-quarterbacking-04-17-25/

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The Franklin TV video is available for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/live/C9jXhRmTTlI?&t=94 

The agenda and released documents can be found -> https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04162025-1682

My full set of notes captured during the meeting

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nIb72BBNqBkuEgMCgS9ggo5T5UR8A7BD/view?usp=drive_link 

Photo album of the recognitions ->   https://photos.app.goo.gl/NFs8QPA39vzy5tzn8 

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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"

Tom Mercer and I condense the 3 hour Town Council meeting to about 35 minutes (audio)

Italian Film Festival scheduled for May at Historical Museum sponsored by Quattro Eroi Lodge

Italian Film Festival scheduled for May

Quattro Eroi Lodge is sponsoring a FREE Italian Film Festival! 

 

This is a collaborative venture with the Senior Center (which has a license to show domestic films) and the Historical Museum (which has the site and successful track record showing films at its facility). This is a community cultural event and everyone is invited!

The schedule is as follows:

May 3, 6:30 PM - Roman Holiday (a classic 1953 romcom starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, 118 mins)

May 10, 1:00 PM - Luca (Italian-themed 2021 Pixar animated film)

May 17, 6:30 PM – Cabrini (2024 biopic depicting the life of Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini and the struggles she had to overcome as a woman seeking to sponsor programs helping the less fortunate, 142 minutes)

May 31, 6:30 PM – The Italian Job (1969 British 'comedy caper' mostly set in Italy, 99 minutes)

All showings will be at the Historical Museum at 80 West Central Street in Franklin.

Franklin TV: TV Studio Standards

TV studios get a regular tune-up to look good. 

 

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 04/20/2025

Every TV studio adheres to a set of essential technical standards for lighting, adjustments to calibrate the cameras, and so on. We do all this so folks at home don’t become distracted by color and brightness errors between cameras during our programs. When we do TeeVee properly we are invisible. Your attention is on the program you’re watching. Your DTV set is simply a window into our TeeVee world. Note that the Spanish words for TV screen can be ‘pantalla’ or ‘ventana’ – a window. If you look outside through a real window the daylight is usually bright and cool. Outdoor light has twice as much ‘blue’ in it as typical warmer-looking indoor light.

Technically:
Outside mid-day light: 2000 footcandles at D65 (6,500 degrees Kelvin) for white. Ordinary Indoor light:    100 footcandles at D32 (3,200 degrees Kelvin) for white.

Your TV screen (window) is set at the factory to match the outdoor light’s white. Why? Because psychovisually we perceive our TeeVee screen as a window, and we expect it to appear just like any normal window. Hence, it has more blue.

 

Franklin TV: TV Studio Standards

This is the Dean College studio. The left display is color corrected to match the studio lights. The right display is the normal cooler ‘blue’ factory setting that we reduce. The two ‘china dolls’ provide white, skintone and black references for adjusting the cameras. All of this techno-nerdy tweaking happens in the day-to-day of operating a TeeVee studio so programs always look perfectly natural at home.

And – as always –

Thank you for watching.
Thank you 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   

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

 

 

FHS boys lacrosse tops Shrewsbury on Saturday (video)

Via Twitter, Franklin TV, and our subscription to HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the Spring sports competition for Franklin High School on Saturday, April 19, 2025

Softball = Franklin, 2 vs. St. Paul Diocesan, 4 – Final (12 inn.)

 

Boys Lacrosse = Franklin, 7 vs. Shrewsbury, 5 – Final 

– Holding a one-goal lead at halftime, Franklin equaled its first half offensive output in the third quarter alone and the Panthers’ defense pitched a shutout in the frame as the hosts were able to create enough separation to land a 7-5 win over Shrewsbury. Franklin led 3-2 at halftime in a big time defensive battle with the Colonials but senior Jack O’Connor scored twice and junior Thomas Quinn added a goal and an assist as the Panthers staked a 6-2 edge going into the fourth. Quinn finished with two goals while Charlie Ballarino, Quinn Kielty, and Nate Walsh each had one goal. Senior captains Drew McCarthy and Flynn Baker anchored Franklin’s defense, which totaled seven takeaways and nine ground balls, in front of Sam Freedman, who had a strong game with nine saves. 

 

Franklin TV video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5wr7Rfnxc 

 

For other results across the Hockomock League (subscription required)
https://hockomocksports.com/saturdays-schedule-scoreboard-04-19-25/

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

 

SAFE After Dark features the Zajac Brothers - Saturday, June 7

Get ready for a night of unforgettable live music at SAFE Café After Dark! 

 

Join us Saturday, June 7 for a free concert featuring the incredible Zajac Brothers Band — a 6-piece powerhouse known for their modern vintage sound and high-energy performances. From soulful jams to re-imagined classics, these guys know how to light up the stage!

 

Doors open at 6:30 PM

Reserve your spot now: tinyurl.com/safezajac

 

SAFE Café After Dark - providing a safe, sober space for music, art, conversation, and connection. 

 

Send questions to Jim Derick at jderick@safecoalitionma.org

 

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18LFzDLRTj/

SAFE After Dark features the Zajac Brothers - Saturday, June 7

Town of Franklin: Open Bid Listings

Check out the current listing of Information for Bid from the Town of Franklin Purchasing Dept:

IFB - Catch Basin Hauling and Disposal

IFB - Concrete Sidewalk Construction and Repairs

IFB - Crack Sealant Treatment

IFB - Hot in Place Asphalt

IFB - Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance at FHS and HMMS

IFB - Milk for the Franklin Public Schools

IFB - On Call Fence and Guardrail Supply, Installation, Repair and Maintenance

IFB - Renovation of Franklin Historical Museum Cupola

IFB - Rubberized Single Chip Seal Project

Requests for Proposals - Large Water Meter Testing

You can find the listing on the Town page with a filter option to find closed and or awarded bids ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/bids.aspx

Town of Franklin: Open Bid Listings

Inside the trade deficit, what it really means (video)

The first 8 minutes of this is enough to get the gist .... great explanation comparing to credit card transactions

 

Video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5ojbEIX8Nw

"Renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs tore into Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats, branding them “Mickey Mouse economics” and accusing the former president of unleashing chaos on global markets.

In a scathing take down, Sachs said Trump’s trade logic was so flawed that “he wouldn’t pass a basic econ class,” slamming the former president’s obsession with trade deficits as “childish and dangerous.” Sachs blamed Trump’s economic policies for triggering a $10 trillion loss in global wealth, warning that the U.S. is now flirting with authoritarianism under “one-man rule by emergency decree.”

Dismissing Trump’s talk of foreign nations “cheating” the U.S., Sachs countered: “It’s not a trade issue—it’s a spending problem.” The blistering critique comes amid rising fears that Trump’s return to power could reignite economic instability worldwide."

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Sunday, April 20, 2025

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:

 

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, April 19, 2025 ???

Saturday, April 19

* Franklin Art Association Art Show and Sale Exhibit

* * Creative Corner Silent Auction Fundraiser

9:00am Thrifty Threads (Franklin Federated Church)

10:00am  Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

10:00am  Rise Up (Franklin Sculpture Park)

11:00am Easter Bunny photo op (Franklin Historical Museum)

7:00pm The Padula Family (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

For additional details on Library & Senior Center events ->  

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

**  NO Town Meetings today   **

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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

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-calendars

Boston Globe "This is not a drill"

A repressive, arbitrary regime is taking shape before our eyes

History, as the saying goes, has a way of rhyming. So it is worth noting that as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Revolution — that world-changing rebellion against tyranny and taxation that began in Boston, Concord, and Lexington — there are rumblings of discontent with President Donald Trump’s sweeping and erratic tariffs.

Polls suggest that even many Republicans are growing restive about the potential cost of what are effectively broad-based taxes on American consumers and businesses that depend on imports, which is to say almost all of us. But there is another Trump policy with equally haunting echoes of 1775.

It is an issue that doesn’t touch our pocketbooks the way taxes, tariffs, or the price of tea do. But it is one about which every American — particularly those who care about what it means to be an American — should be asking hard questions. That is: The use of federal force to arrest, imprison, and deport without due process foreign nationals accused, usually with scant or zero evidence, of being a danger to the country.

Continue reading the editorial online ->   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/18/opinion/trump-deportation-ice-revolution-anniversary/ 

How to access the Globe articles via the Franklin Library with your library card

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/02/how-to-access-online-resources-with.html

 

Here is a direct link: https://www.proquest.com/bostonglobe/newspapers/this-is-not-drill/docview/3191279476/sem-2?accountid=30660

 
This database is one of many services provided by Mass Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). These resources are in danger of disappearing across the Commonwealth after Executive Order 14238. Learn more at: https://mblc.state.ma.us/federal-cuts.php

Boston Globe "This is not a drill"

What is behind the editorial? The 3 judges writing for the UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT said in part:

"It is difficult in some cases to get to the very heart of the matter. But in this case, it is not hard at all. The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done. 

This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear."

Read the full decision here ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/17wvviF6w1L5Cg9dJltxDBJTC-RT2FiZj/view?usp=drive_link

State Representative Roy Renews Call for Early College Programs in the Commonwealth

In March, State Representative Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin) participated in and spoke at an Early College Legislative Briefing at the State House in Boston.  The annual event brought together about 400 school students and program partners from across the Commonwealth.  

A persistent advocate for Early College, Representative Roy re-empathized his goal of making college in high school one of his legislative priorities as it will provide exceptional educational opportunities for students to get a credential beyond a diploma while still in high school. Rep. Roy is further supporting these by filing House Bill 1455 “An Act relative to college in high school.”

State Representative Jeffrey N. Roy advocating for early college

Early College in High School integrates college courses into high school curriculums, providing students the ability to choose to kickstart their college careers through well-rounded classes. This program has helped close achievement gaps in low-income families sand aided students in  attaining their goals without any additional cost to the student’s families. This program was launched in 2018, and since its inception has bolstered the education of about 8,237 students according to Mass.gov’s statistics. This has led to increased enrollment in higher education with a rise of about 20% more students enrolling in college in comparison to students who do not utilize the classes provided by the Early College Program. 

“Students who participate in this fully structured program receive enhanced academic and guidance support that allows them to graduate high school with a significant number of college credits already completed,” said State Representative Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin).  “These students enter college with well-established study habits and skills that give them the confidence to know that they can succeed in college regardless of any socio-economic challenges that they may face. Low- income students who participated in Early College high school programs are twice as likely to complete post-secondary degrees.”

Early college credits benefit not only individual students but the health and vigor of the Commonwealth as well. In Massachusetts, median wages for full-time employees are 67% higher for individuals with a bachelor’s degree and 28% higher for associate degree holders than for high school graduates.  Families that thrive financially in Massachusetts pave the way for the success of each successive generation, potentially lifting entire communities out of poverty.

Rep. Roy added, “We must build on our success to date and provide even more robust college in high school experiences throughout the Commonwealth. H.1455 provides robust opportunities for students -- no matter their background or identity -- to take college courses in high school, engage in self-discovery, and develop a mindset for success. And we will continue to pursue these opportunities to give our students what they need to succeed.”

H1455 -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1455

Additional photos courtesy of the MA Alliance for Early College ->  https://photos.app.goo.gl/wVngBZhgmzTMk3579