Franklin Matters

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

FHS boys hockey falls to Archbishop Williams on Tuesday (video)

Via Instagram, Franklin TV, and our subscription to HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the Winter sports competition for Franklin High School on Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Boys Hockey = Franklin, 2 vs. Archbishop Williams, 5 – Final

– Franklin lit the lamp just five minutes into the game to take the lead but Archbishop Williams rallied for three straight goals in the final 10 minutes of the opening period to take the lead for good. Sophomore Collin Canavan scored off assists from classmate Sam Villella and senior Nate Dennett to give the Panthers the lead at 10:20 of the first period. Senior Drake McAlpine (Rocco Lampasona, Thomas Quinn) scored in the second period for Franklin.

Franklin TV video is available for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UCc8r3VzEw

For other results across the Hockomock League (subscription required)

https://hockomocksports.com/tuesdays-schedule-scoreboard-12-23-25/

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

Senate President Karen Spilka: A Holiday Greeting and End of Year Recap

Updates from Beacon Hill & MetroWest

Happy Holidays!

Pictured: Me with my District Liaisons, Jess and Momina (L to R) at our office holiday party.

Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits this holiday season. Since I last updated you, there's been a lot happening in our community and on Beacon Hill and I'm looking forward to bringing you up to speed on all the great highlights from this year.

I'm truly proud of the work we've done in the Senate this year and I'm thankful to my colleagues and our staff for making it possible. The 194th Legislative Session is far from over, but there's plenty of accomplishments to share from this first year alone.

We launched the Senate's Response 2025 Initiative to combat actions of the of the federal government that would have a significant negative impact on Massachusetts and its residents. Some actions under this initiative include:

The Massachusetts Data Privacy Act, which would establish some of the strongest consumer data protections in the nation.
The Shield Act 2.0 to strengthen protections for those seeking or providing reproductive and gender affirming care.
Protecting federal employees from residential eviction or foreclosure during any federal shutdown.
Protecting freedom of thought in Massachusetts schools and public libraries and safeguarding open access to books and other educational materials in the wake of widespread politically motivated books bans.

I'm also proud of the work we've done in the Senate to remove the greatest distraction device ever created' from classrooms. In late July, the Senate passed An Act to promote student learning and mental health, requiring all public-school districts to adopt cell phone-free school policies by fall 2026.

The Senate has also passed several timely bills including:

Chapter 90 legislation to support our state's infrastructure including roads and bridges.
An Act relative to assault and battery upon a transit worker, in response to a rise in attacks.
An Act modernizing the Commonwealth's Cannabis laws, which would reform oversight of the maturing cannabis industry.
Bills that would increase access to menstrual products and require the disclosure of ingredients.

As always, if my office can be of assistance to you or your family, please don't hesitate to reach out at karen.spilka@masenate.gov or call 617-722-1500.

karenspilka.com

Want more frequent updates?

Senate President Karen E. Spilka | Massachusetts State House Room 332 | Boston, MA 02133 US

Newsletter was removed for publication here. The web link to the remaining content can be found -> https://karenspilka.com/updates/2025/12/23/2025-senate-year-in-review

Senior Story Hour - WFPR: Episode 095 - Walking in the Cold, Christmas Morning, New Years, In Memoriam, Baseball, Cars, and much more (audio)

In this episode, The Franklin Senior Center Writers Group shares stories, poems, and writings about walking in the cold, Christmas morning, New Years, an in memoriam for Ken Norman, stories of past cars, Scott shares a chapter from his upcoming baseball book, and Bob shares the latest chapter in The Thousand Hour Lesson.

Audio link -> https://senior-scribblers.captivate.fm/episode/episode-095-walking-in-the-cold-christmas-morning-new-years-in-memoriam-baseball-cars-and-much-more

Senior Story Hour - WFPR

Senior Story Hour - WFPR = The Franklin Senior Center Writer's Group

Steve Sherlock hosts The Franklin Senior Center Writer's Group for a monthly reading of short stories, essays, poetry and more.

Find more episodes here (or on your favorite podcast app) -> https://senior-scribblers.captivate.fm/episodes

Holiday Cheer (and Hours) from the Children’s Museum of Franklin!

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you can see it online.

Friends,

Wishing you a season filled with joy, wonder, and time together. The Museum will be closed December 23–December 25 and January 1, and open with holiday hours on all other days over Winter Break. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, as holiday visits often sell out.

Holiday Hours are as follows:

Friday, 12/26: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

Saturday, 12/27: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

Sunday, 12/28: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

Monday, 12/29: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

Tuesday, 12/30: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

Wednesday, 12/31: 9:00 am–1:30 pm

Friday, 1/2: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

Saturday, 1/3: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

Sunday, 1/4: 9:00 am–4:00 pm

Need a last-minute gift idea? A membership to Children's Museum of Franklin supports this local non-profit and is the gift that keeps on giving all year long – unlimited play, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of joy. You can learn more about gifting passes or memberships here.

With cheer,

Children's Museum of Franklin

Pre-Register

BFCCPS Technology/STEAM Night scheduled for Jan 14, 2025

BFCCPS Technology/STEAM
Night scheduled for Jan 14, 2025

TECHNOLOGY/STEAM NIGHT

Come for a night of technology and building fun on Wednesday, January 14th from 5:00 - 6:30 pm.

There will be multiple stations for children to participate in. Stations include: Ozobots, Magnetic Minecraft, Quiver, Pixel Art, Sticker Station, Snap Circuits, Magnatiles, Keva Blocks, and STEAM Build Instant Challenge: Machine to the Moon. The Quiver App is a way to make drawings interactive. Ozobot Bits are robots that respond to coloring a map for it to follow.

This event is for grades K-8. Families can enter through the commons directly and are to accompany their child station to station.

This event is free! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Af9CdfrzK/

Teen Spoken Word Festival announced by MassPoetry

"We are excited to announce the dates of our Teen Spoken Word Festival!

The festival will take place March 28 and 29, 2026 at Emerson College.

There will be poetry slams, workshops, open mics, and more!"

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DSk6JmpjgWz/

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Yes, Franklin has it's own radio station -> wfpr.fm. Franklin Public Radio introduced a brand new schedule early in 2025 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 Wednesday

8:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock

Franklin and its local government, services and events (repeats Saturday at 2 PM)

This segment shares Part 1 of 3 segments from the 12/17/25 Town Council meeting. This covers the opening, citizen comments, recognitions and alcohol license renewals -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/12/audio-of-121725-town-council-in-3.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)