Franklin TV schedule for Thursday, February 26, 2026 (Your local Public, Education & Government "PEG" station)

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

9:30 am Franklin Ridge Senior Housing

11:33 am Cooking Thyme: Red Pepper Soup

12:03 pm Brooke'n'Cookin: Mac'n'Cheese

12:35 pm Cook with Linda: Chicken with Dijon

1:30 pm     Pizzapalooza: Emergency Pizza

2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer 2018 Show 7

3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Show 11

3:30 pm Aging Boldfully: Joanne Schaefer

4:30 pm Veterans' Call: Tune It Out

7:00 pm Frank Presents: Daniela Masters Pt 2

8:00 pm United Methodist Church: Lola Richardson

9:00 pm Circle of Friends; Abbie Gardner

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

9:30 am Lifelong Winter Music 2026

11:00 am 6th Grade Winter Music 02-10-26

2:00 pm FHSTC - Flowers for Algernon

3:00 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Pete Smith

4:00 pm FHS Varsity Wrestling: v King Philip 01-17-24

5:30 pm FHS Girls Varsity Hockey v Mansfield 02-14-26

9:00 pm FHSTC: Urinetown

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

8:00 am Conservation Commission 02-12-26

2:00 pm Conservation Commission 02-12-26

7:00 pm Conservation Commission  CHAMBERS  824 4644 4342

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

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Wednesday, February 25, 2026 ???

Wednesday, February 25

Schools: Franklin Public Schools & BFCCPS scheduled to open with 2 hour delay; Tri-County opens with normal schedule

Library, Municipal (with limited staff), DPW & Recreation Buildings open 

Senior Center scheduled to open at 10 AM

Curbside trash/recycling (finally) starts picking up today. 

• Those scheduled for Monday are planned for Wednesday pickup, 
• Tuesday on Thursday, 
• Wednesday on Friday, 
• Thursday on Saturday, 
• and Friday on next Monday...

1:00pm BFCCPS Enrollment Lottery (Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter)

1:00pm Scribblers Writing Group (recording session) (Virtual only)

7:00pm Smarty Pants Trivia (Raillery Public House)

Library & Senior Center events

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/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

Note: Senior Center checking on why their events are suddenly being shown as "All Day". You can use the monthly newsletter for specific program/event times

***  Town Meetings today   ***

Council on Aging Board Meeting

Wednesday, February 25 Time: 11:00 AM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02252026-2153 

Finance Committee Meeting

Wednesday, February 25 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02252026-2152 

250th Anniversary Celebration Subcommittee on Events and Logistics Meeting

Wednesday, February 25 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02252026-2141 

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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

Children's Book: "Buddy the Brain", written and illustrated by Alison Rheaume

What prompted Alison to write the book? 

"As a brain injury survivor who is an adult, it has taken a lot of mindful language and education to help explain to my niece and nephews why I live a bit differently. From the perspective of a child, adults "should" be able to walk on grass, run, attend a birthday party, and handle loud environments, right? 

Well, as those are some of the things I have struggled with, along with feeling tired, using mobility devices, and more, I recognized the value in kid-friendly education about brain injury. 

This book is meant to be an engaging and cute way to start the conversation in understand the brain, what it does, how to keep it safe, and what someone who has sustained a brain injury may be going through, whether it's a parent, relative friend, or even themselves.  

Additionally, I have struggled to read children's books to my niece and nephews, which has felt embarrassing to me. The crazy fonts, visually busy illustrations, and text on top of graphics has made it extremely difficult to read. I realized that if books were more accessible to read, then many more people like myself could be included and feel confident in reading."

Children's Book: "Buddy the Brain", written
and illustrated by Alison Rheaume

The book is available in many formats for accessibility; in addition to hardcover and paperback, there will also be an eBook with alt text embedded, Braille print, ASL video, and an audiobook with two versions - one reading the text and one reading the text and added character descriptions. (The audiobook recording and editing was performed at Franklin TV/Franklin Public Radio!)

The book is mindfully designed to be accessible to read due to: large print, simple font (that Alison created from her own handwriting), well-contrasted text on a solid background (never on top of images), and images that are fun and simple, not visually overstimulating.

You can order your copy (or copies) of the book - 

https://alirheaume.com/buddythebrain

Upcoming Author Events

March 13, 2026: MAHPERD Adapted PE Conference - book

sales and signing

March 20, 2026, 3:30 - 4:40 PM: Franklin Public Library author

reading and signing (no sales, BYOB) and illustration display

March 28, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 AM: Tatnuck Book Store in

Westborough, MA - book sales, author reading, signing, and

illustration display

School book readings, discussions, and activities: various

schools and dates - email me to book one at your school!

School Committee approves FY 2027 budget & 2026-207 school calendar in virtual only session Tuesday (audio)

FM #1669 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1669 in the series. 

This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM. All 7 members of the committee were present in the virtual session conducted via Zoom. Superintendent Lucas Giguere, Asst Supt Tina Rogers, Asst Supt Paula Marano, School Business Administrator Jana Melotti also participated.

Quick recap:

• Superintendent’s report, Lucas Giguere provides an update on the snow day processing, thanks to DPW for snow removal efforts, thanks also to the community for staying off the roads to enable clean up efforts.

• Schools opening Weds with 2 hour delay, emergency bus ops ready to pick up students as usual. Appreciate flexibility with schedule during this winter period.

• Callaghan compliments Lucas for coordinating with DPW, Lucas was able to do a ride along with Brutus during Monday, an amazing experience

• Clarification on the 1 hour delay for teachers, vs. what had been happening prior. Intentional to help stagger the staff arrival vs. students

• School Budget for FY 2027

• FY 2027 line item detail - https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/Fpsd/2310ad24-dbbf-4303-850c-7485da4d9089/FY27-Line-by-Line-Item.pdf?disposition=inline 

• Budget book - https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/Fpsd/33c4075e-72ac-4309-b0a3-964a9339868e/FY27-Franklin-Budget-Book.pdf?disposition=inline 

• Business Manager Jana provides clarification on the Medicaid line item. Medical reimbursement is intricate, services provided to students per medical treatment plan. Parental approval required for billing and reimbursement, takes time to process

• O'Sullivan provides comments on the prior Town Council discussion on the capital budget where some comments were inappropriate and divisive. Wants to continue the coordination and collaboration among Town and School orgs

• 2.5% increase over the prior year budget; within line with the Town requests for all departments

• Vote on the motion, via roll call Passes 7-0

• Lucas thanks the committee for the support in bringing in the budget in the advanced timeline, and for the direction as needed from time to time

• B. Discussion Action B – 2026-27 School Calendar Vote I recommend adoption of the 2026-27 School Calendar as discussed.

• https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/Fpsd/00dac9d1-b44e-4e39-bd5c-4dbdf132deda/Discussion-Action-B---26-27-School-Calendar.pdf?disposition=inline 

• Dr Rogers provides updates on the survey (parents & staff) in development of the school calendar for the next year

• Q on what could be done to avoid further extension to last day? June 25 is currently last day, only option would be looking at the April vacation. A delay opening or an early dismissal both count as school days. Hoping for the best.

• Last day is a half day and the other extended days are full days. Last year 4 half days were added to assist in prep for the move, redistricting last year.

• Able to reduce half days due to cycle of curriculum development and community desires, may need go with more in a future calendar; tradeoffs on both sides for staff and students with the half days on Fridays

• Q why choice of Friday as half days? A - two days on the calendar already as "have to" due to coordination with other districts, so to be consistent, the rest fell in.

• Q what does the attendance record look like for half days leading to the weekend? A - don't have the data at hand but it can be factored in

• Q better understanding of elementary va middle/high school parents A - 75% were primary level responses

• FHS graduation June 4, 2027 was left off the draft shared before meeting, it has been added and wouldn't change

• Chair Griffith adds to some of the statistical analysis of the survey in confirming the decisions made

• Friday with half days vs. 5 Mondays we have no control over. A balancing act for both side

• Want to be careful in the data dive and not wanting to make a choice between sets of parents when the calendar is meant for the whole district/community. Can help to reinforce use of the responses to hopefully get a broader representation of the families

• With no further discussion, vote on the motion via roll call , passes 7-0

• Round of updates from the subcommittee that have met or are scheduled to meet.

• Citizen comment - just one tonight from Councilor Max Morrongiello commending them on the budget development and coming in with only the 2.5% increase

First use of Threads to capture my notes and I am disappointed with it (apparently doesn’t keep them in sequence, and doesn’t keep all of them - for use in reporting those items are unacceptable.)

The recording runs about 1 hours and 20 minutes

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1669-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-02-24-26/

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Franklin TV video - https://youtu.be/FsWd1552cuI?si=-qL8Jn8EdgTYGMSJ&t=355

All the docs associated with the budget for FY 2027 

https://www.franklinps.net/documents/about-us/school-district-budget(2)/fy2027-budget/860340 

Meeting agenda and released documents

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/02/franklin-ma-agenda-for-school-committee.html 

Thread copy (such as it is) https://www.threads.com/@franklinmatters.ma/post/DVKIebXCTFa?xmt=AQF0enqjCQ787Jhw-3viCokfG2ha2bg2P_v68RDjQX5ZO8eS5KmTmExOsExiXTFmTe28bMI&slof=1 

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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"