DPW Updates for Pine St & Pond St - Construction alert for week of Sep 21, 2026

Pine Street

"Over the next couple of weeks, our contractor will continue to connect the remaining water services to the newly installed main along the section from Beech St to Stanwood Drive, all water line work has been completed along the section from Beech St to Pond St. They will also be repaving some of the trench patches that were previously installed within the entire project limits.

The last remaining work under this contract will be some isolated sewer repairs on Stanwood Drive. We expect all work to be completed by the end of October.

If appropriate funding is available, our plan is to reconstruct the roadway travel surface on Pine St. during next year's construction season. This will allow any trench work completed this year to settle over the winter."

Shared from Town page -  https://www.franklinma.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/195

Pond St

"The Town’s Contractor will start milling operations next week on Pond Street from Old West Central Street to Oak Street.

Please seek alternate routes.

Delays should be expected."

Shared from - https://www.franklinma.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/196

Join Rise Up Saturday, September 19 at 10:00 AM

Whether you navigate disability or not, anyone 18+ is welcome to join us!

Learn more and sign up for emails to stay updated: alirheaume.com/rise-up

Rise Up

Saturday, September 19th at 10:00am

Socialize and Create Bookmarks!

82 West Central St, Franklin, MA 

*please avoid the use of fragrance when attending

Free, adaptive, and inclusive for anyone 18+

Photo of a diverse group of people sitting on a table doing a craft.

Hashtags: #Disability #Inclusion #Accessibility #DisabilityCommunity #RiseUp

Have you taken advantage of the Metacomet Land Trust hike series on Saturday at White Barn Farm ?? - Next one - Sep 19

Join us this Saturday for our monthly hike at @whitebarnfarmers! 

Enjoy views of Trout Pond, meet new people, and afterwards grab some coffee and breakfast at @thekitchenatwhitebarn. 

Registration is free, comment below or check our website events (link in bio)!

https://metacometlandtrust.org/events/

Shared from - https://www.instagram.com/p/DdZZ95OFth4/

Franklin Agriculture Commission will be at the Farmers Market - Sep 18

Stop by the Franklin Agricultural Commission table this Friday, September 18 from 2-5:30pm to learn more about how you can get involved and support Franklin agriculture! 

🌱 Commission Members — Associate & 3-year term openings

✍️ Grant Writing — Help local farmers with grant opportunities

👩‍🌾 Farm Volunteers — Help with seasonal chores and projects

Interested in getting involved? Learn more and apply to serve on the Agricultural Commission: https://buff.ly/gZles8A 

For grant writing or farm volunteer opportunities, email Jen Andersen Sweeney at jenhiker@yahoo.com.

There’s a place for you in Franklin agriculture!

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Friday, September 18, 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  Franklin and its local government, services and events  (repeats Saturday at 2 PM)  

9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 7:00 PM

10:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 8:00 PM - Talkin’ the Blues – Jim Derick & Nick Remissong. 2 hours of awesome blues music, info, interviews  Showcasing the "Blues" as a basis for and influence of Country, Jazz and Rock and Roll, here and worldwide.

11:00 AM, 4:00 PM, and 9:00 PM - “The Vibe” show plays music for everyone searching for some enjoyment, some dance, a happy or thinking mood, and most importantly, having fun.  Tune in to wfpr.fm and listen to “DJ Vibe” spin music across many genres and join this new vibing experience

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 Friday, September 18, 2026

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

8:30 am Frank Presents: Joe Pagliarulo

10:00 am Aging Boldfully: Fyzical

11:00 am Senior Connection: Kitchen Gadgets Pt. 1

12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: French Toast

12:30 pm Learn to Cook with Linda: Cashew Shrimp

1:30 pm     Pizzapalooza: Meat-Lovers Pt. 2

2:00 pm New England Candlepins Summer 2023 Show 1

3:00 pm Candlepin New Generation: Spring 2019 Show 2

3:30 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Pete Smith

7:30 pm Second Sunday Speaker Series: Scott Mason

9:00 pm Circle of Friends: Susan Werner

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

7:00 am FHS Concert Hour 02-25-26

8:30 am Battleship Cove: Inside the History Pt. 2

9:30 am All-Town Band Showcase 2026

11:00 am Arts Advocacy: How-Tos

1:00 pm 25th Anniversary Lions All-State Band

2:30 pm Varsity Football v Wachusett 09-10-26

9:30 pm FHSTC: Urinetown

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

8:00 am Zoning Board of Appeals 09-03-26

2:00 pm Zoning Board of Appeals 09-03-26

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

School Committee gets insights & provides feedback on the District Improvement Plan (audio in 3 parts for ease of listening)

FM #1823-1824-1825 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, numbers 1823-1824-1825 in the series. 

This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM. All 7 of the members were present in Council Chambers.

Quick recap

• District Improvement plan updates by Central office departments

• Part 1 (includes meeting opening)

• Teaching & Learning

• Student Services

• Part 2

• Business/Finance 

• Human Resources

• Lifelong Community Learning

• Part 3 (includes meeting closing)

• Operations (Transportation & Food Services)

• Technology

Let’s listen to

Part 1 =  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1823-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-09-08-26-part-1-of-3/

Part 2 = https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1824-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-09-08-26-part-2-of-3/

Part 3 = https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1825-franklin-ma-school-cmte-mtg-09-08-26-part-3-of-3/

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Franklin TV video available for replay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtMItnThh5E 

The meeting agenda can be found - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09082026-2487  

Note: the draft District Improvement Plan likely won't be available online until after approval at the next School Committee meeting. Last year's plan can be found online - https://heyzine.com/flip-book/24ecc9f7e5.html#page/1 

A photo album of the screens shared is available in the interim

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z7UrvSTy2mRHLPEC6 

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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: Thursday, September 17, 2026 ???

Thursday, September 17

4:00pm Free Skating Open House (Pirelli Veterans Arena)

5:00pm Ken Barney (live music) (Red Rooster Bar and Grill)

7:00pm BEN 4 Franklin Mtg (Franklin TV and Radio 102.9 FM)

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

Franklin Senior Center Calendar for September

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BDUk1yeDL0SMHUNPnqRRZIcMq3Bvyxl2/view?usp=sharing

*** Town Meetings today ***

Town Council Monthly Office Hours

Thursday, September 17 Time: 8:30 AM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09172026-2506 

EDC Meeting (with Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission & Design Review Commission)

Thursday, September 17 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09172026-2504 

DR - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09172026-2496 

PB - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09172026-2503 

ZBA - https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09172026-2484 

250th Anniversary Celebration Events Subcommittee Meeting

Thursday, September 17 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09172026-2511 

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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

Frankl-ly Food in Franklin writes the definitive story on "The Rome"

via Frank-ly Food in Franklin (Frank Kalman)

"Half of Franklin thinks the Rome sold. Nobody bought it.

Five brothers, one kitchen, a name that came from somebody else’s debt, and a war memorial with the family name cut into it.

---------

There is a war memorial in Sant’Angelo in Grotte, a village of about 100 year-round residents built into a hillside in the province of Isernia, roughly two hours east of Rome. Two faces of it carry the men the village lost. One side is 1915 to 1918. The other is 1940 to 1945.

Read down the older side and the surnames start to sound like a Franklin roster. Bertone. Mucciarone. Zappitelli. Evangelista. Carlucci. Messere.

Fourteenth name of 16: COLACE DOMENICO.

He was the brother of Jimmy Colace’s grandfather.

Jimmy is 56 years old and it is September 2025, and this is the first time he has ever been to Italy."

Continue reading all you need to know about The Rome - https://franklyfoodinfranklin.substack.com/p/the-rome-restaurant-has-fed-franklin

FREE Kids Flu Clinic on Wednesday, October 14, 2026

The Franklin Health Department is hosting a FREE Kids Flu Clinic on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 3:00–5:30 PM at the Franklin Senior Center.

We would greatly appreciate your help promoting and sharing this information with our community so we can reach as many families as possible.

📅 Wednesday, October 14, 2026
⏰ 3:00–5:30 PM
📍 Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill St.

Appointments are strongly encouraged.
Sign up link: www.tinyurl.com/KidsFluClinic

OR

Call: 508-613-1334 to make an appointment.

Please share the attached flyer through your email lists, social media, newsletters, websites, and other community outreach channels.

Thank you for helping us spread the word and keep Franklin’s kids healthy this flu season! 

Alisha Sullivan RN, BSN

Public Health Nurse | Health Department

10 Daniel McCahill Street

Franklin, Massachusetts 02038-1352

Direct Federal Credit Union Launches Direct Impact Checking to Support SAFE Coalition

SAFE Coalition is excited to announce a new partnership with Direct Federal Credit Union as they launch Direct Impact Checking, a checking account that allows members to make a difference simply by using their debit card, at no additional cost to the member. 

Through the partnership, everyday purchases made with Direct Impact Checking will help SAFE Coalition offer compassionate, judgment-free support for individuals impacted by substance abuse, mental health challenges, and related concerns.

“Every swipe of a debit card is now a lifeline for someone in our community,” said SAFE CEO Jen Levine. “This program lets people support recovery, mental health, and family services without changing a thing about their daily routine. Direct Federal has stood with SAFE for years, and this takes their commitment somewhere truly new and exciting.”

Through the new checking account, members can select SAFE as the nonprofit they want their everyday banking to support. As they use their Direct Impact Checking debit card, Direct Federal will contribute a percentage toward their chosen nonprofit. 

Additionally, Direct Federal is making a donation with each transaction made with a debit card, putting even more dollars toward SAFE’s mission. 

“SAFE Coalition is a long-time partner of ours and we are thrilled to continue to support their mission through Direct Impact Checking. Now everyday purchases will help support and empower individuals in their road to treatment and recovery,” said Kristen Johnson, Chief Experience Officer for Direct Federal Credit Union. 

For more than 73 years, Direct Federal has supported the communities it serves throughout Massachusetts. Direct Impact Checking builds on that commitment by connecting everyday financial activity with organizations addressing critical community needs.

In addition to the SAFE Coalition, members can choose to support The Ellie Fund, Greater Boston PFLAG or Raising A Reader Massachusetts.

“Community impact doesn’t always have to start with a major donation,” added Johnson. “We wanted to create a program that makes giving part of something people are already doing. With Direct Impact Checking, members choose the organization that matters to them, and their everyday spending can help move that organization’s mission forward.”

Direct Federal will track and share the program’s community impact as participation grows, including funds generated and stories from the organizations and communities benefiting from the program.

Direct Impact Checking is now available through Direct Federal Credit Union. A launch event will be held at Direct Federal’s Needham location on Thursday, September 24.

To learn more, visit www.direct.com and www.safecoalitionma.org.

ABOUT SAFE

SAFE Coalition serves over 50 communities in Massachusetts with substance use and mental health services that close current gaps in care. With programs for teens, support groups for families impacted by substance use, recovery groups, harm reduction education, resources for families in need like a community diaper bank, housing support, and more, SAFE’s services are judgment-free and cost-free to all.

To learn more about SAFE Coalition, contact us at (508) 488-8105 or info@safecoalitionma.org.

About Direct Federal Credit Union

Direct Federal is a federally insured credit union headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1953, Direct Federal is committed to helping its members achieve financial well-being while investing in the communities it serves. Through financial education, community partnerships and scholarship programs, Direct Federal has proudly served residents of Middlesex County, Norfolk County and surrounding communities for more than 70 years.