Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 11/3/17 - THU 11/9/17

FRIDAY 11/3/17
10am   Medicare Open Enrollment Meeting @ Senior Center
7pm   Comedy Fundraiser to benefit Franklin Girls Basketball @ Crystal Room, Milford
7:30-10pm   BeatleMania Stage Show @ FHS
8pm   Local Artist Series: Jazz Vocalist Brenda Padula @ The Black Box

SATURDAY 11/4/17
9am-12pm   SNETT Rail Trail Fall Clean Up @ Grove Street Trailhead (bring gloves and good shoes)
9am-3pm   Franklin Newcomers Craft Fair @ Tri-County RVTHS
10-1pm   Franklin Historical Museum Open
10:30am   Franklin and Its Monuments @ Franklin Historical Museum
4-7pm   Beer Extravaganza @ Pour Richard’s
8pm   Circle of Friends Coffeehouse: Eric Schwartz @ FUSF
8pm   James Montgomery Band @ The Black Box

SUNDAY 11/5/17
7:30-10:30am   Sunday Breakfast @ Franklin Rod and Gun Club
12:30-5pm   Franklin Public Library GRAND RE-OPENING @ Franklin Public Library,  118 Main Street
1-4pm   Franklin Historical Museum Open
4pm   Rhythm Future Quartet @ The Black Box

MONDAY 11/6/17
10:30am   Move Along (ages 0-5) @ Franklin Public Library
11am   Book Discussion Group @ Franklin Senior Center
6:30pm   Transformative Power of 10 Minutes with author Dr. Beth Kurland @ Franklin Public Library
7pm   Learn to Cope Franklin Chapter Meeting @ FUSF

TUESDAY 11/7/17
6am-8pm   Biennial Town Election @ Franklin High School
7pm   Franklin Garden Club Monthly Meeting @ Franklin Senior Center

WEDNESDAY 11/8/17
10:30am   Terrific Toddlers (ages 18months to 3 years old) @ Franklin Public Library
4pm   Construction Junction! @ Franklin Public Library
6:30pm   Christian Zen Weekly Meditation @ McMahon Guest House (1061 Upper Union Street)
6:30pm   Middle School Parent Forum with Superintendent Ahern @ Horace Mann MS
6:30pm   Hops from the Vine to the Glass Seminar @ Pour Richard’s
6:30pm   Teen Advisory Board @ Franklin Public Library
7:30pm   Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club Monthly Meeting @ 3 Restaurant
7:30pm   Let’s Laugh Today - Laughter Yoga @ FUSF
7:30pm   LubDub Theatre Co. presents The Doubtful Guest @ The Black Box

THURSDAY 11/9/17
9:30am   Middle School Parent Forum with Superintendent Ahern @ Horace Mann MS
9:30am   Baby Tummy Time (ages 0-18 months) @ Franklin Public Library
10:30am   Story and Craft (ages 3 to 6) @ Franklin Public Library
1-6pm   American Red Cross Blood Drive @ Elks Lodge
6pm   Beginners Chess for ALL Ages @ Franklin Public Library
6:30-8:30pm   First Universalist Society Fundraiser @ Pour Richard’s
6:45-8:45pm   Grade 8 OpenHouse @ Tri-County RVTHS
7pm   Book Signing: Kim Rezendes @ The Black Box
7pm   Exploring the French Wines @ Franklin Liquors
7pm   FHS Chamber Concert @ FHS
7-8pm   Healing Hearts Community Support Group @ Franklin YMCA

For the Town of Franklin Public Calendar click HERE.

For all other events and Franklin happenings click HERE.

*To submit an event for the Community Calendar, please use this FORM

What will Franklin be like in 2028?

What should Franklin look like in 2028?

Why 2028? 

That would be the 250 year anniversary of the creation of Franklin separating from Wrentham. You likely recall the story that it was originally to be called Exeter but on the way to Boston, they changed the name to Franklin to honor the work of Benjamin Franklin. When the founding fathers asked Ben for a bell to toll in his name, he responded with a bunch of books and hence our library, the first public library in the nation was formed.

We have this legacy to live with and keep up. 

2028 is only 10 years away. It will be here before we know it. Hence, there is no time like the present to start thinking about what the town should look like. How it should operate?

The new school superintendent, Sara Ahern is embarking on a process to update the mission, vision and strategic plan for the schools. The Town or municipal side should do the same thing.

We have a current Master Plan. We have a current Open Space Plan, We also have budget challenges. 
How are we going to deal with our OPEB obligation? 
How are we going to repair our roads? 
How are we going to maintain or advance our fire, police, and DPW services?
How are we going to provide services to our growing community? 
And of course, how are we going to fund the schools to give our children the best they can get to prepare them for the world of 2028 and beyond?

We can do something now. The biennial Town Election is coming up November 7, we should make sure to select those with the vision and or the willingness to work on where we need to be in 2028.

The Fiscal Year budget for 2019 is supposed to be a challenge. That should give us all the more reason to select the proper folks to lead us forward. Starting now.

Talk to the candidates. They are your neighbors. Find out what they want to do. Find out how they are going to get us to 2028.

And then vote on November 7. 
It is the one thing you need to do right now!


Steve Sherlock, volunteer Community Information Director, Franklin Matters

an empty sign is a missed opportunity

#Franklin2028

Opioid Crisis Forum - Bellingham Library - Nov. 14

Opioid Crisis Forum to be held at the Bellingham Library Nov. 14, 7-9PM

The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office and the Bellingham Police Department, in conjunction with the S.A.F.E. Coalition, will be presenting a public forum on the opioid crisis affecting Norfolk County, as well as the rest of Massachusetts and the country. 

This past year, in Norfolk County alone, over 200 mostly adolescent and youthful citizens have died from this epidemic. Many more, of course, have been impacted - their families, their children, the justice and health systems.

The forum will present diverse and developing treatment and support factors that influence addicts and their families with the focus on Bellingham and Norfolk County.

Opioid Crisis Forum - Bellingham Library - Nov. 14

FHS volleyball and field hockey win to advance in playoffs

From Hockomock Sports we share the results of the Franklin High School fall sports playoff results on Thursday, Nov 2.


Volleyball = D1 Central West
#6 Franklin, 3 vs. #11 Wachusett, 0 – Final
– Franklin took care of business in its opening game of the state tournament, sweeping Wachusett (25-21, 25-15, 25-23). Junior setter Lauren McGrath had a balanced game with 31 assists while adding six digs and a pair of aces. Maggie Doyle (one block) had nine kills while fellow middle Meaghan Maguire (one block) finished with eight kills. FHS coach Kate Horsmann noted Riley Marino, Shannon Gray, and Lauren Bissanti all played well defensively and in serve receive.


Field Hockey = D1 South
#18 Franklin, 7 @ #15 Westwood, 3 – Final

Joe Clark, HockomockSports.com Student Reporter provides the game recap

"Playing on the road is no easy feat, especially in the playoffs. 

The Franklin girls field hockey team started strong, survived a comeback attempt and finished with a comfortable 7-3 victory over #15 Westwood in the preliminary round of the MIAA D1 South State Tournament. 

Just 19 seconds into the game, Franklin got their first corner opportunity, and while they were unable to convert, they would get two others before two minutes would tick down on the clock. On their third attempt, Cassi Ronan saw her aerial just got over the top of the net, but seconds later, on Franklin’s fourth corner of the first half, Ronan was able to find the back of the net to put the Panthers up 1-0. 

Franklin earned two more corners at the 23:50 and the 23:17 marks, but stout defense and play from Westwood goalie Megan Brown would keep the Franklin lead at 1-0. However, on their sixth corner of the first half, Victoria Quinn would find the back of the net, and the Panthers led 2-0."

Continue reading the recap online
https://hockomocksports.com/strong-start-helps-franklin-field-hockey-land-big-win-at-westwood/

Click here for a photo gallery from this game
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/20172018/Fall-2017/Franklin-Westwood-Field-Hockey-11-02-17/

For the other results around the Hockomcok League on Thursday
https://hockomocksports.com/thursdays-schedule-scoreboard-110217/

Franklin’s Cassi Ronan (left) carries possession past a Westwood defender in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

Franklin Candidate for Board of Health: Bridget Sweet

Bridget Sweet (BS) and I (FM) sat down at Panera Bread to talk about her candidacy for the Franklin (MA) Board of Health in the election scheduled for November 7, 2017.


FM: Tell me a bit about yourself, your family, and your life here in Franklin? What is your Franklin story?

I am originally from Dorchester but we moved here from Brockton about 4.5 years ago. I attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy and graduated with my degree in Marine Safety and Environmental Protection, where I also met my husband. We have four children Timothy, Devin, Cameron and Dillon. Lived in Brockton for over 10 years and moved to Franklin. Some of the challenges associated with living in an urban area began to outweigh the benefits and Franklin was the perfect fit. It was a feasible commute for Kevin in Maynard, who at the time was interviewing as the Town Administrator. He has been in Maynard for over 8 years, and the Town Administrator for over four.

The sense of community and neighborhood that we encountered here has been amazing. My kids are at Jefferson, Remington, and Franklin High. I can’t say enough about the Remington/Jefferson communities, it has been great. With four kids, we have been pretty involved with sports. The younger three have been in lacrosse and one also plays football with the Chargers. The majority of my interactions are through school or sports events.

This may have been your typical city to Franklin move. At first I couldn’t fall asleep at night as it was too quiet. It has been a learning curve but it definitely has been amazing. It has been really good for the kids, the weekend after we moved to town we had our first ever block party. The Recreation program that Franklin has is unbelievable compared to other communities, they offer a wide array of options that are fee based yet affordable.

The location of course is also key. When I traveled for Whole Foods, my base was at the Bellingham store but I could get to all the other MA stores and back within the day. This was ideal for my family life; not having to leave the kids for an extended overnight stay. Now that my kids are older, my youngest is eight,  I have some spare time … I guess more available time is the better way to say it. This past year I joined the Franklin Chargers Board. It was a good experience to support the program as they support the children in the community.

FM: What do you see as your role’s biggest challenge and do you have any suggestions on how we can resolve it?

I’ve wanted to run for the Board of Health (BoH)since we moved here. I figure it may be a shot in the dark but if I don’t try, I may regret it. Public health is a challenging field to assess outcomes within, especially when there is a lack of understanding with what the department is tasked with. I think an additional challenge within Franklin is that the meetings are held during the work day. It is hard to engage community involvement as well as support local businesses if the meetings are held during the day. I believe that a potential challenge within the Franklin BoH will be how to handle the recreational marijuana and how this will impact public health, access, and food safety.

I believe that education and transparency are required to help guide public health within the community. Massachusetts is moving towards a more proactive model, not just relying on enforcement/regulatory actions to spur compliance. Massachusetts is in the midst of adopting updates to various regulations that directly impact the health department. Updates in the food regulation, housing regulation, camp regulation and pool regulation are imminent and it is imperative that the staff be up to speed on these changes so that they can educate and support local business to strive for compliance. I am a firm believer that the answer should not always be “NO”, but “how can we do this safely.”

I think that is the challenge coming into a Board like this. I don’t know everything. I don’t know what’s best. The first several months would be “What do I need to learn? How can I help?” I have all these ideas that are great on paper but until you’re there, they may not be transferable. That’s ok. I don’t have an ego, I just want to work to support the community and local public health.


FM: What experience or background will help you to serve in this role? What do you bring to the table that helps to set you apart from the others?

Franklin is fortunate to have a well-qualified staff. As a former local public health official, I understand the dynamic between the Board and the staff. I’d like to offer some innovative and alternative solutions so the Health Dept would still be meeting their minimum required standards but to also be stewards of the community. There is a wealth of expertise in this department that should be showcased. I bring various credentials to the table, and a wide variety of previous experience but I am cautious to lean too heavily on these. 

My role would not be that of the Health Director or Health Agent, but to serve on the Board in a support capacity. I bring my passion and my knowledge to help review policies and to support the staff as they continue to protect public health. I am well versed in the policy role having served on various task forces within the State of Rhode Island, as well as previously serving on the Massachusetts Health Officer Association Executive Board.

I really am excited about the opportunity to support the community in a field that I am so passionate about. I simply ask that when you cast your ballots next week you consider my name. I don’t have a specific reason as to why, but simply a general “why not”?

To follow up with Bridget directly you can reach her via email at 
blsweet9@gmail.com

You can also find out more about her campaign at her Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/sweetforboh/

Noteworthy: This information is intended to help the Franklin voters when we all head to the ballot box on November 7. The interview candidates have had an opportunity to review the text before publishing to ensure the accuracy of our discussion. 

Offer to Candidates 2017
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/08/offer-to-candidates-for-franklin.html 

Election Collection - 2017

Franklin Public Library: The Transformative Power of Ten Minutes - Nov 6

Join clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Beth Kurland, at the Franklin Public Library Monday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m. as she shares strategies from her new book The Transformative Power of Ten Minutes: An Eight Week Guide to Reducing Stress and Cultivating Well-Being. 

Discover how setting aside just ten minutes a day, and bringing simple tools such as mindfulness into the course of your day, can help you reduce stress and develop a deeper sense of well-being. The book was awarded Finalist in the Health and Wellness category by Next Genertion Indie Book Awards. 

Dr. Kurland has an outpatient practice in Norwood, MA where she specializes in mindfulness and mind-body strategies to help her patients achieve whole person health and wellness. Free audio and video meditations can be found on her website at BethKurland.com.

This was shared from the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/events/142163

Franklin Public Library: The Transformative Power of Ten Minutes - Nov 6

In the News: Library set to reopen Sunday; Taste of Bellingham begins Nov 8

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"After almost seven months of construction, the Franklin Public Library will be ready for its re-opening on Monday. 

The $10.5 million renovation of the Main Street building includes a large addition which expanded the children’s and teens area, added a new computer lab, a new circulation desk, and hundreds of new books. Even the older part of the building had a facelift; the scagliola in the main reading room has been refurbished and looks brand new. 

Starting Monday, all scheduled programming will resume, including Tummy Time for babies on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., and scheduled storytime, while new programs will take hold, such as Construction Junction every Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. Children of all ages will spend the hour letting their imaginations go wild with Legos, Lincoln Logs, and other building toys."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20171102/franklin-library-to-re-open-monday

the entrance from Main St was re-done re-purposing some of the red granite

"The Bellingham Business Association is opening its 10th “Taste of Bellingham” event to the public, giving residents the chance to sample dishes from local restaurants. 

The event - set to run on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Frank Webb Home on South Main Street - is shaping up well, with a good number of local businesses taking part, said association President John Orthman. 

“We pretty much invite all restaurants in town to participate,” he said. “If they do take part, we waive their membership fees for the association.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20171103/sample-taste-of-bellingham-next-week