Sunday, August 30, 2020

"A Priest, a Rabbi and a Minister walk into a Radio Station…"

Temple Etz Chaim (@TECFranklin) tweeted at 11:58 AM on Wed, Aug 26, 2020:
Looking for something to listen to or watch that is Temple Etz Chaim related?  Check out our new page with great content and see what Rabbi Alpert has been up to!  

"A Priest, a Rabbi and a Minister walk into a Radio Station…" The wfpr.fm radio show archive is found online here https://t.co/rpjpRaPcQH


Picked by the Franklin radar via Twitter https://t.co/6Wj7SVZZ3y



"A Priest, a Rabbi and a Minister walk into a Radio Station…"
"A Priest, a Rabbi and a Minister walk into a Radio Station…"

In the News: Gov Baker issues executive order on child care and activates 1,000 National Guard

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

"Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order Friday that gives working parents more child care options for children engaged in remote learning when school resumes this fall. 
The order allows the Department of Early Education and Care to authorize currently licensed after-school and out-of-school programs to operate during the school day. Current law prohibits such programs for school-aged children from offering care during regular school hours. 
It will allow YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, family child care homes and other facilities to care for school-age children who are learning remotely. 
The state will also exempt informal remote learning parent cooperative arrangements organized by families, if the groups are supervised by unpaid parents."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 

Related article from the Boston Globe

"One thousand members of the Massachusetts National Guard were activated to state active duty on Friday by Gov. Charlie Baker.

In a statement, a spokesperson said only that the National Guard members were being activated, “in the event that municipal leaders require their assistance.”

While no specific reason was cited for the activation, Baker’s decision comes on the heels of protests and deadly violence in Wisconsin following the shooting of Jacob Blake."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 


Washington Post: "Fact-checking Trump’s lies is essential. It’s also increasingly fruitless"

From The Washington Post, an article of interest for Franklin:
Daniel Dale met President Trump’s convention speech with a tirade of truth Thursday night — a tour de force of fact-checking that left CNN anchor Anderson Cooper looking slightly stunned.

The cable network’s resident fact-checker motored through at least 21 falsehoods and misstatements he had found in Trump’s 70-minute speech, breathlessly debunking them at such a pace that when he finished, Cooper, looking bemused, paused for a moment and then deadpanned, “Oh, that’s it?”

So, so much was simply wrong. Claims about the border wall, about drug prices, about unemployment, about his response to the pandemic, about rival Joe Biden’s supposed desire to defund the police (which Biden has said he opposes).

Dale is a national treasure, imported last year from the Toronto Star, where he won accolades for bravely tackling the Sisyphean task of fact-checking Trump. My skilled colleagues of The Washington Post Fact-Checker team, who recently published a whole book on the president’s lies, have similarly done their best to hold back the tide of Trumpian falsehoods.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

Saturday, August 29, 2020

"Talk Franklin": Town of Franklin End of Summer Updates

FM #338 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 338 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my "Talk Franklin" conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen and Communications Specialist Anne Marie Tracey. We had our conversation via conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

We talk about: 
  • Re-opening
Weekly numbers, need to maintain focus on social distancing, face coverings, etc.
  • Market study
EDC meeting sort of/unofficial
Listening sessions scheduled

Nexamp solar farm info sessions - replay available
Municipal aggregation starts Nov 1
  • FY 2021 Budget
Being mindful as FY 21 gets underway
Likely November budget discussion before tax rate hearing in December
  • Elections
Sep primary, Absentee, mail, early voting; 
November election; Ballot questions; Community Preservation Act

The recording runs about 40 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie and Anne Marie.




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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
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/

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"

Talk Franklin: A new episode is available
Talk Franklin: A new episode is available


Franklin School for the Performing Arts Announces Fall Opening Plan

The Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) will open for its 36th season on September 10th.  Returning students, as well as those students new to the school, will be welcomed for all programs in FSPA’s departments Music, Dance, and Drama.  All FSPA classes will be taught in-person or in a hybrid format, alternating weeks. Students may elect to take all classes virtually, if preferred.  

FSPA’s COVID-19 Control Plan was developed in accordance with the Mass.gov/Reopening Massachusetts guidelines.  Updates to procedures and practices are made as new information becomes available.  The school reopened for in-person instruction on June 29th and summer classes and camps ran throughout the summer months.   

FSPA Founder and Director Raye Lynn Mercer remarks, “This is an unprecedented year for one and all, and it has required creative thinking, flexibility, and tenacity to problem solve our way to FSPA’s Fall 2020 opening.  Our faculty and staff have worked diligently through this challenging time and after a summer of research and experience, we are enthusiastic and ready to start the school year.”

New students are welcome and trial classes are available.   Prospective students are invited to make an appointment to come in for a tour and to discuss program options. As an alternative, previously conducted virtual tours can be viewed on the FSPA Facebook page.  

According to Mercer, “Fall 2020 is a time when many in-school activities, sports, and extracurricular opportunities are in flux.  This is a perfect time to try something new!  FSPA offers trial classes and a chance to see what our programs are about, without a commitment.  We look forward to meeting new families this fall, even while under unusual circumstances.”

Proudly serving more than 500 students annually from 45 communities in Massachusetts’ Metro West region, the Franklin School for the Performing Arts is committed to quality education in the arts with exceptional curriculum, outstanding professional faculty, and unwavering dedication to each and every student enrolled. Founded in 1985, FSPA is a unique place where students of all ages and levels of ability participate in an array of music, dance, and drama programs with professional instruction and extraordinary performing opportunities. 

With broad-based and varied curricula, FSPA guides students in the development of technique, creativity, and artistic expression to last a lifetime. FSPA’s faculty boasts outstanding professional artists including a roster of Broadway performers and teachers who are experts in their genre and discipline.  The impressive faculty credentials are indicative of the excellent instruction available in all programs at FSPA. Instructors strive to meet the individual needs of each student, working to develop each student’s abilities to his or her own potential.  

Performance is an integral part of an FSPA arts education and the school offers unrivaled performing opportunities for students throughout the year.  On the calendar annually are student recitals, concerts by faculty and guest artists, master classes, student showcases, holiday shows, the school’s signature Spring Concert, and summer camps and intensives.  In addition, for students whose level of interest is more focused, there are special performing ensemble opportunities available by audition.  

FSPA Academy, located at 32 Main Street, provides an academic option for students in grades 6-12.  With the flexibility of a virtual education, the practicality and consistency of a schoolroom, and the oversight of learning coaches, FSPA Academy partners with TECCA, a virtual Massachusetts Public School, as well as the international private school Pearson Academy.  
Franklin School for the Performing Arts
Franklin School for the Performing Arts


The curricula are taught by licensed, certified teachers through a combination of Live Lessons and individual assignments.  The flexibility of FSPA Academy can accommodate professional opportunities as well as rehearsal and performance schedules for aspiring artists, but serves so many students who value a cultural e This year it also provides a viable alternative for learning during this challenging time for the public schools for students who may not work effectively at home.

“FSPA Academy can accommodate professional opportunities as well as rehearsal and performance schedules for aspiring artists,” comments Mercer, “but it also provides a wonderful setting for students who value a structured, supportive and encouraging environment with a cultural emphasis.  Certainly right now, we have an option for those who might find the at-home virtual learning less than successful.”

THE BLACK BOX, home of the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC), a 200-seat flexible theater located behind FSPA, provides a professional venue for FSPA student productions, while FPAC offers opportunities by audition for student performers.

For more information about FSPA and its programs, visit www.FSPAonline.com, call 508-528-8668, or stop by 38 Main Street in Franklin. Follow FSPA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Joshua Hanna (@MrHanna_FHS) Video update

Joshua Hanna (@MrHanna_FHS) tweeted at 4:56 PM on Fri, Aug 28, 2020:

Here is the weekly FHS update!  
@FHSSports @FranklinHS @FranklinPSNews   
https://t.co/1zWdNkRDye #PantherPride Have a nice weekend.

 

FHS PCC (@FHS_PCC) - Parent Information

FHS PCC (@FHS_PCC) tweeted at 6:43 PM on Fri, Aug 28, 2020:

FHS Chromebook 1:1 Program Consent/Participation Form https://t.co/rVc6y7NltZ 
Technology Request Form https://t.co/HecBngoKYQ