Franklin Matters

Friday, July 9, 2021

The Guardian: "Why declining birth rates are good news for life on Earth"

Given that there is a discussion about Franklin's population and rate of growth, putting our stats in context with national and world trends should help.

"Fertility rates are falling across the globe – even in places, such as sub-Saharan Africa, where they remain high. This is good for women, families, societies and the environment. So why do we keep hearing that the world needs babies, with angst in the media about maternity wards closing in Italy and ghost cities in China?

The short-range answer is that, even though this slowdown was predicted as part of the now 250-year-old demographic transition – whose signature is the tumbling of both fertility and mortality rates – occasional happenings, such as the publication of US census data or China’s decision to relax its two-child policy, force it back into our consciousness, arousing fears about family lines rubbed out and diminishing superpowers being uninvited from the top table.

The longer range answer is that our notion of a healthy, vibrant society is still rooted in the past. The inevitable byproduct of the demographic transition is that populations age, in a chronological sense, but life expectancy, and particularly healthy life expectancy, have increased dramatically over the last half-century, and the societal definition of “old” has not kept up (though artistic experiments such as casting 82-year-old Sir Ian McKellen as Hamlet might help to challenge age-related stereotypes)."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/08/why-declining-birth-rates-are-good-news-for-life-on-earth

Davis Thayer Facility Analysis Subcommittee meeting of Oct 2020

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/10/facility-analysis-subcommittee-long.html

You can find the demographics study on the Town of Franklin page
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/demographic-presentation

The Comprehensive Facilities Assessment

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/10/school-committee-comprehensive.html

Download your copy of the detailed report here:

https://www.franklinps.net/district/davis-thayer-facilities-analysis/files/facilities-assessment-report

screen grab of DTFA meeting in Oct 2020

Catching up to some National news

‘The Great Resignation’: June’s US jobs report hides unusual trend

"The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday (07/02/21) that the US economy added 850,000 jobs last month. Hidden by this encouraging figure is the hint of an unusual trend: people are beginning to quit their jobs in extraordinary numbers.

June’s numbers, in combination with last month’s figures, suggest that the economy is continuing to recover at a steady pace. The rate of unemployment was 5.9% and 9.5 million people remain unemployed."

Continue reading about this job report at The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jul/03/us-jobs-report-june-trend

The battle for Mount Rushmore: ‘It should be turned into something like the Holocaust Museum’

"The national memorial draws nearly 3 million visitors a year – and Native Americans want the site back with a focus on oppression

Mount Rushmore national memorial draws nearly 3 million visitors a year to its remote location in South Dakota. They travel from all corners of the globe just to lay their eyes on what the National Park Service calls America’s “shrine of democracy”.

Phil Two Eagle is not opposed to the fact that the giant sculpture of American presidents is a major tourist attraction but he thinks the park should have a different focus: oppression.

“It should be turned into something like the United States Holocaust Museum,” he said. “The world needs to know what was done to us.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/03/mount-rushmore-south-dakota-indigenous-americans

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Franklin Cultural Council

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FRANKLIN CULTURAL COUNCIL

The Franklin Cultural Council (FCC) is a grant-making body that allocates funds for projects and programs in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences. The FCC has also chosen to conduct a number of arts-related programs and events throughout the year to support and encourage arts and culture within Franklin.

For FY2020, the FCC again successfully lobbied the Town of Franklin for an increased grant-disbursement budget, to support additional programming within the newly demarcated Franklin Cultural District. This additional funding was combined with state-allocated Mass Cultural Council funds—which also saw an increase—allowing the FCC to award a total of $19,598 in grants supporting 37 arts and cultural events for Franklin residents.

These programs included many annual favorites such as performances at the schools and Senior Center, and Franklin High School's and the Franklin Food Pantry's Empty Bowls night. In addition, some new programming included a variety of art workshops, field trips for our elementary school students, and a project for the Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail. Separate from the standard MCC 2020 Grant Recipients grant cycle, the FCC also awarded an additional $2,500 in grants for ArtWeek-specific programming, which included concerts, art workshops, a puppet show, and more. A Grantee Reception was held on February 27 at the Franklin Historical Museum to honor all 2020 grantees.

As was the case for everyone across the Commonwealth and indeed the country, the COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on the FCC’s programs and events for the spring of 2020. The Council’s 4th Annual Community Arts Advocacy Day to be presented in early spring with MASSCreative, a statewide arts advocacy organization, and in partnership with Dean College had to be indefinitely postponed. And ArtWeek, a statewide creative festival to be held May 1-10, 2020, was also cancelled. The FCC was to be the community partner for ArtWeek for the third year in a row and was excited about new programs and events planned as part of the festival, including a multi-business event in the Franklin Crossings area and an Indian Cultural Festival at the Senior Center.

As the schools closed in March and kids were stuck at home, the FCC sponsored an online arts contest for Franklin elementary and middle school students. Youth responded to prompts meant to spark creativity and art- making with materials found in nature and around the house, posting their creations to the FCC’s Facebook page. More than 250 kids participated over the week-long event and it was a bright spot of fun and levity in the early days of the pandemic. In April the FCC sponsored an online contest for Franklin High School students, challenging them to design a poster encouraging unity and hope during this difficult moment.

The FCC grew their social media presence significantly over the past year with regular posts to Facebook and by hosting popular online events like the art contests. Our Facebook page has 1,300 followers and we have worked hard to nurture an engaged audience.

The FCC is looking forward to FY21 and leveraging the momentum we have built over the past few years to serve the community in greater and new ways. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives, we are confirmed in our belief that the arts and culture offer a way through fear and anxiety and toward our shared humanity.

The full Annual Report for 2020 can be found online
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-franklin-annual-report-2020

Prior Annual Reports can be found online

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Franklin Cultural Council

Senior Story Hour: May 2021 (audio)

The Franklin Senior Center reads short stories, essays, poems and more. This episode aired on Franklin Public Radio for May 2021.

Audio link = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a0aee039-8203-4172-8edb-087c70547974

Friday: 11 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM = “Senior Story Hour” – Senior Center Scribblers Group Original writing presented by the authors Listen each week on the air at 102.9 FM, and online at our website, wfpr.fm

Subscribe via Google Podcast (or your favorite podcast app)

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zZW5pb3Itc2NyaWJibGVycy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vcnNzZmVlZA?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiw1vuEwanxAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQIg

FHS' lacrosse Brigid Earley selected as Player of the Week

"Player of the Week: Brigid Earley, Franklin Lacrosse"

"Franklin junior Brigid Earley has been selected as the HockomockSports.com Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, for June 27 through July 5. Earley is the 29th and final player chosen as Player of the Week for the 2020-21 school year and ninth in the spring season.

Earley came through with some of her biggest moments of the season last week, helping the Panthers see off Chelmsford to reach their first state title game and then nearly coming back to beat perennial power Westwood in the final. Earley, who had not played goalie for Franklin before this season (she played attack as a freshman on JV), allowed less than five goals per game this spring.

“This is her first year playing goalie and look where she brought us,” said Franklin head coach Kristin Igoe Guarino after the state final. “She’s incredible and she made some huge saves on some Div. I shooters and kept us in the game. I’m really proud of her. She learned quick and she led us to the state finals.”

Continue reading the article on Brigid
https://hockomocksports.com/player-of-the-week-brigid-earley-franklin-lacrosse/

FHS' lacrosse Brigid Earley selected as Player of the Week (HockomockSports.com photo)

"Franklin Battles Back But Falls to Westwood in Final"

"As it had for almost all of Thursday night’s Div. 1 state championship game at a packed Pisini Stadium, the Franklin defense came through with another stop when it needed it most, forcing a turnover in a tie game with the clock racing to the final horn. Overtime seemed inevitable.

The Panthers tried to clear from behind the cage, but a slip in the pouring rain and a loose ball in front of an empty goal proved decisive. It was a moment that seemed to happen in slow motion.

Westwood sophomore Ava Connaughton scooped the ground ball and, while falling, found the back of the open goal with just 12.2 seconds on the clock. The Wolverines won the ensuing draw to secure a 6-5 victory and their ninth state championship. Franklin went toe-to-toe with the most successful program in state history, but came up just short in its first state title game appearance.

“I’m so proud of this group,” said Franklin coach Kristin Igoe Guarino. “We’ve been in that situation before and for them to battle back against a really, really good Westwood team was amazing. I thought our ‘D’ was amazing, Brigid, they just made one more play than us on the offensive end. It happens, but I’m really proud of the girls, they played amazing.”

Continue reading the D1 final recap by Josh Perry, Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com: https://hockomocksports.com/franklin-girls-lacrosse-battles-back-but-falls-to-westwood-in-final/

For a photo gallery of the D1 final https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2020-2021/Spring-2021/Franklin-Westwood-Girls-Lacrosse-07-01-21/