Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI - May 17 to THU - May 23

Friday, May 17

6:30am

 Music Dept. Breakfast

10:00am

 Knitting Group

1:00pm

 Book sale

3:30pm

 Catch your Breath

Saturday, May 18

9:00am

 Book Sale

9:00am

 St Mary's Women’s Faith Formation Group

10:00am

 Franklin Historical Museum (Always free)

1:00pm

 Bag Sale

1:00pm

 Democrats Caucus

4:00pm

 FSPA Spring Concert

7:00pm

 FSPA Spring Concert

8:00pm

 Booty Vortex

Sunday, May 19

8:00am

 HMEA incredABLE 5K Walk Run and all day Family Fun

1:00pm

 Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:00pm

 FSPA Spring Concert

4:00pm

 FSPA Spring Concert

Monday, May 20

11:00am

 Toddler Playgroup

3:30pm

 Dungeons & Dragons for Kids

6:30pm

 Quizzy E Trivia Night at the Library!

Tuesday, May 21

9:30am

 Cool Cruisers

10:30am

 Get Ready for Kindergarten

6:30pm

 Resume Writing Workshop

Wednesday, May 22

10:30am

 Terrific Toddlers

11:00am

 Toddler Playgroup

6:00pm

 FHS Pep Band Memorial Day Rehearsal

6:30pm

 Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

6:30pm

 Bump and Beyond Expecting Parents Group

6:30pm

 Hungrytown Folk Duo

7:00pm

 Town Council Meeting (budget hearing)

Thursday, May 23

9:30am

 Baby Tummy Time

10:30am

 Story & Craft

4:00pm

 Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

6:00pm

 Volunteens

6:30pm

 FAA Senior Celebration

7:00pm

 Town Council Meeting (budget hearing)

For the interactive version, please visit

http://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

For the Town of Franklin Public Meeting Calendar

http://www.franklinma.gov/calendar

Submit an event for the Community Calendar, please use this link

https://goo.gl/forms/7Pr1iBuAiIna7cUo2

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI - May 17 to THU - May 23

Franklin Public Library: Follow-Up Survey

Earlier this year, we had a series of Strategic Plan surveys. Now, we would love it if everyone could take a minute to complete our Follow-Up Survey! 

Please tell us what you really think about the Franklin Public Library!

Franklin Public Library Follow-Up Survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RF58BYQ

Franklin Public Library: Follow-Up Survey

Franklin Cultural District Dedication Held - May 10, 2019

The Franklin Cultural District held a formal dedication ceremony on Friday, May 10, at the Franklin Historical Museum. Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham), Representative Jeff Roy (D-Franklin), Susan Nicholl as the community liaison for Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland), and Anita Walker, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, all spoke along with the Chair of the Franklin Town Council Tom Mercer and the Vice Chair of the Franklin Cultural District Committee John LoPresti. 

Each emphasized the strength and vibrancy of arts and culture in Franklin and what an important milestone it is to achieve Cultural District status. Franklin is the 46th community in Massachusetts to establish a Cultural District.

"Franklin is an absolute treasure and a great addition to our Cultural District Initiative. The history and cultural vitality of this community makes it a destination for visitors as well as a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. Most impressive is the spirit and energy that brings this cultural district to life," says Anita Walker.

The Franklin Cultural District (FCD) is a demarcated region within the town that encompasses the cultural facilities, activities, and assets that lie in a compact, walkable area. Along with having the nation's first public library, Franklin is also home to Dean College, the Franklin Historical Museum, the Franklin Public Schools (a district well known for its strong music and art programs, including FHS' Arts Academy), over 25 other cultural, performing, visual arts and dance studios and associations, and a variety of restaurants and cafes. Establishment of the FCD will likely attract additional arts and cultural organizations in the future, driving economic development.

An official Franklin Cultural District sign was unveiled at the dedication, along with a new logo and the launch of a new website, which can be found at www.franklinculture.org. The website includes a listing of all arts and cultural partners in town, along with a District-wide arts calendar.

Franklin Cultural District

The dedication ceremony was followed by a wine and cheese reception at THE BLACK BOX theater, where students from Franklin High School and the Franklin School for the Performing Arts performed, followed by a solo by Rep. Jeff Roy, a duet with Roy and Senator Rausch accompanied by Franklin Public Schools music teacher Jamie Barrett, and then a finale with Barrett performing his original song "The City Known As The Town Of Franklin". Both FCD Partner organizations and interested town residents were in attendance, full of positive comments that added to the celebratory spirit of the event.

To learn more about the Franklin Cultural District, their partners, and upcoming activities and events, visit their website at www.franklinculture.org, or follow them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinCultureMA), Twitter (@FranklinCulture), and Instagram (@franklinculture)

 from left:Franklin Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, FCD Committee member Stacey David, Franklin Town Councilman Robert Dellorco,  FCD Committee member Nancy Schoen, Senator Becca Rausch, FCD Committee member John LoPresti, MCC Executive Director Anita Walker, FCD Committee member Pandora Carlucci, Representative Jeff Roy, Franklin Town Council Chair Tom Mercer 

FHS girls tennis drops match to Attleboro

Via HockomockSports, we share the results of the FHS sports action on Thursday, May 16, 2019


Girls Tennis = Attleboro, 4 @ Franklin, 1 – Final 
– With two wins in singles play and two more from doubles action, Attleboro earned a 4-1 decision on the road. Ella Lynch-Bartek won 6-2, 6-4 at first singles, Brianna Aronne earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory at second singles, the team of Lauren Anthony and Nicole Matheson picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win at first doubles, and Jordan Benardo and Rena Danho teamed together for a 6-3, 6-4 win at second doubles. Franklin’s Ashvika Boopathy won 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 at third singles.


For other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/thursdays-schedule-scoreboard-05-16-19/

FHS Panthers

In the News: Party for the Pantry a success; early voting proposed for MA 2020 Presidential Primary

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

"The fourth annual Party for the Pantry was a success once again, even more so than last year. 

Last week, more than 100 residents packed into the Black Box Theater to support the Franklin Food Pantry, as well as to party with local bands and neighbors all night long. 

William Donovan, one of the event organizers, said they crushed their expectations for this year. 

“Last year was the first year we hit $10,000, so every year we feel like we have to better ourselves,” he said. “This year we took in $13,600. Now I’m thinking about how we’re going to top it next year.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190516/party-for-pantry-another-success-for-franklins-food-pantry

Franklin Food Pantry

Early voting proposed for MA 2020 Presidential Primary

"Ten months before the 2020 Massachusetts presidential primary, Secretary of State William Galvin is trying to force lawmakers to decide whether to expand early voting and give voters five extra days beginning in February cast their ballots. 

Galvin, who has previously backed an expansion of early voting to include the presidential primary election, drafted a proposal that Sen. Michael Brady, of Brockton, has filed as an amendment to the state budget. 

If adopted when the Senate debates its version of the fiscal 2020 spending bill next week, the question of early voting in the 2020 primary will move into conference committee negotiations between the House and Senate. 

“Early voting has been enormously popular in Massachusetts since we began offering it in 2016,” Galvin said in a statement Thursday. “Expanding early voting to include the Presidential Primaries will make it much more convenient for voters to show up and have their voices heard.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190516/secretary-of-state-wants-early-voting-ahead-of-presidential-primary-in-massachusetts

MassBudget: SWM Committee's FY 2020 budget follows Governor's in revenue, includes slightly more education funding

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. May 16, 2019 Senate Ways and Means Committee's FY 2020 budget follows Governor's in revenue, includes slightly more education funding The Senate Ways and Means (SWM) Committee's Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget proposal goes further in boosting K-12 education funding than other proposals this budget cycle. But, constrained by the lack of substantial, new revenue, the Committee had to propose less funding or relatively small increases in other areas such as child care assistance for low-income families, elder services, and other areas, as discussed in MassBudget's analysis. The SWM budget proposal includes a more comprehensive approach to reforming the public K-12 education funding formula than the Governor and House proposals. However, funding levels in the SWM budget are still somewhat less than the most comprehensive plans being debated currently by policymakers. Updating the funding formula can help ensure that students across Massachusetts, particularly disadvantaged kids, receive a high-quality education. Further, the SWM Committee proposes to fund the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division (FLD) at $4.5 million, which is 8 percent less in total funding than FY 2001 (adjusting for inflation), but is 17 percent less when adjusted for job growth in Massachusetts since then. The FLD enforces the state's wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, and earned sick time. This funding decrease could weaken many of the increased worker protections and benefits passed in recent years. Regarding revenue, the SWM Committee included many of the new tax proposals first presented in the Governor's FY 2020 budget. (The House, by contrast, includes only the Sales Tax Modernization proposal.) These include a new tax on opioid manufacturers and another on vaping products. Unlike the Governor, the SWM Committee directs these new revenues to off-budget funds dedicated to combating and treating addiction, rather than to the General Fund from which most budgetary appropriations are made.  Like the House and Governor, the SWM budget also relies on pre-existing sources that recently have begun generating revenue (like taxes on marijuana sales and "Airbnb rentals"). While inclusion of these various types of additional revenue may appear to boost the Commonwealth's ability to invest in a range of priorities, in fact, the new revenues would mostly serve to back-fill substantial anticipated revenue losses from several already-scheduled tax cuts. These cuts - along with other, non-tax revenue losses - will impact state collections in FY 2020 and beyond. As is true of the House budget, most additional revenue in the SWM budget comes from a variety of consumption taxes, which hit low-income earners the hardest, and will make the state's tax system more upside-down than it already is. Read the full report here http://massbudget.org/report_window.php?loc=Analyzing-the-Senate-Ways-and-Means-Budget-for-FY-2020.html. Read about the House budget proposal here http://massbudget.org/report_window.php?loc=Analyzing-the-House-Budget-for-FY-2020.html. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by mrivera@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today! The full set of details associated with the Senate Ways and Means budget for FY 2020 can be found online https://malegislature.gov/Budget/SenateWaysMeansBudget Senate Ways and Means budget proposal for FY 2020

VFW Youth Scholarships for 2019-2020

The VFW is dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation. If you are a democracy-loving high school student interested in a $30,000 college scholarship or a patriotic middle school student interested in winning $5,000, these scholarships may be for you.

VFW Youth Scholarships

Patriot's Pen: The 2019-20 theme is: What Makes America Great

Each year more than 132,000 students in grades 6-8 enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest. The national first-place winner wins $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The first-place winner from each state competes for national awards totaling $55,000, with each first-place state winner receiving a minimum of $500 at the national level.

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. Want to apply? Read the rules and eligibility requirements, then download and complete the 2019-20 entry form. All student entries must be submitted to a sponsoring local VFW Post by midnight, Oct. 31, 2019.

Voice of Democracy: The 2019-20 theme is: What Makes America Great

Established in 1947, our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 40,000 9-12 grade students from across the country enter to win their share of $2.1 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program.

The national first-place winner receives a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. A complete list of other national scholarships range from $1,000-$16,000, and the first-place winner from each VFW Department (state) wins a minimum scholarship of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Want to apply? Read the rules and eligibility requirements, then download and complete the 2019-20 entry form. All student entries must be submitted to a sponsoring local VFW Post by midnight, Oct. 31, 2019.

Official Entry Forms and Instructions can be found at: https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships

Entries are to be mailed to: Franklin VFW Post 3402, PO Box 96, Franklin, MA