“I think the rivalry has kept both of them sharp"

Josh Perry, Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com, writes about the running rivalry between KP's Mike Griffin and FHS's Tyler Brogan

"On Saturday morning at the Wrentham Development Center, one of the top individual rivalries in the Hockomock League had its latest chapter, as King Philip’s Mike Griffin and Franklin’s Tyler Brogan squared off at the annual league cross-country meet. Griffin took first place, by a commanding 16 seconds, for the second straight season, but for the third straight fall Brogan took second at the league meet.

They are two of the top distance runners not only in the Hock but in the state and both admit that having another Div. I-caliber runner (Brogan committed this week to Northeastern, while Griffin has narrowed his choices to Arizona State or Tennessee) to compete against multiple times a season, in cross-country as well as indoor and outdoor track, has propelled them to reach new levels of success.

“Having someone of that caliber of a runner to pretty much always be there to push you has made me a much better runner,” Brogan said. Although he finished second on Saturday, Brogan recently beat Griffin in an invitational meet and edged him this summer in the Tommy Cochary High School Mile in Falmouth. “Sometimes it’s frustrating where we go back-and-forth,” he added, “but the most important thing is having him has made me much more competitive and just overall a better runner.”

Griffin added, “Being able to compete with one of the other best runners in the state obviously makes me go faster.” He compared himself to other elite runners that may not have the same level of competition within their league. He said, “Because I have Brogan and because I have my teammate Mike Norberg, I have to try to win.”

Continue reading the article at HockomockSoorts.com
https://hockomocksports.com/rivalry-pushes-hockomock-runners-into-top-gear/

Franklin’s Tyler Brogan (left) and King Philip’s Mike Griffin have developed a rivalry over three years of competing against each other in cross-country and track. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

FHS girls cross county team takes 2nd place, boys team takes 3rd place at Hockomock League Championships

The Hockomock League held its annual cross country championships on Saturday morning at the Wrentham Development Center. Below are Hockomock cross-country championship team results. The individual results filtered to show just the Franklin High School individual results. The link to the complete results is shown below.

Girls Team Results
1. Sharon – 74
2. Franklin – 90
3. Oliver Ames – 138
4. King Philip – 139
5. Taunton – 147
6. Foxboro – 150
7. Mansfield – 156
8. Milford – 158
9. Attleboro – 185
10. North Attleboro – 191
11. Canton – 227
12. Stoughton – 310

Girls Individual Results
1. Abby Hassman, Foxboro – 18:52.34

10. Sydney Hawkins, Franklin – 20:33.36
12. Sarah Giuliano, Franklin – 20:44.11
18. Caitlyn Casey, Franklin – 21:08.92
24. Charlene Peng, Franklin – 21:32.05
26. Liliana Duffy, Franklin – 21:38.47
36. Ruth Ann Mulvey, Franklin – 22:12.47
38. Angelina Perez, Franklin – 22:15.26
40. Audria Hawkins, Franklin – 22:17.63
43. Emma Nelson, Franklin – 22:25.22
67. Sydney Brady, Franklin – 23:37.67


Boys Team Results
1. Oliver Ames – 66
2. King Philip – 82
3. Franklin – 93
4. Mansfield – 119
5. Taunton – 123
6. Milford – 129
7. Sharon – 148
8. Attleboro – 167
9. North Attleboro – 244
10. Canton – 292
11. Foxboro – 301
12. Stoughton – 361

Boys Individual Results
1. Mike Griffin, King Philip – 15:37.64

2. Tyler Brogan, Franklin – 15:55.97 2
3. Nicholas Calitri, Franklin – 15:58.77
12. Declan Walmsley, Franklin – 16:44.77
33. Griffin Sieczkiewicz, Franklin – 17:44.09
44. Camden Harrington, Franklin – 18:03.68 43
54. Joshua Anderson, Franklin – 18:15.97
55. Alex Towle, Franklin – 18:16.73
65. Jack Clifford, Franklin – 18:28.17
69. Connor Kucich, Franklin – 18:33.96
90. Clancy Golden, Franklin – 19:13.98

For the complete cross country varsity results
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-cross-country-championship-results-2019/

Additional boys and girls JV and Open 3K results can be found on CoolRunning
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/19/ma/Oct26_Hockom_set1.shtml

Photo gallery from the boys races
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2019-2020/Fall-2019/2019-Hockomock-Boys-Cross-Country-Championships/


Photo gallery from the girls races
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2019-2020/Fall-2019/2019-Hockomock-Girls-Cross-Country-Championships-10-26-19/

FHS boys cross country at the start (HockomockSprots.com photo)

FHS girls cross country at the start (HockomockSprots.com photo)

A Night of Comedy with Dave Kane.- Nov 9

The Franklin Knights of Columbus Council 1847 are pleased to host a night of Comedy with Dave Kane. 

His show is MISGIVINGS, it is a comedy that features an evening with an Irish Catholic priest, Father Patrick Aloysius MISGIVINGS. The show is very respectful of the Catholic Church and has been very well received by many area churches.

When/Where
• November 9, 2019:  7:00 - 9:00 PM
• Advance Tickets Price:  $15 ($18 at the door night of the show)
• Where: Old Ben Franklin Charter School Auditorium – Main Street across from St. Mary’s Church

Dave Kane.- Nov 9

• Food: Light refreshments (snacks, drinks, cookies and coffee/tea and water (soda for sale)

Purchasing Tickets

• Online through the K of C Council 1847 website (https://www.kofc1847.org/dave-kane-comedy-show-misgivings (pickup your ticket) at "Will Call"

• By mail: Knights of Columbus, P.O. Box 465, Franklin, MA. 02038

• At the Door – A limited number of tickets will be available at the door the night of the Show

Join us for a night of “Devine” laughs, blessings, blarney, bingo and a 50/50 raffle. Proceeds will support K of C community outreach and service projects.
Any questions can be emailed to: KnightsofColumbus1847@gmail.com

Download a copy of the event flyer as a reminder
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczNVlqQjFMUDF4aEFaVk1aaDBnb3pCbmZmTUVr/view?usp=sharing

 

In the News: School Committee candidates

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

"On Nov. 5, Franklin voters will have some decision-making to do to fill the School Committee panel. Just two of seven incumbent members are seeking re-election in the biennial town election.

Ten candidates are eyeing seven two-year terms on the school board. They include incumbents Anne Bergen and Mary Jane Scofield, as well as Ernest Carruthers Jr., Jennifer D’Angelo, Timothy Keenan, Joanna Lussier, David McNeill, Judith Pond Pfeffer, Denise Spencer and Elise Stokes.

Polling on Election Day will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Franklin High School, 218 Oak St.

To help voters get to know the candidates, the Daily News asked them what inspires them to run and what their top issues are, as well as what makes them the best choice. Below are their responses."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191025/franklin-election-meet-candidates-for-school-committee/1

Find the election and candidate information gathered in one place on the Election Collection
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html

In the News: School Committee candidates

School of the Arts at Dean College: "Arts Mosaic" - Nov 8 and 9

The School of the Arts at Dean College will perform "Arts Mosaic", Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9, 2019.

Enjoy two evenings of select student and faculty works integrating dance, theatre, music, film and much more. Join us as we enjoy and celebrate the diversity of the arts on the Dean College campus.

The Dean College production of Arts Mosaic will take place in the Guidrey Center in the Campus Center at Dean College, 109 West Central Street, Franklin at 8:00 PM both nights. General admission is $22, Seniors $12 and Children $7.

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit www.dean.edu/boxoffice.

School of the Arts at Dean College: "Arts Mosaic" - Nov 8 and 9

Franklin Candidate Interview: David McNeill

I sat with David McNeill recently to discuss the following questions regarding his candidacy for the Franklin School Committee.

Some of you will recognize the questions as these were collected from the survey we shared in August. While many submitted questions were similar, I tried to select 6 for each Town Council and School Committee candidate that would help to present them to you all, my fellow voters.

As I have shared in prior years, the candidates do get to review the output before it is published but I retain final editing rights. Interviews with candidates are not an exercise I take lightly; it matters greatly to our community to get accurate information from our candidates to enable voters to make an informed decision to run our government.

For the following FM presents the question. DM represents Elise's response.

FM = There are and have been many opportunities to volunteer with community groups in Franklin. Have you taken advantage of any of these? Which ones, and why did you choose that/those?

DM = That's a very good question. Thank you. This year, I've been quite active with the Franklin Democratic Town Committee. It's been great to be a part of such a civic minded group of people that are very concerned with what's going on in our town, our state, and our country. They're putting on a number of great events in the town. For example, just within this past month, there was a great civics education event at THE BLACK BOX. Something like that is excellent because a lot of people don't have an understanding of what goes into the town government and how things work. It's so important to have that civic understanding to know how we can contribute to that process and have our voices heard.

Another event that happened last week that I was actually part of the planning over the past few months was the climate forum. I wasn't able to attend in the end because it was unfortunately at the same time as the candidate forum, but I understand that it was it was a very well attended event. The climate crisis is such an important issue, and it's great to have an understanding of what is happening with climate change, how that impacts us, and to hear from the experts. They also heard from a legislator about legislation at the state level that we can support.

FM = Where do you get your news about Franklin?

DM = Franklin Matters, of course. I also read articles in The Milford Daily News, Country Gazette, Wicked Local, and The Franklin Local Town Pages. There are a lot of really great news sources out there. Even recently when I was reading The Boston Globe, there was an article about Franklin with the PFAS concern, which isn't typically where I go to for local Franklin news. I opened the article because it is aligned with my work on the environmental committee, and I was surprised to be reading about Franklin. You can never know where Franklin's going to pop up, and there it was. I think it's important to get a broad, sweeping view of what's going on in the town.

FM = The possibility of a change in school start times was a recent controversial topic taken up by the School Committee. Where do you stand on the issue of school start times in Franklin and what actions do you plan to take around this issue during the next term of the School Committee?

DM = First, I'd like to say I think it's very important to ask questions in regard to improving and addressing the mental health and developmental needs of our students. We need to ask those questions to try to understand the mental health trends that are happening in the student population. That's how we can help them improve as students, provide for their development as people, and also allow them to grow and learn in the most conducive manner. Then it’s important to talk with Dr. Ahern and see what feedback she's getting from the school administrations, teachers, as well as parents and students. I think asking questions with the intention of how we can improve students’ mental health and developmental needs is never a mistake. That's why I think it was a good idea to explore the start time change because I believe it was with that good intention.

Of course, it's also very important to get the feedback of the community and have that inform the decision as well. I think that's exactly what has happened with Dr. Ahern’s recent announcement that the school start time discussion is going to be on ‘pause’. They were getting that feedback that the community wasn't ready, and that's OK. I don't think it was wrong to ask the question about school start times in the first place, and if there's action on this issue at the state level, or if there's action later on down the road, I think we'll be better off for having had the discussion now. I think it was a good idea to put it on pause for now as we're going to be facing other big issues, such as the budget shortfall and the Davis Thayer study.

That’s why I think that it is excellent that these questions are being asked for the “Portrait of A Graduate”. How can we improve the experience of students coming up through the system, and what is important to keep in mind in the modern day? What are the most important life skills for them to have? How can we have well-developed, well-rounded people? When the mental health, wellness, and developmental needs of students are being met; not only are they able to learn better, but they're also so much better prepared and equipped to graduate, go out into the world, and become better people and better citizens.

I think the bottom line is, if I were to be elected to the school committee, we always need to be asking questions and seeing things through the lens of how we can we help kids. How can we help the students and do what’s best for them? I don't think we should be afraid of bold ideas that are done with that intention.

FM = While the current School Committee has attempted to reach the community through various forms of communication including coffee chats, email newsletters, attending events such as the farmers market, etc., they have been generally unsuccessful at increasing the engagement with important issues related to the schools. What actions will you take to increase citizen engagement with the School Committee?

DM = Two-way communication is, of course, key as this is a legislative body. We need to have the input of the community, the parents, and all those who are concerned in order to make the best-informed decisions and implement the policies that improve the lives of our students. I know there's been the idea floated of attending sporting events that parents might be attending. I think that's a great idea. We should also ask parents how they would like to be engaged, and what engagement would be most conducive for their schedules to see how they can get more involved.

One way we might be able to do this would be to speak with Dr. Ahern about whether it be possible to send notes home with students that directly ask parents what's the best way to communicate with them and ask for their feedback about what events they would like to attend. It would also be wise to look at high traffic areas that people tend to congregate to engage the community. For example, maybe ask one of the supermarkets if it would be okay to set up a booth or a table at the entrances on a Saturday morning to ask parents, as they're coming into the store, what concerns they have about the schools and what policies would benefit their kids the most. Looking for new ideas and ways of community engagement to get feedback from parents on ways they would like to engage with us is extremely important.

FM = The Town Administrator has suggested that the School Committee investigate the possibility of closing Davis Thayer Elementary as a possible cost-saving mechanism for the town in these tight economic times. Where do you stand on this issue and what actions will you take to support your stance?

DM = I think it is worth looking into. Studying the issue and having the research is key to making sure that an evidence-based decision is made. We have a budget shortfall for the School Committee of about $2.3 million, and, if nothing changes, that's not going to fix itself. I think it's important to look at a number of different avenues for addressing the budget shortfall in the long term to understand what cuts we can afford to make. If it's found that it does make sense for the school to close, and it does close, then there would be money that can instead be directed towards other parts of the school system and prevent cuts in other areas.

I think it's important to ask those questions in terms of what are things we can do that would create long-term cost savings. Of course, closing it would be a very disruptive process for the school system and to the community. That's why I think it's important that we have a study to understand if it would make sense and what the best way would be.

FM = Why should I vote for you?

DM = That's a great question. Thank you for asking. I think my perspective and experience have really prepared me to contribute a lot to the School Committee. I grew up in Franklin and graduated from Franklin High in 2009. I am a product of the school system, and I think it's important to have that perspective at the table. Working at the State House as a research analyst, I deal with legislation and policy on a day to day basis, and part of my job is trying to understand how we can make evidence-based policy decisions that make an improvement in our state.

I have chosen that career path because I really believe in the ability of public policy to make widespread improvements in our communities, in our state, and in people's lives. I think that's always done in the best way when those policies are evidence based. I will take that perspective to the School Committee. That experience is very important because one of the primary functions of the School Committee is setting policy for the school system to try to make sure those policies are in line with the long-term strategic goals that have been laid out.

I believe that better decisions are made when there's diversity of perspectives at the table. I think the perspective of a former graduate is important to have in the decision-making process. I’m also a younger person who has had to navigate looking for a job in a modern economy. I also think that’s important to keep in mind when fashioning policies that are going to affect the next generation.

Lastly, as President Bartlet from the show The West Wing said, “Decisions are made by those who show up.” I would encourage everyone to take part in our democratic process on November 5th, and I would greatly appreciate their votes. Thank you.

Franklin Candidate Interview: David McNeill

Find the election and candidate information gathered in one place on the Election Collection
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html 

Franklin Candidate Interview: Mickey Whitmore

This interview with Mickey Whitmore, candidate for Franklin Town Council in 2019, was collaborated on via email. We reviewed the following questions, some of them were ‘crowd sourced.’ Some of you may remember the call for input solicited in August 2019 for this election. Thank you for your contributions.

Hopefully, the information provided here, and in the other interviews, will enable the Franklin voters to make a good choice among the candidates for each position.

For the following FM presents the question. MW represents Mickey’s response.

FM = There are and have been many opportunities to volunteer with community groups in Franklin. Have you taken advantage of any of these? Which ones, and why did you choose that/those?

MW = I have been serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) since the last town election. I also volunteered as an assistant coach for my daughter's basketball team over the winter. I don't want to sound corny but I look forward to helping my neighbors with anything I can.

FM = Where do you get your news about Franklin?

MW = I get my Franklin news from Franklin Matters / internet, and through friends.

FM =  For all those running for Town Council: We are in a constant water shortage. We are adding to our population and increasing out need for water. Given that all those who live in Franklin draw their water from the same aquifer, do you support a ban on using water for what I will call cosmetic use (lawn watering) during water shortages, even for those with a private well? If not, why not, considering that those with private wells are still dangerously affecting our water level for uses other than vanity? Or put simply: Do you support the private use of wells for lawn irrigation at times when the town's aquifer is dangerously low for use by the community for essential use in homes and fire prevention?

MW = We should be cautious with our resources. I would be interested in reading the town hydrologist's report to make the best decision about our water.

FM = What degree of development do you feel is appropriate for Franklin, and how would you balance the need for affordable housing, with the need to avoid congestion?

MW = I think we should be conservative with our development and staying slightly above the 10% affordable housing ratio so we don't get forced by the state with an unwanted 40B development.

FM = The Town Administrator has suggested that Franklin needs to pass an override measure. What actions will you take to support the passage of this measure?

MW = My personal opinion is that we should only do overrides if there are no other options. I would be interested to see how the voters of Franklin feel about the subject.

FM = Why should I vote for you?

MW = I love this town and feel that I would bring unbiased views to the town council. My goal is to keep this a great town and do what is right for the community as a whole.

Franklin Candidate Interview: Mickey Whitmore

Find the election and candidate information gathered in one place on the Election Collection
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html