wfpr.fm devoting the next several days to the Nov 5 Town of Franklin Election Info

Franklin's wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial has adjusted their normal programming to share the audio recordings of the individual Candidate interviews, the Candidate Forum (Oct 17), and the Candidate Query (Oct 22).

In between the longer programs, short audio "public service announcements" or PSA's use some of the candidate audio comments on getting the voters out for Nov 5 with a reminder to vote and to consider voting via absentee ballot.

Franklin's wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM

Listen here:  http://radio.citrus3.com:8418/;stream.mp3

The radio program schedule is set up as follows:

Wed  9 AM -  Get Voters To Vote 31m00s 

Wed 10 AM - FM_#178_Candidate_Query_2019 Part 1 59m20s 

Wed 11 AM - FM_#178_Candidate_Query_2019 Part 2 50m38s 

Thu  9 AM - FM_#176_Candidate_Forum_2019 59m54s 

Thu 10 AM - FM_#178_CandIntv_RDellorco_2019  18m36s 

Thu 11 AM - FM_#177_CandIntv_TCormerLedger_2019 15m59s 

Fri  9 AM - Frank Presents - Election 2019_CandIntv_ABissanti_2019 27m28s 

Fri 10 AM - FM_#176_Candidate_Forum_2019 59m54s

Fri 11 AM - FM_#173_CandIntv - MHamblen_2019 26m00s 

•   9 AM repeats at Noon and 6 PM 
• 10 AM repeats at 1 PM and 7 PM
• 11 AM repeats at 2 PM and 8 PM

All programs also repeat on Saturday to 9 AM - 5 PM  and Sunday  9 AM - 5 PM


Info on the Get Voters to Vote can be found
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/10/insights-on-what-do-we-do-to-get-out.html

Info on the Candidate Query can be found
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/10/franklin-in-focus-candidate-query-oct.html

Info on the Candidate Forum can be found
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/10/franklin-candidate-forum-biennial.html

Additional info can be found at the Election Collection
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html

Franklin Candidate Interview: Matt Kelly

I sat with Matt Kelly recently to discuss the following questions regarding his candidacy for the Franklin Town Council.

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. MK represents Matt's response.

FM = There are and have been many opportunities to volunteer within the community, the various groups. Have you taken advantage of any of these? In which ones and why did you do so?

MK = It's a great question. I think that anybody who is going to be on the Town Council in particular, should have a lengthy volunteer background. I started with being the president of the Red Brick School Association. Moved on from there to volunteering on the School Committee. I am also a member and past president of the Franklin Rotary Club.

Everyone should have an opportunity to volunteer. It's very easy for people to say and I can say the same thing. I've been on the Downtown Partnership. I've been part of the Chamber of Commerce. Oh, great. You've been part of that. We all pay to be part of that. But what are you really doing to make an active difference in your community is the question that should be asked?

For me, it was really the Red Brick School and the Franklin Rotary Club, because those are both groups that give back to our community. I think any candidate that is coming forward today that doesn't have a record of volunteering in the past should be something that's looked at. Why are you here today? Are you here for your business? Are you here for your own personal gain or something else at the end of the day? You should have a lengthy volunteer record. Those are just some of the things I’ve done in Franklin which keeps me in touch with the needs of our community.

FM = Where do you get your news about Franklin?

MK = My news comes from different sources. I read the paper, the Country Gazette and the Milford Daily News have some interesting pieces. The Local Town pages is a great publication too! Social media is important and especially being part of as many Franklin groups as you can.

I get most of my information between the paper and Facebook groups. I read Franklin Matters, and “All about Franklin” both are huge place to get news. Also, I go to the coffee shops. They are places to get news too!

There are multi-generational groups of people in town and you need to be able to communicate with all of them as a councilor. The Senior Center, the police and the fire department, the list goes on.

For me as a town councilor, I've always said, my door is open. And when I talk about getting news, not only do I go out to get it, but I also ask people to come in and give it. On any given week, I have four to five visitors to my office, whether it's town employees, or citizens, people want to talk to me about what's going on, what they'd like, and what they don't like. Sometimes we agree and sometimes we disagree. But at the end of the day, they know they're going to be heard. My news comes from multiple sources. And it's not just my little circle of friends or a group with a set agenda.

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?

MK = That's a really important question and it should be discussed over the next two years. We have had in the last four elections a conversation about water. Yet every election, nobody wants to talk about it publicly.

Franklin, Massachusetts, is on an aquifer along with the surrounding communities, and we are fortunate to be on a very plentiful aquifer. What we need to educate our citizens about first and foremost, is that we are required to file a water permit with the state. That water permit allows us to pull so much water out of the ground per day.

We have to keep in mind that many residents are upset because they can't water their lawn. The reality is we have a water ban because it's part of our water permit and that's called water conservation.

Right now, I understand people are upset because they can't water their new lawn. I had a new lawn too. I didn't water it and I wasn't happy about that either. You have the option to put a well in and not be taxed on that water usage.

We have to continue to look, especially as a Town Councilor at the future of Franklin. I don't know when that water, or as we call it “straws in the ground” will come up empty. What we have to do is continue to have water conservation.

So, the first part of our conversation we have to have with our citizens is why aren't you allowed to water? Because that's per our water permit. The next conversation is what can we do to sustain water in our aquifer, to maintain our ability for years to come? Once we take care of water conservation, then we can talk about educating folks to keep the water conservation going.

Most people don't realize that we have been able to get massive amounts of additional water out of our system. The state won't let us. Again, that straws in the ground, that's a conversation that has to come up. This is less of a conversation about not having water and more of a conversation of whether or not we need to chat more about conservation and our water permit. Once we have those two items discussed, we can talk about water being here today, tomorrow, next week.

People are mad about not having water for the wrong reason, I think. More importantly, we have to discuss that it is not only our water supply. What people really are missing is the big X factor out there; which is our sewer interceptor that runs from Beaver Street down to Pond Street. We need to be talking about the plan for replacing that. The town got a huge break three years ago under my leadership as chairman; we were able to negotiate with the State through our representatives, and with the MBTA which allowed Franklin to put in a sewage line patch that would have cost us millions, if we had to do it when it failed.

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, some of which we already have?

MK = Development is probably one of the key issues for me. Mostly because people misunderstand my job and my position. I take my job very seriously as a Town Councilor. Development is not a priority for me as a Town Councilor. It's not really a priority to me as a real estate agent either. There are over 12,000 homes in our community and very few new developments, I would much prefer no more development but no one can ever promise that.

The reality is the conversation goes back to education. We have to educate our citizens. I hear it time and time again. I agree that we should slow down growth, but how is the question.

I have a plan for that and I plan on introducing that just like I introduced it earlier this term. I hope my fellow councilors agree with me to move it forward this time. That being said we are living with ‘suburban sprawl’. People who bought their house in Newton or Wellesley 40 years ago, their kids cannot afford a house in Newton or Wellesley today. So where are their kids moving to? Franklin, Bellingham and Medway. And why are they moving here? Because we made this an attractive town with great schools, great police, great fire, and a great community.

This is a great town. We have a 4th of July celebration, a Memorial Day parade, and more. They're going to settle out here because they want to live in a great town. Where are they going to move to? A community that is fantastic? Franklin! I think that the conversation is a couple of topics that we need to first educate and then talk about how we're going to solve the issue. The question is, how do we slow it down? The first thing is, we need to slow growth down to a rate that keeps us above our 40B housing number, most people don't realize that. I would charge our planning department to first and foremost, do a study which they can do, that can determine the rate at which housing can grow to keep us over the 40B limit based on based growth numbers. It is not going to cost our citizens anything for the Planning Dept to tell us.

Once we have what the growth number is and that we need to do each year in order to stay above our 40B limits we can start to make our plan. Let's say that growth is building seventy five homes per year, then we would have what we need to stay above our 40B.

Next if we want to slow down, we have to make housing more expensive to build in Franklin. I'm not talking about housing prices, I'm talking about making them more expensive to build and construct.

My plan which I introduced in 2018, again in 2019, and I will introduce it again in 2020. In the past I gave this information in meetings at the EDC level and in other committees, I will now make it public. Every home that's built after 2021 should have sprinklers installed (Interior sprinklers) that will slow growth and make it much harder for us to continue the growth of single families. The second thing I would do is I would set up zones where it would take more land area to build a new home. Right now, our downtown has seen an influx of building. The question now is no longer the influx of residential apartments to the downtown. The question is how are we going to provide support for them with downtown infrastructure.

With the new apartments we need to stop focusing on residential housing and get more people downtown, figure out how we're going to get the businesses to take advantage of that, and how we're going to get new lively businesses downtown. We already have some great businesses there but we need more. We have a hairstylist, a manicure place that's been there for years, we have even seen some new restaurants down there, but we need to make it even bigger. We need to make downtown a destination, so people want to walk there.

There needs to be continued pressure on our state representatives to put a parking garage at the downtown MBTA station. There needs to be a continued pressure for building owners downtown to make new space affordable with long term tenants, and to be able to increase the current businesses. Next our citizens have said they do not want anymore apartments? We need to make multifamily zone housing by special permit, this is the only way to design the housing we would want.

Then we work out in a radius from our town center to increase zoning. By the time you get out to Washington St, they should be 2 acre lots. Sheldonville did this and it worked for them years ago. We need to start working on these items, the solution isn't hard, it's a hard conversation to have. There are a lot of people in town, and many moving parts.

That's why we need a Residential Housing Development Subcommittee. We have an Economic Development Subcommittee for commercial, why not something for Residential? A housing development subcommittee should be able to look at what's going on in town and review the plan. It could be a made up of citizens and members of the ZBA, Planning Board, and the Town Council. It's our town’s future, people want growth to slow down, we need to plan for it. You're not going to stop the traffic. No matter what you do, it's a good economy and everybody has two cars, some even have three or more. We just need to focus on how we better control that.

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?

MK = So I'm on the budget subcommittee and I'm probably one of the more vocal people on the budget subcommittee. I know I didn't make any friends with the School Committee when I told them that I didn't necessarily agree with their budget. Councilor Mercer and I are the only two that were on the School Committee prior to being on the Town Council. I wish there was a prerequisite so that everybody would have to do that because I think you learn a lot.

Looking at the budget, I don't think we're ready for an override yet and there's a number of factors for this. I don't see that the budget has all the fluff cut out of it and I don't see any clear projection of numbers. I agree, that our administration is telling the truth when they say that it's getting tight, but I also understand that a lot of people out there are getting tight on their budgets too. We need to look at what our plan is, is it a reduction in our budget, and an override? Who knows right now and now isn’t the time to ask our citizens either. We have to consider what this going to do to our senior population. That has increased tremendously for people in our town. People on fixed incomes, we need to look at what it will do to them as well. There needs to be a conversation with our town’s people before you start talking override.

That's the business side of it. The human aspect is that times are too good for people to believe that we need an override. We're adding firefighters, adding police officers and there's no visible pain. You might see that we need more DPW workers or your road isn't getting done fast enough, but people don't want to vote for things until there's pain, number one. Number two, when the people complain that they're going off to pay for high school parking, then town council comes running to their rescue and says, “oh, no, we're going to give you that money in the budget.” It's not the time for an override. We should be able to say to our citizens, we can't find any money before we say override.

The reality is, I am going to be very, very stingy when it comes to saying we need an override because I'm going to pay for it just like you are.

FM = What do you say to the voter who asks: Why should I vote for you?

MK = Well, I think if I'm a voter, I think it's an easy decision. I'm investing in our town. I am a resident. I'm a business owner, which means I care about the economics of our town. I'm a father of two and a husband of a wife who is a fourth generation Franklin person.

I came here in 1993 before the big development, so to speak. I fell in love with this town and Franklin is my home. More importantly, why you should vote for me is because I have the experience. I'm not afraid to go out on my own and say how I feel. I have done a tremendous amount of work for our town when it comes to our ambulance, police and fire department vehicle funds. I established funds to save for them and make sure we weren't just buying them like we were in years past.

I have longevity which plays a role in this. I know people might say we want somebody new. Remembering that we did something 10 years ago is really important because there's a reason why we did it 10 years ago. I have a multiple business in the town, and I'm invested in our community. I bring a unique opportunity to the town. I have my doors open to my office every day. My first meeting with the Town Council when I was elected, I sat and said, I'm going to have office hours. That doesn't mean you can't stop in to see me every day. Every day since I have opened my doors to our public to allow them to come in and see me. I'm not going to say I respond to everybody because sometimes an e-mail doesn’t get through. I feel awful about that, but I respond to people.

When I was chairman, I updated them on our storm activities constantly. I take my position as Town Councilor very seriously. I take it not as a job as in I'm going to work, but as a duty to give back to our community and that's why I think people should vote for me. I'm committed to our community, I've shown that commitment in the past, and I will continue to show that moving forward. And whenever the people of Franklin need me, I'm here.

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 

BLACK BOX Jazz presents Big Band Brunch - Nov 10

BLACK BOX Jazz presents a Big Band Brunch with The Kenny Hadley Big Band on Sunday, November 10 at 12 PM. The critically acclaimed 16-piece ensemble, led by drummer Kenny Hadley, boasts masterful musicians with performance ties to Big Band legends Woody Herman, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, and more. The Kenny Hadley Big Band has shared the stage with such notables as The Count Basie Orchestra and The Duke Ellington Orchestra and has hosted guest soloists including Clark Terry and Louie Bellson.

Brunch begins at 11:45 AM, with music beginning at noon. Brunch includes assorted Mini Quiche, Bacon, Waffles, Fresh Fruit, Yogurt & Granola, Bagels, Muffins, OJ, and Coffee. In addition, there is a cash bar with Mimosas and Bloody Marys available.

Visit www.THEBLACKBOXonline or call the box office at 508-528-3370 for tickets and more information. 

BLACK BOX Jazz presents Big Band Brunch - Nov 10

Franklin Candidate Interview: Ernest S Carruthers, Jr

This interview with Ernest S Carruthers, Jr, candidate for Franklin School Committee 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. ESC represents Ernest’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?

ESC = I have volunteered with a few community groups in Franklin. Mainly the VFW, the Veteran’s Council, and Cub Scout Pack 126. I volunteer with the VFW and serve in many different capacities (Post 3402 Quartermaster, District 5 Commander, 2018-2019 National Aide-de-Camp to VFW National Commander in Chief B.J. Lawrence) because I feel a responsibility to serve my fellow veterans. I missed the camaraderie I experienced in the Navy and have found my service to the VFW to be a very rewarding experience. To me the VFW is not a smoke-filled bar room, but an organization that exists to serve our veterans, active military, and the communities we call home.

Once a month, a group meets with Franklin’s Veteran Service Officer Dale Kurtz to collaborate and discuss common goals and activities geared towards the veterans of Franklin. This group is made up of citizens, veterans, representatives of the American Legion, Franklin Elks, and Franklin VFW and one of our largest accomplishments is the Veterans Memorial Walkway at the Town Common. I am extremely proud of the small role I played in making that beautiful walkway a fantastic addition to the War Memorials. Each one of those granite posts along the walkway honors a Franklin resident who gave his life in service to our country during WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq Wars. As a committee we didn’t always agree on everything we discussed, but we were always respectful of each other. And once a decision was made, we all made sure it was executed as we had decided. I would approach the school committee in a similar manner if I were fortunate enough to be elected.

I also volunteer my time by serving as the Cub Master for Pack 126 because I wanted to continue giving back to the community. I enjoy planning our pack meetings so that we can make them as fun for the kids as possible. My hope is that my kids see me volunteering time at these worthwhile organizations and see the importance of giving back. They don’t just hear how important it is to give to others, but they see it in action.

FM = Where do you get your news about Franklin?

ESC = I get my news about Franklin in a variety of ways. I subscribe to the Franklin Matters newsletter that comes out each day, I scroll through the wicked local website, I check in on social media, and I talk with people who are active in the community. Many times these different methods all have the same source, but it’s important to get a different perspective.

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?

ESC = I agree that kids aren’t getting enough sleep. The surveys that have been conducted of students in Franklin and the surrounding communities show that the kids are reporting fewer hours of sleep. My concern is that shifting start times won’t allow them to get more sleep though, I’m concerned all we’ll be doing is pushing everything back an hour. School will start later so it will end later. Practices will now be later. After school jobs will be later. Homework will be done later. Bed time will be later. They’ll end up with about the same amount of sleep as they had before.

There are other issues that need to be considered as well including the impact this will have on working families. I’ve heard from many families that they’re concerned how this will impact childcare. Some families rely on their older kids to get the younger kids from school. If the high school is now getting out after the elementary school then this won’t be possible. That family now has an added cost of after school care. As any working family knows, child care is expensive. We need to take that into consideration when considering the impact of moving school start times.

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?

ESC = It sounds like the current school committee is doing everything they can to increase community engagement and I think that’s wonderful.

There are so many different things going on in everyone’s life that makes engaging with their elected representatives difficult. Work, commuting to and from work, kids’ activities, time for self, housework, etc. It’s not always easy for a member of the community to find spare time to attend meetings or coffee chats or other events. But I don’t think that means those people aren’t engaged, it’s just that they only have so much time to give. Not everyone even has the time to read through a long newsletter.

I would suggest that at the top of the newsletter there be 4-5 bullet points highlighting the most important/critical items that someone should know. That allows them to see those most important items in a clear, concise way. Once they have a few minutes later in the day or over the weekend they can go back and read more about it. I think that now if you don’t have time to read the newsletter you’re probably not going back to it later in the day or week because you forgot all about it, but if you put out some highlights you might have a better chance of getting someone to come back to it.

The organizations I belong to, along with many other community organizations are also experiencing difficulties in getting people. It’s not because people don’t care, it’s because they have so many demands on their time and there’s only so many hours in the day. When I talk to eligible veterans about joining the VFW, they say they can’t make meetings because they have so many other things going on. Unfortunately, that’s true for a lot of the people in our community. People have a lot going on in their lives and everyone prioritizes what’s important to them. What’s important to them is different than what’s important to me and it’s different than what’s important to you. I don’t think that necessarily means they don’t care or aren’t engaged. They may be quietly paying attention and when they see something, they’re passionate about they’ll engage then and then return to what their focus is.

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?

ESC = When I decided to run for the school committee, I was skeptical that this is the right decision. It’s very early in the process and I want to see what the enrollment projections are, what improvements does the current building need and are they critical, high, or nice to have. What are the costs associated with those improvements? What is the plan for the building if it’s no longer a school?

What I don’t want to see is Davis Thayer closed and the building put to other uses and then in 10 years a new elementary school is needed because the other 5 can’t handle the number of students. We need to make sure this study is done the right way. And if at the end of the day the School Committee decides that it is in the best interest of the students and the community for Davis Thayer to close then I will work hard to make sure we have as smooth a process as possible in accomplishing that task and redistricting the remaining 5 elementary schools.

FM =  Why should I vote for you?

ESC = If I am fortunate enough to earn your vote on Tuesday, November 5th you will be voting for someone who has experience working with people from many different backgrounds and understands the importance of working together as a team to accomplish a mission. I’m not going to agree with everyone I interact with as a member of the school committee, but I will treat everyone with the respect they deserve. I will listen to all who come before the committee and take their experiences and thoughts into consideration as I decide how I am going to vote on an issue. I’d welcome anyone who has any questions or comments for me to reach out to me at ernestcarruthersjr and that will be at Gmail. If you’re on Facebook you can also send me a message, I use my middle name on Facebook, so you’ll find me as Scott Carruthers on there.

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: Ernest S Carruthers, Jr

Dean College Presents: "Wonderful Town" Nov 20-24, 2019

The School of the Arts at Dean College will perform Wonderful Town, beginning Wednesday, November 20 through Sunday, November 24, 2019.

Based on the hit play and film, My Sister Eileen, the musical Wonderful Town tells the hilarious and heart-warming story of two Midwestern sisters, newly arrived in New York. One, an aspiring writer, and the other, an actress and dancer, they leave their home in Ohio and wind up sharing a basement apartment in Greenwich Village. While pursuing their dreams, they deal with broken hearts and surround themselves with a cast of characters only to be found in the Village. 

Featuring a magical score by Bernstein, Comden and Green, and including the numbers “Ohio”, “One Hundred Ways”, “It’s Love”, “Conga” and “The Wrong Note Rag”, Wonderful Town was the winner of the 1953 Tony award and subsequent Broadway revival and West End honors.

The Dean College production of Wonderful Town will take place in the Main Stage in the Campus Center at Dean College, 109 West Central Street, Franklin at 7:30 PM Wednesday – Saturday and 2:00 PM Saturday and Sunday. 

General admission is $22, Seniors $12 and Children $7.
To learn more and purchase tickets, visit www.dean.edu/boxoffice.

 

Dean College Presents: "Wonderful Town" Nov 20-24, 2019

FHS field hockey is #5 seed in the D1 South bracket

HockomockSports.com has posted the Hockomock field hockey playoff seeds and matchups for teams in the MIAA playoffs.

Franklin's first game is shown here, the full D1 South bracket is shown below.

• D1 South

#5 Franklin (14-2-2) will host the winner of #12 Braintree (12-4-2)/#21 Oliver Ames (9-9-0) on Saturday, 11/2 at 5:00.


MIAA D1 - South Bracket Notes:
1. Somerset-Berkley (18-0-0) 1.000
2. New Bedford (17-1-0) .944
3. Walpole (16-0-2) .944
4. Westwood (15-1-2) .889
5. Franklin (14-2-2) .833
6. Plymouth North (13-2-2) .824
7. Notre Dame - H (11-2-3) .781
8. Needham (12-3-3) .750
9. Canton (12-3-3) .750
10. Hingham (12-3-3) .750
11. Dartmouth (12-4-2) .722
12. Braintree (12-4-2) .722
13. Norwood (12-5-1) .694
14. Wellesley (10-6-1) .618
15. Mansfield (10-6-2) .611
16. Pembroke (10-7-1) .583
17. King Philip (9-6-3) .583
18. Nauset (8-6-4) .556
19. Bridgewater-Raynham (7-5-6) .556
20. Attleboro (8-7-3) .528
21. Oliver Ames (9-9-0) .500


For other Hockomock League first round matchups
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-field-hockey-playoff-seeds-matchups-2019/

For the MIAA D1 South bracket  http://miaa.statebrackets.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=5367

FHS field hockey is #5 seed in the D1 South bracket

FHS girls soccer top Attleboro 2-0

Via HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the FHS fall sports action on Monday, Oct 28, 2019

Boys Soccer = Franklin, 1 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final
– Attleboro used a strong second half to earn its third straight win. Mike Russo scored a pair of goals and Jackson Singer found the back of the net once for the Bombardiers. Ethan Cain scored for Franklin on an assist from Donny Tappin.

Girls Soccer = Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final
Josh Perry, Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com, provides the game recap:

"Attleboro (7-9-2) arrived at Pisini Stadium on Monday night needing a win in its season finale to clinch a postseason berth for the first time under head coach Steve Santos and first time since the Bombardiers joined the Hockomock League. Unfortunately for the visitors, they were facing a team that has made its mark this season by frustrating opposing attacks.

Franklin locked down defensively once again, recording its 11th shutout in its last 12 games (only league champion King Philip has managed to score against the Panthers in the last five weeks) and dashing Attleboro’s playoff hopes with a 2-0 victory.

The Panthers have allowed only eight goals all season, which is second best in the league, but six of those goals came in the opening five games. A lineup change, moving senior Anna Balkus to left back from her attacking midfield role, solidified that side of the field and allowed classmate Sabrina Addi to dominate in the middle. Freshman Norah Anderson and senior Sam Powderly have grown into their center and right back roles.

“We moved her to the back and she just took over and that allowed Sabrina not to have everything on her shoulders,” said Franklin coach Tom Geysen. “Being able to move Anna around and now put Sammy on the side where she feels more comfortable, on the right side because she’s right-footed, makes things a little easier. And Norah has come a long way, for a freshman she’s played very well.”

Continue reading the game recap:
https://hockomocksports.com/addi-brace-lifts-stingy-franklin-girls-soccer-over-bombardiers/

For a photo gallery from this game
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2019-2020/Fall-2019/Franklin-Attleboro-Girls-Soccer-10-28-19/

For other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/mondays-schedule-scoreboard-10-28-19/

Franklin senior Sabrina Addi (4) helped the Panthers earn an 11th clean sheet in the last 12 games and also scored twice on free kicks. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Addition to The Brothers Four Concert at OCC Coffeehouse on Nov. 8

"We have a new development with The Brothers Four concert. A very popular local group, The McGuire Brothers, will be opening for them. The McGuire Brothers consist of Mike and Sean McGuire on acoustic guitars and drummer Dean Winslow, playing a mix of covers from the 1940s to the present. Many people in the Wrentham area have enjoyed the McGuires for years, and we expect you will too."

50 Great Years! Now proudly celebrating their Golden Anniversary! The smooth musical sounds of The Brothers Four have delighted millions for five exciting decades. Folk Songs and Love Songs from America, Europe, Africa and Asia round out a fabulous repertoire of acoustic tunes old and new.

The Brothers Four have played thousands of college concerts, serenaded four U.S. presidents at the White House, appeared at countless Community Concerts, performed with symphony orchestras and jazz stars and entertained in dozens of foreign countries. Internationally acclaimed, they are truly "America's Musical Ambassadors to the World." Musical million-sellers for The Brothers Four include such releases as Greenfields, Yellow Bird, Try to Remember, Across the Wide Missouri. Their hit recording of The Green Leaves of Summer from the motion picture "The Alamo" was nominated for an Academy Award and they performed the song at the awards presentation for the global network telecast.

Fraternity brothers at the University of Washington in Seattle, The Brothers Four began singing together in 1956 and by the 1960s they had become America's Musical Ambassadors to the World. They were pioneers in the musical movement which came to be know as the "folk revival", and of the few groups from those times still performing today, they remain one of the best known and most popular. Their all-acoustic presentation consists of guitars, banjo, mandolin, upright bass, and of course the trademark rich blend of their four voices. An evening with this quartet is an unforgettable time of pure, acoustic music and entertainment.

The full-time lineup of The Brothers Four, as solid as ever, now includes Mike McCoy, a veteran folk performer and singer/songwriter, a native of Washington State who has performed with The Brothers Four on special recording projects and occasional stage presentations since the late 1960's; Washington native, Karl Olsen, folk performer, choral director, writer and arranger, the latest addition to the group, blending his sparkling vocal and guitar skills smoothly into the sound of The Brothers Four; Washington State's Mark Pearson, guitarist, banjo player extraordinaire and singer/songwriter who has been such a strong and consistent part of the Group's signature sound since he originally joined in the late 1960's; along with Founding Member, Seattle native, Bob Flick, bass player, group leader and singer/songwriter.

Tickets for the concert are $35 in advance and $40 at the door, available at the church office, 508-384-3110, or at www.musicatocc.org. The event will be in the Sanctuary at the front of the church with entry from the door on Dedham Street (Route 1A). Parking is available behind the church and in the lot across the street. For more information and to be added to the mailing list, visit the website or contact Ken Graves, 508-384-8084, occmusic99@gmail.com.

THE BROTHERS FOUR at OCC Coffeehouse Friday, Nov. 8, 7:30 PM

The Brothers Four play the OCC Coffeehouse - Nov 8

Hockomock Area YMCA Announces New England Patriot Kyle Van Noy as 2019 Legends Ball Honoree

The Hockomock Area YMCA is honoring Kyle Van Noy, linebacker and two-time Super Bowl Champion for the New England Patriots, as the recipient of 2019 Legends Ball Award at the 14th annual Legends Ball. The announcement was made at the YMCA’s North Attleboro Branch unified flag football team practice on October 24th. Van Noy is being recognized for his commitment and passion to the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Integration Initiative.

President and CEO Ed Hurley introduced Kyle to the unified flag football team saying, “We could not do what we do and have programs like this one without the support of others. Every year since we started the Legends Ball, Patriots alumni and current players as well as New England sports athletes have been here to support us. 
 

 New England Patriot Kyle Van Noy as 2019 Legends Ball Honoree

Our recent Legends Ball Honorees have been Nate Solder, Devin McCourty, Rob Ninkovich, Matthew Slater and last year, Coach Brian Flores. We are honored for their support of our Integration Initiative. It’s my pleasure and honor to introduce our 2019 Legends Ball Honoree, two-time Super Bowl Champion Kyle Van Noy.”

Addressing the young people at the announcement, Kyle shared, “These guys right here deserve all the attention,” referring to the teens and adults of the unified flag football team. Kyle added, “Just look at their smiles. It doesn’t get any better than that. I’m so excited and thrilled to represent the Patriots and the Hockomock Area YMCA as this year’s Legends Ball honoree.”

The Legends Ball will take place on November 19 at Lake Pearl in Wrentham, MA. Proceeds from the Legends Ball benefit the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Integration Initiative. The Initiative was created to meet an emerging need in the communities the Y serves, recognizing the importance of supporting children, teens, young adults and adults with special needs and nurturing a community of inclusion at the Hockomock Y. Since the program’s inception in 2004, more than 1,200 individuals and families have participated in the Integration Initiative.

Sports fans and friends of the Hockomock Area YMCA who are interested in event sponsorship opportunities and ticket sales, please visit www.hockymca.org/legends-ball

About the Hockomock Area YMCA:

Where Cause Meets Community. At the Hockomock Area YMCA, strengthening community is our cause. The Hockomock Area YMCA is an organization of men, women, and children sharing a commitment to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility. 

The Hockomock Area YMCA is committed to partnering and collaborating with others to create and deliver lasting personal and social change in the 15 communities they are privileged to serve. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a not-for-profit charitable cause-driven organization with facilities in North Attleboro, Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield. For more information visit hockymca.org.

"Franklin Town Council candidates weigh in on town finances"

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

"Town finances are an important topic of conversation for the Town Council, especially with a forecast for some challenging times ahead as expenses outpace revenue.

With the town’s biennial election looming next week, it is among the topics that candidates for the council are addressing. In all, there are 11 candidates -- seven of them incumbents -- seeking election to nine seats on the top governing board.

Polling takes place Nov. 5 from 6 a.m.-8 p.m., at Franklin High School, 218 Oak St.

The candidates were asked to share their thoughts on the issue of town budgeting and whether they would support a general override to help meet the town’s financial needs and maintain the current level of services."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191028/franklin-council-candidates-weigh-in-on-town-finances

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 Town Council candidates weigh in on town finances"

Franklin Historical Museum: Graveyard Tour - Oct 31; winter hours start this week

• Anyone interested in attending the Union Street cemetery tour, Halloween night, can meet on the steps of the museum by 4:45 PM. The group will walk to the cemetery and join Dean History Professor Rob Lawson for the tour starting at 5 PM.

• The Franklin Historical Museum is closed on Thursday evenings, starting this Thursday, October 31. The Museum will be starting winter hours .. open only on the weekends (Saturday: 10 AM to 1:00 PM and Sunday: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM). 

Visit the Historical Museum online
https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com/

 

Franklin Historical Museum: Graveyard Tour - Oct 31; winter hours start his week

THE BLACK BOX New England Artists Series presents Diane Blue - Nov 9

THE BLACK BOX New England Artists Series will present Diane Blue on November 9 at 8 PM. Ms. Blue is a soul-stirring vocalist and skillful harmonica player whose powerful delivery of Soul, Blues, and R&B is captivating. Her performances are charismatic and heartfelt, whether fronting her own world-class band, or singing alongside master Bluesman Ronnie Earl. Ms. Blue is the first female member of Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. She is prominently featured on the band's five most recent celebrated records.

Diane's reputation as a stunning entertainer has led her all over the United States and tours of Europe where audiences enjoy her traditional and original songs alike. A multi-nominated and award-winning artist, she performed at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee in 2019, and competed at the 2011 International Blues Challenge. 

Diane has shared the stage with many greats including Muddy Waters' guitarist Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, Irma Thomas (the Soul Queen of New Orleans), and the late Big Jack Johnson (Mississippi) who called Diane a "monster on the harp." Ms. Blue tours in the U.S. and abroad as a featured performer, in addition to her duties with the Broadcasters.

Visit www.THEBLACKBOXonline.com or call the box office at 508-528-3370 for tickets and more information. 

THE BLACK BOX New England Artists Series presents Diane Blue - Nov 9

Franklin Candidate Interview: Jennifer D'Angelo

This interview with Jennifer D'Angelo, candidate for Franklin School Committee 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. JD represents Jennifer’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?

JD = Growing up in town, I have had to the opportunity to volunteer with a variety of groups beginning in high school. Some of those opportunities including delivering food baskets to those in need during the holidays, teaching religious education at St. Mary’s Church and supporting a number of other local organizations through fundraising donations.

FM = Where do you get your news about Franklin?

JD = I receive local, state and national news from a variety of outlets including local newspapers, online publications and of course, Franklin Matters. I tend to go to the source when I am interested in a specific topic. For example, when I was interested in learning more about the Student Opportunity Act that is currently making its way through state government, I read the 30 plus page document and the relative proposals and amendments associated with the bill. I find this provides me with information that is more accurate.

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?

JD = Based on the information provided by the school committee, superintendent and community members through public forums held last year, I am not convinced that at this point the benefits outweigh the concerns expressed by parents, students and staff members all of whom would be directly impacted by the changes. Though there is some research-based evidence that lends to the sleep patterns of adolescent age students, I am concerned with the impact on our elementary and middle school age students where less research is available. In my opinion, there needs to be additional work around this topic if the committee were to entertain a potential school start time change in the future.

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?

JD = Level of engagement is different for each individual. Some community members are eager to attend coffee chats while others are content to receive email newsletters and chat with their peers about those topics important to them and their families. I feel it is the duty of the School Committee to create a wide range of opportunities for those who would like to engage in issues relative to not only the school community but also our town as a whole. I also think another piece of engagement is feeling your opinions are respected even when they differ. From community members I have had to the opportunity to speak with, this was one area they felt could have been better and something the next committee should build upon to increase citizen engagement.

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?

JD = The superintendent put forth a recommendation to conduct a closing study in an effort to provide a broad range of data including but not limited to projected enrollment numbers, utilization of school building space and student achievement. At this point, I do not support or reject the move, as there is not enough information to make an informed decision. I think it is important to explore all opportunities to improve educational outcomes for students. The study complied with other reports and data the district already has available will provide useful information about the impacts of considering a school closure not only for the students of Davis Thayer but also across the district.

FM = Why should I vote for you?

JD = Education is a collaborative effort among teachers, administrators, families, community members and elected officials. As an elected committee member, my major focus would be those issues and concerns that are a priority to the parents, students, and teachers I represent on the committee. It is important to be open to the opinions and views of all in order to make thoughtful decisions in the best interest of our students. As our schools face some challenging decisions in the coming years, I am confident I can be an impartial committee member who can make well-informed decisions based on the needs of our community. With over fifteen years of experience in public education, I am well versed in a variety of areas including school finances, instructional practices and state and federal regulations. In addition to my work experience, I also hold a Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University and Master of Education from Bridgewater State University. I feel my skill set would be invaluable as a member of the Franklin School Committee. 

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: Jennifer D'Angelo

FHS football scheduled to play Attleboro Nov 1 in MIAA playoffs

HockomockSports.com has posted the Hockomock football playoff seeds and matchups for teams in the MIAA playoffs.

• D1 South

#2 Franklin (5-2) will host #7 Attleboro (3-4) on Friday, 11/1 at 7:00.


FYI - on 10/19/19 FHS went to Attleboro and beat them 37-7. Now only 2 weeks later, they come to Franklin for the MIAA playoff game.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/10/fhs-football-tops-attleboro-37-7-on.html
 

For other football playoff seeds around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-football-playoff-seeds-matchups-2019/

FHS football scheduled to play Attleboro Nov 1 in MIAA playoffs