Franklin Annual Report 2019: Town Clerk

From the Annual Report for 2019

The Town Clerk’s Office is dedicated to providing friendly, professional service to all citizens. I am extremely proud of how well my staff performs and responds to the demands of the office.

HISTORY TOWN CLERK OFFICE

The office of town clerk is probably one of the oldest in municipal government. It appears in the Bible in the Book of Acts, Chapter 19, and verse 35 written in A.D. 58. A search of other early written records would no doubt reveal other instances in which mention of this office appears. In Massachusetts, town clerk was one of the earliest offices established in colonial towns although the title itself may not appear in the earliest records. The settlers were well aware of the importance of keeping accurate written records of their agreements and actions including grants of land, regulations governing animals, the collection of taxes and the expenditure of town funds. If your town records date back to the first half of the 17th century, you will probably find that a person was given the specific duty of writing down town orders and will see many entries in the record which include the words “It is ordered by the inhabitants,” or some similar words. Indeed, in Massachusetts, the town clerk was one of the earliest offices established in colonial towns.

ONLINE SERVICE

Our online service continues to be a success!! This has been a convenient way for the public to request and purchase birth, death and marriage certificates. This improvement has also been a great success for our dog owners who need to license a new dog or who must renew their yearly dog license. These document requests and payment options are available online anytime of the day, seven days a week. To use this service, visit the town website at www.franklinma.gov and follow to the Town Clerk’s Department.

NOTARY SERVICE

The Town Clerk’s office provides Notary services as a courtesy. Residents seeking Notary Services should call the Town Clerk’s office prior to their visit to ensure that the Notary is available. The following guidelines will be followed in the provision of Notary Service: - Notary Services are available during the normal business hours and are not available in the fifteen (15) minutes prior to the time of closing. - Notary Service is provided on a first-come, first service basis - A valid, government- issued photo identification is required of any customer seeking Notary Service - The document(s) CANNOT already have been signed nor dated - All signers must be present at the time of notarizing - The Notary is stating they have witnessed the document being signed by the individuals present - Notary Service is not available for deeds, mortgages, wills, living wills, living trusts, codicils or depositions. - Certain public documents cannot be copied and notarized. For more information, visit our website.

POPULATION

The total population for FY2019 Census is now 34,693. The following are some past population figures that have been reported over the past years.

1981 17,304 1989 22,045 1997 28,594 1982 17,333 1990 22,674 1998 28,928 1983 17,187 1991 23,982 1999 29,306 1984 17,302 1992 24,756 2000 29,738 1985 17,500 1993 24,963 2001 29,897 1986 19,253 1994 25,213 2002 30,198 1987 20,105 1995 26,721 2003 30,522 1988 21,009 1996 27,325 2004 30,944 2005 31,274 2006 31,629 2007 32,003 2008 32,223 2009 32,878 2010 32,862 2011 32,810 2012 33,092 2013 33,186 2014 33,490 2015 33,590 2016 33,761 2017  2018 34,693

Year Population (As of January)

2017 - 33,905

Find the full report online at

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-franklin-annual-report-2019

Department Spotlight on the Town Clerk

https://sites.google.com/franklinps.net/spotlight-town-clerk/home 

 

Franklin (MA) Population and Annual Growth percent 1981-2018

THE BLACK BOX presents Jamie Barrett - July 9

THE BLACK BOX, the region’s premiere concert, theater, and event venue, has announced outdoor weekend concerts throughout the month of July in the theater’s parking lot. The shows will be presented in a one hour format with two seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 pm. Tables will be socially distanced and masks will be required when patrons enter THE BLACK BOX building to access the box office, restrooms, and bar. Table groupings will be limited to six.

Jamie Barrett will take the outdoor stage on Thursday, July 9 at 7:00 pm. This concert schedule is contingent upon Reopening Massachusetts Phase 3 beginning on July 6th. The box office for this show will open when the Phase 3 start date is officially announced by Governor Baker.

Jamie resides in Franklin, MA where he has been teaching music at Jefferson Elementary School since 1999. He also teaches one day a week at Davis Thayer Elementary, and he provides private guitar instruction after school, as well. His interest in music began with a very musical family and was then furthered by piano, singing, and clarinet lessons at a young age. He later discovered the guitar and went on to play in school productions and jazz bands and began gigging in night clubs. He went on to play in several bands throughout the New England area. 
 

THE BLACK BOX presents Jamie Barrett - July 9

He attended a number of different schools for music, such as Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA, Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, E.C.S.U., and UMASS/Boston. In 2008, he was awarded the MAEC Music Educator Award for Distinguished Music Educator. He recently completed his Master's of Music in Music Education through Boston University and is currently becoming certified in Orff Schulwerk at Bridgewater State University. Jamie continues to write songs for both his school's curriculum, the Franklin community, and himself. He loves to perform and can be seen many times a year at local libraries, coffee houses, family festivals and more.

Tickets will be available at www.THEBLACKBOXonline.com or by calling 508-528-3370. THE BLACK BOX is located at 15 W. Central St. in downtown Franklin.

"French Neutrals" - local interest in the French and Indian War (a virtual Zoom event)

The Bellingham Historical Commission in partnership with the Bellingham Library will delve into the story of the "French Neutrals" who were relocated to Bellingham and other nearby towns during the French and Indian War (1754 – 1763).

The free presentation, which will be hosted on Zoom, will feature the Bellingham Historical Commission's Vice Chair Steve Joanis and his wife Bronya. The two will, in costume, relate the tale of the Robeshaw and Amerault families - Nova Scotians who were relocated to Wrentham and Bellingham in the late 1750s because the British regarded French speaking Acadians as potential adversaries.

The presentation will use a mix of the historical facts, original documents, and "likely suppositions" to recreate the story of Joseph Robeshaw's life. Joseph was born here as a captive, but stayed to serve in the militia as a citizen soldier during the American revolution.


This is a Zoom event on July 20 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM.  Follow the Facebook event for updates:  https://www.facebook.com/events/268935604314925/

"French Neutrals" - local interest in the French and Indian War

"Talking the Blues" - New Discoveries - Nov 20, 2019

Jim Derick, Todd Monjar, and sitting in for this episode, Mike Derick


You can listen to this show on Franklin Public Radio,  wfpr.fm anywhere via your browser, or at 102.9 on the local Franklin FM radio dial.

Thursday = 11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm Talkin’ the Blues – Jim Derick
Exploring the music of the great Blues tradition

Saturday = 5:00p Talkin’ the Blues – Jim Derick
Exploring the music of the great Blues tradition


Audio link = https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-cyepn-d8453a

Please Respond Today to the 2020 Census

We have reached a 77.0% response rate for Franklin, there is still time to get beyond 80% (Franklin actually did 79.9% in the 2010 Census).

"The 2020 Census is underway and more households across America are responding every day. Over 91.4 million households have responded to date, representing 61.1% of all households in America. Make sure that you and your friends and family are included in this once-a-decade count.

Help us spread the word: Everyone can respond to the 2020 Census online in one of 13 languages, with assistance available in many more."

https://2020census.gov/en.html

Visit the 2020 Census response rate map  https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html

The current results for Franklin (as of Sunday, June  28, 2020):

Please Respond Today to the 2020 Census

FY 20 Recycling Center Permit Expiration Extended To July 31, 2020

FY 20 Recycling Center Permit Expiration Extended To July 31, 2020

Recycling Center Permit Expiration Extended To July 31, 2020

LiveARTS: BSO Violinist Plays a Streaming Live Concert - July 12

Join us for a special donation-based concert! LiveARTS presents Boston Symphony Orchestra violinist VICTOR ROMANUL in a streaming live concert on Zoom! Sunday July 12, 2020 at 3 PM To take advantage of this opportunity, go to our website, liveartsma.org, and order a free ticket. The Zoom link will be emailed to you 24 hours before the concert. Tickets are free, but donations are always welcome! Watch your email for more information. PROGRAM Vieuxtemps: Moderato, Op. 48, No. 12 Ernst: Terzetto "A Joachim" Ysaye: Sonata No. 4, "A Fritz Kreisler" Elgar: Etude Caractéristiques No. 5 Sauret (Arr. by V. Romanul) Sauret Fantasie Tarrega: Memories of the Alhambra LiveARTS has been working hard to improve the quality  of the sound in these Zoom events. We think you will appreciate the difference! You can download Zoom using this link: Download Zoom Copyright © 2020, LiveARTS.org.  All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: LiveARTS P.O. Box 678 Franklin, MA 02038

Contollo Mass Manufacturing donates PPE as promised

On Tuesday, June 30, 2020 Contollo Mass Manufacturing donated PPE gowns, both reusable and disposable to several of the local fire departments in a brief ceremony at the Franklin Fire Station #1.

Franklin Town Council Chair Tom Mercer opened the remarks. He had received the first call inquiring about the machine at the former Clark-Cutler-McDermott facility and who the current owner was.

State Representative Jeff Roy spoke highlighting that Contollo was one of a couple of dozen Mass companies to receive grants from the State.

Peter Berzin, CEO of Contollo (https://contollomassmanufacturing.com/), spoke of the effort to get started and that they are operating currently on one shift producing about 7,000 gowns per day, with plans to expand to second shift and increase capacity.

Chief James McLaughlin coordinated with the local area fire departments (Milford, Medway, Plainville, Bellingham, Norfolk) to have representatives there for the ceremony. 

Photos from the brief event:

Contollo Mass Manufacturing donates PPE as promised

We’re Virtual - Kids’ Corner Cooking Camp – Grades 4-7

Registration is open for Virtual Kids’ Corner Cooking Camp – Grades 4-7. Classes will run from Saturday, July 18 through Saturday, August 22. 

Participation is open to individuals in Franklin and the surrounding region towns.
Originally an after-school and summer camp program, Kids’ Corner Cooking Camp with Sandhya Jain, has shifted its current program to entirely online using Google Meet. These interactive Kids’ Corner cooking classes are set up to show kids (Grades 4-7) how to prepare fun offerings for their family. 

The weekly, one-hour lessons are educational, entertaining, and designed to empower students in the process. And the recipes are healthy and delicious.
For more information, go to www.FranklinLifelongLearning.com and click on Lifelong Community Learning. Or call Lifelong Community Learning at 508-613-1483.

ABOUT US: Lifelong Community Learning is a program of the Franklin Public Schools Lifelong Learning Institute, dedicated to providing diverse and enriched education and experiences for all area residents and children – a resource for all ages.

We’re Virtual - Kids’ Corner Cooking Camp – Grades 4-7