FM #476 - Talk Franklin - 02/26/21 (audio)

FM #476 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 476 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my "Talk Franklin" conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen and Marketing and Communications Specialist Anne Marie Tracey. We had our conversation via conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

We talk about: 

• Re-opening changes effective March 1
• Vaccine – readiness, awaiting supply (if provided)

 
Looking back

SchComm meeting

• Vaccine update
• Ventilation update
• District newsletter

Finance Committee meeting

• Debt and borrowing overview

Looking ahead

• Community Preservation Committee organizational meeting - 3/2
• School Committee legislative Forum - 3/2 
• Board of Health meeting - 3/3
• Economic Development - 3/3  How to setup to do business? (Franklin Business Guide)
• Town Council meeting - 3/3  MBTA downtown station

Links to the key topics covered here are included in the show notes. The recording runs about 38 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie and Anne Marie.  Audio file = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/b3b29add-6c3e-4220-854e-d3e9ac70ed70

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School Committee recap
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/school-committee-meeting-2232021-recap.html 

District newsletter
https://www.franklinps.net/district/news/fps-district-newsletter

Finance Committee meeting audio
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/fm-474-finance-committee-mtg-022421.html 

Agenda docs and connection info to the Town of Franklin meetings found on the calendar
https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar 

-------------- 

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
 
How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
 
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters" 

FM #476 - Talk Franklin - 02/26/21 (audio)

Two $1000 Scholarships Offered by Knights of Columbus, Sacred Heart Council 1847, Franklin, MA

Knights of Columbus 1847 in Franklin, MA is accepting applications for 2- $1000 Scholarships. The applicants must be a registered member of St. Mary's Parish in Franklin, and must be graduating from High School in the Spring 2021 and progressing onto their first year of study at a 2- or 4-year college/ university. Please submit a complete our Scholarship Application postmarked on or before the Application Deadline of Friday April 16, 2021.

The application form is available from the banner on the St. Mary's Parish, Franklin website or on the Knights of Columbus 1847 website https://www.kofc1847.org/scholarship-program

Please fill in ALL information accurately and clearly, and then submit the completed application to the Knights of Columbus, Sacred Heart Council 1847, St. Mary's Parish c/o Mike Swan, 38 Madison Ave., Franklin, MA 02038.

The award will be given to the recipients upon completion of their 1st semester of studies and upon proof of enrollment in the 2nd semester.

Please contact Mike Swan for more information at 508-404-4792. 

https://www.kofc1847.org/scholarship-program

"Go For The Green!" Online Silent Auction - opens March 7

 
Big Fundraising News!!
The "Go for the Green" Online Auction
Is coming in March

Welcome to our exciting virtual fundraiser!

Bidding will last 10 days, from March 7^th @ noon to 

St. Patrick's Day-March 17th @ 8 pm

 

In March, we will explain how to access the auction and spread the word.
 

Join the fun! Help us help Franklin Federated Church. 

      More information to follow before March 7. For updates check out franklinfederated.org

 

Town of Franklin, MA: Read the March 2021 Newsletter Here!

Hello Franklin!  The March edition of the Town of Franklin newsletter is now available.  Stay connected and updated with what is happening in town.  

Newsletter = https://t.co/AdkDTwKPmR

Or use this link = https://myemail.constantcontact.com/March-2021--E-Newsletter.html?soid=1134219428814&aid=T31XgmNEVf4

 Shared from Twitter: https://t.co/MmQCVx4D9G

 

Town of Franklin, MA: Read the March 2021 Newsletter Here!

Franklin Public Schools, MA: K-5, 6-8 and FHS communications from Superintendent Sara Ahern

Please find the latest K-5, 6-8 and FHS communications from Superintendent Sara Ahern posted on our Reopening site  

 

FPS Reopening site =https://t.co/av14MmSQep  

 

Elementary = https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DhCmqQmEqxlt9tZZRc5IcQ6GICqM5bjt/view

 

Middle School = https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y5wUgfzWGe2yoScvTCsXGNHK4cV-g3FY/view?usp=sharing

 

High school =  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lNqnP6ISwVubfI9gjhYf4JbSakjFMgbX/view?usp=sharing

K-5, 6-8 and FHS communications from Superintendent Sara Ahern

Pantherbook: "COVID-19’s Impact on FHS Faculty"

 

"COVID-19 has brought many schools new challenges and experiences which they have not faced before. Franklin High School principal, Joshua Hanna, says he is impressed with the students, parents, and facility’s hard work and positive attitude which he believes will allow us to get back to an in-person learning model.

Challenges

When asked what major impact did Covid-19 have on FHS staff, Mr. Hanna responded, “becoming crisis responsive regarding new regulations that have never been implemented before.” Schools were shut down almost a year ago and since then, a myriad of new regulations and safety precautions have been issued. As a result, teachers had to get quickly accustomed to educating students in socially distant classrooms or virtual google meets."

Continue reading the article online at Pantherbook
https://franklinpanthers.us/news/2021/02/25/covid-19s-impact-on-fhs-faculty/ 

Pantherbook: "COVID-19’s Impact on FHS Faculty" (image by Amulya Chirravuri, Writer)

Franklin Public Schools, MA: Safe Buildings Initiatives (from SchComm Mtg 2/23/21)

"Learn more about the Safe Buildings Initiative and UVGI technology from the Director of Public Facilities, Mike D'Angelo "

The presentation deck  https://t.co/x4jEKdDprS  

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/FranklinPSNews/status/1366433696505544706

 

Listen to the audio from the School Committee meeting on Feb 23, 2021 while you follow along with the presentation deck  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/fm-473-school-committee-meeting-022321.html

Safe Buildings Initiatives (from SchComm Mtg 2/23/21)

Superintendent Sara Ahern and Director of Public Facilities, Mike D'Angelo

WOW, 20 incredABLE Years! Help HMEA raise some funds for their cause!

We are celebrating the 20th Anniversary incredABLE Day and there are so many ways to get involved – contests, challenges, raffles, virtual trivia and bingo, and more!

Click one of the buttons below to start your incredABLE journey!

 

Find all the buttons on one page

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/WOW--20-incredABLE-Years-.html?soid=1114254466392&aid=aXXjDrC4mwk

 

 

or visit  https://www.hmea.org/incredable-day/

 

WOW, 20 incredABLE Years! Help HMEA raise some funds for their cause!

 

JohnnyMac presents: Toys For Tots Festival - July 24, 2021

"Early Stages of event. Everything is pending due to the pandemic. 

Follow the event for further details and if you would like to have a vendor table or would like to donate for the raffle table please reach out. 

Thank you"

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021 AT 12:30 AM EDT – 11:30 PM EDT

At The Alumni Bar & Grill

Facebook event = https://www.facebook.com/events/256879422661382/

JohnnyMac presents: Toys For Tots Festival - July 24, 2021

SAFE Coalition announces new support group for substance abuse

"New Support group added: starting MARCH 15th, 18+ sibling support group for anyone with a loved one grappling with substance use disorder

💜 "Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten"

Shared from Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1949801751933050/permalink/3022830087963539/

What is the SAFE Coalition?

"SAFE is a regional coalition of community partners in Western Norfolk County (serving Franklin, Foxboro, Mansfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Plainville, Walpole, Wrentham and surrounding towns) who have come together to provide a pathway for support, education, treatment options and coping mechanisms for those affected by substance use disorder. We do so by empowering those affected, including their families, with the tools necessary to succeed on their journey to recovery. We understand that while I can’t, we can."

For more info about the SAFE Coalition, visit them on the web  https://www.safecoalitionma.org/

SAFE Coalition announces new support group for substance abuse

Franklin Senior Center: Connections Newsletter - March 2021

CONNECTION NEWSLETTER

Your Monthly Franklin Senior Center Newsletter

To Receive This Newsletter Monthly or Other Town Notifications, Please Click Here.

Franklin Senior Center: Connections Newsletter - March 2021

FHS Gymnastics: Hockomock Cup Placements

"Results are in for Hockomock Cup Placements!  Congratulations girls so very proud of you! 

@FHSSports @FranklinHS @KatCornetta @MetroWestSports @HockomockSports @fhsgymboosters @FranklinMatters @BuzzMyfm "

https://t.co/UdoaVG8OsQ

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/fhs_gymnastics/status/1366586890997043200

FHS Gymnastics: Hockomock Cup Placements

FHS Gymnastics: Hockomock Cup Placements 1

Franklin Youth Hockey Association (FYHA) registration closes Mar 8

The Franklin Youth Hockey Association (FYHA) player evaluation schedule for the 2021-2022 season is now posted on our website (https://t.co/G6QVHoZYk4). 

Registration will close on Monday, 3/8. @FHSPantherHocke @fhsvgockey @FranklinMatters @FranklinRec 

player evaluation schedule for the 2021-2022 season

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/FYHockey/status/1366549365033164807

The Intercept: "Teachers Unions Aren’t the Obstacle to Reopening Schools"

Tracy O'Connell Novick (@TracyNovick) tweeted

"This piece from @onesarahjones gets at the heart of one of the things I have found most disheartening about the pandemic. It gave us a chance to refocus on the vast inequities in our society, and instead it's making them wider."

Sarah writes: (Bold my emphasis)

"Public opinion does not, of course, dictate scientific consensus. Even so, the science isn’t as settled as many claim. While it’s true that kids aren’t as likely to fall seriously ill with COVID and aren’t as likely to spread the virus, the risk isn’t zero. As The Intercept reported in January, three recent studies indicate that the risks posed by reopening schools vary depending on rates of community transmission. According to one of the studies, reopening schools in Florida did lead to higher incidences of COVID infection among school-age children. Teachers in a school building can also spread the virus to one another and to parents if mitigation strategies aren’t sound."

Follow the link to read the full article =  https://t.co/tTKdfw6Cgk

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/TracyNovick/status/1365815338366087169

Franklin Food Pantry: unloading the Greater Boston Food Bank food truck

#ICYMI Our latest #FAQFriday.  Learn how we unload the Food Truck from the Greater Boston Food Bank at The Franklin Food Pantry 

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/FranklinFoodPan/status/1366381311271837703

YouTube video link =  https://youtu.be/evH5F5RV81Y

Projects underway out and around Franklin

In no particular order these are photos and links to the Planning Board documents for the approved projects underway in and around Franklin.

Amego on Washington St 
https://www.franklinma.gov/planning-board/pages/washington-street-amego-inc

Amego on Washington St

Bus facility on Panther Way

https://www.franklinma.gov/planning-board/pages/panther-way

Bus facility on Panther Way

Mixed use development (residential, retails, coffee shop) 340 East Central St (Rt 140)

https://www.franklinma.gov/planning-board/pages/340-east-central-street-mixed-use

 340 East Central St

Mixed use development (residential, retails, coffee shop)

On Sunday's walk, the auto dealer building is half gone

What was proposed as Fairfield Residences on Dean Ave (now Station 117)  https://www.franklinma.gov/planning-board/pages/dean-ave-fairfield-residents

Fairfield Residences on Dean Ave (now Station 117)

I have written in other places about my 'following the money' by focusing on the Finance Committee, the School Committee and the Town Council. In so doing, I do acknowledge leaving the whole "planning process" (Planning Board, Design Review, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Conservation Commission) out of the coverage. Frankly, I have only so much time. Someday, maybe if the 'cloning thing' works, I can do both. In the meantime, I'll repeat the offer:

If you have interest in reporting on any one (or more) of the planning process meetings, I'll gladly help you get set up. You do need the interest and a basic capability to write what you hear about and see. It does take time but does provide its rewards. 

PS - If I missed a project that you have a question about, let me know.

The Friends of Franklin Library Scholarship awarded to Emily Vinson

Emily Vinson, a 2020 Franklin High School graduate, has won The Friends of Franklin Library Scholarship in Memory of Wilma Winters. She received $1,000 toward the cost of her college education.

Vinson was selected as the contest winner based on her essay about a book that changed her thinking, "Becoming" by Michelle Obama. The former first lady's autobiography, Vinson wrote, inspired her to persevere through difficulties and to serve her community. 

"In these challenging times today, I hoped what I learned in the book 'Becoming' can help me focus on the positive, recognize there is still good in the world, and help others," Vinson wrote.

Now a Providence College student, Vinson has volunteered at the library, senior center and elsewhere. She also served as a basketball referee through the Franklin Recreation Department, an experience she used in her essay as an example of how perseverance turned her from a soft-spoken, unsure official to a confident one that over time earned the respect of players and coaches.

The Friends of Franklin Library established its scholarship program in 2014 as part of an effort to honor Wilma Winters, a longtime Franklin resident and library supporter. Winters, who had a long career in higher education, worked for many years as a librarian, including at Boston University Medical School and Harvard’s School of Public Health. She spent her retirement years volunteering at the Franklin Public Library. Winters died in 2011, leaving a sizable donation to The Friends. 

The scholarship program has assisted college-bound Franklin students in each of the past seven years. It will be awarded again this year to a member of the Class of 2021.  

Lisa Rein, left, a Friends of Franklin Library board member, presents a check to Emily Vinson, winner of the Friends of Franklin Library Scholarship in Memory of Wilma Winters

Franklin Art Association: Monthly Virtual Meeting: Presentation by Dennis Sardella!! - Wed - March 3

Don't forget that coming your way via Zoom on      March 3, 2021, 6:30pm: 

our very own FAA member Dennis Sardella will present "Science and Modern Art".

Someone comparing a medieval and modern artwork may find themselves puzzling, "How on earth did we get from there to here?"  Art experienced two revolutionary periods that radically changed how artists saw and depicted the world, and that paralleled two revolutionary periods in which science underwent similar changes.  This talk will be a visual exploration of how those two ways of seeing the world developed, and how they led from the "there" of medieval art to to the "here" of modern art."

 

Dennis Sardella has been a docent at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton since 2012, where he leads gallery tours and introduces visitors to the world of Russian icons. He also writes about icons, and speaks regularly to civic and church groups on the topics of religious icons and the role they play in Eastern Christian spirituality. 

From 1967 until 2012 he was a tenured Professor of Chemistry at Boston College.  In 1990 he became the founding director of the Boston College Presidential Scholars Program, a university-wide co-curricular honors program, and directed it until 2010.  For 17 years he and his wife Marjorie, a fine art photographer, led groups of Boston College Presidential Scholars on month-long study trips to France, and it was during those trips that he began to speak to students about science and modern art.

 

If you haven't already done so, don't forget to download the free app Zoom to your devices (phone, laptop, ipad etc.) and practice using prior to our "first Wednesday of the month" meetings.   There are "how to" instructions on the Zoom website as well as YouTube.  FAA now has its own Zoom account, with its own Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82181910922?pwd=ME9aTGtvRVJFVlg2aDBlMllVT1ZZdz09

 Looking forward to seeing you all then!

--

Susan Plume

FAA Corresponding Secretary

Monthly Virtual Meeting: Presentation by Dennis Sardella!! - Wed  - March 3

Economic Development Subcommittee - Agenda - Mar 3, 2021

Economic Development Subcommittee Meeting

Agenda & Meeting Packet

March 3, 2021 - 5:45 PM 

Agenda:
1. Tasting Room bylaw proposal
2. Franklin Business Guide (Draft Attached)
3. Food Trucks materials update

Agenda doc and meeting materials, including connection info for this virtual meeting

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/agendas/edc_agenda_3-3-2021.pdf

Economic Development Subcommittee - Agenda - Mar 3, 2021

Franklin, MA: Board of Health - Agenda - Mar 3, 2021

Board of Health 

Agenda - Mar 3, 2021 - 5:00 PM

AGENDA
1) Reading and Acceptance of February 3, 2021 meeting minutes

2) OLD BUSINESS

3) NEW BUSINESS

• COVID-19 Vaccine update
• COVID-19 Educational Messages
• New hire discussion
• Norfolk County Mosquito Control aerial applications Chairman opens the floor for any other new business

4) CITIZENS COMMENTARY

5) ADJOURNMENT 

Agenda doc with virtual meeting connection info

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/agendas/agenda-3-3-21.pdf

Health Director Cathleen Liberty presenting to the School Committee meeting 2/23/21

FHS A World of Difference: 2 Part video on John Lewis

FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) tweeted on Sun, Feb 28, 2021:

Today's Black History Month Video is a special 2 Part Video about John Lewis! https://t.co/nlSq6fDIM2

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/Franklin_AWOD/status/1366088070504808459   

and https://twitter.com/Franklin_AWOD/status/1366088175018528770

Today's Black History Month Video is a special 2 Part Video about John Lewis! pic.twitter.com/nlSq6fDIM2

— FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) February 28, 2021

Part 2! pic.twitter.com/lgZL2AKITx

— FHS A World of Difference (@Franklin_AWOD) February 28, 2021

Franklin Art Teachers featured in NEA publication

"We are so proud of the creativity of our faculty and staff! @MsDoherty_ART  #franklinpsnews 

Arts Education During COVID: The Show Must Go On! | NEA 

I must also include

@ArtsyMrsMinor & Ms. Whelan! 

Read the article online = https://t.co/YTdG58qijV"

Shared from Superintendent Sara Ahern's Twitter:   https://twitter.com/saraeahern/status/1365698214322728962

Video link = https://youtu.be/DN2X0ve5paU

Temple Etz Chaim: 3K Family Walk Run or Ride FUNdRaiser

Temple Etz Chaim of Franklin, MA is pleased to announce our Virtual 3K Walk, Run or Ride FUNdraiser. This year, we're welcoming walkers, runners and bicyclists from near and far to join us in our social distancing 3K. All proceeds from this event will help support Temple Etz Chaim as we support our local community.

Join us Thursday, March 11th through Sunday, March 14th to get out and get in your steps. Use your iphone, fitbit, pedometer, google maps, or any other tracking device to measure your distance.  Walk, run or bike as an individual, with your family, or join a larger team remotely, and submit your results here.  

 

We're also encouraging participants to get on Facebook and tag us @TempleEtzChaimMA (https://www.facebook.com/TempleEtzChaimMA) showing us your favorite way to get active and healthy while staying safe.

For race questions or for more info, please contact Cindy Heilweil at sisterhood@temple-etzchaim.org or Margot Rivelis at boarddirector3@temple-etzchaim.org

 

 

For additional info and to register:

https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Franklin/TempleEtzChaim3KFunRunFUNdraiser

 

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/TECFranklin/status/1366029165204566020

Temple Etz Chaim: 3K Family Walk Run or Ride FUNdRaiser

Mass.gov: "Use all of the tools available to #StoptheSpread"

Mass.gov (@MassGov) tweeted on Sat, Feb 27, 2021:

"Use all of the tools available to #StoptheSpread. Keep your friends and family safe by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. #COVID19MA" https://t.co/fsTh7qLCPD

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/MassGov/status/1365695724562903043

Mass.gov: "Use all of the tools available to #StoptheSpread"

The Hill: "CDC signs off on Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine"

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday formally accepted the recommendation from its advisory panel that Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine can be given to people ages 18 and older in the United States.

The announcement by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will allow vaccinations to begin as soon as the doses are received.

Walensky called the decision "another milestone toward an end to the pandemic."

"This vaccine is also another important tool in our toolbox to equitably vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible," Walensky said in a statement.

Continue reading the article online

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/540918-cdc-accepts-panels-endorsement-of-johnson-johnson-coronavirus-vaccine

Have you used the Suggestion Box? | Town of Franklin MA

On the Town of Franklin home page, there are a variety of Customer Service Request links available.

• If you find a street light out, or a pothole that should be filled, use the "Public Works work order"
• Sign up for the Reverse 911 to get notified by the Town of an emergency in your neighborhood.
• Or use the Comment Box to make a suggestion...

Visit https://www.franklinma.gov/ to use any one of these options

Have you used the Suggestion Box? | Town of Franklin MA

Franklin, MA: Town Council Meeting - Mar 3, 2021 - Agenda

1. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIR

This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon Channel 29.  This meeting may be recorded by others. 

2. CITIZEN COMMENTS

Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to five minutes on a matter that is not on the agenda. The Council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

a. February 17, 2021
b. February 3, 2021

4. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
None Scheduled

5. APPOINTMENTS
a. Conservation Commission - Andrew Mazzuchelli

6. HEARINGS - 7:10pm
None Scheduled

7. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
None Scheduled

8. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
a. Senior Circuit Breaker Income Tax Credit - Erin Rogers, Senior Center Director
b. Downtown Franklin MBTA Parking Lot

9. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
a. Capital Budget Subcommittee 
b. Budget Subcommittee 
c. Economic Development Subcommittee

10. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

10a. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
Bylaw Amendment 21-869: Chapter 82, Municipal Service Fees Section 82-6 Schedule of Service Fees, Subsection F. Fire - Second Reading (Motion to Adopt Bylaw Amendment 21-869 - Majority Roll Call Vote)

10b. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
Resolution 21-12: Cable Funds in Support of PEG Service and Programming per MGL Ch. 44, §53 F3/4 (Motion to Approve Resolution 21-12 - Majority Roll Call Vote) 

11. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT
a. COVID-19 Updates

12. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

13. COUNCIL COMMENTS

14. EXECUTIVE SESSION
None Scheduled

ADJOURN

Note: 

• Two-Thirds Vote: requires 6 votes
• Majority Vote: requires majority of members present and voting

Agenda and documents released for this meeting

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/agendas/3-3-21_town_council_agenda.pdf

Franklin, MA: Town Council Meeting - Mar 3, 2021 - Agenda

March On!

It warms me. It warms me not.

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 02/28/2021 

March is so fickle.

Its promise – a tickle

of warmer days yet to unfold.

Yet, I remain wary

as temperatures vary

with tall mounds of snow getting old.

But, time finds a way to brighten each day

with a little more light in the end.

And the rising of hope on an ascending slope

of optimism that we transcend.

Lest we let down our guard to seek Springtime’s reward

as the Winter snows fly yet again. Ahead? Or, behind?

March should make up its mind 

about which season rules in the end.

For the coming of Spring is a time that can bring

a new lightness and joy to the heart.

Let this be the year that we be of good cheer

as the dark days of Winter depart.

In March we march on to greet April’s dawn

as our march of time cadence is led.

For time plays its arch

as we’re marching through March 

toward sunnier days just ahead.

With each vaccination we feel jubilation

to ease the emotional cost.

So let it be done

as we welcome the Sun

but, never forget those we lost.

And – as always –

Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm. And, thank you for watching.

March On! (Franklin TV photo)

Get this week's program guide for Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online

http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf  

or for archive purposes   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VbI26i30tPyw8ZhJfXSFlmFWN60auIv5/view?usp=sharing

FM #475 Working Moms Social Club - 02/08/21 (audio)

FM #475 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 475 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Kristi Morin of the Working Moms Social Club based in Franklin. We had our conversation via conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

We talk about: 

• Kristi’s Franklin story
• the purpose of the group
• meeting/gathering adjustments made during COVID
• Open for new members with a nominal annual membership fee ($25)

Links to the Working Moms Social Club web and Facebook pages are included in the show notes. The recording runs about 16 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Kristi.  Audio file =  https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ea6273a6-982c-4bc3-b198-bf9110c38989

--------------

Working Moms Social Club web page = https://www.workingmomsocialclub.org/

Facebook page = https://www.facebook.com/workingmomsocialclub 

Email for questions, etc. = admin@workingmomsocialclub.org 

Article by Warren Reynolds at 02038.com = https://02038.com/2021/02/local-moms-help-working-mothers/ 

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
 
How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
 
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters" 

FM #475 Working Moms Social Club - 02/08/21 (audio)

New York Times: "Where Have All the Houses Gone?"

"This picture is a product of the pandemic, but also of the years leading up to it. And if half of what is happening in the for-sale market now seems straightforward — historically low interest rates and a pandemic desire for more space are driving demand — the other half is more complicated.

“The supply side is really tricky,” said Benjamin Keys, an economist at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. “Who wants to sell a house in the middle of a pandemic? That’s what I keep coming back to. Is this a time you want to open your house up to people walking through it? No, of course not.”

A majority of homeowners in America are baby boomers — a group at heightened risk from the coronavirus. If many of them have been reluctant to move out and downsize over the past year, that makes it hard for other families behind them to move in and upgrade."

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/26/upshot/where-have-all-the-houses-gone.html

As a "baby boomer", we (my wife and I) are looking to downsize and the problem we find is that there is not an acceptable smaller option for us readily available in Franklin, or even in MA. While some of what I would like is available in the South (North, South Carolinas, etc...)  I don't want to go there. 

The article touches on this in mentioning baby boomers but doesn't get into the nature of the supply problem: What kind of inventory do we have? (Whether it is available or not is a separate piece for now). Do we have inventory that would meet the needs of the marketplace and the population now and near term?

Instead of building apartments why not serve the growing sector of the market (i.e. the aging boomers). The Town used the demographics to expand the Senior Center. How come the developers are not using those demographics?

New York Times:  "Where Have All the Houses Gone?"