Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Thursday, Mar 10, 2022
- wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Thursday
11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm Frank Presents – Frank Falvey Presents
- Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26) = Thursday
9:00 am ArtWeek: Theater in the Open
10:30 am SAFE Coalition: Kyle Brodeur
12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Scones
12:30 pm Sandhya: Donuts
1:00 pm Physician Focus: Unequal Treatment: Disparities in Health Care
1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: White Pizza
2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Fall 2019 show 4
3:00 pm The Only Cure Is Education
3:30 pm Comfort Food: Comfort Food
4:00 pm Once Upon A Town: Ray Block
4:30 pm Frank Presents: State House Pt. 3
5:30 pm Battleship Cove: Inside the History Pt. 7
6:00 pm Extended Play Sessions: Season 10 Show 4 - Dicenso Clark
- Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28) = Thursday
- Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 11, Verizon 29) = Thursday
Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf
Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) |
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Request for Expressions of Interest for the purchase or lease and redevelopment of the South Franklin Congregational Meeting House of 762 Washington Street.
for the purchase, or lease and redevelopment
of 762 Washington Street
In an effort to ensure productive reuse of the building and remaining land, the Town of Franklin has released a Request for Expressions of Interest (REI) for the purchase, or lease and redevelopment of the South Franklin Congregational Meeting House of 762 Washington Street.
Expressions of Interest are due to the Town Administrator's Office by April 29, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
Open House/Site Tours - The Town offers you the opportunity to learn more about the site through participation in one of two Open House and Site Tours scheduled for the following dates/times:
- Monday, March 14, 2022 between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM
- Monday, April 11, 2022 between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM
Those interested in submitting a proposal can access the full REI here: https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/news/2022_request_for_eoi_-_762_washington_street_-_03072022.pdf
South Franklin Congregational Meeting House |
Shared from Town of Franklin page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/request-expressions-interest-purchase-or-lease-and-redevelopment-south-franklin
Heard about the Franklin For All Forum? the audio and transcript are now available
FM #748 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 748 in the series.
This shares the Franklin For All Forum that was held on Monday, March 7, 2022.
The meeting was held in the Council Chambers. It was hosted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) via Zoom and broadcast via Franklin TV as well as live streamed.
This recording runs about 2 hours and 25 minutes. Let’s listen to the Franklin For All Forum held Mar 7, 2022. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-748-franklin-for-all-forum-03-07-22
NEW: A transcript of the recording is available. The transcript is part of a pilot by Franklin Matters using the transcription service provided by Otter.ai https://otter.ai/ (Note: if there should be a more accurate spelling of your name, please let me know and I can update the online copy. For those whose name could not be determined via the recording, please let me know.)
Transcript => https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WEsjmEFESie06Bx4bAOSxhMbhpY45gsL/view?usp=sharing
Links to the meeting information and my notes captured during the Forum are in the show notes.
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**** Visioning Survey **** The survey is open for your input -> https://mapc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bDBzodBPnt8a5Ce
Franklin For All project page -> https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/franklin-for-all/
My notes captured via Twitter and shared in summary form
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iojwdwbOUUfrvfnwuy_xn59P8yVws5Jq/view?usp=sharing
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
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 www.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!
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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
QR code takes you to the Franklin For All page |
QR code takes you to the Franklin For All visioning survey |
FHS girls basketball win to advance in playoffs, boys hockey and boys basketball teams end their playoff run
** Girls Basketball - Division 1 = #11 Lincoln-Sudbury, 23 @ #6 Franklin, 60 – Final
** Boys Hockey - Division 1 - #19 Franklin, 1 @ #3 Hingham, 4 – Final
** Boys Basketball - Division 1 - #12 Catholic Memorial, 81 @ #5 Franklin, 78 – Final (OT)
"Halfway through Tuesday night’s contest between Franklin and Catholic Memorial, things weren’t looking very good for the host Panthers.
At the end of the fourth quarter, Franklin nearly walked off with a crazy comeback win.After all was said and done, Catholic Memorial emerged with an 81-78 win in overtime, withstanding a gutsy comeback effort from Franklin to advance to the Division 1 Round of 8.Franklin trailed by as much as 19 points overall, and even trailed by a dozen with six minutes to go but was able to rally to force overtime."
https://hockomocksports.com/tuesdays-schedule-scoreboard-03-08-22/
Franklin senior Sean Vinson goes up for a shot in the first half against Catholic Memorial. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) |
Recap: School Committee hears of budget and asks good questions
- Sara Ahern and Miriam Goodman presented the Superintendent's recommended budget to the School Committee on Tuesday. An increase of approx. $2.4M over prior year, also the lowest amount recommended due to use of revolving funds and prepaying some expenses
- Multiple rounds of questions were asked by the committee and answered for most part right then (some answers to be provided in the next meeting)
- Community gets to participate in the budget hearing scheduled for next meeting March 22
- Budget documents and presentation copies found in agenda packet and in Budget tab on Schools page
1 slide from the presentation depicts enrollment declining, teachers declining and class size as stable |
Franklin For All - Visioning Survey Launched - Respond by April 1
Franklin For All - Visioning Survey Launched
Survey closes Friday, April 1, 2022
On March 7th, 2022, the Town of Franklin held a public forum to formally introduce the Franklin for All project, answer questions and engage with the community.
To ensure every Franklin stakeholder has an opportunity to provide feedback, we have launched a visioning survey that will be open till April 1, 2022. The data collected in this survey will be used by our project consultants at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to create zoning recommendations that would serve our collective vision for our downtown. The survey is anonymous and all questions are optional.
To learn more about Franklin For All, visit our project webpage: https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/franklin-for-all/
Access the survey here: https://mapc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/preview/SV_1SW9jOR99Rzvevk?Q_CHL=preview&Q_SurveyVersionID=current
The slideshow presented at the public forum on March 7, 2022 -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WHYDFaj-ZMlMF2ChexFaUy7qAfykLjvW/view?usp=sharing
There will be additional public engagement opportunities to comment on the draft zoning recommendations in the upcoming months. Want to stay informed on additional opportunities to provide feedback? Sign up for our email list and follow along with us on social media for all the latest Franklin For All updates!
Shared from Town of Franklin page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/franklin-all-visioning-survey-launched
Franklin For All - Visioning Survey Launched - Respond by April 1 |
Electronics Recycling Event - April 2, 2022
Accepting Any And All
Electronics, Bikes & Appliances!
St. Mary’s Church
Benjamin Franklin School Parking Lot
• $5 each for Computers, DVD Players, Printers, Laptops, Small Electronics
• $10 each for Microwaves, Small Household Appliances
• $15 each for Computer Monitors, Dehumidifiers, Large Printers, Range-Top
Microwaves,
• $20 each for TVs up to 24,” Dorm Sized Refrigerators, Air Conditioners
• $25 each for TVs between 25” and 31,” Washing Machines, Dryers, Stoves,
Large Appliances, Grills, Exercise Equipment, Large Yard Equipment
• $30 each for TVs between 32” and 35,” Large Refrigerators
• $35 each TVs over 36”
• $40 each for Projection TVs
• NO CHARGE: Cell Phones, Bicycles in any condition, Wires, Car Batteries, Household Batteries, Keyboards, Tablets.
Electronics Recycling Event - April 1, 2022 |
FPAC presents The Drowsy Chaperone starring Broadway’s Ben Cameron and Emily Koch
The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC), Franklin’s own professional theater company, will present The Drowsy Chaperone starring Ben Cameron and Emily Koch March 12-20 at THE BLACK BOX.
Ben Cameron (Broadway’s WICKED original cast, Footloose, Aida) stars as Man in Chair alongside Emily Koch (Broadway’s WICKED, Waitress) as the title character. Featuring choreography by Clay Rice-Thomson (Broadway’s Moulin Rouge, King Kong, Newsies, Matilda). The star-studded cast will also feature Nick Rehberger (Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof, The Glass Menagerie) as Robert, Sam Seferian (Broadway’s Pretty Woman) as George, Ali Funkhouser as Janet, Nick Paone as Aldolpho, Paul Rescigno and Robbie Rescigno as The Gangsters, and Kaley Were as Kitty along with an ensemble of local talent including apprentices from the Franklin School for the Performing Arts. The production will be directed by Raye Lynn Mercer with musical direction by Hallie Wetzell.
Ben Cameron as "Man in Chair." Photo by Paul Vicario |
FPAC’s The Drowsy Chaperone runs March 12-20 at THE BLACK BOX in Franklin, MA. Masks will be required for all patrons, regardless of vaccination status. Masks must be worn at all times, except while actively eating or drinking.
Tickets available at THEBLACKBOXonline.com or by calling the box office at 508-528-3370. THE BLACK BOX is located at 15 W. Central St. in downtown Franklin, MA.
Franklin Education Association (FEA) statement at School Committee meeting 3/08/22
Thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the membership of the FEA to the important issue of the budget. You've just heard Dr. Ahern's presentation.
We also support an increase in the budget and wonder if it shouldn't be a bigger increase, but for different reasons.
We've heard about the Portrait of a Graduate and the strategies for district improvement - both important topics. Over the last few pandemic years, we've seen money spent on needed upgrades in technology and facilities improvements. Both good things, things that were necessary. Things that were needed.
We're asking you now to look at how that budget money is spent. We don't need any more assessments, or new initiatives, to tell us kids have learning gaps or social trauma. We know this. This is what we do. We need bodies - people who are working with and in front of the kids, everyday, all day. We need councilors, ESPs, health care staff, teachers, guidance, team chairs, special educators, ELL educators, psychologists, etc. Let's increase that budget so we can support the students and families in Franklin the way they deserve - directly, thoughtfully, impactfully.
Donna Grady, FEA President
For more about the FEA -> https://franklin.massteacher.org/about-us/
Franklin Education Association (FEA) |
67 Degrees adds comedy nights!
67 Degrees => https://67degreesbrewing.com/
Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Wednesday, March 9, 2022
- wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Wednesday
Franklin and its local government, services and events (repeats Saturday at 9 AM)
- This slot features the School Committee Special Meeting on finding their next superintendent https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/03/franklin-school-committee-votes-to.html
This hour features two recent discussions, first up my Town Council Quarterbacking session with Council Chair Tom Mercer. Followed by my conversation with Jerika Lowry and Adam Calvert. We talk about the Franklin Neighborhood Support Team and the Shamrock Walk for Refugees to provide support for an Afghan family now living here
- Town Council Quarterbacking -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/03/town-council-quarterbacking-with-tom.html Shamrock Walk for Refugees https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/inside-shamrock-walk-for-refugees.html
- Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26) = WEDNESDAY
- Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28) = WEDNESDAY
- Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 11, Verizon 29) = WEDNESDAY
Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf
Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) |
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Finance Committee Meeting - March 9, 2022 - 6:30 PM
Finance Committee Meeting March 9, 2022
The Finance Committee will meet on March 9, 2022 at 6:30 PM.
Please find the agenda and links for the March 9, 2022 Finance Committee meeting posted here: https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/3-9-22_fin_com_meeting_agenda_0.pdf
Shared from Town of Franklin page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/finance-committee-meeting-march-9th-2022
Finance Committee Meeting - March 9, 2022 - 6:30 PM |
Indoor Seed Starting with Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens - Mar 8 at 7 PM
Indoor Seed Starting with Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens
Tuesday, March 8, 7:00 PM
Indoor Seed Starting with Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens |
There are so many more varieties of vegetables than what the garden centers offer! We'll show you everything you need to know to start your own plants from seed. This program is in-person, free, and open to the public. For more information about Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens, please visit https://www.blackstonevalleyveggiegardens.com/ .
Shared from Library page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/news/indoor-seed-starting-blackstone-valley-veggie-gardens-0
Recap: Franklin For All Forum gets some input amid questions on MPAC and expressions of fear
- The Franklin For All Forum was a hybrid event hosted technically by MAPC in the Council Chambers. Some technical issues needed to be worked out so the meeting was slow starting
- There were approx. 40-50 in room, another 100+ via Zoom, some other number (unknown) likely watching via cable or live stream
- The Forum was meant to allow for (1) Q&A on the process and (2) input from Franklin residents to help develop a vision for downtown
- EDC Plus Steering Committee Chair Melanie Hamblen provided some homework assignments (walk around Franklin, sign up for newsletter, checkout Franklin For All page, let's all be open and treat comments with respect)
- Emma Battaglia, MAPC Project Manager, provided an overview of the project and objectives. She announced the release of the survey to enable input which will be open for at least a couple of weeks. A draft of initial zoning recommendations will come forward for review and discussion
- The EDC Plus committee will hear and review, possibly propose something to the Town Council. Assuming the proposal includes zoning changes, the zoning changes would go to the Planning Board for their review (including 2 public hearings) before coming back to the Council. The Council would also hold a public hearing and have two readings of the changes before a final vote. Bottomline - plenty of time to review and discuss whatever changes do come from this study
The survey is open for your input -> https://mapc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bDBzodBPnt8a5Ce
Visit mapc.org/franklin-for-all for additional information on Franklin For All and for ongoing updates on the planning process. You can also sign up for email updates at mapc.ma/franklin-for-all-news. Email planning@franklinma.gov if you have questions about this project or additional ideas for enhancing Franklin Center
Recap: Franklin For All Forum gets some input |