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 *
On March 25 at 11 AM, residents of Franklin and Bellingham will gather for an exciting event – the ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly resurfaced section of the Southern New England Rail Trail (SNETT). This project has been a long time in the making, and the community is eager to celebrate the completion of this important infrastructure upgrade.
The resurfaced section of the Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail was completed in late 2023 and runs from Grove Street in Franklin to Prospect St. The trail is used by walkers, joggers, cyclists, and skaters of all ages and abilities, providing a safe and enjoyable outdoor space for residents to stay active and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings.
The resurfacing of a section of the trail has been a top priority for local officials and community members alike. The previous surface was worn, uneven, and prone to flooding making it difficult for some users to navigate safely. The new surface is smooth, even, and durable, providing a comfortable and safe experience for all who use the trail.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the trailhead located at Grove Street in Franklin. Attendees can expect a festive atmosphere, with speeches from local officials and community leaders. The ceremony will culminate with the cutting of the ribbon, officially marking the opening of the newly resurfaced section of the trail. Following this there will be a group walk on the newly completed section of the trail
Local officials are thrilled about the completion of the project and the positive impact it will have on the community. "The Rail Trail is a wonderful asset for our towns, and we're proud to be part of its improvement," said Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail President Cobi Frongillo. "This project will make the trail safer and more accessible for all users, and we're excited to celebrate this important milestone with our community."
The resurfacing project was designed by Franklin Department of Public Works, and carried out by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail is a prime example of how investment in community infrastructure can have a positive impact on the quality of life for residents. The resurfaced section of the trail will provide a safe and enjoyable space for people of all ages and abilities to stay active and connect with nature.
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the resurfaced section of the Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail is an exciting event for the community, marking the completion of an important infrastructure upgrade that will benefit residents for years to come. Attendees can look forward to a celebration of community, outdoor recreation, and the power of investment in public infrastructure.
the newly resurfaced section of the Southern New England Rail Trail (SNETT)
Converse and Conserve Workshop - Come Learn About Programs That Allow Your Property to Work for You and Create a Family Legacy
Tax Incentives | Resource Management | Land Endowment
Your land is a part of your legacy. Deciding what will happen to your land after you are gone is the next critical step of being a good land steward and furthering that legacy. Who will own your land and how will it be used? What will your legacy continue to be?
These are questions that the "Converse and Conserve" workshop on Wednesday, March 29 from 4 PM - 6 PM at Town Hall, Council Chambers can answer for you.
Join the Franklin Conservation Department, Franklin Assessor's Office, Franklin Agricultural Commission, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Metacomet Land Trust, and DDCRW Law in learning about your options. Come learn about applicable tax incentive programs for forestland, agricultural land, and open space; learn about resource management for your natural environment; and even learn how to endow your land to ensure its lifelong protection. Estate planning, whether for now or for the future, is not just for the wealthy or for those who own "estates" – if you own land, then estate planning is a necessary and valuable step to ensure that the legacy of your land is a positive one!
Food and beverages will be provided by Birchwood Bakery & Kitchen.
The Franklin, MA Town Council whiffs on an easy layup to bring more housing and "Affordable" housing to Franklin. At the Council meeting on Wednesday, March 15, the Council voted 4-5 to support a "friendly 40b" proposal. The proposal needed 6 votes to pass, it was 4 yes (Frongillo, Sheridan, Hamblen, Mercer) and 5 No (Cormier-Leger, Chandler, Pellegri, Jones, Dellorco).
Why did they blow this 'easy layup'? Ask them to explain, the short summary I have is they misunderstand
1 - the 'friendly 40b' process - one claimed to have been lied to when this vote was their one chance to have a say in the matter and what they said was "we don't want to work with developers to bring in affordable housing"
2 - they denied the opportunity to continue to work with the developer to iron out some of the issues as it went through the process. Now they have conceded all the issues to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Yes, the ZBA always had the final say, the Council never would, but this was their one chance and they failed
3 - the property has been turning in approx. $13K revenue to the Town, the proposal would have generated about $800K. Yes, a $790K increase in revenue for a vote (and they failed)
4 - the property is zoned industrial and given the topology (a bunch of wetlands, which are still being worked out with the Conservation Commission) wouldn't not actually be used for industrial development. Or it would have in the years prior. Here was a residential use that would increase revenues without additionally burdening services and they failed to pass it
5 - there is a big difference between "Affordable" (note Capital "A") defined at Federal and State levels and what is actually "affordable" (lowercase "a") . Locally we have no control over that. We do need housing, we do need "Affordable" units and while this would have brought "Affordable" units, the council failed
Using our Voices for Positive Change: A Celebration of Empowered Female Musicians!
SheGrooves is Boston's premiere female contemporary band. Groove-based, Neo-Soul and fierce, this group of Berklee College of Music women aims to represent modern female musicians. This family-friendly public event will explore how women historically have used their voices for positive change within the world. SheGrooves repertoire currently includes original tunes as well as unique covers of Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, as well as jazz greats, Nancy Wilson and Dianne Reeves. We aim to inspire and empower communities to celebrate, elevate and respect the female voice.
This is a FREE show thanks to grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, but please email coftix@gmail.com to reserve seats. Thanks.
The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse is a non-profit organization affiliated with Franklin's First Universalist Society. Concerts are presented in a smoke free and alcohol free environment at the Society's handicapped accessible Meetinghouse, 262 Chestnut St. in Franklin, and begin at 8:00 PM; doors open at 7:30 PM. Beverages and gourmet desserts will be available. Please visit http://www.circlefolk.org/ for more information.
Upcoming Shows
Apr 29 John Gorka
Circle of Friends Coffeehouse · First Universalist Society · 262 Chestnut St · Franklin, MA 02038 · USA
Program with Massachusetts energy leaders, advocates, and key legislators exploring why permitting reform is critical to meeting clean energy goals
The path to achieving decarbonization goals and ultimately a net-zero Commonwealth faces a challenge: The arduous and lengthy process of upgrading the local and regional electric grid and permitting new energy infrastructure. The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law lay the financial incentives and support to expand ambitious infrastructure investments that can usher in a clean energy future. But projects typically encounter an uncertain fate on the ground, including a maze of litigation and unnecessary permitting delays that are making climate goals increasingly difficult to meet.
The permitting reform challenge involves balancing critical review processes that ensure equitable stakeholder participation with the urgency to upgrade current infrastructure and install the next generation equipment. As Massachusetts considers reforms designed to streamline energy infrastructure regulation, join the MASSterList and the State House News Service for an important panel discussion on this critical policy issue with Massachusetts energy leaders, advocates, and key legislators.
Franklin Performing Arts Company presents the hilarious musical comedy Something Rotten! running March 17-19 at THE BLACK BOX!
With choreography by Broadway's Tyler Hanes! Starring Robbie Rescigno and Paul Rescigno, with Broadway's Christopher Rice-Thomson and Michael Barra, and featuring Nick Paone, Katie Gray, Ali Funkhouser, and Tim Ayres-Kerr.
Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play, but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing, and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.
"The artificial intelligence research lab OpenAI on Tuesday launched the newest version of its language software, GPT-4, an advanced tool for analyzing images and mimicking human speech, pushing the technical and ethical boundaries of a rapidly proliferating wave of AI.
OpenAI’s earlier product, ChatGPT, captivated and unsettled the public with its uncanny ability to generate elegant writing, unleashing a viral wave of college essays, screenplays and conversations — though it relied on an older generation of technology that hasn’t been cutting-edge for more than a year.
...
In its blog post, OpenAI said GPT-4 still makes many of the errors of previous versions, including “hallucinating” nonsense, perpetuating social biases and offering bad advice. It also lacks knowledge of events that happened after about September 2021, when its training data was finalized, and “does not learn from its experience,” limiting people’s ability to teach it new things.'
Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)
12:00pm - Historical Sites of Massachusetts Series - Boston African American National Historic Site (virtual event) (Franklin Public Library)
1:00pm - Senior Scribblers (writing group) (Franklin TV Studio)
7:00pm - Navigating College Admissions in 2023 (virtual event) (Franklin Public Library)
Franklin Senior Center
Thursday, March 16
8:30am - Town Council Office Hours (Franklin Senior Center)
10:00am - Writer's Quiet Space (Escape Into Fiction)
7:00pm - St. Patrick's Day Paint Night (67 Degrees Brewery)
Friday, March 17 -St. Patrick's Day
8:00am - FDP Networking Breakfast (Dean College Campus Dining Center)
1:00pm - Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)
Franklin Public Library
5:00pm - Nick & Emily (live music) (La Cantina Winery)
7:00pm - FHSTC performs "Lord of the Flies" (ticketed event) (Franklin High School)
7:30pm - Something Rotten! (ticketed event) (THE BLACK BOX)
Saturday, March 18
9:00am - Book sale (Franklin Public Library)
10:00am - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)
10:15am - “Let’s paint together!!" (Franklin Art Assoc.) (Escape Into Fiction)
1:00pm - Bag sale (Franklin Public Library)
5:30pm - Untapped Potential (67 Degrees Brewery)
7:30pm - Something Rotten! (ticketed event) (THE BLACK BOX)
7:30pm - The Collaboration Show (ticketed event) (Dean College)
Something Rotten!
Sunday, March 19
7:30am - All you can eat Breakfast (Franklin Rod & Gun Club)
1:00pm - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)
2:00pm - Something Rotten! (ticketed event) (THE BLACK BOX)
Tuesday, March 21
12:00pm - THE BLACK BOX Blood Drive (THE BLACK BOX)
6:00pm - Dean Neighborhood Alliance (Dean College)
6:00pm - March Book Club The Mystery of Mrs. Christie! (Escape Into Fiction)
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The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open for viewing (and purchasing the art displayed) during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)