In Other News: Interceptor Traffic, Father&Son Crash Victims, and more

Wider Impacts this Week from Interceptor Project

FROM THE TOWN OF FRANKLIN: On Monday (5/20) the Construction crew will be conducting trench paving work on Rt. 140. This work will occur between the hours of 9am and 3PM. Expect lane shifts/closures and traffic delays due to active roadwork.

Starting on Wednesday (5/22), Eversource Gas will be working on Beaver Street in front of the Recreation Center to relocate the existing gas service and prepare the new gas services for the future Beaver Street Interceptor Pump Station. Expect lane shifts/closures and traffic delays due to active roadwork.

Work will continue on the dead-end section of Old West Central serving Ledgewood Condominiums and Franklin Crossing. Between the hours of 7am to 4pm the dead-end section of Old West Central serving Ledgewood Condominiums and Franklin Crossing will continue to be closed at Tri-County Drive. Those residents should continue to follow the posted signs for directions on exiting and entering.

Work will also continue within the sewer easement between Pond Street and the Brookview Condos. The contractor will be setting up a by-pass pump system to prepare for the cleaning and lining of the existing 24-inch Beaver Street Interceptor. Those residents that will be affected by this work have been notified.

Father and Son Victims of Car Crash to be Laid to Rest on Saturday

Louis P. Marano 90, of Franklin, passed away Friday May 17, 2024 and his son Anthony M. "Tony" Marano passed away Saturday May 18, 2024 from injuries received in an automobile accident in Milford. Louis was the beloved husband of Angiolina "Angie" (Pisani) Marano, with whom he shared 62 years of marriage. Relatives and friends are invited to attend their funeral Saturday May 25th, at 9AM from the Charles F. Oteri and Son Franklin Funeral Home 33 Cottage St. followed by a funeral Mass in St. Mary's Church, Franklin at 10AM.

Soothing Words from MGB

Patients of the Mass General Brigham consortium received a letter recently. “As you may have seen, Steward Healthcare announced that it will file for bankruptcy. We know that you may be concerned by this news. We want to assure you that we are deeply committed to the health of patients in the communities we serve. Across our hospitals and other Mass General Brigham care sites, there is no change to the care we provide to our patients.

For weeks, state leaders have been monitoring this situation to make sure that Massachusetts’ healthcare system can support patients throughout our state. We will continue to share updates as we have them.

Our commitment to the health of our patients and communities will not change.

Thank you,

Tom Sequist, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Mass General Brigham “

Time will tell whether the hope expressed in the letter can be delivered upon.

Mariano Cools to Transfer Tax Idea

After saying he was open to considering a local-option tax on high-value property sales to fund affordable housing, House Speaker Ron Mariano said he doesn't know if the policy is a solution to the state's housing woes. The controversial policy idea may be what is holding up the House in taking up Gov. Maura Healey's $4.1 billion housing bond bill, which she filed last October and has said is critical to addressing the shortage of affordable and available homes in Massachusetts. Mariano said Wednesday that the transfer tax is "not as popular as I thought it might be."

"I've been listening to a lot of members. A lot of comments about the taxation issue, around the transfer tax. And so it's slowed me down a lot," Mariano said. "I'm gonna have to really weigh the measure of where that would, what would happen in the chamber if we brought that up."