LETTER: "Bloom" #3, It's Enough to Make You Cry

To the Editor

The bloom may be off the rose for some but it's looking like the last rose of summer for Franklin if somebody doesn't do something soon.

A recent letter to Observer from Citizen #1, "Bloom is off the rose," features a frustrated writer concerned about unchecked growth destroying Franklin. Citizen #2 then wrote a letter of support, "The bloom" Citizen #2 get's it! Citizen #2 understands the condition things are at in Franklin, and follows suit respectfully in the John Hancock section of any letter. I respect and fully understand the letters thus far regarding our once stunning rose.

I have no idea who the authors are but honestly when reading letter #2 "Bloom,"  I wondered if someone heard my mouth in the hall as I walked away from Town Administrator Jamie Hellen’s office two weeks ago dissatisfied, and chanting ~ `I wish he was old enough to remember the commercial that made you cry along with the sad man in the canoe.'

How sad is our town, when two strangers unknowingly, when thinking about our town today in 2025, we both have a 50+ year old commercial* about environmental degradation pop to mind??

How is Franklin going to recover from this decade of "Back Yards for Boards"??????? Yes, I'm saying it, to be fair I will keep everyone anonymous! Firstly let's visit Schmidt farm, a property WE the taxpayers should feel so very blessed with obtaining – 200 acres of the very land a TC member frolicked in the snow on as a child, keeping this "land" free as "open space." What a heartwarming story for him. And I thought we bought it to help a big builder out of a bad business move.

Listening to a presentation from a well paid employee on this farm space during last TC meeting, the opening sentence... "Please forgive me, I am disorganized."  The individual has worked on the project for three years but was up till after 11:00 pm the night before still preparing to report about it. WHAT?

Across the other side of town we have a board member refusing every mindfully thought out plan for the Kimberly Way project, shutting a well respected builder down at every try simply (perhaps?) because a board member resides too close to the project or simply doesn't care to see that builder succeed!?!

Conveniently we can stroll from that neighborhood through the expensive wet forest property acquired by the town a few years ago straight to a city-life-loving Town Council member who reaps the benefits of a lovely "ADU" (an accessory dwelling unit where parents pay the taxes) just steps outside of his door. At least one of us 37,000 citizens can enjoy this lovely forest land.

How about Davis Thayer? Being a life-long Franklinite let me put it to you this straight, I suspect nothing is going to happen there until a certain TC member decides what is acceptable in that neighborhood!!! And Davis Thayer is a money pit!!

The people of Franklin are frustrated with this last decade of disrespectful leaders, leaders with their own goals. Who wants to pay taxes only to be led into a sinking hole?

Frankly, Franklin has ruined my Franklin!!

Peace be with,

The girl from Franklin

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* Keep America Beautiful : a.k.a 'The Crying Indian" television ad from 1970