In Other News

State May Fund "Poet Laureate"

The state's first-ever poet laureate role may come with a price tag of $15,000. Gov. Maura Healey created the honorary post through an executive order last month, but her fiscal 2026 budget did not carve out any funding for the position.  Mass Cultural Council, the state agency that invests in the arts and culture sector, is requesting a $15,000 earmark within its budget to ensure that the to-be-selected laureate gets paid.

Override Decision in Franklin

From the TC Agenda for Wednesday evening: At the final JBSC listening session on March 12th, the Committee voted, 9-1 (with one member absent) to recommend the following:
1) That the Town Council vote to put forth a $3,862,672 override ballot question to the registered voters of the Town of Franklin with the following ballot question language - "Shall the Town of Franklin be allowed to assess an additional $3,862,672 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of the municipal and school operating budgets for which monies from this assessment will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025".
2) That the Town Council vote to place the proposed override ballot question before the residents for a vote at a Special Town Election on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
For more information please visit the FY26 Budget page on our website. Assuming the Town Council approves a ballot question and date for the special election, the Town will upload a dedicated override website with legally allowable information.

Narcan Training in Medway

Stop by the Medway Public Library at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 22, to be trained in Narcan administration. SAFE Coalition is offering this free training. The Library is located at 26 High Street.

State Dems Slam Republican State Senator

The State Democratic party issued a statement on Monday, slamming state Senator Peter Durant for not giving full support to a potentially expensive east-west rail link with unproven ridership demands at a time when existing public transit is in financial crisis.

Governor Honors Innovation Expert

At the State Tourism Convention in Springfield, Dr. Robert Krim was honored by Governor Healey with the Award of Appreciation for his work in documenting Massachusetts’ innovation history and creating the Innovation Trail. Krim, a professor at Framingham State, co-wrote "From Revolution to Robotics" with Franklin resident, Alan Earls.