Franklin 250th Committee Reports to Town Council

Above, Jayson Joyce, Chair, and Rob Browne, Vice Chair of the Franklin 250th Celebration Committee preparing to report to the Town Council Wednesday night. In the background are committee members, Julie Cornoni and Maureen Brennan. (Screen capture from Franklin TV.

Officially launched late last year and charged with producing and paying for celebrations to mark the town's 250th anniversary, in 2028, the leadership of the Franklin 250th Celebration Committee delivered a report to the Town Council on Wednesday evening outlining the many tasks accomplished since last November and the committee's current plans for the future.

Joyce explained that the committee has viewed its charge as not just planning a succession of events, “but capturing this once-in-a-generation civic moment. “
“We want people who live in Franklin to feel proud of the really unique history that we have...We want this to be an inclusive celebration with on-ramps for different demographic groups in town, so everyone feels like they have an event to go to or something that makes them feel a part of it…. We want it to be an opportunity to convene various stakeholders in town….”

Joyce noted that organizing, developing subcommittees, developing a logo and other basic tasks took time, but much of the effort through June 30, was making strategic decisions, on a tight timeline, with regard to disbursing funds from a $50,000 state earmark secured by Senator Becca Rausch and Representative Jeffrey N. Roy.
Funds were used to put deposits on venues for future events and to acquire merchandise that can be sold to help further fund the celebration.

At Strawberry Stroll, the July 4 Celebration, and several appearances at the Franklin Farmers Market, Committee volunteers have already sold more than $4,000 worth of merchandise, while simultaneously raising awareness and building excitement.

The committee has been developing relationships with town departments, the Historical Museum, and civic groups and has also reached out to organizers of similar town-wide celebrations in other communities that recently celebrated major anniversaries, he explained.

Much of the work ahead involves fundraising, Joyce noted. Unlike typical town committees, special ‘celebration committees’ like Franklin’s are authorized by statute to raise funds to support their work.

A number of fundraising events are already scheduled, and more are under consideration. Some combine aspects of celebration with a fundraising purpose.

The town’s 250th years, is “going to be the year of celebration but we hope a lot of what we do outlasts that calendar year and is something that remains beneficial to the town thereafter,"  Joyce noted.

Later in the evening, the Town Council approved a transfer of funds from a ‘marketing and branding’ account to the Franklin 250 Committee.