This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, Deputy Town Administrator Amy Frigulietti, Conservation Agent Breeki Li Goodlander and Recreation Director Ryan Jette on Monday, April 29, 2024.    

We get a very brief recap of current events (it’s all about the budget) and jump right into Earth Day and the other activities of the Conservation and Recreation departments

Conservation

• Projects more this year than last
• Friends of Conservation group forming

Recreation 

• Growth in participation 
• Field upgrades at Fletcher & King St
• Beaver Pond has a new kayak launch

We close out with discussion and laughter around the Top 35 songs about weather

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Eu2npqGS0fH9N0Uc0iB5WCitoawIMFdJ/view?usp=drive_link 

Our conversation runs about 41 minutes.    

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Contact info: for Jamie & Amy -> https://www.franklinma.gov/administrator 

Conservation page ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/conservation 

Recreation page ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/recreation-department 

Fact checking update:

• In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired a young activist, Denis Hayes, to be the National Coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event "Earth Day"  https://www.earthday.org/history/   
• The group garnered worldwide attention with 1987 album Diesel and Dust. Its singles "The Dead Heart" and "Beds Are Burning" illuminated the plight of indigenous Australians  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Oil 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news/ or  www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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