New Volunteers Pick Up Reins of Franklin 4th Celebration

Franklin 4th of July is saved! Thanks to Paul Kortick and Joe Carmignani, new volunteers who have stepped forward to chair, along with seasoned volunteer John Yoder, the annual Independence Day week celebration, Franklin will once again celebrate the nation’s birthday in style, minus a few bells and whistles due to time constraints.
Getting a late start, plans are still being finalized by the new co-chairs, with no planning time for a parade this year. As of a late May meeting with the Town, however, “assuming we can get the permits, it looks like we will have fireworks in Franklin for the first time in a few years,” says Joe Carmignani. Details of that event have yet to be finalized, but they are tentatively scheduled for Monday, July 3rd at the Franklin High School. The event will also feature rides, entertainment and food booths at the Franklin Town Common.
The job of putting the event together, says Warren Revell, who has chaired the event for eight years alongside Mike Kelly, is not all glamour.
“(Paul and Joe) have to do legwork to get the stuff set up, there’s nothing up yet on the website,” he says. “If they just hold it together this year, and fill in on some stuff next year” they’ll keep it going. Mike Kelly and I are helping them as much as possible, but there’s stuff they have to do to get their feet wet.”
Revell says that although he put several years into the event, he felt he needed to get out at the “top of” his game. If no one had come forward, he says, the event would have “faded into the sunset.”
“We both kind of read the article in the paper and said we can’t let this event fizzle out, and so we both are working with Warren and Mike Kelly to get this year squared away,” says Carmignani, who grew up in Franklin and says his friend Paul has been in the town for 13 years. “We said, hey, we’ve got to give back to the town,” says Carmignani.
“Growing up, the carnival, the festivities, those are things you remember for the rest of your life,” says Kortick, who says he was relieved after having met with Fiesta Shows, who will take care of the carnival rides. “I couldn’t believe those were just going to end because people weren’t going to take up the baton. Warren and Mike needed to pass it to somebody, and Joe and I said, if no one’s going to do this, it’s got to pass to us. The short term goal is to just keep it going.”
The new committee had to rush to see about tents, chairs, and facilities, propane and insurance as well as meet with the Town. In late May, they were meeting with folks running food booths, and work with Matt Zajak, Jr., who is helping with the entertainment on the stage. Kortick says Revell and Kelly have made the transition much easier for the new team. “We never felt for a second we were starting from ground zero,” says Kortick.
“The festivities will start on the common that Thursday before the fourth, June 29th with carnival rides, says Carmignani, “with food booths and bands starting on Friday. We’ve booked a bunch of bands
“Paul and Joe are very energetic towards the whole thing,” says Revell. “They’re very anxious to learn. Right now, they have so much to do, but they have the road map to do it. We’re going to help them out as much as we can.”
Fourth of July Franklin is entirely funded by private donations, says Revell. “We go for donations and send out letters to every household in Franklin, looking for a $5 donation. Not one blessed penny comes out of the town, not one.”
As of the third week in May, at Local Town Pages’ deadline, the following had been planned for Franklin Town Common for Franklin’s Fourth of July celebration:
Thursday, June 29th = carnival rides, 6-10 p.m. (Band = Swimmer / 7-10 p.m.)
Friday, June 30th = carnival rides and food booths, 6-10 p.m. (Band = ZOD / 7-10 p.m.)
Saturday, July 1st = carnival rides and food booths, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (Vicki & Sticks and Flippo the Clown in the afternoon / Band = Groove Doctors / 7-10 p.m.)
Sunday, July 2nd = carnival rides and food booths, 1-11 p.m.
Monday, July 3rd = carnival rides and food booths, 6-10 p.m. (Band = Victory Shot / 7-10pm)
Tuesday, July 4th = carnival rides and food booths, 12-5 p.m.
Please keep checking the website: july4thfranklinma.com and local newspapers for a schedule of events as they become more complete.