■The City Clerk’s Office will be closed on Nov. 3 during the election. If you are dropping off completed absentee ballots, hand them directly to a clerk. Do not use the mail slot in the door. Request absentee ballots as soon as possible. The New Hampshire Secretary of State reported the main reason absentee ballots are rejected are because they arrive late. Mail your completed ballots before Wednesday or hand it to a city clerk before the polls close at 5 p.m. on election day. Make sure your absentee ballot is placed inside the affidavit envelope, then enclosed in the return envelope. The affidavit must be signed on the left side when you are voting absentee for being out of town, at work or caregiving. Sign on the right side if you are disabled, concerned for COVID-19 or for religious observance. Sending your ballot in early also allows time for the clerk’s office to alert you if you made a mistake. Voter information is available at sosnh.org.
■There will be a drug takeback day at CVS Pharmacy on Saturday. This is a safe way to dispose of unused drugs.
■Portrait of a Franklin High School Graduate Design Sessions is a collaborative effort for parents and administrators to answer the question “What should our graduates know and be able to do?” Public sessions are scheduled for Oct. 28, Nov. 12 and Nov. 19. Times vary. Contact carisacorrow@educatingforgood.com for more information.
■Scarecrow Contest winners will be announced on Halloween. Prizes will be awarded for scariest, funniest, most beautiful, most creative and best use of natural materials.
■Mountain View Estates has been a welcoming place for trick-or-treaters for many years, but due to COVID-19 and the age of the residents, they will not participate this year.
■Twin Rivers Interfaith Food Pantry’s program, Feed the Need!, provides supplemental weekend food bags to children in the Franklin schools. Current needs are microwaveable mac and cheese cups, microwave popcorn packets, instant oatmeal packets, and microwave pasta cups. Extra garden produce? Call the pantry at 934-2662, located at 1 Central Street (across from Benson Auto), if you would like to donate. Email info.trifp@gmail.com to arrange for drop off. Monetary donations are always welcome.
■The Twin Rivers Interfaith Food Pantry is looking for volunteers at various times throughout the week. Contact Alec Cahn at 934-2662 or email info.trifp@gmail.com.
■The Franklin Animal Shelter will remain open by appointment only until further notice. Visit franklinanimalshelter.com for information about upcoming events and to support the shelter.
■Service Link can offer phone appointments for those wanting information on Medicare open enrollment. Call 228-6625 ext. 1207 to set an appointment with Wayne Blanchard.
■If you would like to receive regular notices of city meetings in your email box, visit franklinnh.org, select “Subscribe to E-news” and check the kind of information you would like to receive.
JUDITH ACKERSON
369-0574
franklintowncrier@gmail.com