As anyone who has thrown a successful dinner party for even a handful of friends can attest, a lot of planning, preparation and hard work goes into making the night one to remember. Now, imagine what must go into planning a party to which you invite 400 of your friends to help celebrate the city’s golden anniversary, and you can only begin to get a sense of the amount of work done over the last few months by the group of dedicated volunteers who composed the Franklin’s 50th committee.

Led by Holt and Judy Livesay, this team spent countless hours in preparation for an event befitting the commemoration of Franklin’s 50 years as an independent city. The anniversary gala on Feb. 17 was a smashing success, affording hundreds of friends and neighbors the opportunity to gather and celebrate a truly noteworthy event.

What has always made Franklin a wonderful place to live, certainly even preceding 1961 and the adoption of a new city charter, is it has been home to so many people who have a tremendous sense of love for their community. If the efforts that have gone into the celebration of Franklin’s past 50 years are any indication, thanks to folks like those on the Franklin’s 50th committee, there are certainly many more wonderful years to come.