Living Statues to make appearance at the Franklin Cultural Festival - Sep 10

Watch pieces of history come to life at this year’s Franklin Cultural Festival! We are lucky enough to be joined by three different LIVING STATUES this year - you won’t want to miss it!

Be sure to join us on September 10th from 12-6pm for artisan booths, live performances, great food, a beer/wine garden, and more for your whole family to enjoy!

Ben Franklin, Harriet Tubman, and Betsy Ross will make an appearance! 

Shared from the Cultural Festival social media posts  ->   https://www.facebook.com/100000855565679/posts/pfbid0gtqnZeBGyBWmfkCGFQBo1D311xS8QxKX5rR4dPUvvFLARkey5orwwewgTi29u3Dwl/

Living Statues to make appearance at the Franklin Cultural Festival

Status update for 3

To Our Guests,

We are happy to report some good news from 3!  But first, I want to thank you all for the outpouring of support you have shown us over the past week.  We are truly grateful for such kind, thoughtful and loyal guests!

Fortunately, the COVID protocols we have in place at the restaurant were effective in preventing any spread of the virus inside the restaurant!  The restaurant has been thoroughly deep cleaned and while the restaurant and staff are ready to reopen, we  have decided to remain closed for a few extra days.  We expect to reopen after Easter, on Monday April 5.  

 
This week our staff will receive a few bonus days off to relax and recharge while we tackle some building improvements such as the installation of new HVAC systems,  the installation of new kitchen equipment and the implementation of a new computer system.  Plus, our chefs will be putting the finishing touches on a delicious new spring menu and the bar team has created some amazing seasonal cocktails.  

We hope to have all of these projects completed by next week in anticipation of welcoming you back into the restaurant for what we expect will be a bustling spring and summer season.
Thank you again and we wish you and your family a happy and healthy Easter week.

Cheers!

Stephen Corcoran
Owner

 

Shared from Facebook:https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157472103952136&id=189417882135

Visit 3 online at https://3-restaurant.com/

 

Status update for 3

 

Horace Mann statue - May 7. 2017

The unveiling of the Horace Mann statue in Franklin, MA on May 7. 2017



or go directly to Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157683435652096/

FM# 130 - Audio Recording of Horace Mann Statue - May 7, 2017 (audio)

If you missed the unveiling of the Horace Mann Statue on Sunday, May 7, you can listen to the audio recording of the ceremony here.

the Horace Mann statue stands to welcome folks to downtown Franklin

FM #130

This internet radio show or podcast is number 130 in the series for Franklin Matters. This captured the audio recording of the Horace Mann Statue Unveiling held May 7, 2017.

The unveiling ceremony was hosted by the Statue Committee.

The program for the ceremony can be found here:

May 7, 2017 Program

Welcome

Deborah L. Pellegri, Co-Chairman

Introduction of Committee Members:

Charles F. Oteri, Co Chairman

Robert Dellorco, Thomas Mercer

Lisa Piana, Representative Jeffrey Roy

Introduction of Town Councilors:

Matt Kelly, Chairman; Robert Vallee, Vice Chairman;

Judith Pfeffer, Clerk; Andrew Bissanti, Robert Dellorco, Glenn Jones, Thomas Mercer, Peter Padula, Deborah L. Pellegri

Background on Horace Mann:

Jordan Oteri, grade 7

Megan Levesque, grade 7

FSPA

Song:  Horace, Now There was a Mann

Introduction of Robert Shure:

Sculptor/presentation of statue

(statue unveiled)

Remarks by Honored Guests:

Senator Karen Spilka (absent due to injury)

Senator Richard Ross

Representative Jeffrey Roy

Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, Framingham State University

Dr. Paula Rooney, Dean College

Dr. Kevin O’Malley, Franklin School Committee

Introduction of Jamie Barrett

“The City Known as the Town of Franklin”

Closing

Without further ado, here is the recording

-------------

This brings the recording of the Horace Mann Statue Unveiling to a close.

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

How can you help?

If you like this, please tell your friends and neighbors.

If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.

Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit 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!

The photo slideshow of the ceremony can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/05/horace-mann-stature-unveiling-photo.html

The Program booklet can be found here

Reporting by Walking Around - Saturday, May 13

After spending most of the week out of Franklin on business, my Saturday morning walk got me caught up on some of what was happening or had happened while I was away. 

Join me as I walk downtown and then out Pleasant St to DelCarte. Starting with some close up photos of the new Horace Mann statue. 

Horace Mann 1

Horace Mann 2

Horace Mann 3

Horace Mann 4

I am impressed by the level of detail shown in the statue. The coat has texture and folds just like a real coat. Amazing work!

the exterior stonework is being applied to the Library addition

mystery dinner theater event coming to Franklin Federated June 10

volunteers from the Franklin Garden Club were hard at work on the grounds
at the Town Common with help from some of the Newcomers Club

new pavement on a section of Pleasant St was completed during the week

the reinstalled playground at DelCarte is open as of Saturday,
so when the rain decides to end it can be used again

while we have been getting a lot of rain, the water level at DelCarte is still way below normal

Horace Mann Stature Unveiling - Photo Slideshow

Photos from the unveiling of the Horace Mann statue can be seen in this slideshow 




Additional photo albums created over the years featuring events and places in Franklin can be found here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/collections/72157612392942556/

Horace Mann: birthday, May 4; statue unveiling celebration May 7, 2017

On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 11 AM, Franklin will be honoring Horace Mann, the father of public education in America, with the unveiling of a statue bearing his likeness at Horace Mann Square. Mann was born in Franklin on May 4, 1796 and was self-educated in the town using books supplied by Benjamin Franklin which formed the nucleus of the nation’s first public library.

Horace Mann birthplace monument in Franklin 

“The unveiling of the statue in his birthplace is a tribute to his work and to those whose great efforts mark the progress of education in the United States and the advancement of Mann’s ideals,” noted Rep. Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin), a member of the statue committee. 

 “Horace Mann’s contributions to public education are quintessential to the American story, providing opportunities for advancement and the achievement of the American Dream. Sunday’s ceremony will honor these contributions and highlight the intersection of our library and Mann’s own education.”

Tom Mercer, Town Councilor and Statue Committee member offered this quote from Horace Mann which to him highlighted the significance of Sunday’s event: "If ever there was a cause, if ever there can be a cause, worthy to be upheld by all of toil to sacrifice that the human heart can endure, it is the cause of Education."

Horace Mann gravesite, North Burial
Ground in Providence, RI

The memorial was made possible by funding from the Massachusetts General Court and the Austin B. Fletcher Memorial Fund approved by the Town Council of Franklin, Massachusetts. Both bodies unanimously approved the project of honoring the memory of so illustrious a son of Franklin, and took the necessary steps to make it happen. The Square which houses the statue and memorial was generously donated and constructed by Roger Calarese, the developer of Horace Mann.

“The statue also stands as a monument to a fight that has been handed down to us— that we must strive unceasingly for better schools,” said Town Councilor Robert Dellorco, another member of the statue committee. “Well-educated, clear-thinking, creative citizens are essential to democracy and our democratic way of life, and it’s wonderful that we will be celebrating the life of the man that made it possible.”

Lisa Piana, Statue Committee member and Director of the Franklin Downtown Partnership stated: "I could not think of a better location for the Horace Mann statue than the Gateway to downtown Franklin. The Partnership is excited that the community came together to make this happen and we look forward to having a beautiful place to gather and appreciate Franklin's rich history."

Town Councilor and Committee Co-Chair Deb Pellegri noted that she was honored to serve as co-chair with Charlie Oteri and the whole committee. “Having co-chaired the Ben Franklin Statue Committee, I had the pleasure of working with our sculptor, Robert Shure,” she added. “I just knew that the Horace Mann Statue was going to be as fantastic as Ben's statue. The community will be very pleased.”

the new statue is in place and ready to be unveiled on Sunday

“With knowledge comes power, then there are no limits to what humans can achieve,” said Oteri, Co-Chair of the Committee.

In 1837, Mann left the practice of law and withdrew from the presidency of the Massachusetts State Senate to become the first Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education. He traveled among the people urging them to make their schools better—to improve school buildings, to provide better books and equipment, to enrich the course of study, and above all to provide better teachers. 

Year after year, Horace Mann carried on his mission, and today, his name is held in grateful remembrance everywhere the common school opens doors of opportunity. He declared, “Without undervaluing any other human agency, it may be safely affirmed that the Common School...may become the most effective and benignant of all forces of civilization.”


The Statue Committee members include Pellegri and Charles Oteri as Co-Chairs, along with Roy, Dellorco, Piana, and Mercer. 

A detailed program and history of Horace Mann will be distributed on Sunday (see below for the embedded document). 

Limited edition mugs depicting the statue will be available for sale at the event. 

A Facebook event page with information on Horace Mann and his work is posted at https://www.facebook.com/events/1102040296567751/


Here are some links to materials on Mann’s life and legacy:

• Program book from Inauguration of State House statue in 1865
• Program book from memorial dedication in Franklin in 1929
• Program book from Florida dedication in 1949
• Program book from re-dedication of State House statue in 1963

“I cannot think of a better location for the Horace Mann statue than the gateway to downtown Franklin”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

The town will unveil a statue of native son - and father of public education in the United States - Horace Mann this weekend, some 221 years after his May 1796 birth. 

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday at the intersection of Emmons and West Central street. Statue committee co-chairwoman Deborah Pellegri said coffee and pastries - sponsored by the school department - will be available beginning at 10 a.m. 

State Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin - a member of the statue committee - will be speaking, as will State Sens. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and Richard Ross, R-Wrentham. 

“Javier Cevallos, the president of Framingham State University will be there,” Roy said. “Horace Mann founded Framingham State as one of the first teachers colleges in Massachusetts.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170502/franklin-to-unveil-mann-statue-sunday

looking through the surrounding wall at the statue base in the rain

You are invited to the Horace Mann Statue Unveiling at Horace Mann Square - May 7

"We will be honoring Horace Mann, the father of public education in America, with the unveiling of a statue at Horace Mann Square. Mann was born in Franklin on May 4, 1796, less than 20 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed and while George Washington was still President. 

In 1837, Mann left the practice of law and withdrew from the presidency of the Massachusetts State Senate to become the first Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education. He traveled among the people urging them to make their schools better—to improve school buildings, to provide better books and equipment, to enrich the course of study, and above all to provide better teachers. Year after year, Horace Mann carried on his mission, and today, his name is held in grateful remembrance everywhere the common school opens doors of opportunity. 

He declared, “Without undervaluing any other human agency, it may be safely affirmed that the Common School... may become the most effective and benignant of all forces of civilization.”

The unveiling of the statue in his birthplace is a tribute to his work and to those whose great efforts mark the progress of education in the United States and the advancement of these ideals. The statue also stands as a monument to a fight that has been handed down to us— that we must strive unceasingly for better schools. Well-educated, clear-thinking, creative citizens are essential to democracy and our democratic way of life. 

The memorial was made possible by funding from the Massachusetts General Court and the Austin B. Fletcher Memorial Fund approved by the Town Council of Franklin, Massachusetts. Both bodies unanimously approved the project of honoring the memory of so illustrious a son of Franklin, and took the necessary steps to make it happen. The square which houses the statue and memorial was generously donated and constructed by Roger Calarese, the developer of Horace Mann Square."

Shared from the Facebook event create by Representative Jeff Roy
https://www.facebook.com/events/1102040296567751/

Upi are invited to the Horace Mann Statue Unveiling at Horace Mann Square - May 7

The statue base is ready

The statue base is ready in the rain

Defaced already

Defaced_already, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Yes, Dolores and I found a sticker placed on the base of the "Hat's Off to Franklin" sculpture on our walk this morning.

It didn't take long for some inconsiderate soul to deface this brand new Franklin gem.

Fortunately, it removed fairly easily.