Showing posts with label Benjamin Franklin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benjamin Franklin. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Franklin Cultural District: Ben's Book events all week & more as #artshappenhere


Wednesday, January 17

9:30am Ben Franklin Autobiography* LIVE Readathon (Franklin Historical Museum)

11:00am Franklin Q&A (Franklin Senior Center & remote)

6:30pm SPECIAL Trivia Night (Teddie Gallagher’s)

7:00pm State of the Commonwealth Address (online, & YouTube)


Thursday, January 18

8:30am Town Council Office Hours (Franklin Senior Center)

6:30pm World PREMIERE, “The Boatbuilders” Pre-release Screening & Discussion (Franklin Public Library)


Friday, January 19

1:00pm Library Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)

2:00pm Get to know ‘Ben’s Books’ (Franklin Public Library)

6:00pm Jigsaw Puzzle Tournament and Sale (First Universalist Society in Franklin (FUSF))


Saturday, January 20

9:00am Library Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)

10:00am Ben Franklin, America’s First Scientist (Franklin Historical Museum)

10:00am Jigsaw Puzzle Tournament and Sale (First Universalist Society in Franklin (FUSF))

10:30am Children’s Ben Franklin Story Time (Escape Into Fiction Bookstore)

11:00am Preschool & Kindergarten Open House (Sunrise Montessori School)

1:00pm Library "Books by the Bag Sale" (Franklin Public Library)

6:30pm Vera Meyer and Ben Franklin’s Glass Armonica (Franklin Public Library)


Sunday, January 21

7:30am All you can eat Breakfast (Franklin Rod & Gun Club)

1:00pm Ben Franklin Considered and Reconsidered (Franklin Historical Museum)

1:00pm Children's Museum of Franklin pop up (Elks Lodge)


Tuesday, January 23

2:30pm Rainbow Café


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


The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open for viewing (and purchasing the art displayed) during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)

Visit the Cultural District page ->  https://www.franklinculture.org/

Find the full Community event calendar   https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:   https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/month/39/2023-12

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26 

Franklin Cultural District: Arts are happening here!
Franklin Cultural District: Arts are happening here!

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Events for Ben Franklin Book Week January 14-21, 2024

Tues. 1/16 Ben Franklin’s Journey from Slaveholder to Abolitionist AND African Son, a discussion. Local historian Jim Johnston and Historical Commission Chair, Alan Earls, will start the discussion with Jim regarding Ben Franklin’s initial acceptance of the institution of slavery and his eventual “conversion” within the context of the 18th century world, the Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, and the American Revolution. Jim will then take the story of slavery into the 19th century with a discussion of his novel, African Son*, which traces the fortunes of an African man who is enslaved in 1815 and has his survival skills tested in his new “home” in pre- Civil War Georgia…6:30 PM at the Franklin Historical Museum. FREE

Weds. 1/17 Ben Franklin Autobiography* LIVE Readathon at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central Street, 9:30 AM on Ben’s Birthday, Jan 17 2023. Come and participate! Contact Alan Earls with any questions (alan.r.earls@gmail.com). FREE. Note, the ‘kick off ‘ speaker will be Franklin’s Congressman, Jake Auchincloss followed by State Senator Becca Rausch and State Rep. Jeff Roy.  Volunteer readers typically participate for 10-15 minutes in sharing this classic work of American literature. Completion times vary but the event will likely end around 5 PM. Sign up for a reading slot here or just come by to listen.

Ben Franklin Book Week
Ben Franklin Book Week

Weds. 1/17
SPECIAL Trivia Night at Teddy Gallagher’s on Main Street. The BEST TRIVIA NIGHT South of Boston happens on Tuesday Nights at Teddy Gallagher’s Irish pub in Franklin. In honor of Book Week, there will be an ADDITIONAL Trivia night on Wednesday, focusing on ‘bookish” topics — Come for the fun, bring your friends and a smartphone. 6:30 PM at 30 Main Street. See you there!

Thurs. 1/18 World PREMIERE, “The Boatbuilders” Pre-release Screening & Discussion Thursday January 18th. 6.30 PM Franklin Public Library. Join Director Gregg Seibert and Producer & Dean College Historian R. A. Lawson for a Pre-release screening of the first episode and Discussion of their new Documentary Series, “The Boatbuilders”! The docuseries uncovers the historical legacy and present-day impact of the boat building community, showcasing boatbuilders, sailors, and owners who speak to the realities of boat building today. FREE

Fri. 1/19 Get to know ‘Ben’s Books’ — Meet Reference Librarian Vicki Earls on the second floor of the Franklin Public Library, at the display case, at 2 PM for the story of the books Franklin donated to our town — what are they and how did they end up in Franklin! Attendees will receive a newly published, illustrated mini-book all about THE books! FREE

Fri. 1/19 BIG Library Book Sale. Friday, January 19th, 1:00 - 5:00 PM and Saturday, January 20th, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. All books are just one dollar!

Sat. 1/20 Children’s Ben Franklin Story Time. 10:30 AM at Escape Into Fiction Bookstore, 12 Main Street FREE

Sat. 1/20 Ben Franklin, America’s First Scientist — a talk and demonstration by engineer-entrepreneur John Berg, on Saturday, Jan 20, 2023 from 10 to 1 at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central St. FREE

Sat. 1/20 Bag Sale Finale of Library Book Sale. 1 PM to 4 PM  $5 per bag!

1/20 Vera Meyer and Ben Franklin’s Glass Armonica. Among Ben Franklin’s most amazing inventions is the glass armonica, a series of concentric, rotating crystal glass bowls that can be played (think of the sound of wine glass rims being rubbed). Mozart and others composed music for it. And Boston area musician and expert Vera Meyer will return to Franklin for a performance featuring many styles of music. Don’t miss the haunting, ethereal, and beautiful sounds of the armonica at the Franklin Public Library 6:30 - 8 PM. FREE (School St entrance)

1/21 Ben Franklin Considered and Reconsidered — an authorized showing of PBS interviews with modern leaders discussing the many facets of Ben Franklin. Sunday Jan 21, 2023 from 1-4 PM at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central St. Audience members will be encouraged to continue the discussion! FREE

Check for updates -> https://benfranklinbookweek.com/

Saturday, January 13, 2024

In Franklin, MA, It’s All About the Benjamin!

Birthday Celebration for a Founding Father Goes BIG This Month!

Franklin, Massachusetts’ biggest claim to fame is that it is named for the great 18th century polymath and patriot, Benjamin Franklin, and that Franklin in his wisdom, repaid the compliment with a generous gift of books. The town’s people made the most of this and turned this gift into the first free public lending library in North America. 

It was a good move. Franklin farm boy, Horace Mann, the ”father” of American Public education, educated himself in large part through the books donated by Ben and Oliver Dean, another local influenced by access to Ben’s books, founded Dean Academy in Franklin (now Dean College)!

Today, with the town’s growth and a renewed focus on arts, culture, and history in the town’s Cultural District, a literary and library past is being celebrated with Ben Franklin Book Week, Jan 14-21, “A Community Rediscovery of Ideas, Literature, and the Shared Gift of Language.” This new annual event that celebrates the birthday of Benjamin Franklin (Jan. 17) and his gift of books to the town AND it recognizes the town’s ongoing book- and culture friendly environment, with a growing slate of events and activities! 

Book Week is cosponsored by the Franklin Historical Museum, Franklin Public Library, and Escape into Fiction book store with funding provided by Mass. Cultural Council through the Franklin Cultural District Committee.

Events include lectures, a film premiere, a live ‘readathon’ of Ben Franklin’s Autobiography, a concert with the Glass Harmonica instrument invented by Ben Franklin, a lecture and demonstration of Ben’s fundamental contribution to the understanding of electricity, and more. 

More information is available at https://benfranklinbookweek.com

In Franklin, MA, It’s All About the Benjamin!
In Franklin, MA, It’s All About the Benjamin!

Friday, January 12, 2024

Franklin's Event Outlook: January 12, 2023 to January 18, 2024


Friday, January 12

7:00pm Steve Demers (live music) (Raillery Public House)

7:30pm Electric Youth Debut Concert (ticketed event) (THE BLACK BOX)


Saturday, January 13

9:00am KoC Free Throw Tournament  (Hockomock YMCA)

10:00am Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

10:00am Train Town Franklin; Part 2 (Franklin Historical Museum)

2:30pm FHS Best Buddies fund raiser basketball game (Franklin High School)

7:00pm Steve Demers (live music) (Raillery Public House)

8:00pm Joe Jencks (live music) (ticketed event) (Circle of Friends Coffeehouse)


Sunday, January 14

1:00pm Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

1:00pm Train Town Franklin; Part 2 (Franklin Historical Museum)

1:15pm Second Sunday Speaker Series (CANCELED): Joe Landry on History of Thompson Press (Franklin Historical Museum) 


Monday, January 15 -  Martin Luther King Jr. Day


Tuesday, January 16

6:30pm Ben Franklin’s Journey from Slaveholder to Abolitionist AND African Son, a discussion (Franklin Historical Museum)

7:30pm Voice of Franklin, part of Toastmasters International (Franklin TV Studio)


Wednesday, January 17

9:30am Ben Franklin Autobiography* LIVE Readathon (Franklin Historical Museum)

6:30pm SPECIAL Trivia Night  (Teddie Gallagher’s)

7:00pm State of the Commonwealth Address (live broadcast)


Thursday, January 18

8:30am Town Council Office Hours (Franklin Senior Center)

6:30pm World PREMIERE, “The Boatbuilders” Pre-release Screening & Discussion (Franklin Public Library)


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


The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)

Find the full Community event calendar  https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

The Cultural calendar displays only the cultural events      https://www.franklinculture.org/things-do/pages/calendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26 


Franklin's Event Outlook: January 12, 2023 to January 18, 2024
Franklin's Event Outlook: January 12, 2023 to January 18, 2024

Friday, September 15, 2023

Hey kids, paint a portrait of Ben Franklin, yes, the 4 legged one: for K-5 students, Sep 26

Join us for a fun art workshop on September 26th. Spend your day with a fun art workshop. We will be painting portrait's of Franklin Police Department one and only Ben Franklin.

Register online at franklinma.myrec.com


Paint a portrait of Ben, yes, the 4 legged one: for K-5 students, Sep 26
Paint a portrait of Ben, yes, the 4 legged one: for K-5 students, Sep 26

Thursday, September 15, 2022

PBS Newshour features Franklin Library and Ben's legacy

In case you missed it, there was a nice 5 minute story on PBS Newshour on Monday.  Video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adVFgReaS1Y

"Benjamin Franklin's literary legacy lives on in country's longest-running lending library"


v
PBS Newshour features Franklin Library and Ben's legacy

Monday, September 5, 2022

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! 


Living Statues to make appearance at the Franklin Cultural Festival
Living Statues to make appearance at the Franklin Cultural Festival

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Ben's Books - RI Public TV does an episode on the books in the Franklin Library (video)

Vicki Earls, Franklin Library Head of Reference and James Johnston, Franklin historian, contribute to this RI Public TV episode on Ben's Books.  

"There are dozens of U.S. towns named for famous patriot, diplomat, writer, scientist, and inventor, Benjamin Franklin - but the very first was a local community with a lasting legacy. Rhode Island PBS Weekly's Pamela Watts explores how an unexpected gift of books, bestowed by Franklin upon the townspeople, helped inspire an educator to launch the country's public school system.

Video link -> https://watch.ripbs.org/video/bens-books-ztqikx/

 

The photo album of Ben's Books when they were most recently unveiled in April of 2018  https://photos.app.goo.gl/BuBL0ZVshZR0vxXP2
a close up of some of Ben's books at the Franklin Public Library
a close up of some of Ben's books gifted to Franklin, now viewable in the Public Library

Monday, May 16, 2022

The Dog Project scheduled for Saturday, June 4, from noon to 3 PM will feature our own "Ben Franklin"

The Franklin Lion's Club is presenting an event about everything Dog with demonstrations from Hanscom AFB K-9 unit, and Franklin Police's K-9, Ben Franklin.

Comfort and Service dogs will show you how they assist people.

Representatives from organizations that provide training, doggie day care, doggie treats, dog walkers, and more will be participating.

The Dog Project is scheduled for the Town Common on Saturday, June 4 from noon to 3 PM. Rain date is Sunday, June 5, noon to 3 PM.

No cost for the event. Raffle items will be on site to raise money to donate to a Dog organization.

  • Donations of dog food for the Franklin Food Pantry would be appreciated.
  • Donations of old eye glasses will be collected by the Lion's Club.

Franklin Police: Ben Franklin gains his "Canine Good Citizen" certification
Franklin Police: Ben Franklin gained his "Canine Good Citizen" certification in Jan 2021
 

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Franklin TV: Finding Ben Franklin, Part 6

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 03/06/2022

The Review:

Our original quest for Ben in 2012 was simply to address the need to reasonably reproduce his likeness on signage and TV by creating a proxy of the Town Seal. When blown up on an HDTV screen – not a visually pleasing representation

Our approach was simple; work with the most public image. Ben’s engraving on the hundred dollar bill was our source as an image in the public domain.

However, the U.S. mint’s printing is intended to make reproduction (counterfeiting) difficult. Our 2012 engraved image (right) has these reproduction limitations. When we reduce its resolution or its size it falls apart.

Our 2022 Ben quest took us to the source of the Mint’s version – the Duplessis portrayals. We started with a blank canvas – to reinterpret, repaint and reconstruct Ben’s likeness from scratch for modern digital publication in many forms.

Our modern interpretation of Ben Franklin is slightly younger. His image has been reilluminated, and his countenance is a bit less formal, more approachable. Our last step will be to reduce all of this detail and nuance to the limits of a notary seal. The Reveal (so far):

And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm.
And, thank you for watching. 


Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf    

 


Finding Ben Franklin, Part 6
Finding Ben Franklin, Part 6


Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Mass. Public Health: updated guidance on masks

Mass. Public Health (@MassDPH) tweeted  Tue, Feb 15, 2022:
Massachusetts Department of Public Health releases updated face covering advisory: https://t.co/1HtpRtg0rj 
#Covid19MA https://t.co/v1ACvsrRnD

"Today (2/15/22), the Department of Public Health (DPH) released updated guidance regarding the use of face coverings and masks by individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 
Recognizing that Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccine acceptance, and in light of recent improvements in COVID-19 indicators, DPH now advises that a fully vaccinated person should wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home) if you have a weakened immune system, if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system and is at increased risk for severe disease or is unvaccinated.
Individuals who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear a face covering or mask when indoors with others to help prevent spreading COVID-19.
Individuals who have tested positive or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 must follow the isolation and quarantine guidance which includes wearing a mask in public for 5 more days after leaving isolation or quarantine on Day 5, regardless of vaccination status.
All people in Massachusetts (regardless of vaccination status) are required to continue wearing face coverings in certain settings, including on public transportation and in health care facilities.  
Please see www.mass.gov/maskrules for a complete list of venues where face coverings have remained mandatory since May 29, 2021.
Ben's guide to mask wearing - #DoYourPartFranklin
Ben's guide to mask wearing - #DoYourPartFranklin

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Franklin.TV: Finding Ben Franklin, Part 1

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 01/16/2022

Our town seal is uncommon. It features a portrait – a likeness of Ben Franklin. The town of Hamilton, MA followed suit. Town seals appear in many places. The visual challenges of portraiture are many. Every portrait artist understands the most essential challenge; producing a likeness of the subject that is at once accurate yet flattering. How to cast someone in their very best light. That can be a reach in some instances.
Finding Ben Franklin
You look so wonderful in this light.
Too bad you’re so seldom in this light. – Groucho Marx
In attempting to meet the first visual challenge (flattery), the mechanics of reproducing a town seal as that – a notary seal – pose the second challenge that comes with limited resolution and clarity. This is where things can turn ugly (literally).  

God is in the details. So too, is good portraiture that faithfully captures the uniqueness and nuance of a person’s likeness. When photography first emerged in the early 1800’s it was considered a bane on the art world. In short order, artists discovered its great value as a tool of their work. They could document their subjects from several viewpoints and have an
ever-patient record of all that nuance and detail to work from.

Unfortunately, photography came too late for Ben and the other founding fathers. This leaves us with only the interpretive record of their portraits. There are portraits, and then there are portraits of portraits – and so on – reinterpretations.

If there is a signature within every human face, it is often in the eyes. It’s where we gaze when we see others. It’s how we interpret their emotions and thoughts. If the eyes are indeed the window to the soul, I seek to understand Ben Franklin’s soul.

This is where my journey of portraiture begins.


And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfprfm.
And, thank you for watching. 

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf     

Saturday, September 4, 2021

"It Happens Here: Franklin The Home Of The First Public Library In America"

 CBS Boston did a spot on Franklin recently:

"The oldest, continuously operating public library in America is in Franklin, a town that has its own theme song! 
“The name of the town on the original paperwork is Exeter. Somewhere between leaving Franklin and arriving at the State House of Massachusetts in Boston, they crossed out the name Exeter and wrote in the name Franklin. So that is how we got our name, and we don’t know who did it,” says Vicki Earls, Head of Reference Services at the Franklin Public Library. 
While we don’t know who did it, we do know why – to impress Benjamin Franklin, who had just gained support from France for the American Revolution. But the town expected Franklin to reciprocate. 
“Someone got the idea, we don’t know, who of approaching Franklin and telling him the honor that was bestowed upon him, and would he want to contribute something to this newly founded town,” Earls explained. “They requested from Franklin a bell. They were building a new meeting house and a bell was crucially important because that’s how you gathered citizens.”

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/09/03/franklin-massachusetts-first-public-library-in-america-it-happens-here-wbz-tv/


Friday, September 3, 2021

"Finding Benjamin Franklin in the archives & collections of the MHS"

"I grew up in Franklin, MA so I always knew the true legend about how in 1778, the town changed the name from Exeter to Franklin, in honor of Benjamin Franklin, in the hopes that he would donate a bell for the church. He never donated money, but sent books instead, which the town debated how to use. In the end, they formed a library where every member of the town could read equally.
This started the first public library in the United States. Those books still reside in the Franklin Public Library today. And I know that Benjamin Franklin spent time in Boston during his youth, but I had no idea how often his name would come up while searching the online collections of the MHS. I’d like to share with you a selection of my favorite items and stories I have come across about Benjamin Franklin."

Continue reading the article online at the MA Historical Society

Ben's books are indeed on display at the Library. Photos from the unveiling of the new case can be found online ->  https://photos.app.goo.gl/BuBL0ZVshZR0vxXP2

Those books still reside in the Franklin Public Library
"Those books still reside in the Franklin Public Library"