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
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| Paint a portrait of Ben, yes, the 4 legged one: for K-5 students, Sep 26 |
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
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| PBS Newshour features Franklin Library and Ben's legacy |
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!
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| Living Statues to make appearance at the Franklin Cultural Festival |
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/
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| a close up of some of Ben's books gifted to Franklin, now viewable in the Public Library |
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.
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| Franklin Police: Ben Franklin gained his "Canine Good Citizen" certification in Jan 2021 |
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
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| Finding Ben Franklin, Part 6 |
Massachusetts Department of Public Health releases updated face covering advisory: https://t.co/1HtpRtg0rj
#Covid19MA https://t.co/v1ACvsrRnD
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| Ben's guide to mask wearing - #DoYourPartFranklin |
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| Finding Ben Franklin |
You look so wonderful in this light.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).
Too bad you’re so seldom in this light. – Groucho Marx
And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm.
And, thank you for watching.
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.”
"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."
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
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| "Those books still reside in the Franklin Public Library" |
"Five weeks had passed since the death of Benjamin Franklin’s son, and rumors were swirling. Four-year-old Francis “Franky” Franklin had died after being inoculated for smallpox, the rumor went, and now his pro-inoculation father was trying to hide it.The gossip reached such a point that on Dec. 30, 1736, the grieving father, then 30, confronted it in the pages of his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette.“Inasmuch as some People are, by that [rumor] ... deter’d from having that Operation perform’d on their Children,” he wrote, “I do hereby sincerely declare, that he was not inoculated, but receiv’d the Distemper in the common Way of Infection.”It must have been hard to admit — Franklin had long advocated inoculation as a “safe and beneficial practice” — that his own son had gone unprotected."
"Ben knows it is important to keep your hands clean, even when you aren't near a sink. Have hand sanitizer with you!
#BenKnows #DoYourPartFranklin #CleanPaws #ItMatters" @franklinpolice
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| Ben knows it is important to keep your hands clean |
"Please remember to keep your distance from others when out and about. Oh, and let's be kind too! #DoYourPartFranklin #BenKnows #KeepSpace #SocialDistancing #6FeetPlease https://t.co/zE5T6wBWdH"
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| Ben's Guide to social distancing |
"Congratulations to Ben Franklin! Today he earned his “Canine Good Citizen” certification.
Thank you to MasterPeace Dog Training of Franklin for their continued generous donation of working with our canine companion!
Officer Mucciarone and Ben will continue to serve the community by brining joy and smiles to all!"
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| Franklin Police: Ben Franklin gains his "Canine Good Citizen" certification |
Wearing a mask properly matters!
Just ask Ben!
#DoYourPartFranklin #WearAMask #itmatters #benknows Franklin Police Department
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| Ben's guide to mask wearing - #DoYourPartFranklin |
"Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every #NewYear find you a better man." - Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac, 1755 https://t.co/IZTkn4PG04
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| The Freedom Trail: Ben Franklin quote for New Year |
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| FPD: May the 4th be with you! (Photo from FPD) |
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| Ben Franklin Autobiography Readathon 2020 - Jan 16 |
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| Ben Franklin Autobiography Readathon 2020 - Jan 16 |
"In a Franklin elementary school, a young boy with special needs was screaming and crying. Nobody could comfort him, not even his teachers or a police officer who was called to help.
Just as the situation verged on uncontrollable, the newest member of the police department arrived on the scene. The presence of Ben Franklin, a 5-month-old golden retriever puppy, immediately calmed the child.
“As soon as we brought Ben, the boy looked at the officer and snapped out of it. He said ‘Can I pet him?’ and the officer said ‘Yes, if you’re good,’” said Mark Manocchio, a lieutenant in the Franklin Police Department. “The teachers and police couldn’t calm him down, but he saw the dog and it was like magic.”
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| Ben was introduced to the Town Council |
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| and Ben was introduced to the School Committee |
