national day of action to say ICE OUT OF EVERYWHERE! - Copley Square

National day of action to say ICE OUT
OF EVERYWHERE! - Copley Square

To end ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN!


BOSTON — We support the call from Black and Somali student groups in MN: this Friday, join us in Copley Square for a national day of action to say ICE OUT OF EVERYWHERE!


🗓️ Friday, Jan. 30
🕑 3 PM
📍 Copley Square

Shared from ->   https://www.instagram.com/p/DUBeHSujyNn/

One Day Choir to sing "Landslide" Aug 24

One Day Choir to sing "Landslide" Aug 24

We can’t wait to be back in Boston.
Join the wonderful @kenterdavies on 8/24 to sing his gorgeously tender choral arrangement of “Landslide” in our One Day Choir

All voices are welcome! No one turned away for lack of funds
Our One-Day Choir series is an opportunity to sing in a choir for one day only.

A celebration of song and the connective power of singing in harmony. An opportunity to build community, make some new friends, and raise our powerfully diverse voices as one.



See you soon!


Additional details & tickets -> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-landslide-fleetwood-mac-one-day-choir-tickets-1482282008389

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DNYzVWFP0UF/

How Boston is handling climate in the face of riding tides via The Guardian

Via The Guardian, we can read: 

"As the Trump administration dismisses global heating, the coastal city is getting on with becoming one of the most climate resilient in the world. Here’s how

Patrick Devine, a captain for Boston Harbor City Cruises, shows me on his phone the scenes here in September 2024. The water was ankle-deep outside the door to his office on Long Wharf, one of the US city’s oldest piers, obscuring the pavements and walkways, surging into buildings and ruining vehicles in the car parks. “It just gets worse and worse each year,” says Devine, who has worked here, on and off, since 1995. “I’ve gotten used to it, so it’s just knowing your way around it.”

A waiter at Chart House restaurant in Boston

Much of Boston has got used to this. Devine has his own supply of sandbags now, for example. Next door to his office is the Chart House restaurant – when Long Wharf flooded last September, customers merrily sat at outside tables, holding their feet above the waterline, as servers with black bin bags for trousers waded over to bring them their lunches. The restaurant’s floor level is lower than that of the wharf, so the water came up to knee level in some areas. “It’s just part of business,” says one waiter, as he points out how the plug sockets are all at waist height. The place has flooded three times in the year he’s worked here. “We just clean it up, squeeze it out, open the doors, dry it out. It is what it is.”

Continue reading the article (subscription may be required)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/24/flood-boston-climate-deniers-trump-administration-coastal-city-resilient?CMP=share_btn_url

Boston Deaf Day out at Boston Common - Delayed to June 1

Boston Deaf Day out at Boston
Common - Delayed to June 1

Due to weather on Saturday, we are postponing to Sunday, June 1st.

"Spend day with us at America’s oldest park, Boston Common. Bring your own picnic baskets, beverages. Bring family, pets and friends."

Shared from ->   https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16SGWYiCG1/

APRIL 5: Senator Markey to Headline Hands Off! Boston Rally & March

BOSTON HANDS OFF! RALLY & MARCH ON APRIL 5

SENATOR MARKEY & ADVOCACY LEADERS TO JOIN THOUSANDS 

PROTESTING THE TRUMP/MUSK ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY

When: Saturday, April 5, 2025: The march starts at 11 AM ET; the speaking program starts at 12:30 PM ET.

Where: The march begins at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common, and ends with a rally and speaking program at City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Square.

Apr 5: Sen Markey to Headline Hands Off!
Boston Rally & March

What: On April 5, national and local organizations are coming together across the country for Hands Off! a peaceful mass activation in defiance of the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities. This is an all-in moment for the pro-worker movement, pro-constitutional rule of law order, and pro-democracy.

In Boston, Senator Ed Markey, along with Jessica Tang, President AFT-MA, Carol Rose, President ACLU-MA, and Chastity Bowick, Founder of Trans Resistance will join thousands of concerned citizens from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. More speakers will be announced in the coming days.

According to the organizers of Boston's Hands Off!: 

"On April 5, We the People of Massachusetts will march in Boston. Because we will always be a sanctuary against tyranny. Because we will protect our neighbors, no matter where they were born or their race or gender or sexuality. Because we will never bow to tyrant kings or fascism. Because in the words of Boston's mayor: "If you come for one of us, you will get all of us." 

On April 5, We the People of Massachusetts will come together to tell the corrupt, cruel, chaotic tyrants in DC: Hands Off Boston! Hands Off Massachusetts! Because We the People means everyone, and Massachusetts is fighting back." 

Who: Boston's Hands Off! is organized by the Indivisible Mass Coalition, Mass 50501, Swing Blue Alliance, and UU Mass Action, and a growing list of co-sponsor organizations representing many groups, causes and communities from across the Commonwealth.

RSVP: https://www.mobilize.us/handsoff/event/764606/

Donate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/handsoffboston

Voices of Franklin: 4 Franklin women among crowd rallying to support women's rights

On Saturday, November 2nd, thousands of concerned citizens gathered across the nation to show their collective power.  Several hundred people gathered in front of the Massachusetts Statehouse to join forces in support of women’s rights, women’s health and well-being, and to support the strong women who are running for public office.  The event was especially focused on electing Kamala Harris, as the first woman president of the United States.  

Four Franklin women attended this Boston event to show their support for Vice President Harris as she heads into the last few days of the campaign. Our own Senator Becca Rausch was an honored speaker at this event. Senator Rausch has been a champion in Massachusetts for women’s reproductive health care, women’s rights, transparency in government, free childcare, public education, and many other social issues.  

The Franklin women who attended this event agreed that it is time to march forward into the future without looking back.  We hope that many others agree with us and vote accordingly.   

Karen Landers, Mara Downie, Sue Cass, Paula Gross 

4 Franklin women among crowd rallying to support women's rights (courtesy photo)

Additional photos submitted can be found in this album ->

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Rco9LgBuwoH3LTAh6

If you have something to say, you can find the guidelines here
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Franklin residents to participate in Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai - October 6

70 residents from Franklin will participate in the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai on Sunday, October 6.

Deborah Cohen, Ana Vozzella, Stella Griffin, Pamela Vickery, Melissa Ross, Brock Leiendecker, Ellie Cleary, Lisa Costa, Karly Griffin, Loretta Brightman, and 60 other Franklin residents, along with thousands of other walkers, will participate in the iconic annual event that unites the community to raise funds and support all forms of adult and pediatric care and research at the nation’s premier cancer center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $176 million for Dana-Farber in its 35-year history, raising a record-breaking $9.4 million in 2023.

Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai - October 6

Mark Lewis will participate as a Walk Hero for the Jimmy Fund Walk. Heroes are Dana-Farber patients, the heart of the event, who provide inspiration and motivation to walkers along the course. Heroes are matched with Jimmy Fund Walk teams who walk in their honor. Mark was diagnosed with Stage IV GI cancer. Mark walks on his match team, The Rak Pack.

“Be good to people!” Mark writes “People will always remember how you made them feel. Enjoy the small things in life. Take the trip and eat the cake. Most importantly, tell the people closest to you that you love them.”

"For 35 years, the Jimmy Fund Walk has continuously supported lifesaving research and cancer care at Dana-Farber. Our goal is to build off of the momentum we've established throughout that history, and in 2024, aim to surpass our total from last year by raising $9.5 million,” said Caitlin Fink, assistant vice president of event fundraising. “Fighting cancer is what we do. The Walk unites our community under a common goal —to defy cancer together.”

One Walk, Four Distances, For All Cancers

The Jimmy Fund Walk is the only organized walk permitted to use the famed Boston Marathon® course, and participants have the flexibility to choose from four distance options: 5K walk (from Dana-Farber’s Longwood Medical Campus); 10K walk (from Newton); Half Marathon walk (from Wellesley); and Marathon walk (from Hopkinton). Walkers can participate virtually as well.

Whatever route participants choose, they will be supported by hundreds of volunteers and treated to refueling stations with refreshments throughout the course. All routes will conclude at the Jimmy Fund Walk Finish Line Powered by Schneider Electric at Boston Common, by the corner of Charles and Beacon Street. Finish line activities will include a celebration with food, entertainment, and more.

To register for the Walk (#JimmyFundWalk) or to support a walker, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255. Registrants can enter the promo code NEWS for $5 off the registration fee. All registered walkers will receive a bib, medal, and Jimmy Fund Walk T-shirt.

About the Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund is comprised of community-based fundraising events and other programs that, solely and directly, benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. The Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Variety Children's Charity of New England. Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide. Follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, X, and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world's leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber's mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

We provide the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 5 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care. As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials.

Talking Boston, vampires, and writing with local author J.M. Celi (audio)

FM #1246 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1246 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my recorded conversation with local author J.M. Celi. We had our conversation in the Franklin TV & Public Radio studio on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. 

Our conversation lets you find out more about Jamie and his second independently published work “The Vampires of 1863.” 

This is a prequel to the work we had talked about in November 2023 “The Unlife of Lisa Cooper: Conviction.” 

We talk about Jamie’s writing process from draft through multiple reviews and edits to publication, as well as the magic of writing when it can happen.

The recording runs about 37 minutes so let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1246-author-j-m-celi-07-16-24/

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

J.M. Celi’s author web site -> https://www.jmceli.com/

“The Vampires of 1863” can be found in most bookstores. 

Our prior conversation about “The Unlife of Lisa Cooper: Conviction”  can be found here -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/11/author-jm-celi-wrote-book-he-couldnt.html

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

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

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

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

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!

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

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Talking Boston, vampires, and writing with local author J.M. Celi (audio)

Boston's Walking City Trail website is updated and ready to help

Miles Howard (@MilesPerHoward) posted:

How it started >>> How it's going

The original Walking City Trail website is being put out to pasture today.

The new and expanded website, which was made possible through generous direct support from several of you, continues to live and grow at https://t.co/F7WwUHdhlw  or  https://www.bostontrails.org/

Onward!

Shared from -> https://t.co/0fSHh8VRxi

Boston's Walking City Trail website is updated and ready to help

Heating at Franklin Field in Dorchester to be converted to geothermal

Following along with one of our Making Sense of Climate recurring topics, Boston goes with a pilot on geothermal.

"As the Boston Housing Authority works toward an ambitious goal of going fossil-fuel free, its path to success could begin at the Franklin Field complex in Dorchester.

Mayor Michelle Wu joined officials from the BHA and National Grid at Franklin Field on Thursday to unveil details of a plan to convert the heating system for 129 public housing units there to an electricity-powered geothermal system. The project would replace the 20-year-old gas-fired boiler in use today.

BHA administrator Kenzie Bok said the idea can be traced back to Wu’s announcement a year ago that the BHA would wean itself off fossil fuels by 2030. BHA officials first considered using air-source heat pumps to replace the aging boiler but found that National Grid’s centralized geothermal proposal would be more cost efficient.

“The first step in going fossil-fuel free is not to put in new fossil fuel infrastructure,” Bok said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/25/business/boston-geothermal-energy/

The Boston Housing Authority will install a geothermal project at the Franklin Filed housing complex in Dorchester. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (left) walks into the event with National Grid New England president Lisa Wieland. JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF

Episode 513 of Freakonomics Radio asks a good question: "Should Public Transit Be Free?"

Episode 513 of Freakonomics Radio asks a good question: "Should Public Transit Be Free?" 

The episode byline reads "It boosts economic opportunity and social mobility. It’s good for the environment. So why do we charge people to use it? The short answer: it’s complicated."

Listen to the full episode here ->  https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-public-transit-be-free/

CommonWealth Magazine has coverage of this episode here (Boston Mayor Michelle Wu participates in this episode)  -> https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/a-freakanomics-debate-about-free-fares-2/  

Episode 513 of Freakonomics Radio asks a good question: "Should Public Transit Be Free?" 

Providence, Lowell & Boston offering free outdoor performances

Providence, July 28, 2022

Summertime is a good time for outdoor performing arts. And when the location is the Waterplace Park in Providence for a performance by Trinity Rep, put it on the calendar! 

"Meet the cast of "La Mancha!" This Spanish/English bilingual adaptation of "Don Quixote" is part of Teatro en el Verano, produced by @rilatinoarts in association with Trinity Rep. It features local Latinx artists, and is completely free to attend.

"Don Quixote" ... closes with a special performance on the Waterplace Park  in Providence on July 28. 

For more information, visit trinityrep.com/lamancha."

Spanish/English bilingual adaptation of "Don Quixote"

Lowell Folk Festival Returns July 29-31, 2022

The 35th Anniversary Lowell Folk Festival, a staple cultural event of the region since its inception in 1987, will take place in person on July 29, 30, and 31. The 2022 festival will feature close to 20 performing groups sharing their unique musical traditions on stages throughout downtown Lowell. The Lowell Folk Festival attracts more than 150,000 people for three days of music, food, and art.

Ethnic food vendors will serve traditional dishes representing over a dozen different cultures. In the Folk Craft Area, the theme is Crafting Sound: Making & Restoring Musical Instruments, which will feature demonstrations playing and building the instruments. The Foodways Area will explore comfort foods from an array of communities. Art In The Courtyard will offer the opportunity for visitors to view and purchase some of the finest art and craftwork. The Family Fun area is back on Shattuck Street.

Check this site to stay up to date on all Lowell Folk Festival updates.

The Lowell Folk Festival is produced by the Lowell Festival Foundation, the City of Lowell, Lowell National Historical Park, the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For more information visit -> https://lowellfolkfestival.org/

35th Anniversary Lowell Folk Festival

Boston, through August 7, 2022

Shakespeare on the Boston Common -  Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) and Artistic Director Steven Maler are pleased to announce the return of Free Shakespeare on the Common in the summer of 2022 – William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian. Performances will begin on The Boston Common on Wednesday, July 20 at 8PM (with press opening on Wednesday, July 27 at 8PM) and end on Sunday, August 7.

Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and frequently performed plays. The plot revolves around two couples — witty Beatrice and Benedick, who publicly proclaim their disdain for each other but fall madly in love; and naïve Hero and Claudio, who fall quickly in love only to be thwarted and then reunited (in both cases, with a bit of help from their friends). But it’s more than just a comedic romp. The play tackles serious themes too: trust and betrayal, power and privilege, gendered expectations around chastity and violence. This is a comedy entangled with a tragedy, where love and justice nevertheless manage to prevail with vigorous joy — a perfect play for our uncertain times.

For more info please visit -> https://commshakes.org/2022/01/28/free-shakespeare-on-the-common-2022-much-ado-about-nothing/

Shakespeare on the Boston Common

WALKING CITY TRAIL: a 25-mile hike through Boston's parks and urban woodlands

"Today's (06/16/22) the day, folks. I'd like you to meet the WALKING CITY TRAIL: a 25-mile hike through Boston's parks and urban woodlands. The trail is divided into four sections that are accessible by public transit. Here's where the trail will take you.... "

Follow the trail through Boston in the Twitter thread here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jwq6IvTpxv-MF5c0yh3OF0VbCU37PAp5/view?usp=sharing

Visit the website ->  https://www.bostontrails.org/

 #walkingcitytrail

WALKING CITY TRAIL: a 25-mile hike through Boston's parks and urban woodlands

"A majority of the state board endorsed a patient approach on Tuesday"

Before the school news from Texas took over the headlines, the possible takeover of Boston Public Schools dominated the headlines. That DESE charges Boston with disfunction coming from an institution which is also disfunctional at times is more than ironic, especially since the period in question is primarily the pandemic.

"State Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley hammered Boston Public Schools for its “bloated” central office and “unconscionable” transportation failures in his first public comments Tuesday on a new state review of the district, but held off on recommending any takeover of city schools, saying he remains “hopeful and optimistic” that the state and city can reach agreement on a plan for urgent improvement.

Addressing the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at its monthly meeting, as dozens of people protested outside and dozens more were turned away from the packed meeting room, Riley said he will give Mayor Michelle Wu a chance to respond to his initial proposal for next steps. Details of that plan have not been released to the public."

Continue reading the Boston Globe article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/24/metro/state-education-board-mayor-weigh-fate-boston-public-schools/

Parents and teachers gathered outside the Massachusetts State House before walking the short distance a Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to show opposition to a state takeover of Boston Public Schools. The state on Monday released a scathing review of the district.JONATHAN WIGGS/GLOBE STAFF

Read the full DESE report -> (at the bottom of this Globe article)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/23/metro/state-releases-blistering-review-boston-public-schools/

"STATE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER Jeff Riley said the Boston Public Schools face a “myriad of problems,” from special education and English language learner services in disarray to data systems reporting inaccurate student outcomes, but he made it clear on Tuesday that he is hoping to reach agreement with Mayor Michelle Wu on a plan to address them rather than recommend that the state’s largest school district be put in receivership. 

“I am hopeful and optimistic that we can come to some kind of an agreement on next steps forward,” Riley told members of the state board of education on Tuesday at a meeting dominated by several hours of discussion of the plight of the Boston schools."

Continue reading the CommonWealth Magazine article online
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/education/riley-looking-for-pact-with-boston-not-receivership/

MA Public Health reminds us to practice self-care and support your mental health; Boston announces pilot program

"It's more important than ever to practice self-care and support your mental health. Relax, stay socially connected at a safe distance, and take a deep breath. 

If you're in a crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. #StopSuicide" https://t.co/745s6GoH8i

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/MassDPH/status/1440380331077496835?s=03

Mass. Public Health reminds us to practice self-care and support your mental health

Franklin participates in a grant program with Medway to implement this support for 911 calls and now Boston is starting a pilot program.

"Amid a nationwide push to rethink policing strategies and reduce the use of force when possible, a new Boston program seeks to scale back police involvement in 911 mental-health calls.

Last month, Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced a pilot program encouraging greater use of mental-health workers, EMTs and trained community members during 911 mental health calls. In a city that received 10,000 such calls last year, officials are seeking to de-escalate fragile mental-health interactions while easing the strain on police resources.

“This mental-health response will help us evaluate how to deliver the best possible response for our residents when they are in crisis,” Janey said during an Aug. 5 press conference. “These investments will help connect residents and their families with the care they need. They will also help us send officers to where they are needed most.”

Continue reading online 
https://www.mma.org/boston-launches-pilot-program-to-address-911-mental-health-calls/

Grant announced in 2018
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/08/franklin-and-medway-police-receive-jail.html

Franklin Police in its Annual Report section for 2020 touted the program

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/08/franklin-annual-report-2020-police.html 

The Freedom Trail: Imaging the Age of Phyllis

On September 1, 1773, Phillis Wheatley's "Poem's on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" was published in London. Wheatley's collection was the first volume of poetry by an author of African descent to be published.  https://t.co/vzW8rtgG7x https://t.co/PwEZPZkt4F

"For many, Phillis Wheatley Peters is well known as a poet, but not as a woman. She is mainly remembered as a literary prodigy and enslaved girl in 18th century Boston who became the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry.

Poet Honorée Fanonne Jeffers sought to revive and expand our collective memory of Phillis through her award-winning book The Age of Phillis. Jeffers’s evocative work calls on us to imagine Phillis through her other identities: a daughter of Africa, a friend, a wife, a mother, and an author who spoke to the historical moment of the American Revolution."

Imaging the Age of Phyllis ->  https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/exhibits/imagining-the-age-of-phillis/

The Freedom Trail: Imaging the Age of Phyllis