Sign up for the group walk on the SNETT - Jan 24, 2021

Please join us for a socially distanced group walk on the SNETT on Sunday, January 24 at 10 AM. We will start from the Center Street parking lot in Bellingham.

Masks are required for anyone 2 years old and up. Leashed dogs are always welcome. 

 

***Registration is required***
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084BAAAC28A13-january

In case the parking area at Center St is full, please proceed to Fox Run Rd for additional trail parking (marked). 

 

Questions, please email us at fbrtcommittee@gmail.com. Thank you.

 

Shared from the Rail Trail Committee page

https://www.franklinbellinghamrailtrail.org/event/january-2021-guided-walk/

Follow the event on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1540318952825885/?post_id=1540318959492551&view=permalink

Sign up for the group walk on the SNETT - Jan 24, 2021

"Please make sure you take home everything you bring on the trail. That includes dog poop bags. Thank you."

 

friendly reminder

Walk Off Those Cookies! - Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee - 10 AM

Please join us for a socially distanced group walk on the SNETT on Sunday, December 27 at 10 AM. We will start from the Center Street parking lot in Bellingham.

Masks are required for anyone 2 years old and up. Leashed dogs are always welcome. ***Registration is required*** 

Link =  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e084baaac28a13-walk1

In case the parking area at Center St is full, please proceed to Fox Run Rd for additional trail parking (marked). Questions, please email us at fbrtcommittee@gmail.com. Thank you.

Walk Off Those Cookies! - Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee - 10 AM

Shared from the FBRTC page

https://www.franklinbellinghamrailtrail.org/event/walk-off-those-cookies/

Easy Walks - Choate Park, Medway (YouTube)

I had the pleasure of being invited to join Marjorie Turner Hollman for an easy walk in Choate Park, Medway recently. The video of our conversation and meander along the park trails can be found here.

Related links: 

We had previously walked the Sculpture Park in Franklin

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/11/watch-finding-easy-walks-wherever-you.html

We had talked about her new book "Finding Easy Walks"

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/09/fm-342-easy-walks-with-marjorie-turner.html

Shared from the "Easy Walks" group page on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/616401235386068/permalink/1298057593887092/

Direct link to YouTube video = https://youtu.be/aGrspVpaMs4

Watch "Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are: Episode 4" on YouTube

Marjorie Turner Hollman asked me to join her in exploring the Franklin Sculpture Park and our walk was recorded. You can join us for the about 30 minute conversation while leisurely walking around the Sculpture Park.

Her blog post about our walk and the video

https://marjorieturner.com/2020/11/15/franklin-sculpture-park-visit-with-cable-tv/

Video link = https://youtu.be/IBYcPoNICv0

The Boston Globe featured her in a recent article

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/11/easy-walks-are-for-anyone-who-for.html

In September, we shared a conversation with Marjorie that you can listen to here

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/09/fm-342-easy-walks-with-marjorie-turner.html

Other videos in the Easy Walks series can be found   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRF7rPOnQu8LcznPFbScrPA

 

A photo of the Dean College dance group performing in 2015

The Sculpture Park decorated for Halloween in 2019

https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157711578274067/with/48989727533/

Photos from 2014 when the Sculpture Park opened

https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/albums/72157646895588736

“Easy walks are for anyone who for whatever reason can’t just hit the Appalachian Mountain Club trails"

From the Boston Globe, an article of interest for Franklin:

"Bellingham writer Marjorie Turner Hollman’s first two books, “Easy Walks in Massachusetts” and “More Easy Walks in Massachusetts,” were essentially guidebooks, providing readers with information on where to find walking routes.

But her most recent book, “Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are,” which she self-published this summer, takes a more holistic view. Instead of listing locations of walks Hollman has taken and liked, it instructs readers on how to discover favorite walking routes of their own.

Hollman initially became an expert on local walks through her column in the Bellingham Bulletin and later her website, www.MarjorieTurner.com, encouraging residents who live within the Blackstone Valley region to discover the many options for outdoor exploration.

Hollman’s particular area of interest is what she designates “easy walks.” Thirty years ago, she suffered partial paralysis as a result of surgery for a brain tumor, and walking has been a critical part of the healing process — “physically and mentally,” she said — in the decades since. But her mobility remains somewhat limited, and as she honed her skills at finding walks appropriate for her abilities, she realized they would appeal to others as well."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/11/05/metro/bellingham-author-helps-walking-enthusiasts-find-their-footing/

 

In September, we shared a conversation with Marjorie that you can listen to here

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/09/fm-342-easy-walks-with-marjorie-turner.html

 

Marjorie Turner  Hollman

FM #342 Easy Walks with Marjorie Turner Hollman - 9/01/20 (audio)

FM #342 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 342 in the series. 

This session shares my conversation with author Marjorie Turner Hollman. Our conversation was conducted via conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

We had a comfortable and easy conversation about ‘easy walks’ in and around Franklin. Marjorie has four books now, three that are trail based and the newest one is more about how to find easy walks wherever you are.

Audio file = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ac6a6eab-fcd9-4bbe-9eb7-9a8342d54520

-----------

Links to 

Marjorie’s web page which among other things features her books   https://marjorieturner.com/ 

‘Easy Walks in MA’ group on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/Easywalksinmassachusetts 

Photos from Marjorie   https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/albums/72157715853783092

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

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/

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"

 

FM #342 Easy Walks with Marjorie Turner  Hollman - 9/01/20 (audio)

Marjorie Turner  Hollman

Faith Flaherty: Gone But Not Forgotten

"During the COVID-19 quarantine, I have been walking for exercise. It may seem strange, but my favorite places to walk are cemeteries. I find it interesting to walk through the cemeteries in Franklin. 

The Union St. cemetery has grave stones from the 1700s. There are some very recognizable names:

• Oliver Dean, who founded Dean College
• Fletcher family, there’s a softball field named after the family
• Ray family, funded Franklin Library - the first library in the country

Then there’s the Beaver Street Cemetery. It is really called St. Mary’s Cemetery because the parishioners of St. Mary’s purchased the land in 1864 because Catholics weren’t allowed to be buried in the Union St. cemetery. But that was then and this is now. Now anyone can be buried in either the Union St. or Beaver St. cemetery. I found it interesting to notice the Irish and Italian names on the St. Mary’s grave stones in contrast to the English names on the Union St. cemetery tombstones.

Cemeteries hold the history of civilization. These two cemeteries reflect the mindset of our Puritan ancestors who left England for freedom to practice their own religion and then in turn didn’t practice what they preached. In St. Mary’s cemetery we see the oldest gravestones engraved with Irish surnames, reflecting the Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine in the mid-1800s. Soon overwhelming the Irish names are Italian names. Names that only Franklinites could pronounce:

• Mucciarone
• Bucchanio
• D’Aniello

St. Mary’s cemetery has a beautiful memorial garden and a columbarium. A columbarium is a wall of vaults containing the cremated remains of the deceased. It is a peaceful area for respectful reflection. 

There’s one more cemetery that is perhaps the most interesting of all, albeit the smallest one. It is on Green St., Franklin. The official name is the City Mills Historical Cemetery. That area is part of the City Mills section of Norfolk/Franklin, hence the name. Some of the people buried there:

• Samuel Allen 15 Mar 1778 Franklin, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA - 14 Jan 1866
• Edward Gay Jr 2 Jul 1696 Wrentham, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay - 28 Feb 1758
• Timothy Hawes 21 Jul 1722 Wrentham, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay - 8 Mar 1772
• Rhoda (Mason) Allen abt 1795 Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA - 15 Apr 1862
• James Shepardson 24 Jul 1789 Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States - 8 Mar 1863

There are other reasons to enjoy walking in these cemeteries besides historical interest. There’s the peace and quiet. The roads are paved so one can wholly concentrate on their reflections. The epitaphs on the gravestones are interesting and some are funny. (That will be a future story.) The architecture, material, and choice of design offer imaginative stories about people’s lives. It certainly makes you wonder what happened between birth date - death date. Just imagine! An entire life is represented by a dash! 

Soon many more graves and cremains will be added to our cemeteries, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A walk through the cemeteries will put your priorities in order. What will your legacy be?"

Faith Flaherty

Union St cemetery

HMEA's incredABLE Virtual Community Walk

Having trouble viewing? Open as a webpage. Join Us for Our incredABLE Virtual Community Walk We may not be able to physically be together for this incredABLE 5K, but we can be together VIRTUALLY! Here's how it works: Register as an incredABLE Virtual 5K Participant at events.hmea.org/incredABLE2020.for $10 Share your personal page with your friends and family to get donations and recruit team members You'll receive a link to the Virtual Community Walk that will take place via Zoom. Tune-in on May 17 at 10:00 am to watch a 30 minute musical video timeline of HMEA's 5K over the past 19 years. Do whatever kind of exercise you like - dance, walk, jog, march, hop to the music - and watch for photos of your friends, family and yourself! The first 200 registered participants will receive an incredABLE 5K lunch tote and all registrants will receive an incredABLE 5K bracelet and insider info on contests, events, and more. REGISTER incredABLE Keep Moving Challenge Just because you are stuck at home doesn't mean you shouldn't keep moving! Take a walk, do some yoga, stretch, follow an exercise video on YouTube, dance. How ever you can keep moving counts! Here's how it works: Start tracking your activity hours. You can use your favorite fitness app (examples: Fitbit, Pacer, Map My Fitness, Activity Tracker, My Fitness Pal) or we have a handy tracking sheet you can use, click here. To be entered as a contestant, submit your name and accumulated activity hours from April 3 (or the date you began) to May 10 to tandryc@hmea.org before midnight May 10. All contestants will be entered into a drawing to win a Fitbit® inspire HR™ Fitness Tracker Watch. The winner will be announced during our Live Virtual Awards Ceremony at 11:00 AM on May 17th on our Facebook page.

HMEA | 8 Forge Park East, Franklin, MA 02038 Sent by hmea@hmea.org in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!

Franklin Residents: Recreation COVID-19 News Update

Franklin Earth Day (50th Anniversary)
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/earth_day_flyer_final.pdf

Site Map
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/2020_earth_day.pdf

Playgrounds

All Town and Public Schools grounds, playgrounds, turf fields, grass fields, and the track are closed until further notice.

On April 21, the Recreation Advisory Board and Director of Recreation will discuss the spring sports season through a virtual meeting. An official decision should be announced on April 27th with the assistance of all youth sports presidents.

Hello Franklin! We have created a Trails and Walking Paths site to serve as a resource to our community. During these unprecedented times, it is important to get outside and de-stress, while practicing social distancing! We hope you find it useful. Be well! https://bit.ly/3bDgozC

Please practice social distancing and avoid groups

Challenges and Contests

The Franklin Recreation Department is hosting the following challenges and contests to ALL residents during this stay at home quarantine. PRIZES will be awarded to the top winners and all winning videos and/or photographs will be posted on our website and social media.

https://sites.google.com/view/recdeptcovid-19contests/home?authuser=1

**REMEMBER these contests are to be done following the guidelines of social distancing. They are not to be done with a group of friends.**

Franklin Residents: Recreation COVID-19 News Update

Some MA state parks will be open more during the coronavirus outbreak

From the Milford Daily News, an article of interest for Franklin:

"All coastal beach reservation parking areas managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation will be closed to reduce groups of people from gathering during the coronavirus outbreak.

Gov. Charlie Baker issued the emergency order that goes into effect Friday at noon.

DCR will open select state parks early and expand access to other parks to provide additional open space opportunities for residents, the governor said. DCR will also be limiting the amount of parking spaces available at certain high-visitation state parks.

 .....

DCR’s ice rinks, visitor centers, campgrounds, playgrounds, fitness areas, athletic fields, athletic courts, golf courses and bathroom facilities will remain closed until May 4"

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200402/ashland-natick-and-hopkinton-state-parks-will-be-open-more-during-coronavirus-outbreak

Hiking in MA State Parks  https://www.mass.gov/hiking-in-massachusetts-state-parks

Hiking in MA State Parks

Franklin Residents: Trails and Walking Paths to use (at a social distance!) with others

Trails and Walking Paths

We have created a Trails and Walking Paths site to serve as a resource to our community. During these uncertain and unprecedented times, it is still important to get outside, breathe fresh air and de-stress, all while practicing social distancing. 

We hope you find it helpful and use the trails and paths respectfully and responsibly. Be well! https://bit.ly/3bDgozC

along one of the trails in the Franklin Town Forest (off Summer St)

Attention Franklin: Parks, playgrounds, fields are closed

Parks, playgrounds, fields are closed

All Town & Public Schools grounds, playgrounds, turf fields, grass fields, and the track are closed until further notice. 

Trails are still open. https://www.franklinma.gov/recreation-department/files/fields-playgrounds

Please practice social distancing and avoid groups.

sign at the King St fields

2020 Presidents' Day Group Walk on the SNETT

The Franklin-Bellingham Rail Trail Committee (FBRTC) write:

"Please join us for our monthly group walk on February 17 (Presidents’ Day) at 10 AM. 

We will meet in the parking lot at the Grove Street trailhead in Franklin. All are welcome, including well behaved, leashed dogs."

Follow the Facebook event post by FBRTC
https://www.facebook.com/events/3344296688930355/
 

Wear good shoes, the trail is likely to be icy near the 'sunken' portion

It is not really 'sunken' as anyone knows who walks a rail trail. They are as flat as can be. Trains did not like to do steep elevations. Long and gradual inclines or declines are all you'll find on rail trails. The 'sunken' section (as I refer to it) is where the trail was cut through a rise. The walls on both side rise 30-40 feet and there is a natural gathering of water along the trail. Given the temp, it is likely frozen and with care can be traversed without problem. There are well worn paths on both sides as well that are much dryer than the center part of the trail.

January Group Walk on the SNETT - Jan 20

Please join us for our monthly group walk on the SNETT. Our January walk is planned on Monday, January 20th, 2020 (MLK Holiday) at 10 AM at the Center Street Trailhead in Bellingham.

Our December walk proved that having a pair of slip on ice crampons in a car is a great idea for winter walks. As always, this event is kid friendly and leashed dogs are welcome too.

Keep an eye on the event here or our Facebook page for any changes due to weather.

See you on the trail!

Please note: We are changing the location to Center St. trailhead in Bellingham. Since we are going to be walking by the Kindness Rocks spot, please feel free to bring a kindness rock or two to add. Thank you.

When: Monday, January 20, 2020 at 10 AM – 11:30 AM


Follow the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/595517817682623/

The slope at Prospect St where the tunnel will eventually go through on the SNETT  (and under Prospect St)

Walk Off Those Cookies Group Walk On The SNETT - Dec 26

Please join us for a winter group walk on the SNETT. 

Let’s try to walk off some of those holiday calories and get some fresh air. This is a child friendly activity and leashed dogs are always welcome too. 

Last group walk of 2019!


Date: December 26
Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Venue: SNETT Parking Lot, Grove Street, Franklin MA



This event is free, but we would love your support: become a member today: https://www.franklinbellinghamrailtrail.org/join-support/

The SNETT Trail heading from Lake St to Cross St in Bellingham

Walk Off That Turkey - SNETT Group Walk - Nov 29

Join us to walk off that turkey dinner on Friday, November 29 at 10 AM. We will meet at the Grove Street trailhead parking lot at 10 AM. Dogs on a leash are always welcome.

Friday, Nov 29  at 10 AM – 11:30 AM

Hosted by Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee

trail head for the SNETT on Grove St

September Events with Metacomet Land Trust

Join us on these outdoor adventures!

View this email in your browser This wonderful little songbird was safely tagged and released in May as part of bird-banding projects in our region. See below for our September 14th event at which you can help this effort! Upcoming Hikes in Blackstone with Volunteer Tom Bik Tom Bik is leading two free hikes in Blackstone in early September. Please check our calendar and join us to visit the Blackstone River Gorge and Metacomet's Hop Brook Conservation Area! Thursday, September 5th - Afternoon Guided 1-Mile Hike, Blackstone Gorge State Park, end of County Street, Blackstone, MA. 4:30 p.m. Join Blackstone Heritage Corridor Trail Ambassador and Metacomet Land Trust board member Tom Bik on a guided, one-mile hike in the woods along the Blackstone River. Tom will highlight the history and natural resources along the Blackstone River Gorge. This easy-to-moderate hike is just long enough to satisfy outdoor enthusiasts and short enough for beginners. Free and open to all. Rain date September 6th, 2019, same time. This event is co-sponsored with the Go! events program of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor.   Saturday, September 7th Morning Nature Walk, Hop Brook Conservation Area, Mendon Street, Blackstone MA. 10:00 a.m. Please join us for a morning nature walk at our Hop Brook Conservation Area in Blackstone at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 6th. Tom will guide you and your family through the woodlands of this large preserve. Metacomet's property is a key protected area within more than 1,000 acres of conservation land. For more information please email info@metacometlandtrust.org or call 508-271-7131. This event is free and open to all. In case of rain the walk will take place on September 8th at the same time. The entrance to the parking lot is opposite 249 Mendon Street, in Blackstone. The Google Map link is: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1K9J_0kB68ExLdtKziZNnejSQ3lIFB-42&usp=sharing Copyright © 2019 Metacomet Land Trust, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to our e-newsletter. Our mailing address is: Metacomet Land Trust P.O. Box 231 Franklin, MA 02038

This newsletter was shortened for publication here. To view the full set of content please visit https://mailchi.mp/38d938528805/join-us-outdoors-at-these-upcoming-events-596687?e=935e913775