Franklin Beautification Day to be May 16

Join the Franklin Downtown Partnership and the Franklin Garden Club and help add a colorful touch of spring to downtown and the Town Common on Saturday, May 16.

Volunteers and sponsors are needed to help with the 12th annual Beautification Day from 9 a.m. to Noon, rain or shine. This year’s color scheme honors American service men and women.

Volunteers plant flowers on the Main Street bridge last spring

“We chose a patriotic theme this year to remember those who have served and continue to serve our country both at home and overseas,” says Eileen Mason, Beautification Day chairperson.

Red, white and blue flowers and greenery will adorn the Common’s memorial gardens as well as the planter boxes along the bridge and in front of several businesses downtown. The plants will be hardy enough to withstand full sunlight and this summer’s harsh construction environment.  

Residents interested in volunteering, especially students in need of community service hours, should contact Eileen Mason at emason11@verizon.net. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. on the center island in front of the Rome Restaurant.

According to Mason, the Franklin High School hockey teams and volunteers from the YMCA will once again pull on garden gloves and help spruce up the downtown to create a welcoming environment.

Sponsors and donations are needed to help cover costs associated with the beautification committee’s year-round efforts. Tax-exempt donations help with planning, installation, and maintenance of the spring plantings and holiday decorations.

For as little as $150 businesses or residents can sponsor the group’s efforts. All sponsors will receive acknowledgement in the local papers and on the Partnership’s website and social media.

More information about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities can be found at www.franklindowntownpartnership.org.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a nonprofit, 501©3 organization made up of business owners, community leaders and residents working together to stimulate economic development downtown and create a positive impact throughout the area. The FDP currently has over 200 members and welcomes all businesses and residents. For more information, please contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774) 571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.

Eileen Mason coordinates the annual event

Click here to download the 2015 Beautification press release.

This was shared from the Franklin Downtown Partnership page
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2015/04/2015-beautification-day-press-release.html

Floral Design Workshops in partnership with Hillside Nurseries

The Center for Adult Education and Community Learning at Franklin, in conjunction with Hillside Nurseries, is pleased to offer their first Floral Design Partnership Seminars, a five week program developed to introduce you to the pleasures, satisfaction and financial opportunities of exploring the art of floral design. Whether you are interested in floral design for your own personal occasions or the various seasons of the year or you are considering a floral design career of your own, this series will give you the opportunity to explore.

These hands-on evening classes with Brenda, Sandra and Karen – designers who are part of the Hillside Nurseries team with more than 135 combined years of experience – will guide you through an exciting adventure. 

You can register for all of the courses or just one – it’s up to you. It’s a program that will fit your schedule. Your registration fee is all inclusive and will provide you with a finished product that you can take with you each week.

All classes will start promptly at 6:30 pm and end at 8:30 pm on Tuesday evenings. Space is limited so register early.

Register for the entire series for $250 OR Register for an individual class and pay $55 for each class.

Just go to www.FranklinLifelongLearning.com and click on Adult Ed to get started.

March 10 – Dish Garden in a Basket – Stunning varieties of fresh green plants will be used to create your classic dish garden. Echoing a time-honored tradition that began centuries ago in Asia, this rich garden of greenery will add unique style to your home.

March 17 – Bulb Garden with Tulips, Hyacinth and Daffodils – Easy-to-grow Bulb Gardens explode with color – a whole garden’s worth of beauty nestled into an attractive container. You will love an array of colors, forms and fragrances creating a beautiful parade of brilliant blooms. Your home will be painted with the amazing shades of spring long after (or before) it’s here.

March 24 – Short-stem Mixed Rose Arrangement –The same quality as long-stem roses – just a little shorter! You will find the special ‘shorty’s’ range is simply perfect for all occasions – whether you’re celebrating a romantic anniversary, saying thank you, or wishing somebody special a happy birthday, you can’t go far wrong with this beautiful bouquet….and this is the class where you learn how to build it.

April 7 – 18” Silk Forsythia Wreath – Embrace spring and summer with a brilliant Yellow Silk Forsythia Wreath. The traditional yellow forsythia pops from a twiggy perch and seems to sport a gorgeous breath.

April 14 – Mixed Arrangement – Can’t decide which type of flower you like best? You don’t have to! This session will show you how to create flower bouquets with an assortment of flower types, perfect for any occasion or recipient.

Franklin High School on a winter's night

About The Center for Adult Education Community Learning at Franklin

The Center for Adult Education Community Learning at Franklin is a program of the Franklin Public Schools Lifelong Learning Institute and is dedicated to providing quality learning experiences for adults in the Town of Franklin and surrounding communities. Diverse and enriched education and experiences are the goals of The Center for Adult Education and Community Learning at Franklin. 

~ Our commitment extends to working professionals, senior citizens, persons with special needs and those in transition 

For more information, please contact The Center for Adult Education office at 508-613-1480 or email adulted@franklin.k12.ma.us.

#franklingrows: photo challenge

Found on the Franklin Town Common

#franklingrows 1

#franklingrows 2

#franklingrows 3

We can keep this open and if you have other photos to share, please send them along.

red, white, and blue

The Franklin Downtown Partnership found the proper mix of flower blossoms this year. The mix of red, white, and blue blossoms gives the downtown a patriotic color.

red, white, and blue downtown colors

red, white, and blue downtown colors 1

red, white, and blue downtown colors 2

red, white, and blue downtown colors 3

Individual citizens can join the Partnership for only $25/year. For additional information about the Franklin Downtown Partnership visit their webpage  http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/

Downtown red, white and blue

Thanks to the Franklin Downtown Partnership and a host of volunteers for decorating and planting this year. The mix of red, white and blue flowers hopefully will grow healthy and colorfully this year.

planter along railroad bridge railing

planter along railroad bridge railing 1

planter along railroad bridge railing 2

Additional photos from the Beautification Day can be found on the Downtown Partnership page
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2014/05/downtown-in-bloom.html

Beautification Day - early results

Did you notice that Franklin got  its beautification treatment on Saturday? There are flowers in the flower pots on the triangle, the boxes along the bridge railing and in the planters on the island at Emmons and Main St.

Courtesy of the Franklin Downtown Partnership, local business sponsors and the help of many volunteers!

spring flowers

The flowers are a mix of red, white and blue with a yellow for accent.

planter on the Triangle

The blue are rather quiet and small but should fill in nicely as the season progresses

flower box along the bridge railing

There was careful choice in the selection, all for hardiness and then considerations for shape and color

flower beds and sponsor sign

Around the 4th of July, these flower beds should look less like they were newly planted and more like they are brimming with growth!

flower bed and sponsor sign

As you pass by, consider thanking the Downtown Partnership, the business sponsors and all the volunteer time to help make Franklin as colorful and welcoming as it is!

flower box along the bridge railing

Did you know that you could join the Franklin Downtown Partnership as an individual citizen for only $25/year? The form and details are contained on the website. http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/

Updated: the Franklin Downtown Partnership posted their thank you to the sponsors and volunteers here
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2013/05/beautification-day-recap.html

A quiet moment

Given the rapidly developing events in the search for the Marathon bombing suspects, we can take a moment or two to reflect on the natural good life around us.

spring flowers

The residents of Watertown, Newtown, Belmont, Cambridge, Alston/Brighton are being asked to stay indoors. Businesses are being asked not to open. No vehicle traffic in or around that area.

Be safe folks!

Happy Easter!

No matter what religious beliefs you hold, spring time brings new life to this world that we inhabit.



Enjoy the signs of new life!

Butterfly on King St

Walking back home with coffee from Cafe Dolce on Saturday morning, spotted this butterfly flitting from flower to flower along King St.

Living in the cracks

Yes, they are healthy. An unintended consequence but a wonderful one. The Franklin Downtown Partnership (a non-profit organization of business folks and citizens) raised money to adorn the downtown area with flower pots.

If you are not familiar with Franklin, this is the triangle downtown. The railroad runs underneath the bridge. Main St is behind you to the left. West central changes to East Central on the right. Also referred to as "the Triangle" this is a centerpiece for downtown.

Just off to the left of these flowers making their life among the cracks in the cement, are several of the flower pots. The pots contain a full collection and colorful assortment of flowers. How these migrated (via seeds maybe?) as runoff when the pots got watered to the cracks is open to speculation.

I'll leave the speculation to any of the CSI-wannabes around. The thought I would leave you with today is simply, when something good happens (as in the Partnership coming together to create a welcoming downtown for Franklin), more good happens!


Note: I am a citizen member of the Franklin Downtown Partnership

Franklin, MA: Main St flowers

Franklin, MA: Main St flowers, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The flowers that didn't appear on the bridge when Stanley Chilson recorded his movies are in full bloom now.

BTW - the flowers can still be watered even in this updated water restrictions imposed effective 7/7/10. Watering the flowers is generally done with a hand held hose.

Thanks to the Eileen Mason and the Franklin Downtown Partnership for their work in keeping the flowers healthy.  

"The effort makes downtown a prettier place"

Franklin resident Mary Anne Dean is an enthusiastic gardener with the Franklin Garden Club. Dean said Beautification Day is a great event, and though this was her first time volunteering at it, she plans to come back again.

"It just makes downtown look nicer, people enjoy it," she said. "Flowers make people happy."

Dean said she keeps her own garden at home and though she has accidentally killed a few plants, she enjoys the hobby.

"I have a lot of perennials and Daylillies, those are hard to kill," she said with a laugh. "I have a few annuals, too."

Kevin Neenin, 16, of Franklin, volunteered yesterday as part of his community service for his Confirmation. Chad Narducci, 14, also helped as he is a part of a YMCA group looking to reach out into the community.

Making downtown Franklin beautiful

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Krista Perry/Daily News staff

Franklin, MA

Downtown Beautification Day - May 22

All residents are welcome to pull on their gardening gloves and bring their tools to help plant more than 1,200 plants during Franklin’s seventh annual Beautification Day on Saturday, May 22, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. The event will take place rain or shine.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership, together with the Franklin Garden Club and Wadsworth Farm, is again organizing the plantings for the bridge and the islands downtown. Volunteers are asked to meet at 9:00 a.m. on the center island in downtown. High school students who need community service hours are welcome to participate.

“This is our seventh year beautifying the downtown and it’s become a passion for all involved,” says Eileen Mason, Beautification Day chairperson.  “We want to make a strong, positive impression on all those who visit Franklin in hopes that they may someday come back to shop, eat and relax in our wonderfully revitalized downtown community.

“We also do this to soften and minimize the ‘concrete look’ in the center of town,” adds Mason.  “All this is accomplished solely through sponsorships, donations and 100 percent volunteer hours. We need everyone’s participation.”

The color scheme for this year’s plantings is pinks and blues, including Rose and Purple Wave Petunias, Blue Annabelle Lobelia, Persian Shield, Diamond Frost, and blue, white and pink Salvia.

According to Mason, the downtown beautification effort follows a year-long cycle. This spring’s plants were chosen last November, and then planted in the Wadsworth Farm greenhouses in March in order to be ready for planting this May. In October, beautification volunteers remove the plants and prepare for winter, placing evergreen decorations in containers the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

“Although we plant in May, this is a year-round project. Sponsorships and donations are what keep this effort going,” says Mason.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Gold and platinum-level sponsors will have their names prominently displayed on a sign in the center island for the 2010 season. Silver sponsors will have their name displayed on a group sign in the center island for the remainder of the year.

Interested sponsors and volunteers should contact Eileen Mason at 508-330-4234 for more details. 


All contributions to the Franklin Downtown Partnership, a non-profit organization, are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to:  Franklin Downtown Partnership, P.O. Box 413, Franklin, MA, 02038.  For more information about the Partnership and becoming a member, contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774) 571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com. 


Franklin, MA

Happy Easter!

Two photos to share today. This one I snapped while on my long run for this week.

Where was this? It looks like a golf course. Actually it is on the former Putnam Investments property along Washington St.

I snapped this one in the backyard.

Most everything outside is still brown. The trees are beginning to bud some more advanced than the others. The daffodils provide a welcome sight. Spring is coming!

Enjoy the day folks!

Downtown Partnership: Winter Beautification Day

Dear Franklin Downtown Partnership Members:

Winter Beautification Day
Sunday, November 22nd at 9 AM

Please come with gloves and tools.
We will meet in the center of downtown.

Important:  If you have a barrel in front of your business please have the flowers cleaned out by Sunday. Please submit your barrel beautification payments by this Thursday.

Please email Eileen at emason11@verizon.net if you plan to volunteer on
Sunday.  It is a FUN community event and we hope to have all of you participate this year!

Anyone who would still like to sponsor our Winter Decorations please contact
Lisa Piana this week.  Thanks to all of you who have supported our spring flowers!

Sign of Spring: Pansies at Agway

Yes, they are out in the sun for sale at Agway!



Enjoy!

Where have all the flowers gone?

It is that time of year!




To read more about "Where have all the flowers gone?" click here

Franklin: Holiday decorations

Franklin: Holiday decorations, originally uploaded by shersteve.

There were flowers
and the season for them passed.

There were empty pots
and now they have been filled.

Flowers on the bridge

Franklin: Flowers in the bridge, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The picture yesterday showed the empty flower pots on the other side of the railroad bridge.

This picture was taken earlier this year. I have resurrected it to help refresh our memories of what the flowers looked like.

May the memories keep us warm this winter.

Enjoy!

Franklin: All the flowers are gone!

Franklin: All the flowers are gone!, originally uploaded by shersteve.

It is that time of year. The flowers, so colorful and welcoming, are now gone for the season.

The memories remain.

Thanks to the volunteers who helped to create these flower boxes and keep them watered and maintained during the growing season.