“We’re getting robbed of something culturally and financially”

From the Boston Globe, articles of interest for Franklin:

"An artist’s rendering showed a shiny new ballpark filled with Red Sox fans. State officials called it a historic moment. City officials hailed a “spirit of optimism.” Business leaders vowed to build restaurants and offices nearby.

There was even a polar bear mascot on hand.

It was a moment many imagined happening in Rhode Island over the past few years as the Pawtucket Red Sox considered moving from the old McCoy Stadium to Providence or, perhaps, a new Pawtucket ballpark."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/rhode-island/2019/07/11/pawsox-fans-bitter-worcester-breaks-ground-new-stadium/k5RnS2tesTMxssjatstsQM/story.html

I grew up in Pawtucket, just down the street from McCoy Stadium. I played pick up baseball on the fields outside the park that are now parking lots. I will still go to games at McCoy before they leave for Worcester. It is an easy ride, free parking and a relatively reasonable night out. The starting lineup for the PawSox will usually have one or more players who had been called up to Boston, if not a regular who is down for rehab before getting back to Boston. I wasn't close enough to the wheeling and dealing to get a deal done but it will be a sad day when the team leaves.

sunset at McCoy in June, 2019

21 Franklin High School Musicians Perform in Central Districts

Twenty one members of the Franklin High School music program auditioned and were accepted into the 2019 Massachusetts Central District Honor Ensembles. The performance will take place on January 19 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA.

Participating in the Central District Band will be William Cerier -trumpet, Ari Delosreyes-White -french horn, Lauren Dennett -tenor sax, Nipun Goel -trumpet, Sean Hanly -tuba, Kathleen Houlihan -alto sax, Emma Kucich -flute, Augustine Marzoratti -clarinet, Prem Pendkar -alto sax.

Franklin High School students performing with the Central District Jazz Band will be Robert Castro - Drum Set and Ian Richardson -Bass.

Selected to perform with the Central District Orchestra is Elizabeth Ball-violin, Christopher Broyles -viola, Ryan Darcey -violin, Chai Harsha -viola, Warren Loukota -cello, Brinda Venkataraman -violin and Sarayu Vijayanagaram -violin.

Accepted into the Central District Chorus are Claire Bauer, Jenna VanHyning and John Pokorny.

Twenty one members of the Franklin High School music program

"her story is an encouraging reminder of just how potent, and how possible, that dream can be"

Near East rice pilaf is a staple in our household and little did I know that it originated in Worcester. Sharing from the Boston Globe this MA connection:

"Growing up in Shrewsbury in the 1970s, our weeknight dinners were pretty straightforward affairs: chicken Kiev or London broil; Prince spaghetti or tuna casserole. And while we often switched up the side dishes from Birds Eye frozen corn to Birds Eye frozen peas, one thing remained consistent — we always had Near East rice pilaf, and it was always prepared in the same Revere Ware saucepan that my parents received as a wedding gift in 1966. 

I loved Near East as a kid. In fact, I still do. That salty, nutty mix of rice and toasted orzo along with its accompanying paper flavor pack of onion, garlic, and bouillon. So in love was my family with Near East that when we left Shrewsbury for Cincinnati in 1979, my mother packed a case of the rectangular white boxes, with their famous wheat stalk illustrations and simple earth-tones, into our station wagon, fearing we wouldn’t be able to find it in the Midwest. Luckily we did, and Near East remained a dinnertime staple well into my 20s, when I started eschewing frozen vegetables and pre-made rice mixes for fresh roasted green beans and arugula salads."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2018/03/12/how-near-east-rice-pilaf-became-new-england-staple/rMh1zq4cvQiICqvsynIpGN/story.html?event=event12

Today, Near East is a New England staple.

"These are objects that excite the imagination"

For something to do out of the rain, Worcester is not far away. There is a sword exhibit at the Higgins Armory Museum that sounds interesting!

Occupying a single third-floor gallery, the swords in the exhibit are displayed in separate display cases according to chronology and function. 

In addition to several swords, a placard in each cabinet briefly explains the metal-making techniques used to forge them plus additional information on their special features such as the development of complex hilts to protect the user's hand and evolution of the short-bladed cutlass for fighting on board crowded vessels. 

Some of the exhibit's sections include "Ancient Swords," "Medieval Swords," "After the Middle Ages," "Small Swords," "Naval Swords," "American Swords," "Swords of Ceremony and Fancy" and "Making and Using a Sword."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x633533920/Sword-exhibit-is-on-the-cutting-edge#ixzz1V04FC7nb

Worcester Academy Inauguration project

Thanks to my daughter for the tip, here is an example of a local high school project using social media to report on and record their experiences of the upcoming inauguration.

Their blog can be found here.

This is a sample video posted to YouTube and their blog, recorded with a Flip camera





Way to go Worcester Academy!