In the News: 'angel' trees, local events

Friends of Franklin 'Angel' trees are up, awaiting holiday helpers for local families in need

The Friends of Franklin, a charitable organization that assists local families in need, has put up its "Angel" trees, brimming full of holiday wishes and needs from about 400 local children whose families need some extra help this year.

Holiday season gets underway, local events planned

The holiday season is going into full swing, and there is no lack of festive activity in the area. Here is a town-by-town listing of some of the things we know about that are going on this weekend and next. More listings for events later in the month will come next week.

Thank You

This website, newsletter, and Facebook page have seen six years of learning and sharing.

There were times of frustration

and times of joy!

There were times I thought I would quit.
More often than not, there were (and still are) times that keep me going!


Thank you for reading,

for subscribing,
for commenting,
for sending an encouraging email,
for sending along news and events to post,
for sharing this site with your friends and neighbors.

Franklin has over 30,000 people of which about 20,000 are registered to vote and fewer actually show up to do so.

For those who care, you are the reason this site exists.

Thank you!

Thank you

As an alternative to watching a football game this evening,

consider the special from Story Corps on PBS

As an alternative to Black Friday, and cyber Monday there is #givingTuesday.

Consider making a donation either one-time or recurring to the Franklin Food Pantry or your most important charity!

Note: this will be the only post today.
Spend time with your family and friends.
Share a story or two.
Listen to a story or two.


Thank you!
Steve Sherlock

Turkey Trot Reminders

Race reminders for the Franklin Turkey Trot

Feed the Need - Turkey Trot 5K

Registration

• Wednesday Night from 7-9 pm 

Avoid the lines on Thanksgiving morning and either register for the race OR finalize your registration and pick up your bib, free shirt, etc. at the LDS Church, 91 Jordan Rd, Franklin

• Thanksgiving Morning from 7-8 am

Free T-shirts

150 shirts on a first come first serve basis. If you really want a shirt, you should come to the Wed. night registration.

Free Sunglasses

The Ironman sunglasses from last year have been kindly donated again.

Free Raffle Items

We will be having a free raffle at the end of the race following the awards ceremony. Some raffle items include Boston Harbor Dinner Cruise for two, iTunes gift cards, etc.

Race Start

8 am - Thursday morning
at the LDS Church, 91 Jordan Rd, Franklin

Race Map

To view the race map, see the PDF here




or view it online at www.feedtheneed.org

Dress Warm

It looks like it will be a cold morning!

Holiday Decorating Day - Thank you

The email text from Lisa Piana, Executive Director of the Franklin Downtown Partnership, is one I will second:

A big thank you to Eileen Mason and all the volunteers who came out to decorate downtown center.  It was a cold one! Special thanks to the FHS students and the Garden Club. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Franklin holiday decorations

the water trough is looking spiffy!

the bridge railing is nicely decked out for the holidays!

If you want to help out with the Franklin Downtown Partnership for future activities, consider joining. Membership as a citizen is only $25. For more information on the Downtown Partnership visit their website here   http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/

Hockomock All-Stars: Girls Soccer and Golf

Hockomock Sports.com announced the All Stars for Girls Soccer and Golf

• Girls Soccer

Franklin junior Taylor Cogliano was voted as the league's Most Valuable Player by the coaches. Taylor was joined on the soccer All Stars by team mates Nicole Ellin, Jane Scafati, and Bailey Knous.

The complete list of Hockomock Soccer All Stars can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2013/11/hockomock-league-2013-girls-soccer-all-stars.html

• Golf

Ben Bedarian and Stephen Wyman represent FHS on the Hockomock Golf All Stars as selected by the coaches

The complete list of Hockomock Golf All Stars can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2013/11/hockomock-league-2013-golf-all-stars.html

Team Fitness: Advocare Information Night - Dec 3, 2013

You're invited to the Advocare informational meeting at Team Fitness and CrossFit Franklin Have you noticed that a group of Team Fitness and CrossFit Franklin team members and members have been participating in the Advocare 24-Day Challenge?  Want to know what its all about? Come and find out why this is making us feel so GOOD!  If you are interested in learning more about ADVOCARE, the 24 day challenge, or any of their products, come for a meet and greet and informational meeting with Mia and Ritch Finnegan.  Also, see what the members who began our original 24-day challenge on Nov 4 really thought of it! Mia and Ritch will give you all the information you need to help give you the extra push you need to keep you moving in the right direction. These products can be for everyone wanting to better themselves. Easy to do and you will have group support.  Click the link below for details: https://www.advocare.com/24daychallenge/default.aspx Also available is a TRIM line, ACTIVE line, WELLNESS line and  PERFORMANCE line.  Ask us today! When? Tuesday  December 3, 2013  From 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm Where? Team Fitness Franklin 100 Franklin Village Drive Franklin, MA 02038 Contact us at 508-541-8330 regarding any questions. See you on December 3rd! Forward this email STAY CONNECTED

Forward this email Team Fitness Franklin | 100 Franklin Village Drive | Franklin | MA | 02038

In the News: PanMass riders, house fire, Ben and the turkey

Local cyclists raise more than $500K for Jimmy Fund at Pan-Mass Challenge

Of the record-setting $39 million raised for cancer research by cyclists of the 2013 Pan-Mass Challenge, 86 Bellingham, Franklin, Medway, Mendon, Milford and Upton residents raised nearly $552,700.

Child's toy causes fire in Franklin, displaces seven

A woman was taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation after fire broke out Tuesday afternoon in a single-family home on Marks Way with the woman's three children inside.

Johnston: Mr. Franklin and the Turkey

O Rare Ben Franklin! A turkey already? A turkey for a National Bird! Yes, that's right. The great Ben Franklin lauded the turkey as a noble bird while he considered the eagle as a sneaky and morally depraved specimen of bird kind. How could Ben, a man of the world, ever have entertained such a thought that the turkey and not the eagle be our national symbol?

Franklin TV - studio update

The local cable channel for Franklin switched from being operated by the town to a separate 501c(3) organization during 2012. They purchased to former market building at 23 Hutchinson St and are in the process of doing their renovations to make it a state of the art media studio.

Franklin.tv

The roof is being replaced.

roof work underway

Once the roof is complete, interior work will begin. There will also be built a smaller building behind this one as I recall to provide garage space for their truck and equipment.

roof first, then interior

Have you visited Franklin.tv online yet?

Hockomock Football and Volleyball All-Stars

The Hockomock Sports.Com has announced the All-Stars for football and volleyball as voted on by the league coaches. Griffin Tighe represents Franklin for football. Lauren Irvine and Dayna McCue represent Franklin for volleyball.

You can review the full football listing here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2013/11/hockomock-league-2013-football-all-stars.html

the full volleyball listing here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/1/post/2013/11/hockomock-league-2013-volleyball-all-stars.html

Patriots Raffle tickets - benefit the Franklin Food Pantry

This is a pretty good deal! With a limited number of tickets to be sold by Sunday, Dec 1 your chances can be good.



Raffle tickets available at

Team Fitness Franklin
M-Th 5am-9pm, Fri 5am-7:30pm, Sat 7am-3pm
100 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin

Franklin Food Pantry 
43 W. Central St, Franklin
Tu-Fri 9am-1pm

Investigative Report - WCVB

WCVB - Channel 5 had this investigative report recently.



The text accompanying the video can be found here

You may recall the incident from the opening of school this year
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/09/talking-about-elephant-in-room.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/make-sure-due-process-occurs.html

Thanksgiving - much to be thankful for

The Franklin Food Pantry is able to perform its service due to the gracious and giving community of donors and volunteers. The next several weeks are the busiest time of the year as the holidays bring out the giving spirit. The Food Pantry is poised to serve, to give, to share, and to collect.

Turkey Trot Family 5K

1 - The Turkey Trot 5K Family Fun Run and Walk will be held bright and early Thanksgiving morning. Registration can be done online here. The registration fee is $20 per person or 20 items for the Food Pantry.  

2 - For Patriot fans, we are holding a raffle for a chance to win 5 luxury box seats and a parking pass for the Dec 8th game. Tickets are available at the Food Pantry or contact me directly. The raffle winner will be announced Sunday Dec 1 at 4:00 PM.

3 - The Franklin Food Elves will be collecting for the Food Pantry in their annual "12 Days of Giving" campaign.  "More than 60 Food Elves will be collecting goods in neighborhoods around Franklin. If you don't have an Elf in your neighborhood, you can still participate in our food drive! Look for the red collection bins at these participating FDP member businesses:

• DCU, 500 West Central St.
• Dean Bank, 21 Main St. 
• Dean College, Campus Center
• Emma's Quilt Cupboard, 12 Main St.
• Franklin Downtown Partnership Office, 9 East Central St.
• Jane's Frames, 11 East Central St.
• Murphy Business, 15 East Central St.
• Pour Richard's Wine & Spirits, 14 Grove St.

For additional information on the Food Elves visit here

4 - The dramatic performance of "The Christmas Carol Times Two" returns this year on Thursday, Dec 12th. Maybe you heard good things about this sellout performance last year. Get your tickets early this year. The easiest way is to buy your tickets online here. Or you could stop by the Food Pantry.

Franklin Food Pantry

5 - Finally, the Food Pantry webpage has updated its donation widget. You can donate securely online using a credit card or via an electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a bank account. You can make a one time or set up a recurring payment.  You can find the donation widget on the Food Pantry webpage or here on Franklin Matters. (Either way, the transaction is processed directly to the Food Pantry. The link here simply makes it easier to do so).

Thank you!

The exterior of the new FHS building is almost closed up

Sunday was a windy and cold day to walk but the sun was fully out providing good light to take pictures. The new high school building appears to have only a few bricks left to place and some openings to close up. The construction was reported to be on schedule and on budget at the last update by School Building Committee Chair, Tom Mercer.

from the distance

getting closer

and closer still to see the details

the gymnasium section exterior is almost enclosed

an angle view across the front and main entrance

closer to the front and main entrance

This will add to the series of updates to show the progress on construction. You can find all the updates here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/12/collection-high-school-building-project.html

How breezy was it Sunday?

Breezy enough so that all the flags around the memorials on the Town common were pegged out straight!

flags around the monuments on the Town Common

In the News: hockey boosters, play group

Franklin Boys Hockey Boosters holding gift cards fundraiser

Looking for a great holiday gift? The Franklin High School Boys Hockey Boosters and Incontro Restaurant in Franklin are once again teaming up to bring supporters a discount offer for the holiday season.

Temple Etz Chaim offers play group

Temple Etz Chaim welcomes families with children ages birth through pre-school to join its new Tiny Tots play group.

Cook's Farm - about to be changed

With the zoning bylaw changes approved, Cook's Farm will eventually be changed from what we see today. The developer will still need to go through the approval process with the Planning Board and others before the work begins. I captured some photos a couple of weeks ago to preserve the record of what we see today.

entering Franklin

individual home next to the farm stand

farm stand view

farm stand view 2

Cook's Farm as you leave Franklin

The Town Council first reading discussion
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/09/divided-council-moves-zoning-bylaw.html

and the second reading where the zoning bylaw passed by the required number of votes
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/10/ichigo-ichie-cooks-farm-and-bunch-of.html

In the News: medical marijuana, snow preparations, transient students

7 firms seek to dispense medical marijuana in area

The following business have applied for Framingham: Massachusetts Compassionate Patient Care Corp., Patient Alliance Wellness Center Inc., Mass Relief, Prime Wellness of MA Inc. and 1 Releaf, Inc. Two businesses, Baystate Medical Enterprises Inc. and Commonwealth BioPharm Inc., will be seeking permits in Franklin.

Local towns gearing up for the snow

Following a winter in which the governor issued a "shelter in place" warning for the first time since the Blizzard of '78, the state and utilities are taking steps to prepare for the snows to come this storm season.

Transient students pose problems for districts

Every year, on a morning in late August or early September, thousands of students across the region step off the bus to start their first day of school. Around 180 school days later, they'll say goodbye for another summer.

"comply with city and town ordinances, regulations and bylaws"

The medical marijuana application process is moving along at the state level and Franklin prepared by defining an overlay zone for medical marijuana in the industrial park areas of town.

Bio-Care Collaborative Inc. has met with various town officials, including the police and fire chiefs, over its proposal for a dispensary at 122 Grove St., within an area sited to allow for the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana. 

"Good luck with your Phase II application," wrote Health Director David McKearney and Board of Health Chairman Bruce Hunchard, "and we look forward to having Bio-Care join our business community." 

According to a letter dated Nov. 19, Bio-Care would grow the medical marijuana sold at the Franklin facility in another community. However, the town indicated that it would have "no objection" to the nonprofit also opening a cultivation center here, as long as it meets the zoning restrictions.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x348811421/Franklin-supports-medical-marijuana-vendor#ixzz2lZ0Gs1tT

zoning discussion in Jan 2013
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/01/live-reporting-medical-marijuana-zoning.html