"you can start with culture and get people kind of reinvested in their place"

Spend a few minutes with this TED Talk by Theaster Gates. Listen as he talks about rebuilding his neighborhood by starting with what he knows about his art, making clay pots.

There were several points during this 17 minute video that caught my attention. I could use these to help enhance the Franklin community whether through my efforts here, at the Food Pantry, the grass roots efforts for #shopFranklin, the Shop Small Co-op or with the Franklin Cultural Festival (coming this summer!) 

I will let you view the video and see what you come up with. Let me know via email or comment what you find and together we'll see if if we have come up with the same points or something different. As they say, two heads are better than one!

Enjoy!

Theaster Gates, a potter by training and a social activist by calling, wanted to do something about the sorry state of his neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. So he did, transforming abandoned buildings to create community hubs that connect and inspire those who still live there (and draw in those who don't). In this passionate talk, Gates describes his efforts to build a "miniature Versailles" in Chicago, and he shares his fervent belief that culture can be a catalyst for social transformation in any city, anywhere.

For more about Theaster Gates, you can visit his profile page






Additional links to explore

Feel free to explore for more informative TED Talks here   http://www.ted.com/


For more info on the Cultural Festival check here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/02/franklin-cultural-festival-application.html


For more about #shopFranklin you can join the conversation in their Facebook group #shopFranklin - Facebook group


You can consider joining the Franklin Downtown Partnership - individual community membership is only $25  http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/

Franklin Needs You!

The Town of Franklin is looking for Members for the following committees: 

Conservation    Conservation Commission 

Design Review Commission 

Disabilities Commission 

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust - Contact Maxine Kinhart 508-520-4949 

Zoning Board of Appeals - Associate Member      ZBA

If you are interested in becoming a member, please complete this form and return it the Town Administrator's Office.

Circle of Friends Coffeehouse: Cheryl Wheeler April 11th

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Circle of Friends Coffeehouse 262 Chestnut St, Franklin, MA 02038 Phone: 508 528 2541 Map       Official Site       ReverbNation Profile Cheryl Wheeler Saturday, April 11th $30 We expect these tickets to be gone soon. Cheryl Wheeler Cheryl Wheeler returns to the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse on Saturday, April 11th at 8PM. Cheryl is known for her brilliant, often hysterical, performances and beautifully crafted songs. She'll have you rolling in the aisles one minute, then she'll take off her glasses, close her eyes, and sing a heart-breakingly lovely song that may bring you to tears. Her entire concert is an emotional roller coaster. "Rare artist...strong poetry, complex melodies, clever wit." -SingOut! Cheryl's songs are often emotional portraits of people, leaving you with the impression that you know the characters. You find yourself being dragged into the song rather than standing outside and observing. Other songs by Cheryl are hilarious situation comedies. This is always a sold-out show, so order your tickets soon. http://www.cherylwheeler.com/ The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse is a non-profit organization affiliated with Franklin's First Universalist Society. Concerts are presented in a smoke free and alcohol free environment at the Society's handicapped accessible Meetinghouse, 262 Chestnut St. in Franklin, and begin at 8:00 PM; doors open at 7:30 PM. Beverages and gourmet desserts will be available. Admission for this concert is $30. Please call (508)528-2541 or visit http://www.circlefolk.org/ to purchase tickets or for more information. UPCOMING SHOWS Sat Apr 11 2015, 08:00 PM Cheryl Wheeler Tickets: $30   Sat Apr 25 2015, 08:00 PM Deborah Henson-Conant Tickets: $25 Sat May 09 2015, 08:00 PM Rebecca Loebe, Jesse Terry Tickets: $20 Split bill > See More / Details

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Physical inquiries can be sent to: 262 Chestnut St, Franklin, MA, 02038, US
If our email is in your Spam/Junk Folder, please add circlefolk@gmail.com to your address book.

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Capture that family history

I was fortunate to capture some of my father's story and record it for the extended family to listen to. I did not get to hear all the stories before he passed away but we do have a good archive of the stories in his voice to listen to when we want.

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover, the holiday weekend should bring families together. To help foster a good conversation between the generations and to capture the history that the elder generations still remember is made easier with the new StoryCorps app and smart phones.

Settle in, enjoy the 21 min video and download the app for your Apple or Android device and set up to record.





You can find out more about StoryCorps on their website  http://storycorps.org/


You can find more excellent videos on the TED site here  http://www.ted.com/


A sample of  my father's story can be found here. In this segment, he talks of his service in the Marines as part of the "Joint Assault Signal Company" made famous in the movie "The Whisperers"
http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/2007/09/jerry-story-joint-assault-signal.html

screen grab of StoryCorps.me webpage

Fire Dept Presentation doc and video clip

The presentation document used by Chief McCarragher during the Town Council meeting on Wednesday can be found here

Ping 4 Alerts Presentation - April 1, 2015 from Franklin Matters

On page 4. it seems to be blank but this was when the following video clip was shared. 

screen grab of the MEMA page touting Ping4Alerts

My notes from the live reporting for this section of the Town Council meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/live-reporting-ping4alert.html


The summary of the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/this-purple-heart-community-received.html

Franklin Library: Gmail account hands on workshop

Do you have a Google account? 

If you do, you know all the applications that the one account can provide for free. 

If you don't have one, there is a class at the Franklin Library on Wednesday, Apr 8th that will walk through setting up a Gmail account (with Google).

Space is limited for this session, please call the Library to register. 

Create and manage a Gmail account

This was shared from the Franklin Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/04/create-and-manage-gmail-account.html


While Wordpress tends to get a lot of notice for its blog service, the Blogger service (part of Google) is competitive. The Library page linked to above is done with Blogger as is Franklin Matters, the Franklin Food Pantry and the Franklin Downtown Partnership. 

"The future poses some thorny issues"

The "recent' audit is actually an annual event for Franklin. This year was an achievement in that the audit results were the best of the past several years.

A recent audit of the town has found its finances “solid and well-managed,” while drawing attention to a multimillion-dollar post-employment benefits liability still looming over every budget. 

Melanson & Heath, a New Hampshire-based accounting and tax firm, presented information from its audit to the Town Council this week. The firm gave Franklin an unqualified opinion, meaning it believes the town’s financial statements are sound and free from any material misstatements. 

Karen Snow, an accountant with Melanson & Heath, highlighted the town’s upgraded bond rating, which improved last year from AA to AA+. 

“Part of the reason (Standard & Poor’s) upgraded that is because they feel you have a nice solid fund balance and you don’t have any plans to spend that fund balance down,” Snow explained.

Continue reading the MDN article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150403/NEWS/150408041/1994/NEWS

Franklin Municipal Building

My reporting on the audit results can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/this-purple-heart-community-received.html

The 2014 audit results can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/what-is-public-need.html

The 2013 audit results can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/02/town-council-020613.html

Spring Cleanup - Apr 11th - Parmenter School

The 5th Grade at Parmenter School will be doing a Spring Cleanup on Saturday, Apr 11th. 

Get your car washed, drop off those bottles/cans, any used books or clothing - they'll take 'em!. 

Spring Cleaning 5th Grade Fund raiser - Parmenter School - Apr 11 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Register Today, Save $5 and Receive an Official Race Shirt!

This race is located in Andover and for a good cause. If you don't know Colleen's story you can find out about it here.

#StepUp4Colleen - May 3, 2015 30 days from today thousands will participate in the second annual Step Up for Colleen 5k Walk/Run. Are you ready to Step Up for Colleen? If you have not yet registered, please sign up today to take advantage of pre-race registration savings. Also, the first 3,000 registrants will receive a Badger C2 performance T-shirt. This year's course is pending certification by USA Track and Field and will follow the pulse start model. Whether you are an experienced runner, a walker, or just a family gathering together for a good cause, everyone is welcome. All participants will wear a bib number with an electronically-readable chip and prizes will be awarded to the first three male and female finishers. Register today and save $5! Registration is $30 through Sunday, April 19th and will increase to $35 after the 19th.   Register today and share why you are stepping up. See some of the hundreds of reasons on the right hand side of this email. If you have already registered, thank you! We look forward to seeing you amongst the sea of pink on Sunday, May 3rd. Please remember to share on Facebook and Twitter the graphic (below) you received in your thank you e-mail and encourage friends and family to join you in Stepping Up for Colleen. We look forward to seeing you on May 3rd and again, thank you for Stepping Up for Colleen! Sincerely, The Ritzer Family and Step Up for Colleen Race Committee Proceeds from the event will support the Step Up for Colleen Fund at the Essex County Community Foundation which benefits the Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Fund provides college scholarships to high school graduates who pursue education as a college major and reflect Colleen's values. We look forward to seeing you on May 3rd and thank you for Stepping Up for Colleen! Some Reasons Why People are Stepping Up for Colleen I want to Step Up For Colleen because I want to honor my teacher who not only helped me love math but who taught me what being good and kind to people is all about. I'm stepping up for Ms. Ritzer because I've learned that teachers don't just teach they change lives. She changed all of our lives and it's time to give back to her. Ms. Ritzer was an engaging and dynamic teacher!  She made every student feel special.  Her memory should be remembered and celebrated! I am very grateful for Colleen's impact as my child's teacher. Step Up for Colleen | www.stepupforcolleen.com Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.

Forward this email Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Scholarship | P.O. Box 1269 | Andover | MA | 01810

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 4/3/15 - THU 4/9/15

FRI 4/3   10:30am-12pm   Egg Hunt at the Franklin Public Library (Children’s Section)
FRI 4/3   6:30pm   Art Night Uncorked at the Franklin Art Center
FRI 4/3   8-9:50pm   Frozen Friday DJ Public Skate at Pirelli Arena

SAT 4/4   10:30am   Family Story Time at the Franklin Public Library
SAT 4/4   2-3:30pm   Kids Yoga and Meet and Greet Jeff Kinney (ages 6 and up, registration required) - Franklin YMCA
SAT 4/4   2:30-4pm   Kids Yoga and Meet and Greet Jeff Kinney (ages 6 and up, registration required) - Franklin YMCA
SAT 4/4  3-4:30pm   Kids Yoga and Meet and Greet Jeff Kinney (ages 6 and up, registration required) - Franklin YMCA

WED 4/8   12-2pm   Adult Painting at Franklin Art Center
WED 2/8   6-9pm   FEF 18th Annual Trivia Bee at Horace Mann Middle School. Live Music by Franklin HS Jazz Band. NEW THIS YEAR - Middle School Trivia Bee (6-7pm)!
WED 4/8   7-8pm   Create and Manage Gmail Account Hands On Workshop, Franklin Public Library, registration required.

THU 4/9   7pm   Small Business Co-Op Meeting at The Cake Bar - public welcome

For all the Town of Franklin Public Meetings click HERE.

For event details click HERE.

*If you have any suggestions or events for the calendar, please email Renata@BetterLivingRE.com