Disabled veterans advisers to give free help in Franklin
Friends of Franklin Library book sale this weekend
Franklin, MA
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Grand Opening of the Franklin Art Center
Hi Steve,
I wasn't sure if you wanted to post this is or if we could add a guest post or how you would like to handle it.
My wife and I have just started the Franklin Art Center. It is located in downtown Franklin at 5 Main St (behind Berry Ins.). We will be having the school's Grand Opening Saturday May 21st from 10 to 2 pm. This free event is for anyone to come in meet the teachers, ask questions about the classes, try a lesson, and learn about the art parties. The center will have morning, afternoon, evening and art weekend classes for ages 4 adults in a wide variety of media. Our weekly sessions provide our 4-5 year olds with hands-on activities, stories, and unique lessons for artistic explorations. We are working with the local school and our curriculum for our classes are based on the Massachusetts Visual Arts Frameworks.
Our beginner, advanced, private or group lessons for 16 to adults will focus on the individual needs of the student. Just a few topics we cover are:
- drawings to investigate compositional possibilities.
- blocked-out charcoal/pencil/oil sketches to arrange tonal values.
- oil sketches to experiment with various color schemes and harmonies.
- fundamentals of painting
- preparing canvas and paint for the anticipated tasks.
- applying paint to canvas, either incorporating the results in direct painting.
You are also invited to our gallery opening May 20th from 7 - 9 pm showing paintings from our featured local artist Victor Pisini. Victor is a local icon in Franklin and paints in both oils and watercolor. The gallery will rotate work from local artists and feature them on our web site and in our classes and on our facebook page.
Please visit http://franklinartcenter.com for more information or call my wife Linda in the center at 508.887.2797. Or friend us at facebook.com/franklinartcenter
I'm sending this from work but the center's email address is franklinartcenter@gmail.com. Let me know if you have any questions. Look forward to seeing you.
Thanks again
Ian
Library book sale - DPW Touch a Truck
The Library Book Sale will be combined with the DPW's "Touch a Truck Day" this Saturday. Come on down to the DPW Garage on Hayward St. Buy a book, help the Library.
Check out the equipment and see for yourself how old it is!
The story below and pictures were taken and posted last May.
-----------
The combination of the Library Book Sale and the DPW Open House drew quite a crowd on Saturday.
The Friends of the Library paid for the overtime of the DPW workers. The food and drink provided at the DPW Open House was donated by Weston & Sampson.
The bucket truck authorized for purchase as part of the capital plan in 2009 was on display looking brand new. It is over ten years old. The new look comes from the paint job that was part of the purchase price. DPW Director, Robert (Brutus) Cantoreggi is walking towards us in the photo.
The DPW garage had four mechanics. One just retired this year and due to the budget cuts, the position won't be filled leaving three mechanics to take care of more than 300 pieces of equipment. Which of these two units looks like it is three years old? and which looks like it is sixteen years old? (Answer at the end of this post.)
Most of the equipment that I saw on display had a sign telling the year and use for the unit. The purpose for some was easy to recognize, some were not. This batwing mower is over 10 years old and still doing duty cutting the grass on our athletic fields.
The weather cooperated for this nice family event. If your son or daughter was one of the horn tooters, they probably walked away with a smile. Your smile came from the fact that they at least stopped blowing the horn!
Iqbal Ismail is show below taking pictures of his daughter Zeba and son Faraz in the front seat of the truck.
Note: In answer to the question above: the unit on the left in the picture is 3 yrs old; the unit on the right is 16.
My thanks to Brutus Cantoreggi and Dave Allard for providing the information to share here.
Franklin, MA
Check out the equipment and see for yourself how old it is!
The story below and pictures were taken and posted last May.
-----------
The combination of the Library Book Sale and the DPW Open House drew quite a crowd on Saturday.
The Friends of the Library paid for the overtime of the DPW workers. The food and drink provided at the DPW Open House was donated by Weston & Sampson.
The bucket truck authorized for purchase as part of the capital plan in 2009 was on display looking brand new. It is over ten years old. The new look comes from the paint job that was part of the purchase price. DPW Director, Robert (Brutus) Cantoreggi is walking towards us in the photo.
The DPW garage had four mechanics. One just retired this year and due to the budget cuts, the position won't be filled leaving three mechanics to take care of more than 300 pieces of equipment. Which of these two units looks like it is three years old? and which looks like it is sixteen years old? (Answer at the end of this post.)
Most of the equipment that I saw on display had a sign telling the year and use for the unit. The purpose for some was easy to recognize, some were not. This batwing mower is over 10 years old and still doing duty cutting the grass on our athletic fields.
The weather cooperated for this nice family event. If your son or daughter was one of the horn tooters, they probably walked away with a smile. Your smile came from the fact that they at least stopped blowing the horn!
Iqbal Ismail is show below taking pictures of his daughter Zeba and son Faraz in the front seat of the truck.
Note: In answer to the question above: the unit on the left in the picture is 3 yrs old; the unit on the right is 16.
My thanks to Brutus Cantoreggi and Dave Allard for providing the information to share here.
Franklin, MA
Parmenter School car wash and bottle/can drive
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 5/11/11
The fifth grade at Parmenter Elementary School, 235 Wachusett St., will hold a car wash and bottle/can drive on Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to The Milford Daily News News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
495/MetroWest Public Forums Set
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 5/16/11
The Patrick-Murray Administration's Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development is partnering with Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the MetroWest Regional Collaborative, the 495/MetroWest Partnership, and Mass Audubon to engage the 495/MetroWest region in preparing a comprehensive land use and development plan.The plan will identify priority development and preservation areas and significant transportation and infrastructure investments for the region.
The planning process will include asking what transportation needs should be addressed, where open space should be preserved, and how to ensure continued economic prosperity in the region.
The public is invited to contribute to the vision for the 495/Metrowest region at two upcoming public forums:
Wednesday, June 15, Westborough High School, 90 West Main Street
Tuesday, June 21, Boxborough Holiday Inn, 242 Adams Place
Each forum includes an Open House, 4:30-6:30 p.m. followed by a Public Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
You may RSVP to: info@495partnership.org
Learn more on the web about the 495 Metrowest Partnership.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Franklin Beautification Day set for Saturday
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 5/15/11
The Franklin Downtown Partnership's eighth annual Beautification Day, will be held on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. The partnership is recruiting volunteers to spruce up the downtown.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to The Milford Daily News News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Monday, May 16, 2011
Parmenter 5K - May 15th - results
The Parmenter 5K Run/Walk results are posted to Cool Running
The rain held off as 225 finished the course looping from the school down Wachusett, Arlington, Union, Cottage, RT 140, King St, Summer, Winter, Peck to King and then back to Parmenter with a good downhill finish.
There was a good crowd of folks supporting the runners and walkers, truly a family event!
A welcome sight as we turned at Walgreens to head up King St.
Franklin, MA
The rain held off as 225 finished the course looping from the school down Wachusett, Arlington, Union, Cottage, RT 140, King St, Summer, Winter, Peck to King and then back to Parmenter with a good downhill finish.
There was a good crowd of folks supporting the runners and walkers, truly a family event!
A welcome sight as we turned at Walgreens to head up King St.
Franklin, MA
Food Marketed to Children
Are you concerned about government guidelines on food? Particularly, those where they cover food marketing to children? You have a chance to have your say. Excerpts from the full document here (PDF) reveal the objectives of the guidelines and feedback needed:
You can review the full document here (PDF) and find the details on how to provide feedback.
The Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children (Working Group), comprised of representatives from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), seeks public comment on a preliminary proposal for voluntary principles to guide industry self-regulatory efforts to improve the nutritional profile of foods marketed to children. The Working Group has drafted these principles pursuant to a directive from Congress, as set out in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. As directed by Congress, the Working Group has developed this proposal based on the nutrition, health, and marketing expertise of the member agencies, with the goal of improving children’s diets and addressing the high rates of childhood obesity. Marketing can be an effective tool to encourage children to make better food choices, and voluntary adoption by industry of strong, uniform nutrition and marketing principles, like those proposed here, will advance the goal of promoting children’s health.
Public comment is sought to help inform the Working Group in shaping its recommendations for enhanced industry self-regulatory efforts as part of a report requested by Congress. Comments are not being requested as the basis for regulation. The recommendations include principles addressing the nutritional quality of foods that are most heavily marketed to children. They also include proposed definitions of advertising, promotion, and other marketing activities targeting children ages 2-11 years and adolescents ages 12-17 years to which the nutrition principles would apply. The Working Group seeks public comment on both the nutrition principles and the definitions of marketing targeted to children and adolescents. Comments must be received no later than June 13, 2011
,,,,
The primary objective of the Working Group in developing recommendations for nutrition principles for foods marketed to children has been the promotion of children’s health through better diet, with particular – but not sole – emphasis on reducing the incidence of childhood obesity. The proposed recommendations are therefore designed to encourage children, through advertising and marketing, to choose foods that make a meaningful contribution to a healthful diet (Principle A) and minimize consumption of foods with significant amounts of nutrients that could have a negative impact on health or weight – specifically, sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and added sugars (Principle B).
The Working Group recommends that, as industry develops new products and reformulates existing products, it should strive to create foods that meet both of these two basic nutrition principles. It further recommends that industry focus these efforts on those categories of foods that are most heavily marketed directly to children, such as breakfast cereals, carbonated beverages, restaurant foods and snack foods. The proposed principles, if fully implemented by industry for these categories, should lead to significant improvements in the overall nutritional profile of foods marketed to children.
The Working Group recommends that industry work toward the goal that all foods within the categories most heavily advertised or otherwise marketed directly to children and adolescents would meet the nutrition principles by the year 2016. The Working Group acknowledges that this is an ambitious goal, but believes it is warranted by the urgent need to improve children’s diets and health and address the epidemic of childhood obesity.
,,,,
The Working Group seeks comment on its two proposed nutrition principles, including the recommendation that industry focus its self-regulatory efforts on the categories of foods most heavily marketed to children. The Working Group is proposing two possible approaches for assessing whether a food product meets Principle A – making a meaningful contribution to a healthful diet. The Working Group is also proposing specific targets for saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars, and sodium content to meet Principle B – minimizing consumption of foods with significant amounts of these nutrients that could have a negative impact on health or weight. Finally, the Working Group is seeking comment on its proposed goal that all foods within the categories most heavily marketed to children meet these two nutrition principles by the year 2016.
You can review the full document here (PDF) and find the details on how to provide feedback.
"A company may have better purchasing power"
"What inspired me to kind of get this ball rolling was the thought of a link between healthy and nutritious eating and student performance," said School Committee member Bill Glynn, who leads a nutrition subcommittee that studied the issue. "My biggest concern is how to best serve the children in a cost-effective manner. I want to do our homework and look at as many options as we can."
Glynn said he hopes the School Committee can make a decision in time to implement any changes before school starts in the fall.
Administrators have issued a request for proposals from vendors to manage the food service program. Representatives from Sodexo, Aramark, Whitsons Culinary Group and Chartwells toured school facilities on Thursday. Bids are due by June 1, Business Administrator Miriam Goodman said.
"We felt a vendor might be able to support us more but that remains to be seen because we haven't seen the proposals yet," Goodman said. "Food service has to be a self-sustaining program because any dollars allocated from the budget are dollars that come out of the classroom."
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x737109404/Franklin-may-privatize-school-lunch-management#ixzz1MVWoImpl
Franklin, MA
Sunday, May 15, 2011
What's happening to the old Dugout space?
The former Dugout and more recently the Cottage St Pub & Grill went out of business and was demolished recently.
Just before demolition:
The foundation has been placed now:
Another view of the foundation:
According to the Planing Board agendas and video, a 3 unit condo is going onto the site. You can view the continued hear from Nov 22, 2010 here:
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?indexPointSKU=g9kWDClwvOXwcHe3cZHk8Q%3d%3d
Franklin, MA
Just before demolition:
The foundation has been placed now:
Another view of the foundation:
According to the Planing Board agendas and video, a 3 unit condo is going onto the site. You can view the continued hear from Nov 22, 2010 here:
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?indexPointSKU=g9kWDClwvOXwcHe3cZHk8Q%3d%3d
Franklin, MA
Wanted: Wedding gowns for Franklin museum
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Brian Benson/Daily News staff on 5/14/11
The Franklin Historical Museum is seeking wedding gowns for a display next month.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to The Milford Daily News News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Saturday, May 14, 2011
ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE - Saturday/Sunday
ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE
Forge Parkway between Old West Central Street (opposite BJs Warehouse) and new West Central Street will be closed to through traffic from May 14 to May 16. MBCR is replacing the railroad crossing in this area.
Franklin, MA
You can help today!
1 - If you want to help with the Community Gardens as they finish filling the beds made last week, you can go to the King St fields this morning.
Additional details can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/king-st-community-garden-build-day-part.html
2 - If you want to help the Franklin Food Pantry process the food and non-food items being collected by the Post Office in their rounds today, you can come by the Food Pantry this afternoon from 2:00 - 6:00 PM
Additional details on the "Help Stamp Out Hunger Drive" can be found here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/stamp-out-hunger-may-14.html
Photos from last year's drive:
Franklin, MA
Additional details can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/king-st-community-garden-build-day-part.html
2 - If you want to help the Franklin Food Pantry process the food and non-food items being collected by the Post Office in their rounds today, you can come by the Food Pantry this afternoon from 2:00 - 6:00 PM
Additional details on the "Help Stamp Out Hunger Drive" can be found here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/stamp-out-hunger-may-14.html
Photos from last year's drive:
Franklin, MA
What happened Friday?
There were no updates here on Friday due to an outage by Google's Blogger platform. Items were queued to post but they were not posted. I did not have access to make any updates.
The Blogger system managed to keep the site up and available so any visitors here were able to read the posts and follow the links but wouldn't have been able to comment.
For those who also subscribe to the Facebook group, I was able to provide an update there. If you are not yet subscribed on Facebook, you may want to consider joining the group. There tends to be less posts than those shown daily here. There also tends to be more conversation around some of the posts.
If you follow me on Twitter, you would have seen the update:
The official word from Blogger on what happened can be found here:
http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/05/blogger-is-back.html
Franklin, MA
The Blogger system managed to keep the site up and available so any visitors here were able to read the posts and follow the links but wouldn't have been able to comment.
For those who also subscribe to the Facebook group, I was able to provide an update there. If you are not yet subscribed on Facebook, you may want to consider joining the group. There tends to be less posts than those shown daily here. There also tends to be more conversation around some of the posts.
If you follow me on Twitter, you would have seen the update:
Blogger will be in read-only mode while we resolve some maintenance issues. Sorry for the inconvenience.http://j.mp/jGNkkrAs I re-read the update, would you have known that Blogger meant Franklin Matters? Probably not. I'll need to do better next time.
The official word from Blogger on what happened can be found here:
http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/05/blogger-is-back.html
Franklin, MA
"going to have a dramatic impact on the level of services"
Eliminating a circulation desk would have happened regardless of the budget picture, said Town Council Chairman Scott Mason, who noted voters repeatedly rejecting Proposition 2 1/2 overrides has contributed to the current situation.
"It's always unfortunate when people lose their jobs," said Mason, who had not seen the leaflet yesterday afternoon. "In my opinion this comes back to the taxpayers. We have a town to run and a certain amount of money to (use). Are we going to cut police and fire or library workers? We're going to cut library workers."
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x737109198/Franklin-library-workers-oppose-cuts#ixzz1MK1PZsSI
Franklin, MA
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)