In the News - rail trail, teen drinking forum

Franklin rail trail steams forward

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

Dave Labonte can't wait for the day he can hop on his bike at Franklin State Forest and keep going, all the way to Palmer. And getting there is a journey the Franklin bicycle enthusiast is more than willing to undertake as well, he said. Labonte and his fellow Franklin Odd Fellows have offered their lodge hall for the first meeting in the area to start discussions on Franklin's portion of the rail trail. An old railroad bed will be transformed into a paved bicycle path that will wind through 15 towns, starting in Franklin and heading through Bellingham and Blackstone, to Palmer and back up to Southbridge and Sturbridge. "It is a big undertaking, but I think we in Franklin have the easiest stretch of all the towns," Labonte said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

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Forum on teen drinking planned for King Philip

By Heather McCarron/Gatehouse News Service

In the aftermath of several recent underage drinking parties, and the death of a Plainville teen who wandered away from such a party in the woods and drowned in a local swamp, the King Philip Regional School District is planning a forum for parents on adolescent substance abuse and other social issues. The forum, which will address both substance abuse by teens and parental strategies associated with substance use, will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at King Philip High School, Rte. 140, Wrentham.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

house fire, one death

FRANKLIN -

Firefighters found a body in the kitchen of a home at 652 Old West Central St. after knocking down a fire there last night. The person has not been identified.

According to a statement released by the Franklin Fire Department, police received a report of a house explosion in the area of 658 West Central Street just after 11 p.m. Friday.

Fire crews found flames coming from the first-floor kitchen area of a two-story, single-family house at 652 Old West Central St. They were told a person was possibly trapped inside.

Firefighters knocked down most of the fire in the kitchen and searched the home. After extinguishing more fire in the kitchen, firefighters found a body that "had sustained fatal injuries from the fire."

Read the full article online at the Franklin Gazette

"probably my favorite teacher"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GateHouse News Service

Posted Dec 12, 2008 @ 01:19 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Ninety-year-old Palma A. (DeBaggis) Johnson, who inspired her students to convince the Legislature to make the ladybug the official state insect, was struck and killed by a truck while walking to church Thursday morning, according to the obituary provided by Ginley Funeral Home.

Johnson, born in Franklin, taught Latin at Franklin High School from 1939 to 1944, and returned to teaching at Redland Park Kindergarten and the Kennedy Elementary School after her children were grown.

Thirty-four years ago, Johnson inspired her students at Kennedy - and legislators - to change the law and adopt the ladybug as the state insect.

read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

MBTA Parking - pay by phone?

Found on the UniversalHub:

The MBTA has begun experimenting with a system that lets commuter-rail and ferry riders pay for parking by cell phone instead by rolling up all those dollar bills to stuff into those tiny slots at parking lots.

The new system, at parking lots along the Kingston line and at the Quincy and Hingham commuter-boat terminals, lets riders set up accounts and then dial a toll-free number to have the day's parking fee charged to their credit cards:

Upon creating a free pay by phone account, customers call the toll free number from their mobile phone, key in the location and parking numbers, and the parking fee is charged to their credit/debit card.

Thanks, adamg!

Gee is there enough bandwidth for dozens of phones calls to connect at the same time? Let's hope that is part of the pilot.

Circle of Friends: Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams

the next show
Saturday,
December 13th, 8:00PM

A Slambovian Holiday Show GANDALF MURPHY and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams

"Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams is simply one of the finest American bands out there on the road. " -AllMusic Guide

with special guest Lindsay Mac

Tickets = $20

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Note: I added a new box on the right column with a sample song from each of the artists appearing at the Circle of Friends this season. You can click on on to listen to a sample of what they do. I'll confess that the samples are rather random, I haven't heard all the artists to say this one or that is a good representation of what they do. You can also click through to the Circle of Friends site, find the schedule, and each artist's web site is usually listed there. You can click through to find samples of what they do.

make a donation to the Franklin Food Pantry

FRANKLIN -

The Franklin Food Pantry is asking residents of the community to open their hearts and to help the less fortunate people who have difficulties feeding their families. In a country as rich as ours, no one should worry about keeping food on their tables. Hunger hurts physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

This year, the food pantry has seen a dramatic increase in people needing to access resources to help them live with dignity. The recession has made "financially stressed" a common household word.

We have 2,182 registered clients, which represents 927 households. In this number are 312 seniors who are living on the edge.

The pantry accepts all donations, both perishable and non-perishable. Our grants do not allow us to purchase non-food items. We have a need for toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, shampoo, toothpaste, soap and diapers.

To make a donation to the Franklin Food Pantry through the Country Gazette’s Gifts of Hope drive, make a check payable to Franklin Food Pantry Inc. and send c/o The Country Gazette to 159 South Main St., Milford, MA, 01757. Monetary donations can also be made to Franklin Food Pantry Inc., 80 West Central St., Franklin, MA 02038.

For more information about the pantry, call 508-528-3115. Ask for Linda or Michelle.

This was originally posted in the Franklin Gazette here

FM #27 - Solar Energy - Part 2

This podcast for Franklin Matters is Part 2 of the information session on solar and renewable energy sponsored by The Franklin Area Climate Team and held at the Franklin Public Library Wednesday evening, Dec 10, 2008.

In this second part, we will listen to Matt Arner, President of SolarFlair Energy, Inc. which is based nearby in Hopkinton. Matt gets into greater detail about the solar analysis, the process of obtaining permits, of applying for the rebates and actually getting an installation of solar electricity or solar heating for your residence or business.

Time: 44 minutes, 37 seconds



MP3 File

Session Notes:

This podcast for Franklin Matters is Part 2 of the information session on solar and renewable energy sponsored by The Franklin Area Climate Team and held at the Franklin Public Library Wednesday evening, Dec 10, 2008.

The recording of this evening is split into two parts. In the first part, we listened to Tyler Leeds, Project Manager from the Mass Renewable Energy Trust as he provided an overview on the grants and rebates available to MA residences and commercial or industrial operations.

In this second part, we will listen to Matt Arner, President of SolarFlair Energy, Inc. which is based nearby in Hopkinton. Matt gets into greater detail about the solar analysis, the process of obtaining permits, of applying for the rebates and actually getting an installation of solar electricity or solar heating for your residence or business. There is a great opportunity to tap into solar.

Listen, learn, and enjoy!

- insert clip -

Part 1 can be found here

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This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow citizens of Franklin, MA

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music