Franklin Downtown Partnership: Getting Ready for Holiday Happenings!

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is celebrating the holidays in a new way this year! The Partnership is organizing a multiple-day celebration called Holiday Happenings, Dec. 6 through Dec. 9. The event will offer a variety of children and family activities, while affording businesses more opportunities to participate. 

In addition to new events, the most popular and traditional holiday events will continue to be offered during Holiday Happenings, including the Christmas Tree Lighting, gingerbread cookies at Dean Bank, Santa at Simon’s Furniture, Mrs. Claus at the Franklin Historical Museum, and Touch-a-Truck at the Franklin Fire Department.

“It's exciting to see more than 25 Holiday Happening events taking place throughout the town of Franklin,” said Pandora Carlucci, co-chair of Holiday Happenings. “The new four-day format is focused on providing scheduling flexibility making it possible for more people and businesses to participate.”


Families can enjoy visiting businesses throughout Franklin. Jamie Barrett will be doing a sing-along, there will be plenty of hot cocoa, gift shopping, wine tasting, and opportunities to meet Clara from Nutcracker, Minnie and Mickey Mouse, and everyone’s favorite jolly old elf, Santa Claus. 

"Holiday Happenings will take on a different format this year,” said Roberta Trahan, co-chair of Holiday Happenings. “Extending from Small Business Saturday through New Year’s Eve, we are focusing on a calendar which will include many offerings at local businesses for residents to enjoy.”


In addition to the signature events Dec. 6 to Dec. 9, the FDP will have an online calendar featuring events at local businesses taking place throughout the holiday season. Participating businesses are located in downtown Franklin, as well as in the larger Franklin community.

"The FDP has over 250 business members and many of them are outside the downtown area so we wanted to organize an event that included them,” said FDP Executive Director Lisa Piana. “This event will offer residents even more opportunities to shop local.”

View the schedule of events in brochure format or list format.

This was shared from the Franklin Downtown Partnership page
https://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2018/11/getting-ready-for-holiday-happenings.html

FHS hockey teams get recognized for community service

"Just wanted to give a huge THANK YOU to the ladies hockey team at Franklin High School Franklin High School (Massachusetts) for their efforts today.  

It was so much more to my family than clearing leaves from the yard. It was a gesture that will not be forgotten and we want everyone to know how appreciative we are. 

My sister-in-law lost her beloved husband to cancer recently and the team showed up today and cleaned her entire yard. What an amazing act of kindness to a local family going through a tough chapter in life. Be proud that your timely help brought some light to an otherwise dark time. 

Your biggest new fans are the O’Neill family and when you step onto the ice this hockey season, know you have a new guardian angel, his name is Kevin! On behalf of Beth and her family, Thanks!"

Via Tom O'Neill

"Concerts on the Common would like to thank the Franklin boys hockey team and their parents for helping to decorate the Common for Santa’s arrival tomorrow at 4 PM."

Via Michelle Miller

⁦@FHS_Puck⁩ decorating the Franklin Town Common for the holiday season. #communityservice pic.twitter.com/cQ3LEEK8IR

— Franklin Recreation (@FranklinRec) November 24, 2018

https://twitter.com/FranklinRec/status/1066389560194752512

In the News: marijuana not on campus; digital drivers licenses coming

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Marijuana is a big part of campus life, but it’s still not welcome. 

Massachusetts colleges and universities prohibit marijuana on campus across the state, despite voters approving recreational marijuana more than two years ago.
The reasons to ban it vary, but schools by and large invoke federal law and landlord status to make sure the drug – ever popular among college students – is not allowed. 

“Colleges have landlord privilege and Massachusetts law says any landlord can ban marijuana from its facilities,” explained Jim Borghesani, who worked on the campaign to legalize recreational marijuana."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181124/marijuana-is-still-not-welcome-on-college-campuses

https://mass-cannabis-control.com/

"Millions of people may be able to show their smartphones rather than a plastic card to prove they’re legit to drive, vote or buy a beer in coming years. 

Louisiana in July became the first state to make digital licenses available to anyone who wants them, and at least 14 other states either have developed a program, run a pilot or are studying the possibility, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. 

Seventy-seven percent of American adults already own a smartphone, including 94 percent of adults under 30, and many state motor vehicle officials think residents will appreciate the convenience of having their driver’s license available in an app."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20181124/could-plastic-drivers-licenses-become-thing-of-past

Franklin Author: Susan K. Hamilton fantasy genre novelist

Dark fantasy readers will find themselves spellbound by Susan K. Hamilton’s Shadow King (Oct. 2, 2018, InkShares). In the midst of a tumultuous Boston, a Fae Seer, Seireadan, begins to fall for Aohdan, the Fae Patriarch of the city’s criminal underworld. Despite her best intentions to stay away from him, the fierce passion begins to consume them both. While Aohdan to expand his power base, Seireadan searches for the Fae who killed her family, straining their still-new relationship. Soon, they’ll both have to make choices that will drastically change the course of their lives.

SUSAN K. HAMILTON: Susan K. Hamilton is the author of three novels in the fantasy genre: Shadow King, Darkstar Rising, and The Devil Inside (forthcoming in 2019). Shadow King landed on the Top Ten finalist list of the 2016 Launchpad Manuscript Competition out of over 1,000 entrants from 24 countries, and was published by Inkshares in October 2018. 

SUSAN K. HAMILTON

The Devil You Don’t reached the Top 25 finalists list the following year and will be published under the name The Devil Inside. Susan lives near Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and cat. An avid equestrian, you can often find her at the barn when she’s not writing. She rediscovered her love for writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst when her writing teacher freshman year told the class that their last assignment was “to write something creative.”

You can find Shadow King on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-King-Susan-K-Hamilton-ebook/dp/B07H84LK7Z

and Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40250160-shadow-king

Recommended Reading: Climate Change Report

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A massive new federal report warns that extreme weather disasters, like California’s wildfires and this year’s hurricanes, are worsening in the United States. 

The White House report quietly issued Friday also frequently contradicts President Donald Trump. 

The National Climate Assessment was written long before the California fires and the hurricanes. It warns of more, stronger and longer disasters triggered at least in part by global warming. 

Report co-author Katharine Hayhoe says it shows the dangerous weather that scientists said will happen in the United States is already happening."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20181123/government-climate-report-warns-of-worsening-us-disasters

For the full report  https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report

"Heat waves, heavy downpours, and sea level rise pose growing challenges to many aspects of life in the Northeast. Infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, and ecosystems will be increasingly compromised. Many states and cities are beginning to incorporate climate change into their planning. 

Explore how climate change is affecting the Northeast.

Key Message 1: Climate Risks to People
Heat waves, coastal flooding, and river flooding will pose a growing challenge to the region’s environmental, social, and economic systems. This will increase the vulnerability of the region’s residents, especially its most disadvantaged populations. 

Key Message 2: Stressed Infrastructure
Infrastructure will be increasingly compromised by climate-related hazards, including sea level rise, coastal flooding, and intense precipitation events. 

Key Message 3: Agricultural and Ecosystem Impacts
Agriculture, fisheries, and ecosystems will be increasingly compromised over the next century by climate change impacts. Farmers can explore new crop options, but these adaptations are not cost- or risk-free. Moreover, adaptive capacity, which varies throughout the region, could be overwhelmed by a changing climate. 

Key Message 4: Planning and Adaptation
While a majority of states and a rapidly growing number of municipalities have begun to incorporate the risk of climate change into their planning activities, implementation of adaptation measures is still at early stages."

Read the Northeast section here
https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/northeast

Recommended Reading: Climate Change Report

Lyon Landscape and Nursery: pick and cut your Christmas tree

"I would like to say thank you to all the folks who came to the first annual Xmas tree sale at our farm. The sale exceeded my expectations. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. Unfortunately, we have sold out of all our trees for this year.
Next year we will have a larger selection of taller and fuller trees. Best of luck in the New Year."
-Alex Lyon, Lyon Landscape Nursery Inc.

updated Dec 2, 2018

"After 7 years of planting, watering, fertilizing, and mowing, our first crop of Frasier Fir Christmas trees are ready for harvest. I invite all friends, family, and valued customers who have supported my Landscape Contracting business over the years to stop by for a locally grown organic Christmas tree. 

We will be open the next (3) weekends 10 AM - 4 PM starting today. We are located at 250 Bent Street, Franklin MA. 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all the best in 2019!"

Lyon Landscape and Nursery: pick and cut your Christmas tree (courtesy photo)

Visit Lyon Landscape and Nursery on the internet
https://www.lyonlandscapenursery.com/

Shared via Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2215154692098617&set=p.2215154692098617&type=3&theater

Sign up for Franklin's Reverse 911 system

I had signed up previously but it appears that the system may have been updated and you need to reestablish your profile and account settings.

It was accomplished quickly and easily. I do recommend signing up for these alerts. They are not overdone and while it is good to have you find out from Franklin Matters, there will be times you need to hear directly.

Sign up online  franklintown.regroup.com

Sign up online  franklintown.regroup.com

Shared from the DPW Facebook posting
https://www.facebook.com/FranklinDPW/photos/a.938433076241163/2069290956488697/?type=3&theater