FHS Oskey 2020 Trailer

So excited for Oskey 2020! Take a look at the trailer! @mistergrossman @fhspanthertv @FranklinHSDrama @OSKEYyearbook @FHSPantherbook @FHS2020_ pic.twitter.com/gQ0zTJ6dGy

— Andrew Falanga (@FalangaAndrew) May 13, 2020

Shared via Twitter  https://twitter.com/FalangaAndrew/status/1260626455773491201?s=09

Once Upon A Town: Spear, AJ Cataldo and Exchange - Franklin, MA (video)

Join Eamon McCarthy Earls and Joe Landry as they talk about the Spear Block, the A. J. Cataldo Block and the Exchange Building.

https://youtu.be/dXv3GT43Z5I

Senator Rausch: COVID-19 Update #19

View this email in your browser CORONAVIRUS / COVID-19 UPDATE #19 Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Hi friends, The weather is starting to turn, and the COVID-19 infection curve is moving in the right direction. Remember, we all need to keep up our physical distancing and mask-wearing best practices to keep the COVID contagion trend moving downwards.  I have some additional exciting news: tomorrow I will testify before the Joint Committee on Election Laws in support of my 2020 Vote by Mail Act. Senate Chair Barry Finegold will livestream the hearing via his Facebook page. I will be speaking at approximately 1:45 p.m. Please tune in! I encourage you to submit your own written testimony by emailing the Committee Chairs, Senator Finegold (Barry.Finegold@masenate.gov) and Representative Lawn (John.Lawn@mahouse.gov). Testimony must be submitted by 5 pm this Friday, May 13.      Also tomorrow, the Senate will hold its first ever formal session via remote voting. (Remember that you can always tune in to watch session via livestream at malegislature.gov!) This is a notable advancement. At the core of our representative democracy is engaged debate by legislators and voting on the record. Tomorrow's session brings us one step closer to the debates we need on several complex bills still pending, including the election reforms we will discuss during tomorrow's hearing. While we have passed several important bills during the pandemic so far, we've had to do it all with unanimous support. We are now at the point where we might not have complete consent, and that's not a bad thing -- in fact, it's a healthy part of our democracy -- but we have to have the process to make it happen, even during a public health crisis. As always, my team and I are here for you. Call us at 617-722-1555 or email me directly at becca.rausch@masenate.gov and one of us will get back to you as quickly as we can. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook for real-time updates. Wishing you and your families strength, health, and resilience.  Yours in service, Senator Becca Rausch The newsletter was shortened for publication here. To review the full set of content https://mailchi.mp/109805014352/covid19-update-12432954?e=0c2c9810fe

LiveARTS: BSO Violinist and Cellist Play a Streaming Live Concert - May 17

This Sunday May 17 at 3 p.m. Join us for a special donation-based concert featuring a husband and wife team from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and their children. LiveARTS presents violinist Ala Jojatu, cellist Mihail Jojatu, their daughter Maria (violin), and their son Gabriel (cello) in a streaming live concert on Zoom! To reserve a spot in the audience, go to our website, liveartsma.org, and order a free ticket. The Zoom link will be emailed to you 24 hours before the concert. Tickets are free, but donations are always welcome! PROGRAM Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin and Cello Duo in C major J.S. Bach: Partita No. 1 in B Minor, BWV 1002 (Allemande and Double) William Henry Squire: Bourree, Op. 24 Nicolo Paganini: Caprice No. 24 Ludwig van Beethoven: String Trio op. 3 in E flat major, Op. 3 (Allegro con brio) You can download Zoom using this link:   Download Zoom Copyright © 2020, LiveARTS.org.  All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: LiveARTS P.O. Box 678 Franklin, MA 02038

"sacrificed too much over the past nine weeks to risk a second breakout"

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

"It would be “incredibly irresponsible” to send everyone back to work at the same time, Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday, pushing back against critics who have accused him of moving too slowly to restart the state’s economy as he simultaneously tries to steer the state through the COVID-19 crisis.

The governor also resisted calls for him to tease out details of his reopening strategy before Monday, urging patience as some legislators and industries, like restaurants, are clamoring to be told what businesses will be on the initial list to reopen and what might be expected of them.

“I would love to be able to open everything up tomorrow. That would be an incredibly irresponsible thing to do,” Baker said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200513/gov-baker-full-reopening-would-be-incredibly-irresponsible-as-coronavirus-is-still-present-in-massachusetts

Gov Baker Video link   https://youtu.be/guqouiPFYT8

'Bridge Over Troubled Water' For NHS

When Paul Simon shares a video performance of one of his classic songs, it must be good. This is indeed 'share worthy'. Enjoy!

"Here is an extraordinary performance of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' by the brave men and women from NHS in honor of the Llandudno's Venu Cymru, which has been turned into a temporary coronavirus hospital. During this process, the facility has been renamed to Ysbyty Enfys, which is Welsh for Rainbow Hospital, as a symbol for hope."

Video link = https://youtu.be/WXISBPKrf2E

Operators of Business Coaching Scheme Will Pay At Least $1.2 Million to Settle FTC Charges

The operators of a business coaching scheme will pay at least $1.2 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they targeted people who were trying to start new businesses online and used deception to sell them bogus marketing products and services.

According to the FTC's complaint, Position Gurus and Top Shelf Ecommerce, and their owners Aaron Poysky, Stacy Griego and Samuel Cohen Brown, targeted consumers who were looking for ways to make money by starting retail businesses on the Internet. The defendants found many of their targets by purchasing consumers' contact information from other online business coaching operations that had already deceived the targets.

"If you're starting an online business, there's no quick and easy path to success," said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Companies that charge you big up-front fees and make big promises about earnings are likely scams that offer nothing of value in building a profitable business."

The defendants would call consumers, the complaint alleges, in some cases falsely claiming to be associated with the coaching companies consumers had prior dealings with. The defendants then made high-pressure sales pitches for marketing assistance, claiming it would drive more customers to consumers' online stores and drastically increase sales and earnings.

The defendants also asked consumers for detailed financial information under the guise of determining whether the consumers would "qualify" for their products and services, but instead allegedly used this information to determine how much they could charge consumers.

The defendants then pressured consumers to pay up to thousands of dollars for their marketing products and services. The defendants often encouraged consumers to use their credit cards, or "other people's money," that they could later pay off with their supposed earnings. But the complaint alleges that, in many instances, defendants' marketing products and services did not increase sales or result in the promised earnings of thousands of dollars per month. Many consumers requested refunds and were dissatisfied, but the defendants' contracts included language prohibiting them from posting negative reviews or complaining about their experiences online.

The complaint alleges that the defendants violated the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), and the Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA). Under the terms of the settlements, the defendants will be prohibited from marketing or selling any business coaching services, from misleading consumers in the sale of any goods and services or to get access to their financial information, and from further violations of the TSR. The settlements with Position Gurus, LLC; Top Shelf Ecommerce, LLC; Poysky; and Griego also prohibit further violations of the CRFA.

The settlement with Position Gurus, LLC; Top Shelf Ecommerce, LLC; and Poysky includes a monetary judgement of $16,331,011, which is partially suspended due to an inability to pay. The defendants will be required to surrender more than $931,000, along with the proceeds from the sale of Poysky's 2017 Range Rover and the contents of a number of remaining merchant accounts used by the companies.

The settlement with Brown includes a monetary judgment of $11,053,852, which is partially suspended due an inability to pay. Brown will be required to surrender $123,096 as well as the proceeds from the sale of his 2014 Porsche Panamera.

The settlement with Griego includes a monetary judgment of $16,331,011, which is partially suspended due to an inability to pay. Griego will be required to surrender $234,600.

If any of the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition or ability to pay, then the full amounts of the monetary judgments would become due immediately.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint and stipulated final orders was 5-0. The FTC filed the complaint and final orders in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.




Shared from: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/05/operators-business-coaching-scheme-will-pay-least-12-million