Welcome to 2021

Rarely has a new year been so anticipated. Rarely has the old year been so challenging.

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director  - 01/03/2021

2020, good riddance! That was the broadly shared sentiment on New Year’s Eve.

Midnight came. Midnight went. The ball dropped on an evacuated Times Square. That sorry visual summed up 2020. Confetti going nowhere. No cheering throngs. Ryan Seacrest was working overtime to gin up manic excitement from – nobody. (sound effect of crickets.)   The surreal scene unfolded like a bad dress rehearsal. This apocalyptic moment was 2020’s parting ‘gift’ to the world. 2020 threw a  going-away party – and nobody came.  (sound effect of one feeble party horn.)

I take a few minutes to watch the ball drop every year. Underneath the noise and hoopla there is a clock-tick at the stroke of midnight; one that I just don’t hear.

Can’t say the ‘moment’ ever hits home for me at midnight. My sense of a New Year happens when that very first glimmer of predawn light arrives the next morning. This hushed, solitary waking moment, separated from all that was, is when 2021 becomes real. It is my existential, experiential journey from first night to first light.

This is the light of hope and promise. It is mine.

Now we turn to hope for 2021 – more than usual. However, we also need resolve – more than usual. Steely resolve – for our journey from darkness.

Yes, it will be darkest before the promised dawn. But, by steely resolve that dawn will surely come. That resolve is simply to be kind and considerate to others around you, be they friend or stranger.

We are resolved to defeat covid19 in 2021. When it’s gone, we can party– like it’s 1999.

And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm.
And, thank you for watching. 

DelCarte on New Year's day

Get this week's program guide for Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf  or for archive purposes  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10z6geRirkh-AuYuyu0O9tFiIb7hvdCrD/view?usp=sharing

“We have to give credit to the entire community for its help"

"It might be Bonnie and Mark Corso steering the ship, but the swell of enthusiasm from the Franklin community has supported their plans to open Fresh Start Market.

With more than 70 combined years of experience in the food industry—Mark in sales, distribution and grocery stores, and Bonnie in restaurants and food warehousing and distribution—an idea that was conceived nearly five years ago is now finally being realized. At first, they believed a stall at the now-popular Boston Public Market would be the right place to sell their curated selection of unique local products, but they were opposed to being in direct competition with the suppliers themselves, so they declined. With busy work lives and childrearing responsibilities to four, the over-extended Corsos decided to put their idea on hold.

Then the pandemic hit and the way of doing business in most industries, including the food industry, was turned upside down. Bonnie quickly realized that smaller local farms had inventory that needed distribution. “I saw that mom-and-pop farmstand sales were increasing, so I started to make calls to farmers directly. Not only was inventory available, but farmers told me they would adjust to meet our needs,” says Bonnie. So, Fresh Start Market took form."

Continue reading the article online 

https://www.naturalawakeningsboston.com/2020/12/30/340335/a-healthy-start-to-a-new-year-fresh-start-market-opening-in-franklin

Listen to the Franklin Matters Radio episode with Bonnie talking about the development of the Fresh Start Market  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/12/fm-425-fresh-start-market-121620-audio.html

Finian, their pet parrot, provided some background commentary during our remote recording session

FHS - 2020-2021 Boys Hockey Preview by HockomockSports.com

HockomockSports.com provides a preview of the high school boys hockey teams for the Hockomock League. We share the Franklin info here and provide the link to the page with all the other team previews. 

FRANKLIN
2019-2020 Record: 11-8-4
2019-2020 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Semifinal
Coach: Anthony Sarno

Head coach Anthony Sarno can’t help but wonder what could have been for this season. Franklin had a strong group of returners back from last year’s squad and Sarno had a schedule filled with top teams from around the state ready to see how his Panthers stacked up to the elite talent. But now Franklin will focus on its 10-game Hockomock schedule with a chance to prove it’s the top team in the league. 

Franklin will rely on its senior class to lead the way. The Panthers will be very solid in the back, starting with senior goalie Jack Paterson. After serving in a backup capacity previously, Paterson steps into the starting role but is getting pushed in practice by classmate Gary Mandia. Along the blue line, Franklin has plenty of familiar names with the likes of Joe LeBlanc (nine points), Will Sheehan, Justin Abely, and Pat Dolan — all four are seniors with a good amount of varsity experience. 

Offensively, the Panthers have a good variety of attacking options led by last year’s HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Dylan Marchand (13 points). Sarno is carrying 20 players and plans to use them all, rolling four lines offensively. JT Dwyer and Declan Lovett are both senior centers and have been strong in the face off circle so far. Sophomore Ben Jarosz should see an expanded role after getting some time last year. Franklin will look to expand on its puck possession after making the switch from a dump-and-chase team. 

“We were looking forward to playing against some of the best teams in the state but we’re going to make the most of this opportunity,” Sarno said. “We’re going to give it our all each game. We’ve going to practice as hard as we play in games, the energy the kids have brought has been contagious. We’re treating every game like a playoff game, that’s the type of energy we want to bring to each game.”

For all the previews of the girls hockey teams around the Hockomock League

https://hockomocksports.com/2020-2021-hockomock-boys-hockey-preview/

FHS - 2020-2021 Boys Hockey Preview by HockomockSports.com

Franklin Artist Amy Adams art work featured in a "Count on me" themed video

Check out FAA Member artist Amy Adams artwork in a "Count on me" themed video in Franklin.  https://fb.watch/2L6K5wZ7kw/

"So grateful to have been featured on this message of hope for the New Year!" 
-Amy Adams

Franklin Artist Amy Adams art work featured in a "Count on me" themed video

Great summary of the Solar Winds attack, not just on the US

Noted security expert Bruce Schneier writes: 

"Recent news articles have all been talking about the massive Russian cyberattack against the United States, but that’s wrong on two accounts. It wasn’t a cyberattack in international relations terms, it was espionage. And the victim wasn’t just the US, it was the entire world. But it was massive, and it is dangerous. 

Espionage is internationally allowed in peacetime. The problem is that both espionage and cyberattacks require the same computer and network intrusions, and the difference is only a few keystrokes. And since this Russian operation isn’t at all targeted, the entire world is at risk — and not just from Russia. Many countries carry out these sorts of operations, none more extensively than the US. The solution is to prioritize security and defense over espionage and attack. 

Here’s what we know: Orion is a network management product from a company named SolarWinds, with over 300,000 customers worldwide. Sometime before March, hackers working for the Russian SVR — previously known as the KGB — hacked into SolarWinds and slipped a backdoor into an Orion software update. (We don’t know how, but last year the company’s update server was protected by the password “solarwinds123” — something that speaks to a lack of security culture.) Users who downloaded and installed that corrupted update between March and June unwittingly gave SVR hackers access to their networks. 

This is called a supply-chain attack, because it targets a supplier to an organization rather than an organization itself — and can affect all of a supplier’s customers. It’s an increasingly common way to attack networks. Other examples of this sort of attack include fake apps in the Google Play store, and hacked replacement screens for your smartphone."

Continue reading the article online

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/12/russias-solarwinds-attack.html

screengrab of https://www.schneier.com/

Franklin Art Association: Demo Meeting - Wednesday, Jan 6 at 6:30 PM

Dear FAA Member,

***Happy New Year***!!  We hope you safely enjoyed the 2020 Holiday Season, and are looking forward to the first FAA Demo meeting of 2021 this Wednesday, Jan 6^th at 6:30pm. 

The 1/6/21 Demo Artist will be our very own Peg Munson, who is going to demo "Paint Pouring".   Peg describes her Paint Pouring or Poured Fluid Art: "Paint pouring involves combining various additives with acrylic paints, and using different techniques and tools the prepared paints are combined and poured onto a surface. The surface can then be tilted, spun, swiped and manipulated to achieve an endless variety of results.

By using some basic knowledge of color theory (color wheel) and learning what additives and techniques will give the desired results almost anyone can create a successful painting. It will require some practice and probably some 'failed' paintings along the way, but it is a lot of FUN."

 

Peg's background:  I have always been interested in art and have done watercolors, stained glass, pastels, alcohol inks and most recently paint pouring with acrylic paints. My interest in photography has been ongoing and is a great pairing with the other art mediums. I am mostly self-taught, but I took weekly pastel classes with Joanne Willoughby for two years and attended several pastel workshops. 

 

I have had several solo shows of my pastel paintings and have participated in several juried art shows in person and online.  As a member of the Franklin and Foxboro Art Associations I participated in many art shows and been pleased to win some ribbons. I recently started a Facebook art page "Margaret L. Munson Art". 

 

In pastel my focus has been landscapes, and since discovering alcohol inks and acrylic paint pouring, I have really enjoyed the abstract art form. I have discovered that paint pouring is a lot of fun and somewhat addictive!  

Peg Munson, who is going to demo "Paint Pouring"

"See you" all next Wed, Jan 6, 2021 at 6:30 PM at the FAA Demo Meeting!! 

The Zoom link will be sent early in the week!

Public Hearing - New Section 12 All Alcoholic Beverages License - Jan 20, 2021

Public Hearing- New Section 12 All Alcoholic Beverages License

480 Franklin Village Drive

The Franklin Town Council will hold a Public Hearing on an application by PH Franklin d/b/a Public House, located at 480 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin, MA for a New All Alcoholic Beverages Restaurant License. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 at 7:10 PM. This hearing will provide an open forum for the discussion.

This meeting will be held remotely via the “ZOOM” platform. Residents can visit the Town
Website (Franklinma.gov) and click on the Town Calendar for up to date information on how to access the meeting. If you have any questions, please call the Town Administrator’s Office at (508) 520-4949.

Submitted by,

Chrissy Whelton
Licensing Administrator

Shared from the Town of Franklin page   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/agendas/2020-01-06_public_house_web_abutters_notification.pdf

Public Hearing - New Section 12 All Alcoholic Beverages License - Jan 20, 2021