Bren Bataclan: Art Show

Bren Bataclan is coming to Franklin Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. He will be showing some of his work at the Franklin Art Center.

Bataclan, a Cambridge based artist, was recognized by Couric for his “Smile Boston Project. The project involves the artist leaving his cartoon inspired paintings for people to take for “free”. Attatched to each painting is a note saying, “ This painting is yours if you promise to smile at random people more often.” He founded the project in the summer of 2003 and has since gone worldwide. 

The town of Franklin has been honored to have Bataclan paint murals in our elementary schools. Bataclan has also been featured in The Smithsonian Magazine, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Chicago Tribune to name a few. His solo show at the Franklin Art Center will debuting his new painting style and his new Baha series. These paintings are a more figurative and narrative series of work. “Baha” portrays the heroism, resilience and compassion of the Filipino people who have dealt with the recent floods in the Philippines. “Baha” is Bren’s most extensive and quite possibly his most important show to date. The exhibit will also feature Bren’s regular, whimsical characters along with some new ones. Bren will be donating a portion of the sale of his work to help the Filipino people.

For additional information you can visit the Art Center Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/events/347387778632732/

Or their website http://franklinartcenter.com/

Or Bren's own website http://www.bataclan.com/


Image of Bren borrowed from the above links

Reminder: Earth Hour - 8:30 PM

Friendly reminder that Earth Hour occurs at 8:30 PM Saturday evening. Turn off your lights and join millions around the world.




Video summary can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/03/earth-hour-sat-33112-beginning-at-830.html

Additional info on Earth Hour can be found here
http://www.worldwildlife.org/sites/earthhour/index.html

Franklin Art Association to meet, April 4

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Franklin Art Association to meet, April 4

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 3/30/12

The Franklin Art Association will host a meeting on Wednesday, April 4, from 6:30-9 p.m., at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill St.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Marijuana tax stamps still on sale even though law up in smoke

An oddity creates an opportunity for collectors!

 

 

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

 

 

Marijuana tax stamps still on sale even though law up in smoke

via Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue by Robert Bliss on 3/30/12

A Massachusetts newspaper reported this week that two men arrested for possession of five pounds of marijuana had also run afoul of state tax law.

The story went on to quote from the law ... which was all well and good except the law was thrown out in a Supreme Judicial Court case settled in 1998, Commissioner of Revenue v. Mullins. In ruling against the Commonwealth, the SJC said the law was aimed at drug dealers and amounted to a double jeopardy penalty since it imposed a high rate of taxation, had a deterrent purpose, was clearly conditioned on the commission of a crime, and bore no logical relationship to legal possession.

Some background is in order. in 1993, the Massachusetts Legislature passed the Massachusetts Controlled Substance Tax which authorized DOR to print tax stamps for controlled substances such as marijuana. Even though the SJC ruling made the law moot, it has not been repealed. The law set a tax rate of $3.50 per gram or $99.20 per ounce of controlled substance.

After the SJC decision, DOR kept the stamps, which are purple and about the size of a postage stamp.

Indeed, since the law first took effect, DOR has earned about $2,500 from the stamps which sell for $3.50 each, with most of those sales registered after the SJC decision.

Who is buying a stamp that has no valid legal purpose, given the SJC decision? Stamp collectors. Some purchasers sell the stamps as collectibles on web-based auction sales sites for as much as $20.

If you'd like to order your collectible, gag gift or stocking stuffer -- and folks, supplies are running low, so act now since DOR will not re-order the useless stamps once they are gone -- you can obtain them by downloading DOR form CST-1, Marijuana and Controlled Substances Stamp order form and mailing it to DOR at the address listed on the form.

We can't make this stuff up.

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Revenue using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

Earth Hour: Sat 3/31/12 beginning at 8:30 PM

This Saturday evening turn off the non-essentials lights for an hour. Join with millions around the world in Earth Hour!




For more on Earth Hour visit the US website here  http://www.worldwildlife.org/sites/earthhour/index.html

Gardening for the Hungry (video)

Grow a Greener Garden shares a program PBS did on Ample Harvest founder Gary Oppenheimer.

After finding his garden too bountiful, gardener Gary Oppenheimer gave his excess harvest away to friends and neighbors, and soon that route was maxed out as well. He didn’t want to waste great food, so after donating the rest to a local women’s shelter, the idea grew to figure out a way to connect home gardeners to the food banks who are prepared to handle and distribute fresh produce. 

So Gary founded AmpleHarvest.org, with a focus on doing just that, so that surplus harvest can go to hunger relief and not the compost bin. Today, from Master Gardening groups to your friends and neighbors, more people are sharing the bounty and there are some great and easy ways for you to do the same.

You can view the PBS episode here Episode 220: Gardening for the Hungry (time = 1 hour)

Gary Oppenheimer also spoke to the TEDxManhattan event in February (time = 14 minutes)




The Franklin Food Pantry is registered with Ample Harvest.

In the News - solar panels, disappointed voter

Church celebrates new solar panels in Franklin

by Staff reports

Hare: Disappointed by Franklin vote

by GateHouse Media, Inc.