Franklin Matters

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Update: Parmenter modular units - 1 gone, 3 to go

The Parmenter modular units are indeed moving out. They were mounted upon wheels on Thursday/Friday and one of the units is off the property. The other three are positioned to be hauled away.

The DPW is busy this morning cleaning up the space where the units had been sitting for the past 10+ years. I should have some photos of the finished landscaping work for Sunday or Monday.

Circle of Friends Coffeehouse: Tom Rush

Tom Rush is playing at the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse Saturday night, 8:00 PM.

To listen to "a guy with a guitar", there is no better place. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased via the Circle of Friends webpage (tickets will be held at the door for you).

To get a flavor of Tom this almost 10 minute video gives a good sample:

Find more inspiring video, audio, and images at Growing Bolder.

Oh, I don't think I mentioned that the coffeehouse does serve home cooked desserts that are absolutely delicious! When we go, this is our dessert theater!

For more about Tom visit his webpage: http://tomrush.com/

For ticket to the concert at Circle of Friends, visit their webpage: http://circlefolk.org/

"service like that is expected"

The Milford Daily News has an article about Robert Pirelli, father of Robert Ryan Pirelli, who passed away this week.

Pirelli died on Tuesday, after a long battle with stomach cancer. He was 60, and leaves his former wife, Nancy Sullivan of Franklin, his son, Shawn, 28, a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire, and his daughter, Stacey, 25, of Franklin.

Pirelli started the Robert Ryan Pirelli Scholarship Fund in 2008 and over the years had raised money for college-bound Franklin High School students. His son graduated from the school before going on to study at Northeastern University.

Shawn Pirelli said his father delt with the pain of his brother's death by way of collections and fundraisers held at the Elks Lodge. “For my Dad, it was his way of grieving,” he said. “The Elks have done a lot to support my brother and the troops he served with.”

In the News: Library, SEPAC, art

Franklin library book discussion group to meet, Oct. 2

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Friends of Franklin Library to meet, Oct. 3

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin SEPAC announces programs for school year

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin Art Association to meet, Oct. 3

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Farmers Market - noon to 6:00 PM today!

The Farmers Market is open today on the Town Common from noon to 6:00 PM.

Where in Franklin is the Town Common?

View Larger Map

Harvest Festival - Sep 30, 2012

The Franklin Downtown Partnership will be holding the annual Harvest Festival rain or shine on Sunday, Sep 30, 2012.

Note: as a member of the Downtown Partnership, I won't have a booth for Franklin Matters. Rather, I'll be spending time at the Franklin Food Pantry and helping to spread the word about the work that the Food Pantry does. We are located in the Rockland Trust parking lot and if you visit the kids area during the Festival, be sure to stop by!

Going "Car-Free" September 17-23

This is a real challenge for those in Franklin who work outside of Franklin and other than Boston. At least if you work in Boston, the commuter rail could be a commuter option. If you work in NH or RI, there is not a realistic commuter option other than car pooling with co-workers.
Have you tried getting around Franklin without a car? The GATRA bus is one option. Bicycle and walking may be options for some trips.

What do you think? Could you go car-free?

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Going "Car-Free" September 17-23

via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 9/13/12

The Patrick-Murray Administration is encouraging residents who are able to leave their cars in the driveway and try going "car-free" – by bicycling, walking, public transit, carpooling or vanpooling for Massachusetts Car-Free Week, September 17-23.
Massachusetts joins over 1,000 cities in 40 countries across the globe in an effort to showcase the community, environmental, and quality of life benefits of reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

For the third year in a row, Massachusetts will be celebrating an entire week of going car-free or "car-light," which includes carpooling or vanpooling instead of driving alone. No other state in the nation has proclaimed a statewide Car-Free Week celebration.

This year, those who take car-free and "car-light" modes of transportation during Car-Free Week and year-round can start earning discounts and incentives from area businesses through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's rewards program, NuRide, the nation's largest travel rewards program for individuals who take greener trips, and is free for anyone who lives or works in the Commonwealth.

"Car-Free Week is a great time to remind individuals to sign-up for NuRide and be rewarded for their efforts to commute green," said MassDOT Secretary Richard A. Davey. "NuRide is a free program, it is easy to use, and it enables MassDOT to reward travelers for incorporating sustainability into their daily commutes."

Massachusetts Car-Free Week supports GreenDOT, MassDOT's comprehensive environmental responsibility and sustainability initiative launched to support the Global Warming Solutions Act, signed by Governor Deval Patrick in 2008. The Act requires a 25% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2020, the first step toward a required 80 percent reduction by 2050. The transportation sector generates more than one-third of the total greenhouse gas emissions produced in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Car-Free Week is a collaboration between the MassDOT, MassRIDES, the statewide travel options program, and MassCommute, the Massachusetts Transportation Management Association. For more information, visit www.mass.gov/massdot/carfree or email Johanna Blue, Johanna.Blue@state.ma.us