Goodbye Sandy, hello Halloween!

Here's hoping the last of Hurricane Sandy allows the children (big and small) to get around their neighborhoods this evening safely and dry.

Here's to those without power, that the power will be restored quickly.
https://www1.nationalgridus.com/PowerOutageMap


Reminder that the trash pick up schedule remains offset by one day. Wednesday's pick up is now Thursday, etc.

Franklin Newcomers - Meeting - Nov 7

The Franklin Newcomers will hold their November Business Meeting on Wednesday, November 7rd, 7:30pm, Union Street Grill, 371 Union St, Franklin.

JOIN US FOR A
Social Media Discussion, Tour and Q&A

Are you fumbling your way through Facebook? Attempting to "tweet" through Twitter? Baffled about what a blog is? Guest speaker Ed Donohue will discuss social media on the internet and help us understand the variety of social media and websites for general use. The discussion will focus on Facebook, Linked-In, Twitter and blogging, covering what they are, their purpose, how to use them, and when one would choose one website versus another. Mr. Donohue will have hand-outs to offer with information, and will take us on a visual tour, showing how to navigate and get started within each of the sites.

If you feel clueless, or just need to better understand these popular websites, then this is the meeting for you! Feel free to bring a friend. We will also have a question-and-answer session following his discussion, so bring your questions and issues!

We'll meet in the downstairs function room at Union Street Grill (down the stairs by entrance to side parking lot). Join us for an interesting and informative evening with appetizers and fun company.

Prospective members welcome as well as long-time residents!
For more info: www.franklinnewcomers.com

"A lot less than what we thought it would be"

There are costs associated with the clean up from Hurricane Sandy. The Milford Daily News has a write up to report on the early estimates:

Franklin’s cleanup tab may reach $60,000, said Department of Public Works Director Robert Cantoreggi. He said that around 60 percent of the costs will likely come out of the town’s general funds, while the rest will come out of the town’s water and sewer enterprise funds. 

Cantoreggi said that around $10,000 was needed to hire a contracting company to help clear trees over the course of two days. 

He said that around $20,000 will cover the salaries of employees who worked during and after the storm. Six worked overtime.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1890069546/Sandy-costs-towns-thousands-for-cleanup#ixzz2ArpZiPP1

In the News: scams, ballot question, debate, robber

Avoid scams after the storm

by Staff reports

Advocates for ballot question on assisted suicide pledge more ads

by Laura Krantz/Daily News staff

Brown won't debate Warren because of schedule

by Patrick Ronan

Franklin cops: Robber uses Sandy to his advantage

by Matt Tota/Daily News staff

Food Pantry does have handicap access

The Food Pantry does provide handicap access. While it may not look that way from the front

you can go around the side of the building to the back to use the ramp.

What happened to the front railing? The cement along the front entrance was deteriorating and was just replaced. A new wrought iron railing is being ordered and will be installed in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, a wooden railing has been put up. Thanks to Rockland Trust for their contribution that allows the Food Pantry to use this building.


Disclosure: As part of my volunteer effort to help Franklin, I lead the Board of Directors for the Franklin Food Pantry. A version of this was originally posted on the Food Pantry website http://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/2012/10/handicap-access.html

Hurricane Sandy Update October 30 2012

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "TOWN OF FRANKLIN"
Date: Oct 30, 2012 5:30 PM
Subject: Hurricane Sandy Update October 30 2012

Good Evening.  This is Gary Premo calling with updated information on Hurricane Sandy.  National Grid continues to work on restoring power to those without. 

The YMCA, 45 Forge Hill Road, has opened their doors to the public for a hot shower (bring your own towels-toiletries) and as a charging station for your cell phones, iPads etc. 

We have NO plans to postpone Halloween Trick or Treating for the children. 

There will be a dumpster at the Recycling Center on Beaver Street to dispose of spoiled food during normal business hours.  No sticker is needed. 

Dean College reminds residents they can buy a hot meal at their cafeteria on Emmons Street.

Thank you for listening.  Good bye.

This e-mail has been sent to you by TOWN OF FRANKLIN. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform TOWN OF FRANKLIN either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 508-520-4938 or REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

A Christmas Carol Times Two! - Dec 13

"A Christmas Carol Times Two!", a dramatic reading performance of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" combined with traditional 19th century English Christmas carols will happen on Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7PM at the Franklin United Methodist Church, 82 West Central Street in Franklin, Massachusetts.

Actor Al LePage will become "Englishman Thomas Hutchinson, Traveling Thespian" complete with English accent, clothing of the period and other accoutrements for the dramatic reading part. Organist and local minister Rev. Dr. Dianne Carpenter will weave piano music between various scenes to set the tone for what's to come and entertain.

This is a special benefit performance sponsored by the Franklin Historical Commission and hosted by the Franklin United Methodist Church with all proceeds to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry.

Admission is $10 per person and the performance is best appreciated both by adults and children 7 years of age and older. Tickets go on sale Nov. 15th and their advanced purchase is required by visiting the Franklin Historical Museum located at 80 West Central St. in Franklin Thurs. 5-8PM, Sat. 10AM-1PM and Sun. 1-4PM. Doors for the performance open at 6:30PM, the fun begins at 6:45PM, and seating is general admission.

"One of the best gifts I received this year," begins actor Al LePage, "was an email from Franklin, MA. A Mary Olsson called me about doing my Christmas Carol performance in the first town ever named after Benjamin Franklin. And during our follow-up phone conversation, the gift kept getting bigger and better, like unwrapping one box only to find another and yet still another inside that one!"

LePage entertains appreciative audiences with his one-man "solo" of Dickens' Christmas Carol as Victorian-era "Englishman Thomas Hutchinson." His abbreviated performance is not only based upon Dickens own historic public reading version, but are also done just like Dickens did simply by using his voice, facial expressions, gestures and movement to create all 18 characters -- accents and all -- plus sound effects, too! From Scrooge to Tiny Tim, from Marley's Ghost to Mrs. Cratchit, there's howls and growls, bangs and bongs, a dance with a song, lively laughter and heartfelt tears.

Since he's playful, likes to experiment and believes in seizing the moment, even he doesn't always know what's going to happen next. And, before each reading, he's definitely got what could aptly be called “his stories” to tell both in “the year” and the place he's performing to connect, interpret, and share history with the audience. He loves to play to -- and with -- audience members to bring history alive, which will quickly become evident when you first encounter him. He's sure to bring you lively laughter, and hopefully some tears, during his dramatic reading of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol.'

"Gifts, oh yes, gifts," continues LePage. "The first, of course, was the invitation to perform. I gave the second gift and said I'd perform for free with the idea, though, that all the money would go to help keep hunger away from local doorsteps. And it all started coming together with other people giving gifts too! The Franklin Historical Museum would provide the volunteers, the Franklin United Methodist Church would freely host and its very own 'Pastor Dianne' also agreed to play the organ for the event! The Franklin Food Pantry agreed to receive all the money, which in itself, accepting a gift that is, is a sort of gift, too, to the giver, right? This wasn't just another event, this was already becoming a real community event, where everyone involved was being generous with their time, talents and resources."

Hunger close to home is a serious issue both locally and nationally. At any given time, people sometimes have to make choices between food and other critical survival factors such as heat, housing, medical care or transportation. In Massachusetts alone more than a quarter million children, that's almost 1 in every 5 in the state, often face hunger, and almost half are from families that don't qualify for government programs like food stamps or free school lunches simply because they earn too much money. And also according to Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity, a report issued last year by The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) and the national network of food banks, Feeding America, children who don't eat what they need for strong healthy brain development may never recover their lost potential for cognitive growth. The report goes on to say that besides stunting their intellectual capacity, it could also affect learning, social interaction and productivity, diminishing what could have been a child's eventual contributions to society.

"We're still seeing probably a 25% increase this year over last year, and last year was a 25% increase over the year before that, too," says Steve Sherlock, President of the Franklin Food Pantry, "so the demand even for a fairly well to do community, the number of hungry and at risk continues to increase. It's something that's not very well talked about, but the need is something the community fortunately is very able and willing to support. So we want to continue to get the word out, continue to get that support, and this special event will help us do that."

Dianne Carpenter started playing piano at age 6, took up the violin a few years later, and by the time she was a junior in high school landed her first job as a church organist! She pursued her music education degree from Lowell State College, went on to teach music in area schools, but always remained a church organist or choir director as that "teachers second job" to make ends meet. She eventually decided to get even more serious about her life in "music ministry," went back to school to receive a Masters of Sacred Music from Boston University, but continued to teach school. A few years later, though, the economic situation for funding education statewide in Massachusetts took a turn for the worse and teaching jobs were threatened. All this forced her to do some soul-searching, and in the end she decided her journey was now to be the path of pastoral ministry. She sold her house, went back to school yet again, and eventually earned both a Masters of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School and a PhD in Christian Social Ethics from Boston University Graduate School. She's been a minister in the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church for nearly two decades, serving in Natick, Spencer, Belmont, Hamilton and Brewster Massachussetts. She currrently serves as minister of the United Methodist Church in Franklin, MA, and continues to publicly perform both on organ and piano, typically now only playing the violin for her own enjoyment.

"We all have gifts, and God wants us to be generous with those gifts, asking us to share them," begins Rev. Dr. Dianne Carpenter, pastor at Franklin United Methodist Church. "And this event is an opportunity for the community not only to be entertained, but also become aware of the real meaning of Christmas, God's passion for the entire world as reflected in providing the resources needed by the food pantry so everyone served can celebrate the season, too."

LePage got his start bringing history to life through improvised portrayals of real people from the past and has been seen by thousands during the eight years he appeared at events with the National Park Service, historic sites, museums, and other venues in the Pacific Northwest. He's appeared on the PBS TV History Detectives series as everything from a bartender to Robert E. Lee! He's also written and produced his own one-man historical dramas, and recorded his “short” performance version of Dickens' classic holiday story as a one man radio show, an Oregon Public Broadcasting Radio production that premiered last year on Christmas Eve. LePage has even given “historical performances” on location in Boston where, and once when (same calendar date), Dickens did in 1867! "Performance with passion and purpose" is the mission of his Great Stories Alive! theater company shows. “Englishman Thomas Hutchinson” was first created to share history as an “average guy” but who somehow always seemed to turn up when and where historic events happened! He now lives on as a Victorian-era “Traveling Thespian” giving performances of Dickens' Christmas Carol to benefit charity, having done so since 2006. Last year he even traveled to England to perform the Carol for the very first time. LePage loves to improvise and believes all the world's a stage, and every audience member a potential player, so watch out!

"As an actor, the show itself is my work," says Al LePage, "but as a person my real work is about generosity, not only being generous myself, but also cultivating it in others. And what's great about generosity, about giving of oneself, is that it does good things both for the giver and the receiver, too. Tis better to give than to receive, as the saying goes. So give yourself a special treat this year and know that the ticket you buy isn't really just about a show, it's also about generosity, it's about helping to feed someone, it's about loving your neighbors as yourself."

"I've been talking about the upcoming event for the last three months," says Mary Olsson, Franklin Historical Commission board member, "and everyone is so excited, I know it's going to be a sell-out! Get your tickets fast!"


Photo Credit: David Krapes

East St Construction

East St, West St, Nason St have had their water mains and sewer lines redone.

As I walked by on Saturday, it looked like the roadway was being patched. The roads will likely stay this way until the construction season opens in 2013.

Roy gains 3 endorsements

Jeff Roy has been endorsed by Glenn Jones, Matt Kelly and Andrew Bissanti.

Pictured left to right: Jones, Kelly, Roy and Bissanti


The press release is attached:

NHC: Post-Tropical Cyclone SANDY Graphics

In the after math of Sandy, we can be thankful for the storm being not as bad for us as it could have been. Those rising tides have caused damage that will take time to repair. Our thoughts and prayers go to those in the recovery areas.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Post-Tropical Cyclone SANDY Graphics

via NHC Atlantic Wallet 3 - Post-Tropical Cyclone SANDY by nhcwebmaster@noaa.gov (nhcwebmaster) on 10/29/12

5-Day Uncertainty Track last updated Tue, 30 Oct 2012 02:50:53 GMT


Wind Speed Probabilities last updated Tue, 30 Oct 2012 03:03:17 GMT

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to NHC Atlantic Wallet 3 - Post-Tropical Cyclone SANDY using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

In the News: storm, Warren, Cinderella, gardeners

Crews prepared for a large storm

by Matt Tota/Daily News staff

Warren aims to be first Mass. woman sent to U.S. Senate

by Chris Burrell

Crossway Church to present unique version of ‘Cinderella’

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin Garden Club seeking new members

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Update: Franklin schools to open Tuesday

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT"
Date: Oct 29, 2012 8:33 PM
Subject: Update

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Good Evening- At this point we have been advised the severe aspects of the storm are over. All school facilities have power and we anticipate all schools will open on Tuesday. However, this status could change and we will  continue to consult with Public Safety and Facilities personnel through the night. We do not have information on the status of roads If our status changes we will send out a message between 5:30 and 6:00 am.  We understand that some homes may not have power and that there are trees and power lines down in several neighborhoods.  If school is open and you feel you do not want to send your children to school we respect your decision as parents/guardians. Storm related absences will be excused. Thank You and Stay Safe, Maureen  This e-mail has been sent to you by FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at (508) 613-1777.

MBTA: All Modes of Service - All Lines/Routes

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "T-Alerts Notification"
Date: Oct 29, 2012 8:59 PM
Subject: All Modes of Service - All Lines/Routes

Regularly scheduled MBTA service to resume at the start of service Tuesday, October 30, 2012, with the exception of Providence/Stoughton Line.

For updates, check MBTA.com/weather. 10/29/2012 8:53 PM

nationalgrid Power Outage map - 8:30 PM 10/29/12

The nationalgrid Power Outage map as of 8:30 PM Monday evening showing Franklin, MA

To get an updated view of the map, you can visit this webpage
https://www1.nationalgridus.com/PowerOutageMap

Hurricane Sandy Update

Good Evening.  This is Communications Director Gary Premo calling with updated information on Hurricane Sandy.  Reports are the brunt of the storm will felt locally for the next several hours.  Please report any power outages directly to National Grid at 1-800-322-3223 or 1-800-465-1212.  If you encounter a downed wire outside, assume it is LIVE and STAY AWAY.  National Grid is reporting approximately 800 customers without power in Franklin, and are actively working to restore power.
Thank you for listening.  Stay safe.  Good bye.

This e-mail has been sent to you by TOWN OF FRANKLIN.