National Grid: High Wind Alert

To view this email as a web page, click here. A message from National Grid National Grid has been closely monitoring the heavy winds expected to hit our area over the next 36 hours. We are preparing our personnel and crew for potential outages and want to make sure that you are ready, too. If you have an elderly relative or neighbor, please ensure that they are aware of the situation and have considered their options. Please see below for a list of our safety tips and important contact information. Be prepared by creating an emergency kit: Water. The American Red Cross recommends one gallon of water per person per day Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food Charged cell phone Flashlight and extra batteries Battery-powered or hand-crank radio First aid kit We urge you to stay connected In addition to Outage Central, National Grid offers a number of ways for customers to report outages or learn about restoration efforts and important safety information.  Here's how: Outage reporting hotline - Call 1-800-465-1212 to report an outage. Text messages - Customers can receive text message alerts by texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743). Customers can opt out at any time by texting the word STOP to NGRID (64743). Find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Download our free mobile app (available in the Apple and GooglePlay stores) which will allow you to view outage maps, report your outage, check the status of your outage, and access important contact and safety information. Remember, if your power goes out, you can also access our mobile website by going to nationalgrid.com on your mobile phone. National Grid Here with you. Here for you. © 2013 National Grid USA Service Company, Inc. This email was sent by: National Grid 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, MA 02451, U.S.A.

Franklin Art Association - Nov 2013 - Newsletter

The November 2013 Newsletter for the Franklin Art Association



This includes a reminder of their upcoming Art Exhibit and Sale on Sat Nov 16th and Sun Nov 17th

For more about the FAA visit their webpage http://www.franklinart.org/

Sunrise Montessori School - Yard Sale - Nov 2

The yard sale details are as follows:

• Sunrise Montessori School yard sale
• Saturday, November 2nd from 9am to 2pm; rain or shine
• 31 Hayward St., Franklin

Stop by the Sunrise yard sale for some fantastic deals on children's games, toys, clothing, items for the home, gently used sports equipment and much more.

Sunrise Montessori School is a nonprofit, 501c3 organization. All proceeds from the sale to benefit the school's programs. Unsold items will be donated to Cradles to Crayons and Big Brother-Big Sister.

In the News: make Treasurer appointed, witch in Unionville

Dacey: Make Franklin post appointed

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, voters in Franklin will have an opportunity to change the Treasurer-Collector position from elected to appointed.  The Town of Franklin can join surrounding towns who appoint their Treasurers and Collectors with Milford and Plainville being the lone exceptions; Milford is looking to make their positions appointed.

This is the binding question on the ballot next Tuesday. The second or non-binding question is whether Franklin should consider a mayoral form of government. Technically we already do. In any case, it would take years to bring about the change if the decision were to go forward.

The text of the question can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/proposed-ballot-question.html

Johnston: Be there a witch in Unionville?

On All Hallow's Eve, the men went to Old Moll's grave on Forge Hill. In the dark of the night, guided only by the light cast by their tin lanterns, they dug up Old Moll.

There is nothing like a good story for Halloween!

MBTA: Some subway, commuter rail, and bus service may be extended to accommodate World Series Game 6.

Some subway, commuter rail, and bus service may be extended to accommodate World Series Game 6. Subway The Red, Orange, Blue, Green, and Silver Lines will operate until their regular weekday schedule time. If necessary, subway service will continue until all fans from Fenway Park have been accommodated after the game's conclusion. Commuter Rail The last outbound Fairmount, Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth, Middleborough/Lakeville, Needham, and Newburyport Line trains will depart at their regularly scheduled time. The last outbound Fitchburg/South Acton, Franklin, Haverhill, Lowell, Rockport, and Providence/Stoughton Line trains will be held approximately 45 minutes after the game's conclusion but will leave no later than 1 a.m. The last regularly scheduled outbound Framingham/Worcester Line train will depart South Station at its regularly scheduled time. An extra train will accommodate World Series passengers at Yawkey Way and will depart approximately 15 minutes after the game's conclusion. Bus All connecting bus service (service which waits for the last subway train) will operate until its regular weekday schedule time. If necessary, bus service will continue until all fans from Fenway Park have been accommodated after the game's conclusion. Last updated: Oct 30 2013 1:44 PM Click here for more information: http://www.mbta.com/events/ Sent by the MBTA. Manage subscriptions Manage account Help (or write support@govdelivery.com)

Franklin Library: trick or treat

Trick or Treat at the Library on Thursday

Trick or Treat at the Library

http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2013/10/trick-or-treat-at-library.html

Reminder - FEF Casino Night - Nov 2, 2013

Details on the Franklin Education Foundation - Casino Night - Nov 2, 2013 can be found in this PDF:

FEF Casino Night  - Nov 2

Since 1997, Franklin Education Foundation events have raised nearly $300,000 which has been distributed to Franklin Public Schools in the form of special grants. All Franklin Public School staff members are eligible to submit creative, innovative ideas for programs or activities that would not traditionally be funded by tax dollars. To see a list of programs FEF have funded over the years, visit www.franklined.org. The Franklin Education Foundation is a 5019c03 non-profit organization. All gifts are fully tax deductible.

Beethoven at the Claflin Hill Symphony - Nov 2

There are four Franklin Public School staff members who are playing in an all Beethoven program this Saturday Nov. 2 with the Claflin Hill Symphony. The concert, which features the Beethoven Violin Concerto with soloist Angel Valchinov, is at 7:30 PM at Milford Town Hall, under the direction of Paul Surapine.

Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra

The Franklin Public School and Lifelong Learning staff who are symphony members are Diane Plouffe, violin; Kathleen Woods, viola; Brent Selby, cello; and Kevin Donegan, trumpet. The concert will also feature Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 and the Coriolanus Overture.

Additional details and tickets for this concert can be found online  http://www.claflinhill.org/

Hockomock YMCA: Youth Basketball League registration

The Hockomock Area YMCA is accepting registrations for its annual winter Youth Basketball League which begins December 7th for children ages 3-14. The first three weeks will be devoted to practices and the last five weeks to playing games (all will be held on Saturdays). The league is open to players of all levels. 

Hockomock YMCA - Youth Basketball League

The Youth Basketball League (YBL) is the YMCA’s most popular youth sports league. It focuses primarily on skill development, sportsmanship and fun. Emphasis will be placed on dribbling, shooting, passing, teamwork, and having fun. The first three weeks of practices are developed to meet the needs of each age group and to best advance their skills in a healthy and fun way. For the following five weeks, children will compete in games (times are TBA). Each player in YBL will receive a team t-shirt and a trophy at the end of the season banquet.
Children ages will play in coed divisions. The cost for the program is $66 for members and $99 for non-members. Hurry and sign up today because after November 26th winter league prices will increase. 

To register, please stop by your local branch of the Hockomock Area YMCA:

• Bernon Family Branch (FR) - 45 Forge Hill Road in Franklin | call 508.528.8708
• Invensys Foxboro Branch (FX) – 67 Mechanic Street in Foxboro | 508.543.2523
• North Attleboro Branch (NA) - 300 Elmwood Street in North Attleboro | 508.643.5215

Or, visit us online at www.hockymca.org (only full members can register online).

Please note, ages may vary by branch. For further information, please contact your branch’s Sports Director FR: Kailynn Bateman, kailynnb@hockymca.org, 774.235.2720; FX: Shelly Jacobsen, shellyj@hockymca.org, 508.772.1354; NA: Michelle Burke, michelleb@hockymca.org, 508.643.521. 

About the Hockomock Area YMCA
We believe that lasting personal and social change can only come about when we work together to invest in our kids, our health, and our neighbors. That’s why, at the Y, strengthening community is our cause. Every day, we work side by side with our neighbors in our community to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. Reach Out for Youth & Families is our annual support campaign to provide a YMCA experience to more than 15,000 local children and families in need.

Pumpkin Stroll at Parmenter, election day next Tuesday

The Parmenter Pumpkin Stroll is scheduled for today. 

Parmenter School sign

Next Tuesday is Franklin's local election.

Franklin Election - Nov 5th

3 Restaurant - Caring for our Community with a Night of Comedy!

Caring for our Community with a Night of Comedy! Saturday, November 2nd 2013 3 Restaurant, Franklin, MA 7-11 pm, $35 per ticket Our purpose is to support the Ellie Fund, a wonderful organization that serves breast cancer patients & their families locally. Comedy by the hilarious Harrison Stebbins Music by the Jennifer Tefft Band 50/50 Raffle Light Snacks Cash Bar Silent Auction Harrison Stebbins: With a sarcastic wit and an improvisational style, Harrison Stebbins has quickly become one of the most popular comedy acts in the Northeast. His unique blend of high-energy physical comedy and clever insight keeps audiences laughing long after he has left the stage. The current champion of the Sam Adam's Best of Boston comedy competition, he has performed on the Comedy Central Live Tour, Dave Attel's Insomniac Tour featured on Comedy Central, and many more. His razor sharp wit and animated persona have made him one of stand-up comedy's fastest rising stars and an act you don't want to miss! Jennifer Tefft:  After getting her start playing for change in the subway tunnels and streets of Cambridge, MA, Tefft has gone on to release 4 CDs which have received critical acclaim including a nomination for Best Female Vocalist by the Boston Music Awards. Songs from all 4 releases have been used on national TV shows such as CSI, MTV, One Life To Live, The Young & The Restless, among others. Jennifer and her band have toured extensively, sharing the stage with bands like Aerosmith, Quiet Riot, Warrant, Missing Persons, and more. To register for this event, visit www.beadsforacause.com/events, or click here!

Forward email Let's Eat, Inc. | 461 Central Street | Franklin | MA | 02038

Franklin Library: music and movement

Don't go stir crazy. The youngsters can get out to the Library for music and movement.

Music and movement

Tuesday at 10:30 AM at the Franklin Library
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2013/10/celebrate-fall-through-music-movement.html

In the News: Friday tweet-a-hon, Washington St accident

State police to take part in Friday Tweet-a-thon

On Friday, Nov. 1, the Massachusetts State Police will join law enforcement agencies around the world to participate in a 24-hour Tweet-a-thon to bring attention to the use of social media by law enforcement. 

@MassStatePolice
@franklinpolice
and while you are at it you can follow @franklinmatters and @franklinfoodpan

Franklin crash leaves Uxbridge man dead, another injured

An Uxbridge man is dead and a Franklin woman injured following an accident Sunday night on Washington Street, police said.

Public Art - Portland, ME

I did a bunch of walking in Portland, ME this weekend and was pleased to see some public art in the city. Along the waterfront in one of the main tourist sections (Commercial St) and then in the Eastern Promenade there were several pieces on display and the photos are shown here. There are other pieces located through out the city in addition to many monuments.

public art - eastern promenade

public art 2 -  eastern promenade

public art 3 - eastern promenade

Armillary - Portland, ME

Armillary 2000 - Portland, ME

For additional information on this piece you can visit the Public Art Portland webpage
http://www.publicartportland.org/project/untitled-armillary/


Unfortunately, the three pieces from the Eastern Promenade are not available on this webpage.
Portland did put together a "Master Plan" for the Eastern Promenade and you can find that here
http://www.portlandmaine.gov/planning/epmp.pdf

Why privacy matters? (video)

After walking around Portland, ME this weekend, this TED Talk is quite relevant. It is amazing how much information we choose to share and what can be done with it.

Alessandro Acquisti explores the topic and provides some insights on the research being done in this arena. 

Turkey Trot Family Fun Run 5K

Have a good excuse for some second helpings by running or walking the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning.

Details for this event can be found in the flyer here or on the race webpage http://feedtheneed.org/races/112813.html



Registration is 20 non-perishable food items or $20.

Flyer updated 11/7/13 to fix a typo

2013 Fall Art Exhibit and Sale

Franklin Art Association

2013 Fall Member’s Art Exhibit and Sale

Bellingham Library
100 Blackstone Street
Bellingham, MA 02019

Follow I-495 North to Exit 17 (Route 140). Take a left off the exit ramp to Route 140 North. Follow Route 140 North through 4 traffic lights, past the Rapid Refill Plaza. At the 5th traffic light, take a left onto Blackstone Street. The Library is located less than a 1/2 a mile down Blackstone Street, on the left hand side of the road.
508-966-1660

http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org

Saturday November 16th 10 am to 8 pm
Sunday November 17th 12 pm to 4 pm

Franklin Art Association

The exhibit is free and open to the public and includes:

• The exhibit and sale of fine art paintings and photographs
• Bin sales of original works of art and prints
• A silent auction of small works
• A scholarship raffle
• Complementary food and beverages

Since 1971  www.franklinart.org

Franklin Food Pantry Receives Grant from Darden Restaurants

Funds Earmarked to Support the Healthy Futures Initiative - Grant is one of more than 850 awarded through Darden’s 2nd annual Restaurant Community Grants program

The Franklin Food Pantry was selected as a recipient of a $1,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Foundation, the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants Inc. The grants program, now in its second year, empowers each restaurant in the Darden family of brands to help award a $1,000 grant to support local community programs.

Chosen by the LongHorn Steakhouse restaurant in Franklin, The Franklin Food Pantry has earmarked Darden’s funds to supply fresh fruit to its clients through its recently launched Healthy Futures Shelf. 

In Photo from left to right:  Linda Sottile, Director of Operations at the
Franklin Food Pantry; Jodi Morgan, Kitchen Manager, Jessica Studley,
Culinary Professional, and Jason McHenry, Managing Partner from LongHorn
Steakhouse in Franklin;  Tony Kucich, Volunteer at the Franklin Food Pantry,
and Jon Morse of The Big Apple in Wrentham.

“With this grant from Darden and support from The Big Apple in Wrentham, The Pantry can supply approximately 240 apples each week for 4 months, a welcome item on the shelves at The Pantry this Fall”, stated Linda Sottile, Director of Operations for The Pantry.

Healthy Futures Franklin is part of Mass in Motion (MIM), a statewide movement that promotes opportunities for healthy eating and active living. MIM programs work with communities, schools, childcare centers, and businesses to create changes that make it easy for people to eat better and move more. “Together, we can create healthier communities, and a healthier Commonwealth. We have received funding through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to continue the work in Franklin, and the Franklin Food Pantry has been an instrumental partner in these efforts”, said Marissa Garofano, Director of Community Wellness for the Hockomock Area YMCA.

According to Erin Lynch, Director of Development at the Franklin Food Pantry, “Providing nutritional advocacy and access to fresh fruits and produce is a priority for The Pantry in its role as a Healthy Futures partner. The high cost of perishable items is a barrier to wholesome nutrition for many families. We try to supply these items to our clients whenever affordable and available. We are very grateful to Darden Restaurants for their contribution to this community effort.” The Pantry has also received support from MetroWest Health Foundation, Stop & Shop, and the community to enhance the variety and quality of healthy items and nutrition resources that they can offer.

Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille and Eddie V’s brands participated in the grant program. Many restaurants and brands worked together to award one nonprofit organization with a larger grant and make a greater impact in their community. The restaurants will award more than $1.9 million to more than 850 exceptional nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Nonprofits receiving grants support one of Darden’s three key focus areas: access to postsecondary education, preservation of natural resources and hunger. 

“Our employees are incredibly passionate about the communities where they live, and our restaurant teams are in a position to understand and help address the needs of their communities,” said Drew Madsen, Darden Restaurants’ president and chief operating officer. “We’re all proud to build on that passion through the grants program and bring real, local citizenship to life by enabling each restaurant to make a difference in their backyard.” 

For more information about the Darden Foundation, please visit www.dardenfoundation.com. For additional information on The Franklin Food Pantry, please visit www.franklinfoodpantry.org. For more information on Mass in Motion, please contact Marissa Garofano at marissag@HOCKYMCA.ORG or visit www.healthyfuturesfranklin.org for information on the Healthy Futures Initiative. 

About Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI), the world’s largest full-service restaurant company, owns and operates more than 2,000 restaurants that generate over $8.0 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and employing more than 190,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2013, Darden was named to the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the third year in a row and is the only full-service restaurant company to ever appear on the list. Our restaurant brands – Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House – reflect the rich diversity of those who dine with us. Our brands are built on deep insights into what our guests want. For more information, please visit, www.darden.com.

The Darden Foundation
The Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation is the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants, Inc. The Foundation’s mission is to maintain a spirit of volunteerism and philanthropy as defining characteristics of Darden Restaurants. Since 1995, the Darden Foundation has awarded more than $60 million in grants, with $7.2 million given in fiscal year 2012. The Darden Foundation carries out its mission by focusing philanthropic efforts and resources on the following program areas: Access to Postsecondary Education, Preservation of Natural Resources and Good Neighbor Grants. For more information, please visit, www.dardenfoundation.com. 

About The Franklin Food Pantry
Established in 1987, the mission of the Franklin Food Pantry is to provide immediate hunger relief and healthy sustainable solutions, by empowering the community through resources, education and collaboration. It is part of the Greater Boston Food Bank network and depends entirely on support and donations from volunteers, corporate partners and the community at large. The Franklin Food Pantry is located at 43 West Central Street, Route 140 and can accept donations during business hours, Tuesday - Friday, 9am -1pm. Non-perishables may also be dropped off after hours in the bin by the front door, or monetary donations may be mailed to Franklin Food Pantry, PO Box 116, Franklin MA 02038. For more information, visit us at franklinfoodpantry.org, like our page on Facebook, or call us at 508-528-3115. The Franklin Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization FEIN # 04-3272663.

"people need to consider how it is going to be paid"

Representative Jeffrey Roy is putting his experience dealing with unfunded mandates to good use.

Drawing from his experience in local government, Roy has co-sponsored a bill to establish a commission to study unfunded mandates imposed on public schools. 

A section in the 1993 education bill was similar to what Roy and other sponsors want - a commission to review and evaluate all legislative requirements related to education and to make recommendations to eliminate or reduce some of the mandates. 

"No commission was ever formed since 1993," Roy said. "We are not asking you to discontinue this practice, what we are asking you to do is study the practice.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

A list of the unfunded mandates required for schools as of 2009 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-1.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-2.html
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-3.html

The Mass Association of School Committees (MASC) document listing the unfunded mandates is now located here:
http://www.masc.org/advocacy-center/position-papers/131-getting-ready-for-a-difficult-budget-setting-process

Farmers Market - Town Common - noon to 6:00 PM

The Farmers Market is open every Friday through the end of October.

farmers market sign downtown

Stop by to get fresh produce!

farmers market on a sunny day