Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 2/21/14 - THU 2/27/14

FRI 2/21   3pm Whalemobile at Franklin Public Library. Grades K-6. Step inside the 43' long inflatable humpback whale Nile to learn about habitat, behavior and conservation of whales. Registration required.

FRI 2/21   6:30pm-8pm   'Healthy Hearts' Family Valentine Dance at the Bernon Family YMCA in Franklin. FREE event for all (members and non-members) with a DJ and many other activities.

SAT 2/22   10:30am-12pm   Animal World Experience, Fiske Public Library, Wrentham. Free, but get your tickets at circulation desk. Canned-goods donations accepted.

MON 2/24   3-4pm   Companion Caregivers Open House, Franklin Senior Center. Please call 508-520-4945 to sign up. On-site care provided for your loved one during Open House.

MON 2/24   7pm   Planning Board Meeting, Franklin Municipal Building, Council Chambers.

Upcoming event - Tickets available NOW at all Hockomock YMCA branches ($20). YMCA will host Elizabeth Smart, Child Protection Activist on May 8 at 7pm (Foxboro HS). Seating limited.

For more details on above events click HERE and select the event of interest.

*If you have any suggestions or events for the calendar, please email Renata@BetterLivingRE.com

A whale of a day

The Library will be hosting a humpback whale today! Registration is required. You can do that by calling the Library at 508-520-4940 or getting to the Circulation Desk. The event is for kids in grade K to 6.

Whalemobile

This was reposted from the Franklin Public Library webpage
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2014/02/whalemobile.html

In the News: youth rally, minimum wage

Local legislators and politicians joined nearly 1,000 young people from across the state Thursday to rally for increased funding for youth jobs programs. 

"You are out there giving a voice to a need in our society today, which is that the government needs to work together with the private sector to make sure there are opportunities for every single person here," state Rep. Tom Conroy, D-Wayland, told the crowd inside Boston's Old South Church. 

Conroy spoke alongside Attorney General Martha Coakley and Felix Arroyo, Boston's chief of Health and Human Services.

Read the full article here:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140221/NEWS/140229298

State Senate President Therese Murray wants the state’s minimum wage raised to $11 per hour. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, supports an increase, but wants it tied to changes in unemployment insurance. 

With dueling bills in the two chambers, there are two questions: what will the final solution be and when it it likely to be arrived at? 

“Both issues are in play in both chambers, but the division is more about process than substance at this point, I think,” Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, said Tuesday.

Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140220/NEWS/140229762

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten Registration for September 2014 will be held on:

Monday, April 7, 2014 from 4:00 - 8:00 PM and
Thursday, April 10, 2014 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM
at the Horace Mann/Oak Street Complex.

Registration forms will be available after March 3rd on the Kindergarten Registration web page, and at the office of the Superintendent.

Horace Mann Middle School on a fall day

Art Show - Feb 22 through Mar 29

As part of an ongoing program, the Norfolk Cultural Council is hosting a joint art exhibit at the Norfolk Public Library from February 22 through March 29 featuring local artist Mireille T. Eastman and homeless advocate and artist Matthew Works. The show explores themes about finding home and finding refuge. A reception will be held on March 8 at the Norfolk Public Library from 6 – 8 pm and everyone is welcome to come and meet the artists. Charley Eastman will provide music for the reception.

Saint Nicholas Church by Mireille Eastman

Mireille T. Eastman is a first generation American who grew up in New York City. She began painting while studying abroad in Paris. As her painting developed she began exploring images of Romania, the land of her parents, seeking to commune with her ancestral home. Please visit her website at mireille-eastman.squarespace.com.

Ecclesia et Civitas by Matthew Works

Matthew Works is a Boston artist, writer and activist for the homeless, who has been homeless for over a decade. His work is a testament to the creative spirit. Matthew travels extensively throughout the United States, speaking and presenting his artwork at churches, colleges and universities. He has built a following as a speaker, including keynote speaker, an artist, and "theologian in residence." He leads a walking tour titled “Homelessness and the Gospel” showing a different perspective of the street of Boston. He has been featured on National Public Radio and was profiled in the New York Times' bestselling book, God's Politics, by the Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners magazine.

MBTA: Five-year Capital Investment public forum: Feb 25 in Cambridge; Feb 26 in Mattapan

Five-year Capital Investment public forum: Feb 25 in Cambridge & Feb 26 in Mattapan. See http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/public_meetings/ for more  Each year, the MBTA develops a 5-year Capital Investment Program (CIP), which invests in infrastructure & vehicles to maintain & modernize the system. We welcome your feedback on our FY15 FY19 Draft CIP. The public comment period began with the publication of the MBTAs Draft CIP on the MassDOT website on January 9, 2014, & ends on February 28, 2013. The FY15 FY19 Draft CIP is available at www.mbta.com. If you are unable to attend a public meeting, but would like to comment, send us an email at cipinfo@mbta.com or write to us at: MBTA Budget Office, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116. All facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. If you need an accommodation in order to fully participate in the hearing, please email us prior to the scheduled date. mbta,com/ Last updated: Feb 19 2014 12:09 PM Click here for more information: http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Meeting/FY15-19%20CIP%20Flyer_English.pdf Sent by the MBTA. (or write subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com)

Remember today

Feb 19 is a special day in US history. It was the day that the Battle of Iwo Jima started in 1945. The flag raising on Mt Suribachi is quite well known. That the battle fought for many days after the flag raising is less so.

Additional information:
Battle of Iwo Jima (wikipedia entry)

To the Shores of Iwo Jima (vintage video)

Iwo Jima Monument in Arlington, VA

If you see a veteran, thank them for their service.

If you find a World War II veteran, listen to a story if they'll tell it. We are all losing too many of those these days.





Note: My father was part of the 4th Marine Division that landed on Iwo Jima on Feb 19th and was one of the lucky ones to walk off in March. I was able to capture part of his oral history and you can listened to him talk of his unit, the Join Assault Signal Company here:
http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/2007/09/jerry-story-joint-assault-signal.html

Spring Training Baseball Clinic - March 1

Instructors include new Franklin High School Head Coach Zach Brown and his Coaching Staff, other local high school and college coaches along with current and former FHS players.

All players will participate in drills and receive instruction on hitting, fielding and

throwing techniques. Over 125 participants last year!

Saturday March 1, 2014

At the Franklin High School Field House

• Choice of 2 sessions: Session 1: 9a.m-11:30a.m.

Session 2: Noon-2:30p.m.

This event is sponsored by the FHS Baseball Boosters, for further information you can reach John Roche or Steve Gallo, email: FHSbaseballboosters@gmail.com or phone 774-571-1881 or 617-947-1668.

A copy of the registration form is shown here.

"Heavenly Haze" and "Grapefruit Diesel"

What is the headline? Two of the types of marijuana proposed for cultivation in the new facility here in Franklin.

The unassuming building at 5 Forge Parkway looks as if it could house any sort of large-scale industrial operation. 

Soon, though, the employees inside, watched over by a six-person security team, will begin growing thousands of pounds of marijuana, to be shipped by a fleet of three vehicles to dispensaries in Brookline and Northampton. 

New England Treatment Access Inc., one of 22 budding non-profit companies awarded licenses to sell medical marijuana last month, is now in the process of obtaining the necessary permits from the town of Franklin so it can start production at the 70,000-square-foot facility, leased through 2024.

Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140219/NEWS/140215841

"There are no negatives to this bill"

The bill, filed last year by state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin, and state Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, amends the current law, reducing the number of plates that a charity must sell initially to 500 and the number during the first two years to 1,000. 

According to Roy, lowering the threshold would help smaller charities reap the benefits of creating their own plates. The sale of specialized plates in Massachusetts — some 215,000 to date — has raised nearly $75 million for non-profits, he said. 

"It puts the small charities on equal footing with the larger groups who have access to marketing resources," Roy said, referencing non-profits aligned with professional sports teams.

Read the full article here:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140219/NEWS/140215829/1994/NEWS