April showers bring May runners to Franklin!

Ready to shake away those winter doldrums?

Get those running or walking shoes ready to go.

There are three weekends in May that you can run/walk or any combination that fits your schedule.

All three race/walks are fund raisers so you get to exercise and help a Franklin charity.
That sounds like a real winning deal!



Saturday, May 3 - 10:00 AM
The Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee will hold a fund raising 5K road race/walk
You can register for this race here  http://www.franklinbellinghamrailtrail.org/race

Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee

Saturday, May 10 - 10:00 AM
The Franklin Elks will hold the "Elks Care Elks Share" Annual 5K Road Race & Walk
The Elks race will benefit the Franklin Food Pantry and Wounded Warriors.
You can find information about the race on Facebook and register here
https://racewire.com/register.php?id=3650

Franklin Elks Care Elks Share

Sunday, May 18 - 9:00 AM
HMEA will hold their 13th Annual Independence 5K/Walk
You can register to run or walk (two different registrations) here
http://www.hmea.org/Get-Involved/special-events/2014-independence-5k-walk/index

Horace Mann Education Association

Franklin Named No. 2 Place for Homeownership in Massachusetts

After a string of Number 1 announcements, Franklin makes the Number 2 spot on this listing... still a worthy one!

NerdWallet, a consumer advocacy website, recently conducted a study to find the best places for homeownership in Massachusetts – and Franklin is in the top 10.

As renting becomes less affordable, NerdWallet wanted to give potential homebuyers a look at the current housing market. NerdWallet based its rankings on the following criteria:

• Homeownership rate

• Selected monthly homeowner costs

• Monthly household income

• Population growth

NerdWallet ranked Franklin as the second best place in Massachusetts for homeownership. The area has a homeownership rate of 79.3 percent, and median monthly homeowner costs are $2,366. Franklin grew by 2.4 percent between 2010 and 2012.

Other cities that made the top ten include Reading and Methuen. Read the full study online.
For more information about NerdWallet, visit www.nerdwallet.com.

In the News: Karen Purvis, unclaimed property, suspect held

Articles in today's issue of the Milford Daily News with connections to Franklin

When Karen Purvis received a phone call on Monday saying she would be going to the Oscars, she couldn’t believe it. 

"I was convinced it was some kind of prank," said Purvis, a Franklin mother of two. 

But it wasn’t a prank and Purvis will be on a flight early Saturday morning to be in Los Angeles in time for the Oscars on Sunday thanks to WCVB-TV and Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres, who sponsored the Facebook contest Purvis entered.

Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140301/NEWS/140309793/1994/NEWS

The State Treasurer's Office has released the latest tally of names added to the list of unclaimed property owners. 

More than 5,000 new properties in excess of $100 million combined are owed to individuals and businesses in the state, Treasurer Steven Grossman said in a press release Friday.

Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140228/NEWS/140226237/1994/NEWS

Go directly to the unclaimed property page www.findmassmoney.com

A Rhode Island man charged with attempted murder in connection with a November shooting is being held without bail following a judge’s ruling that he could pose a danger to the public. 

David Kennedy, was transported to Wrentham District Court last week from the Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston, R.I., where he had been held on unrelated charges.

Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140301/NEWS/140309796

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 2/28/14 - THU 3/6/14

FRI 2/28   10am   preK Art Class at Once Upon a Kiln, Bellingham. Registration required, $15.
FRI 2/28   10:30am   iStories for Kids, Franklin Public Library. Ages 3-6.
FRI 2/28   5pm-7pm   Teen Movie Night, Franklin Public Library. Teens only - Screening: The Mortal Instruments - City of Bones. Enjoy movie, popcorn, pizza and drinks.
FRI 2/28   6:30pm-8:30pm   Art Night Uncorked, Franklin Art Center.
FRI 2/28   7:30pm   Much Ado About Nothing Play, Dean College.


SAT 3/1   9am   Spring Baseball Clinic starts at Franklin High School.
SAT 3/1   1:30pm   Coffee & Craft for Adults (shamrock), Franklin Public Library.
SAT 3/1   6pm   Random Smile Project - 7th Annual Gala at RI Convention Center.
SAT 3/1   7:30pm   Much Ado About Nothing Play, Dean College.
SAT 3/1   8pm   Concert: Amy Black and Girls, Guns, and Glory, First Universalist Society Meetinghouse, Franklin, MA. $20

SUN 3/2   1pm  Mark Poniatowski Jazz for Kidz - FPAC Family Concert Series. Free event. 38 Main St., Franklin.
SUN 3/2   3:30pm   LiveARTS Concert: Boston Cello Quartet, Meetinghouse of the First Universalist Society, Franklin, MA. For ticket info visit: www.liveartsfranklin.org
SUN 3/2   7:30pm   Much Ado About Nothing Play, Dean College.

TUE 3/4   7pm   Finance Committee Mtg., Franklin Municipal Bldg., Council Chambers, 2nd floor.
7pm  Public meeting on future of Emmons St Building, Franklin Municipal Bldg, 3rd Fl Training Room

WED 3/5   7pm   Town Council Mtg., Franklin Municipal Bldg., Council Chambers, 2nd floor.

THU 3/6   7:15pm   Conservation Commission Mtg., Franklin Municipal Bldg., Council Chambers, 2nd floor.

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

Neighbor Brigade News

Newsletter - February 2014

• We're Growing

• Neighborhood News: Franklin

• Neighbor Brigade Named a Charitable Partner

• How does Neighbor Brigade enhance your caring community?

• Stay Tuned

"The cultivation of love that is growing as we come alongside our neighbors with Neighbor Brigade has not only transformed me, but many of the volunteers who are recognizing the importance of looking beyond their own lives to help another."

Linda Gagnon, Franklin, MA Chapter Co-Leader

We're Growing

Neighbor Brigade is pleased to announce the appointment of Claire Sheth as Director of Programs. In this newly established role, Claire is responsible for the operational success, quality control and evaluation of our chapter model and service delivery program, while providing training and ongoing support to the chapter leaders. Claire is taking a lead role in planning the growth and increasing visibility of Neighbor Brigade while working with chapter leaders to strengthen their roles in bringing services to those in need. Claire earned a master's degree in Nonprofit Management at the Milano School of Management at the New School for Research in New York City. While there she worked as a Program Manager for New York Cares -- the City's largest volunteer management organization.

Claire has since worked as a nonprofit management consultant with the Boston-based firm Technical Development Corporation where she provided strategic business planning and needs/organizational assessment assistance to New England-based nonprofits. She has also served as Deputy Director of Boston-based Generations Incorporated. While there she guided a strategic planning process that resulted in significant growth in the organization's quest to engage volunteers in the literacy needs of Boston Public School children. More recently, Claire has worked as an independent management consultant.

We are incredibly fortunate to have someone with Claire's depth of experience and talent join us at this critical stage to help guide and support our continued growth. We couldn't be more excited to have her join our team.

Neighborhood News: Franklin

The call to action that arises when a community confronts sudden tragedy is very apparent and thriving in Franklin, Massachusetts. In January, Neighbor Brigade volunteers in Franklin received a request to help a family after a seven and eight-year old brother and sister died in an accident. Linda Gagnon, Franklin chapter co-leader, was immediately contacted after the tragedy by a mutual friend who requested that Neighbor Brigade operate as the coordinator of centralized services on behalf of the family. Linda and her co-leader, Cheryl Ferri, immediately mobilized to field and manage offers of services from grief counselors, the HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response, and town businesses and residents looking to contribute and deliver food.

Often times, from the depth of tragedy something profound and amazing occurs within a community. This has indeed been the case in Franklin. Within the past month, Franklin chapter membership has doubled to nearly 200 volunteers and continues to rise. Linda said, "Since the tragedy, I totally see (our founder) Pam's vision at work. It is amazing to see the strength and compassion demonstrated by neighbors coming together as one. It is nothing short of incredible."

Neighbor Brigade Named a Charitable Partner

We are pleased to announce a new partnership between Neighbor Brigade and Canary, an innovative and user-friendly service that helps people buy and sell furniture and household items online locally. Canary takes care of photographing items and researching their value, writing and managing listings online, and finding credible buyers. The company, originally launched to serve Massachusetts' South Shore communities, has recently expanded into the MetroWest region.

Canary has a dual mission. The first is to help individuals, many of whom are downsizing and may have limited technology know-how, list and sell their unused household items. The second is to support local nonprofits by directing a portion of every sale to a selected group of community-based charitable organizations. "We have chosen Neighbor Brigade to be our newest designated charitable organization due to its vital and important role in providing direct-services to those in need in each of the communities it serves," said Mike Filbey, founder and CEO of Canary. "Neighbor Brigade's commitment to creating a network of volunteers to serve their own neighbors is strongly aligned with our mission to support the community that supports us."

Please share this news of Canary's expansion and partnership with Neighbor Brigade. To learn more and utilize this convenient service while designating Neighbor Brigade your charity of choice, visit gocanary.com.

How does Neighbor Brigade enhance your caring community?

Neighbor Brigade provides a blueprint for community residents to create and maintain volunteer networks to help their neighbors in crisis. Our proven chapter model is quickly and easily replicated. Neighbor Brigade provides our chapter leaders with established volunteer management systems, online tools, templates and training. We utilize an innovative volunteer management software platform and shoulder the costs related to ongoing support and maintenance. Our staff provides our chapter leaders with valuable training in volunteer management and software utilization, as well as ongoing support, outreach materials and technical resources that are critical to the strength and effectiveness of a chapter.

Neighbor Brigade establishes a safety net within a community, and our organization follows protocols and makes expenditures to ensure the security of our volunteers and service recipients. Our staff allocates time to process CORI checks on volunteers to best protect our recipients. Equally as important, we purchase and carry liability insurance coverage to safeguard our volunteers and recipients.

We are extremely grateful to our donors; it is due to your financial support that we can provide technical resources and assistance to communities.

Stay Tuned

Please follow us on social media; share ideas and experiences with other members of the Neighbor Brigade networks through Twitter and Facebook. We are more than an organization. We are a movement and our virtual Neighbor Brigade communities are a means by which we can share our stories and encourage participation by others who are waiting to follow our lead.

Do you have any feedback or suggestions for the new year? Please share your thoughts with us by sending an email to info@neighborbrigade.org or phoning us at 781.325.8580. We love to hear from our community members.

---

neighbor brigade | p.o. box 248 | lexington, ma 02420 | 781.325.8580
 www.neighborbrigade.org | info@neighborbrigade.org

Alive After Five - March 6

Compared the notice that was shared here earlier this week, this event is definitely getting kicked up a notice. I was planning on stopping on my way home from work, now I definitely am. Will I see you there?

Business After Hours Taken to the Next Level! Alive After Five      We've taken the Chamber's tried and true Business After Hours and amped it up to Alive After Five. Join us Thursday, March 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and enjoy networking, great food and entertainment. The event will be held at The United Regional Chamber of Commerce, DoubleACS and The Attleboro Industrial Museum, all located at 42 Union St., Attleboro, where you will enjoy a raw bar from the Lobster Trap, clam chowder and cornbread from B & M Catering Company, wine and beer from City Spirits, and desserts from Trish White of Friends Food Family. Attleboro Jewelers will be giving a demonstration with a 3D printer and FUN Enterprises will be giving away water bottles personalized with your favorite photo. In fact, if you're planning to attend Alive After Five, you can email a photo and your water bottle will be ready and waiting for you at the event! Raffles will include tickets to the Pawtucket Red Sox and Providence Bruins, as well as Alex and Ani bracelets. Need even more reason to attend this event?! Charlie Miller, the  facilitator for Executive Express-o, will be conducting a mini Executive Express-o DoubleACS will be taping your 30-second elevator speech and giving you a DVD copy of it. Perfect for your website! DoubleACS will be taping two-minute tips by our members on their areas of expertise that will be played on cable television! Admission is $5 for members; $10 for non-members. Register by email and pay at the door! Generously sponsored by:

Forward email This email was sent to by jack@unitedregionalchamber.org |    Privacy Policy. The United Regional Chamber of Commerce | 42 Union Street | Attleboro | MA | 02703

In the News: mock trial, new scholarships

Relevant items for Franklin from the Milford Daily News edition today:

Students from several MetroWest towns are among the 1,500 high schoolers from across the state participating in the 29th annual Mock Trial Program this winter. 

Presented by the Massachusetts Bar Association, the tournament-style competition, which began Jan. 21, puts high school teams in a simulated courtroom to try a pre-selected case, which this year centers on a stunt plane accident. The plaintiff in the case, the child of a pilot killed in a plane crash at an air show, alleges the defendant, the plane manufacturer, failed to design the aircraft up to specifications to save money. The company argues the pilot’s own negligence caused the plane’s wing to be sheared off during a maneuver.

Franklin High School has a team participating in this. You can read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140227/NEWS/140226434/1994/NEWS

The Franklin High School Class of 1972 and 1973 will donate $1,500 toward the creation of a scholarship in memory of Lexi and Sean Munroe. 

The alumni raised the money from their 40th reunion, held last fall. The School Committee will formally accept the donation next month. 

Assistant Superintendent Sally Winslow, a member of the class, said the one-time scholarship would go to a high school student who attended Davis Thayer Elementary School.

The reunion raised money for two scholarships. You can read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140228/NEWS/140226347