Family Concert Series - “Jazz4kidz Featuring Mark Poniatowski and Friends”

Franklin Performing Arts Company’s annual, free Family Concert Series kicks off this season with “Jazz4kidz Featuring Mark Poniatowski and Friends” on Sunday, January 11 at 1 p.m. at THE BLACK BOX, 15 West Central Street, in downtown Franklin. Joining Poniatowski are vocalist April Hall, drummer Kenny Hadley, guitarist Mark White and pianist Joe Mulholland.

Mark Poniatowski

Family Concert Series events are especially geared to children in length and presentation and provide young audiences with a fun introduction to the world of live music. The performances introduce audiences of all ages to music of many genres and feature talented, professional musicians in an engaging, entertaining and interactive format. Audience participation is encouraged.

An Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, bassist Mark Poniatowski has performed with Sid Caesar, Floyd Dixon, Janiva Magness, Rita Moreno, and Junior Watson. His extensive performing experience includes the Manchester Jazz and Blues Festival with the Toni Lynn Washington Band, the Boston Blues Festival with Joe Bargar and the Soul Providers, and The Music of Gershwin and Porter with Rebecca Parris and the Kenny Hadley Big Band. Poniatowski’s recordings include “Mississippi Moan” with the Bruce Katz Band and “The George Carlin Show” soundtrack.

A treasured FPAC tradition for more than two decades, FPAC’s Family Concert Series continues on February 22 with My Violin Journey, featuring violinist Irina Fainkichen with piano accompaniment by Kitty Cheung Evans, and on April 12 with Alice in Wonderland, an opera for children featuring sopranos Mariko Matsumura and Shauna Martin.

FPAC’s 2015 Family Concert Series is sponsored by Berry Insurance. A distinctive, non-profit arts organization founded in 1991, FPAC presents quality performances with a focus on youth development and live music, while offering opportunities for professional artists, community performers and students of the arts to work together in a collaborative and creative environment. For more information, call (508) 528-3370 or visit www.fpaconline.com and www.theblackboxonline.com

FHS Sports: boys go to 4 OTs to win in basketball

From Hockomock Sports we find that both the boys and girls basketball teams beat Taunton. The girls team won in the game's regulation time while the boys went to 4 overtimes to finally pull it out.

FHS Panthers

Boys Basketball

Franklin, 105 @ Taunton, 98 - Final (4OT) - Franklin senior Marcus Giese had a monster game, scoring a career-high 34 points and adding 13 rebounds, 6 assists and three blocks. Shawn Hanley added 18 points and Dylan Reno finished with a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jessy Machado lad Taunton with 28 points and six rebounds, EJ Dambreville added 19 points and six rebounds, Jose Mercado had 19 points, Tommy MacLean added 17 points and Corey Green had 15 points and six assists.

Additional write-up on the boys game can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/franklin-outlasts-taunton-in-quadruple-overtime

Girls Basketball

Taunton, 34 @ Franklin, 57 - Final

BFCCPS 8th grade Annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser - Jan 24th

Please join the 8th Grade Students at BFCCPS for their annual Pancake Breakfast to be held at the Franklin Elks on January 24th from 8am to noon.  

The event will be $5 per person with a $20 per family maximum. 

Proceeds will benefit the students' upcoming trip to Washington DC.

BFCCPS 8th grade Annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser

For additional information about the Charter School, please visit their webpage here http://bfccps.org/

Mass Poetry: Common Threads 2015 is here!

View this email in your browser Common Threads 2015 has arrived! We are excited to release the fifth edition of Common Threads, guest edited by Alice Kociemba, contributed to by Robert Pinsky, and graced with eight stunning poems by Massachusetts poets! It includes discussion questions, writing prompts and more, and boasts a complementary media package and a host of exciting events throughout 2015. Check out the Common Threads page of our website or use these quick links: FREE PDF $10 HARDCOPY MEDIA PACKAGE EVENTS (to be continuously updated throughout the year) New this year: 1) Common Threads events can take place anytime in 2015, so if you are interested in hosting a discussion or writing group, you can still do so! We just ask that you sign up so we can keep track of all the groups happening across the state. 2) Please send us photos & videos! We would love to add you to the media package--record yourself reading your favorite poem from the issue, take a snapshot of yourself with the issue, etc., and send to commonthreads@masspoetry.org or share via social media using the hashtag #CommonThreads2015. If you are hosting a Common Threads event that is open to the public, please submit your event info when ready so that we can add it to the calendar. Where might I run a Common Threads group? At a library near you! (Check out the simple search feature in the upper right-hand corner.) With seniors in your area With your church group or school At a local coffee shop or bookstore With friends! We've got poets available to partner with you if needed (you can request one during sign-up or via email), and a live webinar with Alice Kociemba on Jan 16 (limited spots available) if you'd benefit from a run-through with a Common Threads veteran. Our Suggestions for Common Threads Discussion Group Leaders might also be helpful. Questions? Contact us at commonthreads@masspoetry.org. Help us spread the word on social media with these ready-made posts! On Facebook: Common Threads 2015 is here! Bring poetry into your community today. masspoetry.org/commonthreads #Threads15 Common Threads: Diverse, accessible, contemporary poems by MA poets + discussion questions, writing prompts, & more. Explore the free PDF & ways to get involved at masspoetry.org/commonthreads #Threads15 Not sure you like poetry? Step out of your comfort zone this year by checking out Common Threads, an outreach program connecting people and communities with poetry. Get the free PDF & find events near you at masspoetry.org/commonthreads #Threads15 On Twitter: Common Threads 2015 is here! Explore the free PDF at masspoetry.org/commonthreads #Threads15 @masspoetry Diverse, accessible poems by MA poets + discussion questions, writing prompts & more masspoetry.org/commonthreads #Threads15 @masspoetry Not sure you like poetry? See if you connect with one of these 8 poems by MA poets. masspoetry.org/commonthreads #Threads15 @masspoetry Lead or attend a poetry group this year with Common Threads! masspoetry.org/commonthreads #Threads15 @masspoetry Share Tweet Forward Facebook Twitter MassPoetry.org Copyright © 2015 Mass Poetry, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up on our website. Our mailing address is: Mass Poetry 15 Channel Center Street, Suite 103 Boston, MA 02210 Add us to your address book

Questions should be raised, answers sought, opinions stated

The Franklin Downtown Partnership has issued a call for action:

Please attend the Town Council meeting this Wednesday. 

We encourage the public to come to the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, January 7th, at Town Hall at 7:00 pm if you have concerns about a food drive-through at the 150 Emmons Street downtown location.

Our hope is to convince the Council to change the wording in the RFP so a food drive-through is not an option at this busy intersection. 

This will be the final discussion before the Council votes on the RFP. Come make a difference and have your voice heard.

The Town Council agenda has a couple of key items regarding the town property. 

• Sale of 150 Emmons St
• Rezoning of 44 Pond St

You can let your voice and interests be heard by showing up to the meeting.

The Town Council has four options on the Emmons St property. The options were published as

1. Sell the land for $500,000 and allow the developer to construct anything on the property allowed by zoning. 

2. Sell the land for $500,000, but restrict the use. (The discussion at the Economic Development Committee was whether to allow for VSEs (Vehicle Service Establishments) for any use or not allow VSEs for fast food/coffee uses? 

3. Sign a Land Disposition agreement and allow the developer 180 days to find a tenant (s) acceptable to the Council. 

4. Take no action at this time.

The Town Council also has a public hearing scheduled for 7:10 PM on the rezoning of the Pond St property. Questions should be raised, answers asked for, opinions stated.


The full agenda for the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-jan-7.html

The options can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/options-for-150-emmons-st-decision.html

A quick survey/poll on the options can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/survey-says-which-option-on-150-emmons.html

The Downtown Partnership call to action can be found here
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2015/01/make-your-voice-heard-wednesday.html

Additional info on the Pond St property can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/public-hearing-pond-st-zoning-bylaw.html

150 Emmons St

Friends of Franklin Library - next meeting March 4

The Friends of Franklin Library will not hold regular monthly meetings in January or February. Instead, members will meet in subcommittees to plan for 2015 and beyond. 

The group's next full meeting will be Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m., in the library's community room.

As always, the Friends' board appreciates hearing from members and library patrons. Reach the group by email at fofl02038@gmail.com or check in via Facebook and Twitter.

On Twitter you can find them at https://twitter.com/FriendsFranklin

screen grab of the Friends of Franklin Library twitter profile

On Facebook you can find them at 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Franklin-Library/700089496685566

screen grab of Friends of Franklin Library Facebook page

Artistry Kitchen Closes

I had picked up through the grapevine that Artistry Kitchen had closed as of Saturday night, Jan 3rd. I walked by Sunday morning to see if there was a sign posted about this. There wasn't. Looking through the windows on the corner what was noticable was the tables instead of being set as they impeccably were for business, were bare.

photo of Artistry Kitchen Sunday morning, Jan 4

The photo looks like it was created with a special effect and was only the reflection of the background on the glass window as I looked in to the empty tables.

An email from the recent owners of Artistry Kitchen was shared by a Franklin Matters reader:

It is with sadness, but much pride that Elissa and I announce that we have left Artistry Kitchen. We have been out of the Bistro since October and fulfilled our last catering responsibilities as of December 31st. 

The CEO of the company has decided to take the company in a different direction than the one we originally signed on for and therefore we have decided to pursue other opportunities. 

We are immensely proud of the work we, along with the rest of the Franklin team have done to create what we believed was a wonderful place to experience great food, in a great atmosphere with top notch culinary and hospitality talent. 

We will always be so grateful to our friends, family and the community for embracing our ideas with open arms and for supporting us every step of the way. This journey would not have been the same without your constant words of encouragement and the many visits you paid to us over the last few months. 

It has been a very difficult decision to walk away from Artistry after putting so much love, sweat and tears into the project. However, when faced with the prospect of changes that WE believe would compromise the integrity of what was built, we knew it was the right choice. 

We are looking forward to our next adventure and hope to share the next chapter with you very soon!

If you do have a gift card, there is a process for redemption/refund.

For anyone who has Artistry Kitchen gift cards, call Spencer at the restaurant between 9 and 4pm at 508-530-7440 and he will refund your gift card. If he does not answer the phone just leave a message and he will return your call.

Artistry Kitchen - Dec 2013