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Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
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The charter school on Main Street has finalized plans to construct a new building with some of the land it owns on Washington Street, part of a $22 million expansion that will see its enrollment double over the next decade.
The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School (BFCCPS) is looking to hire an architect to design the new 90,000 square-foot school, including recreation fields, said Donald Tappin, president of the school’s 10-member Board of Trustees.
“Much of this work will take place over the summer,” he said in a blog post last week. “Our timeline remains aggressive but we currently expect that we will be able to welcome students into BFCCPS’s new facility in September of 2017.”
The school owns three parcels off Washington Street – a total of about 8 acres. All together, the land is worth more than $600,000, according to the Franklin assessor’s database.Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News
Community Coalition preliminary meeting |
For this week’s #ShopFranklin Spotlight, I sat down with Ann Williams of Pour Richard's Wine and Spirits!
Since opening Pour Richard’s in 2012, Ann and her partner, John Wass, have been helping the Franklin area to “never drink ordinary.” The store’s slogan is a direct reference to what Ann calls the “community of extraordinary people” that shop at Pour Richard’s; “we don’t think our customers are ordinary,” says Ann.Pour Richard’s grew out of Ann’s 22 years in the wine import and distribution business, and John’s appreciation of wine.
Pour Richard's Wine and Spirits
The concept for Pour Richard’s stemmed from Ann’s conversations with colleagues in the wine business; according to Ann, “wherever any of us worked, there were the wines that the staff loved, and then there were other things that we had to sell in order to keep our jobs, and they were mostly never the same thing.” At Pour Richard’s, Ann and John can now sell those wines that everyone loved, and they focus on small, independent, often family-owned producers who grow organically whenever possible.
These wines are often higher quality than major brand names, and they can also be less expensive than what you’d find in a typical liquor store. Not just a place for wine, Pour Richard’s also presents a well-edited selection of beer, cider, and spirits. “Too much choice is just as crippling as not enough,” Ann says, and that philosophy of careful selection applies to everything Pour Richard’s sells.
Personal assistance is the cornerstone of Pour Richard’s business model, and as you can imagine, tasting is a major part of that. Having a variety of stock open for tasting every day not only helps Pour Richard’s customers to figure out their own tastes, but also helps Ann and John decide what else to recommend. One of Ann’s biggest joys in this business is helping a customer expand his or her palate; Ann says it’s not uncommon for someone to come in and tell her that they don’t like wine because it’s sour. Ann will start them off with sweeter wines such as Moscato and Riesling, then have them try a drier Riesling, “and pretty soon they’re drinking Sauvignon Blanc.”
Once you’re a regular at Pour Richard’s, don’t be surprised if Ann or John catches you when you walk in and tells you they just got something brand new that they’re sure you’ll love. Even the customers get into the action; when the store is busy, Ann and John often find that customers end up talking to each other, sharing information, and even “selling each other things,” as a direct result of the store’s open feel and layout.
Pour Richard’s also regularly hosts community events and fundraisers. Events range from monthly education and tasting classes, to quarterly craft beer extravaganzas focusing on seasonal brews, to the Pennywise sale. Before a Pennywise, Ann and John contact their distributors to find out if they have any wines they forgot to sell this year (which sounds funny to those of us not in the business, but Ann assures me it happens all the time!).
Distributors pour samples at the event, and whatever you taste and love, you can order in any quantity and pick it up at Pour Richard’s a couple of days later. The store also hosts community fundraisers such as Drink Pink for the Cure, which focuses on rosé wine and donates all ticket sales to the American Cancer Society. Pour Richard’s also donates a portion of sales to the ACS. “It’s a way of contributing to our community and showing our customers that we care about what they care about,” Ann says.
Ann and John chose Franklin as the ideal spot for their store based on the town’s demographics and its easy access to highways. Ann “feels like a Franklin native” because of her daughter’s attendance at Franklin schools and her involvement with the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, and as a business owner, she’s found Franklin to be a great town with a friendly business community.
To connect their store even more to the Town of Franklin, Ann and John named Pour Richard’s after Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack; the Pour Richard’s logo even features Ben’s famous spectacles. Ann manages all of the social media marketing for the store herself and tells me that “we’ve placed one [print] ad in the entire time we’ve been in business.” The social media push is working, and Pour Richard’s is starting to pull in customers from all over the area to join that “community of extraordinary people.”
FHS Panthers |
- Reliever Kyle Wardrop got the win for the Panthers, throwing 2.2 innings of hitless baseball and striking out four. Junior Nick Santucci went 2-4 with two RBI, a double and a run scored, Anthony Chaiton went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored, Zane Byrne had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI, Ben Chaffee and Andrew Parent (3-3) each scored two runs and Nick Burgos had an RBI and a run scored.
@NorfolkDeeds |
ECDC entrance |
Everybody who knows Massachusetts knows that western Mass has mountains, Cape Cod has wonderful beaches, and Metro West has shopping.
Far fewer people know that MetroWest and Central Mass also offer some of the best strolling spaces in all of New England! At each of these outdoor destinations, you’ll find something of interest along the way: picturesque stone walls, waterside views, birds, beavers, and more.
Spend a morning or afternoon, and be sure to return as the seasons change.Continue reading her article "5 Top Spots for Easy Walks in Massachusetts" online. The DelCarte Open Space is one of the 5 spots featured.
Marjorie Turner Hollman appears June 10 at the Franklin Library |
Harry Potter's room recreated for the All Night Party |
I was absolutely amazed at what was accomplished at HMMS, the quality of the decorations, the unique way they incorporated the outdoor area, the spaciousness of the site. When I think back to the early discussions when the ANP team was told that the new FHS would not be used for at least this year I honestly wasn’t sure how ANP 2015 would play out.
I have to give kudos to the ANP decorators/organizers and all who worked to make this one of the best I have seen; for their ability to see this new space, work with it and embrace the change that was brought to them.
Also, to the staff at OAK/Mann complex, especially Sean Fortin and Corrine Minkle as I am told they were welcoming, cooperative and bent over backwards to help. 26 years and going strong!Enjoy the video walk through!
Franklin Municipal Building |
Franklin Public Schools "the key to learning" |
Learn to design, build and maintain a home rain garden to treat polluted rainwater from your driveway and roof while adding beauty and visual interest to your property.
Rain Garden Training and Demonstration - Jun 13 |
Saturday, June 13, 2015
10:30 am - 2:30 pm
Lunch Provided
Remington/Jefferson School
628 Washington Street, Franklin
A one-story home at Beaver Court stands as one of the many achievements of Tri-County Regional’s Class of 2015, said its president, Bryanna Haskell.
The home – built for the town’s Affordable Housing Trust by seniors studying carpentry, electrical wiring, plumbing and heating – also represents the varied skills that this year’s 238 graduates have learned during their four years at Tri-County, Haskell, of North Attleboro, said.
“Imagine a house located at Beaver Court in Franklin and the family it will shelter,” Haskell told families and friends Sunday at the vocational-technical high school’s 36th commencement exercises. “Through our last four years at TC, every one of us has learned a skill that could touch the lives of those living at 15 Beaver Court, or anywhere around the state, the country or the world.”
Valedictorian Laura Auerbach of Franklin credited those trades, which students took along with a traditional academic schedule, with helping define the graduates’ passions.Continue reading the Milford Daily News Article
Beaver Court home built by Tri-County students for the Franklin Affordable Housing program |
National Medical Academy is located in Franklin |
2 years of experience in a long term care setting are mandatory. License must be valid and in good standing. Experience in vocational instruction preferred. Must possess a valid in-State Driver's License and meet Company insurability requirements. Must possess applicable industry certification and carry Professional Liability Insurance.Hours:
Saturday and Sunday's 8a-4:30p (16 hours a week)
OR
Monday - Thursday 6p-10:15p (one Saturday 7a-2p per class rotation) (16 hours a week)
Franklin Municipal Building |
With Xaverian storming back in the third quarter of Saturday’s Div. 1 South quarterfinal at Pisini Field and suddenly in control of momentum, Franklin coach Lou Verrochi gathered his team and tried to settle it down.
Franklin senior jack Vail (14) scored six goals, including five in the second half, to lead the Panthers into the Div. 1 South semifinal for the first time. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com) |
He looked at his players and asked them who would step up and score the next goal to stem the tide and get the Panther the win.
There was no surprise that it would be senior Jack Vail.Continue reading the full article in Hockomock Sports here
Three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Hockomock League MVP scored a highlight-reel goal that put the Panthers back up three and ended the Xaverian comeback. With the ball on the left of the goal and with towering defender Joe Gaziano on his back, Vail made a hard fake to the top of the defense that put the pole back on his heels and allowed space for a spin move into the middle.
Recipients of the Cougar Culture Award |