In the News: 12 Days of Donating, Adult Ed registration opens, MassDEP provides food guidance, Tri-County holiday buffet

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

The Franklin Food Elves kicked off the “12 Days of Donating” campaign on Dec. 1 to benefit the Food Pantry. Franklin Downtown Partnership member businesses are collecting goods and monetary donations. 

The Food Elves is a charitable community service group made up of more than 90 students from Franklin schools. This year, 10 local businesses are participating in the 12 Days drive. Each business has a red collection bin on site and will donate $200 if the Food Elves meet their goal of collecting more than 1,200 pounds of goods.

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Registration is open for the winter semester at the Center for Adult Education and Community Learning in Franklin. Classes begin on Jan. 11. 

Participation is open to individuals and businesses in Franklin and the surrounding region towns.

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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is putting a new emphasis on donating food versus trashing food. 

This November, RecyclingWorks, an organization funded by MassDEP, launched their "Food Donation Guidance for Massachusetts Businesses" page on the RecyclingWorks website. 

"We were getting a noticeably increased volume of requests to get assistance for starting an effective donation program," said Lorenzo Macaluso, director of Green Business Services with RecyclingWorks. "The feedback we were getting was that corporations were having lots of questions on how to do it safely and legally." 

RecyclingWorks connects businesses with services and resources to help them create or expand green operations, like recycling, composting and diverting food waste.

recycling works webpage header

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Gerry’s Place, the student-run restaurant at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School, 147 Pond. St., will host an annual International Holiday Buffet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 9. 

The buffet will cost $9.95. No reservations will be taken. Menu offerings include: latkes, cider-glazed root vegetables, Moroccan saffron chicken, Guatemalan potato and green bean salad, Parisienne potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and roast pork with prune, pine nut and spinach stuffing.

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Greater Franklin Node 350 Mass Meeting THURSDAY: 12/3/15

Hi everyone,

A reminder: our next node meeting is this Thursday, December 3, at 7:00 PM at the First Universalist Society, 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin.

We have a full agenda!

1. There was a meeting of the Sharon Board of Selectmen yesterday regarding Spectra. We're looking forward to hearing how it went!

2. We're also eager to hear how the yard sign campaign is going in each of the towns.

3. Town status reports of whatever isn't covered in the first two topics.

4. We have a decision to make! Should we have a meeting on December 17, our next regular time, and what should it be about? One possibility is to have a party! We have received the OK from the church to have refreshments if we want.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again! Call me with any questions or suggestions for things that should be on the agenda.

Greater Franklin Node, 350 MASS

See you all Thursday!

Carolyn

Coordinator, Greater Franklin Node, 350 Mass

"Low Turnout in Municipal Elections" video

The video of the Ford Hall Forum event on "Low Turnout in Municipal Elections" is available for viewing:

There is a brief presentation by each of the panelists followed by discussion among the panelists and then questions from the audience are also responded to.

From the Ford Hall Forum event page

• "Sarah Anzia (professor at University of California, Berkeley and author of Timing and Turnout: How Off-Cycle Elections Favor Organized Groups)

• Zoltan Hajnal (professor at University of California, San Diego and author of America’s Uneven Democracy: Turnout, Race, and Representation in City Politics)

• Erin O’Brien (professor at University of Massachusetts, Boston and author of Diversity in Contemporary American Politics and Government)

• Elena Letona (Executive Director, Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts)

Moderator: María González Albuixech (Director of Communications & Marketing, Health Care for All)"

Franklin voter booth

’Tis the Season! - special performance - Dec 19th

The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) will host a special performance of the original holiday musical ’Tis the Season! for community youth, family and social services organizations on Saturday, December 19, at 3 p.m. at the Franklin High School auditorium, located at 118 Oak Street in Franklin.

FPAC will distribute complimentary tickets for the December 19 performance through community organizations, including the Hockomock Area YMCA, local Best Buddies chapters, and Franklin Food Pantry. For more information about ticket availability, representatives from non-profit community service organizations are encouraged to call 508-528-3370 or email Alan Mercer at amercer@fpaconline.com.

’Tis the Season!, an original large cast musical first presented by FPAC in 1995, is an upbeat, jazzy extravaganza featuring members of the Kenny Hadley Big Band with contemporary arrangements of favorite holiday classics in musical styles ranging from R&B, Motown and gospel to pop, jazz and Broadway. The show spotlights over 100 singers and dancers. Musical arrangements include Andy Williams’ It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and Happy Holiday, songs from several popular television Christmas specials, Quincy Jones’ sensational version of the Hallelujah Chorus, and many surprises. Ring in the holidays with great merriment, fanfare and fun!

FPAC image for 'Tis the Season!

A distinctive suburban non-profit arts organization founded in 1991, FPAC supports educational arts experiences, quality entertainment, and outstanding performance opportunities for professional artists, community performers, and students of the arts. With a focus on youth development and a commitment to live music, FPAC productions draw performers and audiences from more than 100 communities throughout the region.

Tickets are available for purchase by the general public for regularly scheduled performances of ’Tis the Season! on December 19 at 7:30 p.m. and on December 20 at 2 p.m. For more information, call 508-528-3370 or visit www.FPAConline.com.

Cub Scouts Pack 126 Annual All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast

Franklin Elks Hall, Pond St.

Saturday December 5

8:00-11:00am

$7.00 per person, children 3 and under are free, Pack 126 scouts in uniform are free.

Breakfast includes pancakes, sausages, eggs, coffee and tea.

Pictures with Santa $5

Themed baskets will be raffled ($1/1 ticket, $5/6tickets, $10/15 tickets)

Franklin Elks

S.A.F.E. Forum on Drug Abuse Warning Signs - Dec. 8

"This is a special message from S.A.F.E. is to provide you with information on our next community event and to continue the conversation on substance abuse disorder."

View this email in your browser Forum on warning signs set for Dec. 8 The SAFE Coalition will present an interactive forum designed to educate on the warning signs of drug or alcohol abuse on Tuesday December 8, 2015 at 7 pm in the Franklin High School auditorium. The program will include tips on early intervention strategies and resources to help keep your loved one safe. A panel of parents, substance abuse treatment providers, students, and educators has been assembled.  Warning sign kits that you can take home will be provided to each participant in the program.  Katie Truitt from the Missin Matt Foundation and Kathy Getchell from S.A.F.E. will speak from the parent's perspective. Amy Leone from Community Impact and other experts will share methods of addressing the issue with your young teens and offer solutions for those that may indeed have a problem with addiction. And there will also be an update on the S.A.F.E. Coalition's upcoming programs and solutions. Please save the date and plan to join us on December 8 as we continue our community conversation. You can view the Facebook event page for updates by clicking here. In the meantime, please continue to spread the word about S.A.F.E. and encourage your friends to sign up for this newsletter by clicking here. And, most importantly, please do not hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know is in need. We'll do our best to get you on the right path. SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE Learn to Cope has begun meeting on Monday evenings at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 262 Chestnut Street in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place for people and families in crisis. For more information visit the website at http://learn2cope.org/, call Kathy Getchell at (774)893-3878, or email her at kathyg17@verizon.net Community of Hope hosts a family support group meeting every Wednesday night in the Milford Regional Medical Center, Hill Building, Woman's Pavilion, 4th Floor, in Milford. The program is a support group for family members or loved ones of people who suffer from addiction (similar to "Lean to Cope"). For more information, contact Katie Truitt at (774)248-4526 or by email at ktruitt3@gmail.com  Big Book Workshop, 12 step meeting for recovery. Wednesday evenings, 7 pm to 8:30 pm at Community Impact, 211 Main Street Milford, MA 01757. For more information, contact Meghan Giacomuzzi at 508-933-4571. Meghan (Katie Truitt's daughter) is the founder and chair of the Missin' Matt Foundation and a recovering heroin addict. Healing Hearts has begun meeting on Thursday evenings on the second floor of the Franklin YMCA at 45 Forge Hill Road in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place" for people and families in crisis. For more information, call (508) 570-6996 or send an email to Healingheartscircle@gmail.com. LIGHT UP THE SKY FOR CHANGE We have lost too many loved ones, we've buried them way too soon, Just know we always think of you when we looked up at the moon. So tonight we'll light these candles and set them freely in the sky, To let you know we're always with you,  how could we say good-bye?​ Come join us to light a floating candle to remember a loved one lost to the disease of addiction, to send a prayer for someone still suffering or for anyone taken from us way too soon.  Let's light up the sky for change, for love, for hope and for coming together to fight this epidemic killing our children, our brothers and sisters, our parents, our friends and our loved ones.  Together we can save a life. WHAT: Chinese floating sky lanterns lighting ceremony.    WHEN:  Saturday February 20, 2016 7:00 P.M. WHERE:  Fino Field WHY:  To remember all those we've lost to the disease of addiction and to pray for those still suffering.   Please visit www.missinmatt.myevent.com to register or to make a donation, thank you and God Bless!!! **Registration is required in order to receive a lantern to light; there is a $10.00 registration fee per family to cover the cost of the lanterns.  If you would like more than one lantern, a $10 fee is required for each one.* Share Tweet Forward Subscribe to this email list Copyright © 2015 Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in joining the fight against obioid abuse in our community. Our mailing address is: Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov State House - Room 527A Boston, MA 02133 Add us to your address book

Franklin Music Boosters Fund Raiser - British Beer Company - Dec 9-10

Dine at the British Beer Company with this coupon and the Franklin Music Boosters will get 15% of whatever your bill is!

Have a good meal and help out the music boosters!

When?

Wednesday, Dec 9 and Thursday, Dec 10

British Beer Company Franklin