Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios presents Piano Lab!

New class offered THIS TRIMESTER!

Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios presents a new and exciting class ... Piano Lab!

Learn how to play piano in a group setting! Progress at your own tempo! Our skilled piano lab instructors will help you achieve your piano goals!

Classes will include 3 to 6 students. With the use of headphones in class, along with our piano lab textbook, students will learn and practice with the guidance and individual attention from our piano lab instructors. Students will also participate in group piano pieces as part of a piano lab ensemble within the class setting.

Piano lab is a great class for beginners over the age of ten, and for students of all ages with previous musical experience on any instrument, for students who study voice, and for those who are interested in learning keyboard skills to augment their study of music. Vocal students can even learn to accompany themselves!

To register, please call reception at (508) 533-7700 or e-mail: encoremusicacademy1@gmail.com

Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios presents Piano Lab!

FHS field hockey, volleyball and golf teams post wins on Thursday

Via HockomockSports, we share the results of the FHS fall sports action on Thursday, Sep 20.


Field Hockey = Stoughton, 0 @ Franklin, 8 – Final
– Amanda Lewandowski led the way for the Panthers with two goals and two assists to help Franklin pull away in the second half. Regan Paterson had a hat trick and Victoria Quinn and Cassi Ronan each had a goal and an assist for the win. Ashley Reutlinger scored once and Emma DiPhillipo had an assist, while Anna Jardine had five saves in the win. Kayla Laboy made 11 saves for the Black Knights.

Volleyball = Stoughton, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final
– The Panthers stayed unbeaten with a 25-15, 25-17, 25-13 victory. Ellie Wisnieswki had seven kills and nine digs for the Panthers. Maggie Doyle had five kills and five solo blocks and was a force at the net for Franklin. Hailey Sanders and Peyton Arone each added five kills, libero Riley Marino had 10 digs and a pair of aces, and setter Lauren McGrath had 30 assists and five aces for a very balanced Franklin attack.

Golf = Franklin, 174 @ Taunton, 206 – Final
– Matt D’Errico shot the low round of the day for Franklin, carding a 39 in the win.


For the other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/thursdays-schedule-scoreboard-09-20-18/

FHS field hockey, volleyball and
golf teams post wins on Thursday

YMCA Teen Leaders Help Rebuild Houston

One year ago the city of Houston and southeastern Texas were devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Locally, the tragedy spurred youth to action, becoming a rallying cause for the YMCA's Teen Leaders Club.

YMCA Leaders Clubs combine leadership, volunteering, and community service opportunities with fun and fellowship and are available to all kids in middle and high school, with syndicates in Foxborough, Franklin and North Attleboro. The Hockomock Area YMCA's Teen Director Alyssa Boutin of the Invensys Foxboro Branch wanted to get the kids involved right away to address the Houston situation. "We talked about how it would feel to have to return to school amidst turmoil left from the natural disaster. Many of their peers in Houston were without basic necessities that we tend to take for granted."

Boutin arranged for the Greater Houston YMCA's Leaders Club to skype with club members at the Hockomock Area YMCA. "We learned they were going to school despite a lot of damage and loss of electricity and were in need of some of the most basic items, like tooth brushes and tooth paste or shampoo, soap, and clothing," said Boutin.

Resultant of that conversation, local teens orchestrated a relief drive that generated nine boxes of essentials weighing over 200 pounds. The teens gathered donations from drop bins at each of the Hockomock Area YMCA facilities and sent them off to the YMCA in Houston. Bags of hygiene-related donations had come in to bins where members check-in at their local YMCAs.

"Membership at the YMCA is about building spirit, mind, and body," said Executive Director Patrick Murphy of the Foxboro Y. "It was not surprising to see the generous response from our members. They are great examples to our teens as they learn about social responsibility and how they are called to make a positive difference."

Houston teens were grateful recipients of the supplies. In turn, they offered up an invitation for the Massachusetts teens to join Teen Escape: a program designed for teens across the country to make real impact on a community in need. The 2018 destination was Houston and transportation would be covered by Southwest Airlines.

On July 22, seven teens from the Hockomock Area YMCA left for Houston and spent five days working on rebuilding homes.

The youth that traveled had been chosen based on their essays during an application process conducted at the Y. They joined YMCAs from Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, North Carolina, and Houston—all told over 75 people contributed to the rebuilding of Houston through Teen Escape.

"We worked on seven houses to get families back in their homes," says Boutin who accompanied the Leaders. In addition to cleaning up debris remaining from Hurricane Harvey, the teens painted, removed walls and installed new drywall, and replaced tile and floorboards.

The crew met a woman whose family left their home when water reached the four foot mark. The morning after Harvey hit, they waded through the water until they arrived at a high point in the neighborhood where a relative was waiting to help.

They also worked on a house for a retired nurse whom they enjoyed speaking to. She shared that she had lived in her house for 50 years. She'd stayed through Hurricane Harvey and had no intentions of ever leaving, so repairs to the house to keep it standing were critical.

"When we met her in her home and heard her story, I think that's when the teens truly understood the impact they were making," said Boutin. “It was an experience we all learned from and are determined to bring back here, encouraging others to make a difference."

The group photo includes the following individuals and town of residence (L-R):

BACK ROW:Bobby Saba, Mansfield

Michelle Mattson, North Attleboro

AJ Jaber, Wrentham

Dan Brennock, North Attleboro - He is the executive branch director of the North Attleboro YMCA

Alyssa Boutin, Providence - She is the teen director of the Foxboro YMCA
FRONT ROW:

Valentina Ipatova, Attleboro

Maddy Jankowski, North Attleboro

Megan Flaherty, North Attleboro

Corinne McMorrow, Franklin

About Hockomock Area YMCA:

Where Cause Meets Community. At the Hockomock Area YMCA, strengthening community is our cause. The Hockomock Area YMCA is an organization of men, women, and children sharing a commitment to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility.

Our YMCA is committed to partnering and collaborating with others to create and deliver lasting personal and social change in the 15 communities we are privileged to serve. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a not-for-profit charitable cause-driven organization with facilities in North Attleboro, Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield. For more information, visit hockymca.org.

Get a First Look at FPAC’s Virginia Woolf?

Get a first look at the cast of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? presented by the Franklin Performing Arts Company September 21-23 at THE BLACK BOX in Franklin, MA. The cast features Nick Paone, Hallie Wetzell, Craig Hanson, and Amanda Dubois.

Nick Paone, Hallie Wetzell,
Craig Hanson, and Amanda Dubois.

The play examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive an unwitting younger couple, Nick and Honey, as guests, and draw them into their bitter and frustrated relationship. 

Get a First Look at
FPAC’s Virginia Woolf?

Winner of the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play. The Broadway production of this play was a shattering and memorable experience and proclaimed the author as a major American playwright.

Tickets can be purchased at www.theblackboxonline.com, by calling the box office at 508-528-3370, or at the door (as long they remain available). You can follow FPAC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

45th Annual Craft Fair - Nov 10

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends 45th Annual Craft Fair is coming up. Come get a start on your Holiday Shopping . . . or find the perfect birthday, anniversary, housewarming, etc ... gift. 

The Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, November 10 from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Tri-County High School, 147 Pond Street, in Franklin, MA. All proceeds go to local charities. 

In addition to the Artisans we will have a Bake Sale Table, Raffles and we are accepting donations for the Franklin Food Pantry.

Interested Crafters of handmade items are welcome to request an application by sending an email to franklincraftfair@gmail.com.

45th Annual Craft Fair - Nov 10

LiveARTS: Season Announcement 2018-2019

Announcing our 2018-2019 Season Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 3 p.m. Special Benefit Concert for LiveARTS The Buswell Ensemble James Buswell, violin, Amy Galluzzo, violin, Carol Ou, cello with Victor Rosenbaum, piano Music of Mozart Pre-Concert talk by Ann Sears, Professor of Music, Chair, Music Department Wheaton College from 2:30-2:45 Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 3 p.m. A Celebration of Leonard Bernstein's 100th Birthday Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 3 p.m. Music for Cello and Piano Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 3 p.m. Mistral Music Season Subscription Rates Still the best ticket prices anywhere! All four concert for Adults: $80 All four concerts for Senior Citizens (65 +): $60 As always, Students 18 and under are by donation   How to Buy Tickets Follow this link to our website (liveartsma.org) and use your credit card to purchase your season subscription or tickets for individual concerts. You can purchase a season subscription at the door at our first concert, Sunday, October 21st. Tickets for each concert are available at the door. You can write a check to LiveARTS and mail to LiveARTS, c/o Rick Duthe, 283 Prospect Street, Franklin, MA 02038. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming performance! All concerts take place at 3:00 p.m. in the Meetinghouse of the First Universalist Society in Franklin at 262 Chestnut Street. Located in a beautiful natural setting, the Meetinghouse is accessible for all. PLEASE REMEMBER   LiveARTS, a Franklin-based chamber music concert series, is dedicated to presenting classical music featuring outstanding Boston-area and national musicians in a local setting. Ticket prices cover a very small part of the expense involved to bring these concerts to you. LiveARTS relies on the generous support of donors to bring world class musicians to the area at affordable ticket prices. Your donation are greatly appreciated! LiveARTS is an autonomous, nonprofit, nonsectarian affiliate of the First Universalist Society in Franklin. Tax-Deductible contributions go directly and exclusively to LiveARTS.   Support the ARTS!   Support LiveARTS! Copyright © 2018 LiveARTS, Franklin, Massachusetts, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: LiveARTS, Franklin, Massachusetts 283 Prospect Street Franklin, MA 02038

Destination Imagination - get ready! - Sep 26

IT'S DESTINATION IMAGINATION SIGN UP TIME!!!

Join us for an information meeting on September 26 at 6:00 PM at the Franklin Public Library to learn more about DI and all that the program has to offer your children. 

Franklin Destination Imagination is an after school enrichment program open to all kids from 2nd grade through high school in Franklin, MA.

Also check out www.destinationimagination.org and the brief overview from the website below:

Destination Imagination is an educational nonprofit that prepares children for a future that is rapidly evolving. DI does this through a project-based learning experience that applies the creative process across seven different Challenge types – Technical, Scientific, Engineering, Fine Arts, Improvisational, Service Learning and Early Learning.

For questions or more information email the Franklin Coordinator at di.franklin.ma@gmail.com

Destination Imagination - get ready! - Sep 26

Attention Businesses: Register for Harvest Festival Today! - Sep 20

Please register by Thursday, September 20 to receive your Free booth space as an Franklin Downtown Partnership member for the October 13 Harvest Festival. 

If you plan to participate, please register online:
https://goo.gl/forms/WtKjem7jWrwRoLg23

After Thursday, please include a $35 late fee.

Important: We can only save you a booth space if we have a registration from you. If we do not receive a registration we will assume you are not participating this year and will give your space to another business.

If you have already registered and received an email back from Scott Martin, you are all set. If you have any questions, please contact us at fdpharvestfest@gmail.com.

Attention Businesses: Register for Harvest Festival Today! - Sep 20

Lifelong Community Learning: All About Wine

The Art of Tasting & Understanding Aromas

ALL ABOUT WINE All Classes: 7:00 pm Franklin Liquors, 363 East Central Street, Franklin Cost: $25 per class OR $65 if you register for all 3 REGISTER Exploring French wines Let's take a tasting tour around France. Tuesday, September 25 Exploring Italian Wines Let's take a tasting tour around Italy. Tuesday, October 16 Wine Aromas Apple. Leather. Grass. Bell Pepper. What do these aroma and flavor descriptions mean? Tuesday, November 6 Seats are limited. Must be 21 to participate. Lifelong Community Learning 218 Oak St, 508-613-1480 www.FranklinLifelongLearning.com

FPS- Lifelong Community Learning | 218 Oak Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Sent by lcl@franklinps.net in collaboration with Try it free today

"This is the largest scam of this type we've ever seen"

I have shared many scam alerts from the Federal Trade Commission and other good sources. Here is a really good article getting into the details on how one of these phone scams worked and how it was taken down. That similar phone calls are still happening shows that there is still an opportunity for the nefarious folks to make some money.

The one thing we can do to stop this is to NOT to fall for the scam.

"On Nov. 24, 2014, a woman named Diana received a menacing phone call in Hernando, Miss., a small city nestled in the northwest corner of the state. A caller purporting to be an IRS agent claimed she owed back taxes and told her that agents were waiting to arrest her unless she paid up immediately. The caller was insistent, threatening, and urging her to act quickly. 

The demands eventually produced the desired result: After the "agent" ordered her to withdraw $19,625 in cash, Diana bought 21 prepaid cards called MoneyPaks equaling that amount at a local store. After purchasing the cards, she read the unique serial number off each MoneyPak card to the caller, effectively giving him all her money. 

The caller wasn't actually an IRS agent; he was an impostor from Worldwide Solution, a call center in India. No agents waited outside. Diana owed no back taxes. Hers just happened to be one of the millions of phone numbers dialed by an international conspiracy of con artists running a series of impostor schemes, according to a federal indictment issued in October 2016."

Continue reading the full story online
https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2018/sep/tigta-irs-impersonation-scam.html#.W5--uybd6Hk.email

Related link on FTC scam alerts
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts

From the Franklin Matters archives
http://www.franklinmatters.org/search?q=ftc,+scam+alert&max-results=20&by-date=true

"This is the largest scam of this type we've ever seen"

“This building will give us what we’re looking for”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Creating a framework for education in Franklin takes on a quite literal meaning as the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School’s new building is constructed. 

The new facility at 500 Financial Park Drive will have room for twice as many students, enrolling 900 for the 2019-2020 school year. The new building will also have up-to-date technology and separate classrooms for arts and music. Going from a capacity of 450 to 900 students, the new school has big plans. 

The building is a mass of steel beams and roofing, but before winter the walls will be sealed and roofing complete. During the colder months, workers will do what they can to finish the inside."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180919/new-home-in-franklin-for-benjamin-franklin-classical-charter-school-takes-shape

construction at 500 Financial Park Drive is moving along (BFCCPS photo)

Tougias to present King Philip's Indian War at the Franklin Historical Museum - Oct 14

NY Times bestselling author Michael Tougias will give a slide presentation on the war between the Colonists and Native Americans in 1675-76 at The Franklin Historical Museum at 1:15 Sunday, October 14th, as part of the Museum’s Second Sunday Speaker Series.

Tougias is the author of the acclaimed Until I Have No Country (A novel of King Philip's War), and co-author with Eric Schultz of King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict.

author Michael Tougias

The first part of the presentation will discuss the Indian way of life, Colonial settlements, and the events leading up to the war. The second part covers the battles and the strategy during this cataclysmic war, which on a per capita basis was the bloodiest conflict in our nation's history.

Slides include battle sites, period sketches, historic markers, maps, and suggestions for visiting road-side history. Tougias also discusses Native strategy during the war and the challenges of writing a historic novel. Former Commissioner of Indian Affairs for Massachusetts and member of the Wampanoag Tribe, Edith Andrews, is quoted on the novel's back cover, commenting that Until I Have No Country "captures the essence of the Native American." The novel includes adventure, romance, and intrigue while staying true to historical facts. A book signing will follow the presentation.

Tougias is the author and co-author of 21 non-fiction books including the national bestsellers Rescue of the Bounty, A Storm Too Soon, Overboard! The Finest Hours: The True Story of the Coast Guard’s Most Daring Rescue (to be a Disney movie), Derek’s Gift, The Cringe Chronicle and his award-winning book, There’s A Porcupine In My Outhouse! (Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe). 

His book, Ten Hours Until Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do is the recipient of the American Library Association “Editors Choice” award. More about the author can be found at www.michaeltougias.com