Monday, November 30, 2015

Business After Hours is December 8


Join the Franklin Downtown Partnership for a 
Business After Hours event! 
*** Networking, connections, music and appetizers ***

Date:    Tuesday, December 8
Time:    5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Place:   Sally's Alley at Franklin Village Mall

Come in and take a look at our fabulous window treatments, enjoy some music, and share some hors d'oeuvres from The Alumni Restaurant and Wine from Pour Richard's Wine & Spirits. Networking from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. -- Sally Alexander, owner Sally's Alley.


Please RSVP so we know how many people to accommodate:  
or Matt Lechter, mlechter@dean.edu,
or Sally Alexander, salexander.sallysalley@gmail.com.


   

10 Businesses Participate in '12 Days of Donating'


Ten Businesses Participate in ’12 Days of Donating’ Campaign


The Franklin Food Elves kick off the “12 Days of Donating” campaign on Tuesday, December 1, to benefit the Food Pantry, and Franklin Downtown Partnership member businesses are doing their part to help collect 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.


Bins can be found at these participating locations:
  • Chestnut Dental Associates, 38 Pond St.
  • DCU, 500 West Central St.
  • Dean Bank, 21 Main St.
  • Dean College, Campus Center
  • Franklin Downtown Partnership Office, 9 East Central St.
  • Jane’s Frames, 11 East Central St.
  • Keefe Insurance Agency, 51 West Central St.
  • Murphy Business, 15 East Central St.
  • Pour Richard’s Wine & Spirits, 14 Grove St.
  • The Adirondack Club, 800 Chestnut St.


For more information about the Franklin Food Elves and the “12 Days of Donating” campaign, please contact the Food Elves at franklinfoodelves@yahoo.com or visit their Facebook page.


Click here to download this press release.

Holiday Stroll This Thursday, December 3

Thursday should be seasonably cool and dry for the Holiday Stroll! 

Please join us downtown for a fun evening of music, shopping, a tree lighting and gingerbread cookies. Don't forget visits from Santa, Mrs. Claus and Post Mark the North Pole Postman, too! 




Saturday, November 28, 2015

It's Small Business Saturday!

Please visit local stores when shopping for the holidays or running errands today and every day  #shopFranklin




Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing our FDP family a very happy holiday!



Monday, November 23, 2015

Meet Governor Baker at URCC Annual Meeting




The United Regional Chamber of Commerce 99th Annual Meeting with Governor Charlie Baker - December 4, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015 at 12 PM
Plainridge Park Casino
301 Washington Street, Plainville

Business of the Year 2015 and Person of the Year 2015 will be presented.
Sponsorship Opportunities

1. Platinum Level  $1,000
Program's front cover. One seat at table with featured guest.

2. Gold Level  $750
Program's back cover.

3. Silver Level  $500
½ Page ad within the program book.

4. Bronze Level  $150
Business card size ad within the program book.

Call the chamber for more information or click here for the sponsorship form. 
Be a Table Top Sponsor

Table Top Sponsors will provide unique gift baskets or floral centerpieces to be raffled off at the Annual Meeting. 

You choose the design as well as what you would like to add to the centerpiece; gift certificates, assorted goodies...you decide! We ask that the minimum value be $50.

As a Table Top Sponsor, you will receive:
1. Signage at the table where the centerpiece is displayed.
2. Recognition announcements during the event.
3. A thank you in eNews, the chamber's weekly newsletter.

If you have any questions or are looking for ideas, please contact the chamber at 508-222-0801 or click here for more details.

Please deliver your centerpiece to Plainridge Park Casino between 10 AM and noon on December 4th. Please - no alcohol.
Tickets and Tables are on sale now!

Individual Tickets: $50
Tables of 8 are available for $400 plus a business card ad within the program.

Purchase tickets by November 23, 2015. Chamber Challenge: Bring a Friend.
URCC logo white background
The United Regional Chamber of Commerce | TEL 508-222-0801 
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View our profile on LinkedIn

Franklin Spruced Up for Holidays

Volunteers spent Sunday morning dressing up Franklin for the holidays. Crews hung wreaths and placed greenery along the bridge and in barrels in front of downtown businesses. 





Thank you volunteers and our Beautification sponsors! 
Silver - Franklin Ford
Silver - Middlesex Savings Bank
Bronze - Simon's Furniture 





Friday, November 20, 2015

December 3 Holiday Stroll Press Release

Party with the Partnership at the Franklin Holiday Stroll


Downtown Franklin’s favorite holiday party happens Thursday, December 3, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and organizers promise fun and festivities for the whole family with visits from Santa, Mrs. Claus, Post Mark the North Pole Postman, refreshments, entertainment, crafts and gift shopping.


Carolers and hot chocolate will set a holiday mood at the annual tree lighting ceremony on Dean College’s Dean Hall Common at 4 p.m. From there event goers will stroll through downtown Franklin to sample treats, enjoy entertainment and score shopping specials offered by more than 30 local businesses.


“Over the years the Holiday Stroll has become a favorite tradition. Downtown Franklin is decorated with bright lights and colorful window displays. Families can see the tree lighting at Dean, see great entertainers, visit Santa, go out to dinner, do some local holiday shopping, and support our Franklin businesses,” says Roberta Trahan, event co-chair.


Special guests will make appearances at this year’s Holiday Stroll. Santa Claus and his elves will hear wish lists at Simon’s Furniture, and Mrs. Claus will read favorite holiday storybooks at the Franklin Historical Museum. Post Mark the North Pole Postman will set up a workshop inside Emma’s Quilt Cupboard where kids can write letters to Santa, and he will read from his own Christmas book.


Like any good party, the Holiday Stroll will have great entertainment. Snow White and the Seven Elves will appear at THE BLACK BOX. Kevin Wolfe will perform inside the Depot Plaza building, and Jane’s Frames will feature Jamie Barrett on guitar. WMRC 1490-AM will broadcast holiday music live that evening.


Franklin High School student musicians will showcase their talents at The Cake Bar, and local dance schools will perform holiday-themed dances in the Simon’s Furniture parking lot. Check the FDP website and Holiday Stroll event page on Facebook for show times.


Activities and treats are planned for locations up and down Main, East Central and West Central streets. A Holiday Stroll Happenings list will be available at the tree lighting and participating locations.


Kids can decorate gingerbread man cookies under the lights at Dean Bank, and create holiday-themed crafts with the Franklin Girl Scouts. The Bernon Family Branch YMCA will set up their popular Children’s Area in the Rockland Trust parking lot.


Revelers can stop into Emma’s Quilt Cupboard on Main Street to do some gift shopping and meet new business owners. The Sugar Shoppe will tempt shoppers with sweet treats inside Emma’s, and Fiori will showcase locally made gifts and floral arrangements in its new location next door.  


Participating sponsors and merchants will transform the Depot Plaza building’s atrium into a bustling shopping area, featuring sales and promotions, gift shopping and holiday music.  


The fun continues up West Central Street with performances at THE BLACK BOX. The Fire Station will open its doors for a “Touch-A-Truck” event and fire fighters will teach families about holiday fire safety. Visitors to the Historical Museum will find Mrs. Claus, crafts, hot chocolate and candy canes.



The Franklin Food Pantry will benefit from this year’s event. Shaw’s will sell wreaths on Main Street with proceeds going to the pantry. The Holiday Stroll takes place during the Franklin Food Elves’ ’12 Days of Donating’ campaign, and the elves will place red collection bins at the tree lighting and at participating businesses around town. Food and goods collected during the ’12 Days’ drive help the Food Pantry meet the needs of 600 client families in Franklin during the winter.


“The Holiday Stroll celebrates the season, our community and downtown Franklin. It’s a fun night when you can stroll leisurely through the town center with your neighbors, discover new businesses, and enjoy all the talent and resources this town has to offer,” says Gregg Chalk, event co-chair.  


Many generous sponsors help make the Holiday Stroll possible. This year’s Gold Sponsors are DCU, Dean Bank and Dean College. Silver Sponsors are D.G. Ranieri Real Estate, Franklin Ford, Franklin Local Town Pages and Keefe Insurance.


Bronze Sponsors are Beaux Regards Photographic Art by Marjorie Sardella, Franklin Health & Rehabilitation Center, Jane’s Frames, NEWPRO and Next Step Living.


For more information about the Holiday Stroll, contact co-chairs Gregg Chalk, gchalk@dean.edu, or Roberta Trahan, Roberta_icu1@verizon.net. Information is also available on the FDP website and the FDP Holiday Stroll event page on Facebook.


The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501©3 organization made up of business owners, community leaders and residents working to revitalize downtown Franklin.  The Partnership runs events such as the Strawberry Stroll, October Stroll and the Holiday Stroll, and is involved in streetscape and design efforts, greenspace and sculpture projects. Go to the www.franklindowntownpartnership.org to learn more.

Click here to download this press release


Winter Decorating Day is this Sunday

Downtown Partnership, Garden Club to Decorate for Holidays


Holiday Stroll 2011 

The Franklin Downtown Partnership will team up with the Franklin Garden Club to decorate the downtown on Sunday, November 22. Volunteers and helpers are welcome to help install wreaths, bows and greenery.


Interested volunteers will meet Beautification Chairperson Eileen Mason at 9 a.m. on the center island. Community service hours are available for students; groups and teams are encouraged to participate. Help is also needed on Saturday, November 21, at Hillside Nurseries to sort greens.


Anyone interested in volunteering or donating to this event can contact Mason at emason4234@gmail.com. Sponsorship information is also available on the FDP website, www.franklindowntownpartnership.org.



Thursday, November 19, 2015

Networking Luncheon Friday, November 20



Join the Franklin Downtown Partnership at our Networking Luncheon 
1 p.m. Friday, November 20
Dean College's Smith Dining Center. 

Make contacts, share information, form collaborations. 

Connect with the Networking Committee to reserve your seat at the table.

Gary Donelan, gary.donelan@middlesexbank.com
Matt Lechter, mlechter@dean.edu




Food Elves Launch '12 Days of Donating' Press Release

Food Elves ’12 Days of Donating’ Begins December 1
Group Marks 10 Years of Giving to Franklin Food Pantry

The Franklin Food Elves and the Downtown Partnership will launch the “12 Days of Donating” campaign to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry on December 1. This year’s collection drive marks 10 years that the Food Elves have helped neighbors in need during the holiday season.


The Food Elves were created in 2006 when Melissa and Cameron Piana began collecting donations in a wagon in their neighborhood. Last year more than 90 school-aged elves and 14 local businesses raised more than three tons (7,020 pounds) of goods and $8,500 for the Food Pantry. This year the Pantry acquired additional warehouse space to accommodate the expected donations.

“We are looking forward to building on the success the Food Elves have had, and this year we hope to raise more money. The Food Pantry can buy a lot with those funds, and we hope to surpass last year’s dollar totals,” says Ellie Teixeira, lead Food Elf.

The Franklin Food Elves is a charitable community service group comprised of nearly 100 dedicated elementary, middle and high school students. This will be the fifth year the elves have partnered with local businesses to create one of the Franklin Food Pantry’s most successful collection drives. Each year the 12 Days campaign brings in food and cash to help sustain the pantry’s 600 client families through the winter.

In December the Food Elves will notify their neighbors about collection dates, instructions and items needed. The elves make it easy to donate; residents simply place bags of goods at their mailboxes on designated dates, and the elves pick up and deliver the goods to the Pantry. If residents prefer to make a monetary donation, Food Elves captains will also give instructions on how funds will be handled in their neighborhood.


“The Pantry has some lean months after the holidays, when end-of-year giving subsides and food drives happen less frequently,” says Erin Lynch, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry.

“We count on the Food Elves to bring in the donations that help carry us through the winter months, a time when families who are struggling to put food on their tables face even harder times because of higher energy costs. We are so grateful for the hard work of the Food Elves and the gifts they bring to us,” she adds.

According to Lynch, while nonperishable food donations are still needed and appreciated, she is hoping that more people make monetary donations. “It gives us greater flexibility to provide for our clients. We can purchase food from the Greater Boston Food Bank at a fraction of what it costs in the grocery store. We are able to supplement food donations with more nutritious and fresh food, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats.”

In case there’s no Food Elf in your neighborhood, it is still easy and convenient to donate. Participating Franklin Downtown Partnership member businesses all across town will have red collection bins at their locations. If the Food Elves meet their goal of collecting more than 1,200 pounds of goods, each business has pledged to donate at least $200 to the 12 Days of Donating drive. A list of businesses hosting red bins will be posted on the Food Elves Facebook page and the FDP website and Facebook page.

A red collection bin will also be set up at the Holiday Stroll tree lighting ceremony at Dean College on Thursday, December 3, at 4 p.m. Event goers can drop off donations there, or at the Food Pantry, 43 W. Central St. Please designate donations made at the Pantry as Food Elves.

The Food Pantry’s greatest needs currently are coffee, canned fruit, jelly in plastic bottles, aluminum foil and shampoo. To make an online donation in honor of the Food Elves, visit the Pantry’s website, www.franklinfoodpantry.org. Please mention Food Elves in the donation form’s acknowledgement box. For more information call 508-528-3115.

Any student interested in becoming a Food Elf should contact Ellie Teixeira at franklinfoodelves@yahoo.com.

To learn more about the Franklin Food Elves and the “12 Days of Donating” campaign, please contact the Food Elves at franklinfoodelves@yahoo.com or visit their Facebook page. Information can also be found at www.franklindowntownpartnership.org and on the FDP’s Facebook page.

Click here to download this press release.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Senator Spilka Visited Franklin, Partnership

Senator Spilka Visits Franklin, Talks Downtown Progress
State Senator Karen Spilka visited the Franklin Downtown Partnership office recently, viewing the progress being made on the Downtown Roadway and Streetscape Improvement Project and discussing the FDP’s work on a number of downtown initiatives.
Franklin Downtown Partnership Executive Director Lisa Piana and Planning and Community Development Director Bryan Taberner reviewed the Streetscape construction project’s progress to date. They also shared plans for new development and improvements to the downtown such as the new retail building, park, and Horace Mann statue at the corner of Emmons and West Central streets.
They also discussed the Downtown Branding Initiative that the Planning Department is working on in collaboration with the Partnership, Dean College and the Cultural District Committee.
Planning Director Bryan Taberner discusses the roadway
improvement plan with Senate StaffDennis Giombetti,
Senator Karen Spilka and FDP Executive Director LisaPiana.
“All of these projects and initiatives continue to focus on showcasing what an inviting place downtown Franklin is to work, live and socialize in. Senator Spilka has been a part of the improvement process all along, and we appreciate all she does for her district,” says Piana.  
Senator Spilka also met with Franklin Fire Chief Gary McCarraher and discussed various topics and toured the fire house. The chief expects response times to improve once fire trucks and ambulances can make left-hand turns out of the station when West Central Street is open to two-way traffic.
Senator Spilka speaks with Franklin
Fire Captain Gary McCarraher 
The senator joined local businesses owners, town administrators and members of the Franklin substance abuse prevention group the SAFE Coalition for lunch, where the main topic of conversation was the state’s opiate crisis. Stephen Spiewakowski, a founding board member of the coalition, drew on extensive experience as a probation officer and discussed the area’s most pressing needs, including expanded insurance coverage of treatment options for addicts.

(L to R) Jeff Nutting, SAFE Coalition representative Stephan
Spiewakowski, Bryan Taberner, resident Alex Pizzi and
Senator Spilka discuss ideas over lunch. 
The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit, 501©3 organization made up of business owners, residents and community leaders whose mission is to revitalize downtown Franklin. The Partnership is involved in streetscape and design efforts, greenspace and sculpture projects. Go to the www.franklindowntownpartnership.org to learn more.