framingham.com (*** TEST SITE ***)

Author: News Staff

  • 2006 Preliminary Election Candidates

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Assistant Town Clerk Lisa Ferguson provides the following list of candidates for the March 7, 2006 Preliminary Election. Polls will be open from 7:00am until 8:00pm.

    Moderator
    One Year Vote for One
    • Edward J. Noonan -346 Belknap Road Candidate for Re-Election
    • Joel Winett -10 Berkeley Road

    Selectmen
    Three Years Vote for One

    • Katherine Murphy – 16 Power Mill Road Candidate for Re-Election
    • Mario R. Alvarez – 223 Maple Street
    • Steven Hakar – 10 Foley Drive
    • James M. Rizoli – 94 Pond Street
    • Jason A. Smith – 54 Ledgewood Road

    School Committee
    Three Years Vote for not more than Two

    • Pam Richardson – 69 Prior Drive Candidate for Re-Election
    • Richard A. Finlay – 11 Francine Road
    • Steven Hakar – 10 Foley Drive
    • Andrew Limeri – 29 Dartmouth Drive
    • Laura Medrano – 41 Eden Street
    • Wesley J. Ritchie – 214 School Street

    Planning Board
    Three Years Vote for not more than two

    • Thomas F. Mahoney – 103 Hastings Street Candidate for Re-Election
    • Carol J. Spack – 9 Craig Road Candidate for Re-Election
    • Stephen E. Meltzer – 10 Duggan Drive

    Library Trustee
    Three Years Vote for not more than four


    • Ann G. Arvedon – 300 Singletary Lane Candidate for Re-Election
    • Sheila Burke Fair – 5 Hickory Hill Lane Candidate for Re-Election
    • Janet L. Harrington – 24 Paxton Road Candidate for Re-Election

    Library Trustee
    One Year Vote for one

    • Ruth S. Winett – 10 Berkeley Road

    Keefe Tech School Committee
    Three Years Vote for not more than Three

    • Argentina Arias – 12 Costa Circle Candidate for Re-Election
    • Nelson H. Goldin – 82 Gregory Road Candidate for Re-Election
    • Thomas M. Leddy – 11 Hickory Hill Lane Candidate for Re-Election
    • Esther A. H. Hopkins – 1550 Worcester Road, 310

    Trustee Edgell Grove Cemetery
    Five Years Vote for One

    • Stanton T. Fitts – 200 Maynard Road Candidate for Re-Election
    • Donald E. Healy – 3 Poplar Street

    Housing Authority
    Five Years Vote for One

    • Robert L. Merusi – 75 Angelica Drive Candidate for Re-Election

    

    If anyone has any questions regarding the election or the list of candidates, you are welcomed to email Lisa Ferguson directly at Lisa.Ferguson@framinghamma.gov. or call (508) 620-4863.

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  • FREE Small Business Workshop

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – The Framingham Planning and Economic Development Division is holding a free workshop on marketing techniques for small businesses, featuring Peter Allen and Samuel Brown of Service Corps of Retired Executives, (SCORE).

    The workshop will be in the Ablondi Room at the Memorial Building, 150 Concord St., Framingham, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, 2006.

    For more information call Karen Hayes at 508-532-5455

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  • March Programs and Services at Callahan Senior Center

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – CALLAHAN CENTER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR MARCH 2006

    Support Groups at Callahan Senior Center:

    Bereavement Support Group: Mondays, March 6, 13, 20 & 27 at 10:00 am.
    Diabetic Support Group: Tuesday, March 14 at 1:30 pm.
    Grandparent Support Group: Tuesday, March 14 at 1:00 pm and Tuesday, March 28 at 6:45 pm.
    Low Vision Group: Friday, March 17 at 1:00 – 3:00 pm.
    Massage Therapy: Thursday, March 2 and Thursday, March 16, by appt. only.
    Parkinson’s Support Group: Tuesday, March 21 at 1:30 pm.
    Podiatry: Monday, March 13 from 12:30 pm to 3:15 pm, by appt. only.
    Stroke Survivors’ Support Group: Monday, March 6 at 1:00 pm.

    BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC FOR MARCH

    Wednesdays, March 1, 8, 15 & 22
    From 9:30 am—11:00 and 12:00 pm—1:00 pm

    CARDIOVASCULAR CLINIC IN MARCH

    The Cardiovascular Clinic will be on Tuesday, March 7 at 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM. A doctor from the MetroWest Medical Center and nurse Kitty Mahoney from the Framingham Board of Health will be at the Senior Center to check your blood pressure, answer any questions and address individual concerns. For further information, please contact Kitty Mahoney at 508-620-4827.

    Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:00 am at Callahan Center – “Osteoporosis Presentation”
    presented by Joan Metcalfe, R.N., MetroWest Wellness Center
    Thursday, March 30, 2006 From 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Osteoporosis Screening

    For this screening, you will need to wear shoes and socks that are easily removed. Please bring a list of your current medications and supplements, as well as your doctor’s address’ so a final report can be mailed to him/her. Each screening takes 10 minutes. Please call the Center at 508-532-5980 for an appointment.

    Social Service Department – Personal Response Systems

    You have probably asked—what is a personal response system, or a medical alarm, and do I need one? There are several companies that provide emergency response systems with modern, state-of-the-art technology. The installation fee and member benefits vary, but they all ensure your safety with a reliable and immediate link to assistance. We have pamphlets describing the individual plans and a self-assessment questionnaire that helps you determine your level of need. Most services cost little more than a dollar a day, plus an activation fee. One company has given us free activation coupons, and if you are interested or need further information, please contact this office at 508-532-5980.

    AARP Tax Assistance Program at Callahan Center

    AARP will provide a qualified volunteer to assist with preparing income taxes, free of charge for seniors who need this service. You must schedule an appointment in order to see a Tax Counselor. You are required by the IRS to bring the following:
    income tax returns from last year 1099’s and other relevant tax documents
    income and asset documents
    Social Security Card (a must)
    2 forms of identification (one photo ID and another form of identification)
    Appointments: Please call Julie Chouman for an appointment at 508-620-4819. Appointments may be limited this year and are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
    Prescription Advantage
    Medicare Wrap Program
    Open Enrollment – March 15 through April 28, 2006

    Prescription Advantage is a state sponsored prescription drug insurance plan that helps Medicare beneficiaries pay for the cost of their Medicare Part D plans. Prescription Advantage is for Massachusetts residents, age 65 and older with incomes under $47,851 (single) or $64,151 (married) and who are not enrolled in MassHealth. Younger individuals with disabilities, who meet certain income and employment guidelines, can also join. Prescription Advantage is now a secondary payer to Medicare Part D plans and can assist with some of the costs associated with Part D. The amount of assistance members receive is based on their gross annual household income.

    Prescription Advantage will hold an Open Enrollment period from March 15 through April 28. Applications must be received at Prescription Advantage no later than April 28.

    The SHINE program will be doing a presentation at the Framingham Council on Aging, the Callahan Center, 535 Union Avenue, on Thursday, March 9th at 9:30 AM to explain the Prescription Advantage program and how it coordinates with Medicare Part D plans. To reserve a spot, please call (508) 532-5980, as space is limited.

    New applications for Prescription Advantage will be available at your local Council on Aging. For more information on Prescription Advantage and the Open Enrollment period, call 1-800-246-4636 (1-800-AGE-INFO) and press 1. For additional help, including assistance with filling out your application, call your local senior center for an appointment with a SHINE counselor.

    SHINE (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders) offers free, confidential, health insurance counseling at your local Senior Center. Call the Senior Center for a SHINE appointment. You can reach SHINE regional staff by calling 1-800-AGE-INFO and pressing 2.
    *************************************************************

    The MetroWest SHINE (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders) Program is holding a spring volunteer counselor training. It is an intensive 10-day course, over a five-week period. It is scheduled to begin the last week in April and run through the entire month of May. It meets on Mondays and Thursdays, from 10AM 3PM, in Whitney Place at Natick. To find out more about becoming a SHINE volunteer counselor, call Dorene Nemeth, Associate Regional SHINE Director at (508) 532-5980 ext. 4109.

    FREE – “Find a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan: The Online Search Tool”

    This step-by-step booklet gives you everything you need to know about going online to find a Medicare Part D plan that’s right for you, based on your medications. You (or your computer-savvy relative, friend, etc.) can use this booklet as a guide to self-help. We have copies at the Callahan Center to give away free. Come in and pick up a copy at the front lobby of the Callahan Center!!

    “Shifting Gears” – A program on elder driver safety.
    Presented by Michelle Ellicks of the MA Registry of Motor Vehicles on Thursday, March 2, 2006 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at the Callahan Center. Please call the Center at 508-532-5980 to reserve a seat!

    Friends’ General Meeting – The next Friends’ meeting will be joint with AARP Chapter #3557 on Monday, March 13th at 1:30 pm. The entertainment will be with Gary Landgren. Refreshments will be served. Come and bring a friend!

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  • Regional Planning Forum on February 28th

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is holding forums to get input for its long-range plan, JOURNEY to 2030. Interested individuals and representatives of groups are invited to share ideas about transportation issues.

    Framingham will host one of four regional forums on February 28, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the Memorial Building, 150 Concord St.

    Attendees will share their views on the transportation needs and issues of each area and provide input to help identify visions for the region’s transportation network. Participants in these forums will be helping to shape the development of JOURNEY TO 2030, the long-range transportation plan of the Boston Region MPO.

    If you are interested in attending one of the forums, please contact Jared Fijalkowski of the Boston Region MPO staff, by phone at (617) 973-7092 or by e-mail at j_fijalkowski@ctps.org. RSVP by February 21.

    For additional information on “JOURNEY TO 2030”, visit:  www.ctps.org

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  • High School Essay Contest

    MASSACHUSETTS – In an effort to encourage high school students to learn more about the contributions of John Adams and the Massachusetts Constitution to strengthening the rule of law, the Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Department of Education today announced the launch of the 2006 Supreme Judicial Court High School Essay Contest.

    Massachusetts students in grades nine through twelve are eligible to enter the essay contest through their schools, in accordance with the contest rules. Letters and contest materials recently were sent to every public and private high school in the state, as well as to home school organizations.

    The essay question this year concerns the separation of powers among the three branches of government and was designed to be compatible with the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework on which the History and Social Science Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is based.

    Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall said, “I am delighted that students will have an opportunity to broaden their understanding of the fundamental principles of our constitutional democracy through their own creative expression. Learning about the separation of powers and the rule of law deepens one’s appreciation of our Massachusetts and federal constitutions and the genius of John Adams and the other framers.”

    The essay contest question and rules can be found on the Court’s new Education Resource Center website. The website, designed for teachers and students, contains information on the Massachusetts court system, the Massachusetts Constitution, and the judicial branch of government. It also has an Electronic Resource Guide with useful links to numerous other law related education sites on various topics.

    Massachusetts Department of Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll said, “It is with great honor that we at the Department of Education co-sponsor this initiative with the Supreme Judicial Court. The importance of understanding the history of our legal and constitutional democracy and the contributions of people like John Adams who shaped it cannot be understated. These studies are also a major part of the learning standards in the Massachusetts History and Social Studies Curriculum Framework and this is a great opportunity for students in the Commonwealth to demonstrate their mastery of these standards.”

    The panel of judges includes representatives from the Supreme Judicial Court, Appeals Court, Social Law Library, and the Massachusetts Department of Education. Savings bond awards will be presented to the top three students with the winning essays. There will also be an honorable mention award. The first prize winner will also receive a visit to his or her classroom from a Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. Winning essays will be prominently displayed in the John Adams Courthouse. Electronic copies of the winning essays and other outstanding essays will be posted, with permission from the students and the schools, on the John Adams Courthouse Education Resource Center website. The winning essays will be announced on Law Day, May 1.

    This is the second year that the Supreme Judicial Court has sponsored a High School Essay Contest, following the successful launch of the first essay contest held last year in connection with Law Day.

    For more info, contact Joan Kenney/Charlotte Whiting, Tel: (617) 557-1114, joan.kenney@sjc.state.ma.us

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  • Framingham Public Schools Closed on Monday

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Framingham Public Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, February 13, 2006 due to snow storm.

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  • Clinical Trials at Metrowest Medical Center

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – The final phase of drug or medical therapy testing usually involves “clinical trials” — testing on human beings who volunteer to participate.

    The U.S. National Institute of Health closely monitors these trials and publishes information about such programs on their www.ClinicalTrials.gov website.

    Metrowest Medical Center, (the former “Framingham Union Hospital“), hosts several cancer related trials. A recent search of the site found several trials which are currently recruiting subjects for studies ranging from “observational” (no therapy or drug is administered, subjects are examined or monitored in hopes of discovering new information about a particular medical study), to clinical trials for as-yet (FDA) unapproved therapies or medicines.

    If you are interested in participating, it is suggested that you first visit the www.ClinicalTrials.com website and review the criteria for participants, then consult your doctor before contacting the recruiter for a particular trial.

    Below is a list of some of the trials which are currently recruiting in Framingham:

    Radiation Therapy With or Without Optional
    Tamoxifen in Treating Women With Ductal
    Carcinoma in Situ
    Contact: Teresa A. Van Buren, MD 508-383-1260
    (Trial ID#: NCT00003857)

    Radiation Therapy in Preventing CNS Metastases
    in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
    Contact: Allison H. Sacher, MD 508-383-1000
    (Trial ID#: NCT00048997)

    Anastrozole Compared With Tamoxifen After
    Lumpectomy in Treating Postmenopausal Women
    With Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
    Contact: Madhavi L. Venigalla, MD 508-383-1000
    (Trial ID#: NCT00053898)

    Radiation Therapy With Either Capecitabine or
    Fluorouracil Before Surgery in Treating Patients
    With Resectable Rectal Cancer
    Contact: Madhavi L. Venigalla, MD 508-383-1000
    (Trial ID#: NCT00058474)

    Suppression of Ovarian Function Plus Either Tamoxifen or
    Exemestane Compared With Tamoxifen Alone in Treating
    Premenopausal Women With Hormone-Responsive Breast Cancer
    Contact: Madhavi L. Venigalla, MD 508-383-1000
    (Trial ID#: NCT00066690)

    Comparison of Combination Chemotherapy Regimens
    With or Without Cetuximab in Treating Patients Who
    Have Undergone Surgery For Stage III Colon Cancer
    Contact: Madhavi L. Venigalla, MD 508-383-1000
    (Trial ID#: NCT00079274)

    Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Women Who Have
    Undergone Surgery for Node-Positive Breast Cancer
    Contact: Madhavi L. Venigalla, MD 508-383-1000
    (Trial ID#: NCT00093795)

    Docetaxel and Prednisone With or Without Bevacizumab
    in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer That Did Not
    Respond to Hormone Therapy
    Contact: John G. Krikorian 508-383-1000
    (Trial ID#: NCT00110214)

    For more information visit: www.clinicaltrials.gov

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  • NHLBI to Launch Framingham Genetic Research Study

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – A comprehensive genetic research study to identify genes underlying cardiovascular and other chronic diseases will be launched by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with the Boston University (BU) School of Medicine.

    The new research effort, the Framingham Genetic Research Study, will be part of the NHLBI’s long-running Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and will involve up to 500,000 genetic analyses of the DNA of 9,000 study participants across three generations. The NIH National Center for Biotechnology Information, part of the National Library of Medicine, will help develop a study database that will be made available at no cost to investigators throughout the world. The database will provide opportunities for other experts to search for associations between genes and diseases.

    “This important study will take genetic research in the Framingham study to the next level — accelerating discoveries on the causes, prevention, and treatment of major chronic diseases”, said NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D. “Using the latest technology, researchers will be able to obtain more information about the connection between unique genetic variations in DNA and cardiovascular disease risk factors as well as the genetic basis for heart attack, stroke, and other chronic diseases”.

    Since 1948, the Framingham Heart Study has studied the health of many of the Massachusetts town’s residents. The study has been the source of key research findings regarding the contributions of hypertension, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking and other risk factors to the development of cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the NHLBI and BU, including physicians, geneticists, statisticians and epidemiologists, have conducted this important research in partnership with the Framingham Heart Study for decades.

    “This unique opportunity to increase our knowledge about health and disease is made possible by three generations of Framingham study participants who have donated their time to advance medical research”, said Karen Antman, M.D. Dean of Boston University School of Medicine and Provost of Boston University Medical Campus.

    BU and the NHLBI have a longstanding commitment to protecting the confidentiality of Framingham Heart Study data and the privacy of the participants and their families. The Framingham Heart Study has obtained detailed informed consent from study participants for genetic research. An important priority of the new study is to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the medical information obtained. NHLBI and BU have reviewed the project along with several Framingham Heart Study oversight boards, including an ethics advisory board. Additional oversight will be provided by an executive committee, which will monitor the conduct of the study. This committee will include a participant from the Framingham Heart Study and the Chair of the Framingham Ethics Advisory Board.

    The new study will take advantage of knowledge gained from the Human Genome Project’s sequencing and mapping of all human genes — together known as the genome — and from the recently completed HapMap Project, which charted the pattern of genetic variation in the human genome.

    The HapMap Project showed that common but minute variations in human DNA occur about once in very 1,000 base pairs of DNA across the human genome, which contains about three billion base pairs. These variations, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), can be used to identify genetic contributions to common diseases. The Framingham Genetic Research Study will use recently developed technology that now allows rapid genotyping of about 500,000 of these SNPS in each individual.

    Computer programs will then help scientists relate these alterations to many of the clinical and laboratory measurements made of study participants during their examinations, according to Christopher O’Donnell, M.D., associate director of the FHS and scientific director of the new project. “Then we hope to identify the genetic variations that are most strongly related to participant characteristics such as levels of cholesterol and systolic blood pressure,” O’Donnell said.

    “In support of this project, BU and the NHLBI will apply teams of data managers, data base administrators and its extensive computing resources. The partnership between the Framingham investigators and study participants is an important one and they have made major contributions to the FHS. This new project will expand the research possibilities“, said Philip Wolf, M.D. Principal Investigator of BU’s contract to administer the Framingham Heart Study.

    “Ultimately we hope this research will lead to new treatments and better strategies to prevent cardiovascular and other diseases”, said Daniel Levy, M.D., director of the Framingham Heart Study.  Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH), www.nih.gov/news/pr/feb2006/nhlbi-06.htm

    For more information about the Framingham Heart Study, visit  framingham.com/heart

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  • Historical Society Looking for Photos to Scan

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Do you have photos, publications, or records that depict the people and places of the textile industry in Framingham?

    The Framingham Historical Society is looking for images for their upcoming exhibit, The Fabric of Framingham. Rather than donate your images, the Society would just like you to share them by allowing it to scan them.

    The Framingham Historical Society & Museum is holding a scanning party on Saturday, February 11 from 10a.m. – noon at the Edgell Memorial Library. Refreshments will be served.

    The snow date is February 12th from 2 – 4 p.m.

    Call 508-872-3780 for more information.

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  • Callahan Senior Center News – February 2006

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Callahan Center News for February, 2006.

    Town of Framingham & Callahan Center Snowstorm Policy Notice: If the schools close due to snowstorms or other inclement weather days, there will be no activities at the Center. On these days, the Town of Framingham Staff will be available to you at the Center, unless the Town of Framingham declares an emergency closing.

    Support Groups at Callahan Senior Center – Bereavement Support Group: Mondays, February 6, 13 & 27 at 10:00 am. No meeting on February 20—Center closed. Diabetic Support Group: Tuesday, February 14 at 1:30 pm. Grandparent Support Group: Tuesday, February 14 at 1:00 pm and Tuesday, February 28 at 6:45 pm. Low Vision Group: No meeting in February. Massage Therapy: Thursday, February 2 and Thursday, February 16, by appt. only. Parkinson’s Support Group: Tuesday, February 21 at 1:30 pm. Podiatry: Monday, February 13 from 12:30 pm to 3:15 pm, by appt. only. Stroke Survivors’ Support Group: Monday, February 6 at 1:00 pm.

    BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC FOR FEBRUARY – Wednesdays, February 1, 8, 15 & 22, from 9:30 am—11:00 and 12:00 pm—1:00 pm.

    CARDIOVASCULAR CLINIC IN FEBRUARY – The Cardiovascular Clinic will be on Tuesday, February 7 at 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM. A doctor from the MetroWest Medical Center and nurse Kitty Mahoney from the Framingham Board of Health will be at the Senior Center to check your blood pressure, answer any questions and address individual concerns. For further information, please contact Kitty Mahoney at 508-620-4827.

    “What To Do When Your Family Member Has Memory Loss” – Thursday, February 16, 2006 from 4:30 pm—7:00 pm at Callahan Center, 535 Union Avenue, Framingham – Designed especially for family caregivers, this program provides information about:

    – how to receive a diagnosis

    – how to understand and manage difficult behaviors and communication problems

    – how to find and what to expect from local resources

    This program is presented by trained Alzheimers’ staff and is free-of-charge. Since the group size may be limited, it is necessary to register with Ann Steacie at 508-532-5980, ext. 4113. Refreshments will be provided by Whitney Place. Please call if you have any questions.

    NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP!! February 9th at 10:00 am at Callahan: Hawthorne’s Life and His Works: Hawthorne’s Mystery Stories – Instructor: Mary Murphy, Ed.D.

    Cost: $6.00 per person. Please call the Center at 508-532-5980, extension 4977 to reserve a seat. Please make your check payable to the Friends of Callahan . Advance payment is recommended. This program is provided by Framingham State’s Center for Lifelong Learners in Partnership with the Callahan Center.

    Coming next month! “Shifting Gears” Presented by Michelle Ellicks of the MA Registry of Motor Vehicles. A program for elders on driving safety. Thursday, March 2, 2006 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at the Callahan Center. Please call the Center at 508-532-5980 to reserve a seat!

    “Debt Management” – Presented by Betsy Soule, Supervising Attorney of South Middlesex Legal Services on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 at 10:00 am at the Callahan Center. This talk on debt management will cover two basic topics: Judgment Proof – the concept that certain types of income are exempt fro being collected by creditors to satisfy debts and include most incomes that elders have (SSI, SSDI, SS, PN, VA, etc.) and Bankruptcy – how it works, the requirements under the new law and how it can be helpful to those in serious debt.

    AARP Tax Assistance Program at Callahan Center – AARP will provide a qualified volunteer to assist with preparing income taxes, free of charge for seniors who need this service. You must schedule an appointment in order to see a Tax Counselor. You are required by the IRS to bring the following:

    • income tax returns from last year 1099’s and other relevant tax documents
    • income and asset documents
    • Social Security Card (a must)
    • 2 forms of identification (one photo ID and another form of identification)

    Appointments: Please call Julie Chouman for an appointment at 508-620-4819. Appointments may be limited this year and are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

    Book Club: Come and join our new book club at the Callahan Center led by Karolyne White! This book club will meet the 1st Thursday of the month and all Framingham seniors are invited to participate.

    NEW!!! “BOOKS ON REVIEW” – Karolyne is a volunteer at the Center, a former teacher, and a long-time Framingham resident, who enjoys good reading material and would like to enjoy reviewing it with others. The group will meet on Thursday, February 2nd at 10:00 am to discuss “A Taste of Reality” by African-American author, Kimberla Lawson Roby. Her novels have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including those listed in Essence Magazine and Emerge Magazine. Kimberla received the 1998 First-Time Author Award from Chicago’s Black History Month Book Fair and Conference. The Framingham Library has copies or you may purchase this book at most bookstores or on-line at www.Amazon.com. Please call 508-532-5980 and let us know if you plan to attend.

    February Friends’ General Meeting – The next Friends’ meeting will be on Monday, February 13th at 1:30 pm. This will be a Valentine’s Day party in conjunction with the Callahan Center. Please bring an anonymous Valentine card for the party and you will receive one. The entertainment will be with John Root. Refreshments will be served. Come and bring a friend!

    Medicare Prescription Drug Program Begins – Filling Prescriptions – MassHealth or Prescription Advantage Member – If you have MassHealth or Prescription Advantage, your drugs are now covered by Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Medicare Part D). If you did not select a plan by December 31, 2005, you were randomly auto enrolled in a one on January 1, 2006. Some of you have experienced difficulty using your new plans. If you went to your pharmacy, without an identification card or an acknowledgment letter from your drug plan, your pharmacist may not have been able to verify your enrollment in the plan. Even for those with proof of enrollment there have been problems. The program is complicated and brand new. The good news is that our state officials on Monday, January 9th took steps to make certain that nobody on MassHealth or Prescription Advantage will have to leave the pharmacy without their necessary drugs or pay more than the required co-payments. The pharmacies have been told that if they cannot process your prescription through a Part D plan, they can bill the state, which will temporarily provide coverage for your drugs until the Part D program is successfully up and running. Filling Prescriptions – Not MassHealth or Prescription Advantage Member – If you are having problems getting your drugs using your Part D plan, contact your local COA to make an appointment with a SHINE counselor, who will attempt to resolve the matter for you. You can also reach a SHINE counselor by telephone. Call 1-800-AGE-INFO. Once you get the SHINE answering machine, leave your name and number. A SHINE volunteer will call you back, as soon as possible. Open Enrollment Continues – If you have not signed up for a Part D plan, you can sign up until May 15th. You will still be within the Open Enrollment Period and coverage will begin the month after you enroll. If you are not satisfied with the plan you selected or the plan you were auto enrolled in (Prescription Advantage members), you can change to another plan once between now and May 15th. MassHealth members can change plans any time during the year. Also, there is an Annual Open Enrollment Period each year (November 15 to December 31), during which anyone can enroll in a Part D Plan.

    The next SHINE Volunteer Training is scheduled to begin soon. If you are interested in becoming a SHINE Counselor, please call Dorene Nemeth, Assistant Regional Director, at 508-532-5980, ext. 4109.

    HERITAGE GALLERY, 535 Union Avenue, Framingham – Where you will find fabulous, unique and beautiful gifts for Valentine’s Day! Open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00am to 2:30pm.

    TRAVEL WITH MARTY GRIFFIN – DAY TRIPS

    FEBRUARY:

    • 9 – Valentine’s Party at Ken’s – “Bobby Darling Show” $35.00 Thursday 11:30 am 3:00 pm

    MARCH:

    • 8 Foxwoods – Optional Indian Museum visit $23.00 Wednesday 7:45 am 5:45 pm
    • 16 Dan Clark, the Singing Trooper at Danversport Yacht Club $56.00 Thursday 10:30 am 5:00 pm
    • 23 Travel Presentation Part 2 – July-December Trips FREE Thursday 10:00 am Wrights Chicken Farm – with Cash Bingo $32.00 Thursday 10:45 am 5:00 pm

    APRIL:

    • 5 Newport Playhouse & Cabaret “Squabbles”, Buffet $65.00 Wednesday 9:30 am 5:30 pm
    • 20 Capt. Jack’s Lobsterbake—A Visit to Bristol, RI $57.00 Thursday 9:00 am 5:00 pm Julius LaRosa sings at White’s in Westport $60.00 Tuesday 10:15 am 5:00 pm

    MAY:

    • 9 A Day at Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Tours & Lunch $58.00 Tuesday 8:30 am 5:30 pm Saturday Pops with John Williams, Pacific Buffet Lunch $55.00 Saturday 11:15 am 5:15 pm, “Damn Yankees” at North Shore Music, Lunch $73.00 Wednesday 10:30 am 6:00 pm

    JUNE:

    • 8 “A Tasteful of Fun” – Stoney Field Yogurt, Anheuser Bush Brewery, Common Man Lunch $55.00 Thursday 8:00 am 5:30 pm, Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein program at Chez Joseph $66.00 Wednesday 9:30 am 5:00 pm
    • 27 Odyssey Boat Cruise & Lunch – Boston Bus Tour $55.00 Tuesday 9:30 am 4:00 pm

    OVERNIGHT TRIPS:

    • FEB 18 – MAR 5, 2006 DAYTONA BEACH SUNSHINE (16 days, 15 nights) $ 1,299.00 pp (double rm)
    • MAR 10, 2006 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS CRUISE (14 days – 32 meals) $ 2,399.00 pp (inside, double rm)
    • APR 17 – 22, 2006 BRANSON MUSICAL GETAWAY (6 days, 5 nights) $ 1,199.00 pp (double rm)
    • MAY 1-2, 2006 IRISH CATSKILLS (2 days, 1 night) $ 229.00 pp (double rm —includes bus & guide trips)
    • MAY 25 – JUNE 4, 2006 NORWAY’S DRAMATIC FJORDS (10 days, 9 nights) $ 2,699.00 pp (double room)
    • AUG 7-9, 2006 A TASTE OF VERMONT (3 days, 2 nights) $ 380.00 pp (double room-includes ALL tips)
    • SEP 15-21, 2006 DISCOVER SEDONA (Arizona) (7 days, 6 nights) $1,599.00 pp (double room)

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