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

Author: Deb Cleveland

  • The Susan Boyles of Framingham

    Much has been made of the overnight sensation, Susan Boyle of Scotland, who stunned the world on Britain’s Got Talent with a great voice coming from an unglamourous person.   according to reports, she’s an unassuming choirsinger who spent much of her life taking care of her elderly mother.

    There are many Susan Boyles in Framingham, with talents not immediately apparent, or recognized.  They sing in choirs, volunteer in organizations, serve in town meeting, plant flowers around town, and more.  They have the talents of a giving heart and willingness to serve their community.  They may not be glamorous, but in their quiet way, they help to make Framingham a better place to live.

  • Kidding around about Pirates

    While pirates from Somalia are making news, we have play in the works by the Framingham Community Theater based upon a legend that Captain Kidd buried some treasure near Learned Pond.  The legend may have evolved from Joseph Braddish Jr. who was born in Framingham Plantation around 1675 in the Nobscot section of town.  He grew up to be a pirate and captain of a captured ship.  He met up with  Captain William Kidd when jailed for piracy.  He was hanged in England in 1699.  

    And, once upon a time, plays were fundraisers for preserving the Village Hall in Framingham Centre.  As the Civic League building, where the theater troupe used to mount it’s plays, is no longer available , plays have returned to the Village Hall.  Renting the Village Hall for the production will help preserve it, and it is a local treasure.

  • Being Friendly in Saxonville

    The Friends of Saxonville recently held their annual meeting. 

    Many “Friends” that we hadn’t seen in a while were there. 

    The agenda was packed with a lot of information about what was happening in the area, from work on the water and sewer lines, to the Cochituate Rail Trail, to the Getchell Nature Trail. 

    It was fascinating to hear about all the work that FASR (Framingham Advocates of the Sudbury River) had done over the years, that perhaps many people are unaware of, especially their role in pushing more investigation and cleanup of Nyanza related problems.

    FASR was disbanding and turned over what remained in their treasury, a bit over $ 4,000, to the Friends of Saxonville.

    It was one of the most informative meetings ever!

  • Rave Review of local mechanic

    The following is part of a posting on the framcom email list by Kim Comatis commenting on a  great experience with Craig at Dimidis and Sons in Saxonville:
    “The car was brought in, and I got a loaner (which was great because my
    daughter got sent home from school sick) he called within a few hours, let
    me know what he found to be the problem.  Gave me a ball park price – bill
    was LOWER than quoted.  Returned for my car, he told me about an issue that could cause problems in the future (heavily rusted coolant pipe) and then patiently showed me the two parts he replaced.

    He compared two of the old parts to the new parts and explained how they broke down so I could SEE and LEARN about them.  Who does that!??!  =)

    It’s good to read positive feedback about one of framingham.com’s advertisers. 

    If you have car trouble, you can call Craig at Dimidis & Sons Auto Service at 12 Watson Place (off Concord St., by Athenaeum Hall), Saxonville, Tel:  508-788-1011 .

           

  • What’s Nouvelle at the Natick Collection

    Nouvelle is the condominium portion of the Natick (Mall) Collection.

    We attended a MetroWest Chamber of Commerce business after hours networking event there to market the condos.

    After reading about the long awaited project, it was interesting to be able to tour a model condo and the common facilities.  The model had surprisingly natural views, not of surrounding stores.  It seemed a little small, but as you have a common area with a TV and game tables, plus rooftop garden areas and a fitness center, you actually have a lot of space overall.

    And we have been realizing that less is better, the more you have, the more time you have to spend caring for & cleaning.  After looking at McMansions and wondering why people need all that space, the condos are a shift.

    When the condos were first offered, from a sales office in the Hampton Inn, before the mall’s expansion, many people showed interest, and deposits were made.  Due to construction delays, many people chose to drop out.

    Some condos are occupied but due to the economy, sales are slow.  Nouvelle’s management is offering incentives, waiving condo fees for a year, and offering a “try before you buy” trial.  Starting in the 300’s, if someone needs a central living location, or a temporary home, Nouvelle is a surprisingly comfortable, appealing, and convenient option.

  • Business Women Unite

    One way that local women are building their businesses, is by attending area women’s networking groups.

    “Business Women Unite” is a popular, free group organized by Rhona George, whose business is “Great Impression.”  She helps women make a great impression by helping them put their best face forward with Mary Kay products.  Rhona is a Mary Kay director whose earned a string of pink cadillacs.

    Rhona maintains an email list of business women and gives them headsup on the monthly meetings.  Recently the group has started to have luncheon gatherings as well as afterhours meetings.

    Everyone has a few minutes to talk about their business and share a tip or a motivating thought, or a good book or resource.

    It’s a great means of making connections and getting comfortable talking about what you do and why someone should be interested in doing business with you.   A whole lot of sharing goes on.

  • A Sign of Spring in Framingham

    One of the perennial signs of spring in Framingham is the opening of River’s Edge Garden Center on Auburn St. Ext., off Edgell Road.

    Every March we get a lift when we receive an email from Jenna at River’s Edge announcing her opening and ordering her banner ad for the season.

    This year River’s Edge will be open from April 3rd through the end of July.

    Whenever we need a gift during the spring and summer, we tend to head to River’s Edge.  The prices are reasonable and then some and the smiling staff will add a bow, foil around the pots, and some tissue paper to dress up the plants.  The plants are always very healthy, last a long time, and are abundant with blooms.

    There’s hardly a Mother’s Day or Memorial Day when we don’t buy some flowers at River’s Edge. 

    See you in April, Jenna!

  • Local Framingham Businesses featured on CNNMoney.com

    It is interesting to read about our local proprietors and how they are coping and adapting to keep customers coming in and filling their needs.

    They came across as matter of fact and digging in to work through these tough times, with your support. Locally owned businesses buy a lot of services from other local businesses, so by doing business with Framingham’s locally owned businesses, you help the local economy, and in some cases, your neighbor, as many businesses owners live in town. There’s no better time to shop at your neighborhood business as it helps the community ride out the recession.

  • Framingham State Student Films in International Festival

    FRAMINGHAM,MA — The Framingham State College Communication Arts Department is proud to announce that two student films have been named official selections at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

    The films were created with the mentorship and expertise of Framingham State College’s Assistant Professor James Bock in a required Visual Media Production Course: COMM 280 Introduction to Film Production.

    The first film is entitled “Walkin’ Like Wine” (directed by Geoffrey Filetti, written by Joe “Safety” DeRosa, director of photography Derek Gannon, edited by Thomas Sanderson and produced by Matthew Tulipano). The second film is entitled “Spare Change” (directed by Jessica Camp, written by Eric Cavolowsky, director of photography Justin Andrews, edited by Sarah Maguire and produced by Dennis Staires).

    The film festival will begin on April 16, 2009, and conclude with the awards ceremony on April 26, 2009.

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  • It’s in another bag

    Office Depot in Shoppers World just put out some interesting totebags. 

    They have plastic clips that you hook onto each side of a shopping cart.

    They are large enough to hold a couple of paper grocery bags of merchandise.

    If you use the scan and bag method at Stop & Shop, when you are finished shopping & paying, you can simply unhook the clips, pull them together and snap, and load  them into to your car.  Saves handling and keep things from rolling around in the back of your car.

    They have long enough handles to slip over your shoulder for easy carrying into the house.

    Makes shopping a lot simpler.  And saves on bags.  And they are only $ 1.99.