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

Author: Randy Harris

  • Framingham Tree Lighting – Friday Dec. 3, 2010

    Framingham Tree Lighting – Friday Dec. 3, 2010

    Framingham Children Wait for Santa on the Steps of Memorial Building (2007)
    Guarded by a giant wooden soldier, Framingham children gather at the Memorial Building waiting for Santa and the town tree lighting (2007)

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – On Friday, December 3, 2010 the Town of Framingham will hold its 19th ANNUAL HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING outside of the Memorial Building, (Framigham Town Hall), which is located at 150 Concord St., in Downtown Framingham.

    Events start at 6:15pm as people gather in front of Town Hall for holiday music in eager anticipation of Santa’s arrival and the lighting of the Town Tree.

    Each year Santa Claus flies into an undisclosed Framingham location where he is met by Framingham Fire Fighters. This year they’ll help Santa avoid all the road construction and downtown traffic and see that he safely arrives at the Memorial Building by 6:45pm, in time for the tree lighting.

    At 7:00 p.m., everyone is invited to come inside Nevins Hall for music by the Framingham Public Schools Elementary and Middle School Band, photos with Santa, hot cocoa, cookies and candy canes.

    Video above is from 2007 Framingham Holiday Tree Lighting

    The evenings events are sponsored by Town of Framingham, Downtown Solutions, Framingham Rotary Club and The Metrowest Daily News.

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  • Westboro Baptist Church Coming to Framingham

    Westboro Baptist Church Coming to Framingham

    Shirley Phelps of the hate group that calls itself the Westboro Baptist Church
    Shirley Phelps of the hate group that calls itself the Westboro Baptist Church.

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – I got a call yesterday afternoon. The woman said a reporter left a message saying they were from Framingham and wanted to interview her, but didn’t leave a call-back number, so she searched the internet and found the phone number for framingham.com

    She asked if she was reaching “a news outlet”, and I told her we do run some news articles along with other Framingham local community information.

    Then I asked her, “Did you do something newsworthy?”

    Her short reply,  “we picket“.

    I asked her name…

    She said her name was Shirley Phelps-Roper.  Then she said, “we were going to picket in your town on the 4th, but we’re going to come on the 3rd instead so more of the kids will be outside the school than will go to that fag play“.

    She told me she’s “the lawyer for the [Westboro Baptist] church“, and that she answers the phone calls and email.  Then rather proudly mentioned that she is one of 13 siblings, and she herself is the mother of 11 children.

    Knowing I was talking to someone who loves the sound of their own voice, I gave Shirley a go-ahead “uh-huh” and said, “Oh, you’re from that church in Kansas“, and mentioned I’d read “something about it”.

    Shirley went on about The Laramie Project (more…)

  • Flashmob at MWMC

    Flashmob at MWMC

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – For more than two decades, professionals involved with infection control have dedicated one week of the year as “Infection Prevention Week“. Originally the week was spent educating others in health care about the importance of reducing the spread of germs and infection.

    When Andrei Soran, (CEO of Metrowest Medical Center), got together with  Bonnie Biocchi, (President of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce), during the 2010 Infection Prevention Week, they got the idea to promote the importance of hand washing — not only to healthcare professionals, but to the community at large.

    Using social networking and online media the pair got a Flashmob together, and here’s what they came up with:

    What a great use of social networking, music, line-dancing and fun to promote something that could keep us all a little healthier, (especially as we head into the cold and flu season).

    Great job to all of you Wash Your Hands dancers!

    Resources:

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  • AOL Attempts Comeback as “Patch”

    AOL Attempts Comeback as “Patch”

    Framingham Patch
    Why is ''Patch'' trying to get people to believe they are a local website and hiding the fact that they are AOL ?

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – AOL, the online service that so many people loved to hate, is rearing its ugly head again.

    AOL, a company whose corporate ethics are virtually non-existent has been the object of thousands of consumer, employee and investor complaints and lawsuits due to; unfair consumer practices, consumer privacy violations, unfair labor practices and securities law violations.

    The company was been the target of (and lost) one of the largest class action lawsuits in history.

    One class action lawsuit should be of particular interest to anyone considering “volunteering”, “contributing”, or responding to offers for paid work at AOL’s Patch. That lawsuit had to do with thousands of people who were effectively unpaid or underpaid “employees” of AOL — although the company called them “community leaders” and denied they worked for AOL.

    We’ve created a spoof / satire version of Framingham Patch which contains (more…)

  • Pop Culture Super MegaFest in Framingham

    Pop Culture Super MegaFest in Framingham

    Christopher Lloyd, Doc Brown in Back to the Future, Rev. Jim on Taxi at Framingham Super MegaFest
    Meet Christopher Lloyd who played ''Doc Brown'' in the ''Back To The Future'' movie trilogy, and also starred as the lovable ''Reverend Jim'' on the hit t.v. series TAXI. Lloyd began his film career as an unnamed character in the movie ''Airport'' in 1970.

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – What do Reverend Jim from Taxi, Peter Tork from The Monkees, a Gigantic Animated Talking Robot, Playboy Playmate Cathy St. George, Chewbacca from Star Wars and Gary Sohmers of The Antiques Roadshow all have in common?

    Answer: They will all be at Super MegaFest, (and the Come Together Fest concert), the weekend of Saturday & Sunday, November 20th and 21st,  2010 when pop culture lovers and the popular icons they love will converge on Framingham’s  Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center for New England’s largest multi-media fan festival.

    …and that’s just a partial lineup of the fun packed weekend that’s planned!

    While it takes a whole website just to list who and what will be there, here’s a few more stars you may see, meet or get autographs from; Norman Reedus, (Murphy MacManus in The Boondock Saints), Gary Lewis (of Gary Lewis & The Playboys), Marina Sirtis, (of Star Trek Next (more…)

  • Danny O’Connor Boxing Match Cancelled

    Danny O’Connor Boxing Match Cancelled

    Framingham boxing match cancelled.
    Homecoming boxing match canceled.

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – A boxing exhibition featuring Framingham native champion boxer Danny O’Connor has been canceled. Citing difficulties in obtaining the necessary permits to hold the match in Nevins Hall, the bout has been rescheduled to Nov. 20th and moved to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

    O’Connor who grew up in Saxonville and wrestled at Framingham High has already racked up an impressive professional boxing record.  Among other titles he was a 2008 National Golden Gloves Champion, 2008 US Future Stars National Champion, and a 2008 Alternate US Olympic Boxing Team member.  O’Connor is undefeated in his professional boxing career.

    According to a press release from Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules the match featuring O’Connor which was billed as “The Homecoming“, was canceled due to what he describes as [Framingham’s] “bizarre bureaucracy“.

    In the press release Margules claims; “representations were made to me by town officials that I would be able to sell (more…)

  • 6th Middlesex MA State Rep Debates

    6th Middlesex MA State Rep Debates

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – A debate between candidates vying to be the next State Representative for the 6th Middlesex District was held October 25, 2010.

    The debate brought together candidates Jim Pillsbury, (an Independent), Jim Rizoli, (also Independent), and Chris Walsh, a Democrat who beat out current State Rep. Pam Richardson, for the their party’s nomination in the primaries.

    The debate, which I could only describe as; “Watching a train wreck that somehow righted itself before pulling into the station“, is actually a testament (more…)

  • Callahan Center Happenings for November 2010

    Callahan Center Happenings for November 2010

    The Raymond J. Callahan Senior Center, Framingham, MA (USA)
    Located at 435 Union Avenue, the Callahan Center is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – The following information is about support groups, activities and services at the Callahan Senior Center for the month of November, 2010:

    Support Groups at Callahan Senior Center:

    • Bereavement Support Group: Mondays, November 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 at 10:00 am.
    • ‘Better Breathers’ Support Group: Wednesday, November 10 at 12:00 pm.
    • Caregivers’ Support Group: Wednesday, November 24 at 1:00 pm.
    • Diabetes Support Group: Tuesday, November 30 at 10:00 am.
    • Grandparent Support Group: Wednesday, November 24 at 7:00 pm. Please call the Center to confirm in the event of a change.
  • “The Chief” Robert Parish at Framingham Office Depot

    “The Chief” Robert Parish at Framingham Office Depot

    The Chief - Robert Parish, Sports Illustrated cover (1991)
    "The Chief", Robert Parish, Boston Celtics #00 makes the cover of Sports Illustrated, (March 11, 1991).

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – On Tuesday, October 26, 2010 from 2:00-3:00pm, Celtics Hall-of-Famer, Robert “The Chief” Parish will be in the Shoppers World Office Depot store as part of a Hewlett-Packard in-store promotion where he will be signing autographs and you can have your picture taken with the Celtics legend.

    “The Chief”, who played for the Celtics from 1980 to 1994,  is one of the most accomplished basketball players in NBA history.  The Celtics retired his distinctive double-zero number in 1998.  Parish was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.  Among his accomplishements are his unmatched record of playing in 1,611 NBA games during a record setting 21 NBA playing seasons.  After leaving Boston where Parish was an instrumental part of three championship wins, Parish then played for the Hornets for two seasons, then played his final season with the Chicago Bulls where he racked up a 4th championship win. By the time he retired he was 43 years old, the 3rd oldest man to ever play in the NBA.

    Parish was given the nickname “The Chief” by fellow Celtic Cedric Maxwell who jokingly compared Parish’s stoic demeanor and statuesque size to the silent Native American character in the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

    Typically calm, cool and collected, the video clip below shows (more…)

  • Halloween in Framingham 2010

    Halloween in Framingham 2010

    halloween scene
    Oct. 30th — Rediscover Pinefield Shopping Center and join in the fun with a children's costume parade, crafts (at McAuliffe Library), a Classic Car and Antique Truck Show, safe store-to-store Trick or Treating and more! (Event sponsored by Robinson's Hardware and other Pinefield merchants).

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – Below is a list of just some of the Halloween activities taking in place in Framingham during the week leading up to Halloween ..but first, a little history about the origin of this wickedly fun holiday.

    It’s been a couple thousand years since the ancient Celtic people celebrated Samhain, a holiday occurring on the last day of October which marked the end of summer and time for harvest — a time when the Celts believed the line between the living and the dead grew thin and spirits of the dead could return to Earth, (as ghosts).   The Celts would dress in costumes and light bonfires as part of the rituals.

    Conquered by the Romans, the Celtic harvest rituals were combined with two Roman holidays, Feralia, (a day to commemorate the dead), and Pomona, (a day to honor the godess of fruit and trees). As Christianity became more widespread, All Saints Day, (called “Alholowmesse” in early English), was celebrated on November 1st to honor Roman Catholic Saints and martyrs, and “All Souls (Day)”, to honor all departed souls was celebrated on November 2nd.

    Eventually Alholowmesse become known as “All-hallows (Day)”.  Since the Celtic holiday of Samhain was celebrated the night before, it became (more…)