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Category: Arts & Culture

Framingham Blazers Summer Band

Bass drum from the original Framingham Blazers Band

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Under the direction of Mr. Brian Cervone, band director at Framingham High School — and in association with the Performing Arts Center of Metrowest, The Blazers Band is being revived as the Framingham Blazers Summer Band.

Participation is open to musicians in grades 8-12 as well as adults. Those who play wind instruments, percussion, and string instruments are encouraged to sign up.

Rehearsals will be at PAC, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and occasional Tuesdays, starting June 22nd, 2011. There’s still time to register, and it’s free!

History of the Blazers Band

Founded in 1960 in conjunction with the Framingham Parks & Recreation Department, The Blazers Band was Framingham’s hometown band throughout the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s .

Mr. Paul Bordeleau, Framingham Blazers Band, Founder and first Musical Director, (1980's photo)

Founder and first musical director, Mr. Paul Bordeleau, was a teacher at Framingham’s now-defunct Lincoln Junior High School and wanted a way for Framingham kids to continue practicing and playing their band instruments after the school year ended. In 1963, when the newly constructed Framingham North High School was built, Mr. Bordeleau became the school’s first band director.

The Blazers Band was a family oriented organization — a group of Framingham ladies sewed the red and white striped blazers that band members wore, and decades of Framingham families supported the band and participated in band activities.

The organization grew to include the marching band, a color guard, jazz band, a stage band that performed “Big Band” style, and of course — The Blazeretts, a troupe of baton twirlers in matching red and (more…)

June 17, 2011
Framingham Author Publishes First Book

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Growing up the youngest of six children, an only girl with five older brothers, Robyn Bradley escaped into a world she created with pen and paper. She traces her ambition to become an author back to Mrs. Shea’s 4th grade class at the Charlotte Dunning School, when a writing assignment earned her praise …and three red stars.

After graduating from Framingham North High in 1991, Robyn detoured slightly from the written to the spoken word, and put in six years full time at radio station Magic 106.7, (followed by another seven years working there part-time). But she kept finding herself (more…)

June 16, 2011
Riverfest: Paddle Down The Sudbury River

FRAMINGHAM, MA – This weekend, June 11th and 12th, 2011, The Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild & Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council is holding “RiverFest” its annual celebration of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers. The following 3 events are taking place in Framingham.

Paddle The Sudbury River

Saturday, June 11th at 8:30AM – Join Bill Fadden and the Framingham Conservation Commission for a scenic 2 mile paddle on the Sudbury River. *** UPDATED: Although the RiverFest website indicates canoes will be put in at Little Farms Rd, others are putting in at the Central St. / Kellog St. canoe drop at the bottom of the hill by the Learning Center for Deaf Children and paddling to the reservoir in Saxonville *** The Little Farms Rd. landing is located just north of the Cameron School, off Elm Street. Participants are encouraged to (more…)

June 10, 2011
New FPAC-TV Show: The Framingham Beat

The Framingham Beat is a news magazine format television show produced at FPAC-TV.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Since taking the helm at Framingham Public Access TV, (FPAC-TV), Bill McColgan has brought several new programs to the station.

This month, FPAC-TV introduces a new show called ‘The Framingham Beat’.

Using a news magazine format, McColgan acts as commentator setting up the stories which are shot at locations throughout Framingham.

In the first episode, videos from the Earth Day celebration on the Centre Common, from a Cultural Council awards banquet, and interviews on a day when radio station Mix 104.1 broadcast live from J&M Diner on Old Connecticut Path — along with other local interest stories.

The show runs on Framingham Public Access channels, (RCN 3, Comcast 9 and Verizon 43), or can be viewed online at (more…)

June 5, 2011
Framingham: Concerts on the Green (2011)

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Below is information about the 2008 Framingham Concerts on the Green / Summer Concert Series held on the Framingham Centre Common (The Village Green), located at Edgell Rd. and Vernon St, near Rt. 9.
(more…)

June 1, 2011
West Side Story at FHS
West Side Story at FHS, May 12th, 13th and 14th, 2011 – Order Tickets Online now!

FRAMINGHAM, MA -The Framingham High School Drama Company will be performing West Side Story on the following dates:
- Thursday, May 12, 2011 @ 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, May 13, 2011 @ 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 14, 2011 @ 2:00 p.m.
- Saturday, May 14, 2011 @ 7:30 p.m.
All performances will be held in the FHS auditorium, 115 “A” Street, Framingham, MA. Tickets prices are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased online at: www.ticketstage.com

West Side Story, which is a liberally interpreted 1950’s version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, originally opened as a Broadway play on September 26, 1957 for a run of (more…)
May 3, 2011
New Year’s Eve 2011 Events

Ice sculptures are one of the First Night Boston crowd favorites and are display throughout the city. Larger carvings can be found in Copley near the Boston Library, and along Boston Common, the Frog Pond and other locations around the city. This massive creation was a life size Arctic Wonderland with carved Walrus, Narwhales, Polar Bears, Penguins and huge ice-bergs floating in a sea of ice in front of Boston Public Library.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Below are just some of the events being held on New Year’s Eve, Friday, December 31, 2010 in Framingham and other local towns as well as Boston and Worcester “First Night” info.

If you plan to attend one of the dances, parties or other events which require reservations — be aware that some of these events sell out quickly and you should confirm your plans as early as possible.

For those planning on heading into Boston or Worcester for First Night 2011 celebrations we’ve posted info about Framingham Commuter Rail and “T” service for New Year’s Eve.

~ New Year’s Eve 2011 ~

~ Events in Framingham ~

New Year’s Eve at Nobscot’s Café – New Years Eve featuring (more…)

December 17, 2010
Laramie Project Closes After Sellout Weekend

~=Matthew Shepard=~(12/1/1976-10/12/1998)

FRAMINGHAM, MA – After months of planning, casting, rehearsing and finally performing the play — “The Laramie Project” closed after its second sellout night at Framingham High School.

I didn’t see the play. I’ll admit to never going to a play unless my kid was in it. What I did see and hear were an incredible amount of civil rights “in action” and discussed and debated in the schools and on the streets of Framingham.

The photo of Matthew Shepard on this page is so nobody forgets that the The Laramie Project is about a murder. A 21 year old kid was killed by two cowards. The murderers attempted to use the fact that Matthew Shepard was gay as an excuse for how their planned robbery went very wrong.

The killers were Meth-heads. They were too lazy to work for a living. The robbery was all about “getting money for drugs“. They singled out (more…)

December 5, 2010
WBC Protest in Framingham

Early a.m. police barricade at A St. and Concord St. as police control traffic near Framingham High School.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Under the cover of darkness T.V. news trucks quietly pulled into the old State Lumber parking lot at the corner of School Street and Concord Street.

It was still before dawn as reporters fixed their hair, straightened their jackets and ties, and cameramen readied their equipment.

The Assignment: Get some film of the Westboro Baptist Church members who are in town to protest the play, “The Laramie Project“.

The controversial play is about the murder of a gay 21 year old University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard, who was beaten and left to die in 1998 and how the community dealt with the issue.

The Westboro Baptist group travels around the country protesting the play, but are perhaps even better known for protesting at the funerals of US Soldiers who were killed in war.

The play will be performed at Framingham High School tonight and (more…)

December 3, 2010
Westboro Baptist Church Coming to Framingham

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…)

November 18, 2010