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  • Antiques Roadshow Premiers 10th Season on Monday Night

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – PBS’s Antiques Roadshow begins its tenth season on Monday night, January 9 with new host Mark L. Walberg. This show, which revolutionized the way TV viewers felt about antiques, history, and the experts who love them, had its beginnings in Concord, and Bolton, Massachusetts. It has made some local experts household names.

    In 1992, a pilot, loosely based upon the original Antiques Roadshow produced in England, was filmed at the Skinner auction gallery in Bolton, Mass. Monty Hall, well-known game show personality, and antiques collector, was the host, and ”The Great American Treasure Hunt” the working title. Over 700 people showed up. The pilot was shopped as a commercial program, but had no takers.

    Then WGBH-TV, Channel 2, Boston became interested in the program, a sponsor was found, and five top auction houses, including Skinner, Inc., committed to collaborating on the venture.

    On June 1, 1996, Concord again made history as the site of the inaugural filming of the first stop of the roadshow. Hundreds of New Englanders toting family heirlooms and what-its converged on the Concord Armory. Awaiting them inside was the unprecedented gathering of the top experts from the antiques world and a PBS TV crew to record the proceedings. The turnout was small enough that people were encouraged to run home and bring in more items. Not so small that several treasures were uncovered, as well as a lesson from the Keno brothers in how much the value decreases when you refinish an early piece of furniture.

    Since that day, many appraisers from Skinner, including ceramic and pottery expert Stuart Slavid, of Framingham, and doll specialist Dorothy McGonagle, of Sudbury, have been a part of the Antiques Roadshow phenomenon. Gary Sohmers, of Framingham’s WexRex pop culture fame, pops up frequently on the show and is featured on some of the web videos on the Antiques Roadshow section of the WGBH website.

    Check the Roadshow web pages for a timeline and highlights of the show’s ten year run as well as information about this year’s season and where the show will travel this summer.

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  • “A Journal for Christa” Read on Radio

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – The MetroWest Radio Reading Service joins Framingham State College in observing the 20th anniversary of the Challenger Accident and celebrates the life of Christa McAuliffe.

    The MetroWest Radio Reading Service has a program every Monday and Thursday from 2:30 until 4-00 p.m. called, “Reading at F.S.C.” where we feature books recorded by our volunteers in their entirety.

    Beginning on Monday, January 9, 2006, The Metro West Radio Reading Service will present “A Journal for Christa” by Grace George Corrigan.

    The episodes will run as follows:

    • Monday, January 9, Episode One – 2:30 until 4:00 p.m.
    • Thursday, January 12, Episode Two- 2:30 until 4:00 p.m.
    • (Monday, January 16, is a holiday, Martin Luther King Day)
    • Thursday, January 19, Episode Three – 2:30 until 4:00 p.m.
    • Monday, January 23, Episode Four – 2:30 until 4:00 p.m.
    • Thursday, January 26, Episode Five – 2:30 until 4:00 p.m.
    • Friday, January 27, a special edition of “Reading at F.S.C.” from 2:30 until 4:00 p.m, Episode Seven.

    The Metro West Radio Reading Service is a Community Outreach program of the Disability Services Office at Framingham State College and an affiliate of the Talking Information Center Massachusetts Reading Network under the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind.

    For more information and a complete schedule you can contact the Disability Services at Framingham State College at 508-626-4627 or the Talking Information Center at 1-800-696-9505 or check our two websites: www.framingham.edu/disabilityservices or ticnetwork.com

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  • Postal Increase This Sunday

    FRAMINGHAM, MA – The United States Postal Service is raising its rates as of Sunday, January 8th. The 1 ounce single-piece rate for First-Class Mail will increase from 37 cents to 39 cents, and the postcard rate will increase by one cent, to 24 cents.

    New 2006 postage rates and fees are now posted online.

    For 2006 Rates and Fees tables, please visit: www.usps.com

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