FRAMINGHAM, MA – Now in its fifth year, Mass Audubon’s annual photography contest, Picture This: Your Great Outdoors, has evolved into a “must” for hundreds of photographers eager to express a love of nature through their images. And with more than 2,000 photos submitted since the contest began April 1, judging so many top-quality entries was especially challenging.
But after reviewing each photo, judges chose Arindam Ghosh of Framingham as the 2014 Grand Prize Winner for his picture of a male mallard duck, wings spread and seemingly standing on water.
A 30-year-old software engineer from Framingham, Ghosh got his championship image while observing ducks in the aptly named Waterfowl Pond at Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield. He’s been taking pictures as a pastime for five years, but the Mass Audubon contest was the first he has ever entered.
Photographers could enter a total of five images among (more…)
Jack’s Abby Brewing Plans for Expansion
FRAMINGHAM, MA – Today, Jack, Eric and Sam Hendler, co-founders and owners of Jack’s Abby Brewing, announced plans to build a significantly larger brewery at 100 Clinton Street, occupying part of the former Dennison Mfg. complex in downtown Framingham.
The expansion will allow the brewery to increase production capacity, warranted by a rise in demand for the beer in its home state, as well as expanded territories such as Connecticut, upstate NY and Vermont only a few short years after the brewery’s August 2011 official grand opening.
The new 67,000 sq. foot space (up from the current brewery’s 12,000) will feature state-of-the-art brewing equipment including a canning line and a 60 bbl brew house for initial brewing capacity of 50,000 bbls annually, with opportunity to scale up to 125,000 bbls.
“We’ve developed a great relationship with the town of Framingham over the past three years and couldn’t be happier that we found a location for the brewery that meets (more…)
Former Framingham Dentist Sentenced In Child Pornography Case
FRAMINGHAM, MA – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced today that a former pediatric dentist with an office in Framingham has been sentenced after pleading guilty to five indictments charging him with possession and distribution of child pornography for images allegedly found on his laptop computer.
On December 18, Melvin A. Ehrlich, 52, of Millis, pleaded guilty to charges of distribution of visual material showing a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct (2 counts), and possession of child pornography (3 counts). Middlesex Superior Court Judge Mitchell H. Kaplan sentenced Ehrlich to one year in the Middlesex County House of Correction in Billerica and three years’ probation. The District Attorney’s office had requested two to three years in state prison and five years’ probation. Judge Kaplan stayed the sentence until December 29.
“It was disturbing to find out that someone who had been a trusted medical professional was involved in child pornography,” said District Attorney Ryan. “It’s frightening to think about the number of times people brought their children to Ehrlich’s dental practice having no idea that in his down time he was looking at disturbing and graphic images of other young people who were being exploited. This case is a reminder that those who engage in child pornography may be in any profession, of any age, and of any educational level.”
According to authorities, in the spring of 2013, Ehrlich made arrangements to have his personal laptop computer picked up at his dental office by a Framingham business for maintenance work to remove a reported virus from the computer. While working on Ehrlich’s laptop, a technician observed downloaded images of child pornography. The business called Framingham Police, who immediately launched an investigation.
On April 11, 2013, Ehrlich was arraigned on charges related to child pornography in Framingham District Court. An extensive forensic investigation was conducted and revealed that Ehrlich used this personal laptop computer under various user names to download and distribute commercially traded child pornography images. The data recovered was sent to and confirmed to be commercially traded child pornography by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
At the time of this incident, Ehrlich was a pediatric dentist who operated a business called Wee Care for Kids in Framingham. The investigation did not reveal any evidence that Ehrlich abused any of his patients or manufactured any images of child pornography. Ehrlich is no longer employed as a pediatric dentist.
The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Kristin Noto of the Special Investigations Unit of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. The case was investigated by Framingham Police, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Child Protection and Cyber Protection Units within the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
Source: Middlesex District Attorney, Press Release