2nd Annual Holiday Stroll Happenings

Thursday December 2nd

A Cut Above: Complementary hair products, coupons for hair & nail services, hot chocolate & cookies.
Berry Insurance:  Broadcast from WODS-FM 103.3.
Boston Sports Club: Pictures with Scooby Doo, goodie bags at Dean Bank.
Dean College: 4:30pm tree lighting, caroling and holiday snacks.  Come cheer on the Bulldogs at the Women’s Basketball game, 6pm, and Men’s Basketball Game, 8pm, in Pieri Gym.  Free Admission!
Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU):  Candy for kids at the Mobile Branch in Simon’s Parking Lot.
Downtown Consignment: Beverages & refreshments, 20% off coupon for evening of Stroll.
Emma’s Quilt Cupboard:  Quilt sample sale. Make a wool felt ornament.
Franklin Dance Workshop & Co.:  Holiday entertainment at Simon’s Furniture parking lot.  Goodie bag give-aways.
Franklin Food Pantry: Open House 4:30-8pm. Accepting donations from Holiday Needs List.
Franklin Historical Museum: Busy Bee Crafters will have holiday gift items for sale.  Enjoy  holiday music.
Franklin School for the Performing Arts: Theater Troupe performance and stocking takeaway.
H & R Block:  Goodies, free second looks, free tax return raffle.
Hair @ Nail It: A free manicure with a canned good donation for the Franklin Food Pantry.
House Portraits by Deb: Calendar collage of Franklin paintings.
Jane’s Frames:  Hot cider and gingerbread cookies, Free Drawing for Framed Art for all those that sign up for Wish List for Holiday Gifts.
Party Paints N’ Pottery:  Mulled cider, cookies and a free ornament to paint.
Printsmart:  Free one-subject notebook for all kids who come into the store.
RE/MAX Realty:  Condo Tours and a Hospitality Suite with refreshments for all ages.
Rick’s Restaurant: A cup of Rick’s award winning chowder with purchase of an adult entrée.  Mention the Holiday Stroll to receive this mouth-watering offer.
Salon Sorella:  20% off gift cards ~ first 50 people to purchase a $100 gift card will receive it for $50.  One per family-offers cannot be combined.
SELF Aesthetics and Therapeutic Specialists:  5 minute chair massages, coupons and raffle for a free service.
Simon’s Furniture:  Meet Santa from 5-7pm.

2010 Holiday Stroll flyer

Mark Your Calendars

The 2nd Annual Holiday Stroll is set for Thursday, December 2, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. throughout Franklin's downtown. Here are a few of the Happenings planned:

A Cut Above: Complementary hair products, coupons for hair & nail services, hot chocolate and cookies.

Berry Insurance: Live broadcast from WODS-FM 103.3.

Boston Sports Club: Pictures with Scooby Doo, goodie bags.

Dean College: 4:30 p.m. tree lighting, caroling and holiday snacks. Come cheer on the Bulldogs at the Women's Basketball game at 6 p.m. and Men's Basketball game at 8 p.m. in Pieri Gym. Free Admission!

Digital Credit Union: Candy for kids at the Mobile Branch.

Downtown Consignment: Beverages & refreshments, 20% off coupon for evening of the Stroll.

Emma's Quilt Cupboard: Quilt sample sale.

Franklin Food Pantry: Open House 4:30 to 8 p.m. Accepting donations from Holiday Needs List.

Franklin Historical Museum: Busy Bee Crafters will have holiday gift items for sale. Enjoy holiday music!

Franklin School for the Performing Arts: Theater Troupe performance and stocking takeaway.

H & R Block: Goodies, Free second looks, free tax return raffle.

Hair @ Nail It: Free manicure with a canned good donation for the Franklin Food Pantry.

House Portraits by Deb: Calendar collage of Franklin paintings.

Jane's Frames: Hot cider and gingerbread cookies, Free Drawing for Framed Art for all who sign up for Wish List for Holiday Gifts.

Party Paints N' Pottery: Mulled cider, cookies and a free ornament to paint.

Printsmart: Free one-subject notebook for all kids who come into the store.

RE/MAX Realty: Condo Tours and Hospitality Suite with refreshments for all ages.

Salon Sorella: 20% off gift cards -- first 50 people to purchase a $100 gift card will receive it for $50. One per family; offers cannot be combined.

SELF Aesthetics and Therapeutic Specialists: 5-minute chair massages, coupons and raffle for a free service.

Simon's Furniture: Meet Santa from 5 to 7 p.m.

Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting Agenda

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Dean College Campus Center @ 8:30 am

(Lower Level-Boomers)

1. Networking-Social 8:30am

2. Open Meeting 8:35am

3. Adoption of Agenda 8:35am

4. Introductions 8:40am

5. Report from Executive Director 8:45am

1. Membership Update
2. Membership Survey
3. Website Launch
4. Holiday Decoration Day

6. Report: Holiday Stroll 9:00am

Cindy Kozil & Roberta Trahan

7. Report: Sign bylaws and Zoning Districts 9:05am

Bryan Taberner

8. Tom McAuliffe: President WMRC- “Got Local 9:25am

Campaign”

9. New Business: 9:35 am
10. Other Business

11. Adjourn

Reminder

The next General Meeting is

Thursday, November 18

8:30 a.m.

Dean College Campus Center

on the lower level at Boomer's

Decorate Downtown this Sunday, November 21

The Franklin Downtown Partnership will once again team up with the Garden Club to decorate Franklin’s downtown center with holiday greens, ribbons and wreaths on Sunday, November 21, at 9:00 a.m.

Residents are welcome to put on their garden gloves and join volunteers on the center island in front of the Rome Restaurant. Volunteers are also needed on Friday, November 19, at 10:00 a.m. to organize the greenery at Hillside Nursery.

“It’s become our tradition to put up the decorations the Sunday before Thanksgiving to spruce up the downtown for the holidays,” says Eileen Mason, Beautification Day chairperson. “Volunteers from the high school boys and girls hockey teams are very much appreciated every year for their spirit and enthusiasm in the decorating."

Each year local sponsors donate funds to pay for the holiday decorations and the spring flowers. “We are fortunate to have such generous businesses that enable us to continue our efforts each year,” says Executive Director Lisa Piana. “We accomplish all of this through donations and tireless volunteer hours.”

Anyone interested in volunteering or sponsoring this activity should contact Eileen Mason at emason11@verizon.net for more details. For more information contact Lisa Piana at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.

Franklin Downtown Partnership Plans 2010 Holiday Stroll

The Franklin Downtown Partnership will officially kick off the holiday season with its 2nd Annual Holiday Stroll on Thursday, December 2, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A tree-lighting ceremony, a visit from Santa, music and refreshments are all part of the fun planned for revelers this year.

The festivities will begin with a tree lighting ceremony at Dean College in front of Dean Hall at 4:30 p.m. Carolers will lead the crowds in singing holiday classics while plenty of hot chocolate and goodies will help keep everyone warm and jolly.

From Dean College visitors can stroll through Franklin’s downtown, where they will find special promotions, entertainment, and food at more than 20 participating businesses.

Among the many highlights of the evening will be an appearance by Santa at Simon’s Furniture on Summer Street from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Radio station 103.3 WODS-FM, Boston’s holiday music specialist, will ring in the cheer by broadcasting holiday favorites live from the Berry Insurance parking lot on Main Street.

Children of all ages can paint an ornament at Party Paints N’ Pottery, and there will be a free drawing for framed art for everyone who signs up for the “Wish List for Holiday Gifts” at Jane’s Frames. At the Franklin School for the Performing Arts the Theater Troupe will perform and give away stockings. The Franklin Food Pantry has planned an Open House from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be accepting donations.

A complete listing of each businesses’ special offers and treats will be available at participating locations.

“Last year we were lucky to have a beautiful night and the crowds surpassed our expectations,” says Lisa Piana, executive director of the Partnership. “We are very happy to be able to bring the Holiday Stroll back for a second year and give our residents an added incentive to come downtown to eat and shop.

“Again this year we have been fortunate to have generous sponsors who make the Holiday Stroll the fun event that it has become,” adds Piana. “These events add to the sense of community we are trying to foster and we are excited there has been so much interest.”

The Gold Sponsor for this year’s stroll is Ferguson Enterprises. Silver Sponsors are Dean Bank, Keefe Insurance, Middlesex Savings Bank, and NHS Print. Bronze Sponsors include Ficco’s Bowladrome and Tedeschi Food Shops.

Businesses interested in sponsoring the Holiday Stroll should contact event coordinators Cindy Kozil, ckozil@dean.edu, and Roberta Trahan, Roberta_icu1@verizon.net . Additional information, including sponsorship forms, can be found under the Events tab.

As a non-profit organization, the Downtown Partnership depends on sponsors to run this and other events, including the Strawberry Festival, the Harvest Festival and Third Thursday events. For more information contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109, downtown.franklin@yahoo.com .

Franklin Downtown Partnership Launches New Website

Whether you’re looking for a cafe, for information about one of the many festivals or for updates on downtown road projects slated for the town, you can find it all and more on the Franklin Downtown Partnership’s new website, franklindowntownpartnership.org.

The non-profit organization, which runs events like the Harvest Festival and the Holiday Stroll to raise awareness of Franklin’s downtown, created the website as an information center for all things downtown Franklin, according to Executive Director Lisa Piana.

“We built a community website where we can share information about our events and highlight downtown businesses,” says Piana. “But just as important to us was the idea of creating a place where people from all over could learn more about Franklin and the exciting things happening here.”

Website co-creator Steve Sherlock used what he calls “The 3 Cs” to build the site. “Good content starts conversations and over time those conversations build community,” says Sherlock, a Downtown Partnership volunteer who also writes a blog called Franklin Matters. “We want to use this site as a central location for all of our internet activities. In the future we will expand to share information through other social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The site currently has a wide variety of information, from membership details to meeting dates and agendas, and information about and registration forms for the various festivals. Visitors to the site can find links to many of the Partnership’s more than 140 members’ websites, including restaurants, personal trainers, Town Hall, the Historical Museum and Dean College. Information about projects that are moving through the Planning Board or Town Council approval process that directly affects the downtown will be easy to find as well.

The site will continue to expand, according to Terri Frank, website coordinator. “We aim to be another go-to site, in conjunction with the Town’s website, for information about the upcoming downtown improvement project. We will post timely information about hearings or road closures to try to help our businesses, residents and visitors navigate the downtown during the redesign.”

For more information please contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com, or stop by the Downtown Partnership office located at 9 East Central Street.

Franklin Matters: United Regional Chamber moves downtown

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its new downtown Franklin office location with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house. The event will be held Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. at 4 West St., Franklin, on the corner of West Central and West streets. Please RSVP to the Chamber at 508-222-0801.

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit, business support organization serving the communities of Attleboro, Bellingham, Blackstone, Foxborough, Franklin, Mansfield, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Norton, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Wrentham.

This information courtesy of Steve Sherlock, Franklin Matters post on Nov. 5, 2010.

FDP Planning Franklin’s 2010 Holiday Stroll

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is busy planning this year’s Holiday Stroll and is looking for businesses interested in sponsoring the event. This year’s stroll will take place on Thursday, December 2, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The festivities will begin with a holiday tree lighting at Dean College followed by a stroll through town. Last year’s event drew hundreds of people to the downtown. Businesses and organizations participated with special promotions, entertainment and refreshments. Santa will once again be at Simon’s Furniture on Summer Street.

This year’s stroll will be sponsored by Ferguson Enterprises, Middlesex Savings Bank, Keefe Insurance, Dean Bank, NHS Print, Ficco’s Bowladrome and Tedeschi Food Shops. Interested businesses should contact event coordinators Cindy Kozil, ckozil@dean.edu, and Roberta Trahan, Roberta_icu1@verizon.net, for details and sponsorship forms. A sponsorship form is also available here.

As a non-profit organization, the Downtown Partnership depends on sponsors to run this and other events, including the Harvest Festival, Third Thursday events and Beautification. For more information please contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.

2010 Sponsorship Form Holiday Stroll