Franklin July 2020

Page 12 Franklin Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com July 2020
THE BLACK BOX to Present
Outdoor Concerts throughout July
THE BLACK BOX, the region’s
premiere concert, theater,
and event venue, has announced
outdoor weekend concerts
throughout the month of July
in the theater’s parking lot. The
shows will be presented in a 1
hour format with two seatings, at
6:30 and 8:30 pm. Tables will be
socially distanced and masks will
be required when patrons enter
THE BLACK BOX building to
access the box office, restrooms,
and bar. Table groupings will be
limited to six.
The concert series will open
on July 2nd with a weekend of
Patriotic-inspired entertainment.
Country singer Ayla Brown
will headline on the Fourth of
July. From parachuting with the
Army Golden Knights jump
team, lighting up the scoreboard
for Boston College Basketball, or
acting as a main correspondent
for national news programs, Ayla
Brown is no stranger to the spotlight.
Most recently, she has been
named as the Morning Show
Co-host at Country 102.5 in
Boston. Jonathan Wier and Ayla
Brown can be heard weekdays
from 5:30 to 9 a.m. on WKLB-
FM. Musically, Ayla has released
two full length albums Heroes
& Hometowns and Let Love In
both to critical acclaim and her
new single, “Label,” is available
on all digital platforms. Brown,
an alumna of the Franklin
School for the Performing Arts,
was also a finalist on nationally
renowned television program
American Idol, and she continues
to utilize her vast repertoire
of talents while advancing her
already successful and illustrious
career. Other July performers
will be announced soon.
Tickets will be available at
www.THEBLACKBOXonline.
com or by calling (508) 528-3370.
THE BLACK BOX is located at
15 W. Central St. in downtown
Franklin.
Franklin Senior Center Offering Affordable Fresh Lunch – for Pickup
By J.D. O’Gara
Thanks to grants from the
Metrowest Health Foundation
($5,000) and the Franklin Council
on Aging ($15,000), the Franklin
Senior Center is currently
offering freshly prepared meals
for pickup for area residents aged
60+ or who have disabilities for
just $2 (additional donations
are welcome). Monday through
Friday, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Folks can register by calling (508)
613-1313 or visit http://www.
franklinma.gov/curb. After registering,
participants can order
meals for the week by calling or
filling out the form at
http://www.franklinma.gov/
curb with their meal choices for
the week. No cash exchanges
hands, as participants are invoiced
for payment. (Those who
cannot pay are encouraged to
reach out to the Franklin Senior
Center’s Social Service Coordinator.)
“It’s been going really well,”
says Franklin Senior Center Director
Karen Alves. “We have
a lot of repeat customers and a
lot of new customers every day
for the most part. Generally, we
see about 30 or more folks a day.
We’re hoping to get up to about
50 a day.”
Meals are picked up at the
side entrance of the Franklin
Senior Center at 10 Daniel Mc-
Cahill Street, using the rear access
road, and signs are posted
at the entrance. Participants are
asked to wear masks and keep social
distance. Alves explains that
some participants drive in, but
some take the GATRA Dial-A-
Ride transportation, which they
can arrange by calling (800) 698-
7676 by noon on the day prior
to pick up. Others have friends or
relatives who pick up their meals.
“We have folks who pick up
for other people. That’s fine, but
we just need them to register, so
we know how many we’re serving,”
says Alves.
The program is funded to run
through October, she says.
“We’ll continue to do it
through the summer, then reassess
in the fall,” says Alves. She
adds that some people pick up
a few meals at a time, but “if
they’re picking up meals for the
week, I wouldn’t want to give
someone five meals and have that
sit in their fridge until Friday.”
As of press time (mid-June),
the Franklin Senior Center was
experimenting with menu options.
Choices included a salad,
three sandwich options and a
special.
Kathy Kubit receives her lunch
from the Franklin Senior Center,
traveling by GATRA. Bus driver
Mike Quartaroni looks on.
“We’re kind of playing with
the menu and seeing how we can
expand it throught the summer
and the fall. We’ll probably be
changing it up.”
FOOD RESOURCES*
Sue Barbour hands off a prepared
meal to a participant in the
curbside lunch program.
Alves is pleased with initial
response to the program. “The
people we’re serving are so appreciative.
I think they’re enjoying
just the ease of it and the
price.”
• SNAP (FOOD STAMPS): If you would like to receive SNAP
assistance, call the Project Bread FoodSource Hot-line at
1-800-645-8333 to apply over the phone. To apply online,
go to Mass.gov/SNAP to print a paper SNAP application
and learn where to send it. To apply on your smartphone,
go to: https://dtaconnect.eohhs.mass.gov
• Franklin Y.M.C.A. offers Grab n’ Go Meals on Wednesdays,
1-2pm and 5-6 p.m. Call (508) 528-8708 or visit: https://
www.hockymca.org/food-access/
• Meals on Wheels: Call Tri-Valley Elder Services at 1-800-
286-6640 and ask for the Information and Referral
Department or visit: https://www.trivalleyinc.org/nutrition-services/meals-on-wheels/
• Franklin Food Pantry: Residents can receive pre-packaged
bags of food by drive up/walk up services. Pan-try is open
Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:30-12:30 p.m. & 1:30-4 p.m.
Limited delivery is available. Call (508) 528-3115 or visit:
https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/change-in-operations-and-update/
*List compiled by the Franklin Senior Center