FRAMINGHAM, MA - The Town of Framingham will celebrate Earth Day 2012, on Saturday, April 28th. Events are scheduled throughout out the day.

The day starts with Framingham's 12th annual Greenup Day. From 9:00am to 12:00 noon, join friends, neighbors and other volunteers at various locations throughout Framingham to help remove trash and debris from ponds, rivers and streams, parks and roadways to improve Framingham's environment. For complete information about Greenup Day and details of meetup locations, visit:  www.greenupday.org

From 10:00am to 12:00 noon Framingham will participate in World Tai Chi & Qi Gong Day on the Centre Common (rain or shine). Tai Chi & Qi Gong are "Chinese healing techniques and exercises have been used to treat certain conditions, stimulate the immune system and harmonize and balance the body's energy."  All are welcome! For more info World Tai Chi & Qi Gong Day, visit: www.tqhi.org

From 11:00am 'til 3:00pm the 2012 Framingham Earth Day Festival will be held on the Village Green, (Framingham Centre Common).  Educational, environmental and fun events for families, kids and people of all ages including on-site recycling, sustainable living demonstrations and over 80 vendor booths showcasing green and eco friendly products, local foods and art and craft items by area artisans. There will be games, crafts, face painting, a magic show  and other activities just for kids.  Live performances by "The Elderly Brothers",  "Something With Digby" and "Adam & Eve" will fill the Common with music for the afternoon.

In case of Rain, the Festival will be held indoors at Framingham High School, (on "A" Street).

For detailed schedules of  events, and other info, visit the following websites:

• Greenup Day: www.greenupday.org
  
• World Tai Chi & Qi Gong: www.tqhi.org
  
• Framingham Earth Day Festival: www.framinghamearthday.org
  

For more information, contact: Donna Kramer Merritt, Chair, Earth Day Festival Committee by email at: FraminghamEarthDay@gmail.com, or by calling (508) 788-7300.

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Access Framingham (AF-TV) to partner with Talking Information Network (TIC), award winning reading service for the visually impaired.

FRAMINGHAM, MA- Access Framingham, the nonprofit public access corporation for the Town of Framingham, has embarked on a new partnership with the Talking Information Center (TIC), an award-winning radio reading service for the blind and visually impaired.

AF-TV carrying award winning reading service for the visually impaired

"As part of our mission to engage and serve this community, we think this alliance with the Talking Information Center is a wonderful way to help facilitate the exchange of ideas and information for a wide audience", says Access Framingham Executive Director, Bill McColgan.

"We are delighted to be able to provide this service to those in need in Framingham", says Ron Bersani, the Executive Director of Talking Information Network. "We appreciate the support of Access Framingham".

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FRAMINGHAM, MA - The 116th running of the Boston Marathon will take place on Patriot's Day -- Monday, April 16, 2012.

To accommodate the 25,000+ participants, start times will be staggered into three waves following the disabled and elite marathoners who will begin to leave Hopkinton starting at 9:00am.

The schedule below lists the various divisions and starting times:

• 9:00 a.m. – Mobility Impaired Start
  
• 9:17 a.m. - Push-rim Wheelchair Division Start
• 9:22 a.m. - Handcycle Participants Start
• 9:32 a.m. - Elite Women's Start
• 10:00 a.m. - Elite Men's and Wave One Start
• 10:20 a.m. - Wave Two Start
• 10:40 a.m. - Wave Three Start

Runners will pass through Framingham headed east from the Ashland town line to the Natick town line on Rt. 135, (Waverly Street in Framingham).

Waverly Street, (Rt. 135), and the roads crossing it will be closed starting at 8:30am until approximately 1:30pm. Motorists needing to get through Downtown Framingham will need to use alternate routes.  The roads will remain barricaded and closed to vehicular traffic until the majority of runners pass through Framingham.  There is no parking on Waverly Street on the night before the race.

For more info, visit the B.A.A. / Boston Marathon Website at:  www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon

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Framingham Sewer and Road Construction resumes

FRAMINGHAM, MA - With warmer weather, and ground thawed, work crews have resumed many of the capital improvement projects in Framingham.

Delays due to traffic and detours around some of the work sites can add to driving times, so motorists should plan accordingly.

The Town of Framingham's Department of Public Works / Highway Division / Capital Projects website offers residents and visitors to Framingham helpful information about current and upcoming construction projects.

You can view up to date traffic alerts, maps of project work sites and traffic detours, and sign up to receive email alerts for all or any of the currently listed projects.

Some of the projects include:

Auburn Street - Auburn Street has been re-opened to through traffic.  Minor construction activities will take place, reducing traffic patterns to a one lane alternating traffic pattern, please use caution while traveling in this area.  Construction activities are scheduled to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Edgell Road - Construction crews will mobilize on Edgell Road between Warren Place and Central Street to perform deep gravity sewer installation.  Construction activities may restrict normal traffic patterns to a one lane alternating traffic pattern, please use caution while travelling in this area.  Construction activities are scheduled to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Concord Street (Rt. 126) - Fiber Optic Communication Line installation and Sewer manhole work will occur on Concord Street north of Worcester Road (Route 9) and south of School Street. Construction activities may restrict normal traffic patterns to one lane alternating, please use caution while travelling in this area. Construction activities are scheduled to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.  Sewer main construction activities on Concord Street between Hardy Street and A Street may restrict traffic flow through the construction zone to a one lane alternating traffic pattern between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Sewer manhole work will occur on Concord Street (Rt. 126), south of Worcester Road (Route 9) and north of Gorman Road. Construction activities will not restrict normal traffic patterns, please use caution while travelling in this area. Construction activities are scheduled to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Anzio Road - On Monday, April 9th construction crews will mobilize on Anzio Road to begin water main and sewer main construction.  While construction activities are in progress, Anzio Road will be closed to through traffic.  Construction activities are scheduled to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Cypress Street and Mellen Street- Beginning Monday, April 9th construction crews will mobilize on Cypress Street to begin water main and sewer main construction.  While construction activities are in progress, Cypress Street will be restricted to local traffic only.  Once the work is complete on Cypress Street, construction crews will mobilize to Mellen Street.  While construction activities are in progress on Mellen Street, Mellen Street will be restricted to local traffic only between Winthrop Street and Clifford Street.  Construction activities are scheduled to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m

Police detail officers will be present to ensure safe vehicular and pedestrian travel. If you encounter any problems due to this work, contact the Capital Construction Hotline at (508) 532-6040.

Additional info can be found at the Town of Framingham Dept. of Public Works/Capital Projects website www.BuildingFramingham.com or for state highway projects, bridge replacement work, etc, at the MassDOT website www.massdot.state.ma.us

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