Business Owner: Police Need To Deal With Drug Use, Public Drinking and Prostitution

A Framingham business owner told Selectmen he wants Framingham Police to get rid of the individuals drinking in public, using drugs, the prostitution and the homeless sleeping in their cars across the street from his business.

A Framingham business owner told the Board of Selectmen this week he wants Framingham Police to get rid of the individuals drinking in public, using drugs, the prostitution and the homeless sleeping in their cars across the street from his business. Joseph Olinto, the owner of SewFisticated Fabrics in downtown, Framingham told Selectmen there are large groups of homeless people congregating in the parking lot of the former Salvation Army Thrift Store downtown. He also said there are individuals "out there every day" committing crimes. He told selectmen of individuals "injecting drugs" and "soliciting prostitutes." "There are people living in their cars in their parking lot," said Olinto, who asked isn't that a violation of a code? "It is a…

•  9 Comments
• Photos (7)

The Social Scene

IMAGE GALLERY: Walking in a Winter Wonderland in Downtown Framingham

Saturday volunteers painted & transformed more than 60 store-front windows into winter-themed works of art as part of the 2nd Annual Winter Wonderland Festival sponsored by the Framingham Downtown Renaissance organization.

Saturday, volunteers, families, McAuliffe Charter School students, Framingham Girl Scouts and artisans were painting downtown Framingham red ... and green, blue, yellow, white, brown ... as part of the 2nd Annual Winter Wonderland Festival. Sponsored by the Framingham Downtown Renaissance organization, businesses agreed to allow volunteers, artists, families and community and school groups to paint their windows. Businesses held open houses and offered special sales and the Framingham Downtown Renaissance invited musical groups from Framingham to stroll along the sidewalks and sing holiday tunes to shoppers and volunteer painters. *** Please upload your photos from the Winter Wonderland festival.

•  3 Comments
• Photos (39)

Susan Petroni

12:13 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Maureen: I'll check; but I think they will be up through Christmas.   more ›

Selectmen Question Downtown Towing Practices

Framingham Selectmen worry that cars towed from private lots without proper signs keeps customers away from downtown businesses.

Towing companies are quickly and aggressively removing cars from private downtown parking lots, some of which lack proper signage, a trend that could undermine efforts to attract more visitors, a Selectman said Tuesday night.  Selectman Jason Smith said some patrons have returned to find their cars towed and then had to pay $135 to have them released from impound.   "What are we telling people who might want to come downtown?" he asked, adding: "This is very disappointing." In particular, Smith called out West Side Towing, which he said had trucks essentially lying in wait for cars to park in private lots. "They would then immediately go and grab them," he said.  In some lots, West Side Towing signs - which warn that cars can be towed for …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

VIDEO: Best Week Ever For Framingham? State Awards More Than $34 Million in 3 Days

Local leaders said last week's news is the best week ever for downtown Framingham and for the Town of Framingham as a whole.

During the first week of October: * Governor Deval Patrick came to Framingham and awarded Mass Bay Community College $22 million for a Framingham Campus, and recommended it be located downtown. * Thursday, the Commonwealth awarded Framingham Library Trustees $4.18 million towards a new McAuliffe branch. * Friday, Lt. Governor Tim Murray, state and local leaders held a press conference where he announced $8 million in federal/state money is coming to Framingham to fix the downtown traffic problem at Routes 135/126. During Friday's press conference Framingham Selectmen Chair Charlie Sisitsky jokingly asked the Lt. Governor "Is there any more money left in the pot?" Earlier in the week, the state announced it has reached an historic agreement…

• Videos (1)

Lt. Governor Announces $8 Million to Fix Downtown Traffic [VIDEO]

Funding will alleviate chronic traffic at the intersection of Routes 126 and 135.

Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray Friday afternoon joined federal, state, and local officials to announce $8 million in funding from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to mitigate chronic traffic congestion at the intersections of Route 126 and Route 135 in downtown Framingham. “The intersection of the Railroad, Route 126 and Route 135 in the heart of downtown Framingham has been a bottleneck since the advent of the automobile,” said Framingham State Rep. Chris Walsh. Murray also announced an additional $350,000 in funding awarded by MassDOT to support a study that will evaluate four potential solutions identified by previous studies and help the state and Town of Framingham move towards a long-term solution for …

•  6 Comments
• Photos (42)
• Videos (1)

Dave Lenane

11:27 am on Sunday, October 7, 2012

Woohoo drawings! Herb, every resident of Framingham knows that until the issue with the tracks is taken care of, downtown will always be a pain to get through. Drawings, studies and proposals have been done for years! Part of this 8 million is going to evaluate previous drawings, studies and proposals! You just gotta love it.   more ›

Governor Announces $22 Million for New MassBay Community College Framingham Campus

Funds will be used to explore opportunities for a permanent Framingham campus and to construct a new allied health academic building.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick Wednesday announced $22 million in capital funds for Massachusetts Bay (MassBay) Community College, furthering the Patrick-Murray Administration’s commitment to building an affordable, world-class system of public higher education in Massachusetts. The college, currently leasing space in the former Farley School on Flagg Drive across from McCarthy Elementary School and next to Fuller Middle School, will use the funds to construct a new Allied Health academic building and to explore opportunities for a permanent Framingham campus, possibly in downtown Framingham. "MassBay Community College is full of talent and promise and potential,” said Patrick. “These funds will help the students and faculty seize …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (4)

Letter to the Editor

LETTER: Dick Flavin at Amazing Things Saturday/Sunday

Hornfischer: Friday Night's opening performance of this weekend's triple header with Dick Flavin Show at Amazing Things Art Center clearly demonstrated why he is a winner of 7 Emmy awards and considered the official "Red Sox Poet Laureate."

Friday night's opening performance of this weekend's triple header of the Dick Flavin Show at Amazing Things Art Center clearly demonstrated why he is a winner of 7 Emmy awards, considered the official "Red Sox Poet Laureate" and one of the nation's top storytelling humorists.   From the opening introduction done by his friend, Red Sox PA announcer Carl Beame (who was in the audience Friday night), until he closed with a reenactment of his  trademark poem Teddy at the Bat, the audience appeared transfixed by his way with words, rhymed or otherwise, and his special ability to set a story into a humorous context. Laughter filled the room all evening whether Flavin was talking about his long time Sox friends Ted Williams or Dom DiMaggio (…

• Photos (2)

Photo of the Day

Joe's Super Value Store Coming to Framingham?

A sign in the window indicates that a new business is coming to downtown Framingham; but tell us in the comment section which business you would like to see downtown.

•  37 Comments
• Photos (1)

Jim Rizoli

1:36 pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Actually if you make downtown a college destination type of area that appeals to them it could work. You will have to displace the Brazilian businesses to do that though....or teach the kids Portuguese so they communicate with most of the businesses downtown. Why don't you just have the college buy up downtown and start over..... That will solve all our problems down there for now. Jim@ccfiile.com   more ›

Downtown Businesses Want Help With Marketing, Permits and Regulations

The results of a survey by the Framingham Downtown Renaissance supplied the Town of Framingham with data to help revive the business district.

The latest effort to revitalize Framingham’s downtown area took a giant step forward last night when Framingham Downtown Renaissance gave the Board of Selectmen an upbeat snapshot of the town center’s business climate. Three Framingham State University students reported findings of a survey they conducted among downtown businesses during the summer. Kelly Farrell, a senior at the University, told Framingham Selectmen that 369 businesses responded to the survey, which covered types of businesses in the 1.5 square-mile downtown district; what languages were spoken at the businesses; employment; issues with crime; and things the town could do to help downtown businesses. “Now we have information that we can use to assist businesses,” said …

•  2 Comments
• Documents (8)

Joe Rizoli

10:13 pm on Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Joe Rizoli CCFIILE.com This quote is interesting: >>Crime does not seem to be a major issue downtown and 60 percent of businesses said they have reported incidents to the police.   more ›