Applications for Restaurant Outdoor Dinning Open, Framingham Business Leaders Series: ātac’s Executive Director, Framingham Earth Day, Getting Ready for the Spring

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Monthly Newsletter

March 31, 2022 | In This Issue

Framingham Business Leaders Series:

Jannelle Codianni - ātac’s Executive Director

In this third installment of Framingham Business Leaders, Jannelle Codianni - Executive Director of ātac, an arts and music organization in downtown Framingham - joined us to talk about the organization and their experience in Framingham. The Business Leaders series focuses on video interviews with executives in Framingham where they discuss their insights into economic development in the City of Framingham.

In this segment, Jannelle Codianni speaks with Erika Oliver Jerram, Acting Director of the Division of Planning and Community Development, about the challenges they faced during the pandemic as a nonprofit organization that provides a venue for visual and performing artists. They also discuss the importance of small venues to the creative economy of the community, and how people can get involved with the organization, how the arts industry impacts economic development and what the future holds for ātac. Please watch the full video here.

City of Framingham Opens Applications for Restaurant Outdoor Dinning

The City of Framingham is currently accepting applications for outdoor restaurant dining. In order to ease the process, the Mayor has waived the application fee and eliminated some of the extra steps in the process to make it more accessible. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Council voted to approve permanent restaurant outdoor dining regulations. These regulations aim to optimize the utility of each respective site to add additional seating. This allows staff and customers to have more physical space reducing the chances of contracting the COVID-19 virus.

To apply, the restaurant must have met the requirements listed in this checklist from the Framingham Inspectional Services. Applications must be submitted electronically via thumb drive, compact disc or Internet drive files, such as Dropbox, to the Licensing office. For more information click here.

Get in Shape for the Spring

River’s Edge Garden Center

The River’s Edge Garden Center opened its doors to the public on Friday, March 25, just in time for the start of planting season. The garden, which first opened in the 1950s as a florist, offers a wide variety of herbs, vegetables, perennials, annuals, flower baskets and much more!

The Garden Center has everything you might need to take care of your own garden. They offer mulch, soils, fertilizers, organic compost, and more. If you have any questions, the team at River’s Edge Garden is more than happy to assist with their products or the garden center.

When you visit them, do not forget to say hello to their official greeter Sylvia (pictured)! The River’s Edge Garden Center is located at 12 Auburn Street in Framingham.

Follow them on Facebook.

Green Abundance by Design

Green Abundance by Design is an Ecological Landscape company that works through nature to create, design and care for landscapes. They aim to treat landscapes and nature as one, and in their own words, “Green Abundance believes that through better design we can create rich, ecologically sound, and aesthetically beautiful landscapes. Landscapes in Nature’s design.”

Typically, business like Green Abundance who focus on landscaping, have seasonal employees who only earn wages part of the year due to the nature of their business. This year, Green Abundance opted to secure the livelihoods of their employees by ensuring their employees have a paycheck all 52 weeks of the year in appreciation for their dedication and hard work in serving their clients.

The services they provide include garden installations, edible gardens, land care management, design services, invasive plant management, and ecological fall leave mulching. If you are interested in any of the services Green Abundance offers, please fill out this form and they will contact you to discuss your landscape needs in more detail.

Please visit their website to learn more about their services and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

Lowe’s Garden Center

The Garden Center at Lowe’s is also here to start the Spring season with the right foot. They have a wide variety of products to maintain your garden such as mulch, garden tools, pest control and much more.

The Lowe’s Garden Center also has outdoor plants by light requirement this includes full shade, part sun, full sun and sun or shade. In addition, they have different types of indoor plants for those without access to a garden.

Lowe’s has shipping to deliver plants safely and one-year guarantee on select plants. The Garden Center is located at 350 Cochituate Rd, they are open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can learn more by visiting their website.

Framingham Earth Day Festival is Back

After cancelling the festival for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Framingham Earth Day Festival is back! Save the date to attend this year’s 10th festival, which will be held on Saturday, April 23^rd from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Framingham Centre Common.

The Earth Day Festival site says, “this year’s festival is focused on local groups, organizations and businesses whose primary mission is some aspect of environmental sustainability. Our goal is for everyone who attends the festival to be inspired to take actions, big or small, towards living more consciously upon this beautiful earth: our only home.”

There will also be recycling opportunities, including items such as TVs and refrigerators, and donations are encouraged. Kids activities will be offered as well as an opportunity for community involvement. If you would like to volunteer contact [email protected] or sign up here.

Visit their website to learn more about the festival and what it has to offer or follow them on Facebook. And remember “No one can do everything … but everyone can do something!”