The 20th Annual Framingham High School Foundation ''Salute to Framingham'' will be held on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 at the Sheraton Framingham.

FRAMINGHAM, MA - The Framingham High School Foundation has announced the 20th Annual Salute to Framingham honorees.

In 1992, the Salute to Framingham was created to honor individuals for their outstanding commitment and service to Framingham's youth. These honorees join a select group of people who have made a real difference in the lives of the children of Framingham.

On Thursday, March 22nd 2012, Salute to Framingham will honor Mark & Karen Curtis and Dave Gudejko.

Since 1989, Mark and Karen Curtis have been sponsoring a free Thanksgiving Day dinner for those in need. With the help of volunteers, Mark and Karen Curtis have prepared and served traditional Thanksgiving meals to thousands of needy families for more than two decades. Last year, at the "Curtis Family Thanksgiving", nearly 1,700 people had a free, hot Thanksgiving dinner either delivered to their door or served to them at Eagles Hall in Framingham.

The annual Curtis Family Thanksgiving dinner brings together more than 400 members of the community including local business owners, Framingham Girl Scouts, students from Fuller Middle School and Framingham High School and members of Framingham Youth Hockey who donate supplies, money or their time to follow the example that Mark and Karen Curtis have set for the last 23 years.

As owners/operators of the Eagles All-American Grill, the Curtis' service to the Framingham community continues year round with service to senior residents of Memorial House and the Callahan Senior Center. Through the years, Mark & Karen Curtis have been also a part of community family events ranging from Concerts on the Common to the groundbreaking at Bowditch Field.

Dave Gudejko has been involved in the town of Framingham since moving here in 1978. For almost three decades, Dave has been active in Framingham Baseball in many capacities including serving as president of both Little League and Framingham Babe Ruth. He has coached, chaired many fundraising activities and answered the call whenever he was asked. In addition, Dave worked closely with Framingham Parks and Recreation Department as field liaison where he scheduled fields for more than 1,000 players.

For many years, Dave volunteered to get up before sunrise on cold Sunday mornings to make sure that the kids got safely onto buses to enjoy the Framingham Parks and Recreation department's ski and snowboard program. That same attitude and spirit was brought to the Marian Boosters when as past president he helped shape that organization. Additionally, Dave has coached CYO basketball and administered many youth programs through St. Bridget's CYO including community outreach programs, ski trips and bowling.

This year, the Salute to Framingham will present the Jim O'Connor Community Service Award to the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation. Named for former FHS Athletic Director and founder of the Salute to Framingham, this award honors an organization whose work benefits the youth of Framingham. The Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation was established by Framingham Co-operative Bank in 1998 as a reflection of its long-standing commitment to the local community.

In addition to these honorees, the Salute program also recognizes Framingham teachers and staff who make each day "special" in our public schools, and also acknowledges graduating FHS students who positively impact the school community.

The Salute to Framingham will take place on Thursday, March 22nd at 6:00pm at the Sheraton Framingham Ballroom.

Complete details and ticket information are available at www.salute-to-framingham.com

Proceeds from the Salute to Framingham benefit the Framingham High School Foundation. All proceeds from the event are used to benefit FHS students by supporting activities, the arts, and athletics at the school.

###

The MA Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit can be worth up to $980 to eleigible seniors!

FRAMINGHAM, MA - Representatives of the MA Department of Revenue, (DOR), will be giving presentations at area senior centers to educate taxpayers 65 and older about the benefits of the MA Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit, (real estate tax credit).

For tax year 2011, the credit is worth as much as $980.00, (nine hundred and eighty dollars),  to eligible taxpayers 65 and older who either own or rent their home.

While the rules for the credit are not overly complicated, the informational sessions will help seniors understand the requirements to be eligible for the credit.

Some of the basic rules are:  non-head of  household single filers must have total income under $52k,  or under $65k for a head of household, or under $78k for those who file joint returns. The credit is available to owners of homes with an assessed value of $729k or less, (after exemptions and any abatement).

If your tax liability is less than $980.00, to offset the credit, the State of Massachusetts will send you a check!

The closest locations to Framingham where the presentations will be held are:

• On January 25th, 2012 at 1:00 p.m at the Wayland Council on Aging, 4 Cochituate Rd., Wayland, MA. Phone: 508-358-2990.

• On February 22nd, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at the Natick Council on Aging, 90 Oak St., Natick, MA, phone:  (508) 647-6540.

Additional information and schedule of other locations where the Circuit Breaker Tax Credit presentation will be held can be found on the MA DOR website at: www.mass.gov/dor

###

Framingham, MA based Staples Inc. to award (5) small businesses with $50k each in free t.v. advertising, (or they can take $40k in advertising and $10k in cash!)

FRAMINGHAM, MA - The 6th annual Staples National Small Business Survey (NASDAQ: SPLS) found that seven out of 10 small business owners are optimistic about the future. Further, 52 percent of small business owners revealed they would grow their business through advertising and direct marketing if they had a larger marketing budget. To help address this need, Staples today launched the Staples “Give Your Small Business the Push It Needs” contest to make it easy for five small businesses to win up to $50,000 each in free television advertising in their home market.

"With more than 25 years of experience working with our core small business customers, we know that investing in marketing to grow a small business is essential, yet many do not have the money to do so," said John Giusti, vice president of small business marketing at Staples. "Staples wanted to do something unique to ...[read more]

Framingham DPW to pickup Christmas Trees weeks of January 23rd-27th, 2012.

FRAMINGHAM, MA- It's been nearly a month since Christmas, and if you still have a Christmas tree in your home, it's most likely very dried out -- and could be a fire hazard at this point in time.

Dried out trees should be removed from your home or business and placed outdoors, away from any [cigarette] smoking areas or other possible sources of ignition until the tree can be properly disposed of.

The Town of Framingham Department of Public Works will be  collecting Christmas Trees during the week of  January 23rd through 27th, 2012. You should put your tree on the curb on your normal trash collection day.

The DPW will only pickup trees if all decorations, strands of lights, tinsel/garland, etc, have been removed -- and the tree can not be in a plastic bag, (or it will not be picked up).

For additional information about Christmas Tree Curbside Collection contact the Framingham Department of  Public Works, Solid Waste Division at:  (508) 532-6001.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

FRAMINGHAM, MA - Framingham State University is hosting the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Conference on Saturday, January 14, 2012 from8:30am - 1:30pm.

The 2012 Youth Conference has something to offer to Framingham youth of all ages, with breakout sessions for kids in grades K-12.  The conference includes workshops and a "team building lunch".

The conference starts with a general session titled: "We've come a long way. Celebrating the journey".

Grade/age appropriate breakout workshops include:

• All You need is Love! - This workshop is designed to introduce our younger children, (Grades K-5), to Dr. King, his dream and ...[read more]