New England Kossacks is a social group of (but not limited to)
DailyKos readers who live and/or work in New England
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont)
New England Kossak Meet Up
When: Saturday, September 15, 2012
Time: 12noon - 3pm (when they stop serving lunch)
Where: Bangkok Cafe
369 Central Street
Foxborough, MA 02035
508-543-THAI (8424)
Menu (pdf)
map
Thinking about bringing your kids? Making a day out of it? Need a hotel?
Or you just need MORE reasons to make the trek and come to this meet up?
I accept your challenge!
More info below the orange squiggy.
The Mansfield (MA) MBTA station is about 1 mile from the restaurant. MBTA schedule (Providence/Stoughton Line); walking directions from the train station to Bangkok Cafe
Peter Pan Bus - A big "Thank you" to Ed Tracey for reminding me that the PeterPan bus stops in the shopping center on it's route between Boston and Providence. (scroll down, it's the Foxboro/Mansfield stop)
Easy Off, Easy On via I-95
Coming from the south (Rhode Island, Connecticut, etc.) on I-95
Coming from the north (Boston) on I-95
Coming on I-495 from Fall River/Brockton (going toward Milford/Marlborough)
Coming on I-495 from Worcester/I-90 (Mass Pike) (going toward Fall River)
RSVP me (Clytemnestra) on Kosmail
I'd like to have a majority of RSVPs in by September 8, 2012. Thanx
Please contact those willing to carpool through Kosmail too.
Affirmative RSVPs thus far:
Clytemnestra
Rick DeVille (husband of SadieSue)
SadieSue (they will be coming from Western Mass willing to carpool. )
GreyHawk and Hawkwife
thankgodforairamerica (coming from central CT willing to carpool. )
Moody Loner, mommyp00ka, and the Little
jarbyus
bjedward
msdobie
dlcmassage
Maybes:
litho
paulitics
brillig
northerntier (will be coming from central VT, willing to carpool. )
The Poet Deploreate (will be coming from the North Shore, willing to carpool.)
Common Sense Mainer
Phil S 33
Samantha Clemens (progressive radio talk show host)
rougegorge
annieli
TrueBlueMajority
Thestral
RSVP List (maybes and yes) updated 2:00PM ET 8/30/12
Everyone welcome!
Next Meet Up:
October
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Cheers & Jeers/NE Kossacks Meet-Up
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Margaritas Mexican Restaurant -
Portsmouth
775 Lafayette Road
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
map
Hosts: Common Sense Mainer and Bill in Portland Maine
Please RSVP by Wednesday October 10th, 2012.
kosmail
Common Sense Mainer to RSVP
Everyone welcome!
.
November
Probable date: Saturday, November 10, 2012
Host: Clytemnestra
Everyone welcome!
Common Sense Mainer and I have split up New England.
He is responsible for meet ups in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
I am responsible for meet ups in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
This diary will be updated as RSVPs come in. It is the "link to" dairy..
Make a day or even a weekend of it!
Other things to do while you're here
One of the nice things about having an event taking up only 3 or 4 hours in a day is that it allows everyone to explore and do other things in the area too.
With this in mind I have listed many (but not all) things available in the area for a variety of interests. I have also listed special niche interests (ex: being a hobbyist (of many types: models, trains, games)) I have listed stores in the area. Because I know hobbyists like to check out stores where they visit. (see side note below)
For the most part all map and directions start at the Bangkok Café. The exceptions are the hotel listings (and one other thing but I can’t remember what), those listings are from the hotel to Bangkok Café.
All listings (singly), with the exception of one, is under 15 miles from Bangkok Cafe.
I have tried to organize the listings somewhat, but that doesn’t mean that, for instance, children won’t be interested in something outside the children’s section. Or that adults wouldn’t be interested in going to Capron Park.
And yes, before anyone asks, I did have a "geek out" over this. No animals or plants were harmed! :-)
KIDS
Kids ARE WELCOME - just please be aware of your child's/childrens "expiration date." That's the time just after being able to deal with adults talking and getting to know each other, and when they are bored stiff and want/need to do something else before all hell breaks loose. (I'm a mother of 4. I know this period well). Everyone, kids and adults should have a good time!
Capron Park in Attleboro, is a beautiful city park with a large playground, fountain, statues, memorial flower garden and a ZOO. Currently on exhibit at the zoo is a white alligator. (Capron Park is were I thought of holding the September get together in the first place) map and directions
World War I Park in North Attleborough, has rustic picnic spaces, a playground, a little zoo and one of the few fire lookout towers left in operation. map and directions
Funway, Foxborough Mini Golf, Go-Kart Racing, Bumper Boats, Moon Walk, Bungee Run Inflatable. Website | map and directions
Ryan Family Amusements, Emerald Square Mall, North Attleborough - arcade
ground floor next to Sears | map and directions
20,000 Leagues, Foxborough - themepark/adventure website | map and directions
Espionage, Foxborough - puzzle driven adventure website | map and directions
Showcase Cinema, Foxborough - website (what's playing) | map and directions
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Cranberry Bogs and Nature Walks
The Nature Trail and Cranberry Bog at Patriot Place, Foxborough (this is a relatively new bog) website | map and directions
Cranberry Bog, Sharon (older well established bog) map and directions
Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon - Mass Audubon Society website | map and directions
Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary, Attleboro - Mass Audubon Society website | map and directions
Attleboro Springs, Attleboro - Mass Audubon Society Universally Accessible Trail - Reflection Trail (trail maps and tour info on-line) - website | map and directions to La Salette Shrine. Once there use these directions:
Pass the La Salette Shrine and take your next right at the stone gatehouse. The sanctuary is located at the end of the boulevard. Please note, this sanctuary is currently open to the public, but trails are under construction.
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Niche Grocery
Farmers Market
The only local farmers market open on Saturday is in Attleboro from 8am - 12 noon in the municipal parking lot next to the library.
website | SEMAP listing |map
Indo/Pak foods
India Bazaar
575 E Washington St
North Attleboro, MA 02760
Indo/Pak food stuffs, products and spices
(re: here and here)
website | map and directions |
The First Public Library in the US (and library tour) and Education
The FIRST public library in the United States is in Franklin, MA.
Acknowledging that "sense" was preferable to "sound", Dr. Franklin responded with an offer of books for the use of the town's residents. When the volumes arrived, a great controversy arose over who should be allowed to use them. On November 20th, 1790, those attending Franklin's town meeting voted to lend the books to all Franklin inhabitants free of charge. This vote established the Franklin collection as the first public library in the United States. The original Franklin collection is still housed in a book case in the library's Reading Gallery.
- library history
You can visit that first library and see the beautiful library that they are housed in.
map and directions from Bangkok Cafe to Franklin, MA Library.
Tour of 3 of the most beautiful OLD libraries in the area. (because some of us geeks love visiting libraries) Franklin to North Attleborough to Attleboro. To see the old beauty of the Attleboro library you must go to the second floor and then go to the "old grand entry" of the library. map and directions
Education
"Birthplace of Public Education."
There are four cities/towns in the US that vie for the title of "Birthplace of Public Education." Depending on the criteria used, they all DO have a claim to the title.
Public Education has been part of this country since before it was it's own country.
Rehoboth has a claim as one of the birthplaces of public education in North America. Upon incorporation, the Newman Church in modern-day East Providence elected to support a teacher for the congregation's children. Because of the lack of separation between church and state at the time, Rehoboth claims one of the earliest known [public] education systems in America. One of the town's landmarks is also education related; the Hornbine School located in the southeast corner of town was built in 1845 as one of the town's nine one-room schoolhouses.
-- Wikipedia
And as you can see, incorporation happened in 1645.
I like to take people's pictures by this sign, it's a good conversation starter. (and it's makes Randianites heads explode.)
map and directions |
Father of Public Education in the US
Horace Mann
May 4, 1796 – August 2, 1859
born in Franklin, Massachusetts
After serving in various positions in Massachusetts state governance, he was appointed as the commonwealth's first Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education.
He argued that "universal public education was the best way to turn the nation's unruly children into disciplined, judicious republican citizens." 1 He had great support for his ideas from his party, the Whiggs (grandfather of the Republican party) and in the building of public schools. He advocated for a system to educate and train professional teachers, this became the "normal school" system (many state universities were once "normal schools" which became state teacher colleges and then state universities [Framingham State University in Framingham, MA and Emporia State University in Emporia, KS] are two such schools).
Many states adopted a public school system he established in Massachusetts one form or another.
“Education...beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men --the balance wheel of the social machinery. I do not here mean that it so elevates the moral nature as to make men disdain and abhor the oppression of their fellow-men. This idea pertains to another of its attributes. But I mean that it gives each man the independence and the means, by which he can resist the selfishness of other men. It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich; it prevents being poor. . . The spread of education, by enlarging the cultivated class or caste, will open a wider area over which the social feelings will expand; and, if this education should be universal and complete, it would do more than all things else to obliterate factitious distinctions in society."
- Horace Mann
"The Case for Public Schools" page 150
The American Reader: Words That Moved a Nation
By Diane Ravitch
Growing up in Franklin, MA where the first public library resided, Mann also saw the beauty of books.
“A house without books is like room without windows” - Horace Mann
The home Horace Mann grew up in no longer exists. In it's place is a shopping mall, which if you think about it is symbolic of what is happening today to public education in this country. There is a monument sitting where the house was, and there is more at the town's museum. museum website
map and directions | all
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Other Historic Sites
King Philip's War sites
Woodcock Burial Ground | Woodcock Garrison House | garrison?
There are many places around here that are sites of King Philip's War. These (the graveyard, garrison and Anawan Rock) are the only ones that are easy. The 1676 marker is the only marker for the graves of area English killed in war in the colonial burial ground. All those umarked graves are supposedly in the middle.✻
I wrote a diary about this war on Monday.
The Woodcock of "Woodcock's Garrison" is the same man who kidnapped a Native American child.
map and directions
Anawon Rock | map and directions | both sites
✻ = King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict
by Eric B. Schultz and Mike Tougias
(Excellent book to find sites of the war)
Post Road, Powder House
A section of one of Ben Franklin's three Post Roads in a section of Attleboro/North Attleboro (they were one city/town until 1887 ) called "Old Towne." To give you an idea how old this section is, it was called "Old Towne" by 1880.
Just off the Old Post Road is a "Powder House" used in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, to store gun powder and amunnition. It was, in effect, an armory. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Putting 1+1+1+1 together (in a history geek way)
The post roads were, a times based on old colonial roads, some colonial roads were once Native American foot paths. This portion of the post road was an old colonial road. Woodcock's Garrison was built on the Bay Path, a Native American foot path.
It doesn't take any effort to make these line up using modern roads. It is possible that this portion of the Old Post Road is part of the Bay Path.
map and directions | directions to see the four sites
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Kossack Interest
Mount Hope Cemetery and Arboretum, North Attleborough. Mount Hope was the 4th cemetery to be designated an arboretum by the American Association of Botanical Gardens & Arboreta (AAGBA). It is beautiful and peaceful and a lovely place to visit. Yes, I do go there, and know it would make a great photo diary. Also if you are into the paranormal, Mount Hope Cemetery is supposedly home to a dancing Jesus statue, I've never looked for it. website | map and directions
On January 28, 2012 kossack Cartoon Peril published a diary, "Fire lookouts -- vanishing history?" The diary spoke about the abandoning of fire lookout towers across the US. There is an ACTIVE, in use, fire lookout tower at the World War I Park in North Attleborough. Â The picture I took below shows a Lookout in an open window looking through binoculars. I took this pic 8/8/2012. This tower is credited with assisting in the early reporting of a forest fire that threatened our home a few years ago. If this slice of history interests you, check it out! map and directions
Women at Work Museum
35 County Street,
Attleboro, MA.
(in the Attleboro Jewelry Makers building)
1 (508) 222-4430
Saturdays, 11:00am to 4:00pm
website | map and directions
While the women featured in the Women at Work Museum may not be listed in history books, this in no way diminishes their real role in history, their commitment to intellectual challenges, and their contributions to the communities in which they lived and worked. As leaders, regardless of recognition or reward, they pursued their interests and made significant advances in math, science, engineering, and technology. As an educational center, the Museum presents to visitors the full scope of the achievement of women today as well as in the past.
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Politics
Yes Scott Brown only lives one town over from Foxboro, but that's not what this little box is going to address. For the past several weeks many kossacks have been writing diaries about Sensata.
The company, owned by Bain and created out the of ashes of Texas Instruments when it sent jobs overseas, is about to send jobs to China from Freeport, IL. (background diaries can be found here, here, here, and here).
The corporate headquarters of Sensata is in Attleboro, MA map and directions
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Gaming/Hobbies, Shopping and Misc
Battleground Games & Hobbies, Plainville website | map and directions
Rivendell Books and Games, Rehoboth website | map and directions
Hobby Quarters(a.k.a RcHover), Foxboro website | map and directions (you don't need no stinkin' map and directions because it's right next door to Bangkok Cafe!) (508) 222-3460 map and directions
Hobby Hut - Attleboro, a lovely old fashioned hobby store. map and directions
J & J Hobbies, North Attleborough - sports cards and Magic game cards. listing | map and directions
Wild Time Comics, Attleboro website| map and directions
My Dad's Trains, Wrentham - website | map and directions
Harry's Hobbies & Collectables, Norton website | map and directions
Emerald Square Mall, North Attleborough - shopping mall website | map and directions
Patriot Place, Foxborough - shopping mall website | map and directions
Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, Wrentham - shopping mall website | map and directions
Gillette Stadium - website | map and directions
National Shrine Of Our Lady of La Salette - website | map and directions
Therapeutic Massage - the woman responsible for me being able to walk without pain, my massage therapist, has openings that Saturday. $30 for a half hour. Kosmail me if you are interested.
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Golf-Driving Range/Mini Golf/Batting Cages
Funway, Foxborough Mini Golf, Go-Kart Racing, Bumper Boats, Moon Walk, Bungee Run Inflatable. Website | map and directions
Stix (a.k.a. Airport Golf), North Attleborough - Driving Range, Mini Golf, Batting Cages
website | map and directions
Atlantic Golf, Attleboro - Golf, Pitch and Putt, Mini Golf, Driving Range
website | map and directions
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Entertainment
Showcase Cinema, Foxborough - website (what's playing) | map and directions
There is also Showcase Cinema de Lux in Foxborough at Patriot Place
Lux Level is a luxurious, in-theatre dining experience at select theatres. Movie-goers can indulge themselves with premium reserved-seating, in-seat dining throughout the show, as well as other special amenities. Each seat is equipped with a server call button so your server is always there when you need them. This truly is the finest movie-going experience available today.
Lux Level menus feature innovative appetizers, signature salads, flatbread pizzas, sandwiches and wraps, deliciously fresh half-pound Certified Angus Beef⢠burgers and tapas-style entrees complimented by luscious desserts and our world class Signature Cocktails. A selection of fine wine and beer is also available. Lux Level is available to guests 21 and older only.
Lux Level Menu <
Patriot Place also has Showcase Live
The bands playing on September 15 are Warrant and Firehouse
Showcase Live, is a 16,000-square foot world class live entertainment venue located adjacent to the Showcase Cinema De Lux movie theater at Patriot Place. Designed to offer the finest in music entertainment, Showcase Live hosts top artist in all music genres including R& B, rock, country, jazz and hip-hop.
Warrant
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DKos Face to Face Gamers will begin posting diaries about games every Thursday, starting next week. Games that you are most likely to find in niche gaming stores, like the two listed in the Gaming/Hobbies, Shopping and Misc (purple) section.
With school starting and winter coming games are a wonderful way to engage family and friends.