Do I need to use a web framework for a simple website?
Go with Django - 10,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong.
Or roll your own from scratch.  You'll learn a lot, know everything about how you site works, and better appreciate what a framework does for you.
The site won't be that complicated and will resemble a modern blog (users, messages, news and other similar features).
Do I need to use a framework for this, and if so, which is best?
Pyramid, Django?