Sept - Oct. 2013 - Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce

B
September/October 2013
Your
Quaboag Hills Region ~ Country Roads & Village Greens
usiness
Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
AN ALL-VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION
Bringing Art to Our Region for 35 YEARS!
www.MonsonArtsCouncil.com
65+
Vendors
HOLIDAY
CRAFT
FAIR
26 Artists with Personal Gallery Exhibits
THANKSGIVING
WEEKEND
Fall Gallery Fest
4 VENUES
IN MONSON!!
Photo: Maureen Solomon
HOUSE
OF
ART • 200 MAIN STREET • MONSON, MA 01057
September 21/22 & 28/29 • 2013
Microbrew Tasting - Sept. 21 - 1-4pm • Wine Tasting - Sept. 28 • 1-4pm
And coming soon - Silent Auction
Benefit for Monson’s Memorial Hall
ADVERTISEMENT
Backroads Studio Tour Features
Area Artists Plus Fall Scenery
Co-directors of The Yellow House Margaret Boyko and Lisa Remillard. Since they began registering area
adults for lifelong learning courses 18 months ago, more than 1200 people have attended 227 different
classes, coming from as far away as Northampton. M.Solomon photo
Rob Lyon at his forge in West Brookfield. A master blacksmith who restores and sells antique iron
work for hearth and home, his custom creations in wrought iron appear regularly in museums and motion pictures. Rob will be showing his work during the Backroads Studio Tour. Submitted photo.
The Yellow House Community Learning
Center Opens Doors for Region’s Adults
The group of artists and artisans
known widely as the Backroads
Studio Tour will present its annual
celebration of art in central Massachusetts on Saturday and Sunday,
October 5 & 6, from 10:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. On those days, this
justly famed group will welcome
visitors to their studios and workshops to observe, admire, peruse
and possibly purchase their
unique, handmade offerings, as
they discuss and demonstrate their
individual talents.
The backroads bunch decided
twenty-one years ago to bring their
diverse and mutual interests and
T
he Yellow House opened
its doors as a non-profit
community center for
learning in April 2012.
This beautifully refurbished Victorian house in the heart of
downtown Palmer offers a comprehensive program of courses for adults in
the Quaboag Hills and Pioneer Valley
regions. The Yellow House is managed
by a board of directors, including
board president, Bonnie Rathbone, a
former high school principal, and VP,
Janet Callahan, president of Palmer
Paving, Inc. Former Palmer Public Library director, Nancy Bauer is the Financial Officer, and two directors,
Margaret Boyko and Lisa Remillard coadministrate the learning center.
The center’s growth speaks clearly
about the need they have filled in our
area.
From April 2012 through June,
2013, 1200 people have attended 227
different classes on topics as varied as
Continued on page 4
Continued on page 7
Special issue featuring
EDUCATION, ADULT LEARNING
CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
S ERVING
B ELCHERTOWN
B RIMFIELD • B ROOKFIELD
EAST BROOKFIELD
HARDWICK • HOLLAND
MONSON • NEW BRAINTREE
NORTH BROOKFIELD • PALMER
SPENCER • WALES • WARE
WARREN • WEST BROOKFIELD
Your Business • September/October 2013 • Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
Executive Committee
Teresa Grove, Chairperson
Wing Memorial Hospital & Medical Centers
Carolyn Szarlan, Past Chairperson
Monson Savings Bank
David Golden, Chairperson Elect
North Brookfield Savings
Cathie Riberdy, Treasurer
Southbridge Savings Bank
Doug Turley, Assistant Treasurer
Turley Publications
Dick Rondeau • Clerk
Alvin Rondeau’s Dairy Bar
Board Members
Susan Barbiasz • Chicopee Savings
Nancy Bryant • Giclée of New England
Anne-Marie Craven • Hardwick Farmers Coop
Linda Cunningham • FamilyFirst Bank
Cindy Fountain • SpencerBANK
Deb Gagnon • Country Bank For Savings
Michelle Holmgren • Baystate Mary Lane Hospital
David Lamberto • Hertan’s Antique Shows
Bruce Marshall • Real Oldies 1250 WARE
Ann Nicholas • Sturbridge Host Hotel
Dr. Gerald Paist • Pathfinder Reg. V.T.H.S.
Julie Quink • Burkhart, Pizzaneli, PC
Jeff Roberts • Roberts & Sons Printing, Inc.
Bill Simonic • Yankee Cricket Bed & Breakfast
Karen Wallace • Keller Williams Realty
Attorney Joseph White • White Law Offices
Chamber Administration
President, Leonard N. Weake
Lenny@qhma.com
Director, Membership Services, Patty Clark
Patty@qhma.com
Newsletter
Writer, Editor & Designer, Maureen Solomon,
Compleat Communications, Monson, MA
Printed by Turley Publications, Palmer, MA
Photography: Patty Clark, Maureen Solomon
QUABOAG HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
3 CONVERSE STREET • SUITE 103
PALMER, MA 01069
413-283-2418 FAX: 413-289-1355
WWW.QHMA.COM
INFO@QHMA.COM
Scan here for online
Newsletters
Visit Your Chamber on
From left to right: Julie Komenos, Ellen Clough, Marjorie Ropp, Mattie
Vance, and Sarah Lange of Abby’s House; K. Michael Robbins, President &
CEO of SpencerBANK; Parlee Jones, Jean Anger and Alexandra Kartheiser
of Abby’s House. Submitted photo.
SpencerBANK Supports Abby’s House with $1,750 Donation
thankful for their generosity,” said
Abby’s House Executive Director
Tess Sneesby.
Founded in 1871, SpencerBANK
is an independent, mutual savings
bank serving the residents, businesses and communities of Central
Massachusetts from offices in
Spencer, Leicester, Rutland, Warren
and Worcester. Deposits are insured
in full by a combination of the Fed-
SpencerBANK recently donated
$1,750 to Abby’s House, a local organization that provides emergency
shelter, affordable housing, and advocacy services to homeless women
and children. Following contributions to Hearts for Heat, Camp
Marshall, and the Worcester Community Action Council, among
others, the donation is another
demonstration of the Bank’s support of area nonprofits.
“Helping residents achieve their
dreams is something we try to do
every day at SpencerBANK,
whether through the financial products we offer or by supporting organizations in our communities,
and Abby’s House is no different,”
said K. Michael Robbins, President
and CEO of SpencerBANK. “This
is a wonderful organization with an
important mission.”
Since 1976, nearly 12,000
women and children in 60 cities
and towns throughout Central
Massachusetts have taken advantage
of services provided by Abby’s
House, and 98% of these families
have successfully gained their independence.
“Homelessness is a significant
issue, but it is one with proven solutions, and organizations like
SpencerBANK help us provide
those solutions. “ We are incredibly
eral Deposit Insurance Corporation
and the Depositors InOur Members —
surance
Fund. The
Your Biz News!
Bank is an
Equal Opportunity Employer and Equal
Housing Lender. For more information, visit online at spencerbankonline.com, on Facebook or call
800-547-2885.
Leonard D. Rea New First VP of MA Society of Enrolled Agents
Leonard D. Rea II, EA CFP of
Sturbridge, MA, was recently elected
First Vice President of the Massachusetts Society of Enrolled Agents. Rea
owns Leonard D Rea & Co. a company providing income tax preparation, tax planning, representation
before the Internal Revenue Service,
state taxing authorities, & financial
planning.
Enrolled Agents are tax specialists
licensed by the federal government.
EAs, can represent taxpayers before
all administrative levels of the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing
authorities.
Prospective EA’s must pass a rigorous two day examination covering all
aspects of federal tax law to become
an Enrolled Agent. They must also
complete continuing education each
year to maintain their license.
The Massachusetts Society of Enrolled Agents (MaSEA) is an organization whose principal concern is the
honest, intelligent and ethical representation of the financial position of
taxpayers before governmental agencies. Members of MaSEA are also
members of the National Association
of Enrolled Agents and are required
to complete a minimum of 30 hours
of continuing professional education
each year in the interpretation, application and administration of federal and state tax laws in order
tomaintain membership in the organization. This requirement surpasses the IRS required minimum of
24 hours per year.
Leonard D. Rea & Co.
508-347-2436
LRea@LeonardRea.com
Life’s a lot less puzzling, when your bank
is part of your business plan.
Life is for living, not for banking. That’s why Spencer Bank offers straightforward
answers to all your commercial lending questions. So you can spend more time
enjoying the success of your business and less time worrying.
Call our Commercial Group today at 508-885-5313.
30%.#%2s,%)#%34%2s254,!.$s7!22%.s7/2#%34%2
Member FDIC
Equal Housing Lender
800-547-2885
spencersavingsbank.com
Each depositor is insured by the FDIC to at least $250,000. All deposits above the FDIC insurance amount are insured by the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF).
2
Your Business • September/October 2013 • Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
Transitions at QV Community
Development Corporation and
the QVBAC
W.A.R.E Celebrates 65 Years!
On July 11th 1948, WARE
began broadcasting and we are celebrating these 65 years with a listener appreciation day. Most radio
station are big corporate owned
and it is rare to remain successful
and independent. Under local
ownership, Real Oldies 1250 –
WARE is proud to be continuing
our mission of localism and community. In honor of our years in
broadcasting and service to the
local community, we are celebrating our birthday with a listener appreciation day. The event will take
place at The Knights of Columbus
Pavillion at 126 West Main Street
in Ware. Join us on the afternoon
of September 8th for live music
from Noon to 7 PM, hamburgs,
hot dogs and cake. This event is
Sheila Cuddy
The Boards of Directors of the
Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation (QVCDC)
and the Quaboag Valley Business
Assistance Corporation (QVBAC,)
announce the selection of Sheila
Cuddy as the new Executive Director. Sheila is “tremendously excited,
pleased and honored to have been
chosen to carry on the dedicated
work of founding Executive Director, Susan Rutherford.”
Susan retired in June after 19
years of tireless service fostering
economic development in the 15
towns of the Quaboag Region.
Sheila states, “It has been a privilege to be able to work closely with
Susan, our clients, board members,
and the QVCDC staff. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue
to expand our organization’s impact
on business assistance in our region.”
The QVBAC provides small
business loans to businesses that
have not been able to obtain conventional financing with comparable terms and conditions. The
QVCDC offers small business support services including business
planning classes, workforce training
in business related software such as
Word, Excel and QuickBooks, and
technical assistance with marketing,
specialized training, accounting, or
legal issues. In addition the
QVCDC is a Massachusetts Workforce Development training
provider. Through funding from
the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s Broadband Initiative,
QVCDC is bringing new or upgraded computer technology to several Quaboag region small
businesses. QVCDC also works
with municipalities on feasibility
studies and other economic development projects, such as the Hardwick Mills project in Gilbertville.
Sheila joined the QVCDC five
years ago, to work with small business owners seeking technical assistance and financing. She previously
worked in banking including regional administration, small business and commercial lending, and
credit administration. Sheila and
her husband have lived in Warren
for more than 20 years. They have
four adult children.
Our Members —
Your Biz News!
FREE and open to the public.
This event is proudly sponsored
by Mohegan Sun, Chicopee Savings, Baystate Mary Lane Hospital,
90 Meat Outlet, Dr. Berneche of
Ware Chiropractic, Chantel Bleau
Accounting, Kitchen Table Taxes,
Quaboag Valley CDC, Roger’s Rug
Service, and Wing Memorial Hospital.
Eagle Hill Cultural Center Upcoming Performances
The Cultural Center at Eagle Hill
in Hardwick presents:
RHYTHMIC CIRCUS:
FEET DON’T FAIL ME
NOW!
sponsored by the Country Bank Community
Series
September 20, 2013 @ 7:30 pm
Abby Theatre
242 Old Petersham Road
Hardwick, MA 01037
After years of selling out venues
on its national tour, Feet Don’t Fail
Me Now continues its rise from an
underground percussive dance phenomenon to one of the most popular
tap shows since Tap Dogs. Featuring
rapid-fire tap from four award-winning dancers, a one-man beat-box
phenomenon and an infectious sixpiece band that channels everything
from funk to blues, and rock and
roll to salsa, audiences of all ages
agree that it excites, energizes and inspires at every turn.
This sensational theatrical production tells the tale of a nutty private
investigator’s assignment to discover
the origins of the Rhythmic Circus –
a unique group of colorful souls on a
mission to change the world with
song and dance. While hot on their
trail, investigator Bobert forms an
unexpected bond with the Rhythmic
Circus that hurtles him and the audience into an adventure that won’t
be forgotten.
3
THE SWEETBACK SISTERS
September 26, 2013 @ 7:30 pm
Abby Theatre
242 Old Petersham Road
Hardwick, MA 01037
Sweetback Sisters Emily Miller and
Zara Bode may not be blood relations, but their precise, family-style
harmonies recall the best of country
music from the Everlys to The Judds,
as well as the spirited rockabilly energy of Wanda Jackson, one of the
band’s role models. Like the artists
they admire, the Sweetbacks are concerned with the traditional subjects
of heartbreak, revenge, remorse and
staying strong in the face of relationships gone wrong, albeit with a contemporary sensibility. “We’re a
renegade retro band that mixes up
country, swing and honky tonk,” explains Bode. “Sometimes what we
deliver is straight out of the 50 s;
other times it’s BR549 meets The
B52 s.”
The Sisters have been touring relentlessly since they released Chicken
Ain’t Chicken in 2009. Their new
CD, Looking For A Fight showcases
the band’s razor sharp musicianship,
complex arrangements and growing
confidence as songwriters. Like their
raucous stage show, Looking For A
Fight balances yesterday’s hits with
original compositions from the
band. Sentiments of heartache, loss
and longing are dominant. Miller
says. “We didn’t only want to make a
classic sounding record, but a classic
feeling record as well.”
Your Business • September/October 2013 • Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
Yellow House
Offers Community
Learning
KM Graphics: A Great Source for Tees, Signs, Banners
Continued from page one
Stained Glass to CPR to basic computer skills. In addition to classes,
The Yellow House sponsors a Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market visited by
nearly 1800 people since May of this
year. The Artisans’ Fair in December
is a popular event, showcasing highquality work from local artists and
craft-workers. Attendees come from
all over: 40% are from Palmer, some
come from as far away as Northampton and Springfield, and the balance
from throughout the Quaboag Hills
and Pioneer Valley communities.
As co-director Lisa Remillard recently pointed out, “We are offering
people more than classes here. We
see that our programs are facilitating
new friends, new community
groups. People come here from
throughout the region to meet one
another, to share their interests.”
And, as her co-director Margaret
Boyko points out, “There are no
other major adult learning centers in
the entire region — no community
colleges, or even high school programs offering courses for adults.”
The Yellow House is filling a major
need in the area.
For Business, Facilities for
Conferences, Meetings
For businesses, computer and
business skills training classes can be
tailor-made and offered at a time
convenient for the business. Rooms
are available for business rental. Any
business wanting a room for a board
meeting, or thinking about sponsoring a small local conference or business gathering may arrange their
event in the rooms at The Yellow
House, which offers a computer lab
and a kitchen facility.
Other classes available and of
special interest to local businesses
and business owners include a whole
series on health and wellness. Besides
the aforementioned CPR classes and
Heartsaver First Aid, there is a dropin Yoga class during Friday lunch
time, and several classes on alternative health techniques.
Many courses are available to facilitate starting a business — Blogging for Marketing and Fundraising
or How to Become a Talk Show
Host, for example. Financial classes
such as Protecting Your Estate, and
the ABC’s of Annuities are among
the myriad course topics. A perennially popular class is How to Protect
Yourself Against Identity Theft, presented by Chief Robert Frydryk.
Like Country Bank, which donated $5000 in January to support
classes on money management,
members of the business community
can also offer a helping hand for The
Yellow House. Business donations of
all sizes are most welcome. Besides
money, a wish list on their website
includes a water cooler, office supplies, and a portable white board.
Call Margaret Boyko 413-289-6091.
For a Fall 2013 course catalog,
contact The Yellow House: 413-289-
Kim Mulligan, owner of KM Graphics shows off a shirt she made to promote her business. Photo by M. Solomon.
ates vehicle signage, yard signs, banners and other custom printed materials. She prints the shirts for most of
Ware’s youth and school sports
teams and organizations. She also
prints shirts for Belchertown,
Amherst and Palmer soccer teams.
Many businesses in the local and
surrounding communities such as
restaurants, landscaping companies,
and real estate agencies also come to
Kim for their printing needs. Most
recently, she has printed shirts for
Village Green Family Campground
in Brimfield and Senator Stephen
Brewer.
Kim will be happy to sit down
with you to create a design or logo
Kim Mulligan purchased KM
Graphics in Ware almost two years
ago — she’ll celebrate her 2nd anniversary in November. Kim began
by applying to the former owner of
her business for a job, but he convinced her to buy the business instead and she’s been enjoying
working in and owning her own
business since the day she began.
“This work is just a natural continuation of a hobby I’ve always had
– making tees for my children and
friends, Kim says, “I really love what
I’m doing here.
Her business specializes in silkscreening t-shirts, sweatshirts, polos
and jackets. KM Graphics also cre-
for shirts, signs, window graphics,
etc.
Kim has been a Chamber member since January. She grew up in
Palmer and currently lives in Ware,
and has many friends and associates
in the Quaboag Hills region. And
she comes from a tradition of Chamber membership— her Dad, Jerry
Coia, was a strong QHCC Chamber
supporter 25 years ago in Palmer.
KM Graphics
118 Main Street. P.O. Box 118,
Ware, MA.
Telephone: 413-967-7500. Email:
Kim.KMgraphics@gmail.com
COUNTRY BANK LEADS THE LOCAL FIGHT AGAINST PEDIATRIC CANCER
Country Bank is very proud to be
the $5,000 Gold Ribbon Sponsor
for the first annual Steps for Pediatric Cancer Walk to benefit Pediatric Cancer Research at The Jimmy
Fund.
The Steps for Pediatric Cancer
Walk was founded in honor of
Nicholas “Nick” Cayo, an inspirational young man from Granby,
Massachusetts. Nick battled a malignant brain tumor for sixteen
months before he lost his battle on
December 15, 2012 – just one day
shy of his 13th birthday.
Nick holds a special place in the
hearts of the Country Bank Family
because they travelled with him on
his journey – his mom Michelle is a
staff member at Country Bank and
Nick accompanied her from time to
time volunteering at events in our
communities.
Country Bank would like to invite
you to join us at this worthwhile
event: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER
14, 2013, 10:00AM-1:00PM at
LOOK PARK, 300 NORTH MAIN
STREET, NORTHAMPTON MA.
For more information or to register
please visit www.stepsforpediatriccancer.com.
Member Benefit
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4
Your Business • September/October 2013 • Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
Golf Tournament Planned for
Friday, September 27 in
Monson Arts Council
Plans Silent Auction to
Benefit Monson’s Historic
Memorial Hall
Belchertown
N
ow is the time to plan
for your attendance
and participation on
our Annual Golf
Tournament. The
tournament will be held at the beautiful Cold Spring Country Club in
Belchertown. The tournament is
sponsored this year by Family First
Bank, and as you can see below,
many additional sponsorships and
donation opportunities are available
for your company.
To Play: You can register online
— qhma.com
•Golf: $500.00/foursome or
$125.00/golf fee, includes cart,
greens fees, bagged lunch and dinner
buffet
• Register at 10:00 am,
• Scramble Format
• Tournament begins at 11:00 am
The Monson Arts Council will be
holding a special Silent Auction in
November to benefit Monson’sMemorial Hall.The
classic granite
building on Monson’s Main Street
which is on the
U.S. National Register of Historic
Places has recently been closed for
safety related repairs.
Lynn Salem, coordinator of the
event said recently, “The fundraiser
allows all the individuals and organizations with concerns about and interest in preserving Memorial Hall to
work on a common project of value
to our purpose. We hope to work
with volunteers from throughout the
community in this effort to do whatever is required to make Memorial
Hall safe.
Businesses who want to support
the preservation of the historic graniate meeting hall, or who want more
information, can go the Council’s
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/memorial.hall.monson.m
a.mac?sk=page_insights.
The Schedule for the Silent Auction Benefit will be posted on the
website:
www.monsonartscouncil.com
To Sponsor:
EAGLE SPONSOR—$500.00
Lunch Sponsor. Your banner would
be proudly displayed with your company name. A representative from
your company is invited to network
as golfers make their way around the
course.We would be happy to insert
an item of your choice indicating
that you are the lunch sponsor.
SOLD
CLOSEST to the LINE Sponsor—(2)
$150.00 Your donation will support prizes for this contest—along
with a sign that recognizes your
company for the Sponsorship. A representative from your company is invited to network with golfers all day
during the tournament at your contest hole. (Women’s &Men’s) SOLD
HOLE IN ONE SPONSOR –
$500.00 Sponsor the Hole in One
contest. Your representative will
meet golfers as they come through
the course. SOLD
CLOSEST to the PIN Sponsor—
$150.00 Your donation will support prizes for this contest—along
with a sign that recognizes your
company for the Sponsorship. A representative from your company is invited to network with golfers all day
during the tournament at your contest hole. SOLD
19TH HOLE SPONSOR – $300.00
Sponsor the 19th hole and the drink
cart will travel the course throughout
the day with your company logo on
it to greet our golfers. - SOLD
TEE Sponsor—$125.00
A sign will be created with your
company name showing your support. A representative from your
company is invited to network with
golfers all day during the tournament at your Tee.
Aztec gives you exactly
what you need and more...
RAFFLE PRIZE/SILENT
AUCTION DONATION: Please
consider a donation to our very popular raffle table. Your company will
be listed in our welcome brochure
and our newsletter. Donations made
with a value of $100 or more will be
auctioned.
SOLUTIONS, SERVICE,
SOFTWARE & SUPPLIES
Contact Us Today!
www.aztecoffice.com
Hilary Clough
Phone: 800.533.6552 x7351
Email: cloughh@aztecoffice.com
To make a donation, call Patty
Clark, or email her at
Patty@qhma.com.
Business Theme for
Nov/Dec - Retail!
If your business falls into this categories, you will want to plan
on advertising in this newsletter ~ don’t forget we are mailed
to 7000 homes and businesses six times each year AND we
are downloaded from the Chamber website nearly 50,000
times in a year!
Front page advertising is still available for
our November/December issues
To Advertise: Contact: Patty Clark
5
Juliet Rose Gallery Plans Two
Raku Workshops in October
The Juliet Rose Gallery and Pottery Studio will
offer Raku classes on Saturday October 5 and
Saturday October 26 at their studio, 191
Reimers Road in Monson. Raku derives from a
traditional Japanese firing process in which the
pot is removed from the hot kiln and placed directly into a cooling combination of leaves,
paper or wood chips to create a spontaneous design, often characterized by brilliant colors and
unique texture. Students bring their own work,
or may purchase studio work for the raku sessions. Pictured here, Linda Spelko, one of the
gallery owners, places fired piece into a can
filled with the wood chips and newspaper.
Workshops take place from 9am - 4pm and
include a potluck lunch. Fee is $115. For more
information and to register, call 413-5969741 or email julietrose1@verizon.net.
Mexicali Grand Opening
Mexicali Fresh Mex Grill announces that the newly opened
restaurant, located at 146 West St.
(Rt. 32) in the Big Y Plaza, will have
its Grand Opening event on
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013. From 36pm, patrons and public alike can
sample some of the homemade, deliciously fresh Mexican cuisine while
listening to a live radio broadcast by
the local 1250AM station, WARE.
Also included at the event will be
door prizes and giveaways, a raffle
and more!
Mexicali has been in operation
since its first Mexicali Grill was
opened in Spencer, Massachusetts in
May of 2011. “Everyone has been so
excited to see this new Mexicali open
in Ware. Our fans and patrons had
been asking for another restaurant
for a long time and Mexicali is
thrilled to deliver,” says Antonio
Garces, the General Manager of
Ware’s Mexicali Fresh Mex Grill. Patrons won’t even recognize the interior of the building, which used to
house a local video store. “Our authenticity is not only apparent in the
family recipes used to make our
homemade dishes and fresh margaritas, but in our décor as well. In fact,
many of our structural elements
were brought in from Mexico and
the interior was designed to reflect a
Mexican eatery,” boasts Garces.
Mexicali invites the public to attend this Grand Opening event and
join in the celebration as the restaurant welcomes the Ware community.
The restaurant is open 7 days a
week, from 11am to 10pm Sunday
through Thursday, and until 11pm
on Fridays and Saturdays, and offers
both dine-in and takeout options.
No reservations needed, just call
ahead: 413-277-0925.
To preview their menu online, go
to www.MexicalisFreshMex.com, or
find them on Facebook at
www.Facebook.com/MexicalisFreshMex.
Your Business • September/October 2013 • Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
PATHFINDER TO OFFER
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM
Winners of scholarships from Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation are show here, (L to R) Andrew Manchino,
Meghan LaPointe, Brianna Gardiner, Weronika
Jakubowska,William Wagner, CSB President, Jordin Corriveau, Samantha Englaish and Thomas O’Shea.
Submitted photo.
Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation
Awards $21,000 in Scholarships
The Chicopee Savings Bank
Charitable Foundation is pleased to
announce the 7th Annual Scholarship award program. which has replaced the Chicopee Savings Bank
Medallion Scholarship Program, established in 1976 in conjunction
with the nation’s bicentennial celebration. After 30 years in existence,
an estimated $80,000 has been
awarded to high school students residing in Chicopee.
The Chicopee Savings Bank
Charitable Foundation Scholarship
Program awarded seven scholarships,
each in the amount of $3,000, to eligible high school students attending
participating high schools within the
bank’s market area.
The program allows for a General
scholarship to be awarded to two
Chicopee residents attending either
Chicopee High School, Chicopee
and graduate of Ware Our Members —
High
Your Biz News!
School;
Brianna
Gardiner resident of Chicopee and
graduate of Chicopee Comprehensive
High School was awarded the Business Scholarship.
Comprehensive High School,
Holyoke Catholic High School or
Cathedral High School; additional
scholarships may be awarded to students at Ludlow High School, West
Springfield High School, South
HadleyHigh School and Ware High
School and one Business Scholarship
awarded within the market area.
This year’s scholarships were
awarded to Thomas O’Shea resident
of Chicopee and graduate of
Chicopee High School; WeronikaJakubowska resident of Chicopee
and graduate of Chicopee Comprehensive School; Meghan LaPointe
resident of Ludlow and graduate of
Ludlow High School; Andrew
Manchino resident of West Springfield and graduate of West Springfield High School; Samantha English
resident of South Hadley and graduate of South Hadley High School;
Jordin Corriveau resident of Ware
David Whitney New Clerk of
Palmer Historical & Cultural
Center
David Whitney of Kitchen Table
Taxes has been elected Clerk and
Member of the Board of Directors of
the Palmer Historical and Cultural
Center. PHCC is a restored and repurposed church on Main Street in
Three Rivers, MA that now presents
historical and cultural events for audiences from throughout the region.
More information is available at
their website, PalmerHCC.wordpress.org.
David also serves on the
Bondsville Playground Committee.
Work: 413-289-0058
Cell: 413-949-1079
From Design To Print T0 Mailing . . .
We Are Your FULL SERVICE
Print Solution Provider
1415 Main Street • P.O. Box 956 • Palmer, MA 01069
Phone: 413-283-9356 • Fax: 413-283-4403
Email: sales@robertsprinting.com
Website: www.robertsprinting.com
6
Students entering Pathfinder this
fall will find that the school will be
offering a new program in Hospitality Management and will enroll in
its first classes this fall. The program
will initially be under the supervision of Anthony Bishop who currently serves as the Culinary Arts
Department Head. It was Bishop
who first suggested creating this program and who developed and submitted the required application to
the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education. The program
is very close to receiving state approval under MGL Chapter 74 and
will be the 15th program offering at
Pathfinder.
Chef Bishop said that the Hospitality Program will focus on a number of areas such as:
Dining Room Management
Hotel Management
Travel and tourism
Resort Management
Club Management
Marketing
Cruise Ships
He said that students will be
working and marketing the school’s
Tea Room restaurant, giving the students the opportunity to learn how a
business operates. The students will
also be working with local Springfield area hotels, learning all aspects
of the hotel industry. Students will
acquire the necessary OSHA and
ServSafe certifications as well certificates issues by the American Hotel
and Lodging Educational Institute.
Pathfinder Superintendent Gerald
Paist said that, with the impending
arrival of a casino in western Massachusetts, offering a program in Hospitality Management was a “nobrainer. We are well aware of the employment opportunities available to
our students in the retail environment of a casino,” he said, “and we
want the casinos to know that we are
responding.”
Bishop noted that “Hospitality
gives the students the chance to learn
a career where they can find a job in
or near their community or allow
them to travel around the world!”
Your Business • September/October 2013 • Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
Local Hot Air Balloonist Wins
NBSB July Hat Contest
Backroads
Studio Tour
Hitchcock Free Academy: Closer than You May Think
Something new, interesting, and
fun is closer than it may seem. Interested in Yoga, Tai Chi, fitness classes,
stress reduction, cooking, belly
dance, painting, knitting, guitar /
voice lessons, dog training, or other
varied programs to light up your
life? Fall classes and events will be
starting in September, and are accessible to residents of all the area
towns.
Did you know that from HFA’s
location at 2 Brookfield Road in
Brimfield, the center of Monson is
only 7.1 miles and 15 minutes
away? Here are the distances and
travel times to other communities:
Continued from page 1
Dick Varney
Proving that it’s possible to be
spotted wearing a North Brookfield
Savings Bank hat just about anywhere and to win the mutual savings
bank’s monthly $100 gift card drawing, Dick Varney (above) of North
Brookfield
has been
named the Our Members —
NBSB
Your Biz News!
Where It’s
At Hat
Contest winner for the month of July.
Varney, a commercial hot air balloonist and owner of R. Varney Realty, was seen wearing a North
Brookfield Savings Bank hat by
NBSB Senior Vice President Peggy
Carr when Carr was a guest on an
Aerial Adventures Hot Air Ballooning ride piloted by Varney.
Since November of 2012, the
bank has been on the lookout for
residents wearing North Brookfield
Savings Bank hats out in the community. When spotted, hat wearers
are entered into a monthly $100 gift
card drawing. As the July winner,
Varney was given a $100 gift card to
Two Chefs Restaurant and Pastry
Shop in Spencer, MA.
The Where It’s At Hat Contest is
ongoing and highlights North
Brookfield Savings Bank’s Where It’s
At campaign, which reminds individuals and businesses that NBSB is
“Where It’s At” for great financial
products, banking services and much
more.
Visit NorthBrookfieldSavingsBank.com for more information.
Wales Post Office - 4.5 miles / 8 minutes
Holland Library – 5.9 miles / 11 minutes
Sturbridge Town Common – 7.1 miles / 13
minutes
Southbridge Center – 10.7 miles / 18 minutes
Palmer Public Library – 8.3 miles / 13 minutes
Warren – 6.8 miles / 11 minutes
Brookfield – 9.6 miles / 16 minutes
North Brookfield – 13.6 miles / 24 minutes
West Brookfield – 10.3 miles / 17 minutes
talents to the eye of the public in a
tour of the area in its finest showtime – autumn in New England.
This year, sixteen of the area’s
most creative residents will open
their studios to visitors. The tour of
five towns can begin at any point –
the brochure, available online at
www.backroadsstudiotour.com and
in area stores, banks and businesses,
contains photos of individual artists,
descriptions of their work, and a
well-marked map denoting the location of each. You may have already
visited this historic center of
Quaboag Plantation, its landmark
the splendid common. It’s a great
place to begin, and you’ll want to
stop and admire the freshly renovated fountains while you’re there.
Our website is updated regularly
as new programs are added, and our
flyers will be available outside our
front door and in local libraries toward the end of August.
HFA is a non-profit community
center offering educational, recreational, and cultural programs to
area residents of all ages. Hitchcock
is also a popular meeting place for
Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, AA, and
other community groups. Room
rentals are also available for $50 per
hour.
Please visit our website,
www.hitchcockacademy.org, or call
(413) 245-9977.
backroadsstudiotour.com.
CHECK OUT CHAMBER
BENEFITS
VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
WWW.QHMA.COM
Pleasant Street Pub & Pizza in
W. Brookfield Ye Olde Tavern
Plans Live Music on Weekends
With the hint of cool weather
creeping in, we are reminded that
winter will soon be upon us, so we
decided to chase away our summer
time blues and will fill up our fall
Friday and Saturday nights with live
music entertainment. Friday nights
will feature solo artists in our family
friendly pub and Saturdays will feature live bands in the function room.
Check our website for further details.
We are also very excited to be having a Ladies Night-P.M.S. party
(Pizza, Margheritas & Shopping) on
Friday, September 27th.
We are proud to now be offering
homemade cupcakes and homemade
desserts made by Shannon. We think
it is a great addition to our pub
menu, which includes all homemade
food, with fresh ingredients and
local meat products. We are proud to
support our local community.
Follow us on facebook and check
our website for all dates and times of
music.
www.westbrookfieldtavern.com
508-867-9709
HELP WANTED
Osterman Propane is seeking a
qualified field sales representative.
The position will entail the following responsibilities - Respond to inbound customer inquiries - Perform
visits at customer sites to provide
quotations for propane installation
work - Work with service department to schedule and coordinate installations - Solicit new business
through cold-calling and generating
new partner relationships (HVAC,
Generators, Builders, Hearth
Shops) - Serve as a knowledge expert
for codes, operating requirements,
and other details regarding the safe
installation and use of propane.
A qualified candidate will possess the following skills: - Computer
savvy (microsoft office, outlook, internet search, mobile devices) - An
extreme multitasker able to juggle
20+ installations per month - Background in contracting, HVAC, or
other field sales/quotation work Send responses to ckowalski@ostermangas.com
W
When
hen it comes to banking
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Running a small business comes with all sorts of surprises, and that’s why
business banking should be steady and dependable. Just ask Randall Decoteau.
Randall opened his first North Brookfield Savings Bank account when he was
just 7 years old and today, as owner of Adventure To
ours of Warren, he relies on
NBSB’s convenient and dependable business banking services.
Call us today at 866-711-6272 to
discuss your business banking options.
That way, he can keep his eyes on the roads
his clients are traveling.
NorthBrookfieldSavingsBank.com
866-711-6272
Where
W
he
h re It’s
It ’ss At
At Since 11854
854
Each depositor is insured by the FDIC to at least $250,000. All deposits above the FDIC insurance amount are insured by the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF).
North Brookfield | Belchertown | Palmer | West Brookfield
7
3 Converse Street • Palmer, MA 01069
413-283-2418
B
Your
usiness
Quaboag Hills Region ~ Country Roads & Village Greens
Welcome to Our New Members
FUNERAL SERVICES
Alternative Options Affordable Caskets and Urns
Office: 131 Hudson Street
Springfield MA 01118
Showroom: 4 Springfield Street
Three RiversMA01080
www.spfldcasket.com
lenny@spfldcasket.com
(413) 386-4946
Lenny Weake - owner
ORGANIZATION
Quaboag Riders, Inc.
31 King Ave. • P.O. Box 251
Monson MA 01057
www.monsonmonster.com
ron.guertin@yahoo.com
(413) 267-4414
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Simply Focused Wellness Coaching
5 Mechanic Street
Palmer MA 01069
juliemanning.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com
julie.manning12@gmail.com
(413) 262-1417
Julie Manning - owner
PLUMBING AND HEATING
Pioneer Valley Environmental
18 Shunpike Road • P.O. Box 414
Hardwick MA 01037
pvehvac.com
glen@pvehvac.com
(413) 477-6984
Glen Wojcik – owner
RESTAURANT
Mexicali Fresh Mex Grill
146 West St.
Ware MA 01082
www.MexicalisFreshMex.com
antoniog@mexicalisfreshmex.com
413-277-0925
Anthony Garces - General Manager
TRAVEL AGENCY
Bonnie’s Travel and Tours
91 Babcock Tavern Rd. • PO Box 431
Ware MA MA 01082
www.bonniestravelandtours.com
vacations@bonniestravelandtours.com
(413) 275-6168
Bonnie Szczepanek Vacation Specialist
Upcoming Events
GOLF
SAVE THE DATE
ANNUAL
TOURNAMENT
Friday, September 27 - 10am
Cold Springs Country Club
Belchertown, MA
Annual Dinner Meeting
Thursday, November 7
Publick House,
Sturbridge. MA
FOR BUSINESS BANKING...
...we’ll be there.
When you run a small business, you need all the help you can get. At Country Bank, we’re here for you. Our dedicated small business team will help guide you through the
myriad of business banking options available to you and provide you with the right products and services to match your unique needs. For small business, Country Bank is there!
For more information, please call 1-800-322-8233 or visit countrybank.com.
MEMBER FDIC | MEMBER DIF |