News from our members

New City pf Fitchburg Purchasing Functions on their Website

New City Purchasing Functions on our Website
We are excited to announce new functionality for those interested in doing business with the City of Fitchburg. Our purchasing page has been redesigned and you can now receive bid documents directly from the website. It’s simple! 1. Go to the City Website and click on “Purchasing” or “Procurement Web Desk.” 2. Click on the item you are interested in quoting or bidding on. 3. Register on the page provided when you click. 4. View, download, or save the documents and forms provided. With the new system, there is no waiting for mailed or emailed documents. You can obtain quote or bid forms at any time, from any computer. We hope the new features will make it even easier for businesses, vendors, consultants, and contractors. Status of each item, as well as results, will be posted regularly to keep everyone up to date and to offer transparency into our procurement process. If you are currently registered to receive notifications from our website, the only step you may need to make is to take a few moments and REGISTER FOR THE CATEGORIES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN.
If you do not have an account with the City, it’s very simple to get on our notification list. Simply go to www.fitchburgma.gov and create an account (purple bar at the very top of the website). You can then choose the notifications you’d like to receive.
We hope this leads to more competition and more local business involvement with the City. Please feel free to contact the Chief Procurement Officer by email at mdelaney@fitchburgma.gov. New City Purchasing Functions on our Website

Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts and Lowe’s team up for 10th annual National Women Build Week

 

Habitat for Humanity North Central MA and the Yang family will work alongside Lowe’s volunteers and all-female construction crews for Habitat for Humanity’s 10th annual National Women Build Week, May 6-14. Habitat’s National Women Build Week invites women to help make a difference and devote at least one day to help build decent and affordable housing in their local communities.

More than 17,000 women, including Lowe’s Heroes volunteers, are expected to volunteer at construction sites across the country as part of Habitat’s 2017 National Women Build Week.

“We’re excited to be a part of National Women Build Week again this year and thank Lowe’s for partnering with us for this empowering week of building”, stated Carolyn Read, executive director of Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts.

On Henry Street in Fitchburg, volunteers will work to build an accessible, affordable house for a family of 9.  Habitat NCM will welcome teams of local athletes, realtors, faith groups, and students during Women Build Week.   

Lowe’s helped launch National Women Build Week in 2008 to empower women to advocate for affordable housing and spotlight the homeownership challenges faced by many. Each year, Lowe’s provides the support of their employee volunteers, Lowe’s Heroes, and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills so they can feel equipped to take part in the builds. Lowe’s Heroes will be among more than 50 volunteers joining to help build decent, affordable housing in froth central Massachusetts as part of National Women Build Week.

“Through our partnership with Habitat and support of National Women Build Week, Lowe’s empowers women to get involved in their communities, learn construction skills and make a meaningful impact,” said James Frison, Lowe’s director of community relations. “We’re grateful to all the women in central Massachusetts who will volunteer this week to help build and repair decent and affordable housing.”

Lowe’s donated nearly $2 million to this year’s National Women Build Week, including a $5,000 store gift card to Habitat NCM. Since 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than $63 million to Habitat’s mission and helped more than 6,500 families improve their living conditions.

Habitat’s first Women Build event was held in 1998. Since then, all-women construction crews have helped build more than 2,500 homes in partnership with families.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program and to learn about Women Build events in communities across the U.S. year-round, visit Habitat.org/wb.

 

About Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts

Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts is a non-profit housing ministry that builds and repairs simple, decent houses with people in need. It is the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, serving 25 towns and cities in north central Massachusetts, including Acton, Ashburnham, Ashby, Ayer, Berlin, Bolton, Boxborough, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hudson, Lancaster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Leominster, Maynard, Pepperell, Princeton, Shirley, Sterling, Stow, Townsend, and Westminster.  Habitat NCM also operates the Leominster ReStore which raises funds through the sale of discounted or recycled materials and furniture.

 

About Habitat for Humanity International

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in nearly 1,400 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

 

About Lowe’s in the Community

Lowe’s, a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company, has a 60-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. In the past decade, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed nearly $300 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe’s Heroes volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. For the latest news, visit Newsroom.Lowes.com or follow @LowesMedia on Twitter.

4/10: Join author Sam Quinones as he discusses his book, Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, an in-depth look at the forces that set the current opiate epidemic into motion

Join author Sam Quinones as he discusses his book, Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, an in-depth look at the forces that set the current opiate epidemic into motion.

Monday, April 10th at 2:30 pm
Kent Recital Hall, 367 North St., Fitchburg
Meet Author Sam Quinones

Presented by
Worcester County District Attorney
Joseph D. Early, Jr.
With Special Thanks to
Fitchburg State University
and President Richard S. Lapidus
Light Refreshments
Free of Charge and Open to the Public

Parking as available on campus or
Additional parking at the Wallace Civic Center
Serviced by two buses at no cost

Final-Fitchburg Flyer

Expressionistic Land & Seascape Solo Show Displays “Earth’s Magic” through the Eyes of New York City Artist at Gallery Sitka West in Fitchburg

 

Beth Barry has always loved the beach, spending her younger days biking there from her hometown of New Bedford. She loved to swim and feel the sand between her toes, but she especially loved the combination of the rhythmic sounds (or roar) of the ocean, as well as the colors and the way the sunlight could change them. It wasn’t until she flew in an airplane for the first time in her early teens that she felt a deep, personal connection to the light and movement of the beach that she loved so much. Moving across the land and viewing it from a unique perspective, she could see light move with the objects, changing the shapes and colors of what she saw below. This resonance that she felt was exciting and highly informative to developing her style, and it changed her life forever.

Ms. Barry now resides in New York City and often goes to Central Park to paint “en plein air.” She always brings her portable easel, paints and chair with her whenever she travels, and typically paints a scene inspired by what she sees — and feels! For Ms. Barry, a painting starts with an emotional response to either light, or a color, or a shape: “integrations of what I see externally, or what I see in my mind’s eye.”

Often her paintings are her expressionistic interpretation of landscapes or seascapes — real and imaginary. Painting is like an impulse to Ms. Barry, and brings her great joy in life. For her, “the images, the light, the movement … create a sense of pleasure. That’s what I want people to feel when they look at my paintings.” Displaying and sharing her artwork is something that she looks forward to time and time again. If someone responds to her artwork, then she feels that she has succeeded.

One of her main influences is the work of expressionist painter Richard Diebenkorn, who had an apparent passion for Edward Hopper’s work. You can see the Diebenkorn influence in Ms. Barry’s muted yet colorful canvases, as well as the stark strokes made. In her painting, “Couple,” you can see the emotion Ms. Barry clearly felt when creating this abstract art, from the organic shapes to the colors used and their placement. In “Cappadocia,” there is no doubt that Ms. Barry painted her interpretation of the volcanic formations and the emotions she felt from viewing such spectacular natural phenomena. When it comes to abstractions, she paints “integrations of what I take in from the world — what I see and what I feel.”

The show will open on Saturday, April 22 (Earth Day!), 2 – 4 p.m., at Gallery Sitka, 454 Main Street in Fitchburg, and will run through Memorial Day. The show is fittingly entitled “Earth’s Magic,” and reflects on the ethereal complexity and wonder that is Mother Nature. We invite everyone to come and be inspired by the richness of the earth through Beth Barry’s paintings, and to celebrate the lush beauty we get to take in every day.

Active Shooter — Civilian Response Training

Active Shooter — Civilian Response Training

 

NEW CLASSES SCHEDULED:

DATE:             April 26, 2017
LOCATION:   Hampton Inn & Suites
65 Prescott St.
Worcester, Massachusetts  01605

 

DATE:             April 27, 2017
LOCATION:  DoubleTree by Hilton
                         99 Erdman Way
Leominster MA  01453

TIME:             6:15pm – 9:00pm
COST:             $49.99
REGISTER:   Call A+ Firearms Training of MA at 508-864-7473

 

You hear about active shooter drills for emergency services so they will be ready should an active shooter event occur.  But they typically are not there at the time it starts.  In fact, they likely won’t arrive on scene for five to fifteen minutes, or more.

So what do you do when the shooting begins until they arrive to better your chances of survival?

This interactive presentation, with hands-on exercises, explains what the term “Active Shooter” means, history of past active shooter events, why it is so important today, and what civilians can do to better their chances of survival.

There are no live firearms utilized in the class.

You are Invited to DRL Season 2: Level 4

Please join DRL for the taping of Season 2, Level 4 in Fitchburg, MA .

The Semi-Finals will take place from 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM.

The Finals will take place from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.

Please be sure to fill out the name of your guest (if you are registering them), since there will be a guest list at the door. This is an invite-only event, so only those who have RSVP’s will be admitted. All social media and visual documentation of the event are forbidden.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drl-season-2-level-4-tickets-33251245370

No April Fooling! Winter is Not Over at Wachusett Mountain. Friday Forecast Calls for Another Major March Snowstorm

No April Fooling!  Winter is Not Over at Wachusett Mountain.  Friday Forecast Calls for Another Major March Snowstorm

12-20 Inches Could Fall Friday into Saturday!  Wachusett to Extend Season!

PRINCETON, Ma.  – Just when Wachusett Mountain skiers and snowboarders think the season may be ending, think again.  Mother Nature is playing the ultimate April Fool’s prank this weekend with the prediction of a major late-season snowfall that could be the biggest of the entire winter.

 

The central Massachusetts ski area is still reaping the benefits from its expanded snowmaking system and 16 inches of snow in mid-March — snow cover on the trails is still edge to edge and base depths still range to more than 4 feet in the deepest sections.  “We don’t want the season to end,” said Wachusett President Jeff Crowley. “After our huge investment during the off-season in snowmaking and these late boosts in natural snow, we can keep it going as long as weather permits and as long as folks want to ski and snowboard.”  Wachusett was originally planning to end its season on Sunday, April 2 with its annual pond skimming competition and deck party but, with as much as 20 inches expected this weekend, is now looking to extend its season on weekends further into April.

 

The Ski Season Meets the Baseball Season!

 

The mountain has already made plans to be open again on Monday, April 3 to celebrate the new snow.  In fact, since Monday also coincides with the Boston Red Sox home opener, Wachusett will offer skiing for only $5 to anyone who comes on Monday wearing a Boston Red Sox jersey.
“We’re proud to still be open for skiing on the first day of baseball season,” added Crowley.  “If conditions allow, we will also reopen for the weekend of April 8-9 and will consider going further if possible.  Our season rarely ends because of a lack of snow, it usually ends because people stop coming out – so we’re saying don’t stop!”

 

Wachusett has special late-season pricing in effect.  For the best lift ticket deals and the latest updates on snow conditions and the operating schedule go to www.wachusett.com.

Fitchburg Historical Society Receives Massachusetts Cultural Council Planning Grant For Continued Development of Phoenix Building Headquarters

Fitchburg Historical Society Receives Massachusetts Cultural Council Planning Grant For Continued Development of Phoenix Building Headquarters

Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund Awards $24,250 for Historic Fitchburg Building

The Fitchburg Historical Society has been awarded a planning grant of $24,250 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilities Fund for the continued development of its Main Street headquarters, which are located in an historic H.M. Francis building that the Historical Society purchased and renovated over the last decade. The grant funding is a matching grant, and the Fitchburg Historical Society has received generous matching funds of $15,000 from the Douglas and Isabelle Crocker Foundation, $9,000 from the Rollstone Foundation, and $1,000 from Historic New England.

The funding will be used to create concept plans for the further development of the Phoenix Building for collections storage, program facilities and exhibition spaces. Since its grand opening in 2012, the Crocker Family Center for the Study of Fitchburg History has attracted a growing audience to Fitchburg’s downtown for historical exhibitions, educational talks, films and conferences presented by the Fitchburg Historical Society.

“Since we opened on Main Street four and a half years ago, we have been able to offer larger programs and marquee exhibitions that are attracting large new audiences to the Historical Society,” says Fitchburg Historical Society Past President William McSheehy. “We are proud to serve as one of Main Street’s most important institutions, enlivening the Upper Common area and attracting tourists and other visitors to Fitchburg.”

“This funding will set the stage for new building projects, in order to update our collections management and move part of our collections out of temporary storage into their permanent home,” adds Board President Jay Bry. “We are continuing the project that began with the acquisition of the Phoenix building itself: specifically the expansion of our audience and membership. We will continue to offer programs and exhibitions that draw a new audience to Fitchburg from all over New England.”

The Fitchburg Historical Society will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2017. Home to popular events like the annual Holiday House Tour and popular recent exhibitions like “Healing Hands: the History of Medicine in Fitchburg” and “Felix Leger: A World War II Soldier from Cleghorn,” the Historical Society is currently presenting an exhibition on the history of firefighters in Fitchburg.

“Institutions like the Fitchburg Historical Society are central to the quality of life in our community,” according to Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale. “This investment in an important local cultural resource by the State of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Cultural Council creates tangible results in both economic activity and community vitality.”

The Cultural Facilities Fund was created to increase investments from both the public sector and the private sector to support the sound planning and development of cultural facilities in Massachusetts. It provides capital and planning grants to promote the acquisition, design, repair, rehabilitation renovation, expansion, or construction of nonprofit cultural facilities in Massachusetts. All grants from the Fund must be matched with cash contributions from the private or public sector.

The funding agency is the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency supporting the arts, humanities, and sciences to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. The MCC pursues this mission through grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. The planning grant is being administered by
MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, which works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2015, MassDevelopment financed or managed 294 projects generating investment of more than $2.5 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create about 6,100 jobs and build or rehabilitate about 2,000 residential units.

For more information on the Fitchburg Historical Society, its exhibitions, educational programs and research library, contact the Fitchburg Historical Society at 978.345.1157, e-mail at welcome@fitchburghistoricalsociety.com or visit http:www.fitchburghistoricalsociety.org.