Boston Autumn presented by Berkshire Bank at City Hall Plaza Partners Hosts Popular Massachusetts Craft Brewer Concept For Seasonal Fall Activation
Boston, MA (September 15, 2017) – To kick-off the fall season, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and official City Hall Plaza community partner Berkshire Bank are proud to announce that the Wachusett Brewing Company is bringing its Brew Yard to Boston Autumn at City Hall Plaza. The Brew Yard will be open on Thursdays: September 21, September 28 and October 5 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Entry to the Brew Yard at Boston Autumn is free.
Hot off their successful Brew Yard launch at Wachusett’s home Brewery in Westminster, Berkshire Bank and City of Boston are excited to partner together with a local craft brewery to bring this popular concept into the heart of the City.
“We could not be more excited for the opportunity to bring our Brew Yard concept to Boston and create an exciting venue for the local craft beer community” said Christian McMahan, President of Wachusett Brewing Company. “The Brew Yard has been so well received by consumers from all over New England who have come to enjoy great beer, live music, and amazing food. We could not think of a better place than Boston Autumn at City Hall Plaza to continue to deliver this unique experience.”
The Brew Yard at Boston Autumn presented by Berkshire Bank will include Wachusett’s popular ‘City of Champions’ line: Green Monsta IPA, Bella Czech Pils, Brewin’ American Pale Ale, and their new Belgian White Mamba. The Wachusett Brew Yard signature piece, a converted Airstream trailer bar, will be front and center as part of the Boston Brew Yard.
In addition to offering 8 styles of beer, this collaboration between the City of Boston, Berkshire Bank and Wachusett will feature a variety of Food Trucks and to live music from 5:00 to 7:00 PM each Thursday – making this the perfect place for Bostonians and tourists alike to gather with friends or family.
For more information about Boston Seasons presented by Berkshire Bank at City Hall Plaza, a year-round activation to enhance City Hall Plaza, please visit www.cityhallplazaboston.com .
About Wachusett Brewing Company The company produces a diverse, award-winning line of beers ranging from their best-selling Blueberry Ale to their latest introduction, the highly-rated Wally, a New England Style IPA. WBC is the second largest packaging brewer in Massachusetts and was one of the top 10 fastest growing craft breweries in the US in 2016.
Leominster Credit Union is hosting a free, no-obligations seminar “How to Prepare, Pay for and Stay in College.” The seminar will provide valuable information for both students and their parents as they begin to navigate the process of selecting and paying for college. Topics include: Preparing For College; Scholarships (Different types & How to find them); Choosing a College; Financial Aid Overview; FAFSA Process; Understanding the Award Letter; Federal Loans vs. Private Student Loans.
The seminar will take place on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the headquarters building of Leominster Credit Union, 20 Adams Street, Leominster MA. Registration is required. To register or for more information visit http://leominstercu.studentchoice.org/seminar/
Founded in 1954, Leominster Credit Union (LCU) is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative with a full range of deposit, lending and other financial services. Headquartered in Leominster, Massachusetts, LCU is proud to claim nearly 50,000 members and more than $600 million in assets. LCU has seven branch locations in Leominster, Worcester, Clinton, Holden, Sterling and North Leominster with ATM services at all branch locations. LCU also provides 24 hour banking via Mobile and Online services. Visit leominstercu.com or call 800-649-4646.
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860 South Street Fitchburg, MA 01420
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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Annual North Central Massachusetts Congressional Luncheon on Friday, October 6, 2017 featuring the Honorable Jim McGovern, United States Representative for the Second Congressional District and the Honorable Niki Tsongas, United States Representative for the Third Congressional District of Massachusetts. The program runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Great Wolf Lodge, 150 Great Wolf Drive, Fitchburg, MA.
This event will provide Chamber members the opportunity to hear directly from members of the U.S. House of Representatives regarding business issues and critical matters facing the nation. Attendees will also be afforded the unique opportunity for networking and questions with members of North Central’s federal delegation.
Currently serving his eleventh term in Congress, Congressman Jim McGovern serves as the second ranking Democrat on the powerful House Rules Committee, which sets the terms for debate and amendments on most legislation; and a member of the House Agriculture Committee. In 2014, McGovern was named Democratic Ranking Member on the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Nutrition. The Subcommittee’s jurisdiction includes policies and statutes relating to nutrition, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and domestic c
ommodity distribution and consumer initiatives.
Before his election to Congress, McGovern spent 14 years working as a senior aide for the late U.S. Representative John Joseph Moakley (D-South Boston), former dean of the Massachusetts delegation
and Chairman of the House Rules Committee. He was born in Worcester, the son of two successful small business owners. His two sisters are elementary school teachers in Worcester’s public school system.
McGovern earned his Bachelor of Arts (‘81) and Masters of Public Administration (‘84) degrees from The American University, working his way through college by serving as an aide in the office of U.S. Senator George McGovern (D-SD).
Congresswoman Niki Tsongas was elected to the United State House of Representatives in a 2007 special election, becoming the first w
oman in 25 years to serve in Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She represents the Massachusetts Third District (which had previously been known as the Fifth District until 2012). Tsongas holds the same seat that was held three decades earlier by her late husband, former Congressman, U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Paul Tsongas. Her Congressional district spans across portions of Essex, Middlesex and Worcester counties.
Tsongas serves as a senior member on the prestigious House Armed Services Committee, and having previously served in a leadership position as the top Democrat on the subcommittee for Oversight and Investigations. Tsongas also serves on the Natural Resources Committee, which formulates federal policy related to domestic energy production, National Parks, and the environment. In 2015, she was named to a leadership role as the top Democrat on the Federal Lands Subcommittee. She also serves on the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee. Recently Tsongas was elected by her peers to serve as the highest ranking Democrat on the largest HASC subcommittee, the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee.
Prior to being elected to the House of Representatives, Tsongas served as a Dean at Middlesex Community College, practiced law, and raised her three daughters all in the region she now represents.
Tsongas will not seek re-election in 2018.
Make sure that you reserve your spot early to hear from our congressional delegation on the many critical issues facing the business community in Washington D.C.
Pre-registration is required and easy. Simply call the Chamber at 978.353.7600 ext. 235, email or register online at www.northcentralmass.com. The cost is $35 for members and $55 for non-members.
The next edition of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s popular Good Morning North Central breakfast series is scheduled for Friday, September 22, 2017 from 6:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton, 99 Erdman Way, Leominster, MA. The September edition is sponsored by Apex Properties.
The Good Morning North Central series is a high-profile, fast-paced and educational breakfast program geared towards executives, senior managers, professionals and business owners. Each of the programs has a business-oriented focus and features popular speakers to present on topics of interest to local businesses.
The featured speakers for the September edition are Mayor Dean Mazzarella of Leominster and Mayor Stephen DiNatale of Fitchburg being interviewed by guest Kelli Rooney of HealthAlliance Hospital. Both Mayors will be discussing partnerships and initiatives in the Twin Cities, including the 3.8 mile Rail Trail and economic development. The
program also includes an economic development presentation by Tricia Pistone of Re-Imagine North of Main.
Mayor Dean Mazzarella was elected Mayor of Leominster in 1993 and was sworn in January 3, 1994. Prior to his run for Mayor, Dean was a ten-year veteran of the Leominster Police Department and has been a small business owner in the City for a number of years. Mayor Mazzarella’s philosophy on building a strong community is based on a total quality of life for the people who live and work in Leominster. In the past few years, the Mayor has highlighted the importance of small businesses, concentrating more on those located in the downtown area. He also has demonstrated the importance of a strong school system while being the Chair of the Leominster School Committee by building new schools and upgrading existing schools. Mazzarella now looks forward to bringing in new businesses and building the Leominster economy.
Mayor Stephen DiNatale was sworn in as Mayor of Fitchburg January 4, 2016. Stephan has been a resident of Fitchburg for over 35 years. Mayor DiNatale served in the United States Navy for four years as an Operations Specialist 3rd Class Petty officer. He then graduated from Fitchburg State College in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. DiNatale was employed with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections and then spent ten years with Wang Laboratories Corporation. He then returned to state employment serving 15 years with the Massachusetts Department of Correction, the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board, and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Forensic Division. Prior to his run as Mayor, he served five years on the Fitchburg School Committee, three years as the Councilor at Large for the Fitchburg City Council, and served nine years as a Massachusetts State Representative for the Third Worcester District.
Following the presentation by the Mayors, Tricia Pistone, Vice President of Re-Imagine North of Main, will present on revitalizing Fitchburg and partnerships within the community. ReImagine North of Main is a partnership – of local businesses, government, nonprofits, and residents of Fitchburg – committed to making an impact and improving the quality of life in the neighborhood where future residents and businesses want to live, work, and invest.
The cost is just $25 for Chamber members/$40 non-members and includes a breakfast buffet. Season Tickets are also available for purchase. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600 ext. 235 or visit www.northcentralmass.com.
Art’s all in the family for Dug and Dawn Haley Morton. Dug is a painter, Dawn a photographer, and their daughter Elizabeth, 9, is already emulating Mom and Dad by creating her own drawings and stories. The painter and the photographer, while working in different media, share a common sensibility in respect to subject matter. They like to depict ordinary moments of day-to-day life that are nevertheless odd, quirky, and occasionally a little frightening.
Dug Morton’s half of the exhibit will feature 19 new paintings. The artist grew up in Groton, Mass., and studied at the Boston Museum School. He has been showing his work in galleries all over New England for almost 30 years and has produced an astounding number of paintings—well over a thousand.
Dug is interested in those rare moments, but from a slightly different perspective. What Dawn might call “rarities,” Dug calls “oddities.” He likes to zero in on peculiar, even slightly unsettling sights, and then strips them down to their basics. The resulting impact, boiled down this way, is very powerful.
A good example is Dug’s painting of a young woman on a stretcher carried by four men. We have no idea what injury she has suffered, and in fact she does not seem to be injured so much as traumatized. She wears an unstained white dress. We don’t see much of the men’s faces. The superficially harmless nature of the men, and the apparent lack of serious danger to the young woman, somehow makes the image more menacing than comforting.
In a similar vein, another picture presents us with a harmless map of the “lower 48,” the continental United States minus Alaska. It looks like an educational game for small children, with the states in effect as pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, each one probably made of wood and connected to a short peg for lifting the piece out of the larger puzzle. But above this we seeing a very dark cloud, and then realize there is a shadow the shape of the cloud covering the map, coast to coast, as it were. All sorts of associations come to mind—foul weather perhaps precipitated by climate change, the future of our children laboring under a dark cloud of grim possibilities. What at first glimpse is a seemingly innocuous children’s toy is, after a second and third look, anything but reassuring.
Dawn Haley Morton began taking pictures in the seventh grade with an old 110 camera equipped with a “flip-flash,” graduating to a 35mm camera in the eleventh grade. She has been compulsively taking photos ever since.
Dawn enjoys the excitement of capturing some special aspect of her surroundings, or what she calls “four-leaf clover” moments. She recalls a friend who had a knack for finding four-leaf clovers and other rarities. Dawn delights in finding such curiosities all around her. She considers herself a documentary artist, although the images she captures are not the least bit humdrum. Quite the contrary—these quirky, fleeting moments of discovery are light-hearted and fun but also a bit startling.
One good example is a shot with just enough scary carnival light to pick up the nighttime subject—an assortment of cute stuffed animals. We figure out that these cuddly cuties are prizes at a traveling fair when we take in the red neon sign in capital letters that reads “GUN FUN.” We don’t see the pellet guns that customers might use to “win the little lady a prize,” as the barker might call out. But we can’t help seeing the guns in our imaginations when we get hit (visually) with that noisy sign.
Even a little more horrifying, if in a humorous vein, is a hand-drawn sign presumably at a seaside tackle shop, that reads: “unattended children will be sold as FISH BAIT”. Dawn has several shots on this theme of lovely, soft-hearted scenes that at first conceal something surprising. A close-up of a campfire makes us practically feel the warmth of the red-hot logs and sigh in contentment…until we notice what looks like a bunny on a stick. We can guess the object is candy, but since it’s dark and effectively just a silhouette, we don’t know if there’s someone holding the other end of the stick to “cook” the candy over the fire or whether we’re seeing the moment when the little creature is being consigned to the flames. Either way it strikes the viewer as funny, even if we feel a little ashamed of laughing at it.
Dawn wants to present us with “something that I see that no one else sees.” She refers to this method as a search for “funky” images, “something a little weird” that also makes her smile or laugh. These quirky moments might involve a woman running for a train, a vintage sign that awakens memories from many years ago, or any number of everyday images. “My thing is the emotions,” Dawn says, relishing those moments of discovery that arouse strong feelings of all kinds. Her “focus on people” comes through in both candid shots of the people around her as well as formal portraits.
Dawn majored in Communications and graduated from both Endicott College and Fitchburg State College. She has enjoyed a successful career in media in Boston, and currently works in film and video production at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. She recalls taking a class in video production when she was a senior in high school, getting her started on a career in the field.
She doesn’t miss old-style photography and doesn’t use film anymore. “I had some in the fridge for a long time,” she recalls, but now she works strictly in digital. The current technology allows her to aim and shoot the second she sees a scene that she wants to capture.
The Opening will be held on Saturday, Sept. 16, 3 – 5 p.m., at Gallery Sitka West at 454 Main St. in Fitchburg, Mass. The exhibition will run through Saturday, Oct. 28. Art lovers may visit eclecticdug.com for more information about Dug Morton and his artwork, while checking out Dawn Haley Morton’s photographs at https://www.instagram.com/dawnhaleymorton, her Instagram page.
Jump to the head of the class with our FREE training programs!
As the summer winds to a close, our thoughts slowly turn from vacations and beaches back to work flows and productivity! The team at EANE can help ease you back into the groove with these FREE training programs this fall.
Join us for a Paint Night – a Fundraiser for LUK!LUK is a not-for-profit social service agency located in central Massachusetts dedicated to improving the lives of youth and their families. They offer a full spectrum of programs addressing mental and behavioral health, trauma, addiction and substance abuse prevention, and homelessness.
NYC Italian Art Ylenia Mino will be our Instructor Painter to lead the night. She will work with us to choose an image to paint and then we will begin! Gallery Sitka is pleased to welcome her to Fitchburg for this wonderful cause!
$45 PP (Payment should be made in advance at Gallery Sitka, 454 Main St., Fitchburg, MA by August 21st to ensure we have enough supplies for everyone. Pay via Paypal to or drop by to Purchase a Ticket.) Price includes the painting materials, painting canvas and our guest artist’s skills!
The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation and Hometown Bank are holding two business workshops on September 28, 2017 aimed at assisting potential and existing entrepreneurs.
These free workshops are approximately two and a half hours each and are being held in partnership with the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, SCORE, NewVue Communities, City of Leominster and the City of Fitchburg. Both workshops will be held at the North Central Massachusetts Chamber office, 860 South Street, Fitchburg, MA.
Session I:Fundamentals in Planning, Preparing, and Financing Your Business will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and will focus on evaluating and understanding the fundamentals of owning one’s own business. Information on how to get started, where and how to get financing and the loan application process will be presented. Registration begins at 8:00. Continental breakfast will be provided for all participants. Presented by Bob Aspell, SCORE
Session II:Understanding the Purpose of Financial Statements and How They Can Help Determine the Health of Your Business will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will focus on understanding a balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. The workshop will also explain how a small business owner can anticipate financial needs in order to operate his/her business more efficiently. Registration begins at 11:30. Lunch will be provided for all participants. Presented by Robert C. Alario, CPA
To register, please contact Sandie Cataldo at 978.353.7607 ext. 232 or . You may also register online at www.northcentralmass.com/calendar-of-events North Central Massachusetts.
Premier networking event connects elected officials with community leaders
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce will host its Legislative and Candidates Reception on September 14, 2017 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Chocksett Inn on 59 Laurelwood Road in Sterling, MA. The event is intended to offer the region with an upscale networking event that connects business and community leaders with the region’s elected officials, as well as those seeking public office.
“This is a great opportunity for our business and community leaders, as well as our public officials to gather for an evening of networking and collegial discussion,” said Roy Nascimento, President and CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “We look forward to joining our legislators at a unique venue like the Chocksett Inn.”
The Legislative and Candidates Reception is one of the Chamber’s premier events of the season, with over 125 federal, state, and local elected officials invited. Mount Wachusett Community College is the premier sponsor for the event. “At Mount Wachusett Community College, we understand the importance of engaging with the region’s business and legislative communities. These connections and insights help guide the college in various areas such as programming and outreach,” said MWCC President James Vander Hooven. “It is vital for our region’s business leaders, legislators, and policy-makers to meet and network so that they can engage and learn from each other. I am happy to support this important event.”
“Gaining access to legislators and those who seek public office is just as important for small business owners as it is for CEOs in the region,” said Ken Gurge, Esq., Chamber Board Member and Chair of the Government Affairs Committee. “This will be a tremendous opportunity for anyone with passion for North Central Massachusetts.”
Government affairs and public policy advocacy is a key component to the Chamber’s efforts to promote a healthy and active business climate throughout the region. Recognizing that the business community and legislators are partners in economic vitality and growth, events like these align well with the Chamber’s mission.
Sponsored by Mount Wachusett Community College, the event will feature an open bar and gourmet appetizers and hors d’oeuvres. Cost for members is $20 and non-members is $30. Registration is available online at www.northcentralmass.com. Please contact Maria McCaffrey at 978.353.7600 ext. 235 or for more details.
As of September 5th, the following legislators and candidates have confirmed their attendance:
Confirmed legislators:
Senator Jamie Eldridge, Senator of Middlesex and Worcester Districts
Representative Kim Ferguson, Representative of 1st Worcester District
Representative Stephan Hay, Representative of 3rd Worcester District
Representative Harold Naughton, Representative of 12th Worcester District
Representative Jon Zlotnik, Representative of 2nd Worcester District
Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis, Sheriff of Worcester County
Kathleen Reynolds-Daigneault, Worcester Northern Register of Deeds
Mayor Stephen DiNatale, City of Fitchburg
Councilor Susan Chalifoux-Zephir, City of Leominster – Candidate for Senate, Worcester/Middlesex District
Councilor David Cormier, City of Leominster
Councilor Pauline Cormier, City of Leominster
Selectman James DeLisle, Town of Westminster
Councilor Marcus DiNatale, City of Fitchburg
Councilor Claire Freda, City of Leominster – Candidate for Senate, Worcester/Middlesex District Selectman Mark Grasso, Town of Lancaster
Councilor Amy Green, City of Fitchburg
Selectwoman Cindy King, Town of Townsend
Councilor Michael Kushmerek, City of Fitchburg – Candidate for Senate, Worcester/Middlesex District
Councilor James Lanciani, City of Leominster
Selectman Walter Sendrowski, Town of Lancaster
Selectman Stanley Starr, Town of Lancaster
Selectman Jamie Toale, Town of Lunenburg
Councilor Dean Tran, City of Fitchburg
Selectman Wayne Walker, Town of Westminster
Town Administrator Ross Perry, Town of Sterling
Confirmed Candidates:
Robert K. Massie, Gubernatorial Candidate
Jeffrey Sossa-Paquette, Candidate for US House of Representatives – Second Congressional District
Thomas F. Ardinger, Candidate for Senate, Worcester/Middlesex District
Michael Mahan, Candidate for Senate, Worcester/Middlesex District
Louis Marino, Candidate for Senate, Worcester/Middlesex District
Andrew Couture, Candidate for City Councilor/Councilor-at-large – City of Fitchburg
Heather De Jesus, Candidate for City Councilor/Ward 6 – City of Fitchburg
Marisa Fleming, Candidate for City Council/Ward 5 – City of Fitchburg
Michael Hurley, Candidate for City Councilor/Councilor-at-large – City of Fitchburg
Cheryl Maguy-Stewart, Candidate for City Council/ Ward 2 – City of Fitchburg
Brandon Robbins, Candidate for City Council/Councilor-at-large – City of Leominster
Sam Squailia, Candidate for City Councilor/Councilor-at-large, City of Fitchburg
Elizabeth Walsh, Candidate for City Councilor/Ward 6 – City of Fitchburg
Isabelle Alera, Candidate for School Committee/Ward 3 – City of Leominster
Joshua Klaus, Candidate for School Committee/Ward 3 – City of Leominster
It’s time for an A+ Firearms Training SCHEDULE UPDATE.
If you’re looking for the prerequisite training to apply for your LTC (License to Carry) or an FID (Firearms IDentification) card, our “NRA Home Firearm Safety (with Live-Fire Segment)” class is what you want to attend.
It is scheduled on:
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Time is 9am to 4:30pm
Cost is $125
Location is 60 Warren Road, Townsend, MA 01469
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If you already have your LTC and want to upgrade skill at arms, our “Advanced Handgun Level-1” class is your next step to take.