Month: November 2017

NORTHAMPTON — Over the years, holiday lights have illuminated the grounds of Cooley Dickinson Hospital while providing funds for numerous projects that support the healthcare needs of the community. Through a donation of $15 or more per individual, community members can designate a light in honor or memory of someone through the Friends of Cooley Dickinson’s annual Trees of Love & Thanksgiving.

This year, funds will support pediatric rehabilitation services, providing specialized equipment for children with developmental delays or who are recovering from injuries. In addition, funds will again provide infant car beds, which are critical to ensuring the safe transport of underweight babies. This year’s fund-raising goal is $15,000.

Over more than two decades, Trees of Love campaigns have raised more than $300,000, providing funding for pediatric rooms in the hospital’s Emergency Department, an infusion bay in the Mass General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson, and 3D mammography.

A lighting ceremony will be held on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 4:30 p.m. in the Healing Garden. A reception will follow in the Kittredge Surgery Center waiting area with refreshments and music by the Horse Mountain Jazz Band.

Those wishing to donate can pick up a form at any hospital information desk or download one at www.cooleydickinson.org/volunteer/trees-of-love-thanksgiving. In addition to lights on the trees in the Healing Garden, names of those being honored and remembered are posted in the corridor adjacent to the Hospital’s main lobby.

Trees of Love & Thanksgiving is a project of the Friends of Cooley Dickinson (formerly the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Auxiliary) and Pastoral Care.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — A Night of Light, the CHD Cancer House of Hope’s annual luminaria fund-raising event, returns to the green at Storrowton Village on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. Storrowton Tavern will serve hot chocolate.

For the event, hundreds of luminaria bags are lit and placed on the green to remember those lost to cancer and honor those who are survivors. Luminaria bags cost $5 each and can be personally inscribed in honor of a friend or loved one. Bag purchases help the Cancer House of Hope continue its mission of offering comfort and care at no cost to those affected by cancer, their caregivers, and their families. To dedicate a luminaria bag, visit www.chd.org/luminaria.

“A Night of Light is a beautiful evening of music, remembrance, and hope to honor friends and loved ones while supporting the many programs and services offered by CHD Cancer House of Hope,” said Joseph Kane, program director. “Things went so well at last year’s event that we were thrilled when Storrowton Village offered to provide the venue again in-kind. A Night of Light is an important annual fund-raiser for the house, and this year, Advanced Restoration Group in Easthampton is our presenting sponsor for the event. With the generous support of Advanced Restoration Group and our other community partners, we can leverage the energy created by A Night of Light, over and over.”

BOSTON — Jeff Rosen, chief financial officer of the Northampton-based Solidago Foundation, will take part in a meeting organized by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Board and Coastal Enterprises Inc. The meeting, to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, is titled “Harvesting Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities,” and will focus on the future of regional food-system investments, primarily in New England.

“We are excited to host the regional food-systems discussion this month,” said Prabal Chakrabarti, senior vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the bank’s Community Affairs officer. “The event is an opportunity for organizations like Solidago to connect with stakeholders to help further advance investment in the sector, and reaffirm and strengthen those partnerships that exist.”

Participants will include food-system investors, funders, and financial intermediaries. Rosen will participate in a panel session moderated by Gray Harris, senior program director at Natural Resources Section Coastal Enterprises Inc., to discuss his more than two decades of experience working in the New England food system. Additional panelists include Lisa Sebesta, Fresh Source Capital managing partner; Alex Linkow, Fair Food Fund director; and Mark Watson, Boston Impact Initiative managing director.

“It is a great honor to work alongside some of the most experienced farm and food enterprise investors in the country,” said Rosen. ”We are doubly honored to be working in a new partnership with the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston to work to fill financing gaps in the New England local and regional food system. This presents us all with an opportunity to accelerate the change we seek and to make substantial inroads into revitalizing the region’s autonomous food system.”

Since 2003, Rosen has spearheaded the Solidago Foundation’s efforts to expand the Program Related Investment and Mission Related Investment programs. This has resulted in a focus on community governance of community capital funds. Rosen was instrumental in launching the PVGrows Investment Fund, a collaborative fund of the Solidago Foundation, the first local food fund in the country, open to both accredited and non-accredited investors. Solidago has drawn upon this experience and is working via its Inclusive Economies program with several communities, launching authentic, community-led design processes to manage investment funds. Previously, Rosen worked in the private sector as a serial entrepreneur, developing and selling food-sector businesses, and as a chief financial officer for several restaurant chains and food manufacturers.

SPRINGFIELD — LTC Jonas Patruno, who serves as a Medical Service Corps officer and Army aviator at Barnes Air National Guard Base, will be the keynote speaker at American International College’s (AIC) annual Veterans Day ceremony today, Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. in the Schwartz Campus Center Auditorium. The public is welcome to attend.

An AIC tradition, the Veterans Day ceremony is dedicated to remembering and honoring those men and women who have served their country. AIC’s multi-generational Alumni Veterans Committee sponsors the annual event and is comprised of alumni spanning more than 50 years.

Patruno’s nearly 30-year military career began as an active-duty enlisted soldier in 1989. He is presently assigned as deputy commander of the Massachusetts Medical Command. His three combat deployments include Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 as a medevac helicopter pilot, and Operations officer of the Aviation Task Force – Kuwait in 2010.

Patruno holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UMass and is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff Course. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, and the Senior Army Aviator Badge.

Freshman English students submit patriotic essays in advance of the event. The authors of the top three essays, which are selected by a committee, receive gift certificates to the college bookstore. Winning submissions are announced at the event, and the first-place entry is read during the ceremony.

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield is set to open its downtown Career Center on Monday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Special guests, including local elected and city officials and Massachusetts Gaming Commission representatives, have been invited to tour the center, located at 1259 East Columbus Ave., third floor, prior to the general opening.

The Career Center will be the location for interviewing, hiring, and onboarding processes for MGM Springfield employees ahead of the property’s fall 2018 opening. Activities at the center will cover all aspects of the hiring process, including targeted outreach sessions, interviews, licensing, and training. Resources will include a 20-seat computer lab to help prospective employees build their SkillSmart career profile, two interview rooms for applicant reviews, and an on-site Massachusetts Gaming Commission office to provide hands-on assistance with the employee licensing process.

Parking for the grand-opening event is available on the street via meters or in the I-91 North Garage.

FARMINGTON, Conn. — Farmington Bank is collecting non-perishable food items through Tuesday, Nov. 14 at its West Springfield and East Longmeadow branch offices. All collections will be donated in time for Thanksgiving to the Gray House Food Pantry, which is located in the north end of Springfield and serves 80 to 120 households per week.

“Thanksgiving is an important time to show appreciation and give back to the communities in which we live and work,” said John Patrick Jr., chairman, president, and CEO of Farmington Bank. “We invite the public to join our food-collection efforts to help our neighbors in need in West Springfield and East Longmeadow.”

The public is invited to donate non-perishable food items at 85 Elm St. in West Springfield and 61 North Main St. in East Longmeadow. During the same time, all Farmington Bank locations in Connecticut are collecting food items for Hartford-based social-service agency Hands On Hartford.

For a complete list of branch offices, locations, and hours, visit www.farmingtonbankct.com/hours-and-locations.

EAST LONGMEADOW — Aaron Smith, P.C., a certified public accounting firm serving individuals and businesses in the Pioneer Valley for more than 90 years, announced that Jeremy Leblond and Pierce Keefe have become shareholders and directors.

Leblond has been with the firm since 2010. As director at Aaron Smith, he works directly with clients and manages audits, reviews, and compilations. In addition, he oversees and guides professional-development opportunities for staff while performing day-to-day managerial tasks. Among his main priorities is continuing the firm’s upward trajectory, working to grow its benefit-audit-plan practice.

“Our firm has come to be known for our high-quality accounting and financial services,” said Leblond. “I intend to add to our service offerings to meet the growing needs of our clients.”

Leblond is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA). He received both a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accounting from Western New England University.

Keefe has been a member of the firm since 2011 and currently serves as its tax director. He is charged with focusing on corporate, partnership, individual, and multi-state tax issues; federal and state tax audits; and estate and gift taxation.

“I’m honored to work with such a distinguished group,” said Keefe. “With our varied backgrounds, clients of Aaron Smith, P.C. can expect personalized attention and service, best suited to their needs.”

Keefe is a member of AICPA, the MSCPA, and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants. He received his bachelor’s degree in management from Tulane University and his MBA from University of Notre Dame.

NORTHAMPTON — Girls on the Run of Western Massachusetts will host a 5K celebration on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 10:30 a.m. at Smith College. Girls on the Run is a positive youth-development program that uses physical activities, fun running games, and dynamic discussions to teach life skills to girls in third to eighth grade. During the 10-week program, girls participate in lessons that foster confidence, build peer connections, and encourage community service while they prepare for an end-of-season celebratory 5k event.

Participation in the 5K event on Nov. 19 is open to the public. The program boasts about 400 girls and 120 volunteer coaches this season, and more than 1,200 participants are expected. The registration cost is $20 for adults and $12 for children and includes a GOTR 5K event shirt. After a group warm-up and remarks from Smith College President Kathleen McCartney, the event will begin on the Smith College athletic fields.

Registration is open at www.girlsontherunwesternma.org. Registration on the day of the event will begin at 8:30 a.m. The run will begin at 10:30 am, but the opening festivities will begin at 10 a.m. Early arrival is suggested. Visit the website for more information about the event, how to register, and volunteer opportunities.

SPRINGFIELD — As part of a sustainability push at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), the cosmetology program has connected with Canada-based Green Circle Salons to launch an initiative that could result in the recycling of up to 95% of salon waste.

STCC is only one of two colleges in the country participating in the program, said Amy Goei, the national senior director for Green Circle. She visited STCC on Oct. 24 to introduce the program to faculty, staff, and 35 cosmetology students.

Under the program, hair clippings from the salon at STCC one day would be turned into ‘hair booms’ to clean up oil spills. Hair booms are created by stuffing clippings into nylon hosiery.

“Green Circle Salons donates the hair booms to anybody in North America dealing with an oil spill,” said Tara Lavertue, a clinical instructor in the cosmetology program who organized the effort at STCC. “Hair is effective at removing oil from water because it is so porous. Our students are now collecting clippings to make hair booms.”

Hair, a remarkably strong substance, can be used for other purposes, such as creating bioplastics. Green Circle Salons, which started in 2009, touts its effort as the only comprehensive recycling initiative for the salon industry. According to its website, the company pioneers sustainable solutions for repurposing, recycling, and capturing 95% of salon and spa waste.

“We are so pleased to become one of the first colleges in the country to be part of the Green Circle Salons program,” said Christopher Scott, dean of the school of Health and Patient Simulation. “Joining this initiative allows STCC to reduce the amount of waste produced by the cosmetology program and the direct environmental impact caused by it. I cannot thank our forward-thinking cosmetology faculty enough for inspiring us to join this wonderful program.”

Added STCC President John Cook, “we are so fortunate at STCC to have faculty that ensure we are out front with industry innovation. We know sustainability is important, and I am thrilled for the uniqueness of this program.”

Maureen Socha, assistant vice president of administration and facilities at STCC, said the initiative helps to advance campus-wide goals to increase green and sustainable practices.

“Incorporating the use of the Green Circle Salons initiative introduces the importance of sustainable options to our students,” Socha said. “It is an easy, affordable, practical program to add to our portfolio of green initiatives and programs on campus.”

It’s not only hair that will be recycled. Hair color, foils, color tubes, paper, plastic, chemicals, and other waste are included in the program. Green Circles reports that it has diverted more than 2.3 million pounds of waste from landfills and waterways.

As part of the recycling program, students will transfer the unused color to a bucket. Lavertue said she will weigh the bucket at the end of the semester to show students how much product gets wasted. She will then send it to Green Circle for recycling. Green Circle will extract the chemicals from the color, which leaves a water byproduct that can be safely reintroduced into the waterways.

The salon at STCC has separate boxes labeled for metals, hair clippings, and plastic. Once they are full, the boxes will be delivered to an Illinois warehouse for repurposing.

“What we really like about this effort is that it will teach our students about waste and how it can affect the environment,” Lavertue said. “They will take these ideas with them when they go to work at salons.”

SPRINGFIELD — Gardening the Community (GTC), a youth-led urban farming program, is celebrating 15 years of change on Saturday, Nov. 4 in Springfield with a pancake breakfast, launching the group’s annual fund drive.

The event will take place at Trinity Church, located at 361 Sumner Ave. in Springfield, on Saturday Nov. 4 from 10 – 12 and will feature GTC’s own Harvest Pancakes as well as locally grown and homemade items, all cooked up by GTC youth, Board members and volunteers.  There will also be raffles featuring local businesses.  Guests will be invited to make a contribution in support of GTC’s youth leadership development and food justice work.

The group’s goal is to raise $60,000 to support its youth leadership development program and the opening of a permanent Farm Stand at their new Walnut Street Farm in Springfield. The event’s  theme — Generation Germination — highlights the impact of the group’s youth development work on Springfield and beyond.

“We’re at an exciting point in our organization’s growth,” said Ibrahim Ali, GTC’s co-director.  “Our Walnut Street Farm will be GTC’s permanent base in the community for years to come. Imagine a permanent farm stand providing affordable, locally grown food to city families and run by youth leaders, and a greenhouse growing food year round for the community. All this and more is possible with the community’s support.”

The Nov. 4 Pancake Breakfast and campaign launch will spotlight GTC’s growth on Walnut Street, the leadership of local youth, and the importance of the movement for food justice in Springfield and beyond.

“Food justice is about ensuring that all families, no matter where they live or how much money they have, have access to healthy, affordable food,” said Liz O’Gilvie, GTC’s Board chair.  “At GTC we work to create that through developing our community’s largest untapped resource — our young people.”

Advance tickets are $5 per person, $3 per child under 13, and can be ordered at gtcspringfield.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. Event sponsors include River Valley Market,  the Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation, Whole Foods, Equal Exchange, Mi Tierra, Home Inspections by Marco, Cold Spring Orchard, Our Journey Fitness/Garden of Eat’n, Wheelhouse Farm Truck, EPICenter and Deans Beans.

Gardening the Community began in 2002 as a small garden on Springfield’s Central Street working with just 5 youth. The organization is now a year-round food justice and urban farming program operating on three sites, including the farm the program is developing on Walnut Street in the heart of the Old Hill and Six Corners neighborhoods. The group distributes 23,000 pounds of locally grown produce each year to Springfield families, grown by its youth and by neighboring farms. Families can buy GTC’s affordable, pesticide-free produce at a pop-up farm stand on Thursdays on Hancock Street, as well as at the City Soul Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Youth leadership development is integrated into all of the organization’s work.

AGAWAM — OMG Roofing Products has hired Shaun Jennings as digital marketing specialist.

In his new role, Jennings is responsible for all digital marketing activities for OMG Roofing Products, including company websites, social media and mobile marketing activities. He is based in Agawam and reports to Sam Everett, director of marketing communications.

Jennings joins OMG Roofing from SABIC, a manufacturer of high performance plastics, where he led digital platform development for the Specialties business unit in the Americas region, based in Houston, Texas.

Jennings holds a bachelor’s degree in interactive media advertising from Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY.

Headquartered in Agawam, OMG Roofing Products is a leading manufacturer of commercial roofing products including specialty fasteners, adhesives, edge metal systems, drains, pipe supports and advanced productivity tools.