Day: May 13, 2019

NORTHAMPTON — The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce will host its centennial event, “Torch: Our Time to Shine,” on Thursday, June 13 at 6 p.m., at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton.

The evening’s program will honor Suzanne Beck, who has led the chamber for 27 years, and is retiring from the organization this spring. Beck will be recognized along with those she has worked closely with during her tenure at the chamber. “There have been so many people recently stepping up to carry on the leadership that these trailblazers began,” she said. “I started to look around and notice that Northampton is in a real moment of change. I’m really looking forward to celebrating this moment with the community.”

The 100th-anniversary festivities begin on the red carpet in front of the historic Academy theater, with an opening reception beginning at 6 p.m. Northampton Community Television will interview guests on the red carpet, capturing their hopes and dreams for Northampton. Dpict facilitated illustration will be creating a live drawing in the theater lobby, sourced from attendees’ comments. The finished drawing will be revealed later in the evening.

At 7 p.m., Linda Hannum and Rus Peotter will host an interactive program featuring music, surprises, and special guests, including musicians from Downtown Sounds Workers Co-op, who will play as the show’s house band. The program’s focus will be a recognition of change and celebration of the shared call to shine together as a community. Musical groups Green Street Brew and Pioneer Valley Performing Arts’ Spectrum a cappella will also perform.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the planning for Torch, an event that will bring together the best of your favorite chamber events, with some fun twists worthy of our 100th birthday,” said event committee chairperson Matthew Bannister, vice president of Marketing & Innovation at PeoplesBank.

The celebration will continue under the stars with a party at the rear of the theatre, including food, drink, and dancing.

Lead sponsors of the event include Cooley Dickinson Health Care, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Florence Bank, and PeoplesBank, with major support from Aladco Linen Services, BusinessWest, Keiter Builders, and Leadership Pioneer Valley.

Visit northamptonchamber.com for tickets and more information.

GREENFIELD — The Franklin County Bar Assoc., in coordination with Greenfield Community College (GCC) and the Berkshire, Hampden, and Hampshire county bar associations, will welcome Judicial Court Associate Justice Kimberly Budd to GCC on Tuesday, May 14.

Budd will speak on the topic of “The Supreme Judicial Court: How It Works, How I Got There, and What I Learned Along the Way.” Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Michael Callen will give an introduction. The event will begin at 10 a.m., with a reception following the speaking program.

The Supreme Judicial Court is the state’s highest appellate court. The court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices who are each nominated and appointed by the governor following a majority vote in the Governor’s Council.

Budd was appointed to the Supreme Judicial Court by Gov. Charlie Baker. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Georgetown University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She began her legal career as a law clerk to Chief Justice Joseph Warner of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Budd was a litigation associate at Mintz Levin before serving as an asistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts in the Major Crimes and Drug units. After that, she was a university attorney for Harvard University in the General Counsel’s Office. She later served as director of the Community Values program at Harvard Business School.

She was appointed as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court by Gov. Deval Patrick in 2009. In 2016, she served as the regional administrative justice for Middlesex Criminal Business.

“We are excited Justice Budd will be in Franklin County,” said Christine Baronas, executive director of the Franklin County Bar Assoc. “This is an opportunity to learn more about her and the court. Her position on the Supreme Judicial Court makes her visit extremely special to us.”

To RSVP or for more information, contact Franklin County Bar Assoc. at [email protected] or (413) 773-9839.

HOLYOKE — The Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley is gathering leaders of Western Mass. companies, agencies, and organizations to explore together the upcoming trends and forces all will need to respond to. On Tuesday, June 4 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, 100 local leaders will participate in a World Café-style session, led by strategic leadership coach Ingrid Bredenberg, that will result in an improved perspective on paths forward into the inevitable future.

Tickets are $35 (there are also discount packages, sponsor opportunities, and roles as scribes and table hosts), and includes a networking-style dinner and a relevant, practical, stimulating exploration. The FBC is doing this to mark its 25th anniversary and first-ever leadership transition with an event that will creates wins and takeaways for all.

For more information and to register, e-mail fambizpv.com/leadershipsummit.

SPRINGFIELD — Lou Brunetti lived life to the fullest as an active member of his hometown of Chicopee, participating in community and church life. He lost his fight with cancer earlier this year, while spending his last days in the care of Harmony House, a home for the terminally ill. In memory of his life and his last days at Harmony House, a ballroom and Latin dancing event will be held on Saturday, May 25 at 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel in Springfield.

Organized by David Rosinski of Chicopee, the evening promises to be an exciting showcase of local and national dancers. Rosinski, who operates Dancing a la Carte and is a teacher, choreographer, and coach, is a former U.S. and world exhibition champion. He has won every major ballroom competition in the country with his partner, Michelle Evans. He appeared on Star Search in 1990 and performed with Juliet Prowse.

There will be a VIP wine and cheese reception prior to the show for those who choose to donate $100 for available VIP seating. Only 50 of these VIP seats will be sold, so it is encouraged to get tickets early. Hosting the VIP event will be Fr. William Tourigny of Ste. Rose de Lima Parish in Chicopee, where Brunetti was a lifetime congregant and an active volunteer.

Tickets range from $30 to the $100 VIP donation and are available in advance from Rosinski by calling (413) 519-2435 or at Ste. Rose de Lima church before and after weekend masses.

Harmony House currently occupies a small house in Chicopee, which was offered by a local family for use while the organization is in the process of renovating a much larger home in the Aldenville section of the city. Staffed mainly by volunteers of all kinds — nurses, CNAs, caregivers, companions, and more — Harmony House is totally privately funded through the generosity of individuals, businesses, and foundations. Contributions are gratefully accepted at all times.

Volunteers are needed for the direct care of residents, as well as for housekeeping, food preparation, and groundskeeping. For more information, visit www.harmonyhousewma.org or call (413) 331-5252.