Day: July 8, 2019

HOLYOKE — The Celebrate Holyoke planning committee announced the 2019 dates for the annual community event. Celebrate Holyoke will take place Friday through Sunday, Aug. 23-25, at Heritage State Park in downtown Holyoke.

Celebrate Holyoke is a three-day festival drawing an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people downtown over the course of the weekend each year. This year’s festival will include live musical performances, food and beverages from local restaurants, and goods from local artists and makers.

“I am thrilled to see Celebrate Holyoke return to Downtown Holyoke this year,” said Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. “With three days of music, food, and entertainment, we have an opportunity to connect with one another as a community and celebrate all those things that make Holyoke exceptional.”

The event’s new fiscal sponsor is Holyoke Community Media Inc., a nonprofit that seeks to promote all voices in the community through media, the mayor added. “They share our governmental proceedings and all public-school activities. In addition, the center serves as a place for civic engagement. We are excited about our new partnership with Holyoke Media. A big thanks to the organizers of this event for working hard and going that extra mile to produce a quality event that brings thousands to our downtown area and making Celebrate Holyoke a Holyoke tradition. You make our city proud.”

This year, Arlo Guthrie returns to Holyoke on Aug. 24. Known to generations as a prolific songwriter, social commentator, master storyteller, actor, and activist, Guthrie’s career soared with his debut of “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967. Later that year, he was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Folk Performance category. Since then, he has traveled and performed solo, with family and/or friends.

The Celebrate Holyoke planning committee welcomes alcohol distributors, food trucks, restaurateurs, artisans, nonprofits, and community organizations to apply to be a part of Celebrate Holyoke at celebrateholyokemass.com/vendors.

Although planning for Celebrate Holyoke has been underway for the last few months, the committee has opened up applications for volunteers during the three-day event. Volunteers are greatly needed for shifts throughout the weekend of the event.

WILLIAMSTOWN — Waterford Hotel Group announced three appointments at the Williams Inn. Kevin Hurley has been appointed general manager, Kevin DeMarco was named executive chef, and Darcy Lyle is director of sales.

The new Williams Inn, located at the corner of Latham and Spring streets in Williamstown, will open on Aug. 15. Owned by Williams College, the inn will replace the current Williams Inn, which will continue to operate through July 31.

With more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Hurley has dedicated his career to the hospitality industry by taking on various roles at several hotels and resorts in the U.S. in addition to his native Canada. Prior to joining the Williams Inn, he worked as assistant general manager at the Kimpton Taconic Hotel in Manchester, Vt. He has also held posts at Omni Hotels and Resorts, the storied Charles Hotel in Cambridge, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. He completed his undergraduate studies at Bishops University in Sherbrook, Quebec and later went on to earn a master certificate in hospitality management from Cornell University.

A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., DeMarco has honed his culinary skills up and down the East Coast over the past 13 years. He joins the Williams Inn team from the Newport Restaurant Group in Newport, R.I. His last post was as chef tournant at Castle Hill Inn, a historic Relais & Châteaux property in Newport. He also worked at Grande’s Bella Cucina in Palm Beach, Fla. and Public Kitchen & Bar in Providence. He is a SWE-certified specialist of wine and spirits.

Lyle brings a wealth of knowledge to the Williams Inn with 28 years of experience in the hospitality and sales industry. Prior to joining the Williams Inn, she worked in sales at the Clark Art Institute, and has also held positions in operations and sales at numerous hotels throughout the upstate New York region, as well as the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Assoc. She attended Herkimer Community College, where she received a degree in tourist facilities and management promotion. While in school, she interned with Disney, where she found her passion for the hospitality and tourism industry.

Inspired by the architecture of local area farms, the new, 58,000-square-foot inn is built of stone and wood, with interior design that is reminiscent of a contemporary New England farmhouse. The inn will feature 64 guest rooms, a fitness center, a full-service restaurant and bar, and a combined 3,200-square-foot meeting and event space that includes a 2,800-square-foot ballroom and an additional 400-square-foot space directly adjacent to the ballroom. Event-space reservations are being accepted for dates starting Sept. 1. The property’s exterior features a 3,500-square-foot green space that can be tented for outdoor functions.

The inn will house a 62-seat restaurant, the Barn offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as two private dining spaces. During prime weather months, outdoor seating will be available on the rear of the property.

BOSTON — Eversource Energy has been selected as a winner of the 2019 Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the government’s highest honor for a company for its support of employees who participate in the U.S. National Guard and Reserves. Eversource is one of only 15 companies nationwide that were selected among more than 2,400 nominations.

The award is the result of the perseverance of Bill Gelinas, a control-room supervisor for Eversource in Berlin, Conn. Gelinas wanted to show his appreciation for the support he received from the company and its employees throughout his 15-year military service, which included four overseas deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

“This is an accomplishment that is truly inspiring and is a testament to the support provided to the Guard and Reserve members who work at Eversource,” said Gelinas, a 12-year employee of the company.

Gelinas said he was deeply touched by the warmth and support he has received from his Eversource colleagues, especially during his numerous deployments. Each time he went overseas, he was overwhelmed by thoughtful care packages and almost daily encouraging e-mails from employees and company leaders.

It also made him empathetic of other soldiers who didn’t have a support system like he did. “It made me realize how special it was and made me want to engage even more to help support other service members,” added Gelinas, who also serves as president of Eversource’s Veterans Assoc.

“We are deeply proud of Bill and honored to be selected for this award,” said Eversource Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Judge. “The Freedom Award speaks to our commitment as a longtime supporter of military and veteran employees. In addition to having a job to come back to and the personal outreach of our employees, our veterans are given formal training to provide them with the opportunity to advance to supervisory-level positions.”

The Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is administered by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense program that since 1966 has promoted relations and understanding between military reservists and their civilian employers. The winning companies will be invited to Washington, D.C. to receive the award from the Secretary of Defense at a ceremony held at the Pentagon in August.

SOUTHAMPTON — Glendale Ridge Vineyard at 155 Glendale Road, Southampton, is again hosting Sunset & Vines, an annual fundraising event for the Northampton Survival Center, on Saturday, July 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

This family-friendly benefit features music by Kate Lorenz and the Constellations, and local comedian Kelsey Flynn will serve as master of ceremonies. Food trucks will include the Bistro Bus, Local Burgy, Little Truc, and Chill Out.

Proceeds from ticket sales — $15 in advance at 2019sunsetandvines.brownpapertickets.com or $20 at the door — go directly toward purchasing food for clients who visit the Survival Center. Children 12 and under are free.

Attendees are invited to enjoy a mini-Tanglewood experience by bringing a blanket or chairs and a picnic if they choose. The rain date is Sunday, July 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Established in 1979 and celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Northampton Survival Center is dedicated to improving quality of life for low-income individuals and families throughout Hampshire County by providing a stable and reliable source of free, nutritious food all year long. With pantries in Northampton and Goshen, the center is open every weekday, each day distributing more than 3,000 pounds of food to between 90 and 100 of its neighbors in need. The center serves 4,100 clients over the course of the year, a third of whom are children.