Day: January 10, 2020

NORTHAMPTON — The Bean Restaurant Group invites the public and the media to attend the grand opening and VIP reception of the new Wurst Haus Restaurant on Friday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m.

The Wurst Haus, located at 27 Pleasant St. in Northampton, at the former site of the old Pleasant Street Theater, is a casual German-themed restaurant. It’s a smaller version of the well-known Bavarian-style restaurant known as the Student Prince and the Fort in Springfield, which opened in 1935 and is now a Western Mass. landmark.

Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz will cut the ceremonial bratwurst to kick off the grand opening, while the Wurst Haus showcases its classic German fare and collection of beers from Germany, Europe, and around the world. Live music will be provided by the Berkshire Mountain Wanderers.

The location was most recently occupied by McLadden’s Irish Publick House, a restaurant purchased by the Bean Restaurant Group in 2018 under the direction of restaurant partners Andy Yee and Peter Picknelly.

“We are honored and excited to be serving the Northampton community, and we look forward to welcoming local folks and the media at our grand opening,” said Yee, the managing partner. “Come have a bite for lunch, listen to some music, and let us introduce you to the Wurst Haus. We hope to make a lot of new friends.”

SPRINGFIELD — Square One, a provider of early-learning and family-support services, announced the promotion of two senior-level executives. Dawn Forbes DiStefano has been named executive vice president, and Heather Barrett has been named vice president of Finance.

Following a 25-year career with the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, DiStefano joined the Square One team in January 2016 to lead the agency’s grant-research, grant-writing, and program-compliance efforts. She was quickly promoted to chief Development and Grants officer, where she added oversight of the agency’s financial team to her list of responsibilities.

In her new role, DiStefano will continue with her responsibilities for grants and foundations, as well as program compliance. She will also oversee the early-education and care programs and family-support services, and will manage many areas of operations, including transportation, food service, and IT.

“This is a well-deserved promotion for Dawn, who has taken on numerous responsibilities and who has demonstrated exceptional leadership within Square One, as well as in the community and across the state,” said Joan Kagan, president and CEO.

DiStefano received her bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and her master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management from Westfield State University. She serves on the boards of directors for the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, the Springfield Regional Chamber, the Baystate Community Benefits advisory committee, and Businesses to End Human Trafficking. She is the vice president of Community Relations at Westover Job Corps and chair of the Hampden County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

Barrett joined Square One in June 2017 as a senior accountant, managing the agency’s payables, receivables, and employee payroll. In her new role, she is responsible for building and tracking the agency’s annual budget, as well as managing the agency’s facility needs, procurement, and human resources.

“Heather brings the perfect balance of financial expertise and heart for our mission,” Kagan said. “She is an excellent addition to our senior leadership team.”

Barrett earned her master’s degree in accounting from Bay Path University. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Earlham College. Having worked for numerous institutions of higher education and other nonprofit agencies, she has an extensive background in nonprofit administration, strategic planning, and fiscal management.

LONGMEADOW — Although she’s known for her vocal work with artists like Celine Dion and Steel Pulse, these days vocalist, strategist, and speaker Traciana Graves is using her voice to deliver an even more powerful message — one of inclusivity. She believes people have the ability to change the world with the power of their voice, and she’ll bring that inspirational message to Bay Path University as the keynote speaker for its Black History Month celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Having presented to more than 300 Fortune 500 companies and colleges, including Forbes, JPMorgan, American Express, and the WNBA, Graves strives to make the potentially uncomfortable conversation about diversity and inclusion safe, engaging, and effective. Voted one of America’s Most Fearless Women by the Huffington Post, Graves’ will bring her unique perspective to Bay Path with a discussion focusing on hopes, dreams, and social justice.

The talk will begin at 7 p.m., with a reception to follow. This free event is open to the community and will be held on the Bay Path Longmeadow campus at Mills Theatre in Carr Hall, 588 Longmeadow St. For more information and to register, visit tracianagraves.eventbrite.com.

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College will welcome Courts for Kids President Derek Nesland to the campus on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fuller Arts Center. Nesland’s presentation, titled “Who Says There’s No Traveling in Basketball? Community Development Through Court Building Around the Globe,” will highlight the service-to-humanity mission provided by Courts for Kids, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps build multi-sport courts in economically disadvantaged areas throughout the world. Nesland’s presentation is part of the 2019-20 Humanics Triathlon project led by Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics Judy Van Raalte.

Following an impressive high-school and collegiate basketball career, including being named an Academic All-American at Portland State University, Nesland played professional basketball in 14 countries around the world. After a random e-mail from the Philippines expressing a need for a basketball court caught his attention, Nesland gathered a group of volunteers, and Courts for Kids was born.

In January 2012, a group of Springfield College students, led by Van Raalte, joined Courts for Kids and traveled to northern Uganda to build basketball courts at Lira Integrated Schools. To date, Courts for Kids has completed more than 190 multi-use athletic-court-building projects in 30 countries, partnering with more than 3,000 participants in the U.S.

Since 1967, Springfield College annually has appointed a Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics to continue the preservation of Springfield College’s guiding philosophy and to examine its implications of pedagogy, curriculum, management, recruitment, campus life, and community impact.