Agenda

Seminars on Memory Loss

Nov. 1: Linda Manor Assisted Living will host seminars on early memory troubles and strategies for seniors at noon and again at 5:30 p.m. Lunch and dinner will be served. Dr. Beth Warner, a geriatrician and Linda Manor’s medical director, will discuss the early signs of memory problems, causes of memory loss, what a memory-loss evaluation should include, and strategies for discussing memory loss with loved ones. She is certified by the American Medical Directors Assoc. and has completed specialized education in care and management concerns specific to older populations and long-term care. She is board-certified in internal medicine, geriatrics, and hospice and palliative care. Seating is limited. Those wishing to attend are asked to register by calling (413) 588-3316.

‘Being Mortal’ Documentary

Nov. 1: Hospice of Franklin County, in collaboration with Baystate Franklin Medical Center, is holding a free community screening of the documentary Being Mortal at 5:15 p.m. in hospital conference rooms A, B, and C. After the screening, audience members can participate in a guided conversation on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences. Being Mortal delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors. It follows a surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande, as he shares stories from the people and families he encounters. When Gawande’s own father gets cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest. The film sheds light on how a medical system focused on a cure often leaves out the sensitive conversations that need to happen so a patient’s true wishes can be known and honored at the end. It underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end-of-life decisions. Seventy percent of Americans say they would prefer to die at home, but nearly 70% die in hospitals and institutions. Ninety percent of Americans know they should have conversations about end-of-life care, yet only 30% have done so. For more information about the free screening or to RSVP for the event, contact Andrea Johnston at (413) 773-2144 or [email protected]. The free screening is made possible by a grant from the John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America.

Real-estate Licensing Course

Nov. 2: Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 2, the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley will sponsor a 40-hour, 14-class sales licensing course to help individuals prepare for the Massachusetts real-estate salesperson license exam. The course will be completed on Dec. 7. Tuition is $359 and includes the book and materials. For an application, call the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley at (413) 785-1328.

Western Mass. Business Expo

Nov. 3: Comcast Business will present the sixth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News. The business-to-business show will feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast hosted by the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, lunch hosted by BusinessWest, and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Express Employment Professionals, Health New England, the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, Wild Apple Design, the Western Mass. Economic Development Council, Savage Arms, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, the Better Business Bureau, and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. The event’s media partners are WMAS, WHMP, and Rock 102/Laser 99.3. For more Expo details, see the special section in this issue or visit www.wmbexpo.com.

Bay Path University Cybersecurity Summit

Nov. 4: Cybersecurity is no longer just a technology problem — it has become a business differentiator. As the topic is discussed around the table of company boards and government task forces, the face of cybersecurity professionals is changing as well. At Bay Path University’s fourth annual Cybersecurity Summit, “The Business of Cybersecurity,” Jillian Munro will share her experiences and observations from throughout her career of the different facets of that new face, highlighting how non-traditional skills now apply in the area of cybersecurity. The summit takes place in Blake Student Commons on the university’s Longmeadow campus. Breakfast will be offered at 7:30 a.m. followed by the presentation at 8 a.m. Munro is senior vice president of Resiliency & Business Engagement for the Enterprise Cybersecurity (ECS) organization at Fidelity Investments. Fidelity is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing, and other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals, institutions, and financial intermediaries. Munro joined Fidelity in 2015 and is responsible for ensuring alignment between the firm’s business priorities and the cybersecurity agenda, as well as leading the enterprise technology resiliency program. The summit is presented by Bay Path’s Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management program, which was launched October 2013 as the first of its kind in New England. The summit is free and open to the public. To register, visit www.baypath.edu and click on ‘Events.’ For more information, e-mail Ann Cantin at [email protected].

LEEF Black and White Fund-raising Gala

Nov. 5: The Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF) will host its 15th annual fund-raising gala from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at Twin Hills Country Club. The event, which will feature a black and white theme, includes food, entertainment, silent and live auctions, and raffles. This year’s entertainment will be provided by Boston’s premier party band, the Marsels. Funds raised through the gala are used to provide grants to Longmeadow teachers, providing opportunities for innovative educational and enrichment programs that go beyond the tax-supported budget. Since its founding in 2001 by a group of dedicated parents, LEEF has funded 330 teacher grant requests, totaling more than $1.2 million, to Longmeadow public schools. LEEF maintains both a sustaining fund and a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. “It is only through the generous support of our sponsors and donors that we are able to supply these grants that enhance our students’ education,” said Whitney Harrington, LEEF board member and co-chair of the gala. The platinum sponsor of the 2016 LEEF gala is North Star Recycling. Gold sponsors are Bay Path University and Green Earth Energy Photo Voltaic Group. Long-time supporters Advanced Vein Care and Collins Pipe are silver sponsors, with Playful Minds, Bacon Wilson, and Harry Grodsky & Co. as bronze sponsors. Tickets are available at $85 each. Donations for the live and silent auction are still being accepted. To donate or sign on as a sponsor or volunteer, e-mail Harrington at [email protected]. To purchase gala tickets, visit www.goleef.org or mail checks to LEEF, P.O. Box 60782, Longmeadow, MA 01106-0782.

Spaghetti Dinner to Benefit Alzheimer’s Assoc.

Nov. 8: Williamstown Commons will host a spaghetti supper from 5 to 7 p.m. at Williamstown Commons, 25 Adams Road, Williamstown. The cost is $8 per person at the door, and all proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Alzheimer’s Assoc. The supper will include spaghetti with meatballs, Italian sausage, garlic bread, dessert, and beverages. Diners may dine in or take their meal to go. Williamstown Commons, located at 25 Adams Road, Williamstown, is a nonprofit organization providing short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled-nursing care, respite care, and hospice services.

‘Diversify Your Workforce’

Nov. 17: The Western Mass. Employment Collaborative (WMEC) will present a breakfast event called “Diversify Your Workforce” from 9 to 11 a.m., preceded by breakfast and networking at 8:30 a.m. at the Delaney House in Holyoke. WMEC partners work toward the common goal of increasing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. WMEC works across all disabilities and represents hundreds of job seekers who have the skills, commitment, and desire to enter the workforce and contribute positively to a local employer. To that end, it is partnering with the Mass. Down Syndrome Congress and its “Find Your Next Star” campaign. Attendees of the Nov. 17 event will learn ways to grow their business and meet their hiring needs. To register, visit www.mdsc.kintera.org/dywwest.

Joseph D. Freeman Bowl-a-Thon

Nov. 19: The Joseph D. Freedman Bowl-a-Thon will present its fifth annual event to benefit Camphill Village in Copake, N.Y. The event will be held from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Chicopee AMF Lanes. Last year, more than 250 attended the event, and since its inaugural in 2011, the event has raised more than $220,000 for Camphill, which is a residential village where 95 special-needs residents reside. No one has ever been charged a fee to live at the Village, nor has anyone ever been turned away for lack of funds. To learn more about the event, visit www.camphillvillage.org/bowlathon.