Agenda

Memory and Brain Health
Oct. 21: Glenmeadow Retirement will offer a presentation by Smith College Professor Mary Harrington on memory and brain health from 10 a.m. to noon at the Agawam Public Library, 750 Cooper St. Harrington will draw on her expertise as a neuroscientist and share her findings on how to keep the brain healthy and active. Harrington’s discussion, “The Memory Muscle: Understanding the Brain and Keeping It Fit,” will include tips on improving memory through focus, practice, and social interaction. The free program will also feature accessible lessons on neuroscience. Harrington has worked as an undergraduate professor at Smith College, specializing in the brain regulation of circadian rhythms and sleep, since 1987. Her research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Established in 1884, Glenmeadow is a nonprofit, accredited, continuing-care retirement community, providing independent and assisted living at its campus at 24 Tabor Crossing in Longmeadow and expanded Glenmeadow at Home services throughout Greater Springfield. “As a nonprofit, our mission is to serve seniors and their families. One of the ways we do that is by providing free educational offerings in convenient locations throughout the area,” said Tim Cotz, president and CEO. Seating for the Oct. 21 event is limited, and registration is required. To register, call (413) 567-7800 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit glenmeadow.org/learning for more information.

Estate Planning for Divorced, Blended Families
Oct. 21: Monson Savings Bank will present a complimentary workshop titled “Estate Planning for Divorced and Blended Families: It Can Be Done!” featuring attorneys Hyman Darling and Todd Ratner from Bacon Wilson, P.C. The event will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Teresa’s Restaurant, 315 Palmer Road, Ware. It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. The workshop is designed to help divorced, remarried, or partnered people sort through the complexities of designating who will have financial and medical-care authority if they become disabled, and ensuring that inheritance is seamlessly passed along to the intended heirs. Darling and Ratner will provide important information, tools, and guidance to assist people with creating an estate plan that achieves their goals and addresses multiple parties and priorities. “Understanding and creating estate plans can be complicated and overwhelming — even moreso for divorced individuals or blended families,” said Steve Lowell, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. “This workshop will help people to make sound decisions when it comes to inheritance and designating a responsible party for financial and healthcare authority.” RSVP by contacting Anna Driscoll at (413) 267-1221 or [email protected]. Seating is limited.

Human Services Forum Employment-law Event
Oct. 23: Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., an employment-law firm serving the Greater Springfield area, announced that partner Susan Fentin will host a presentation regarding recent developments in the area of labor and employment law as part of the Human Services Forum (HSF) training series. The half-day presentation will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield. The presentation, titled “Something Old, Something New,” will cover a number of recent developments in the area of labor and employment law, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s new enforcement guidance on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which was issued in July. “The EEOC’s guidance contains a summary of the existing law, which is not actually new information but is an important reminder of employers’ obligations under this statute,” said Fentin. “Additionally, the guidance also includes some surprising interpretations of the law that may alleviate potential issues for employers with pregnant workers.” Fentin will also cover recent Massachusetts legislation affecting employers, including the Bay State’s new domestic violence leave law, changes to the state’s minimum wage, and new rights for domestic workers. The program will allot a substantial amount of time for attendees to ask questions. The event is $55 for HSF members and $65 for non-members; the fee includes continental breakfast. Registration for the event can be completed online at humanservicesforum.org. Fentin has been a partner at the firm since 2004. Her practice concentrates on labor and employment counseling, advising large and small employers on their responsibilities and obligations under state and federal employment laws, and representing employers before state and federal agencies and in court. She speaks frequently to employer groups, conducts training on avoiding problems in employment law, and teaches master classes on both the FMLA and ADA. She is routinely named as a Super Lawyer and, since 2010, has been ranked as one of the top labor and employment attorneys in Massachusetts by the prestigious Chambers USA rating firm. The Human Service Forum was founded in 1986 as an association of nonprofit and public agencies as well as individuals providing human services in the Pioneer Valley. The forum was envisioned by its founders to be a vehicle for communicating the important contributions of human services to quality of life in Pioneer Valley communities, and for members to network, address problems of mutual concern, and discuss major trends and changes impacting human services.

Weste
rn Mass.Business Expo
Oct. 29: The fourth annual Western Mass. Business Expo, presented by BusinessWest at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, is a business-to-business show featuring more than 150 booths, seminars, and Show Floor Theater presentations, as well as a day-capping Expo Social. In addition, Gov. Deval Patrick will be the speaker at the ACCGS Breakfast at 7:15 a.m. The Professional Women’s Chamber Luncheon, at 11:30 a.m., will feature Patricia Diaz Dennis, senior vice president at AT&T, member of the MassMutual board of directors, and a past presidential appointee to the Federal Communications Commission. See the special section of this issue for details about other events, programs, and featured speakers. Comcast Business will again be Presenting Sponsor, while the social will be sponsored by Northwestern Mutual and MGM Springfield. Silver Sponsors are Health New England, DIF Design, Johnson & Hill Staffing, and MassMutual Financial Group. Education sponsor is the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. For more information, call (413) 781-8600 or visit www.wmbexpo.com.

50th Noble Ball
Nov. 1: Noble Hospital’s 50th anniversary Noble Ball will be held at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. More than 800 guests are expected to attend the black-tie event, which will feature live entertainment, silent and live auctions, food, dancing, and more. Since the first ball, Noble Hospital has used this signature event to raise money for hospital operating funds, building improvements, equipment purchases, and more. The 2013 ball raised $250,000 for the Oncology Unit in order to provide a more comfortable environment for cancer patients and their families. This year’s ball proceeds will be used to enhance Noble’s entrance and reception area to provide updated ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) access. “Our goal is to make Noble easily accessible for all,” said Allison Gearing-Kalill, vice president of Community Development. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Noble Ball, visit www.noblehospital.org/ball or email [email protected].

Legislative Symposium
Nov. 7: The Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and South Hadley & Granby Chambers of Commerce have joined forces in successfully attracting the top leaders of the Massachusetts House and Senate, and every member of the Massachusetts House and Senate who specifically represent the collective Chamber’s municipalities, to an afternoon-long exchange of ideas and information. The event will take place at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House in Holyoke. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m., with lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. A panel discussion with the state delegation will take place between 1:30 and 3:30, with questions from the audience. It will be followed by a cocktail reception, which area mayors and town administrators will also attend. Reservations are required, and tickets cost $50 per person for chamber members and $60 for non-members. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal will participate as a keynote speaker, adding his perspective and expertise from Washington, and state House Speaker Bob DeLeo will also be a keynote speaker, sharing insights on gateway cities, among other topics. “We are ecstatic by the response to this effort to bring the top decision-makers in government here to Western Mass.,” said Eileen Drumm, president of the Greater Chicopee Chamber. “The elected officials who have confirmed their attendance and the membership of our respective chambers who have already responded to our pre-announcement outreach are stunning. Our members, the business people and entrepreneurs that make our economy run, the people who create and provide jobs here, want access to these leaders and want to engage in a real dialogue that helps them to help us. It was important to us to achieve this for them and that we make the cost of attendance as reasonable as possible.” In addition to DeLeo and Neal, state Sens. Stanley Rosenberg, Gale Candaras, Donald Humason Jr. and James Welch will attend, joined by state Reps. John Scibak, Aaron Vega, John Velis, and Joseph Wagner, House chairman of Economic Affairs and Emerging Technologies. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available. For $750, sponsors receive their name and logo on the invitations, their name included on all broadcast e-mails of all the chambers, name and recognition in the event program and all future press releases, as well as four VIP seating tickets. Current sponsors include Spherion Staffing, Mercy Medical Center, Holyoke Medical Center, Mestek Inc., Holyoke Gas & Electric, Health New England, Dave’s Truck Repair, the Republican/El Pueblo Latino, Marcotte Ford, PeoplesBank, the Center for School Crisis Intervention and Assessment, United Personnel, Comcast, and Chicopee Savings Bank. For more information, visit the Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield or South Hadley chamber website.