Some of the Chamber’s biggest events of the year happen this month. We look forward to sharing these golden days with you on the links at the GOLF CLASSIC at Heritage Country Club on the 15th, at our summer Clambake at The Publick House on the 22nd, or both! Register now and we’ll save space for you! There is also BIG news to share as we announce our upcoming move to a new location just off I-84 in Sturbridge! Check out the latest developments below along with current news items and fun summery events from our Members and friends.

CROSSROADS is our Members' platform to share their latest news with over 1,000 fellow Chamber Members and subscribers in our community. Thank you for entering your latest offerings on our Events calendar and emailing us your press releases, links and photos for inclusion in CROSSROADS. NEXT ISSUE: JUNE 15, 2023

WE ARE MOVING!

The Chamber is extremely excited to announce that we are moving to a new location that will allow us to reopen a Visitor Information Center immediately off exit 5 on I-84. We are remodeling a free standing building at 1 River Road where Paw Plaza is located. The building has a covered porch, ideal for an exterior display case when we are closed. We plan on having a monitor in the window running scenes from the area, special event listings, and more. Inside, we’ll have brochure racks and we will continue helping visitors make the most of their stay. We expect to move in by July 1. We'll keep you posted!

PHOTO: New Chamber office and Visitor Info Center is a work in progress at 1 River Road, Sturbridge.

Visit online for office hours and more information: http://rebeccajseylmt.com/

Treatment is by appointment only. Reach Rebecca by phone at (508) 344-4536

CMS Chamber’s GOLF CLASSIC is a day of fun and friendly competition on the links at our local 18 hole championship golf course, Heritage Country Club in Charlton. Presented in a scramble format, the event features a continental breakfast, contests and spectacular raffle prizes, a cookout lunch and refreshments on the course, and a reception and dinner after play. We hope you will come and spend a fun day on the links with us this year! Your participation supports the Chamber’s Charities and Scholarship Fund.

8:00 am   Registration

9:00 am   Shot Gun Start

2:30 pm   Dinner Reception

•Continental breakfast

•Greens and cart fees

  Heritage Country Club in Charlton, MA

•Cookout lunch on the course

•Spectacular raffle prizes!

•Contests

•Refreshments on the course

•Reception and dinner after play

SCRAMBLE FORMAT: All players hit from the best lie

COST: Foursome: $540, Individual: $140, Dinner Only: $40

$100 Tee Box Sponsor: Includes a sign with your business name and logo at the tee box or green.

$750 Corporate Sponsor: Includes 1 Foursome, Tee Box Sponsor, 4 additional meal tickets for guests, featured in all promotional materials at event.

DOWNLOAD the GOLF CLASSIC brochure here.

Phone: 508-764-0012, Fax: 508-765-1187

Cornerstone Bank

c/o Mike Checkosky

253-257 Main Street

Southbridge, MA 01550

1 1/4 lb. Lobster, 12 oz. Steak or Vegetarian Entree

Chef's Potato, Corn on the Cob, Chef's Vegetable, Salads, and Chef's Choice Dessert.

WITH LIVE MUSIC by: Caribbean Vibe Steel Drum Band ("Music from the Islands")

RESERVE NOW BY PHONE 508-347-2761 OR EMAIL [email protected]

Get noticed! Sponsoring a Chamber event or program can give you exposure to the people that you want to do business with. Our affiliation with the Worcester Regional Chamber means exposure to 2,300 member businesses and an e-mail list of more than 10,000 professionals.

June 15 Chamber 2023 GOLF CLASSIC at Heritage Country Club Corporate Sponsorship includes a foursome, tee sponsorship, name on promotional materials.

July 15 Drivin’ It Ho(l)me for Health & Education Car Show at Oakholm Brewery Classic Sponsor gets their name on all promotional materials, event day call-outs, a 10x10 vendor space and one complimentary car show registration and more.

If your company would be interested in being a sponsor for these upcoming events, or would like more information about sponsorship, please contact Alix at 508-347-2761 or email [email protected].

North Brookfield, MA - North Brookfield Savings Bank (NBSB) has partnered with A Bed for Every Child to bring dreams to reality for local children in need by completing their first ever build a bed project. Together, volunteers worked diligently to construct brand new beds for children who may not have a comfortable place to dream.

At A Bed for Every Child, we believe sleep is just as essential as food, water, shelter, and clothing — and that all children deserve space to dream. That’s why, through our hands-on approach to team building, we’re partnering with businesses, schools, and community organizations to build beds for children in need. Launched in 2012, A Bed for Every Child is an initiative of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending homelessness. Learn more here: https://www.abedforeverychild.org/

ABOUT NORTH BROOKFIELD SAVINGS BANK

North Brookfield Savings Bank is a mutual savings bank with full-service branches in North Brookfield, East Brookfield, West Brookfield, Ware, Belchertown, and the Three Rivers Village of Palmer. NBSB offers a wide variety of deposit and loan products for individuals and businesses throughout Central and Western Massachusetts and has been a steadfast supporter of the communities it serves since 1854. All deposits are insured by the FDIC and the Depositors Insurance Fund. North Brookfield Savings Bank was voted Best Bank in Central Massachusetts for 2021 and was named “Community Icon” Among the Top Extraordinary Banks in the Nation in 2022. For more information, please call 1-866-711-6272 or visit us online at www.NorthBrookfieldSavingsBank.com.

BRIMFIELD – Hitchcock is excited to welcome participants to this year’s Summer Days program, presented this year in partnership with Challenge Island – a well-reputed STEAM educational program who will guide enrollees ages 7-10 through fun, hands-on experiences designed to enrich their understanding of science, technology, and mathematics principles with a focus on engineering each afternoon. Summer Days participants are otherwise treated to on-your-feet, active fun combined with creative enrichment by Hitchcock staff. For ages 4 - 6, week-long programs include arts, crafts, sports, and games offered as morning, afternoon, or full day registrations. For ages 7-10, mornings will include arts, crafts, sports, games facilitated by Hitchcock staff, before the afternoon shift into Challenge Island experiences.

Hitchcock Academy is a community center located at 2 Brookfield Road in Brimfield serving the community with educational, recreational, and cultural programming. More information can be found at www.hitchcockacademy.org.

Each photograph must be in color digital format, sized to 10” wide x 8” tall (landscape orientation), and at least 300 dpi and be accompanied by a completed contest form. Photos that do not meet the criteria will be disqualified. There is a limit of three entries per person. Contest forms are available online at thelastgreenvalley.org. All submissions will become the property of TLGV. Submissions are due by email no later than noon on June 26, 2023. Send to [email protected], subject line “Calendar Photo Contest.” For more information, please call 860-774-3300 or send questions to [email protected], subject “Calendar Photo Contest.” 

PETERSHAM, MA (May 24, 2023) – Second Chance Animal Services has announced a low-cost pet vaccine clinic to be held in Petersham from 3 to 5 PM on June 9th, 2023, on the Town Common, a convenient location to ensure accessible veterinary care for pets in the community.

For more information about Second Chance Animal Services and their vaccine clinics, please visit their website at www.secondchanceanimals.org/vaccine-clinics.

Second Chance Animal Services is a nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1999.  Second Chance began as an animal shelter and grew to help more pets in need.  Today Second Chance operates Community Veterinary Hospitals in North Brookfield, Southbridge, Springfield, and Worcester providing access to the highest-quality veterinary care for all.  Subsidized rates are provided to underserved communities to ensure access to care for all pets in need. Last year Second Chance helped over 44,000 pets live better lives through full-service veterinary care, spay/neuter services, adoption services, community & educational outreach programs, training, and a pet food pantry. For more information, visit Second Chance’s website at www.secondchanceanimals.org.

Follow Second Chance on Facebook:  facebook.com/secondchanceanimals

Follow Second Chance on Instagram: @secondchanceas/

Southbridge, MA. (5/23/23) – The Center of Hope Foundation, Inc. announced the kickoff of a $2.6 million Capital Campaign called Hope Grows Here. Thanks to commitments from generous early donors, nearly a quarter of the goal has already been committed. The Hope Grows Here Campaign is designed to expand and modernize CoHF facilities for individuals with disabilities, create new opportunities for work and housing, enhance lives, and strengthen the organization’s overall impact.

“The Center of Hope Foundation has been a crucial part of our community in South Central Mass and Northern Connecticut for 66 years, serving several hundred people with intellectual and developmental disabilities daily,” said CoHF CEO, Cindy Howard. “Our programs are places where lifelong friendships are formed, and memories are made. We provide a safe and welcoming place for our program members where they feel valued, important, and treated equally. We give the individuals we serve and their families the HOPE that they deserve! Now we are undertaking a major fundraising initiative designed to improve facilities and programs to better serve the entire community.”

Key objectives of the campaign are to make improvements to existing and new Center of Hope facilities, such as the Day Hab Program Center at Foster St. in Southbridge; to enhance opportunities for meaningful work through enterprises like the brand-new Scoops of Hope Ice Cream Parlor; and to expand supported housing options. The Campaign also seeks to increase community engagement and raise awareness in order to create a more inclusive environment for the hundreds of individuals served by CoHF.

“We are very pleased to announce that we have recruited a stellar and dedicated campaign steering committee to aid us in this vital work,” said Ms. Howard. Members of the committee include; Casey Cormier, President, Angel Guard Products & US Tool and Fastener, Chris McClure, President, McClure Engineering, Nick Smith, President/CEO, Rand-Whitney, Randy Becker, Chairman of the Board of Directors at MAPFRE USA, Jay Detarando, Incom, Inc., Alan Peppel, President, Dexter Russell, Inc., Attorney Jeffrey Chasse, Chasse & Roche, P.C. Attorneys at Law, Jennifer Herrmann, Judy Laroche, Paulette Pratico, Julie-Ann Leo, James Graham, Kristine Biagiotti-Bridges, Cheryl Ryan Chan, Board Chair, Board of Directors, Sherie Bombardier, Jayne Bowler, Patricia Lawrie, Annette Lazili, Barbara Reynolds, Linda Cournoyer, Geraldo Maldonado, Cindy Howard, Erika Travinski, Chad Krause, Ryan Thompson, Kelly Hutton, Christina Hadis-Blackwell, and Kayla Krause.

The campaign is put together so that pledges can be made over a five-year period. There are also ways available to honor and recognize a loved one or business through a specific named gift such as a program area or room, or even an entire CoHF facility. “We are grateful to our families and community leaders for their generosity and support,” said Erika Travinski, the Center of Hope’s COO. “We would like to recognize the following donors for stepping up at the outset to help us build momentum; The Herman Becker Family Foundation, Fels Family Foundation, Hyde/Dexter Charitable Foundation, the Affinity Group and the Kraft Family Foundation have all stepped up as advance and lead donors.”

In addition to seeking grants from foundations and corporations, the campaign is also employing a new peer-to-peer fund raising strategy where anyone can join the effort by creating a personal fund raising page, join a fund raising team or simply make a one-time or multi-year contribution. Led by Kayla Krause, CoHF’s director of marketing and Cheryl Chan, Board Chair, Board of Directors, this online effort will be active through the end of June 2023, and then restart in successive years throughout the campaign. Information on how to become involved can be found at www.thecenterofhope.org/campaign.

“I have been really awed by our volunteers and donors during this early, quiet phase of the campaign and I am really looking forward to getting more and more people involved through our peer-to-peer initiative,” said Ms. Krause.

For more information about the campaign and the projects it will enable, or if you wish to donate, please visit www.thecenterofhope.org/campaign.

The Mission of the Center of Hope Foundation is to improve the lives of the members we serve by providing quality services and providing opportunities so that EVERYONE can be contributing members of their communities and achieve the most fulfilling lives possible. www.thecenterofhope.org

QCC’s Bridges to College is a FREE summer program for students who are interested in enrolling at QCC and want to get a jump start on preparing for college classes! Students may choose to participate in one or both in-person, noncredit math and English Seminars. All books, computer access codes, and supplies will be provided at no cost to each student.

EMAIL: [email protected]

PHONE: 508-854-2894

SPONSORSHIPS AND BOOTH SPACES AVAILABLE! (Contact Alix)

Purchase your tickets online at this link: fevogm.com/event/cmschamber

For parking passes, please visit: www.woosox.com/parking for more information.

Please contact Alexandra McNitt, [email protected] with general questions.

The latest digital issue of Vocero Hispano is available on their website.

View the Latest Issue in Digital Online - Free to Members

Reach the Hispanic Market directly with the #1 Statewide Hispanic Newspaper in Massachusetts. Email [email protected] to get started.

Times: The official Opening Ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

The Village is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Join us to celebrate the newest old building at the Village: the Allen Piggery. Farmers built piggeries, or hog houses, as dedicated and efficient spaces in which to raise swine. The reconstructed Allen Piggery will officially open at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 3rd. Throughout the weekend, guests can see the pigs in their new home and explore a variety of pig-related topics throughout the Village, from livestock care and feeding to animals in stories and art to early 19th-century pork recipes and smoking techniques. Kids can enjoy a pig craft in the Bixby House too! Be sure to also stop by the Miner Grant Store and Ox & Yoke Mercantile for a variety of pig-related products like stuffies, books, and hats.

The Piggery will officially open at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, 2023.

Activities happen throughout the Village; The Piggery is located between the Pottery Shop and the Freeman Farmhouse.

Visit online for more details and some behind-the-scenes shots taken during the reconstruction process.

Old Sturbridge Village is not open to the general public on this day and only ANTIQUES ROADSHOW ticketholders will be permitted.

LEARN MORE HERE.

Gateway Players Theatre is hosting auditions for the hilarious farce “My Son is Crazy, But Promising” by Tim Kelly. They will be held on Monday June 5th and Tuesday June 6th at 6:30PM in Fellowship Hall of Elm Street Congregational Church, 61 Elm Street in Southbridge, MA. Entrance is on Park Street (around the corner).

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and physical improv so dress comfortably. We are looking for actors ages 16 and above to fill 6 male roles and 8 female roles. No need to sign up, just come on down and get ready to laugh! A read through of the script for all those cast will be on Monday June 12th and rehearsals (scheduled tentatively on Monday and Thursday nights) will begin on July 31st. Performances will be held on October 6, 7, 13, 14 & 15.

Synopsis: Bud Granger is an eccentric Hollywood screenwriter who wants to get out of life in the fast lane so he buys a termite pile of an old lodge in the middle of an Arizona desert as it is near a fabled buried treasure. He thinks he will strike it rich, but unfortunately for Bud the lodge is full of nutty characters such as Cora Ames (an elderly lady who claims she was abducted by space aliens), Gert Witherspoon (a crusty, shot gun slinging hotel manager), Dimitri Jones (the world’s worst Russian spy), and The Whitneys (a honeymooning couple who mistake the lodge for a 5 star resort). More trouble arises when Bud’s mother unexpectedly arrives and there is a mix up involving the dead body of a notorious mobster putting into motion a rollercoaster ride of laughs.

Presented by permission through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals. For any questions please contact the production team at [email protected]. Director: Mikey Dearn Producer: Lynn Boucher

Join us for the first in a series of four patio dinners this summer. Chef Rico’s Italian picnic will be a multi-course patio dinner highlighting a favorite summer pastime in all regions of Italy.

Just the words "Italian picnic" conjure up images of Sophia Loren and a handful of great-looking friends frolicking under the Tuscan sun enjoying some great food and wine. While we won’t have Sophia Loren, we will have plenty of spectacular food.

Italian picnics are blessed with fresh summer salads, Italian meats and cheeses, and some fantastic grilled chicken, pork and lamb dishes. Select beer and wine options will be available at an additional cost. 

This special event will be hosted on the beautiful patio at The Barn at Wight Farm. The price is $65 per person. Seating is limited so call The Barn at 774-241-8450 and make your reservations now!

Reservations are required. In the event of rain, the dinners will he held indoors at the Barn or Café. Per person price does not include tax or gratuity.

Come try the local wines of the wineries and Food trucks from the Pioneer Valley & beyond!

In addition, there will be live music all day long! Enjoy local farmers market & artisans for a fantastic Day!

Admission tickets for Wine Tasting Passport and entry ($30) will be sold via facebook page (Pioneer Valley Wine and Food Festival). Onsite purchases will be available at gate ($35) while tickets last. We highly suggest purchasing online.

For Non-wine sampling folks' admission is only $5! Free Live Music & Access to Food & Farmers Market.*

*Absolutely no coolers or outside food or drinks permitted...this is a Food event!

Please follow us on Facebook for future updates.

We are pleased to be hosting our 25th annual event and we hope you can join us at one of the best charity golf tournaments of the year! Proceeds from the day will support people with developmental disabilities in our community and our new program for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)  

Also includes: Venture logo portable charger & wrap koozie, boxed lunch on the course, one free drink, cookout following golf

June 16th is National Fudge Day! Soooo.... We are going all out with celebrating. This will be our 3rd National Fudge Day that we are hosting and since it lands on a FriYAY we have decide to have it on Saturday also! We are full of sugar and sweets and can't wait!!!

Our Fudge Counter will be Open and stocked with old favorites and some mystery flavors! We will also have our Fudge Flights back for the 2-Day Event and they make great gifts.

Save the Dates and stop by the Orchard and treat yourself to some Fudge and help us celebrate National Fudge Day!!!

RSVP on facebook: www.facebook.com/events/1459517427912505/1459517431245838

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