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Welcome to October's Crossroads News!
Happy World Smile Day! It’s a great day to perform a simple act of kindness and spread some smiles. Find out how Hitchcock Academy is celebrating the day in this issue of CROSSROADS. We’ve also got the details on Sturbridge Herbfest and Rapscallion’s Oktoberfest, both happening this weekend. You're invited to stop by the Sturbridge branch of Cornerstone Bank this Saturday for a Ribbon Cutting and Reopening Celebration. We are also seeking volunteers to help out at The 31st Annual Harvest Festival. You will find info on these and more upcoming local events and the latest news from our Members and friends in this issue.

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 upcoming offerings on our Events calendar and emailing us your press releases, links and photos for inclusion in Crossroads. NEXT ISSUE: OCTOBER 15, 2021.
CHAMBER OFFICE INFO
Due to staff vacation and medical leave, the Chamber office will be open
Monday through Thursday from noon to 5:00pm now through October 18.
No appointment is necessary. Give us a ring at 508-247-2761 to be sure we are here.
CLOSED ON OCTOBER 11 FOR COLUMBUS DAY.
To keep everyone safe, we ask that you kindly wear a mask when visiting. Thank you!
You're invited to a
Ribbon Cutting & Re-opening Celebration!
Cornerstone Bank - Sturbridge Branch
Saturday, October 2, 10:00am-1:00pm
Ribbon Cutting at Noon
200 Charlton Road (Rte 20), Sturbridge
Cornerstone Bank, a community bank with 12 locations throughout Central Massachusetts, will host a reopening celebration at its Sturbridge branch located at 200 Charlton Road, Route 20, on Saturday, October 2. The event, which will unveil new renovations, will be held from 10:00 am–1:00 pm with an official ribbon cutting at noon.

“We are excited to celebrate this newly remodeled branch with our community,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “We invite customers and our community to stop by with their family for games, food, and entertainment. Come check out our renovated branch, which has been elevated with a more modern and functional design for our staff and more importantly our customers. I look forward to seeing you there.”

The public is welcome to attend and enjoy fun for the whole family including a bounce house, face painting, ice cream truck, balloon artist, games, giveaways, and more. For more information about Cornerstone Bank and its services, please visit cornerstonebank.com.

No charge! No RSVP necessary for this event! Just come on by!
Ribbon Recap! Fitzgerald Dance & Fitness

It's OFFICIAL! We snipped the red ribbon on September 16 and our newest Member, Fitzgerald Dance & Fitness, is OPEN for business in Sturbridge! We wish them every success! Visit the studio online and discover your love of dance.

PHOTO: Julie Fitzgerald, owner, with Proclamation in hand, is flanked by her family, Alix and Rep. Todd Smola at the official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Fitzgerald Dance and Fitness in Sturbridge.
Harvest
IT'S BACK!
The 31st Annual Harvest Festival
On the Sturbridge Town Common & The Publick House
October 16 & 17, 2021
Crafters, Specialty Food Trucks, Live Music & Magic!

Find details on the Harvest Festival page on the Chamber website!

Can you help out at Harvest Festival?
We are seeking volunteers to help out before, during and after the event. Light duties include tent set-up, selling soda and stuff, traffic and parking control, trash, and tent and table breakdown when it's over on Sunday. The need is greater this year with Alix recovering from her recent knee replacement surgery. Every extra set of arms and legs will be a huge help and much appreciated!
 
Shifts are available on Saturday and Sunday at these times:

October 16, Saturday
9:30a-12:30p, 12:30p-3:30p, 3:30p-6:30p

October 17, Sunday
10:30a-1:30p,  1:30p-4:30p,  4:00p-5:30p

If you can lend a hand for a few hours, please contact us at 508-347-2761

THANK YOU!!
FEATURED MEMBER2MEMBER DISCOUNT!

508-347-2321
Show your M2M card and get a 15% discount off food purchases only. Does not apply to holidays, special events and cannot be combined with any other promotion.

Click on the M2M logo to see this and many more great offers from Members... for Members!
New Hires? Give us a ring if you need more M2M Cards to share this Chamber benefit with all of your employees.
NEW BENEFIT: GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE
What do you need to know? We're taking questions!

The CHAMBER OF CENTRAL MASS SOUTH is pleased to bring you a new member benefit putting you in the driver’s seat when it comes to your health insurance plan costs. You can find out more at our website, or contact us directly with questions by replying to this email.
Brown Bag Seminars will return in 2021
Do you have a topic to present?

The Chamber's Education Committee is entertaining the idea of getting our Brown Bag Seminars going again. Typically 1-hour long, these seminars are intended to attract intimate audiences of 5-30 people.

Members, do you have a subject you would like to pose for an upcoming seminar? Presenting a Brown Bag Seminar is a great way to shine a spotlight on your business and the services you offer. You create the lesson plan, we do the rest including creating the invitations and promoting your seminar.

We anticipate offering the Brown Bag Seminars in-person by Fall 2021 but we would also be interested in offering seminars prior to the Fall in a virtual format. If you are interested in sharing your expertise with your fellow Chamber Members, in-person or virtually, while promoting yourself and your business, we would love to hear from you!

Just drop Alix a line with the topic you would like to present and your preferred month to get the ball rolling!
Central Mass South Referral Group: Networking & Referrals
Chamber Members can now join for FREE!

The Central MA South Referral Group is the official networking and referrals group of CMS Chamber.
JOIN FOR FREE! Previously, Membership to the referral group was an additional fee on top of Chamber dues of $45 per quarter. We are pleased to announce that you can now join the group for FREE! Learn more by emailing CMS Referral Group member Rich Eichacker.

ABOUT CMSRG
The CMS Referral Group currently meets each Friday morning virtually. Meetings are designed to provide a venue for networking, enhance your public speaking skills, exchange of business referrals and marketing ideas, and guest speakers who share their knowledge of the latest developments in business. Comprised of local business owners and professionals, CMS Referral Group is committed to establishing and strengthening relationships with companies and community organizations in the Chamber’s service area through networking, education and trust.
Hitchcock Academy Invites You to Celebrate World Smile Day®

Hitchcock Academy invites one and all to “do an act of kindness and make one person smile” in honor of World Smile Day on Friday, October 1. Executive Director, Cindy Skowyra, who has been a Smile Day ambassador for years, hopes to spread the day’s message of kindness through the area with activities geared toward reaching out to others. Skowyra says, “We are looking to spread smiles and moments of joy with Be a World Smile Day® Ambassador volunteers.”

Created in 1963 by Worcester native Harvey Ball, Smiley became a worldwide phenomenon. By 1999 Ball, concerned by what he considered the over commercialization of his happy face, decided that one day a year, the first Friday in October, Smiley would serve as the impetus for a day dedicated to acts of kindness and World Smile Day was born. Over the years the day has been observed by myriad activities such as choral performances, nursing home visits, and Smiley flash mobs; all geared to make people smile.

Anyone can be a be a World Smile Day® Ambassador! Simply stop into Hitchcock Academy in Brimfield from 11 am – 6 to pick up Smile Day Certificates, free posters, stickers, and to deliver messages of cheer to friends, families even strangers or simply for themselves. Want Hitchcock Academy to deliver one for you locally? Just let us know who you'd like to send the certificate to in Brimfield and one of our Smile Day volunteers will deliver a balloon and customized certificate to your recipient for only $1. To order visit hitchcockacademy.org.

Everyone is encouraged to celebrate with HFA by painting a Kindness Rock with a positive message. The kindness rocks can then be shared to a neighbor’s porch or a friend’s garden. All activities are in keeping with Smiley creator Harvey Ball’s hope that his yellow face symbol could become an inspirational source of benevolence. For more information about World Smile Day® and its impact you can visit Worldsmileday.com. If you would like to help deliver smile certificates on behalf of Hitchcock Academy you can call 413-245-9977 or email execdirector@hitchcockacademy.org

Skowyra said, “Anyone, no matter their age, can reach this year’s goal of being a source to make one person smile. All it may take is a quick visit to someone to show you care by presenting them with any Smiley token. That token, be it a sticker, a balloon, or a certificate then becomes a symbol of caring and goodwill and that’s what this day is all about.”
Second Chance Filling the Gaps Created by the Veterinary Care Crisis
 
NORTH BROOKFIELD, MA (September 27, 2021) – When a pet is critically ill or injured, it’s always a stressful situation - not only for the pet, but for the people who love them. Now imagine your pet is sick or hurt, and you learn that the wait for help at the closest emergency vet hospital is over twelve hours. Or worse yet, your pet cannot be seen at all. This is the dilemma pet owners are now facing here in our community and across the country.
 
Second Chance isn’t just sounding the alarm to alert pet owners to the emergency veterinary care crisis, they are on a mission to help pets and pet owners get the help they need now and establish a long-term solution to address the crisis.  
 
Second Chance has prioritized critical and emergency care services at their North Brookfield Community Veterinary Hospital, providing life-saving surgeries and care to help as many of these pets as they can.  
 
“Second Chance is committed to doing all they can to alleviate the crisis,” says CEO Sheryl Blancato. “We are directing critical patients to our central facility in North Brookfield, which has the greatest surgical capacity. When any pet suffers, it’s heartbreaking. Right now, there are pets in loving homes who can’t get the help they need.  It keeps me up at night.”  
 
Blancato points out that the veterinary profession is seeing an exodus of doctors, vet techs and support staff. “They are burnt out, especially at the emergency level. This field attracts the most caring and compassionate people who give and give. Second Chance has begun instituting new scheduling to ensure a greater work-life balance.”
 
The nonprofit is opening a fourth veterinary hospital in Southbridge this fall.  Not only will this increase the pets they can help but will also help educate future veterinary professionals.  Second Chance has partnered with Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School to offer a veterinary science program. There will be a classroom and learning lab onsite and students will have the opportunity for hands-on experience alongside Second Chance professionals.
 
Second Chance has also ramped up their vaccine clinic schedule to help pets keep up to date on important vaccines. When COVID first broke, they developed a temporary pre-registration process for vaccine clinics to provide for social distancing. It eliminated long lines and stress for both pets and pet owners. It worked so well; it is now permanent. 
 
Second Chance Community Veterinary Hospitals we established to help keep pets and people together. They are open to all pet owners and offer reduced pricing for households that qualify.
 
PHOTO:  Roxy arrived at the Second Chance North Brookfield vet hospital too sick to walk, in need of surgery. Roxy had a pyometra, a life-threatening uterine infection.  Roxy's family was ecstatic when she was able to walk back out on her own afterward.

About Second Chance Animal Services:
Second Chance is a nonprofit 501c3 tax exempt organization that began in 1999 in East Brookfield and relies solely on donations from grants to operate. The organization operates an adoption center in East Brookfield and Community Veterinary Hospitals in North Brookfield, Springfield, and Worcester. Second Chance helps over 40,000 pets a year through adoption, spay/neuter, veterinary care, community outreach, 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:  https://www.facebook.com/secondchanceanimals
Country Bank appoints new Board of Trustee members and New Corporators

(Ware/Worcester) September 24, 2021- Country Bank President and CEO, Paul F. Scully, announced the appointment of four prominent business professionals to its Board of Trustees and four new Corporators from local businesses within the communities it serves.

Attorney Richard H. Maynard, owner of the Law Offices of Richard H. Maynard, PC and Elizabeth Rappaport, Partner at Century Investment Company, both from western Massachusetts, have joined the Board of Trustees. Central Massachusetts Board of Trustees include Ross Dik, owner of Knight-Dik Insurance located in Worcester, and Stacy Luster, General Counsel and Assistant to the President of Worcester State University, who will also serve as a Corporator.

Newly appointed Corporators include Jennifer Cooke, CRPS, CPFA, AIF, and Director of Retirement Plans at CIG Private Wealth Management, Melissa Fales, Loan Program Coordinator at Quaboag Community Development Corporation, William Trudeau Executive Vice President/Partner at HUB International LLC and Kyriakos Konstantaki, Cofounder and Principal at Amcomm Wireless.

"While each of our markets offers a unique value proposition, we are adding strategic business professionals throughout the region to our team to help us focus our efforts on the areas that will provide us with the most growth opportunities," stated Paul Scully, President and CEO of Country Bank. “We are delighted to have these new dedicated and experienced business professionals join us. Together, we look forward to the future with great optimism for continued success, growth, and prosperity for our Community, Customers and Staff."  
 
About Country Bank
Country Bank is a full-service mutual community bank serving central and western Massachusetts with 14 offices in Ware, Palmer, West Brookfield, Brimfield, Belchertown, Wilbraham, Ludlow, Leicester, Paxton, Charlton and Worcester. Country Bank is a member of FDIC, DIF and the SUM network. Country Bank can be reached at 800-322-8233 or online at countrybank.com.  
Sturbridge Rotary Presents TREK Sturbridge Halloween 5K Trail Race and Fun Walk
 
STURBRIDGE, MA - The Rotary Club of Sturbridge has announced it will be sponsoring a family-friendly, Halloween 5K Trail Run and Fun Walk, a 1-Mile race for pre-teens, and activities for kids, including a costume parade, relay races, and organized games. According to race director Klaus Hachfeld, the TREK Sturbridge Halloween 5K Trail Race and Fun Walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 31 from 8 a.m. to noon.

“Our club wants to create a community event that would be fun for the whole family,” said Hachfeld, “and one that would call attention to the town’s exceptional network of trails.” The event will be held at the Old Sturbridge Village Education Center on Old Sturbridge Village Road and will use the Arbutus Park Trail in the Leadmine Mt. Conservation Lands.

“We’ve been working with Old Sturbridge Village and Sturbridge Town staff for many weeks to assure a well-coordinated and safe event,” said Hachfeld.

The event’s trail runs consist of a 1-Mile timed race for pre-teens at 9:30 a.m. and a timed 5K Trail Run and Fun Walk at 10:00 a.m. Advance registration will soon be available via the RaceWire website, which is an endurance event service company with offices in Boston and S. California that provides online registration, race timing, photos and several other services for more than 1,000 events annually. On-site registration on the day of the event will start at 8 a.m.

The entry fee for the pre-teen 1-Mile race is $15.00 and a free race tee shirt will be given to the first 50 registrants. The entry fee for the 5K Trail Run and Fun Walk is $30 and the first 150 registrants will receive a free race tee shirt.

The costume parade, relay races, and organized games for younger children are being organized by a committee led by Lisa Meunier and Linda Langevin-Zonia, and will take place on the OSV Education Center grounds starting at 9:00 a.m. Participation in these activities is free of charge and requires no pre-registration.

All profits from the event provide scholarships to local students and support other local community needs.

Rotary International is a worldwide service organization of business and professional men and women united to provide Humanitarian Service, encourage High Ethical Standards in all vocations, and help build Goodwill and Peace throughout the world. The Sturbridge Rotary Club meets for dinner at 6 PM, the 1st Tuesdays of the Month, at the Publick House Historic Inn on Sturbridge Common, Rte. 131, Sturbridge, MA.
UMass Memorial Health – Harrington Welcomes Courtney Kotfila, NP
to The Cancer Center at Harrington

SOUTHBRIDGE, MA, September 27, 2021 – Courtney Kotfila, FNP-C has joined UMass Memorial Health – Harrington, providing Hematology/Oncology care at The Cancer Center at Harrington, located in Southbridge.
 
Prior to her new role at The Cancer Center at Harrington, Kotfila, served as a registered nurse on the Medical Surgical Unit at Harrington Hospital for the past five years.
 
She holds certification as a family nurse practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science University (MCPHS University), where she earned a Master’s of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing at Westfield State University in Westfield Massachusetts.
 
Kotfila joins Drs. Jeffery Gordon, Andrei Bandarchuk and Donna Kentley, PA-C at The Cancer Center at Harrington, located at 55 Sayles Street in Southbridge. The Cancer Center at Harrington is nationally accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, and provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment of cancer and hematological conditions, including support services to patients and their families. To learn more about The Cancer Center at Harrington and to request an appointment, visit harringtonhospital.org/cancer or call (508) 764-2400.
 
UMass Memorial Health – Harrington provides outstanding health care to patients in more than 25 communities throughout South Central Massachusetts and Northeastern Connecticut. We are dedicated to our role as the health and wellness partner of the people in our communities and we are relentless in the pursuit of healing. Our comprehensive array of health care services and locations provides our patients with unparalleled access to care. Harrington Hospital in Southbridge provides medical and surgical inpatient care, 24-hour emergency services, inpatient adult psychiatry, an intensive care unit and comprehensive outpatient services. Harrington Hospital at Webster, Harrington at Charlton, Harrington at 169 and Harrington at Sturbridge offer primary care and specialty physicians, diagnostic imaging and more. Harrington Physician Services is our primary care and multi-specialty physician group, UrgentCare Express at Harrington in Oxford serves as a walk-in medical center for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries, and the Cancer Center at Harrington in Southbridge allows patients to receive advanced, local oncological and hematology care.
TLGV logo
Make Your Woods Bird Friendly - TLGV and Partners
Launch Next Round of $6.1 Million Southern New England Heritage Forest Grant Program
 
Attention woodland landowners: Funding is available to improve your woodland habitat for important bird species and to manage your woods for wildlife and people. The Last Green Valley (TLGV), the MassConn Sustainable Forest Partnership (MassConn) and the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District (NRICD) are pleased to offer the next round of funding for woodland landowners to obtain forest management plans with bird habitat assessments.

The program is part of the $6.1 million Southern New England Heritage Forest conservation effort, an unprecedented three-state collaboration made possible through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The NRCS funding is being matched, bringing the economic infusion into the region to $12.2 million.

A professional forester will walk your property and coordinate with the Audubon society in your state to produce a high-quality forest management plan with a bird habitat assessment of your woods. The plan will recommend measures you can take to improve the health of your woods. The plan will meet federal and state requirements and may be used to apply for property tax reductions at the local level (where applicable).

Grant funds are available to pay for most of the forester’s costs and to completely fund the bird habitat assessments. Landowners will be responsible for choosing a forester from an approved list and paying for a percentage of the total cost of the forest management plan.

This program is ideally suited for landowners who have never had a forest management plan and own more than 10 acres of woodlands.

Program requirements vary by state. To get started, contact the lead partner for your state. The partners can assist with the application process. The application deadline for Connecticut and Rhode Island is Friday, December 17th, but we recommend you begin the process early to ensure the application is complete before the deadline. Massachusetts is accepting applications on a rolling basis so you may apply at any time.

Visit www.thelastgreenvalley.org for links to the application materials, including a list of communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island that are included in this program.

Contacts:
For Connecticut Projects – Bill Reid, 860-774-3300, bill@tlgv.org
For Massachusetts Projects – Christopher Riely, 401-225-6135; christopher@sweetbirchconsulting.com
For Rhode Island Projects – Marina Capraro, 401-934-0840, mcapraro.nricd@gmail.com

Supporting partners for this project include: MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Providence Water, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Hull Forest Products, Thames River Basin Partnership, New England Forestry Foundation, Eastern CT Conservation District, Norcross Wildlife Foundation, RI Division of Forest Management, RI Woodland Partnership, Harvard Forest, Yale Sustaining Family Forests Institute, Audubon Connecticut, Mass Audubon and Audubon Rhode Island.

The Southern New England Heritage Forest is a 1.49 million-acre unfragmented forest corridor stretching along the Connecticut and Rhode Island border to the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts. Bounded by more heavily urbanized areas, with more than one million nearby residents, the SNEHF has an astonishing 76 percent forest cover and offers one of the last viable wildlife corridors from southern to northern New England.

The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor is the heart of the Southern New England Heritage Forest and is the last stretch of dark night sky in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington, D.C. The Last Green Valley, Inc. works for you in the National Heritage Corridor. Together we can care for it, enjoy it and pass it on!
Country Bank Recognized by the Boston Business Journal for their Charitable Giving
 
Ware, MA – September 28, 2021 – The Boston Business Journal has once again named Country Bank an honoree in its annual 2021 Corporate Citizenship Awards, recognizing the region's top corporate charitable contributors.

The Business Journal annually publishes this list to highlight companies that promote and prioritize giving back to their communities — a feat that is even more important during times of turmoil and crisis like the one we have experienced.

During this year's virtual celebration held on September 9, 2021, 98 companies have qualified for the distinction by reporting at least $100,000 in cash contributions to Massachusetts-based charities and social-service nonprofits last year. This year, the honorees include companies from health care, technology, financial and professional services, retail, professional sports, and more.

Country Bank, which ranked 55th, employs 215 staff members within Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties. Staff members actively promoted the Bank's mission of giving back to the communities they serve by volunteering to a variety of non-profits.

“The Boston business community has always been committed to helping the people and organizations in need, and 2020 was an extraordinary year,” Boston Business Journal Market President and Publisher Carolyn Jones said. “Given the many challenges we all faced, it is a true testament to the companies and the people who have given so much of their resources, money and time to help others and keep our community moving forward. We at the BBJ are grateful to have the opportunity to recognize companies large and small for the example they set for us all to do good.”

"We are honored to be recognized by the Boston Business Journal for Country Bank’s philanthropic efforts. As a community bank, it is our mission to help make a difference in the lives of others,” stated Paul Scully, President, and CEO at Country Bank.
Cornerstone Bank to hold community celebration for reopening of Worcester branch
Ribbon cutting and family-friendly activities to be held October 9th,
70 West Boylston Street
 
WORCESTER, Mass. – Cornerstone Bank, a community bank with 12 locations throughout Central Massachusetts, will host a reopening celebration at its Worcester branch located at 70 West Boylston Street, on Saturday, October 9th. The event, which will unveil new renovations, will be held from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. with family-friendly activities and an official ribbon cutting at noon.

“We are excited to celebrate this newly remodeled branch with our community,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “This renovation represents our ongoing commitment to serve the banking and financial needs of our neighborhood. We welcome our friends and customers to come by with their families to see our beautifully renovated branch and enjoy face painting, balloon artist, ice cream and giveaways.”

The community is invited to attend and enjoy refreshments and activities for the whole family. For more information about Cornerstone Bank and its services, please visit cornerstonebank.com.
 
About Cornerstone Bank
Cornerstone Bank is an independent, mutual savings bank serving residents, businesses and communities throughout Central Massachusetts. Our customer promise, Built on Trust, is not just a brand, but also a corporate focus. Whether a business or personal partnership, Cornerstone Bank rests on the foundation that relationships are built on trust. Deposits are insured in full by a combination of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Depositors Insurance Fund. The Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Equal Housing Lender and SBA Preferred Lender. To learn about Cornerstone Bank’s personal and business banking offerings, please visit cornerstonebank.com or call 800-939-9103.
Comfort Inn & Suites
83 Hall Road, Sturbridge, MA

Looking to grow our team…
Front Office Manager - Looking for a dedicated energetic individual who has attention to detail and hospitality experience. Must have customer service experience. Previous hotel experience preferred. Must be able to manage a team and be a leader. Weekends required. Looking for team-players. Please come in and fill out an application.
Nueva edición!
Read the latest digital issue of Vocero Hispano on the News Posts Feed on the Chamber website. ISSUE 1644 - SEPTEMBER 24 - Digital Version - Free For Members
Reach the Hispanic Market directly with the #1 Statewide Hispanic Newspaper in Massachusetts. Email advertising@vocerohispano.com to get started.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Learning & Networking Opportunities

You'll also find webinars, online workshops and courses from Worcester Chamber and SCORE. Most are FREE! Got something going on? Please add your happenings, online or in-person, indoors or out, to our calendar or email Jack the pertinent info and we will share in the next CROSSROADS!

WORCESTER REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Seminar/Webinar Series: Top 10 Estate Planning Questions
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021, 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM EDT
Do you know you should have an estate plan but keep putting it off? Are you overwhelmed because it seems like there is too much information to gather and too many decisions to be made? Join Tony Dragga, an estate planning attorney at Bowditch, as he breaks down the fundamentals of estate planning. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

HYBRID EVENT! In Person: George & Sybil Fuller Conference Room, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, 311 Main Street, Suite 200, Worcester, MA **Please be advised that all guests entering the Chamber offices will be required to wear a mask for the duration of their visit.**

OR Zoom Link sent with registration 
Fees/Admission: Free for Chamber Members, $10 for Non Members

Visit the Worcester Chamber calendar of Chamber Events online here.


FREE ONLINE BUSINESS WORKSHOPS OFFERED BY SCORE
SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Since 1964, SCORE has provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs.

The Foundation of a Successful Business Series consists of 10 webinars that will identify all of the key areas that startups and existing businesses should understand and address to have the best chance of achieving a successful and profitable business. Here are the first 3 offerings in the series:

Starting Your Small Business
Oct 7 | Thurs | 12 pm
Starting a small business requires more knowledge, skills, perseverance and planning than meets the eye. Save valuable time and money starting here! This 2-hour workshop will help you clearly understand the details, challenges, opportunities and rewards of owning and operation your own business. REGISTER

Preparing a Business Plan the Simpler Way
Oct 14 | Thurs | 12 pm
A business plan is the foundation for a successful business. Preparing one does not have to be overwhelming. This webinar will walk you through why a business plan is needed and how to prepare one. REGISTER

Building a Startup Budget
Oct 21 | Thurs | 12 pm
A startup budget will tell you how much cash you need to launch your business and how much cash you will need before you will make a profit. Preparing an annual operating budget is essential for all businesses. This webinar will walk your through a startup budget and an annual operating budget. REGISTER

View Previously Recorded SCORE Webinars Here.

COGGNO is the Chamber's 24/7 Training platform. Low cost and even free online courses are available for CMS Chamber Members.
TLGV logo
Happy Walktober 2021!
on The Last Green Valley's website!
The Second Annual Sturbridge Herbfest
Saturday, October 2, 2021, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sturbridge Senior Center
480 Main Street (Rte. 20), Fiskdale, MA

This Herbfest is a brainchild of three local herbalists: Salli Greene, Jo Anne Grubert, and Chris Haller. There are very few herbal conferences nationally and none in this area. This can make it difficult for herbalists, young and old, male and female, to gain more education in a conference setting. Sturbridge, because it is centrally located, is an ideal location and is expected that the Herbfest will be an annual event.

There will also be craft, jewelry, and product vendors set up on the lawn of the Sturbridge Senior Center.

For more information visit sturbridgeherbfest.com
Take-Out Italian Buffet

The Women's Fellowship group of Elm Street Congregational Church, 61 Elm Street in Southbridge, is sponsoring a "Take-Out" Italian Buffet on October 2, 2021, from 5:30pm-7:00pm. The menu will include: Meat Balls and Rigatoni, Sausage, onions, and peppers, Garlic Bread, Salad, and Brownies for dessert. The cost is $10 for adults, and $6 for children 6-12.

For tickets call Harriet Lacasse at 508-347-3464, or the church office at 508-764-8058, on Tuesdays-Thursdays from 8am-Noon.
The church is handicapped accessible, and parking is available in back of the Southbridge Town Hall.
Events at Joshua Hyde Public Library
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION!
OCTOBER 8TH & 9TH, 10:00-5:00
COME CELEBRATE WITH US!

Join Hydrangea Home Decor and Lake Road Living for a Grand Opening event on October 8th & 9th!
We were not able to celebrate our opening last year due to Covid restrictions... so we are doing it now!
With your support we've had a wonderful year and look forward to celebrating with all our great customers! Come join us for door prizes, refreshments and more!
Hydrangea Home Decor
371 Main Street (Route 20)
Sturbridge MA
(508) 347-7757
Lake Road Living
371 Main Street (Route 20)
Sturbridge MA
(774) 241-0643
Gateway Players: The Cemetery Club

Gateway Players Theatre of Southbridge presents "The Cemetery Club” by Ivan Menchell. Performance dates are October 8, 9, 15 & 16 at 7:30pm and October 17 at 2pm. All performances will be held at the Fellowship Hall of Elm Street Congregational Church, 61 Elm Street in Southbridge. Parking is available on Elm Street, or in the parking deck behind the Southbridge Town Hall.

This comedy will be directed by Lou-Ellen Corkum, and produced by Kathi Grenier. The cast features Jim Douglas, Chris McTigue, Joan Stewart, Carol Allard Vancil, and Gail White. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors and youth under 18. Tickets may be reserved by calling Gateway at 508-764-4531. Online credit card ticket sales will be available shortly at www.brownpapertickets.com. Presented by permission through special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Audience size for the performances will be limited in order to maintain social distancing. All audience members at all performances will be required to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status.

Synopsis:
Three Jewish widows meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husbands’ graves. Ida is sweet tempered and ready to begin a new life; Lucille is a feisty embodiment of the girl who just wants to have fun; and Doris is priggish and judgmental, particularly when Sam the butcher enters the scene. He meets the widows while visiting his wife’s grave. Doris and Lucille squash the budding romance between Sam and Ida. They are guilt-stricken when this nearly breaks Ida’s heart.
Phantoms and Fire at Old Sturbridge Village
Wednesday-Sunday, October 13 - 31
Times: Phantoms and Fire runs 5:00 - 8:30 pm
Tickets on sale now!

Explore the museum after hours where you will find spooky delights, from bats and bonfires to cauldrons and candy, from ghosts and guitars to horror and spooky drama! Take your entire family, as there is something for every age around every corner. Pre-registration is required; purchase tickets here.


October 2 & 3 is Ag Fair Weekend at OSV.
Salem Cross Inn is OPEN Thursday through Sunday!
Salem Cross Inn Fireplace Feast
FIREPLACE FEASTS RETURN IN NOVEMBER!

Main Dining Room Hours:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 4 – 8pm
Sunday Noon – 5pm

We are currently looking to fill Server, Bartender, Bussers & Dishwasher positions. Click here to apply.

for the latest updates.

508-867-2345

Looking for more local events? Check out our Facebook Events page for even more from our neighbors and friends! Click here to visit!

Executive Committee

Erika Travinski, Chair
The Center of Hope

Laurie Cashman, Immediate Past Chair
Yellow Iris Farm

Bruce Watkins, Treasurer
Karl Storz Endovision, Inc.

 
Board of Directors

Brad Arcoite
Table 3 Restaurant Group

Michael Checkosky
Cornerstone Bank

Nicole Courtemanche
Connectivity Point

Alycia Dzik
Webster First Federal Credit Union

Rich Eichacker
Vibrance Technology Corp

Michelle Fanion
ERA Key Realty





Steve Gardiner
Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center

Christina Hadis-Blackwell
Tri-Community YMCA

Nathan Hardt
Old Sturbridge Village

Kelly Hibbard
Harrington Hospital

Anthony Marini
BankHometown

Trevor Nielsen
Edward Jones 

Rich Suitum
Exsel Advertising Group

Michael Wales
Michael L. Wales Painting Company

James Donahue
Old Sturbridge Village
Honorary Board Member


Counsel
Padgett Berthiaume
Berthiaume & Berthiaume
46 Hall Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Alexandra McNitt
Executive Director
Jack Starkey
Communications & Media