Families Helping Families 

May 18: Foote Family Fire Fund Benefit 

On April 5, our friend and Chamber Member, Hunter Foote and his parents lost their home and all their belongings (including Hunter's violin) to a fire.

Join Boys of the Town with guests Goodspeed and Friends at a community based benefit on May 18 at the Wales Irish Pub, 16 Holland Road, Wales from noon to 5pm.

All donations and proceeds from raffles and the sale of food will go directly to the Foote family.

The Chamber will be putting together a gift basket to be auctioned at the event. Contact us if you would like to contribute to our basket or contact Jean if you would like to create your own.

Please feel free to contact Jean Lynch at 413-813-9023 with any questions.

Help spread the word and thank you for your support!

         FUN! FUN FUN!

• Kids Activities
• Chinese Auctions 
• Awesome Prizes!
• 50/50 Raffle
• Food and Beverages
• Music: Hunter Foote and Boys of the Town with guests Goodspeed & Friends.  

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of Community Business Associates, the Chamber's official networking and referral program takes place May 10, 2013 at Oliver Wight Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village.

Member Presenters:

Terri Ricard of ERA Key Realty 

Paul Raffa of Hometown Bank 

Meetings run from 7:15-8:30 a.m. and are an opportunity for networking as well as discussing common business solutions and challenges. Business and professional guests are welcome to the meeting at the Oliver Wight Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village.    

For more information, visit www.communitybusinessassociates.org.

email info@communitybusinessassociates.org

Yankee Magazine Names
Chamber Members to
2013 "Editors' Choice" List

The Chamber is thrilled to congratulate three of our Members for being named to Yankee Magazine's 2013 Best of New England List in their New England Travel Guide issue, on newsstands April 23.

This designation is awarded by Yankee's editors and contributors, who name select restaurants, lodgings, and attractions in New England to the exclusive list. For 37 years, Yankee's Travel Guide has been the most widely distributed and best-selling guide to the six-state region, providing readers with a comprehensive vacation-planning tool and daily reference.

See the complete list of winners here and please join us in congratulating these fabulous local venues! 

Harrington HealthCare System's Tuberculosis Clinic has been honored with a statewide award by an advisory panel to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).

The Medical Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (MACET), which advises the DPH on tuberculosis prevention and control, has honored the Harrington TB Clinic with an Institutional Partner Award for its exemplary work in treating tuberculosis in the region.

Harrington's clinic received the honor at a recent Statehouse ceremony in Boston that was attended by some of the region's state legislators, including State Senator Richard Moore and State Representatives Peter Durant and Ryan Fattman.

In conjunction with the Institutional Partner Award, Harrington Hospital received two citations from State Senators Moore and Stephen Brewer citing the hospital's role in fighting tuberculosis.

In announcing the award, the co-chairs of MACET, physicians Thomas Garvey and Edward Nardell, stated, "We were impressed with the way the TB Clinic reached a successful outcome in a highly complex situation and have been struck by the way the three-person clinic has engaged a holistic approach to patient care, helping patients obtain health care coverage, immunizations, primary care homes and needed social services. In addition, the hospital has a long history of providing TB services in an area where transportation to other clinics would be virtually impossible."

Harrington's clinic consists of Medical Director Michael Gaudet, M.D.; TB Clinic Nurse Debra Vescera, BSN RN, who is also public health nurse for nine communities in the region; and Nancy Johndrow, Medical Office Assistant. The TB Clinic comes under the jurisdiction of Arleen Smith, RN, who heads Harrington's CompreCare program.

In accepting the award, Vescera said, "Having a tuberculosis clinic located in Southbridge has been an essential service in this area. Many of our patients have transportation issues that would make it impossible for them to travel into Worcester or out to Springfield (which are the closest locations of other TB clinics for the majority of towns in this area)."

Southbridge Credit Union President Jeff Davenport presents a $10,000 check to fund three upcoming $5 Fridays at Old Sturbridge Village, set for June 28, July 26, and August 23. Accepting the check on behalf of OSV are interpreters Thruse Hammer (left) and Will Contino (right).

"Sponsoring these $5 Fridays at OSV is one way Southbridge Credit Union can give back to the community, help to offset today's high gas prices, and to make the Village more accessible for families on a budget," said Jeff Davenport, president of SCU.

Southbridge Credit Union, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, has 13,000 members, 55 employees, and has offices in Sturbridge, Auburn, and Southbridge, Massachusetts, including a student-operated branch at Southbridge High School.  

North Brookfield Savings Bank  

Supports Hearts for Heat

$1,500 check to North Brookfield chapter helps make fuel payments possible

Although the summer season is approaching, the work of North Brookfield's Hearts for Heat is never finished. This winter, the organization helped cover fuel costs for many residents in need and North Brookfield Savings Bank was there to provide much needed support.

On April 8, North Brookfield Savings Bank President and CEO Donna Boulanger (far left) and North Brookfield Savings Bank Trustee Betsy Cuddy (far right) presented a $1,500 check to Tom Lewandowski, Sue Lewandowski (center) and Ellen Smith of the North Brookfield chapter of Hearts for Heat. The $1,500 check represented a matching donation, equal to what residents contributed during Hearts for Heat's capital campaign.

"Donations from organizations like North Brookfield Savings Bank are vital to the mission of Hearts for Heat and to the well being of North Brookfield residents. They ensure that every single penny donated by residents goes directly to helping people heat their homes," said Hearts for Heat President/Secretary Sue Lewandowski.

The North Brookfield Hearts for Heat chapter confidentially provides fuel, including oil, gas and wood, to North Brookfield residents on a fixed income, including the elderly, those who are disabled or sick, and unemployed or underemployed individuals and families. Additional Hearts for Heat chapters in Leicester, Spencer and Princeton, provide the same service for residents of those towns.

"Hearts for Heat is making a difference right here where we live and work," Boulanger said. "Their efforts help build stronger families, which improves the health and well being of the entire community. Most importantly, they keep people from having to choose between heating their home or putting food on the table."

Donations like this are part of doing business at North Brookfield Savings Bank, a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its customers. NBSB continues to show it is "Where It's At" for financial products and services and supportive and fun community events.

For more information about Hearts for Heat, visit www.HeartsForHeat.org.

NBSB Names Bryan Kaye New Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer

North Brookfield Savings Bank is pleased to announce that Bryan Kaye has been named Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer.

Formerly a Commercial Loan Officer at Freedom Credit Union of Springfield, MA, Kaye holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Bluffton University and attended Omega Performance Group's CU Business Lending School. He is also involved in the Western Massachusetts Chapter of SCORE and is a former board member of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield.

"Bryan's experience working with small and medium-sized businesses and his impressive understanding of the commercial loan process makes him a great asset to the business community," said NBSB President and CEO Donna Boulanger. "We're very excited to welcome him to North Brookfield Savings Bank."

Kaye, of East Longmeadow, MA, is looking forward to being part of NBSB's future, including the development of new opportunities in Western Massachusetts.

"NBSB is growing and looking to expand its commercial program into Western Mass and that's exciting," he said, adding the he also likes the bank's overall approach. "They have excellent customer service and are aggressively looking for commercial loan opportunities."

The North Brookfield PTO, in partnership with the Worcester SCORE chapter, sponsor an afterschool educational program called TREPS (short for entrepreneurs). This program is supported by the North Brookfield Savings Bank, The Chamber of Central Mass South, Quaboag Corp and other businesses who have supplied business mentors to assist the participants.

The TREPS program is a 6 workshop after-school program for grades 4-8 designed to teach students about the elements of starting and operating a business of their own. It is not a game or playtime. Instead participants learn about customers and their own interests to develop innovative products or services with sales appeal. Workshop topics include finances including costs, profits, losses and breakeven analysis in order to successfully price products. Marketing elements along with advertising and promotion are covered to showcase each businesses offering. The North Brookfield cable channel will be running participants' business advertisements so they can evaluate effectiveness.

The excitement builds each week until the Business Launch day nears. On May 4 from 10:00am - 2:00pm, these 100 new business owners will launch their ventures in conjunction with the Haston Library Spring Festival. The Congregational Church has graciously supplied their community hall and grounds for the 80 businesses.  

Anne Gobi will officially cut the ribbon opening the TREPS Marketplace at 9:45am. Throughout the day visitors are welcome to come and see what young entrepreneurs can do with their creativity and desire to be successful. Customers will find some very unique products and services just in time for Mothers Day.

Hitchcock Academy's Farmers' Market 

Market held every Saturday through November 23, 2013

Hitchcock Academy's Farmers' Market was voted "The Best of Greater Sturbridge" in 2013 by the readers of Sturbridge Times Magazine!  Stop by Saturdays, 9am - 2pm and discover what's new at the Market: fresh, locally-grown, seasonal produce, starter plants, and flowers, honey, maple products, locally-raised beef, home-made products, and more.  You never know what you might find! 

Vendors: visit our website www.hitchcockacademy.org for information about renting market space and to download an application, or call (413) 245-9977.