Oscar® Winner Estelle Parsons To Headline "Oscar® Talk!" TV Program Produced By The Park Theatre

Oscar® winner Ernest Thompson hosts a pre Oscar® Awards panel discussion live online event Thursday, April 22 to benefit NH theatre.

JAFFREY, New Hampshire (April 12, 2021) New England's newest performing arts center, The Park Theatre in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, is producing a live online panel discussion program three days before this year’s Oscar® awards program (April 25, ABC Network). The ticketed panel discussion program, Oscar® Talk!, will be presented live on Thursday, April 22, at 7:00 p.m. with on-demand repeats available later.

The program will be hosted by writer/actor/director and Academy Award® winner Ernest Thompson (Best-Adapted Screenplay, On Golden Pond). Scheduled panelists include Estelle Parsons (Oscar® for Best Supporting Actress, Bonnie & Clyde), Russell Williams II (Oscar® for Achievement in Sound, Glory, and Dances with Wolves), Keene State College Film Studies professor emeritus & filmmaker Larry Benaquist and Peg Aloi, film & media critic and member of the Boston Society of Film Critics.

The panel will discuss this year's Oscar® nominees (and films that did not make the cut), the Oscar® telecast, Oscar® history, film industry issues, Covid-19’s effect on the industry, and more. In addition to discussion and interviews, movie clips will be shown. The audience will also be able to ask questions of the panelists.

Individual tickets for the April 22 live event are $10, and group tickets are $15. They can be purchased by going to theparktheatre.org, by calling (603) 532-8888, or by visiting the theatre box office at 19 Main Street, Jaffrey, NH. The live event will be taped and available on-demand online two days after the original telecast.

"We are delighted to have Ernest Thompson host this special fundraising live event for us. Ernest has been a long-time supporter of The Park Theatre. Being an Oscar® winner himself and a writer/director/actor, he is uniquely qualified to lead this panel discussion. We have a stellar panel of Oscar® winners/nominees and film experts. It should be a highly entertaining and informative event," said Steve Jackson, CEO and Managing Director of The Park Theatre.

The event can be watched on a smartphone, tablet, or cast to your large screen TV via Apple Airplay or Chromecast.

Ernest Thompson

Russell Williams II

Larry Benaquist

Peg Aloi

Estelle Parsons

Local Legislators Announces Grant Award for Polus Center

BOSTON (April 9, 2021) - Senator Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) joined Representative Susannah Whipps (I-Athol) and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today in announcing that the Polus Center for Social & Economic Development has been awarded a grant through FY21 Employment Program for Young Adults with Disabilities in the amount of $75,000. Located in Petersham, Massachusetts, the Polus Center has more than 35 years of experience designing human service programs and promoting new opportunities for persons with disabilities and victims of conflict in the United States and throughout the world. Today, their primary work in Massachusetts is to help people with disabilities gain the skills, credentials, career-support and work opportunities to help them find competitive employment.

Gobi had this to say on the grant announcement "We are very fortunate to have the Polus Center in our region. They are the safety net for so many people providing necessary services that strengthen them and our communities, setting individuals up by building a foundation for future success. These grants only add to the resources they can pull from to continue doing their remarkable work."

Representative Whipps commented, "The Polus Center for Social & Economic Development does amazing work to include and give work training and experience to our neighbors with disabilities. I’m thankful the administration has recognized their efforts with this grant."

The Employment Program for Young Adults with Disabilities prepares young adults with disabilities for employment by providing occupational skills, coaching, and pre- and post- placement supports. The Polus Center will train and place participants in retail and customer service jobs, with program partners that include: Whole Foods Market, Price Chopper Market, MassHire North Central Workforce Board, and Thryv Consulting. The short-term training offered by the Center incorporates virtual skills training as well as on-the-job training to set up participants for success.

To learn more about the grant announcement, please email Anne.Gobi@MASenate.gov.

Weak System for Verifying Vendor Financial Information Led to Unauthorized Transaction at Westfield State University, Audit Shows

Boston, MA (April 15, 2021) - An audit released today by State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump finds that the breakdown that led to the transfer of $1.75 million by Westfield State University (WSU) to an unauthorized account resulted from a failure to follow a basic procedure. Because WSU was not verifying the accuracy of changes to banking and income tax information for its vendors in the state's accounting system, a WSU employee mistakenly enabled the transaction to take place. Due to its quick detection and subsequent action by WSU, the full amount was recovered.

The audit also found University personnel did not document that they verified the accuracy of change requests for 10 of the 13 vendors that came into service for WSU during the audit period of October 1, 2018 through March 31, 2020. In its response, WSU indicated it was taking steps to address the audit's concerns surrounding the verification problems.

"As a state higher education institution, Westfield State University assumes all oversight responsibilities when it enters into a contract with a vendor. WSU's mistakes are a matter of limiting risk for unauthorized transactions and making sure funds are deposited to the right accounts," Bump said. "I am encouraged by the steps the University has taken so far and I urge them to continue to enhance their financial verification process for vendors."

Additionally, the audit called on WSU to expand information technology (IT) security awareness training for staff. WSU did not ensure that employees who had access to its IT systems received security awareness training as required by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS). The audit found the University was conducting periodic training, but attendance from staff was not required. The audit recommends WSU establish a formal IT security awareness training program for all employees.

WSU is a member of the Massachusetts public higher-education system, which consists of 15 community colleges, nine state universities, and five University of Massachusetts campuses. In fiscal year 2019, WSU received $39 million in state appropriations. In 2020, there were 5,810 students enrolled at the University.

The full audit report is available here.