Winter Tracking Workshop at Skyfields Arboretum
Dog and bear tracksPhoto by Jean McCurdy, courtesy of Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
On Saturday, January 15th Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust is offering a wildlife tracking workshop at Skyfields Arboretum with tracking expert Paul Wanta. The event will be held from 9 am to noon, at the trust's headquarters located at 1461 Old Keene Road in Athol, MA.
The group will explore the trails of the open meadows and the woods of Skyfields Arboretum while looking for signs of wildlife. The workshop teaches basic skills on how to spot, identify, and interpret different tracks found during the winter season. Communications and Engagement Coordinator Marielena Lima says, "This is a great opportunity to learn a new skill or continue developing your tracking skills and discover what animals call these woods home."
The tracking workshop has been put on by the trust for numerous winters. Last year, attendees were able to spot and follow signs of rabbits, deer, wild turkeys, and porcupine. This event is open to the public, free to Mount Grace members, and $10 for non-members. Registration is required and can be done at mountgrace.org. Please register in advance as this workshop is limited to 15.
Comedy Classic To Be Screened at Park Theatre in Honor of Filmmaker
"What's Up Doc?" presented in tribute to the late Peter Bogdanovich
Ryan O'Neal, Peter Bogdanovich and Barbra Streisand on the set of What's Up, Doc?Photo courtesy of The Park Theatre
JAFFREY, New Hampshire January 10, 2022) The Park Theatre will present a special screening of the Warner Bros. comedy classic What's Up Doc? as a tribute to the late filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich who passed away last week at the age of 82. The movie will be shown on Sunday, January 16 at 2:00 p.m. as part of the theatre's Big Screen Movie Series in its 333-seat Eppes Auditorium, which has a 27-foot wide screen and 17-speaker ultra surround sound.
The Oscar-nominated Bogdanovich is known for his iconic movie contributions starting in 1968 with Targets starring Boris Karloff. His critical success began with The Last Picture Show (1971), which garnered eight Oscar nominations. From there, he went on to direct Paper Moon (Oscar for Tatum O'Neal), Daisy Miller, and the critically-acclaimed Mask that starred Cher.
His biggest box office hit was the zany, romantic screwball comedy, What's Up Doc? starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. It was the highest-grossing film of 1972. The American Film Institute lists it as one of the 100 greatest American comedy movies ever made. The accidental mix-up of four identical plaid overnight bags leads to a series of increasingly wild and wacky situations. The film's co-stars are comedic superstars: Boston's own Madeline Kahn, Austin Pendleton and Kenneth Mars.
Tickets for What's Up Doc? are $9 and $8. They can be purchased online at theparktheatre.org, via phone (603) 532-8888 or at the box office at 19 Main Street in Jaffrey NH. Masks are mandatory at all Park Theatre events.
Upcoming Performances at Keene's Nova Arts
Nova Arts is proud to continue in person entertainment at 48 Emerald St in Keene NH!
Friday, January 28, singer, guitarist, and folk music interpreter Jake Xerxes Fussell will be in town, with an opening performance by singer/guitaristLiza Constable, for a night full of storytelling and music.
Fussel distinguishes himself as being one of his generation's preeminent interpreters of traditional (and not so traditional) folk songs. By recontextualizing ancient vernacular songs and sources of the American South he allows them to speak for themselves whilst humanizing them from their specific era and origin. The robust burr of his voice, which periodically melts and catches at a particularly tender turn of phrase, and the swung rhythm undertow of exquisite, seemingly effortless guitar-playing pull new valences of meaning from ostensibly antique songs and subjects.
Interested in hearing more? Fussell's new album "Good and Green Again" is set for release on 1/21/2022 via Paradise of Bachelors.
Most Nova events see doors open at 7:00 p.m., unless otherwise specified. Masks are required.
Saturday, January 29 at 7:00 p.m., be inspired by award-winning writer, speaker, brand advisor, and author, Terri Trespicio. Event starts at 7:00.
Terri Trespicio is the author of Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life that Matters to You (December 2021, Atria/Simon & Schuster). Her TEDx talk, "Stop Searching for Your Passion," has surpassed 7 million views, she was named by Hubspot as one of the "Top 18 female speakers who are killing it" (she came in at #2—Oprah was #8), and one of the world’s leading creatives by Creative Boom magazine.
An in-demand speaker who presents at conferences across the country, she was rated the #1 speaker at Barron's Top Independent Women Advisors Summit and How Design Live. Terri is also a stand-up comic and has performed at famous Manhattan venues including Caroline's, Dangerfield's, Gotham, and New York Comedy Club, and was a quarter-finalist in the She Devil Comedy Competition. Terri earned her BA in English from Boston College and a MFA in Creative Writing in 2002 from Emerson College, where her thesis, a collection of poetry, won the Graduate Dean Award.
We are proud to partner with Read To Me Literary Arts to present this event!
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Masks are required.
Nova Arts is supported by and under the fiscal sponsorship of Arts Alive.
United Way of North Central Massachusetts Selected as a Hannaford Bloomin' 4 Good Program Beneficiary
United Way of North Central Massachusetts has been selected as a beneficiary of the Hannaford Bloomin' 4 Good Program for the month of February.
The Hannaford Bloomin' 4 Good Program, which launched in August 2021, is an easy way for shoppers to give back. Every $12.00 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker sold supports a non-profit local to the Hannaford in which it was purchased.
UWNCM was selected as the February beneficiary by local store leadership at the Hannaford located at 333 Massachusetts Ave, Lunenburg, MA. UWNCM will receive a $1 donation for every $12.00 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet purchased at this Hannaford location in February.
"Flowers can make someone's day, brighten a room or spread a smile," said UWNCM President Kory Eng. "Now they can give back too. Purchase a Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet at the Hannaford in Lunenburg during the month of February to give back to our community. Every bouquet sold makes a difference."
The United Way of North Central Massachusetts serves the communities of Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Leominster, Littleton, Pepperell, Lunenburg, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Shirley, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster and Winchendon. Learn more about UWNCM by visiting uwncm.org.
For more information about the Hannaford Bloomin' 4 Good Program, please visit hannaford.bloomin4good.com.
Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts launches Racial Equity Grant Program
FITCHBURG, Mass. - The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts (CFNCM), an organization serving the charitable interests of donors and supporting nonprofits throughout our 33 communities in the north central region of the Commonwealth, today announced it will launch the 2022 North Central Massachusetts Racial Equity Grant Program on January 17—Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The program will distribute $58,500 in grants to selected nonprofit organizations serving the 33 communities of North Central Massachusetts.
The Racial Equity Grant Program is made possible by the Klarman Family Foundation, Rollstone Bank & Trust, Enterprise Bank, Fidelity Bank and the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts.
"There seemed no better way to honor Dr. King than to launch this initiative on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Our intention is to promote racial equity in the region and draw attention to our new Racial Equity Endowment," said Stephen Adams, president of the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts. "We hope that people and institutions with an interest in racial equity and justice will help us grow the endowment so that the investment in making North Central Massachusetts a welcoming region to all continues far into the future."
The North Central Massachusetts Racial Equity Grant Program is focused on advancing racial justice and equity in the region by providing grants to nonprofit organizations that serve and empower communities of color and address systemic and institutional racism. The program will support nonprofit organizations working to advance racial equity in North Central Massachusetts through:
- Youth empowerment
- Social justice
- Awareness, education and training around implicit and explicit racial bias in employment, services and community engagement
- Other innovative programs or approaches that serve and empower communities of color and address systemic and institutional racism
Grants will range from $2,000 to $10,000. Informational sessions for interested grantees will be held on January 18 at 3 p.m. and January 26 at 10 a.m. via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/9452255403. The grant application deadline is Friday, February 18, and award decisions will be announced by April 8. Please contact Meghan Maceiko at mmaceiko@cfncm.org with questions.
The Community Foundation has established an advisory committee of community members to advise on the structure and distribution of the grants. The NCM Racial Equity Advisory Committee includes:
- Lucy Crocker Abisalih
- Steve Adams
- Ed Denmark
- Sheila King-Goodman
- Ted Lapres
- Sue Lotz
- Linda Mack
- Donata Martin
- Charisse Murphy
- Miggie Velez
- Leona Whetzel
About Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts
The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts manages charitable funds established by individuals, families, businesses and non-profit organizations. We help philanthropists invest in the communities and causes they care passionately about. For more information, visit cfncm.org.
Auditor Bump Appoints Leo L. Hwang to Serve on the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission
Hwang will serve on the AAPIC for a three-year term, after which he will eligible for reappointment
BOSTON - State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump today appointed Leo. L. Hwang to serve on the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission (AAPIC), a statewide body whose purpose is to enhance opportunity for Asian Americans, especially those newly arrived in the country. Hwang was sworn-in during a virtual ceremony and is one of three appointees made by the Office of the State Auditor to AAPIC.
"I am thrilled to appoint Leo L. Hwang to serve on the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission. Leo has a storied career in higher education and is dedicated to bettering public life for all residents. I know Leo will do incredible work in representing the AAPI community," said State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump.
Hwang currently serves as the Assistant Academic Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he assists students and colleagues with various initiatives. Previously, Hwang was the Dean of Engineering, Math, and Science at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA. Hwang has experience in higher education, formerly serving as visiting faculty at Mount Holyoke College, adjunct faculty at Westfield State, and other essential roles at institutions outside of the Commonwealth.
"It is an honor to join the AAPIC. I look forward to representing the interests of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders across the Commonwealth and particularly in Western Massachusetts. I extend my sincere gratitude to Auditor Bump for this opportunity to serve," said Hwang.
Established on October 29, 2006, the Massachusetts Asian American Commission (AAC) was a permanent statewide body dedicated to advocating for Asian Americans. With the name change (from Asian American Commission to Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission), the Commission's goal is to recognize and highlight the vital contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the social, cultural, economic, and political life of the Commonwealth; to identify and address the needs and challenges facing residents of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry; and to promote the well-being of this dynamic and diverse community, thereby advancing the interests of all who call Massachusetts home.
Hwang will be replacing Bora Chiemruom on the AAPIC. Bump's other appointees include Cinda Danh and Philjay Solar.