Park Theatre Debuts Showcase of Talent Concerts
"Route 124 Showcase" debuts Saturday, April 9 in Jaffrey
JAFFREY, New Hampshire (April 5, 2022) Great talent is all over the region. Sometimes you know about it, sometimes you don't. And, sometimes you need to have a spotlight put on talent that needs to be discovered. The Park Theatre is putting that spotlight on performers with its new concert series called Route 124 Showcase. The roots of the series go back to the pandemic when the Park Theatre produced a series of online TV programs in 2020 featuring new talent called Route 124 Bandstand.
The new live talent showcase concerts will feature musicians, songwriters, singers, dancers, comedians, jugglers and more. The first Route 124 Showcase event will happen this Saturday, April 9 at 7:30pm on the Eppes stage at The Park Theatre.
The event will feature three music acts: Tyler Allgood (Psychedelic Folk-Soul), Leadfoot Sam Band (Blues, Funk, New Orleans influenced), and Off The Cuff (Jazz, Swing, Blues, Bluegrass, Rock, Folk).
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at theparktheatre.org, (603) 532-8888, or at the box office. The Park Theatre performing arts center is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, NH. The bar will be open for this event. The facility is fully accessible.
NOTE: Performers who would like to be considered for a slot on the next Route 124 Showcase can email the production team at programming@theparktheatre.org. Please include details about yourself, links to any videos of your talent, and contact information.
Park Theatre Prepares For 100th Anniversary Weekend Celebration
A weekend of concerts, events and more to commemorate the theatre's founding on May 1, 1922
JAFFREY, New Hampshire (April 4, 2022) On May 1, 1922, an Italian immigrant named Romolo Vanni opened a business in Jaffrey, New Hampshire that would make a profound and long-lasting impression on a little mill town. The business was a moving picture theatre. He called it The Park Theatre to memorialize its facing across Main Street to Jaffrey's downtown park common. Immediately it was a hit with people queuing up around the block to see Hollywood silent movies and occasional traveling vaudeville shows. For over half a century, it provided entertainment for the Monadnock Region and north-central Massachusetts.
The rebuilt from the ground up and reimagined Park Theatre that opened last August will celebrate the founding of the original theater with a weekend of events starting on Friday, April 29 and ending on the anniversary day of May 1.
The first event will be a concert featuring the 18-year-old blues sensation Veronica Lewis. A New Hampshire native, Ms. Lewis has sprung onto the music scene in a dazzling manner at a very young age. Her debut album hit the Billboard blues charts at #2. She is also nominated for two 2022 Blues Music Awards. The music industry spotlight is on her. The Park Theatre will present Veronica Lewis on Friday, April 29 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $24-$29.
The weekend's events continue with The Best Concert on Saturday, April 30 at 7:30pm. This concert features some of the best music throughout the Monadnock Region. Artists include the folk duo Green Heron, master guitar/percussionist Senie Hunt, and ragtime favorite Mill City Rags. Tickets are $20.
Finally, on Sunday, May 1 at 5pm, The 100 Party begins. The event will be a celebration of the 100-year history of the theatre. There will be special guests & speakers, historic exhibits, live music, dedications and more. Champagne and hors d'oeuvres will be served. A cash bar will also be available. This fundraising event ends with an exclusive showing of the #1 movie from 1922, Grandma's Boy. It stars one of the kings of silent film comedies, Harold Lloyd. The film will be accompanied on the organ by one of the best silent film accompanists in the nation, Jeff Rapsis. Jeff is well known in the region for his frequent and beloved silent film scores performed live. Tickets for The 100 Party are $50 each.
"We have a great and profound reason to celebrate the founding of this magnificent theatre. Romolo Vanni's vision 100 years ago was to bring the best entertainment possible to the region and to be a major contributor to the life and well-being of the surrounding communities. His vision continues for the next 100 years with the new Park Theatre," said Steve Jackson, CEO and Managing Director of The Park Theatre.
In honor of the centennial occasion, The Park Theatre has established a special fund to help outfit the remaining sound, lighting and rigging needs for the new theatre. Called The 100 Fund, tax-deductible donations can be made by going to park100fund.com.
Tickets and more information can be found at theparktheatre.org/100anniversary.The Park Theatre performing arts center is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, NH. The facility is fully accessible.
Seven Massachusetts Land Trusts Collaborate to Recognize Earth Day
The Millers River winds past Mount Grace's Whitney Memorial Forest in Winchendon, where Mount Grace is finishing a new trail that will open to the public on Earth Day.
Photo courtesy of Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
This Earth Day, seven environmental organizations in Western and Central Massachusetts are encouraging their communities to help save the land that supports us all.
The third annual "Give Back to the Land Day" on Friday, April 22, will be a 24-hour online giving day to raise funds for seven local land trusts that work to conserve trails, forests, farms, and waterways in Massachusetts.
Community members are invited to visit www.givebacktotheland.org to learn about the work of local land trusts and donate to one or more of the organizations. Generous donors are matching online donations made before midnight on April 22.
This year, North County Land Trust, based in Leominster, and Pascommuck Conservation Trust, based in Easthampton, will join the other land trusts--Berkshire Natural Resources Council based in Pittsfield, Franklin Land Trust based in Shelburne Falls, Hilltown Land Trust based in Ashfield, Kestrel Land Trust based in Amherst, and Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust based in Athol--to host the third year of this Earth-Day-themed online giving day.
"Pascommuck Conservation Trust is certainly excited about participating in our very first 'Give Back to the Land' fundraiser event this year," said John Bator, President of Pascommuck Conservation Trust. "Doing so opens new windows of opportunity, and by partnering with other local conservation organizations, we stand a much better chance to protect what truly sustains us--our precious natural environment."
Each of the seven land trusts that are part of Give Back to the Land serves a distinct geographic area in Western and Central Massachusetts, but often collaborate on projects that join their regions.
The theme of this year's Earth Day celebration is "Invest in Our Planet," stressing the power individuals have to make a real difference for the Earth.
"Our natural world is programmed for reacting and adapting to changes in the environment," said Anna Wilkins, Executive Director of North County Land Trust. "So if we are able to protect land and water resources now, and allow Nature to 'do its thing,' we will all benefit from the real and tangible services intact natural communities provide such as water filtration and retention."
The science around the benefits of conserving agriculture and woodlands, with regards to climate change, have become more and more clear.
By conserving valuable farmland, ensuring young and diverse farmers can access land, and focusing on regenerative growing practices, we create resilient local food systems in our communities that help the climate crisis while feeding our growing populations.
"Small family farms are the cornerstone of rural living," said Emma Ellsworth, Executive Director of Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust. "They connect us to the love and care that is necessarily involved in producing the food we eat. When we drink a glass of locally sourced milk, or bite into a tomato that was picked that morning by a familiar face, we are doing more than nourishing our bodies. We are nourishing our soul and our community."
"Forests help improve the air we breathe and store and capture carbon from the atmosphere. Western and Central Massachusetts have the largest blocks of unbroken forest land in the Commonwealth, and conserving these spaces is vital to our ability to weather the effects of a changing climate." stated Sally Loomis, Hilltown Land Trust Executive Director.
"We are reminded every day of how much we depend upon local resources for our food, clean air, and clean water. Much of the world is having to deal with the lack of these essentials on a crisis basis, and once the balance of nature is compromised, it is very difficult to restore," comments Franklin Land Trust Executive Director Tom Curren. "Here in rural Massachusetts, we have a golden opportunity to secure the integrity of our landscape...but we have to act now. This is the job of the local land trust; through your generosity we can play a role in protecting the land that sustains all life."
Events at Nova Arts This Weekend
Nova Arts is proud to continue in person entertainment at 48 Emerald St in Keene NH!
Friday, April 8, Charlie Chronopoulos will perform.
Born in Lowell, MA, Singer/songwriter Charlie Chronopoulos got his start performing as a guitarist in regional lounges and ballrooms, sharing the stage as a teen with classic acts such as Grand funk railroad, Cheap Trick, and the Doobie Brothers. He went on to produce his own indie records and work as a session guitarist for several multi-platinum and Grammy winning artists. In his latest effort, Dead End, is a stripped down compilation of songs that play out like short stories, centering around the lives of family and friends he witnessed struggling with addiction during his time performing in lounges in greater Lowell, MA. While the subject matter is often heavy, Chronopoulos writes with empathy, and a type of war humor that serves to counter the narrative of backwardness and poverty. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and music starts at 8:00 p.m.
Opening for Chronopoulos, singer/songwriter Helen Hummel hails from the green mountains of Vermont. Her music reflects the rural landscape of her upbringing and explores the styles of Folk, Americana, and Indie, among many others. Through classic and original songs, she fills out the limits of her vocal range, accompanying herself on bright and playful guitar.
Tickets for these events can be purchased on our website novaarts.org, under the event tab. Don't forget to get your tickets to this year's Thing in The Spring, 35 bands on two stages over four days.
Nova Arts is supported by and under the fiscal sponsorship of Arts Alive.
Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation to Hold Veterans Scholarship Breakfast at Great Wolf Lodge April 14
GARDNER, MA - April 6, 2022 - The MWCC Foundation is excited to return to in-person events this spring with the return of the annual Veterans Scholarship Breakfast.
Speakers will include alumnus Christopher Shaddock, student Andrea Giordano, and keynote speaker James Kopp a member of the US World War One Centennial Commission which established the WWI Memorial on the National Mall.
MWCC consistently ranks among the top colleges for military veterans, largely in part to the college's Veterans Center which provides benefit assistance and other supports to veteran students.
"The Veterans Breakfast is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the work our veteran students do here at MWCC and in the community," notes Robert Mayer, Director of MWCC Veterans Services.
The Veterans Scholarship Breakfast will be held on April 14 at Great Wolf Lodge. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at mwcc.edu/giving.
The MWCC Veterans Service Center was established to address the unique academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veterans transitioning from soldier to student. Staff are committed to providing military service members, veterans and their families with quality assistance and guidance throughout their academic career at MWCC.
This event is presented in cooperation with our sponsors Rollstone Bank & Trust, AIS, TD Bank, Baystate Savings Bank, Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Martino, Tracy Hutchinson, and Denise Gosselin.
Sheriff Evangelidis' Annual Senior Picnic Returns June 4
Worcester County Sheriff's Office to host annual drive-thru senior picnic
WEST BOYLSTON, MA (April 7, 2022) - Sheriff Evangelidis and the Worcester County Sheriff's Office announce the return of the annual Sheriff's Senior Picnic on Saturday, June 4, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at SAC Park in Shrewsbury. Please note, if you attended last year's event, this year's picnic date differs from what was on your ticket stub.
Due to last year's success, the picnic will once again be held as a drive-thru and feature a free car wash, BBQ boxed lunch, goodie bags, live music, giveaways, and raffle prizes.
The event is free and open to all seniors in Worcester County. Space is limited. Those wishing to attend must register by May 11, 2022.
"Our annual senior picnic is always one of my favorite events. As we continue to make progress in our return to normalcy, it will be so great to see everyone again and celebrate together," said Sheriff Evangelidis.
The drive-thru picnic is sponsored by the Worcester County Reserve Deputy Sheriff's Association and community partners such as Christopher Heights Assisted Living, Resinate, The Overlook, 1Worcester Homes, Jessica Albino Law Office, CareOne at Millbury, The Gun Parlor, and more.
To register, please visit reservedeputysheriff.com/senior-picnic-sign-up
For questions or to learn more about the event, please call 508-796-2638 or email dostiguy@worcestercountysheriff.org