This Weekend at Nova Arts

Friday, February 3, Nova Arts welcomes Murphys Blues and Friends as they take to our stage. Jim Murphy has been entertaining the Monadnock Region with his unique Blues sound for years. Jim utilizes his music to bring people together while creating his art. He's even made Murphys Blues and Friends a family affair with the bass being played by his son, Jeff. Come check out this exciting blues band; doors open at 7:00 with the music starting at 8:00! Tickets are $15; and are available on our website and at the door.

Nova Arts is supported by and under the fiscal sponsorship of Arts Alive, and is supported by the Putnam Foundation and the Osier Fund. Events take place at 48 Emerald St, within Brewbakers Cafe & Terra Nova Coffee. novaarts.org

"That Thing in the Spring 2023" at Nova Arts in Keene

Nova Arts is proud to announce the next Thing in the Spring, an annual celebration of music and art, happening May 19th through 21st in Keene NH. This year's festival, in its 15th year, will feature three distinctive days of music programming, across two stages within the collaborative space at 48 Emerald St, which houses Brewbakers, Terra Nova Coffee, Nova Arts, Billies + Tilli, Wakadoodles, Keene on Vinyl, and Feeding Tube Records.

This edition of the Thing in the Spring will also thread out into Keene with several readings at the Toadstool Bookshop, a sound installation at Deep Roots Massage, an art installation and an experimental sound lab at the Keene Library, a community instrument in Railroad Square, visual art at the site of the concerts, a city bird walk, as well as other opportunities to engage with a number of our partners and underwriters.

Friday May 19th boasts a who's who of louder punk and indie rock bands from around New England, headlined by Guerilla Toss (NY), Rough Francis (VT), Thus Love (VT), and the return of local legends Kendra. The show will also feature the recently reunited Boston screamo band Sinaloa, as well as Editrix, Landowner, TIFFY, and Sponge Head. A special fanfare courtesy of NH Opera on Tap will start things off at 4pm.

Saturday May 20th will welcome a list of some of the most impressive names in New Music, avant Jazz, and Experimental sounds. The Mali Obomsawin Sextet caps off a night which will also feature performances by saxophonists Zoh Amba & Caroline Davis, turntablist Maria Chavez, steel player Susan Alcorn, Kafari (ME), Caloric (RI), All Feels (MA), and Equipment Pointed Ankh (KY). The main event Reading happening earlier in the day sees award winning poet and writer Eileen Myles headlining an afternoon featuring John-Francis Quinonez (RI), Jasmine Dreame Wagner (NY), and Noah Burton (VT), with Abbey Meaker & Another Earth (VT).

Sunday May 21st, the entire weekend will come to a head with a very special set by Bill Callahan. Before the intrepid and prolific songwriter and guitarist, folks will get to also see sets from Laura Gibson (OR), Marisa Anderson (OR) & Jim White (AUS), Aisha Burns (TX), Wildflower (ME), Nat Russell (IN), Wren Kitz (VT), and locals Marisol Zilske, Guy Capecelatro III, and Dylan Patrick Ward. Nat Russell is also a poster artist and illustrator and will be responsible for the stage backdrops throughout the weekend.

Day passes, as well as a limited number of weekend passes are available now at thethinginthespring.com. The Thing in the Spring is a project of Nova Arts, fiscally sponsored by Arts Alive, and supported by the Putnam Foundation & the Osier Fund. Please visit the website for more information on the weekend as well as our great partners and underwriters who make it possible.

Celebrate National Unclaimed Property Day by Visiting Find Mass Money

Today, February 1, 2023, State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg and the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators are celebrating National Unclaimed Property Day...and you should be too!

One in ten Massachusetts residents have unclaimed money including citizens like Grant who recently discovered how easy it was to claim his money.

"I received a notification by mail that I had unclaimed property from another state that was handed off to Massachusetts," said Grant. "The past few years have been tough on everyone financially, so having extra money to put in my savings really helped me."

The Treasury is currently holding over $3.4 billion in unclaimed property. Treasurer Goldberg urges all citizens to check the comprehensive list for all amount at www.findmassmoney.com or call our live call center at 888-344-MASS (6277).

"Take a minute on Unclaimed Property Day to check your name like Grant did," said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. "Our team is prepared and ready to walk you through the claims process and reunite you with your property."

Unclaimed property includes forgotten savings and checking accounts, un-cashed checks, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, dividends, and the contents of unattended safe deposit boxes. Most accounts are considered abandoned and are turned over to the state after three years of inactivity. In 2022, Treasury processed over 151,000 claims and returned over $176 million in cash and securities to its rightful owners.

There is no time limit for a person to claim this property and, in many cases, claimants will receive interest. Searching for unclaimed money is always free by using FindMassMoney.com.

It's Not Just Bingo Anymore

Activity Professionals Celebrated by Quabbin Valley Healthcare

(Athol, MA) - If you were to look at the activities calendar in your local nursing home or skilled nursing facility, you would see that it's not just about Bingo. In fact, activities such as yoga, painting classes, Left Right Center and even happy hour are now the norm.

At Quabbin Valley Healthcare in Athol, the activities team incorporates the Six Elements of Wellness when thinking up the monthly activities calendar. Residents can then have the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of activities that encourage them to exercise emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual wellness.

"Pam and her team work hard every day to inspire and enrich the lives of our residents, and make the facility a more enjoyable experience for our residents," stated Kelly Sadler, Director of Nursing at Quabbin Valley Healthcare when speaking about their Activities Director, Pamela Hamberg. "They come up with new and creative ways to get our residents engaged, entertained, and offer socialization opportunities."

National Activity Professionals Day is observed on the fourth Friday in January and takes place on January 27 this year. It's a special day to recognize and honor all the activity professionals who care and provide active experiences for the residents in nursing homes around the country.

Activity professionals know that the absence of activity leads to boredom, depression and ultimately to declining mental and physical functioning. This dysfunction is reversible through engagement in therapeutic programming and enhancement of the activities of daily living. Activity professionals assess clients in order to develop and manage programs to assure that they function at their fullest physical, mental, social and vocational potentials.

"This is where our activities team comes in," said Mark Ailinger, Administrator of Quabbin Valley. "They make the lives of our nursing home residents so much better and more interesting. It's because of them that many long-term residents have good quality-of-life experiences."

To honor and celebrate the Activity Team, Pamela received a bouquet of flowers and the staff at Quabbin Valley presented each activity team member with a "Certificate of Awesomeness" and a gift bag with a tag that read "It's a real TREAT having you as a team member! You are awesome!" Inside the bag was a glass jar full of a variety of chocolates and treats.

DA Early Continues Partnership with IFB to Stop Insurance Fraud and Lower Premium Costs for Local Residents

WORCESTER - For the 15th year, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. is continuing a partnership with the Insurance Fraud Bureau to work to eliminate insurance fraud, an effort that helps reduce automobile insurance premiums for all drivers.

On Wednesday, Executive Director of the IFB of Massachusetts Anthony M. DiPaolo presented Mr. Early with a check for the partnership to continue in 2023.

The IFB calculates that the insurance fraud deterrence efforts have saved $28.3 million in losses in Worcester County, resulting in an average savings per vehicle of $48.

"We are proud to continue partnering with the Insurance Fraud Bureau on this effort," Mr. Early said. "These incidents of fraud impact us all, taking money out of the pockets of honest, hardworking citizens. Over the last 15 years, we've helped save millions of dollars in lower insurance premiums for Worcester County residents."

In 2022, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office prosecuted 22 of these fraud cases. The IFB provides an annual grant to help fund the investigation and prosecution of staged accidents and fraudulent claim cases.

IFB investigators, local police, District Attorneys and insurance company investigators work together to detect, investigate, prosecute and prevent automobile insurance fraud.