Tribute To Blues Great Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson Planned For Park Theatre

Acclaimed blues artists from around the nation coming to play at tribute on April 21

JAFFREY, New Hampshire (March 28, 2023) Born in Mississippi in 1939, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson played with some of the greatest blues artists of all time. Luther notably represented the West Side Chicago style of Blues. He was part of Muddy Waters' band from 1972-1980. He will always be remembered for backing John Lee Hooker in the movie The Blues Brothers. Luther toured around the world, but for the last few decades he has called the Monadnock region his home.

Sadly, on Christmas Day of last year, Luther passed away at the age of 83. A tribute concert is being produced by The Park Theatre. It is scheduled for Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.

It will be a night of some of the greatest Blues artists from around the U.S. coming to Jaffrey, New Hampshire, to honor a Blues legend who meant so much to so many. There will be performances from musicians Luther has mentored, performed with, and learned from throughout his 60+ years of the Blues. So far, over 30 musicians have agreed to participate in the tribute concert.

Net ticket proceeds from the event will go toward the creation of The Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson Memorial Scholarship Fund to provide funding for students in need who wish to participate in the musical arts.

"Luther was a blues master and a wonderful friend to The Park Theatre. Just after his first concert at The Park in 2021, Luther said, 'This theater is is my new home.' We are honored to present this special tribute concert and create this marvelous scholarship program in his name," said Steve Jackson, CEO, Managing Director of The Park Theatre.

Tickets for the tribute concert are $45 each. Tickets can be purchased by going to theparktheatre.org or by calling the box office (603) 532-8888.

The theatre is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, New Hampshire, just 95 minutes from downtown Boston.

This Weekend at Nova Arts

Nova Arts is honored to welcome two extraordinary musical groups to our stage. Cave In and the Apple Hill Quartet are coming to Keene this April. These two groups are the perfect example of the wonderful variety of bands Nova Arts brings to our community. Cave In is a heavy metal band, while the Apple Hill Quartet specializes in classical music. What a broad and beautiful taste in music that allows for exploration and exposure to art in our area; something that Nova Arts hold near and dear to our mission.

Friday, April 7, all the way from Boston, Cave In is a heavy metal band that also mixes in indie and progressive rock. The band has been around since the 90's and have enjoyed multiple revivals throughout the years. Most recently they came out with the album Heavy Pendulum in 2022 after the tragic loss of their bassist Caleb Scofield. This critically acclaimed album became the group's therapeutic process to help with the loss.The Guardian gave Heavy Pendulum a 4/5 stars and reported "With amps and FX pedals dialed up to 11 and riffs so gargantuan they blot out the sun, the likes of New Reality and Blood Spiller deliver pure metal machine music, and showcase the impressive, throat-shredding howl of new bassist and second vocalist Nate Newton''.. With such a fantastic reputation and amazing riffs, this band is not one to miss out on. Opening up the show is Thalia Zedek, an alternative rock musician that has made waves in the underground music scene. Her voice is described as beautifully weathered, and her extraordinary guitar skills have been what has kept her grounded in her musical roots as her sound has evolved. This show is standing room only, though some seating will be made available for those that might need it. Post and Beam Brewery will be doing a tap takeover as well! Doors are at 7:00 p.m., music starts at 8:00. Tickets are $25 adv, $30 day of.

Saturday, April 8, the beautifully trained Apple Hill Quartet will be performing a wide array of classical pieces that range from well known composers such as Johannes Brahms to 21st century composers like Tanner Porter. The Apple Hill Quartet itself has been described as "dashing and extraordinary" by The Strad Magazine, and we couldn't agree more. This quartet will offer their audiences a new way of experiencing string music as they share their skill. The Apple Hill Quartet has not only traveled around North America, but have made themselves known world wide. This group works hard to make chamber music accessible to all by offering educational opportunities to many. They tap into the beauty of music by making a connection with people of all different diverse backgrounds while spreading their message of acceptance and creative inclusivity. Doors are at 7:00 p.m., music begins at 8:00. Seating is first come first served. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at our website or 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

An Evening With GoldenOak

A Benefit Concert for the Ashburnham Conservation Trust & New Dawn Arts Center

Friday, March 31, 2023 7:00 p.m.

Potluck dinner before the show at 6:00 p.m.

Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/goldenoak-tickets-574678598157. Tickets $20 for adults, $15 for age 18 and under.

New Dawn Art Center, at 84 Main St. Ashburnham, MA is approaching its second year working to enliven and unite the community around the arts through programming that makes arts education, appreciation, practice, and presentation accessible and available to the broader community.

About GoldenOak
GoldenOak's music is rooted in the natural landscape--their songs move like a stream, meandering and weaving in an original yet grounding direction. Fronted by siblings Zak and Lena Kendall GoldenOak's music calmly excites its listeners while nestled in rich folk-influenced sibling harmony. The Maine-based band has built a steady and growing fan base with this kind of energetic intimacy. This is perfectly represented in the group's latest album "Room to Grow"--A 10-song reflection of the emotional and physical impacts of the climate crisis. The band is rounded out by up-right bassist Mike Knowles and Drummer Jackson Cromwell.

Website: https://www.goldenoakband.com/
Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zftKZX45TDc
Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q21gvueCQc&t=4s
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5H5V1QXY7qIG8aM56LobT6
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/room-to-grow/1556994414

Senate Passes Legislation Authorizing Chapter 90 Funding

(BOSTON - 03/30/2023) The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday passed a bill that includes $350 million in bond authorizations for transportation needs across the state, including $200 million for the state's Chapter 90 program, which provides municipalities with a reliable funding source for transportation-related improvements, including road and bridge repairs.

"This legislation will maintain and improve our state's infrastructure, ensure that residents have safe and reliable transportation options, and support sustainable, regionally equitable economic development in communities across the Commonwealth," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "I'd like to thank Senator Crighton for his work in crafting this legislation, Senator Kennedy for his help in advancing it, and all of my Senate colleagues for working collaboratively to ensure the transportation needs of our cities and towns are addressed in a regionally equitable manner."

"Our transportation system is the backbone of our Commonwealth, connecting us to our jobs, families, and communities," said Senator Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn), Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation. "This investment is not just an investment in infrastructure, but an investment in the future of our Commonwealth, enabling our cities and towns to make the necessary improvements to promote efficient and safe travel for all."

"I'm pleased to see this crucial investment in the Commonwealth's roads and bridges move towards fruition," said Senator Edward J. Kennedy (D-Lowell), Chair of the Senate Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. "The cities and towns of Massachusetts depend on this necessary funding to maintain their transportation infrastructure."

This legislation also authorizes $150 million in programs that will assist municipalities with various transportation-related projects. This includes $25 million for each of the following:

the municipal small bridge program;
the complete streets program;
a bus transit infrastructure program;
grants to increase access to mass transit and commuter rail stations;
grants for municipalities and regional transit authorities to purchase electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them;
and new funding dedicated to additional transportation support based on road milage, which is particularly helpful for rural communities.

"By dedicating a $25 million fund to rural communities for road and culvert work, the Senate has once again demonstrated a commitment to regional equity," said Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). "Rural towns do not have large municipal budgets like some Commonwealth cities, yet with much smaller municipal budgets, they have been expected to maintain many hundreds more miles of roads than their urban counterparts. They have culverts in need of repair and a significant number of gravel and dirt roads. This rural program recognizes and begins to address these pressing, inequitable realities for rural communities and I'm deeply grateful."

"Today's bill includes $25 million that is intended to help our most rural communities that are consistently struggling to keep afloat financially," said Senator Paul W. Mark (D-Becket). "In a district of 57 cities and towns, 54 of which have populations of fewer than 10,000 people, and in some cases communities as small as 120 residents, we live firsthand every day how difficult it can be to undertake road repairs, invest in new equipment, or have our voice heard in Boston. I am grateful to the Senate President, the Chair of Ways and Means, and the Chair of Transportation for the time they have taken to visit rural communities in my district, work collaboratively with me and our rural caucus members, and deliver for our small towns in a way that will produce tangible benefits and results this calendar year."

A different version having previously been passed in the House of Representatives, the two chambers will now reconcile differences before sending the bill to the Governor's desk.

Special Commission gets more time to Change the Flag and Seal

(March 30, 2023) - Today, on the day when the Vatican finally bowed to the demands of Indigenous People of the western hemisphere and formally repudiated the infamous Doctrine of Discovery, we are happy to announce that Governor Maura Healey has signed legislation that will give the Special Commission on the Official Flag and Seal of the Commonwealth eight more months to complete their work: to recommend a new seal and motto for Massachusetts.

The Special Commission, appointed by former governor Charles Baker in 2021 following unanimous action by the legislature, saw its mandate run out on December 31st of last year. It has been in limbo for the last three months.

After failing to provide any funding to the commission in 2021, the legislature, in mid-November of last year, gave the special commission $100,000 to work with to pay for public polling on new design elements and to solicit artwork for a new state seal and motto.

That money remains available to the special commission to spend until 2025.

However, late last year, the legislature neglected to grant an extension on the December 31st, 2022 deadline by which the special commission was supposed to have completed its work.

The commission finally had the funds it needed, but no time to finish its work in an orderly fashion.

That unfortunate set of circumstances has now been corrected with a line item inserted into the supplemental budget bill signed by Gov. Healey yesterday.

Special commission co-chair Brian Boyles said today that he has reached out to the other members of the special commission to let them know they have the needed extension to resume their work, and to take the steps necessary to bring a recommendation for a new design for the flag, seal and motto of the Commonwealth to the legislature for action, by November 15th, 2023. It will be up to the legislature to actually change the flag and seal, and we need to keep the pressure on the legislature to get this done.

The special commission, which includes six leaders of Indigenous nations of the area we now know as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, agreed to unanimous findings in December of last year that the present state symbol is causing harm and needs to be totally revised.

Fifty seven cities and towns in Massachusetts have taken formal votes in support of changing the flag and seal of Massachusetts. At least two dozen more cities and towns are preparing to vote this spring on a resolution in support of a new flag and seal that better represents harmonious relations between all the people who now call the Commonwealth their home.

Looking back over centuries of genocide, land theft, forced removal of Indigenous children to boarding schools, and the ongoing oppression of Indigenous peoples, we can take small comfort that the voices of the First Nations of this hemisphere are finally being listened to on Beacon Hill and in the Vatican.

Today, March 30th, 2023, the Vatican finally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, which provided the US Supreme Court cover in 1823 to dispossess the Cherokee Nation--and many other Native Nations since--of their lands, in complete disregard of outstanding treaties signed by the US Congress.

The Doctrine of Discovery was cited by the US Supreme Court as recently as 2005.

It was first enunciated in the 15th century in the form of papal bulls maintaining that the "principle of discovery gave European nations an absolute right to New World lands," despite the fact that these lands were already occupied, for thousands of years, by the Indigenous people who live here still.

Today, Massachusetts also takes a small and long overdue step to right historic wrongs by agreeing to continue the consultation with Native Nations of the area now known as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on a new design for a seal and motto to represent the ideals of peace, justice, equity and inclusion for all the people of this land.

This is a very small step, but a necessary one, with more substantive measures such as land back yet to come.

To get involved in the grassroots effort to change the flag and seal, check the map on the homepage of this website to see if there is upcoming action in your city or town, or use the “contact us” link on the homepage to get in touch.

To view the recent inspirational presentation on the effort to change the flag and seal given to the Partnership of Historic Bostons by special commission members Elizabeth Solomon of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag and Brittney Walley of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Tribe, here's the recording: https://historicbostons.org/events

For more information on the timeline extension granted to the Special Commission this week, read this news article:

https://apnews.com/article/native-americans-racism-massachusetts-motto-seal-flag-b647243647f302264add606ab87e379c