New British Rom-Com Comes to Park Theatre

Lily James & Emma Thompson star in new film from producers of Love Actually, Bridget Jones' Diary, and Four Weddings & A Funeral

JAFFREY, New Hampshire (May 22, 2023) The producers of the new British import film, What's Love Got To Do With It?, have a knack for funny, heart-warming romantic comedies. Their past efforts include Love Actually, Bridget Jones' Diary, and Four Weddings & A Funeral. This new film stars Lily James (Downton Abbey, Cinderella) and Oscar® winner Emma Thompson (Howard's End, Sense & Sensibility) as well as Shazad Latif (Falling for Figaro, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). It is directed by BAFTA winning Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, The Four Feathers). The film comes to The Park Theatre in Jaffrey for a one-week run starting, Friday, May 26.

For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James), "swiping right" has only delivered an endless stream of Mr. Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath's (Emma Thompson) dismay. For Zoe's childhood friend and neighbor Kaz (Shazad Latif), the answer is to follow his parents' example and opt for an arranged (or "assisted") marriage to a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his hopeful journey from London to Lahore to marry a stranger, chosen by his parents, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.

What's Love Got To Do With It? is presented in the King Auditorium Screening Room at 6:45 p.m. nightly with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The theatre is closed on Monday. Tickets for the film are $10/$9. They can be purchased in advance online at theparktheatre.org or by calling the box office at (603) 532-8888.

The Park Theatre is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, NH, just 95 minutes from downtown Boston. The theatre's bar, The Lounge, will be open at 5:30pm with music from Bernie & Louise Watson.

Regularly scheduled programming resumes at Nova Arts in Keene on Friday June 2 with Winterpills and Tiger Saw!

Friday June 2 we welcome western Massachusetts stalwarts Winterpills, who, according to Jon Pareles of the New York Times, "gradually build elegant arrangements... While the gathered instruments offer some solace, the songs stay haunted." Over the past 19 years, the band has released 7 albums and numerous singles and EPs, has spent weeks both on the road and in the woodshed, and seems unwilling to relent. Emerging from the forced hiatus of the pandemic has given them a new perspective on their art. The restless Price released 3 solo albums during the unhappy break, but is back with a trove of new songs for the familiar alchemy to begin again.

"An ice-filigreeing-the-bare-trees sound, cold and achingly beautiful -- is what sets this group apart... downright glorious when the harmonies start, as crisp and shining as crystal." - The Washington Post

The New England-based Tiger Saw was founded by singer / songwriter Dylan Metrano in Newburyport, Massachusetts in 1999. Over eight albums, they've explored a beautiful, hushed, slowcore sound; indie pop sing-alongs; "basement soul"; and heartfelt Americana. Their most recent release, "Wet & Unlucky" is an album-length collaboration with the Arkansas based country band Dylan Earl and the Reasons Why. Tiger Saw is currently recording two new albums, including a full-length tribute to the late Ray Raposa, who, as Castanets frequently toured with Tiger Saw.

For all shows, tickets are available at novaarts.org/events or at Brewbakers / Terra Nova Coffee.

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

Sam Rameau, Race Team Honoring United States Fallen Hero at Lee USA Speedway

Sam Rameau
Photo courtesy of Kyle Souza

This Saturday, May 27, at Lee USA Speedway, Sam Rameau and the Rameau Motorsports team have a special reason to compete in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 175-lap race. The third race of the season for the group will take place on Memorial Day weekend, as Rameau and the No. 06 team honor Captain Ross A. Reynolds, a fallen hero who passed away in 2022 in combat.

While serving the United States of America, Captain Ross A. Reynolds, United States Marine Corp, was a MV-22B Osprey Pilot with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 261. He passed away in March of 2022 as a result of injuries sustained when his Osprey aircraft went down in the Arctic Circle in Norway. Formerly of Leominster, Mass., Captain Ross died March 19, 2022. He and his “Raging Bulls” squadron were participating in NATO training exercises at the time. He is a true hero who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.

The team will have special t-shirts in the pit area on Saturday at Lee and is hoping to see many of the local race fans and general public join them at Lee USA Speedway for this special event in New Hampshire. All NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour cars will carry the name of a fallen hero for the race. The event, with a Kentucky Derby theme, titled the Granite State Derby, will also have multiple remembrance ceremonies for fallen heroes during the day. Multiple Gold Star families are also going to be in attendance. Racing begins at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

"We're honored to have Captain Ross A. Reynolds on the car for Lee during what will be a special event," Rameau said. "As we celebrate Memorial Day, we must remember all of those who have lost their lives serving this country and also all of those who are currently serving and their families. It's very important to our race team to have a great run for Ross and his family. Ross and all others who have been lost and continue to serve are true heroes for this great country."

Saturday's racing at Lee USA Speedway includes practice, qualifying and the 175-lap Granite State Derby race. The main event is scheduled to go green at 7:45 p.m., live on FloRacing.TV. Advance tickets for the race are available at JDVProductions.com and will also be available at the track on race day.

For more information on Sam Rameau and the Rameau Family Motorsports team, visit SammyRameau.com and follow Rameau Family Motorsports on Facebook.

MA Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer Keynote for May 31 Climate Connections

A conversation with Melissa Hoffer, the first state level climate chief in the nation, will highlight the first North Central Climate Connections event on May 31st at the Fitchburg Senior Center.

The public is welcomed at the free event which will include:

4:30 p.m. - Film screening of Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000, an award winning documentary about the woman who led the cleanup of the Nashua River in the 1960's and 70's.
5-6 p.m. - Find Your Place to Help Resource Fair - an opportunity to learn about all the different groups in the region working on environmental and climate justice issues.
6-7 p.m. - A moderated conversation with Melissa Hoffer, Massachusetts' first ever Climate Chief focused on place-based climate initiatives such as those involving forests, farms, buildings, and communities.

Join us as we turn our attention to the positive opportunities for communities, organizations and people in the region to create a better future by working together - by sharing ideas that work and advocating together for good policies that affect our communities. Federal and state initiatives have made great strides in climate planning and funding. Now we need to focus on implementation in our homes, businesses and communities. Climate funding initiatives can help address community concerns including food and housing security, habitat protection, transportation, workforce development and mental health.

The event, hosted by Fitchburg Senior Center and sponsored by many local organizations including Health Equity Partnership of North Central MA (CHNA9), North Central Climate Change Coalition (NC4), Citizens' Climate, NewVue Communities, Fitchburg Access Television, Inc. (FATV), InTown Fitchburg, North County Land Trust, Nashua River Watershed Association, Growing Places, Keep Fitchburg Beautiful, J.U.M.P., Inc., SproutChange, Fitchburg Greenway Committee, Fitchburg Trail Stewards, Twin Cities Rail Trail, and Massachusetts Sierra Club.

This event is free and open to the public. TIckets are available via Eventbrite, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/north-central-climate-connections-tickets-629484153047

For more information: email Carolyn Sellars at northcentral.ma@citizensclimatelobby.org.

Senator Comerford to Host Eleven Office Hours in the District and Virtually in Spring and Early Summer 2023

Office Hours to be held in person across the district and virtually

Senator Jo Comerford, District Director Elena Cohen, and Constituent Services Director Rachel Klein will be hosting office hours throughout the district and via Zoom, beginning in late April through June 2023.

Senator Comerford and her team seek to be as accessible as possible to constituents living in the 25 cities and towns of the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester district.

All in-person locations are wheelchair accessible and no advanced sign-up needed. All zoom office hours require advanced sign-up to receive the Zoom link.

More information can be found here: https://senatorjocomerford.org/spring-2023-office-hours/

June

Friday, June 2 - In-person with Senator Comerford and Elena - walk-ins welcome
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Beals Memorial Library, Trustees Room, 50 Pleasant Street, Winchendon
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Petersham Memorial Library, 23 Common Street, Petersham

Tuesday, June 13 - Remote via Zoom with Rachel and Elena
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Comerford Receives Legislator of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Alliance for Foster Families (MAFF)

(BOSTON, MA) - On Sunday, May 21, Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) was honored at the 2023 Annual Foster/Adoptive Parent Recognition Awards Brunch by the Massachusetts Alliance for Foster Families (MAFF), the state's leading advocacy association working to promote and enhance the well-being of children in out-of-home placements and the families who care for them, with its Lisa Anne Jenkins MAFF Legislator of the Year Award for her work on behalf of children and for her perseverance in securing passage of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights.

Comerford accepted this award via video and spoke in celebration of the work MAFF does on behalf of children and families across the Commonwealth. An excerpt of Comerford's remarks is provided below.

MAFF serves as a partner organization to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. MAFF works to promote placement stability for foster children and recruitment and retention of quality foster caregivers. The Lisa Anne Jenkins MAFF Legislator of the Year award is one of the highest honors presented to a legislator annually. Find out more about MAFF and their work here: https://www.mspcc.org/maff/.

From Comerford:

I am truly humbled and honored to be receiving the Lisa Anne Jenkins MAFF Legislator of the Year Award. Thank you to MAFF, my colleagues in the Legislature, advocates, foster parents, and everyone who worked tirelessly for the passage of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights. I share this award with you, because our success would not have been possible without each and every one of you. It's my deep and sincere privilege to work in this area with you as a partner and to push to shape our child welfare policies in ways that protect and support foster parents, biological families, and our children.

I am immensely grateful to all who have shared their experience with me and pushed me forward as we drove together to establish clearer understanding and protections for foster families.

Comerford Receives Prestigious Caring Bear Award from the Providers' Council

Receives one of the highest annual honors for her dedication to human service workers and the people they serve

(BOSTON, MA) May 16, 2023 - Today, Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) was honored at the State House by the Providers' Council, the state's largest association of community-based health and human services organizations, with its prestigious Caring Bear Award for her proven dedication and commitment to the human services sector.

Comerford spoke at the rally about the important work of human services workers and how the legislature can and must do better to support this vital sector. An excerpt of Comerford's remarks is provided below.

The Caring Force serves as the grassroots advocacy branch of the Provider's Council with more than 31,000 members statewide. It works to secure better and equitable pay, tuition burden relief, and respect for the human services workers it represents. The Caring Bear award is one of the highest honors presented to a legislator annually. Find out more about The Caring Force and their work here: https://providers.org/the-caring-force/.

From Comerford:

Thank you to the Provider's Council, The Caring Force, and to all of you here today for the vital work you do to provide dignified and necessary care for one-in-ten Massachusetts residents – our neighbors who need and deserve your care and for whom you are a lifeline. You and your members, many of whom are my constituents, have taught me a great deal since I arrived in the Senate. All of your dogged advocacy is matched only by your compassion and dedication.

I am truly humbled to receive this honor. We must eliminate pay human service worker pay disparities. And we must bolster the recruitment and retention of human services workers by eliminating the burden of student debt for higher education. We can and must do more for you – who do so much for so many.

Climate Activists Say "Embodied Carbon" Escaping Oversight

Bill Eyes Emissions Reduction During Building Construction

Sam Drysdale | 5/17/23 5:44 PM
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MAY 17, 2023.....As Massachusetts moves toward its 2050 deadline to reach net-zero carbon emissions, climate activists had lawmakers' attention on Wednesday, proposing a new idea to reduce an unlikely source of carbon in the state.

A Rep. Michelle Ciccolo and Sen. Jo Comerford bill (H 764 / S 2090), introduced in the Legislature for the first time this session, seeks to reduce embodied carbon in buildings. Embodied carbon is the greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance and disposal of building and infrastructure materials, according to the Mass Climate Action Network.

MCAN says embodied carbon accounts for between 11 and 23 percent of annual global emissions, but it is rarely included in conversations around reducing greenhouse gasses.

"Everyone knows that in order for us to build and decarbonize our buildings holistically, we have to incorporate embodied carbon. But at the same time, nothing is being done -- very, very little is being done -- in our state to actually do that," said MCAN Interim Director Logan Malik. "If we're serious about meeting the urgency of the climate crisis and holistically reducing emissions from our buildings, we have to act on this complicated but necessary area."

The bill would establish a state advisory board to address embodied carbon, require the Department of Energy Resources to put forward recommendations and best practices for measuring and reducing the emissions, require a report outlining effective regulation strategies, and require the measurement and reduction of embodied carbon to be incorporated into the state's building energy code.

One of the highest drivers of embodied carbon is the energy-intensive process of creating cement.

Limestone is heated to extreme temperatures to create cement, a process that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This process is also usually powered by fossil fuels, creating additional emissions.

Michael Gryniuk, founder and principal at Boston-based structural engineering firm Cora Structural, said the limestone in the cement-making process can be replaced with byproducts of coal plants and steelmaking to create cement that is just as strong.

"Those products would normally just be landfilled, so it's like a double positive," he said.

Gryniuk said there's already an immense supply of these products that can replace emission-producing materials in cement production, but that they are finite and will eventually run out. He said new technologies will eventually have to produce these materials or come up with a new strategy when existing supply dries up, he said.

Jacob Savona, director of life cycle assessment consulting for The Green Engineer, Inc. based out of Concord, said that his clients have started to ask about guidelines and recommendations for reducing emissions from embodied carbon in buildings.

"We're seeing our clients who are major developers, architects, structural engineers, contractors in the Boston area, we're seeing their interests in reducing their embodied carbon growing rapidly. And I can tell you that they are constantly asking if there are any embodied carbon requirements in Massachusetts. At the moment, I have to tell them no," Savona said.

Even as the continued operation of a building releases greenhouse gasses long after its construction -- through emissions related to heating, gas and air conditioning -- reducing embodied carbon upfront would still ultimately lower emissions statewide, said Brian Sandford, designer at nonprofit architecture firm MASS Design Group.

"There are often design choices that may negligibly lower operational emissions, but have a huge embodied carbon consequence," Sandford said. "And as the new energy code comes into effect, we fear this problem may only get worse. The new energy code is great and will lead to buildings that are much better insulated, which is amazing. But that requires more material and ... may lead to buildings that emit an amount of upfront carbon that will never be offset by their operational reductions."

California, New Jersey, Colorado and Oregon have all taken action to begin addressing embodied carbon, Malik said.