Oscar-Winning Writer In-Person with Screening of On Golden Pond

Ernest Thompson joins Park Theatre screening of On Golden Pond for talkback and discussion of his new novel

JAFFREY, New Hampshire (June 23, 2023) Oscar-winning writer Ernest Thompson will be at The Park Theatre in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, for a special screening of his classic film, On Golden Pond, on Sunday, July 9, at 4:00 p.m. After the screening, Mr. Thompson will discuss the film and talk about his new novel, The Book of Maps.

On Golden Pond stars Katherine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Jane Fonda. It was released in February 1982 and made it onto numerous 10 best film lists for the year. The film won three Oscars; Best Actress for Katherine Hepburn, Best Actor for Henry Fonda, and Best Adapted Screenplay (from his Tony-winning stage play) for Ernest Thompson. Even though the family relationships and mortality story takes place in Maine, it was shot just 69 miles from Jaffrey, in Squam Lake, New Hampshire.

Ernest Thompson has written numerous films, plays, and songs and has worked extensively as an actor and director. In addition to his Oscar for On Golden Pond, Ernest's work has won two Golden Globes, a Writers Guild Award, a Broadway Drama Guild Award and has been nominated for a Tony, an Emmy and a British Academy Award. His plays have been seen in theaters around the world; his most enduring, On Golden Pond, has been translated into 30 languages and presented in more than 40 countries. Along with his writer wife, Kerrin Thompson, Ernest has established Rescind Recidivism, a prison writing program designed to give inmates a chance to feel creative as well as human, capable and worthy. He is currently on a national tour with his new debut novel, The Book of Maps. The story is about a father, a filmmaker whose luck has run low, who takes his ten-year-old son on a raucous road trip across America.

On Golden Pond recently had its 40th anniversary and has been remastered and rescanned for stunning video and sound. The film will be presented in the 333-seat Eppes Auditorium with its 27' wide big screen and 17-speaker surround sound. The event is a fundraiser for The Park Theatre.

All tickets for the show are $20. They can be purchased in advance online at theparktheatre.org or by calling the box office at (603) 532-8888.

This event is part of the theatre's FILMMAKER SERIES.

The Park Theatre is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, NH, just 95 minutes from downtown Boston.

Coming Up at Nova Arts

Join us at Nova Arts in Keene as June turns into July, with FOUR incredible shows featuring artists from around the country.

Friday, June 30, troubadours of animist, otherworldly folk rock and story since 1998, FAUN FABLES are known for exquisite, visceral adventures in song and live performance. Dawn McCarthy's voice opens hearts and minds from a whisper to a rallying battle cry into her mythical world, animated by the adventurous musicality and vocals of partner Nils Frykdahl (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Free Salamander Exhibit).

Western Mass band Christa Joy & the Honeybees serves up twangy Americana with songs ranging from classic honky-tonk to gospel-tinged country ballads. Joy's third album, "Get On, Heart!" was released to a sold-out Parlor Room in 2019. In 2022 the band recorded a new collection of songs at Sleeper Cave Records (Haydenville, MA), a live studio album set to be released in 2023.

Faun Fables will be here from Texas, and we are told that their ensemble is rounded out by their three children, all singers!

On Monday, July 3 we have Kyle Field, a visual artist and the songwriter behind the over twenty-year-old group Little Wings. Over the course of more than a dozen albums, he has written a classic cannon of songs that continues to gain listenership to this day. Working without the help of powerful record companies, the songs have earned their place viscerally, person by person, creating a cherished and loyal following around the world. Little Wings continues to release records at an incredible clip and shows no signs of slowing, the songs keep growing.

After touring three albums internationally with previous brainchild And The Kids, Hannah Mohan aka TOPSY, debuts her new collection of work. TOPSY takes influence from Canadian indie rock, Traditional Folk and Avant-garde Pop.

Thursday, July 6, we will welcome back Dead Gowns, the songwriting project of Geneviève Beaudoin. Her latest collection, the HOW EP (out Oct 14, 2022), is a confident declaration of self-acceptance. First penned during the recording sessions of a separate Dead Gowns full length in January 2021, these songs — urgent, necessary, and assuming a life of their own — rose to the surface. When a recording opportunity emerged, thanks to a grant offered by Portland, ME studio Prism Analog, the new collection became a reality. The ensuing record boasts a cast of good friends/collaborators, including Luke Kalloch, Peter McLaughlin, Nat Baldwin, Alex Millan, Aisha Burns, Ricardo Lagomasino, and Brett DesChenes.

On Eliza Edens' sophomore album We'll Become the Flowers, she seeks to understand what happens after the end. Whether grappling with heartache or a loved one's mortality, the Brooklyn-based songwriter reimagines endings not as finite events but as devotional experiences that give way to new beginnings. Edens takes inspiration from folk luminaries such as Nick Drake, Karen Dalton and Elizabeth Cotten, sowing her compositions with introspection born from her own grief. What emerges is a glowing collection of songs that serve as a map through tumult, toward hope.

Will Kindler has a breathtaking voice and supernatural songwriting abilities. He is also an expert on the Titanic and an astute gentleman of New Hampshire.

And finally, on Saturday, July 8, we've got an afterparty for Jamfest, an all day music festival happening in Robin Hood Park, presented by Gavin Key. Once that festival wraps, head over to Nova Arts to hear the captivating voice of Kimaya Diggs, followed by an encore set from the Matt Keller Band.

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

Celebrating National Teddy Bear Picnic Day

Local Church Group & Nursing Home To Host Teddy Bear Clinic & Picnic

(Athol, MA) - Expect to see a large amount of teddy bears at the Stone Church in Gilbertsville on Monday, July 10. Reason? To celebrate National Teddy Bear Picnic Day.

Teddy Bear Picnic Day is celebrated on July 10 every year. Almost every individual has had a teddy bear stuffed toy in their lifetime. They have been loyal companions throughout our childhood. This unofficial holiday is largely celebrated in Canada, the United States, Australia, and some parts of Europe.

Children of all ages and their furry friends are invited to join in the fun which will be held, rain or shine, at the Stone Church in Gilbertsville for their 3rd annual 'Fun Day'. At the picnic, children can bring their favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal for a "check-up" to be performed by volunteers.

The "clinic" will be staffed by employees from Quabbin Valley Healthcare in Athol, MA as well as volunteers from the Friends of the Stone Church it what will be their 3rd Annual Fun Day.

From 10am to 12 noon, children can get their stuffed pal an exam and have any needed "procedures" performed to bring their friend back in tip top shape. In addition, there will be Teddy Bears up for adoption at no charge, but those who adopt must sign an agreement to promise to care for their new bear.

Other activities include "teddy inspired" snacks and beverages, a reading of The Teddy Bears' Picnic, a book by Jimmy Kennedy, Teddy Bear paintings, mask-making, and sewing workshops all offered by local artists. Attendees may also sew on decorative hearts, learn to dance 'the teddy bear picnic march' and play other games.

Volunteer knitting mavens Marilyn Fischer, Melody Salvadore, Stephanie Star, and Sue Dougherty will join Friends of the Stone Church board members and local artists, Judy Kohn Cheryl Wolfe, Judy Knight. and dance teacher/choreographer Kathy McCrohon as they bring about this "Fun Day"

Amherst Residents, Mother and Daughter, Debora Bridges and Anika Lopes nominated for Commonwealth Heroine Awards by Rep. Mindy Domb and Sen. Jo Comerford

Bridges and Lopes honored by Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women for exceptional leadership

BOSTON, MA - Representative Mindy Domb (D - Amherst) and Senator Jo Comerford (D - Northampton) have nominated mother-daughter pair Debora Bridges and Anika Lopes for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women's (MCSW) annual Commonwealth Heroine Award.

Each year MCSW partners with state legislators to identify women across the Commonwealth who make outstanding contributions to their organizations and in their communities. These Heroines are recognized for their invaluable efforts and extraordinary acts of service. The 20th Annual Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2023 will be celebrated today, Friday, June 23, 2023, at the Massachusetts Statehouse in the Great Hall of Flags beginning at 10 a.m.

Bridges is a 6th generation Amherst resident who attended Amherst Public Schools and UMASS Amherst. She worked in finance for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health in Northampton and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in Boston for 25 years. Bridges returned to Amherst in 2019 where she took up the efforts of her father, Dudley Bridges Sr., to bring the Amherst Civil War Tablets into permanent public view. Bridges is now the curator and docent of the Civil War Tablet exhibit at the Bangs Community Center which lists her close relatives among the soldiers who participated in the military actions that led to the origins of the now federal and state holiday of Juneteenth. Bridges updates the exhibit regularly with new artifacts, photographs and historical narratives. Through her efforts, visitors and residents alike are able to share in the Amherst community's rich African American history.

"I would like to thank State Representative Mindy Domb for recognizing the work of my family," said Bridges. "For generations before and after me, my family has sought to share our stories, legacy and contributions to freedom, education, and the Commonwealth's success. My ancestors fought in the Civil War's African American 54th Regiment and also the 5th Cavalry. They traveled to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, telling slaves they were free on June 19, 1865. I am proud to have created and now curate the Civil War Tablets and Photo Exhibit to bring this history to light."

A 7th generation member of the first Black and Afro-Indigenous families of Amherst, Lopes attended Amherst Public Schools and college in New York City where she began a career as an internationally-renowned milliner and creative consultant. After returning to Amherst in 2019, she rejuvenated the initiative to find a permanent placement for the Civil War Tablets with her mother, Bridges. Lopes was elected to the Amherst Town Council in 2021. In 2022, she founded the Ancestral Bridges Foundation to center the neglected and lesser-known history of her ancestors who represent Black and Afro-Indigenous history of Amherst through arts and culture, educational programming. Its mission includes working in partnership with community members, town leaders, and descendants of colonists to respect local BIPOC history so that we as a community may move into a more equitable and respectful future. It strives to celebrate both heritage and potential.

"It's humbling to be nominated and recognized as a Commonwealth Heroine by one of my own Heroines, Senator Jo Comerford," said Lopes. "I hope this award will open doors for increased collaboration between our Ancestral Bridges Foundation and potential partners who are also dedicated to making the future better for Black and Indigenous (BIPOC) residents of the Commonwealth. We cannot change slavery, genocide, or other events of the past, but we can work together to build a better future for generational victims of such atrocities."

"I'm grateful to the MA Commission on the Status of Women for the opportunity to honor Debora's and Anika's combined contributions to our community," said Rep. Domb. "Their dedicated efforts expand our understanding of our collective history and give us a chance to embrace our shared story and move forward. It is an honor to partner with Senator Comerford to acknowledge the impact that Debora and Anika have had, and continue to have, in our district and in the commonwealth."

"I am very proud to join with Representative Domb in recognizing Debora and Anika's profound contributions to the Black and Afro-Indigenous communities in Amherst and beyond," said Sen. Comerford. "Thank you to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women for celebrating this powerful mother-daughter pair as 2023 Commonwealth Heroines."

For more information on the event and for the full list of Commonwealth Heroines: https://www.mass.gov/event/2023-commonwealth-heroines-celebration-2023-06-23t100000-0400-2023-06-23t140000-0400

United Way Food Drive Collects Nearly $30,000 in Food for Local Pantries

Over 600 households to benefit from drive thanks to community collaboration

Ginny's Helping Hand and St. Leo's de Paul Food Pantry collected donations from the April Foods Drive. From left to right, Joe Tammaro, Betsy Tammaro and Laura Burns from St. Leo's; Dave Bergeron from Ginny's Helping Hand; Brandon Robbins, Ginny's Helping Hand Executive Director; Crystal Nash from Leominster Credit Union; Judy Thomlinson, UWNCM Director of Community Impact and Missy Teken from LCU.
Photo courtesy of United Way of North Central Mass

FITCHBURG, MA: June 27, 2023 - The United Way of North Central Massachusetts (UWNCM) recently distributed nearly $30,000 worth of food and essentials to local food pantries for their "April Foods Drive." Running April 1- June 8, the drive provided critical supplies to 12 food pantries throughout North Central Massachusetts and is expected to feed more than 600 households.

The food drive is part of United to Feed North Central Mass, a new initiative run by UWNCM that brings together community partners to fight food insecurity in the region. Using the tagline "Hunger is No Joke," the April drive collected twice as much worth of food as the initiative's 2022 holiday food drive.

The drive was a true community effort, as residents donated non-perishable food through boxes hosted at nearly 40 establishments, including banks, grocery stores and libraries. UWNCM also provided family food staples such as peanut butter and oatmeal and worked with Leominster-based non-profit Growing Places to source a variety of fresh produce from local farms, ranging from carrots and potatoes to leafy greens and herbs.

Throughout the drive, volunteers picked up donated food from boxes, and on June 7-8, a dozen local pantries came to UWNCM to load their vans, many of which were completely filled. The drive sought to restock food pantry shelves during a time when many pantries are low on resources as they approach their fiscal year ends.

The Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center (MVOC), a non-profit based in Gardner, was both a participant and recipient in the drive, as they donated leftover Bombas socks from their clothing pantry and also received donated food items.

"This food drive came at a critical time in MVOC's pantry," says Stephanie Marchetti, Executive Director of MVOC. "Our regular suppliers have been low on shelf stable items, and since it's the last month of the fiscal year we did not have the funds to cover this gap. The United Way stepped up, coordinated with lots of great local partners, and we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that our veterans and their families will have what they need."

As part of the drive, Catania Oils, based in Ayer, ran an internal food drive, collecting more than $550 worth of food donated by employees.

"One of the fundamental principles embedded in Catania Oil's purpose statement is to make a lasting impact on the community. Our employees consistently demonstrate their willingness to support and uplift the community in various ways," says Annemarie Abdo, Vice President of Human Resources at Catania Oils. "As a result of the tremendous effort put forth, we were able to collect a substantial amount of food, reinforcing our commitment to addressing food insecurity and supporting those in need. Moving forward, we are enthusiastic about further collaborations with the United Way, participating in their upcoming community events. By joining forces, we can continue making a positive difference and fostering a stronger, more vibrant community together."

UWNCM will launch their next food drive in fall 2023 to provide food for the holiday season. Judy Tomlinson, UWNCM Director of Community Impact, says, "We are grateful to everyone who helped make our April Foods Drive such a success, including local companies, volunteers and generous donors, and we look forward to continuing to unite community members to feed those in need."

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.

TerraCorps Receives Funds to Make National Service Opportunities More Accessible

Selects Community Harvest Project as a Partner Service Site

Grafton, MA, June, 29, 2023: TerraCorps, an environmental nonprofit that runs an AmeriCorps national service program, has received multi-year grant funding from a private foundation to increase the stipend its service members receive by 44% beginning in August 2023. By supporting TerraCorps, the anonymous foundation hopes that the conservation career pathway established by the organization will become more accessible to a diversity of people who are underrepresented in the environmental workforce.

"The TerraCorps service model has proven to be an effective pathway for the next generation of leaders to launch environmental careers," says TerraCorps President and CEO David Graham Wolf. "Over 80 organizations in our sector have hired TerraCorps alumni and 75% of alums are currently working in a career directly related to their TerraCorps service. This funding will make TerraCorps opportunities more accessible to some people who otherwise might not be able to make the economics of national service work."

TerraCorps partners with a network of 40+ nonprofits throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island focused on community needs related to local land conservation and sustainable agriculture including land trusts, watershed councils, and community farms and gardens. These partners act as service sites for a new cohort of up to 60 AmeriCorps service members annually.

Community Harvest Project has been selected as a TerraCorps service site for the 2023-24 service year, which runs from August 28, 2023, through July 26, 2024.

Service members are paired with a site supervisor who provides guidance and mentorship while they learn to manage community programs and projects over an 11-month, 1700-hour service term. Members serving at Community Harvest Project will focus on community engagement and sustainable agriculture. CHP's Community Engagement Coordinator and the Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator will support CHP's mission to educate and engage volunteers to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for hunger relief in eastern and central Massachusetts.

The two opportunities available at Community Harvest Project are Community Engagement Coordinator and Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator. Both positions will contribute to CHP's mission to educate and engage volunteers to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for hunger relief in Central and Eastern Massachusetts.

TerraCorps members receive a $26,667 stipend (pre-tax), healthcare coverage, and may qualify for child care assistance, federal student loan forbearance, and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for satisfactory completion.

TerraCorps is currently accepting service member applications. If you are interested in learning more about how serving with TerraCorps will offer you professional experience and opportunity in the environmental sector, please visit terracorps.org/available-member-positions. For additional information about the opportunity to serve with Community Harvest Project, please contact Wayne McAuliffe at wayne@community-harvest.org Phone: 774-551-6544

About TerraCorps: TerraCorps cultivates an ecosystem of people and organizations that center community land ownership, access, and stewardship to support a diversity of interests that benefit human health and environmental sustainability. We value the power of local nonprofits to best understand and serve their communities. Our goal is to help them succeed by providing them access to the AmeriCorps national service model to build organizational capacity. The program is funded in part by a grant provided by AmeriCorps, a federal agency, and administered in Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Service Alliance and in Rhode Island by ServeRI.

About AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture.

About Community Harvest Project: Community Harvest Project (CHP), a 501(c)3 organization and Points of Light Certified Service Enterprise, is dedicated to engaging and educating volunteers to grow fruits and vegetables for hunger relief. Through their volunteer farming, education, and leadership programs they bring thousands of community members together annually. In 2022 CHP hosted 6076 volunteer visits resulting in 323,375 pounds of fruits and vegetables grown and donated through partnerships including the Worcester County Food Bank's hunger relief network, Community Servings, and Hector Reyes House. Community Harvest Project provided over 1,486,496 servings of fresh produce for individuals and families in need, who otherwise may not have had access. For more information about locations, programs, and impact, contact Wayne McAuliffe 774 551-6544 wayne@community-harbvest.org and visit www.community-harvest.org