Brimfield Winery is the destination for June’s Fun at Five networking event! We hope you will join us at this very fun venue on Tuesday, June 14. Rita Schiano shares her wisdom and wit at our Brown Bag Seminar “Leadership Lessons Learned from the Covid-19 Pandemic” to be held at the Chamber office on June 7. Free to attend for Chamber Members. Give us a ring to reserve your spot! We are also thrilled to team up with Harrington Auxiliary and Oakholm Brewing Company for our very first DRIVIN’ IT HO(L)ME FOR HEALTH & EDUCATION CAR SHOW on June 11. Get all the details on these plus local news and events from our Members in this issue!

SAVE THIS NEW DATE FOR THE CHAMBER'S GOLF CLASSIC: AUGUST 18 AT HERITAGE COUNTRY CLUB!

CROSSROADS is our Members' platform to share their latest news with over 1,000 fellow Chamber Members and subscribers in our community. Thank you for entering your upcoming offerings on our Events calendar and emailing us your press releases, links and photos for inclusion in CROSSROADS. NEXT ISSUE: JUNE 15, 2022.

On May 17, we cut the Red Ribbon at Rapscallion's Sturbridge Pub! It was an ideal evening for the ceremony! Check out Rapscallion's new home at 3 Arnold Road in Sturbridge for the freshest brews in a very cool atmosphere! Don't miss this year's HopHead Fest coming to Rapscallion June 10-12! Here are some shots of Heidi and Cedric et al as the official red ribbon was snipped. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony rolled right into our May Fun at Five networking event. Many thanks to our wonderful Fun at Five Sponsor, Country Bank and everyone who came out to celebrate and network with us!

Register for Fun at Five by email or phone.

Call 508-347-2761 or email [email protected] to save your spot!

There are numerous challenges still facing businesses in the “new normal” of COVID-19. Managing these multiple challenges has left many of us feeling stressed, fatigued and wondering how best to survive and thrive during the unprecedented professional and personal challenges of our times. This session, presented by resilience strategist Rita Schiano, will focus on how managing energy and positive framing are vital leadership methodologies. Rita will address these and the skills and attitudes of resilient leadership necessary to get through these challenging times.

Rita Schiano is a resilience strategist and coach, speaker, and founder of Rita Schiano ~ Live A Flourishing Life™. A former corporate vice-president and small business owner, Rita's leadership knowledge, strategies, and insights draw from both sides of the aisle. Organizations use Rita to help staff build resilient leadership skills, manage stress, and improve morale.

As a personal strategic coach, Rita helps clients focus specifically on their most important goals, interests, challenges, and needs. She received her Strategic Intervention Coaching Certificate from Robbins-Madanes.

The author of several books, including Live A Flourishing Life, a stress management and resilience-building process workbook; the critically-acclaimed, semi-autobiographical novel Painting The Invisible Man, and Sweet Bitter Love, Rita has written numerous articles for The Huffington Post / AOL Healthy Living and is a guest blogger for Psychology Today.

Rita is an adjunct professor at The American Women’s College and Bay Path University and a past Professional Member of the National Speakers Association.

Learn more online at www.ritaschiano.com.

PLEASE CALL ALIX (508-347-2761) OR DROP HER AN EMAIL. THANK YOU!

With thanks to our Premiere Sponsor Lamoureux FORD

& our DJ Sponsor ColBro First Aid & Safety Training

The Chamber has 10 box seats available for the Worcester Red Sox game at Polar Park on Wednesday, August 17 at 12:15pm. FREE, FREE, FREE!

Our Promotions Committee is hard at work planning the schedule of Chamber happenings including FUN at FIVE networking events and the Chamber's GOLF CLASSIC. We are actively seeking businesses that would be interested in sponsoring these events.

Our event sponsors are given positive exposure and enthusiastic crowds that are eager to share the good word about your business with their friends, neighbors and business contacts!

If your company would be interested in being a sponsor for these upcoming events, or would like more information about sponsorship, please contact Alix at 508-347-2761 or email [email protected].

WORCESTER, Mass. – Cornerstone Bank, a community bank with 10 locations throughout Central Massachusetts, has pledged $5,500 to the 6th Annual Golf Fore Kids Tournament benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass and MetroWest. The tournament will be held Monday, June 13, at the Framingham Country Club.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization near and dear to my heart,” said Tallman. “The benefits of mentorship are monumental and seeing the relationships that form between ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’ is incredibly inspiring, as I’ve witnessed firsthand. All of us at Cornerstone are proud to sponsor the Golf Fore Kids Tournament, which helps the organization match more children and teenagers in our community with mentors.”

Registration for the Golf Fore Kids Tournament is open and sponsorship opportunities are still available. More information can be found here: bbbscm.org/golf-fore-kids/

Cornerstone Bank was formed in 2017, born of a long history of supporting the community, and providing a strong foundation to help people and businesses thrive. Serving Worcester County, Massachusetts, Cornerstone Bank’s local presence and community-based banking model enables a unique ability to deliver outstanding service, with a personal touch. Cornerstone provides the highest level of service and expertise for individuals, businesses, and community organizations with branch locations throughout Central Massachusetts. Cornerstone works to connect customers with opportunities, through a broad range of deposit and loan products, and services. Built on Trust is not just a tagline, but also one of our guiding corporate values. Whether a business or personal partnership, Cornerstone stands on the foundation that relationships are built on trust. To learn about Cornerstone Bank’s personal and business banking offerings, please visit cornerstonebank.com or call 800-939-9103.

BRIMFIELD – As Brimfield transitions out of another flea market week, it gears up for another annual treasure hunting event. Now in its 12th year, Brimfield’s Town-Wide Tag Sale is accepting registrations through the end of May, with this year’s event slated to take place on Saturday, June 4th from 8am to 3pm.

One of Brimfield’s few truly town-wide events, the tag sale is a fundraising event sponsored by realtors Karen King and Billie Jean Petrie of the Karen King Group. The event was started in 2011 to benefit Hitchcock Free Academy, a non-profit community center located in the center of Brimfield, and has been one of the organization, and the town’s most anticipated annual events.

Brimfield residents may list their homes on the official tag sale map for $12, and limited spaces are also available on Hitchcock’s lawn for $25. Shoppers may purchase a map for $2 on the day of the sale. The map will include a full list of addresses for participating households as well as a brief rundown of what buyers can expect at each sale. The map will also note any sales that will continue on Sunday, June 5th. All proceeds from registrations and map sales support Hitchcock’s mission to provide educational, recreational, and cultural programs for area residents.

Participants point to the many benefits of the event, such as broader and more advanced advertising than they are able to execute for a single household yard sale as well as the larger crowds and increased sales that a town-wide tag sale brings.

“Year after year sellers talk about how nice it is to interact with customers and the festive feel that a town-wide event creates as they let go of once treasured items with the fun of seeing those items off with their new owners,” says Cindy Skowrya, the organization’s executive director. “And for the buyers there’s the built-in affordable treasure hunting fun that yard sales offer with the added abundance created by the scale of the event.”

Registrations can be made through the event page on Hitchcock’s website or in person by visiting Hitchcock’s office. Maps can be purchased during the event at Hitchcock.

Hitchcock Academy is a community center located at 2 Brookfield Road in Brimfield serving the community with educational, recreational, and cultural programming. More information can be found at www.hitchcockacademy.org.

There are now three vacancies on the Sturbridge Tourist Association Board (STA). The STA is a 5 member board appointed by the Town Administrator with confirmation by the Board of Selectman (BOS). The STA works to promote the Town as a tourism destination in order to support the strength of the local economy and its small businesses, along with the town tax revenues for meals and hotel occupancy. The STA receives 16.5% of the hotel tax and uses these funds to market Sturbridge and also support local events that will attract tourism spending.

The two vacancies are designated as follows:

1.      One vacancy is for a town resident (Term: June 17, 2022 to June 17, 2024)

2.      The second is for an owner or representative of a hotel or a tourism related business. (Term: July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025)

3.      The third seat is for an owner or representative of hotel or a tourism related business. (Term: July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025)

Interested individuals can contact Terry Masterson, Economic Development/Tourism Coordinator at 508-347-2500 Ext. 1411 or [email protected].   All expressions of interest will be forwarded to the Interim Town Administrator for an interview, consideration and ultimate approval by the BOS.

BOSTON- The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) is asking the public to keep an eye out for the invasive pest known as spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) during the spring planting season due to the risk of egg masses being accidentally brought in on shipments of trees imported from other states. MDAR recently received reports that nursery stock from SLF-infested areas may have been sent to Massachusetts growers. Due to this, anyone who has recently purchased trees or shrubs or had them planted on their property, particularly maple or crabapple trees, is being asked to inspect the trunk and branches to ensure there are no SLF egg masses or any hitchhiking nymphs, and to report any finds to MDAR. Landscapers and plant nurseries are also being reminded to stay on the lookout for this pest.

“Spotted lanternfly is a tricky pest to deal with, because it can be so challenging to detect before it becomes established,” said MDAR Commissioner John Lebeaux. “With the potential impact of this pest on grape and hop growers, as well as pick-your-own orchards and other parts of the agritourism industry, we are asking anyone with newly planted trees to check them for signs of SLF and to report it if they find it, so that we can limit the spread of this pest in our state.”

In addition to the agricultural impacts it causes, spotted lanternfly has the potential to negatively impact outdoor activities due to the swarming behavior of this pest when the adults appear in the late summer. SLF egg masses are about an inch and a half long, and are flat and gray in color, making them difficult to detect, especially on tree bark. Because of this, any SLF may not be noticed until the nymphs hatch at the end of May or the start of June. The public is asked to look for small black insects marked with white dots. If grapes or tree-of-heaven are in the area, they will migrate to those plants.

Spotted lanternfly is a sap-feeding insect that has caused significant impacts to vineyards, orchards, and other agricultural commodities in states where it has become established. SLF not only harms grapevines, maples, hops, blueberries, and over 100 other host plants, but has been observed to impact outdoor recreation in other states where populations are high and adult lanternflies swarm in large numbers during mating season. If you see any signs of spotted lanternfly, please report it to MDAR at https://massnrc.org/pests/slf.

Photo: SLF egg mass on elm; Source: MDAR staff

EAST BROOKFIELD, MA (May 24, 2022) – Second Chance Animal Services’ popular Homebound to the Rescue program recently visited two senior living communities in Worcester to kick off their 10th year of helping to keep seniors and pets together. The program provides veterinary services directly to low-income senior housing communities at no cost to the pet owners. The program is made possible entirely by grants and donations including the many tribute gifts made in honor of the late Betty White. 

Anyone interested in supporting the Homebound to the Rescue program and all the other lifesaving programs offered by Second Chance can donate online at secondchanceanimals.org/donate/ or mail a check to Second Chance Animal Services, PO Box 136, East Brookfield, MA 01515.

PHOTO: Mr. Chico waiting for his check up at Coe's Pond Village.

Second Chance Animal Services is a nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1999.  Second Chance began as an animal shelter and grew to help more pets in need.  Today Second Chance operates Community Veterinary Hospitals in North Brookfield, Southbridge, Springfield, and Worcester providing access to the highest-quality veterinary care for all.  Subsidized rates are provided to underserved communities to ensure access to care for all pets in need. Second Chance helps over 40,000 pets a year through full-service veterinary care, spay/neuter services, adoption services, community & educational outreach programs, training, and a pet food pantry.  Second Chance is a 501c3 tax exempt organization. For more information, visit Second Chance’s website at www.secondchanceanimals.org.

Follow Second Chance on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/secondchanceanimals

Follow Second Chance on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/secondchanceas

The Midsummer Solstice is a long celebrated tradition. We invite members to exhibit their work in a showcase that honors the long summer days and the bounties they offer! We are looking for submissions of the mixed media nature, both 2D and 3D work welcome!

On the website, ruthwellscenter.com, under Calls for Art, there is a submission button, along with a membership sign up button.

(Up to two pieces per exhibitor) Submission deadline is June 10.

We will open the exhibit the day of our Mid Summer Festival celebration, June 18, 2022. This festival will be a fun day of live music, food, beverages, kids activities, vendors, food trucks - and the gallery exhibit opening. For more information, call 508-764-3341.

Last year’s Mid Summer Festival was a great day - and we hope 2022 with be even better. Vendors are also invited to sign up to sell their craft items, the website has a space sign up button.

This festival is funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

DAY OF CARING

Friday, JUNE 17, 2002.

Meet Spherion Worcester: Let's Get to Work.

Spherion is a staffing and recruiting company that connects local businesses to people looking for work. How can Spherion help you?

Administrative & Clerical, Customer & Contact Centers, Light Industrial, Non-Clinical Healthcare

Accounting & Finance, Engineering & Manufacturing, Information Technology, Hospitality

Flexible Staffing, Temp-to-Hire, Direct-Hire Placement, Workforce Management Solutions

A MEMBER OF WORCESTER REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Spring Fundraiser has been EXTENDED to June 15th, and we need your help! 

We are close and only need $3,000 more to reach our goal. We need YOU to help make it to $10,000 and kickstart land conservation!

By supporting the Spring Fundraiser, you will help with:

1. Reopening & permanently protecting the former “Sleepy Hollow” camp in Brimfield.

2. Conserving 147.5 acres in Southbridge & 115 acres in Hampden with public trails to come!

3. Planting 1,000 trees in Southbridge – an important urban project.

EAST BROOKFIELD, MA (May 31, 2021) – Second Chance Animal Services 10th Annual Charity Golf Tournament has named Robert White, partner of BourgeoisWhite LLP, honorary chairman of this year’s event. The July 18, 2022, charity tournament will take place at Cold Spring Country Club in Belchertown, MA, a world-class golf course. This year’s tournament will raise funds to help pets get the care they need at Second Chance Community Veterinary Hospitals located in Springfield, Worcester, Southbridge, and North Brookfield.

Since 2010, Attorney White has been serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Second Chance Animal Services, Inc., the third largest animal welfare organization in Massachusetts. “He spearheaded the inaugural golf tournament and has been instrumental in helping with the event ever since,” said Second Chance Chief Development Officer Lindsay Doray. “We are grateful to Rob, who has shared not just his expertise, but his passion for helping pets here in Massachusetts and beyond.

“Every day, Second Chance provides access to full-service veterinary care to underserved communities,” said White. “They go beyond vaccine clinics and routine spay and neuter, helping to keep pets with the people they love. Through subsidized rates, pets have access to sick and wellness care, lifesaving surgery and more. I am so proud to be an ambassador for this organization.”

Doray is encouraging golfers to come out for a great day of golf to help pets. “The need is great right now. Our Community Veterinary Hospitals provide a lifeline for pets here in our community. By offering subsidized rates to qualified pet owners, we are helping keep pets out of shelters and with the people they love. None of this is possible without the generosity of supporters so we’re counting on golfers to come out and lend their support.”

Golfers will be treated to a box lunch and banquet dinner, a bucket of balls for the range and a commemorative gift. Course and team challenges will include prizes for closest to the pin, longest drive, closest to the line, a yellow ball contest and more. The hole in one contest offers a chance to win a spa from Teddy Bear Pools. “Our golf tournament committee is excited to welcome Progression Brewing Company of Northampton and Fieldcrest Brewing Company of Wilbraham who will be providing tastings on the course this year,” added Doray. There will also be raffles and a small silent auction which will begin online the week before the tournament.

Second Chance is inviting local businesses to partner with them in the fight to end pet homelessness through access to veterinary care. The nonprofit is welcoming sponsors for the Second Chance Golf Tournament and is accepting donations for the tournament silent auction and raffle. Information on sponsorships and item donations can be found at secondchanceanimals.org/events/golf/.

Those interested in golfing can purchase tickets online at secondchanceanimals.org/events/golf/. Individuals and foursomes are welcome. Second Chance encourages golfers to purchase tickets early. Check in will be 9 am and the tournament will commence with a shotgun start at 10 am.

PHOTO: Second Chance Animal Services 10th Annual Charity Golf Tournament honorary chair Robert White.

You won't get this type of training with any online class. We follow lectures with hands-on training using stuffed doggies & kitties,

dog manikins and whenever possible a live demonstration dog.

The 2 most popular courses are:

Premier 8-hour class including CPR techniques, first aid skills, dental care, senior care and health & wellness information

for dogs and cats.

A 5+ hour class including CPR techniques, first aid skills, health care and wellness information for dogs and cats.

Does not include dental care or senior care.

Check our online Calendar (colbro.com) for classes held in Ware and use the class link to register.

Read the latest digital issue of Vocero Hispano on the News Posts Feed on the Chamber website. ISSUE 1679 - MAY 27 - Digital Version - Free For Members - Read Online

Reach the Hispanic Market directly with the #1 Statewide Hispanic Newspaper in Massachusetts. Email [email protected] to get started.

You'll also find webinars, online workshops and courses from Worcester Chamber, SCORE and MSBDC. Most are FREE! Got something going on? Please add your happenings, online or in-person, indoors or out, to our calendar or email Jack the pertinent info and we will share in the next CROSSROADS!

Please join us for this event which features a speaking program, salutes to area businesses and a networking breakfast.

Keynote Speaker: Carolyn Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, Saint Vincent Hospital Chief Greeter: Eric Batista, Acting City Manager.

$40.00 Chamber Members, $60.00 Non Members, $375.00 Reserved table for 10.

Please join the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce for a roundtable discussion with Sean Kelly, co-founder and COO at Solvus Global! LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

This one-day leadership development forum is presented by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and features amazing keynote speakers, a variety of educational workshops, and a day shared with 800 professional women from Central Massachusetts!

Now in its 13th year, the conference has grown to attract more than 800 attendees, exhibitors, and expert speakers on issues that most impact women, such as business empowerment and entrepreneurship, work/life balance, and career advancement.

SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Since 1964, SCORE has provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs. Check out these upcoming FREE live webinars.

In many cases, your website will provide the first and only impression an individual or organization has of your organization. It needs to be user-friendly, reinforce your organization’s credibility, and allow visitors to easily find tools on your site that allow them to complete actions that they value. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Pivot tables give you the power to digest and analyze large quantities of data, both to produce periodic reports and uncover secrets underlying your numbers. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

View Previously Recorded SCORE Webinars Here.

June 1   Federal Marketing & Outreach

June 7   Bulletproof Export Documentation

June 7   Basic Entrepreneurial Workshop: Business Fundamentals

June 9   Be Profitable Module 3: Market for Profit

June 9   Basic Entrepreneurial Workshop: Understanding Business Financials

June 13   Basics of Starting Your Business

June 15   Commonwealth of Massachusetts (State) Government Contracting

June 15   Balance Sheets, Income and Profit/Loss Statements: Understanding Business Financials

Visit the online calendar for more info and to register for these sessions and more.

COGGNO is the Chamber's 24/7 Training platform. Low cost and even free online courses are available for CMS Chamber Members.

Sturbridge, June 2022– There are plenty of fun, free events planned at the Joshua Hyde Public Library for the month of June. As always, our events and links can be found on the library website at www.sturbridgelibrary.org. For more information, updates, links, and events, you can also call the Library directly at 508-347-2512, and/or follow the Library on Facebook and Instagram at @sturbridgelibrary.

Rock-A-Bye Beats @ 11AM – Musical Program for Pre-schoolers. Sing, Dance, and get a little loco! Come ready to play with a diverse arrangement of musical instruments. Best for children ages 2 - 6, but children 10 and under are welcome. Registration is required!

Author Alec Carvlin @ 6:30 PM - Calling all cosmic chefs! Enjoy Massachusetts author Alec Carvlin's debut picture book, "How to Bake a Universe" & decorate cosmic sunglasses. Fun & funky science, Q&A too! Open to children of all ages with adult caregiver. Registration is required.

Genealogy: Researching Your Female Ancestors (Zoom Event) @ 6:30 PM – Researching your female ancestors can be a difficult task. The largely standard practice of changing their surnames after marriage can make women hard to track, and many historical records focus on men with women being listed only under their husbands’ names. This class will offer some guidance for researching female ancestors including information about sources that you may not have thought to check.

Essential Oils for Kids! @ 6:30 PM – Kids 6+ are welcome to join presenter Courtney Romero, a licensed massage therapist and intuitive/energy practitioner, as she shares the importance of self-care and how essential oils can be very easy and helpful tools. She'll explain how the oils are made into the products we can buy and the different types (pure versus therapeutic grade). Children will leave with a sachet or "air freshener" that they will create. Registration is required. Sponsored by Rotary Club of Sturbridge.

Teddy G’s Pub & Grille has announced it will be holding a day-long promotion on June 2, 2022 to benefit Team Hoyt New England, the non-profit organization inspired by the 40-year running career of local father/son duo Dick and Rick Hoyt and the younger Hoyt’s continuing involvement as an athlete rider.

Teddy G’s will be donating 20% of the proceeds from all meals sold on June 2 (minus tax, tip, and alcoholic beverages) to Team Hoyt New England, whose mission is to raise awareness of inclusion, educate, inspire, and enrich the lives of individuals, families and communities by pairing athletes of differing abilities in endurance events to promote the Team Hoyt motto, "Yes, You Can!"

Take a chance at Gift basket raffles! Door prizes! Team Hoyt New England branded items will be available for purchase, and representatives from the organization will be on hand to answer questions about their efforts to help those who are physically challenged in becoming actively engaged in the running community.

For more information about participating in Team Hoyt New England Day at Teddy G’s on June 2, please call (508) 347-1900 or (508) 347-9300 or visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/TeddyGsPub. For more information about Team Hoyt New England, visit their website at teamhoyt-newengland.com.

** Limited space available ** Visit this link for more info.

New venue and new time of the year. We are so happy to be hosting our Annual Wine & Beer tasting again with the support of Ted’s Package Store of Charlton/Webster. More details to come. venturecs.org/event/tasting2022/

Proceeds from the event will support people with developmental disabilities in our community and our new program for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

From Friday June 10th to Thursday June 16th, Fitzgerald Dance & Fitness will be having an Open House.

This will give the opportunity for anyone interested in trying out our studio for next year to come and take a FREE class and meet our wonderful students & staff! Please email Julie if interested [email protected]

Fitzgerald Dance & Fitness, 71 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA 01566, 774-441-0232, Visit Online: fitzgeralddanceandfitness.com/

Times: The Village is open 9:30 am to 5:00 pm

How did early 19th-century women see themselves? How did society view the woman’s sphere? How do we view their lives today? Join Old Sturbridge Village as we acknowledge and celebrate extraordinary and everyday women in the early 19th century. Stop outside the historic houses of OSV to learn about how women ran their households, managing the essential work of clothes construction, cooking, laundry, and more. Join interpreters in the gardens for talks on Indigenous plants, medicine, and discussions on the roles of women and children in gardening. Beyond the domestic sphere, we will explore issues surrounding gender, freedom, and rights occurring during the 1830s through readings of first-person accounts of the 19th century. LEARN MORE & PURCHASE TICKETS.

Wine festival, Food, Music, Fun! Click the graphic to check out the event details on Facebook!

We are so happy to be back with the best charity golf event of the year! Hope you and your team can join us for our 24th annual event. We will continue to update our details as throughout the season.

Golf with cart is $150 and contest passports are $30. Passport will gain you entry into all contests that will be held on the course and entry into our large prize raffle. Your entry fee and passport covers everything for the day.

Proceeds from the event will support people with developmental disabilities in our community and our new program for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Visit the golf classic webpage for sponsorship opportunities and to register!

We are currently looking to fill Server, Bartender, & Cook positions. Click here to apply.

Visit the Facebook page for the latest updates.

Looking for more local events? Check out our Facebook Events page for even more from our neighbors and friends! Click here to visit!