Headlines

32nd Bridge of Flowers 10K in Shelburne Falls

32nd Bridge of Flowers 10K; Female Runners Wanted
The 32nd runnings of the 2010 USATFNE Championship Bridge of Flowers 10K and Nathan Hale 3K in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts are just about seven weeks away.

The races are highly regarded on account of the area's scenic beauty, and the  Bridge of Flowers10K is famous for its short, tough, "Heartbreak Hill" at the 3K mark. The hill lasts a full kilometer - it's been memorably described as "Everestianic"! This New England Classic race starts and finishes right in the middle of the Shelburne Falls, so its figure-eight course design is very spectator-friendly.

This year the race organizers seek no fewer than 51% female runners, in order to match the US population. 47.6% female participation was reached in 2009. They've added a women's start area and short start chute, as well as women's t-shirts to help achieve this important goal.

Plan on being at the starting line in downtown Shelburne Falls on August 14, 2010 at 8:20AM for the 3K and 9:00AM for the 10K.

If you would like to enter, register today at www.bridgeofFlowers10k.com 

Back By Popular Demand - Facebook and LinkedIn

Per Members Request

Facebook - Thursday, June 24th and July 1st, Shelburne Senior Center, 5:30 - 7:00 PM, Cost: $10

Facebook I - Facebook now has over 450 Million members, and an average of 374,000 people join it EVERY DAY. What is Facebook and what's it for? Profiles, Fan Pages, Advertising, privacy settings and etiquette. 

Facebook II Fan Pages, Groups, Search. Advertising, FBML (web code) and Custom Pages. Facebook is a business tool that can reach millions of people and create a community around your brand.

LinkedIn - Tuesday, July 6th and July 13th - Shelburne Senior Center, 5:30 - 7:00 PM, Cost $10

LinkedIn I LinkedIn is the premier professional Social Media channel. It currently has over 75 million members. 80% of American companies plan to use Social Media for recruiting. 76% of them are on LinkedIn. We'll take a look at Profiles, Contacts, Recommendations and Search.

LinkedIn II Questions and Answers, Introductions, Groups, Companies and free Applications. LinkedIn as a focused, strategic tool to find and manage business communications. Questions and Answers, Introductions, Groups, Companies and free Applications. LinkedIn as a focused, strategic tool to find and manage business communications.

If people are interested, we can arrange for one or more seminars where participants can bring specific questions, problems or projects they are working on - it will be a way to get some of the benefit of private consultation in a cost effective way.
 

To register call the Shelburne Falls Area Business Association at 625-2526 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Hager's Farm Market Plans Expanding

Construction Begins
Hagers Farm Market is excited to announce the start of construction of their new addition to the existing market.  The addition will enable the Hagers to provide more space for local products, vegetables and a variety of other services.  A broader selection of baked goods for snacks and desserts will be cooked daily in their new kitchen along with an expanded lunch menu including on the go foods such as a sandwiches and salads.  A local beer & wine cooler has also been added for easier one stop shopping.

With the expansion and success of the market the Hagers have also been able to add more employees and will be open throughout the winter with broader hours.  A re-grand opening is being planned for sometime in August when the project has been completed.  The Hager Family would like the thank the community for their ongoing support and patronage throughout the past year.

Chamber Explores Alternatives To Open Infomation Center

More Information to Follow

It was with great regret that Franklin County Chamber of Commerce was forced to close the Visitors’ Information Center in Greenfield on February 1st of this year. The Chamber had just celebrated ten years of service to travelers in December of 2009 and had received nearly 1,000,000 visitors in that time period.  However, the operating costs were not sustainable without state funding and this was eliminated last October.  All nine of the centers built about the same time throughout Massachusetts and managed by the Regional Tourism Councils were also closed due to lack of funding.

Jeanne Douillard, the VIC manager, worked with a task force of some 12 people from various aspects of the hospitality industry to analyze other possible models of operation and we are most appreciative of their efforts and interest. The Chamber is still deliberating about the possibility of reopening and the Chamber staff and board are committed to exploring alternatives to the retail/information model that was a way of introducing visitors to the crafts and specialty food products that are a cornerstone of Franklin County. It seems clear that the retail component would not be part of a more volunteer-driven operation, which would keep costs down considerably. The Chamber recognizes the importance of services to travelers and the economic impact that results from increased spending at events, attractions, lodging facilities and restaurants. Stay tuned!
 

John Nisbet Facilitates Workshop For Local Businesses

Accomplishing the Work of the Organization, Productively

The following imagined conversation was prompted by the discussions at a series of workshops on this topic sponsored by SFABA in May.

Q: What does “productively” mean”?  Give me some useful ways to think about it.
A: A productive organization is one that is using appropriate resources in the right amounts – people, machines, supplies, time - to fulfill the organization’s mission.  The “mission” is the ultimate focus for work.  So it helps considerably if the mission is well understood throughout the organization.

Q. But just because everyone knows what the mission is doesn’t mean that the work automatically arranges itself the best way, does it?
A: No, definitely not.  Even with the best of intentions, work that is set up without considering the details of how the work should be done or who may be affected by it can turn out to be unproductive.  And unproductive can be very frustrating.

Q: I think I need an example.
A: Recently I saw an invoice sent from a vendor to one of its customers.  The layout of the invoice, and some of the wording, was confusing.  But the most frustrating thing was that there was no phone number that a customer could use to contact the vendor in case of questions.  That meant frustrated customers, which was surely not what was intended.

Q: That’s not quite what I expected . . .
A: Perhaps not, but it points out a couple of things.  No work is done in a vacuum; the output from one work unit (accounts receivable) affects other groups (in this case the customer – not all work is purely internal).  If the customer’s perspective had been included when the invoice was designed communication with the customer would have been significantly improved.  So, a core concept in productivity is to understand who is affected by your work.

Q: About that other example . . . . ?
A: Sorry, no more time, we will have to continue the discussion another time.

* * * * *

John Nisbet is the President of Kilcreggan Systems & Software, a consulting firm based in Shelburne, MA.  Kilcreggan advises clients in methods and techniques to achieve organizational objectives: definitions of tasks, procedures, roles and responsibilities; and optimal use of software to facilitate work and to provide information for measuring success. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   (617) 694-8125
 

Come to Riverfest June 12, 2010 in Shelburne Falls

From 2009...Hawk and Bird and Waggis Lead the Way

Shelburne Open Space Committee Sponsors Invasive Plants Workshop

Invasive Plants: Green Thugs in Your Neighborhood
Saturday, May 22, 9am to 3pm, Shelburne Center, MA

What is an invasive plant, why are they harmful to our wildlife and landscape—especially in a warming world-- and what can you do? Come to this forum to learn how to identify our most common invasive plants and a couple of new invaders, their effect on our native species, birds and other wildlife, and specific steps you can take to help control them.

The Forum’s morning seminar will be a repeat of the well-received program that Trustees of Reservations’ Highlands Communities Initiative (HCI) hosted in Cummington last year. This year, HCI is teaming up to with Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife and the Shelburne Open Space Committee to hold the Shelburne workshop, with many organization and agencies cosponsoring.

The Forum will feature presentations by:
-- Julie Richburg, Regional Ecologist with The Trustees of Reservations;
-- Heather Cupo, Horticulturist with Plant Euphoria;
-- Chris Polatin, Habitat Restoration Specialist with Polatin Ecological Services, LLC;
-- Cynthia Boettner, Invasive Plant Control Initiative Coordinator with Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Focal species will include the common invaders multiflora rose, Oriental bittersweet, Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard, glossy buckthorn and Japanese barberry. Japanese stiltgrass and mile-a-minute vine, two new invaders that are critical to control before they become established, will also be featured. Identification and best methods of control, including mechanical and chemical techniques will be covered. The morning seminar will be followed by a BYO lunchtime information sharing and browsing multiple cosponsor displays. An afternoon session will give you a chance to see garlic mustard in person and learn how to identify this relatively new invader that can impede the regeneration of tree species in our woodlands. Those wishing to spend an hour of garlic mustard pulling will be welcomed (bring gloves). Other hands-on workshops during the summer will also be offered, including one on Japanese stiltgrass which is invading Conway.

Location: In Shelburne Center at Fellowship Hall of the First Congregational Church; just off Mohawk Trail (Rt. 2) on Little Mohawk Rd. (on the right side). Free, but donations welcomed.

Schedule: 8:30--Registration;
9am - 12pm --Morning seminar;
Noon-1:00pm--Lunchtime roundtable discussions, displays and handouts;
1 – 3 pm-- Afternoon session--outdoor ID and garlic mustard pulling

Bring your own lunch. Light refreshments will be provided at registration and at lunch.

For more information or to register, call 413.268.8219 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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SFABA 2010 Spring Breakfast

The SFABA Spring Breakfast & Annual Meeting Well Attended 

(5/11/10) On April 30^th nearly 70 people attended the SFABA's annual spring breakfast sponsored by the Charlemont Preservation Society.

The SFABA conducted their yearly business and thanked Margaret Fitzpatrick and Susan Flaccus for their many years of commitment to the organization.  Sarah Holbrook from the Arts Coop, Amy Shapiro from the Franklin County Community Development Corporation, and John Baldwin from the Academy of Charlemont have agreed to join the Board of Directors.

Larry Shearer from Colrain was awarded the 2010 Marvin J. Shippee Community Service Award.  Larry was recognized for his many years of service on the Colrain Planning Board, the ColrainCommunityChurch, as a leader in local agriculture in the production of organic milk, as well as forty years on the school committee. “And now, at 80 years of age, he’s out clearing lands.  I’ve always been amazed how he found the energy to attend the meetings and keep up to speed with the necessary information after a full day of farm work,” said Tim Shearer. Larry was joined by his family including his wife, sons, daughter-in-law, and grandsons as he was honored for his contributions to the community.

The 2010 Scholarship was awarded to Ngoc Richardson, a senior at MohawkTrailRegionalHigh School.  Ngoc has been an inspiration not only to her peers, but to the staff and yes, her football coach! In the future Ngoc plans on opening her own clothing design store.  We wish her well in her future endeavors. 

SFABA & FCCDC Offer Important Workshop

Facts You Need To Know
Employee versus Independent Contractor

(4/12/10) - The state of Massachusetts has begun monitoring employers who do not classify workers properly and there are penalties for not complying with the regulations.

Kate J. Fitzpatrick, Assistant Attorney General from the Fair Labor Division of the Office of the Attorney General, will be addressing the issue of classifying individuals as employees versus independent contractors and what the law requires.

    * Learn how the state defines the difference between an employee and a contractor.
    * Gain an understanding of the employers responsibilities.
    * Become informed on the penalties for not complying.


The workshop will also provide information on fair wage and employment laws.

To register please call the SFABA office at 625-2526 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Payment can be mailed to SFABA, P.O. Box 42, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Cost: $10
Location: Buckland Town Hall second floor

THE MOHAWK TRAIL ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOU

Help us secure state funding for Fiscal Year 2011!

We are requesting your help in sending a letter to the Massachusetts State Legislature in support of line item #7007-1000 to request a $6 million appropriation for Fiscal Year 2011 for the Regional Tourism Councils. Last year, the visitor industry generated $250.7 million in public revenue through the room tax alone. As you know, the Tourism Industry continues to support over 128,000 jobs in Massachusetts from the food servers, tour guides, hotel employees, taxi drivers and so many, many more that are impacted by tourists who visit our state of Massachusetts, and it's extremely important that we secure funding for the upcoming fiscal year.

Read more: THE MOHAWK TRAIL ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOU