Member News
Members are welcome to submit news via email to for inclusion on this page. Member News includes such items as...special events, personal accomplishments or recognition, relocation information, change of position information, etc. We hope to hear from you in the near future.
Friday, March 12th 4:30pm Ribbon Cutting Ceremony @Yard House restaurant, Legacy Place, Dedham, MA
On Saturday, March 13th the Irish Cultural Centre of New England located at 200 New Boston Drive in Canton presents the 3rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Community Open House sponsored by WROL. The family friendly festivities begin at 1 PM and will include an inside look into Irish Heritage and Culture. For more information visit their website
Tuesday, March 16th 7:00-8:00PM "Avoiding Identity Theft and Financial Fraud" at the Canton Public Library, 786 Washington Street, Canton. Guest speaker: Detective John Ruane from the Canton Police Dept. Seating is limited, To RSVP, contact Nancy Levine at (617) 289-9441 or via email at
HESSCO Elder Services announced that Whole Foods Market Dedham recently donated food to make 50 emergency meal packages for frail at risk seniors in South Norfolk County. Walpole High School's Career and Education Program staff and interns were kind enough to take the food items and package them for distribution to seniors.
Congratulations to the Bank of Canton for celebrating its 175th anniversary on March 4, 2010. Bank of Canton has been a steward of the financial health and well-being of its customers and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 1835.
Needham Bank, a customer-owned bank with five branches throughout Massachusetts announces that it has established a Haiti Relief Fund with donations to be made to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. Donations can be made in person at any of Needham Bank's five locations in Needham, Dedham, Medfield, Wellesley and Westwood. Mailed donations should be sent to: Needham Bank, P.O. Box 920129, Needham, MA 02492 Attn: Haiti Relief Fund. Checks should be made payable to Haiti Relief Fund. The deadline for donations is March 31, 2010. The Bank will also hold an internal campaign for donations from employees. Needham Bank will match all donations contributed to the relief fund up to $5,000.
Rockland Trust Community Development III LLC announced today that it has donated $50,000 to the South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation, to provide business financial counseling and other services to lower income community businesses in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. As part of its $50 million New Markets Tax Credit award received in May 2009, Rockland Trust Community Development III LLC's donation will enable SEED to continue to provide financial counseling targeted to lower income community businesses and residents through group and one-on-one financial counseling workshops and sessions.
Santara Sen, Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010, is raising funds to help cover her travel in July of 2010 to compete in the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant. Since graduation from Bridgewater State College in May 2009, she has continued to work on behalf of children with disabilities at Challenger Camp in Norwood and also the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton. She hopes to go back to school for a degree in Early Childhood Education and become a kindergarten teacher. Donations can be made through their website at http://www.mswheelchairmass.org
Norfolk Adult Day Health Center holds a Monthly Support Group for Caregivers beginning January 25th at 10:00 at 595 Pleasant St. Norwood MA 02062. Their professional and experienced staff can provide respite care for the care-partners of those attending the group. Meetings are scheduled for the last Tuesday of the month at 10:00AM and held in the Center at 595 Pleasant Street in Norwood. This community program will be held on the last Tuesday of the month, and is free and open to caregivers of all ages. For more information or to RSVP, please call Michael O'Donnell, Support Group Coordinator at 781-769-4495. To learn more about other helpful resources, visit www.communityvna.com.
The Cooperative Bank is pleased to announce that Michael A. Ferrara, Jr. has joined the bank as Vice President/Commercial Lending Officer. Mr. Ferrara brings over 24 years of commercial banking experience to his new position. He began his career at Shawmut Bank and later held positions at BankBoston, N.A. and Fleet National Bank. Prior to joining The Cooperative Bank, he served as Senior Vice President/Relationship Manager at Sovereign Bank. Mr. Ferrara has extensive experience developing tailored financial solutions for clients across a diverse range of industries.
Christy May was chosen as the December RE/MAX New England Agent of the Month
Executive Chef Rich Garcia of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro at Patriot Place Foxboro was selected as one of the top chefs in the Boston area and prepared his chilled Westport Rivers poached oysters at the Governor's Ball held on December 17th.
Rentals Unlimited has been named the winner of the Tabletop Competition at The Special Event Show 2010 in New Orleans, LA. Proud to have been selected as a finalist for the competition, Rentals Unlimited was one of only ten entries selected as finalists from the many submissions received from across the globe.
Girl's Getaway Weekend April 9-11 at the MIT Endicott House. Click here for details about this and other upcoming themed weekends at the beautiful MIT Endicott House located at 80 Haven Street, Dedham.
With severe budget cuts, HESSCO Elder Services needs your help to earn much needed funds through Shaw's Community Rewards Program. When you shop in any Shaw's or Star Market in Massachusetts on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, Shaw's will donate 1% of your eligible purchases to HESSCO Elder Services. (Items not eligible for this program include prescriptions, Alcohol, tobacco, stamps, money orders, lottery tickets, gift cards, photo processing, milk and other items prohibited by law.) go to www.shaws.com and click on the "Learn" link (on top right of screen) and select "Community Rewards". click on the "Shoppers Login or Register with your Rewards Card" link Enter your rewards card number and phone number, then click on the "Login" link Click on the "My Account" link. Click on the "Add An Organization link. Enter our organization's Community Rewards identification # 49001018392.
Through February 26, 2010, Lifeworks is offering up to a 2 week internship paid by Lifeworks!
The agency will pay the prevailing hourly wage for anyone allowed to internship in a local company where they can observe and learn entry-level tasks. The only qualification is that at the end of the free labor agreement, the company agrees to spend a half hour offering performance feedback to enable the individual to more effectively seek meaningful employment. Lifeworks is a non-profit agency assisting people with developmental challenges in their search for jobs in the local community.
Your contact is Beverly Bass, Employer Services and Job Development Manager, 781-769-3298, ext 208.
Dedham Institution for Savings Foundation has awarded HESSCO Elder Services $5,000.00. This grant will provide necessary funding to ensure the availability of therapeutic meals to HESSCO's eldest, most critically in need and potentially jeopardized clients without restrictions.
G.T. Reilly & Co. has been named by Inside Public Accounting magazine as a 2009 All-Star Firm. For the seventh consecutive year, IPA ranked the firm as one of the top ten CPA firms in the nation in Human Resources for professional staff retention. According to IPA, "As a group, these firms represent the most stable, people-oriented firms with a focus on work-life balance". IPA measures over 300 firms based on a number of factors, including the average length of service of professional staff employees, employee turnover ratios, training opportunities and salaries. Inside Public Accounting is a publication of The Platt Consulting Group.
The possibility of significant changes in the tax landscape drew a capacity crowd to the 22nd annual year-end tax seminar hosted by the accounting firm of Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP. The firm hosted two separate seminars, in Westwood and Westborough, MA. Tax partner Michael Koppel, a nationally recognized tax expert, warned the audience of business owners, bankers and accountants that tax rate increases are likely to occur by 2011. Koppel noted that, historically, periods of high federal deficit spending are followed by tax increases. He also discussed the potential ramifications of the pending health care reform legislation on businesses, suggesting that a heavier burden on funding employee health care may fall on business owners. Attendees at the seminar also received a copy of Gray, Gray & Gray's "Personal Estate Inventory," a computer program which is designed to assist with estate and gift tax planning as well as provide a centralized location to keep current financial information. This program may also be downloaded for free on the Gray, Gray & Gray web site. Additional information from the Gray, Gray & Gray tax seminar is available by visiting: http://www.gggcpas.com.
Lisa A. Beauregard, CPA, has joined the accounting firm of Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP. Beauregard will serve in the firm's audit and accounting practice group. She is a former partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP, Boston, MA; and former Vice President of Corporate Financial Planning for Covidien. Beauregard started her accounting career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 1990, and was named partner in 2001. She has extensive experience in audit and accounting services for manufacturing, retail, distribution, telecommunications and professional services. Beauregard is a former member of the United States Freestyle Ski Team. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Boston College, and serves as a mentor with the Boston College Council for Women in Accounting and Finance.
Bank of Canton recognized by MassHousing as Top Lender in Massachusetts
After three consecutive years of being recognized as Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency's (MassHousing's) Top Minority Lender, Bank of Canton was also honored today as the Top Producer in the Commonwealth of MassHousing mortgage loans. In addition, MassHousing presented the Bank with the Top Lender to Lower Income Borrowers award at their Annual Award Ceremony at MassHousing's offices at One Beacon Street in Boston. "We're extremely proud to be associated with MassHousing and to receive such prestigious recognition for our commitment to making affordable home mortgages available to Massachusetts residents," said Stephen P. Costello, President and CEO of Bank of Canton. "Congratulations to George DeMello, Senior Vice President of Residential Lending, and his team for their outstanding level of service and outreach to first-time, minority and low-to-moderate income homebuyers throughout the state." For more information regarding the MassHousing mortgage programs or other mortgage products and programs, please visit Bank of Canton's website at www.ibankcanton.com.
Sole Woman One of Nation's First Total Reflexology Graduates
Recently, the Massachusetts Association of Reflexology was honored to have Dr. Martine Faure- Alderson of England, D.O. teaching all three levels of her specialized training, titled "Total Reflexology." Barbara Strassman, known as Sole Woman, has already completed her training with Dr. Martine. She was in the first graduating class, one of thirteen students in the United States, to finish this specialized program last year. This year Barbara attended the advanced level program again to further fine-tune her skills and to assist Dr. Martine. The specialized trainings that Barbara is trained in are: Reflexology for Cancer - Lymphatic Reflexology, Cardiac Reflexology and Cranio Reflexology. In June, Barbara will also be training at Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital in New York, so that her cancer knowledge and techniques may be integrated with the doctor's treatments of different cancers in a hospital setting. If you have any questions about how these treatments may be of value to you or a loved one, please contact Barbara at 781-7841-1955 or