Westover Galaxy Community Council named Freedom Credit Union’s November Month of Giving recipient
SPRINGFIELD — Freedom Credit Union is featuring the Westover Galaxy Community Council as its November Month of Giving recipient, inviting members and the public to make monetary donations at any Freedom Credit Union branch.
The Westover Galaxy Community Council is a nonprofit made up of veterans, business leaders and community members dedicated to supporting the men and women of the Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee. Founded in 1988, the council strengthens connections between the base and surrounding communities while supporting military personnel and their families.
Money raised will help support events, programs and needs at the Westover Air Reserve Base in alignment with Department of Defense guidelines. Its efforts include supporting Westover Family Day, which welcomes more than 2,500 military personnel and their families, as well as outreach initiatives and the Great New England Air Show.
“Freedom Credit Union is proud to support the Westover Galaxy Community Council and its work on behalf of the men and women who serve our country,” Glenn Welch, president of Freedom Credit Union, said in a statement. “Our Month of Giving program gives our members and communities an opportunity to make a meaningful difference for local organizations and the people they serve.”
Monetary donations may be made at any Freedom Credit Union branch throughout November. Freedom Credit Union has branches across western Massachusetts, including in Greenfield and Turners Falls.
Tickets on sale for 2026 Women of Impact awards gala
LONGMEADOW — Tickets are now on sale for the ninth annual Women of Impact awards gala, hosted by BusinessWest. The event will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 8, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow.
Tickets cost $95 per person and can be purchased at businesswest.com/women-of-impact.
This year’s Women of Impact Class of 2026 honorees are:
- Eleni Barbieri, captain, Springfield Police Department.
- Jacqueline “Jackie” Charron, executive vice president – chief banking officer, Greenfield Cooperative Bank.
- Dawn Creighton, community outreach officer, Liberty Bank.
- Sonia Dinnall, superintendent, Springfield Public Schools.
- Nicole Polite, CEO, The MH Group; founder, The Becoming Initiative.
- Lidya Rivera-Early, executive director of government relations and Springfield partnerships, UMass Amherst’s Henry M. Thomas III Center at Springfield.
- Payton Shubrick, CEO, 6 Brick’s.
- Sarah Tsitso, executive director, The Zoo in Forest Park.
- Aletheia Woodford, executive director, Sis’ Place Inc.
In 2018, BusinessWest created the Women of Impact awards to honor accomplished women in the region. The women honored through the awards program have been successful, inspiring and impactful.
Charron, of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, has more than 40 years of banking experience. She was a founding partner of Walden Mutual Bank and was instrumental in launching the digital bank Zynlo. Since joining Greenfield Cooperative Bank in 2024, Charron has formalized the bank’s employee volunteer program and implemented “Networking for Good” events to connect local organizations with vital resources. She is also a mentor and board member for organizations like Girls Inc. of the Valley.
“Jackie is incredibly deserving of this recognition, and I couldn’t be prouder to see her named among BusinessWest’s Women of Impact,” Tony Worden, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, said in a statement. “Jackie brings so much to the co-op through her leadership, dedication to our community and the care she shows for people around her. This recognition is a true reflection of the kind of leader Jackie is, and we’re so fortunate to have her on the team.”
Double feature to celebrate life of Tim Curry
GREENFIELD — The Garden Cinemas plans to celebrate the life of actor Tim Curry, who died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80, with a double feature on Saturday, Nov. 7, of the 1985 mystery comedy “Clue” at 6:30 p.m., followed by the 1975 comedy horror classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 9 p.m.
Tickets for “Clue” are $9 for senior citizens, $9.50 for students and veterans, and $12 for adults. Tickets for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” are $20; Certified Rocky Audience Participation kits are sold separately by the Come Again Players.
Nov. 21: Grand opening for SunnyDayz Cannabis
SOUTH DEERFIELD — SunnyDayz Cannabis will host a grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The dispensary and marijuana grow facility is located at 105 Greenfield Road (Routes 5 and 10).
The event will include pop-up vendors, food trucks, music and more.
Dakin Humane Society names new associate director of development
SPRINGFIELD — Marla Shelasky has been named the associate director of development at Dakin Humane Society.
Shelasky will plan and implement strategies for all aspects of annual giving, donor cultivation and donor data management to obtain the financial resources necessary to support the humane society.
“Marla brings a thoughtful, relationship-centered approach to fundraising, along with a strong track record of strengthening donor relationships, improving fundraising processes and growing philanthropic support,” Director of Development and Marketing Molly Biechele said in a statement. “She will be a terrific addition to the Dakin team and we’re excited to welcome her.”
Prior to joining Dakin Humane Society, Shelasky was with Make-It Springfield for eight years, where she began as a communications and program coordinator before being promoted to development and communications manager. She was also a project manager at People, Places & Design Research in Northampton, an audience research firm that works with museums and cultural sites.
Shelasky, a Florence resident, earned a bachelor’s degree in illustration from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in artisanry/textiles from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
O’Connor named shareholder at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin P.C.
SPRINGFIELD — Attorney Andrea O’Connor has been named a shareholder at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin P.C.
O’Connor, who joined the firm in 2025, focuses her practice on bankruptcy, reorganization and workout matters, advising individuals and businesses facing financial challenges. Her experience representing both debtors and creditors, serving as a Chapter 7 trustee and clerking for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts gives her a broad perspective on financial situations and helps her develop solutions.
A magna cum laude graduate of Western New England University School of Law, O’Connor served as editor-in-chief of the Western New England Law Review. She earned her undergraduate degree in political science, cum laude, from the University of Connecticut.
‘Mister Roberts’ next film in series of 1950s movies
GREENFIELD — The Garden Cinemas will continue its “Nifty ’50s” film series with film and theater historian Jonathan Boschen on Monday, Nov. 2, with “Mister Roberts,” starring Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell and Jack Lemmon.
Boschen will discuss the backstory of the film, facts about its stars, technical details and information on its first Greenfield showing. Boschen’s introduction will start at 6:30 p.m., with the screening of the movie to immediately follow.
Admission is $11.50 for adults, and $8.50 for children, senior citizens and students.
“Mister Roberts” is a 1955 World War II-themed film that follows Lt. Douglas Roberts (played by Henry Fonda), a dedicated cargo officer stationed aboard the USS Reluctant. Anchored in a Pacific backwater far from actual combat, the crew battles extreme boredom while Roberts acts as a buffer between the long-suffering sailors and their tyrannical, petty commanding officer, Capt. Morton (James Cagney). While Roberts yearns for a transfer to a front-line combat vessel before the war ends, he repeatedly sacrifices his own desires to protect his men and secure them well-deserved shore leave. Rather than focusing on front-line combat heroes, “Mister Roberts” honors the men who served aboard non-combat cargo and supply ships during World War II, enduring routine, isolation and boredom while keeping the global military machine running.