FREE Holiday Entertainment Guide for your Western MA Holidays
The holiday season is upon us in Western MA and it is time for planning and preparing your holiday parties.
This FREE Holiday Entertainment Guide will help you with decorating ideas, recipes and even activity ideas to make this holiday season the best ever!
No matter how you spend your holidays in Western Massachusetts, I hope that it will be the merriest of all!
Happy Holidays from me to you!
Why do I need To inspect for radon in my new Western MA home? Hint: November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
The inspection period of buying a Western MA home is a critical point in this big decision, but it can also feel expensive and stressful. Due to that, many home buyers start to question if they really need to do all of the inspections they have rights to. The one that I get asked about most is the radon test.
Since radon is a naturally occurring gas, many people don’t understand why they need to be concerned and more specifically, why they need to test for it.
Why do I need To inspect for radon in my new Western MA home?
The National Cancer Institute gives these key points:
- Radon is a radioactive gas released from the normal decay of the elements uranium, thorium, and radium in rocks and soil.
- Radioactive particles from radon can damage cells that line the lungs and lead to lung cancer.
- Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is associated with 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
- Testing is the only way to know if your home has elevated radon levels. Health authorities recommend radon testing and encourage corrective action when necessary.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Many people think that lung cancer is a smoker’s disease, but 15%percent of those diagnosed every year never smoked, and more than 50 % diagnosed either never smoked or haven’t smoked in years.
The good news is that a high level of radon is a curable issue. There are systems that can be installed that will virtually remove the problem completely.
From the EPA’s Consumer Guide on Radon:
Radon reduction systems work. Some radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99 percent. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Your costs may vary depending on the size and design of your home and which radon reduction methods are needed. Get an estimate from one or more qualified radon mitigation contractors. Hundreds of thousands of people have reduced radon levels in their homes.
Here is a downloadable guide from the EPA where you can get a full education about radon testing in your home.
Dicken’s Days in Westfield, MA
A now nine year tradition, Dicken’s Days in Westfield are beginning! A true harbinger of the holiday season, Westfield, MA area residents have the opportunity to join their community in a variety of wonderful events that will put the spirit in your heart!
Santa’s House is already at Amelia Park where the area children can visit the jolly old fellow to share their deepest Christmas wishes!
On Monday, November 26 is the Lantern Light Parade.
Information from Westfield on Weekends on this event as follows:
Parade assembly in Berkshire Bank parking lot.
Caroling with the Westfield High School Concert Choir at 6:00 pm.
Parade with Santa kicks off at 6:15 pm.
Treelighting at 6:30 pm at the corner of Broad and Court Streets.
Reception in the Reed Room and visits with Santa in Lang Auditorium of Westfield Athenaeum, following the ceremony. FREE! Hot mulled cider and punch and cookies will be provided. Sponsored by the Athenaeum and WOW.
A Christmas Carol with the great, great grandson of Charles Dickens returns to Westfield, MA.
Sunday, December 2
Two Performances!
2:30 pm and 7:30 pmGERALD CHARLES DICKENS
in his acclaimed one-man showChurch of the Atonement, 36 Court Street
You can purchase tickets for A Christmas Carol online or at these local shoppes: Ezra’s Mercantile, 34 Elm Street;
The Seat Weaver, 71 Elm Street and Pilgrim Candle Market Place, 36 Union Avenue, and at the door.In between these performances Westfield on Weekends will host a fundraiser Victorian Tea at the Historic Sackett Tavern with special guest, Mr. Dickens himself! This is a special opportunity to enjoy the company of the actor, wonderful treats and the lovely ambiance of this historical home.
The Village Stroll, December 8th
This is a great chance to stroll through The District (and beyond) and enjoy local shoppes, craft venues, entertainment, special restaurant offerings and more! Here are the full details!
Royal Music Halls at Westfield State University
Enjoy a three part series of concerts at Parenzo Hall, WSU
Monday, December 3
The Festival Chorus under the direction of Allan Taylor
7:30 pm, Dever Stage, Parenzo Hall, Westfield State University, FREE!Thursday, December 6
The Westfield State University Big Band under the direction of Professor Ed Orgill
7:30 pm, Dever Stage, Parenzo Hall, Westfield State University, FREE!Saturday, December 8
The 2nd annual Royal Music Hall Winterfest
(A benefit performance for Westfield State music scholarships and VIPS Volunteers in Public Schools)
Saturday, December 8: 4:00 pm. Dever Stage, Parenzo Hall, Westfield State University
Tickets: $5 Reservations: 413-572-8323Dicken’s Dinner and Brunch
Enjoy a wonderful meal alongside the acting talents of Westfield on Weekends troupe of actors.
The Dickens Dinner
Thursday, December 13Doors open at 5:30 pm; Dinner at 6:00 pm; Show at 7:30 pm
Tickets include show and dinner and a contribution to Westfield on Weekends.
$30 Adults, $15 Children (12 and under)The Dickens Brunch on
Saturday, December 15Doors open at 11:30 am; Brunch at 12:00 noon; Show at 1:30 pm
Tickets include show and dinner and a contribution to Westfield on Weekends.
$25 Adults, $15 Children (12 and under)Snowfire!
Tuesday, December 21 at 6:30 pm
Amelia Park, South Broad Street, FREE
Puppeteers Cooperative of Boston and New York will be in Westfield for a community Snow Parade featuring their incredible Giant Puppets. Dress in white and help tell a tale as old as time. Then promenade with banners and bells in hand to the giant Snowfire for some caroling, cocoa, cookies and fun with the Westfield High School Brass Quintet.
A White House Holiday
November 26 – December 30
The Westfield Athenaeum, 6 Elm Street
Monday – Thursday, 8:30 am – 8:00 pm, Friday & Saturday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pmThanks to the creative Michael Chunyk of Fend Interiors of South Hadley and Holiday White House Historian Wil Stebbins, the historic Westfield Athenaeum sparkles from the cozy Elizabeth Stewart Reed Room to the grand Great Hall and the beautiful Jasper Rand Art Gallery. Inspired by the White House decorations of three former First Ladies, it’s a celebration of America that perfectly reflects a Washington tradition. Incidentally, while you are enjoying this Whip City version of the Holiday White House, stop at the Salvation Army and Athenaeum Giving Trees in the foyer and make this season brighter for less fortunate neighbors and/or our wonderful Athenaeum..
- The Jasper Rand gallery: Betty Ford’s “Vintage White Christmas, 1978”
- The Elizabeth Stewart Reed Room: Laura Bush’s “Green Room, 2002”
- The Great Hall: Hillary Rodham Clinton’s “Grand Foyer, 1996”
The Giving Tree
Giving Tree
November 26 – December 20
Two GIving Trees will be on display in the Athenaeum’s lobby One will be a Giving Tree we are working on in collaboration with Gail Legasse at the Salvation Army, which will have “ornaments” with the ages and gender and “wish lists” of kids being sponsored by the Salvation Army, so that those interested in buying gifts for kids in need can take an ornament and fulfill the holiday wishes of a local boy or girl. The other Giving Tree will have “ornaments” of items that the Athenaeum is in need of.Visit the day by day calendar of events here
This information comes from the Westfield on Weekends event page which will have more information as other events unfold.
2012 Real Estate Sales Update for Park Square Realty
