January 21, 2022

Regional Notebook: Jan. 21, 2022: Community Legal Aid names chief operating officer

BY Greenfield Recorder

Scholarships for medical students available

The Franklin District Medical Society, the local chapter of the Massachusetts Medical Society, is accepting applications for the Percy W. Wadman, M.D. Scholarship for medical students.

According to a Franklin District Medical Society press release, grants range from $1,000 to $2,500 and are awarded annually. The following criteria must be met for an individual to be considered:

■At least one parent or guardian must live in Franklin County.

■A letter of matriculation must be submitted from the medical school the individual is attending.

■A copy of the letter of recommendation from the undergraduate school to the medical school must be submitted.

Recipients will be chosen by the Executive Committee. The deadline to apply is April 30, and successful applicants will be notified by the end of September.

To apply, visit massmed.org/franklin. Or, to receive an application, contact the Massachusetts Medical Society West Central Regional Office at 800-322-2303, ext. 7715 or wcro@mms.org.

Community Legal Aid names chief operating officer

Community Legal Aid, a nonprofit that provides free legal services to more than 8,000 low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Massachusetts each year, has named Worcester resident Leticia Medina-Richman as its first chief operating officer. As COO, she will help oversee the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of Community Legal Aid.

With a rise in demand for services during the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Legal Aid has hired new attorneys, paralegals, case managers and support staff, and the organization now employs approximately 140 staff members across Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester counties. According to a Community Legal Aid press release, Medina-Richman will provide supervision and resources to other legal managers throughout the organization’s five offices in Fitchburg, Worcester, Northampton, Springfield and Pittsfield. She will also work as part of the management team on improvements and best practices in operations.

Originally from the Bronx, Medina-Richman graduated from Smith College and Northeastern University School of Law, the release states. She joined Community Legal Aid’s predecessor organization, Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts, in 1998 as an elder law attorney and later became a specialist in housing law, including landlord-tenant, foreclosure defense and housing discrimination work. In January 2014, she was named director of the Central West Justice Center, where she has overseen a growing staff of attorneys and paralegals in Worcester, Springfield, Northampton and Pittsfield.

“Becoming the new COO of Community Legal Aid is an exciting next step in my career,” Medina-Richman said in the release. “I am grateful to be part of this organization and look forward to helping Community Legal Aid and its subsidiary, the Central West Justice Center, to continue to grow and flourish.”

NAMI holding calendar raffle fundraiser

AGAWAM — The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Western Massachusetts is holding its second calendar raffle fundraiser.

Every day during the month of February, there will be a drawing for prizes, making for 28 chances to win, according to a NAMI newsletter. Even if you win, your ticket goes back into the raffle for the next drawings. Winners will be contacted and updated on NAMI’s website.

Calendars are available for $15 each. To buy a calendar, go to namiwm.org/events.

Farm Succession School postponed

GREENFIELD — Dates for the upcoming Farm Succession School funded by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) have been changed.

The three-session class will be held on Tuesdays, Feb. 15, March 8 and March 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the John W. Olver Transit Center. Snow dates are each Friday of the same weeks.

Originally scheduled to begin in January, this course has been postponed due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, according to an MDAR press release.

The cost to register, which can be done at conta.cc/3rB3OdV, is $100 per farm. Contact Shemariah Blum-Evitts at shemariah@landforgood.org or 603-357-1600 with questions. The registration deadline is Feb. 4.

Franklin County Bar Association accepting scholarship applications

GREENFIELD — The Franklin County Bar Association is accepting applications for the Thomas W. Merrigan Memorial Scholarship. The deadline to apply is April 2.

Two scholarships, each for $1,000, will be awarded to deserving high school students in Franklin County, according to a Franklin County Bar Association press release.

To qualify for the scholarship, an applicant must be a Franklin County resident, a senior in high school and in pursuit of post-secondary education of any kind. Copies of the application have been sent to all local schools. The application is also available online at franklincountybar.org or by emailing fcbar@franklincountybar.org.

When choosing scholarship recipients, the Scholarship Committee will consider academic achievement and quality of an essay. The essay prompt is reflective of the 2022 American Bar Association Law Day theme: “Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change.”

The scholarships honor Thomas W. Merrigan who was a zealous legal advocate, writer and believer in the importance of education, the release states.

For more information, email fcbar@franklincountybar.org or call 413-773-9839.

Heart & Vascular Health Lecture Series coming in February

SPRINGFIELD — As part of American Heart Month, Baystate Health will hold its free virtual Heart & Vascular Health Lecture Series next month starting with “Heart and Soul of Heart Disease” on Sunday, Feb. 6.

According to a Baystate Health press release, cardiologist Dr. Adam Stern and Rabbi Ken Hahn will lead the first lecture. Stern will discuss the latest research for prevention, including diet, exercise, stress reduction, blood pressure and more, while Hahn will talk about the power of spirituality to de-stress the heart.

The free lectures will continue with “Today’s Open Heart Surgery” on Feb. 13, presented by cardiac surgeon Dr. Daniel Engelman and Nurse Coordinator Cheryl Crisafi, who will discuss the use of technology to improve the patient experience surrounding open heart surgery.

The series will conclude on Feb. 20 with “Women and Heart Disease,” presented by cardiologist Dr. Sabeen Chaudry. According to the release, she will discuss the misconceptions about heart disease and heart attack symptoms in women, the impact of stress and the ways women can maintain heart health.

All lectures will begin at noon and will be followed by a question and answer session, the release states. Registration is required for each session by visiting baystatehealth.org/heart.

Festival of Trees grant applications due Jan. 31

Organizers of the fifth annual Festival of Trees, which was held on weekends from Nov. 26 to Dec. 11 at Aromatic Fillers in South Deerfield, are offering grants using the money the event raised.

Applications for funding will be accepted through Jan. 31. Those with a project or program, large or small, that will benefit Franklin County are invited to request an application by emailing festivaloftrees2021@gmail.com.