Prom season should be a happy time for teens. It’s a season that should be filled with beautiful dresses, tuxedos, and flowers. Unfortunately, we too often hear of fatal auto crashes occurring that could have been prevented. Prom season is unfortunately the peak season for fatal automobile crashes among teens, and all too often they these crashes involve alcohol. Maybe you’ve seen the mangled cars that a Police department will place in the front of an area high school to remind students not to drink and drive.

The number one killer of teenagers ages 15-20 is auto crashes due to both impaired and distracted driving according to Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone. That statistic is scary enough, but prom season amplifies the danger. Below are some tips for parents to protect the teen you love this prom season.

• Have some faith in your child and make sure your teen knows that you trust them to make the right decisions.
• Don’t try to be the “cool” parent.
• Know where your child is going and who they’ll be with.
• Consider renting a limo or offering for a sibling or family friend to give a ride. It’s best to not have your teen driving this night.
• Stay awake to greet your child when they get home.
• Make sure that your child knows they can ALWAYS call you for a safe ride and give them extra money for a taxi just in case. This is a small price to pay for getting your teen home alive. Be sure that your teen knows that regardless of the trouble they may get in, they can always call you and that you won’t be upset but rather happy that they made the call.
• Make sure your teen has their cell phone charged and ready to go. Call or drop a quick text to check in every so often.

For more information about this topic, or to get some answers about your current insurance situation, please visit our virtual insurance agency at www.berryinsurance.com, stop by one of our two locations, or give us a call at (800) 941-3317.

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Franklin Food Pantry building in downtown Franklin, Massachusetts. Photo taken by Amanda Spittell and edited with Instagram.

Taking a walk through the Franklin Food Pantry last week really hit home for me, people are struggling and need help to make ends meet. It’s scary to think the number of local families that can’t afford the basic necessities, and the economy is only making things progressively worse. The Pantry needs the help of local businesses, residents, and anyone else that can lend a helping hand; the numbers of families in need of the Pantry’s services are growing by the year.

Linda, the Pantry Director, was so proud to talk about the inspiring local businesses that continue to donate year after year. Many locals, including Berry Insurance, donated funds to the printing of The Pantry Cookbook which is the Panty’s way of promoting healthy eating and living to their clients. Whether it’s (Local Farm) donating fresh produce for the weekly Tuesday Farmers Market, (local business) dropping off a shipment of light bulbs, or even the local ‘extreme couponer’ bringing in this week’s awesome deals; everything helps! The Pantry couldn’t survive without the combined efforts of the entire community.

Expired food items are not accepted, many supplies can be purchased by the Pantry with monetary donations or gift cards, and donating time is every bit as appreciated as cash donations. For instance, the Pantry is looking for someone with a large-sized truck to donate their services once or twice per month to transport goods to Franklin (contact Linda for more information).

Check out the Berry Flickr account to see the photos taken at the Franklin Food Pantry last week.

Franklin Food Pantry

Linda Sottile, Pantry Manager

43 West Central Road

Franklin, MA 02038

Pantry Website: http://franklinfoodpantry.org/

Telephone: (508) 528-3115

Linda’s Email: Linda@franklinfoodpantry.org

For more information about this topic, or to get some answers about your current insurance situation, please visit our virtual insurance agency at www.berryinsurance.com, stop by one of our two locations, or give us a call at (800) 941-3317.

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1. While you’re getting out your spring and summer cloths purge those items that you didn’t wear last year and any items that are a bit too snug. Donate to a local charity or look into a consignment shop.

2. While getting out your grilling tools and uncovering your grill, weed out and pare down your recipes and cookbooks. Pick a number and only save that many, and make a vow not to print any more from the internet.

3. While tackling your spring yard work, sort through your lawn and garden tools. Get rid of rusty tools and duplicates. Keep only the ones that you really use.

4. While airing out the house, sort through your linens. You only need two sets of sheets per bed and two sets of towels per person. Donate the rest to an animal shelter.

Guest Blog Post:  Janine Cavanaugh is the owner of Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer and a Partner of Berry Insurance.

For more information about this topic, or if you have any questions about our Partners Program or any of your Massachusetts business insurance needs, our agents at Berry Insurance would love to help! Call us at (800) 941-3317, visit our virtual insurance office at www.berryinsurance.com or stop by one of our locations in Franklin and Quincy, MA.

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Local Earth Day celebrations around Massachusetts:

In Attleboro, Massachusetts on Saturday, April 21^st at the Recycling Center on Pond Street residents can bring their mercury thermometers for safe disposal and trade for a new digital thermometer for free. Big Brothers and Big Sisters will be accepting clothes, shoes, and small household items for donation. Personal document shredding will also be available – each person can shred up to two full boxes free of charge. Visit the City of Attleboro’s website for more information.

North Attleboro’s Earth Day Cleanup is Saturday, April 21^st starting at 9am. The DPW will provide the rakes, bags and gloves for volunteers helping to beautify Ten Mile River. The Department of Public Works will also handle pick-up of the bags after the cleanup. All participants will be given a free Earth Day T-shirt and will have the opportunity to join other volunteers for refreshments after the clean-up as a thank you.

Volunteers that are looking to participate in the 2012 Franklin Earth Day celebrations should register by clicking the link above; you can actually choose the location around town where you’d like to help. On Sunday, April 22^nd, Franklin hopes to educate residents about recycling and do some general clean-up of the town. You don’t need to register, but if you have a specific location that you’d like to clean-up then feel free to register and secure your spot! Gloves and trash bags will be provided for all volunteers and can be picked up at the Recreation Department building at 150 Emmons Street.

Boston, Mass has many Earth Day celebrations around the city and Franklin Park Zoo is just one of the locations for celebration. This event is in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts on Sunday, April 22^nd. Franklin Park Zoo’s zookeepers will educate families on their favorite animal friends and have a variety of other earth friendly activities.

The Framingham Earth Day Festival will take place on Saturday, April 28^th at Centre Village Green on the Common. You won’t want to miss out on this family friendly day full of green-activities to educate your family about sustainable living. Local artists, food vendors, and musicians will be your entertainment for the day. There will also be great activities for the kids and a variety of eco-friendly local products on display.

No matter which Earth Day festivities you decide to partake in, just know that you are helping to make our earth a healthier place to live. Mother Nature thanks you for your hard work and service to the community!

For more information about Earth Day festivities around Massachusetts, visit the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Earth Day 2012 calendar of events page. To get some answers about your current insurance situation, please visit our virtual insurance agency at www.berryinsurance.com, stop by one of our two locations, or give us a call at (800) 941-3317.

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With over 30 years dedicated to the community, A Cut Above is a local mogul in downtown Franklin, Massachusetts. Pam Smith, owner of A Cut Above, loves the local, friendly feel around town. Being a part of the Franklin Downtown Partnership gives Pam the opportunity to connect with other local businesses in the downtown area and meet with many of the local families.

All services are offered to men, women and kids; age isn’t important! A Cut Above is a full-service salon providing a variety of services to keep your hair, nails and skin looking flawless. Hair coloring/highlighting, hair relaxing, perms, stylish cuts, and up-dos are some of Pam’s services to keep your hair looking amazing. Traditional manicures, Shellac manicures, acrylic nails, and pedicures are some of the nail services available. Facial waxing services are also available. Pam is always sure to keep up on the latest technologies and trends within the beauty industry to keep her clients looking trendy, up-to-date and fabulous.

This Locks of Love friendly salon will give you 50% off of your hair cut if your hair is long enough to donate; you can check the official guidelines for acceptable donations on their website.

Want to plan a special night with the ladies or to get your wedding party ready for your special day? Pam would love to host your bridal party! Just think – an afternoon that’s all about you, filled with beauty, pampering and fun. Let Pam and the team make your pre-wedding pampering session all it should be and more!

SOMA hair care products are one of the hair care product lines that are used at A Cut Above. These products are 100% vegan, all natural and can be purchased at the salon. CROME is another hair care product line used mainly for clients with dry and damaged hair in need of repair. American Crew products are used for men’s hair styling; guys don’t worry you won’t leave smelling like your wife/girlfriend – but it’s Pam’s promise that you leave looking good!

And last, but certainly not least, Pam carries gorgeous, hand-made jewelry in the salon created by Lgrieci Designs. Stunning rings, bracelets, necklaces and earring sets are sold. Trust me when I say there are so many beautiful colors and designs, it’ll be hard to choose just one. The designer Lisa will even create custom wedding day accessories; that’s right it’ll be one of a kind, just for you!

Contact Pam Smith today at A Cut Above for more information on any of the products or services offered. Better yet, schedule an appointment with Pam today, she’s offering all new clients 20% off any hair service or a complimentary cut with any color or foil through our exclusive Partners of Berry Insurance program. All you’ll need to do is print the coupon and bring it with you to your appointment; so be sure to utilize these savings today! Let Pam make you look “as good as the best and better than the rest”!

A Cut Above Hair and Nails

Pam Smith, Owner

56 East Central Street

Franklin, MA 02038       

Telephone: (508) 528-4543

Email: procut447@aol.com

Website: http://acutabovehairandnails.com/

For more information about this topic, or if you have any questions about our Partners Program or any of your Massachusetts business insurance needs, our agents at Berry Insurance would love to help! Call us at (800) 941-3317, visit our virtual insurance office at http://www.berryinsurance.com/, or stop by one of our locations in Franklin and Quincy, MA.

You can also find us on all your favorite social networking sites!

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With the warm weather on the way; this topic seems just right. Many Massachusetts families are making strides toward living a healthy life, which is great. Eating healthy foods, exercising, and instilling good habits in our younger generations is a responsibility that we all have.

With all the technology available to kids today, we’ve got to find interesting, relevant, and fun ways to encourage physical activity. Personally, I think a great way is to teach kids an old game (maybe one you used to play when you were a kid). You might think these games are ancient, but many younger kids don’t know them.

For example one of my favorite games as a child was Hopscotch. At the beginning of last summer I taught this game to my neighbors’ daughter and now she’s a forever fan of hopping around her driveway! Leave us a comment and let us know what your favorite outdoor activity/game to play was when you were a kid! Have you passed the game on to a child in your life? I think it’s time!

*Authored By Amanda Spittell

For more information about this topic, or to get some answers about your current insurance situation, please visit our virtual insurance agency at www.berryinsurance.com, stop by one of our two locations, or give us a call at (800) 941-3317.

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If you’re from the Massachusetts area, you probably know where Man Mar Plaza at Plainville Crossing is. It is also where the Keller Williams® Realty building is located for the Foxboro, North Attleboro, and Seekonk areas within Massachusetts. This spacious, modern building is the hub for Keller Williams® Agents, but it’s also where you can earn your continuing education credits to keep your real estate license valid.

You don’t have to be a Keller Williams® Real Estate Agent to utilize these opportunities for continuing education credits or other classes. Any agent that is interested is welcomed with open arms. The New England Real Estate Academy offers many continuing education courses at the Keller building, and some are even free! In addition to real estate continuing education courses that are necessary to be licensed, other real estate relevant content is presented. Subject matter ranges from social media topics, time management training and guidance with the online realtor database MLS.

You can view the Keller Williams® Realty calendar of events to see exactly which classes are offered by date and time. If you’re a real estate agent, you know that you don’t typically get continuing education for free; so don’t pass up this opportunity to save some money in this fragile economy. Contact Ray Turcotte, Team Leader of the Keller Williams® Realty location – he’d be thrilled to give you more information about these informational seminars. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with some seasoned and new real estate agents, while fulfilling your continuing education requirements.

Keller Williams Realty: Foxboro/North Attleboro/Seekonk

Ray Turcotte, Team Leader

30 Man-Mar Drive, Suite 6

Plainville, MA 02762

Phone: (508) FOR-SALE

Email: info@508forsale.com

Website: http://www.508forsale.com/mcj/user/home.html

For more information about this topic, or if you have any questions about our Partners Program or any of your Massachusetts business insurance needs, our agents at Berry Insurance would love to help! Call us at (800) 941-3317, visit our virtual insurance office at http://www.berryinsurance.com/ or stop by one of our locations in Franklin and Quincy, MA.

You can also find us on all your favorite social networking sites!

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Recently, Berry Insurance teamed up with American Legion Post 72 of Southington, Connecticut and Computer Science Corporation (CSC) to support our troops by collecting funds to donate webcam-equipped laptops to troops serving overseas. “Laptops for Troops” was started by Stephen Pintarich. Steve, an employee of CSC and past Commander of American Legion Post 72, is an Army veteran and knows firsthand how important it is for troop morale to hear from loved ones at home.

With the funds collected by Berry Insurance and our many supporters, the Laptops for Troops program was able to donate 25 laptops to the 439^th Security Forces Squadron from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. The 439^th will be deployed for 6 months, heading into a combat zone.

Chris Pintarich helps deliver the donated laptops to the 439th Security Forces Squadron at Westover Air Reserve Base.

We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those that supported our collection efforts. We wish all the best to the men and women serving oversees and hope for a speedy and safe return home.

                          

I really love reading articles that make my mind run wild after reading them! A March 16th article published in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, titled “Is Facebook dealt with in your estate?”, brings to light some relevant questions pertaining to technology, the ever changing digital world, and your estate planning process.

After a person dies, what should the fate of their social media accounts be? Should access be granted to someone else, perhaps a family member or loved one? If so, to whom? And how do you address handing down “digital” files (photographs and videos) shared on a social network? Or should Facebook profiles, Twitter handles, and email accounts be removed upon the death of a user? Fifty years ago this wouldn’t have been an issue, even ten years ago; times are changing, technology is progressing quickly, and we need to be planning for this fast-paced lifestyle.

Truly, there really are no clear cut answers to these questions. It may sound a little bizarre to think about, but really it’s no different than having a will specifying your final wishes. Some people think, “I’ll be gone so why should I care what’s done with my digital accounts?” Maybe you don’t think it matters, but your family is most certainly going to care about the fate of your digital thoughts, photos and videos. Don’t leave your family playing the guessing game; be sure to clearly spell out your wishes.

I completely understand that this might sound a little unsettling; especially if you’re young! After the initial shock passes of planning for your own death; think about all the positive aspects. Estate planning will ensure that your wishes are upheld; Suze Orman’s Estate Planning Checklist is a great way to get started. Would you want someone having full access to your email accounts and social media accounts? If nothing less, you at least deserve to make the decision.

Facebook has a standard practice it follows for when a user passes away: the guidelines are clear. When the company receives word of a user’s death, the profile is changed to a memorialized status to commemorate the person’s life. Some information is removed at this time, and settings are changed so that only friends of that user can see the profile moving forward. If prior consent is given, Facebook will provide the family of the deceased with a download of the accounts data. If close relatives ask that the profile to be taken down, their wishes will be honored and the profile will be removed. Once your profile is altered, changed or removed, all the content is lost.

It’s 2012 – times are changing and technology is progressing rapidly (whether we’re ready or not). If you already have a will and have had some experience with estate planning; then this will be an easy addition. Not as far along in the planning process as you might like? Not to worry, it won’t take long to put together some thoughts.

Whether you have a social media plan for the future or not, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Have you ever had this type of an issue effect a family member or friend?

For more information about this topic, or to get some answers about your current insurance situation, please visit our virtual insurance agency at www.berryinsurance.com, stop by one of our two locations, or give us a call at (800) 941-3317.

You can also find us on all your favorite social networking sites!

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Being ready for things that might never happen is being prepared. Whether your property is commercial or residential, it’s essential to have a plan for if something were to go wrong – a natural disaster, a fire, flooding – what’s your plan of attack? J. Brian Day is a company that helps in the wake of emergency, and the good news; they’ve already got a plan that works! J. Brian Day offers emergency response services and restoration work to homeowners and business owners throughout New England.

What company do you know that’s on call 24/7, 365 days a year? Not many, right? Well J. Brian Day takes pride in being there for you when you need them. You can call them for emergency clean-up and assistance, anytime! Usually if you have a devastating event at your property, panic, shock, and a variety of other emotions set in. Let’s face it, we don’t all react to emergencies the way that we might hope. That’s why you’ll want to call someone that you know you can trust with a reputation to match. J. Brain Day will restore your home back to its pre-loss condition, even down to the smaller details of placing your household items back in their proper places. Certified technicians in all areas from mitigation and remediation to reconstruction are part of the J. Brian Day team.

J. Brian Day can handle it all; when the disaster first occurs (contacting the right people), securing the scene, documentation of the disaster, clean-up, and the restoration. Minimizing emotional damage is the main priority. The Red Cross supports J. Brian Day by providing shelter for families facing disasters for extended periods of time. J. Brian Day has created the right relationships to get you the help and support that you deserve.

When you contact J. Brian Day for emergency services, you’ll be assigned a Project Manager who will walk you through the entire process, until your property looks the same as you remember it. When your Project Manager arrives on scene, usually with emergency responders, they’ll bring a helping hand in this difficult time. Have a disaster involving fire, water, mold, soot, structural damage, vandalism, or even storm damage? Leave it the professionals, J. Brian Day can help!

In addition to the Emergency Services Division, J. Brian Day also has a Flooring Division a Carpet Care Division, and more recently has expanded to include a Plumbing Division. Because of the wide range of project work, NECN has approached J. Brian Day to partner with them on their popular morning programming segment, Help Me Brian hosted by Brian Gurry, star of American Builder. The new Help Me Brian with J. Brian Day show will soon be airing as half hour programming, in addition to the morning segment. Be sure to check it out or view it on the J. Brian Day Emergency Services Facebook page or website.

J. Brian Day enjoys lending a helping hand in the local community, including donating all of the flooring supplies for a local Habitat for Humanity home being built in Norton, Massachusetts. Let this friend of the community lend you a helping hand when you need it most. As a Partner of Berry Insurance, J. Brian Day is offering a free commercial or residential mold inspection, and if additional services are required, they’ll give you 10% off. Be sure to head over to Berry Insurance’s Partners page to print this, as well as other great coupons for local Massachusetts savings offers.

J. Brian Day Emergency Services

54 Washington Street

Plainville, MA 02762

Telephone: (508) 699-0440

Website: http://www.jbrianday.com/index.html

Email: info@jbrianday.com

For more information about this topic, or if you have any questions about our Partners Program or any of your Massachusetts business insurance needs, our agents at Berry Insurance would love to help! Call us at (800) 941-3317, visit our virtual insurance office at http://www.berryinsurance.com/ or stop by one of our locations in Franklin and Quincy, MA.

You can also find us on all your favorite social networking sites!

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