NUVO Bank & Trust officials, including Director of Creative Services Shirley
Simolari (far left) and Chairman & CEO James Gardner (far right), get a tour of
thebank space last month, while fine tuning details with the project manager
as the construction phase nears completion.

 Imagine a bank where upon entering, you smell freshly brewed free coffee, feel the warmth and comfort of inviting furniture and enjoy the greetings of a friendly staff who knows you on a first name basis.

Instead of waiting in line for tellers to deposit or cash checks, your general banking business would be done via electronic 'pods' manned by trained 'concierges' providing on-demand financial solutions. 

Imagine being able to check your email on one of the bank-supplied computers or opening up your lap top to use the free WiFi, while sitting on a comfortable chair and talking to a co-worker.

Imagine a place where local artists display their work and local merchants show their products.  A place where non-profit groups and clubs are invited to use the convenient 950 square foot community meeting room that is open to the Pioneer Valley.

You won't have to use your imagination for long, as all of this will become a reality when you walk into the new 10-thousand square foot NUVO Bank & Trust Company soon to open on Main Street at Tower Square.

"We want people to come into the bank even if their goal isn't banking on that particular day," says Jeff Sattler, President & Chief Operations officer. "We want them to come and experience what NUVO is all about.  Check your email, grab a cup of coffee or do some networking. When customers walk through our doors, we are going to know their name!"    

Springfield's newest locally owned bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

NUVO Bank will provide services to small and medium sized businesses as well as individuals.   NUVO executives say invested money will stay in the region, as the bank will re-invest in the companies and individuals with which it does business.

You and your colleagues are invited to meet your new Tower Square neighbor at NUVO Bank & Trust during a grand opening celebration on Thursday, November 13 from noon - 2pm.  Come and enjoy prizes, a tour of this new state of the art bank and a wonderful sensory experience! 

You Can Help Save the Life of a Child:  October UNICEF Days
 
                                     

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), more than 26-thousand children under the age of five die needlessly every day.  That is almost 10-million deaths world wide every year, as the result of poor nutrition, lack of clean water, and inadequate medical care to name a few.

These issues facing the world's children are being addressed daily by UNICEF through a host of lifesaving programs including providing clean water and sanitation for families, vaccinations against childhood illnesses, nourishment to combat malnutrition, care for children affected by AIDS, as well as protection for children from abuse, and providing education.

UNICEF has been advocating and helping children for over 60 years and has saved more children's lives than any other organization in the world. 

To help you become a part of UNICEF's vital efforts, Peter and Young Choi of Neighborhood Foods, will have a UNICEF information and donation table in the Citywalk Cafes on October 22 & 23 from 11:30am 1:30pm.  You are encouraged to stop by and make a contribution and learn more about UNICEF's work on behalf of the world's children.

UNICEF donation collection boxes will also be available at participating Tower Square merchants during the month of October as well.

Yes, it's that time of year again, when CVS sells a lot of tissues, cough drops and medications to soothe the debilitating symptoms of influenza.  Not to take anything away from CVS, but perhaps you and your family members could avoid the flu altogether by getting a simple vaccination at the Holyoke VNA's Flu Shot Clinic scheduled for October 30th in the Tower Square Meeting Room.

To help you make an educated decision about whether or not you should get the flu vaccine, here are some facts that might be useful:

What is influenza? Influenza is a contagious disease caused by the influenza virus, which can be spread by coughing, sneezing or nasal secretions.   The symptoms include: 

                            n fever         n sore throat       n chills      n fatigue   

                                  n cough       n headache     n muscle aches

While most people recover within a few days, some people can become much sicker.  Influenza can even lead to pneumonia, which can especially cause serious problems for people with heart or breathing conditions.  On average, 226-thousand people are hospitalized every year because of influenza and 36-thousand (mostly elderly) die from the disease annually.

Who should get the flu vaccine? According the Centers for Disease Control the influenza vaccine is recommended for anyone who wants to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with the flu or spreading it to others.  There are others who face a greater risk if getting the disease, and they are strongly recommended to get the vaccine. 

• All children 6-months to 18 years old
• Anyone 50 years of age or older
• Women who will be pregnant during flu season
• Anyone with long-term health problems
• Anyone with a weakened immune system
• Anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities
• Health care providers
• Household contacts and caregivers of children and adults in high risk categories
• Anyone who wants to avoid the risk of the getting the illness and potentially spreading it

What is the Influenza Vaccine?  There are two types of flu vaccines:  1.  Inactivated vaccine (the one available at the flu shot clinic on Oct. 30^th) is given by injection into the muscle.  2. Live, attenuated influenza vaccine is sprayed into the nostrils.

Influenza viruses are always changing.  Because of this, influenza vaccines are updated every year.  Each year scientists try to match the viruses in the vaccine to those most likely to cause flu that year.  When there is a close match the vaccine protects most people from serious influenza-related illnesses.

If you are interested in getting a flu vaccine, you are invited to attend the flu shot clinic sponsored by the Holyoke VNA and Tower Square on Thursday, October 30^th from 11:30 1:30 in the Meeting Room.  The cost is $25.  Please bring your Medicare Part B insurance card to see if you qualify for insurance coverage.  For additional information contact the Holyoke VNA at (413)534-5691.

Thank You for Making the USO/Westover Donation Drive a Success!

Thanks to the generosity of Tower Square's tenants and patrons, needy families at Westover Air Reserve Base will receive a little extra help this winter. 

During last month's three-day donation drive, eight large bags of canned goods and non perishable food items as well as a box of toiletries were collected.  In addition to that more than $500 was raised for the USO Pioneer Valley Chapter to purchase computer time for troops overseas to email their families here in Massachusetts.

The donation drive was held last month to help raise awareness for the needs of local reservist families struggling to make ends meet while their breadwinner is away serving sometimes two and three tours of duty in Iraq or other troubled areas in the world. 

The fund drive was organized by the Tower Square management office.       

                                           
                                            CBRE Office Manager Wynter Manyak presents a check for $500
                                            to representatives of the USO Pioneer Valley Chapter, after last
                                            month's fund drive to benefit the military and their families at
                                            Westover Air Reserve Base.

Tower Square Promoting Environmental Intiatives
 

Did you know that Tower Square recycles about 4-tons of cardboard every month?  Are you aware that as part of our ongoing recycling efforts, Tower Square recently sent seventeen thousand square feet of old ceiling tile back to the manufacturer for recycling.off-setting two tons at the landfill?

These tidbits and more about Tower Square's environmental efforts are now available to you via the Tower Square bi-monthly e-newsletter entitled Eco Initiatives, found here on our website at www.VisitTowerSquare.com.  If you would like to receive Eco Initiatives by e-mail, contact the Tower Square management office at 413.733.2171or contact ascheidecker@towersquare.net.