Firefighters’ graduation from academy

STOW — Firefighters from three area communities recently graduated from the state’s 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program.

The graduating firefighters include Andrew Jablonski and Lucas Slowinski from the Belchertown Fire Department; Ivan Del Valle and Jonathan Schuetze from the Holyoke Fire Department; and Hector Figarella from the Northampton Fire Department.

‘Meet the Mayor’ series launched in Holyoke

HOLYOKE — Mayor Joshua A. Garcia has initiated a series of out-of-the-office, “Meet the Mayor” gatherings in different parts of the city. The first will be held at the Holyoke Senior Center, 291 Pine St., at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8.

Subsequent “Meet the Mayor” dates and locations are Friday, Sept. 15, at 3 p.m. at El Mercado, 413 Main St., and Friday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m. at the Holyoke Public Library.

“We always want to hear from the citizens of Holyoke,” Garcia said, “and face-to-face is the best way.

“We want to know what their concerns are, and we’d like to give them updates from City Hall about what we’re working on and what they can expect from their city government.”

Each “Meet the Mayor” will start with a brief opening statement from Mayor Garcia, after which he will take questions from those present. The sessions will last one hour.

Deadline near for RMV’s low number plate lottery

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is reminding drivers that applications for the 2023 Low Number Plate Lottery are available online at myRMV Online Service Center and must be submitted by Thursday at 5 p.m. Winners will be notified by mail if selected for a low number plate.

This year, there are 191 plates available through the low plate lottery. Some of the available low plates include 13F, 17V, 28E, Z64, 301, 1999, 4004, 4400, and 8511.

Applicants should note that there is no fee to apply for the lottery. However, should the applicant be selected as a winner, there is a special plate fee that will be required, as well as a standard registration fee.

Customers are encouraged to visit the RMV’s website or follow @MassRMV on Twitter for details on the lottery plate drawing to be announced later this summer, including the date, time, and location of the event. In addition, lottery plate applicants will be sent a notification from the RMV to the email address they provided with lottery event details. The lottery results will be posted after the drawing on the RMV website.

Chef Nadim returns to HCC to share kitchen secrets

HOLYOKE — Chef Nadim Kashouh, owner of Nadim’s Downtown Mediterranean Grill in Springfield, will be sharing more kitchen secrets during a series of fall classes at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute.

Kashouh taught his first-ever classes at HCC this summer and will return to Holyoke Community College four times this fall: Sept. 28, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, and Dec. 14.

All the classes will be held on Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, 164 Race St.

In each stand-alone class, participants will learn to cook — and are encouraged to consume — a different five-course meal right off the menu of Chef Nadim’s popular restaurant.

What’s on the menu:

■Sept. 28: Hummus, Baba, Tabouli, simmered chicken with Hashwee rice, Ismalia for dessert.

■ Oct. 19: Hummus, Cheese roll-up, Mediterranean salad, simmered lamb with Hashwee rice, rice pudding for dessert.

■ Nov. 16: Hummus, meat roll-up, Fattoush salad, Cannellini lamb stew served with rice pilaf, Ismalia for dessert.

<sbull value="sbull"><text xmlns="urn:schemas-teradp-com:gn4tera"></text></sbull>Dec. 14: Hummus, Falafel, Tabouli, Green bean, and lamb stew served with rice pilaf and Rice pudding for dessert.

The cost is $189 per session. Beer and wine is included in the cost. Seats are limited. To register, visit: hcc.edu/cookingfa23

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