Bicycle Safety

As summer continues to roll along and so do our bicycles, it would be a big mistake to disregard the importance of bicycle safety. As you watch the video from the Insurance Information Institute, keep in mind the value of a helmet and be sure to do all that you can to convince your loved ones to wear one.

And remember, if you have any questions about Amherst MA Car Insurance, Amherst MA Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst MA Life Insurance or Amherst MA Business Insurance, Encharter Insurance would like to help! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our office for insurance in Amherst MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Bub’s Bar-B-Q On “The Today Show”

Of course, there are always the exceptions to every rule. With that in mind, I think it’s safe to say that men love barbecue and they love ribs! So what better place to get ribs for men than at a place recommended by men for men? Bub’s Bar-B-Q was in Esquire Magazine’s April 2010 issue as one of their top 20 picks for “Best Places for Men to Eat”. They were also picked by the Phantom Gourmet as “Some of the best BBQ in New England”.

And now to add to their list of achievements, they were one of three restaurants featured on “The Today Show” on June 29^th in a BBQ cook-off (see video).

Visit their website today to see their hours, their menu and to get directions so that you too can “Pig Out In Style!”

And if you have any questions about Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance, the agents at Encharter Insurance would like to help! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our office for insurance in Amherst MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Sleeping Tips for Summer

After the past few hot and humid summer nights, if you don’t already have air conditioning, I’m sure you are now seriously considering it! While it can be nice to walk into an air-conditioned room and feel as though you have travelled to a different season or climate all together, you might want to consider trying some of these tricks we found on wikihow before you run out to make a hefty investment.

1. Put a bag of ice cubes into a shallow container in front of a fan. Point the fan towards you in your bed. As the moving air from the fan heads toward you the coolness from the ice should chill the even more to “mimic air conditioning”.
2. Place a cool damp facecloth on your forehead while lying in bed. If it gets warm, flip it over.
3. Place your bed linens in bags in your freezer all day and make your bed right before its time to go to sleep.
4. “Make a Rice Sock and place it in the freezer and leave it there for at least two hours. When you turn in, bring the bag with you to use as a cool compress. Try placing it under your pillow so it’s nice and cool when you flip it over.”
5. If you live in a home with multiple stories, sleeping downstairs will be cooler since warm air rises.
6. Try to lower your body temperature by rinsing your wrists under cold water for about a minute, splash cold water on your face or even take a cold shower before calling it a night.

There are few things worse than the discomfort that comes with not being able to fall asleep because of the heat and humidity of a breezeless, midsummer’s night. Try some of these tips to see if you can catch some shut-eye and let us know what works for you!

Also, if you have any questions about Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance, contact us today! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com  or you can visit our office for insurance in Amherst MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

 At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Encharter Insurance Encourages Volunteering

At UMass Amherst this past spring, I was involved in an event with the Marketing Club where the Boys and Girls Club visited campus for the day touring, eating, learning and even watching a Division One Men’s Lacrosse game after which, the players were available to sign posters and speak with the kids. As the day progressed it was clear that the kids were coming out of their shells and were really having a great time. One of the younger boys even said, “This is the best day ever!!” It felt great to be helping out with such a great cause and it really makes me feel as though supporting organizations such as the Springfield Boys and Girls Club is really worth it, despite the geographic distance.

The Boys and Girls Club of Springfield is an organization with charitable initiatives at heart to help the youth in the area. According to the Executive Director of the organization, Garrett J. McCarthy, the mutual efforts and assistance of the community and volunteers have allowed the Springfield Boys and Girls Club to proudly provide “education, prevention and other youth development programs”.  This great foundation goes above and beyond to help out the young members of the community and Encharter shares the same passion for service. We, at Encharter Insurance, would like to encourage you to get involved this summer! Find a place you can volunteer and give back and serve. You’ll be glad you did and I am sure that it will make it a summer to remember!

And of course, if you have any questions about Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance, we’d like to help! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com, or you can visit our office for insurance in Amherst MA. And now, you can find us on Facebook© and Twitter©!

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Encharter Insurance Employees in Relay for Life Walk June 18 & 19

Chances are such that your life has most likely been touched by the devastating effects of cancer. It can sometimes feel overwhelming and helpless, when in the battle against this disease, it seems cancer is winning. Well, some employees at Encharter Insurance have decided to fight back (anybody else hearing the anthem, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, in the back of their minds?) 

Robbie D. and Chasy V., of the Amherst insurance office will be participating in the Relay for Life walk this weekend, June 18 & 19 at Look Park in Northampton, MA. They are members of a team, the Cowboys, and last year, this team raised $5300 with the help of Encharter employees and the matching program through Plymouth Rock Assurance. Every year for the past 5 years, Encharter Insurance employees have participated in a fundraiser for the support of Robbie and Chasy’s team and the fight against cancer. Each person who wished to be involved could make a contribution and then, on Red Sox opening day, they have decked themselves out in Red Sox gear.

It’s so great to see contributions being made to a worthy cause.  If you’d like to know more about the event, see the website. Try to participate in any way you can; maybe see if they need volunteers or there’s still time to donate, if you feel so inclined. Get involved! And be sure to let us know how it goes!

And of course, if you have any questions about Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance, Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance, we’d like to help! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our insurance office in Amherst MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Taste of Amherst 2010

Sometimes, it can be difficult to find fun, family-friendly activities to do on the weekends. But, if you live in the Amherst area, then your search for that ever-elusive event is over! June 17-June 20, rain or shine, the Amherst Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 19^th annual Taste of Amherst event. Well-known restaurants from the Amherst area will gather on the Amherst Town Common to delight your taste buds! They are expecting 20,000 attendees and there will be fun, food and entertainment! Keep an eye out for our Partner of Encharter, The Black Sheep Deli, too. They will also be raffling off gift certificates for restaurants, so be sure to be there! For more information, visit their website: www.tasteofamherst.com

And here are the hours:

Thursday, June 17 5pm-9pm

Friday, June 18 5pm-9pm

Saturday, June 19 12pm-10pm

Sunday, June 20 12pm-4pm

Our staff members love to attend this event and the desserts are always a huge hit. You might even see some of us there! If you do, be sure to say “Hi!”.

And of course, if you have any questions about Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance, our Encharter Insurance agents would love to help! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our office for insurance in Amherst MA, our office for insurance in Lexington MA or our office for insurance in Reading MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Memorial Day Parade in Hadley, MA on May 30, 2010

Every year when I was a kid, I would march in my hometown’s Memorial Day Parade with the rest of my sports team. It was always a lot of fun to prepare for the big day and, of course, tons of fun to actually march.  Looking back now, however, I think that with all the hustle and bustle, the true meaning of Memorial Day was lost on me. I took it for granted that I had certain rights and privileges that may have come at no cost to me, but they were certainly not free.

So this year, let’s all make the extra effort to thank those veterans for their service. Too often, we forget the sacrifices they were willing to make for the sake of our nation’s welfare. And the Memorial Day Parade in Hadley on Sunday, May 30 at 2pm will be the perfect place to do it! All the veterans you can possibly meet will be in Hadley Center for the parade, so be sure to be there to show them some appreciation for all that they’ve done.

And if you have any questions about Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance, contact your local Encharter Insurance agent today! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our office for insurance in Amherst MA, our office for insurance in Lexington MA, our office for insurance in Reading MA or our office for insurance in Watertown CT. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Two Partners of Encharter Team Up for Food Drive!

Our Partners of Encharter Program is a great way to encourage and help local businesses grow. You can visit our site to see a list of our Partners and the offers they generously give to our valued clients. You can also see a summary of what it means to be a Partner of Encharter in one of our other blogs. But the greatest thing about our Partners Program is having the ability to see our Partners working together, not only to benefit their own respective businesses, but to contribute to the betterment of their community.

Ink & Toner Solutions (with locations in Amherst and Northampton) and Valley ComputerWorks (in Hadley) have teamed up for a food-drive in June. The contributions will benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. (For more details, see the Local section of the Tuesday, May 25 edition of The Republican). Be sure to help these businesses help your community! Stop in and bring nonperishable food items to their respective locations in Amherst, Northampton and Hadley.

And if you would like to know more about our Partners of Encharter Program, or if you have questions about Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance, contact us today! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our office for insurance in Amherst MA, our office for insurance in Lexington MA or our office for insurance in Reading MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook !

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

A Little Bit o’Help Goes A Long Way

A few of us, here at Encharter Insurance, are members of various business and service organizations in our communities. One such organization is The Pioneer Valley Insurance Group (PVIG), which is “an organization consisting of insurance professionals and insurance service providers. The Pioneer Valley consists of Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties. [Their] primary goals as an organization are education and raising funds for a variety of local charities.”

On Wednesday night, PVIG donated $10,000; some of which went to each of the following local charities: YWCA of Springfield (Hampden County), Hospice of Hampshire County and the Northampton Survival Center (Hampshire County), CDH—Maryanne’s Kids and the Therapeutic Equestrian Center of Hampden County, and the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition of Franklin County.

We’d like to take this opportunity to encourage our readers to really get involved this summer in service. Service can take many different forms: monetary donations, donations of time, donations of food or clothing, anything really, but just get involved. It’s a great way for the family to do something together away from the television and it really doesn’t take that much time, so you’ll have enough time for a trip to the pool! You never know; an hour or two could change the life of someone else. Isn’t that worth it?

And of course, you can contact us for any questions about Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance. You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our office for insurance in Amherst MA, our office for insurance in Lexington MA or our office for insurance in Reading MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Prep Your Car for the Summer Months!

“It’s beginning to look a lot like…” SUMMER! And that means that your car needs to get prepped for the trips to the beach or to the lake or to just get rid of the dust it has collected from sitting in the garage all winter. Taking good care of your car, even when the weather is nice, can mean a long life for your car.  Here are some tips (provided by Edmunds.com) for getting your car ready for summer:

• Remove snow tires
• Check the tire pressure
• Change the engine oil and adjust the viscosity grade
• Inspect the belts and hoses
• Check the Battery

Now that your car is ready to take to open road, we want to remind you to drive safely. There will be more motorists and motorcyclists out enjoying the nice weather, just like you, and it’s important to stay safe. And now may be a good time to review your car insurance policy to make sure you are adequately covered in the event of an accident. Contact your Encharter Insurance agent today; we want to help!

 And if you have any questions about Amherst Homeowner’s Insurance, Amherst Car Insurance, Amherst Life Insurance or Amherst Business Insurance, contact your Encharter agent! We want to help with that too! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our insurance office in Amherst MA, our insurance office in Lexington MA or our insurance office in Reading MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

 At Encharter, “It’s about protecting you!”