By Rod Lee

The dog days of August are typically when merchants’ organizations take a break. No breakfast or luncheon meetings, no workshops, no after-hours networking events.

 Megan Hebert represented Westview Farm, in E. Woodstock, at the WDBA’s Summer Hoorah.

The chance to put aside the usual activity associated with membership obligations is too good to pass up; besides which, the beach is calling.

The Webster Dudley Business Alliance’s “Summer Hoorah”—free to all—is an exception to this rule.

Held at Andy’s Neighborhood Canteen at the bottom of Frederick Street in Webster the evening of August 10th, the Summer Hoorah was both a celebration of Bill Sabine’s outdoor beer garden and a salute to those enterprises associated with the WDBA that chose to be on-site as a way to advertise their products and services.

A rich mix of vendors was arrayed for attendees to check out.

Lucas Beaudette, who operates workshops in Charlton, was present with a sampling of the nifty items that he manufactures by hand. Mr. Beaudette specializes in custom-made furniture, sign carving, photo framing and creative woodworking.

“I’ve been doing this for about six years,” he said. “I have a full-time job, this is a side venture.”

An avid naturalist who enjoys the New England outdoors, Mr. Beaudette is a self-taught woodworker who began what has become a satisfying trade by shaping his own skateboards as a teenager. He also has going for him that his late father was involved in many restoration projects. Mr. Beaudette’s extended family includes antique dealers, collectors and crafters.

Also on hand at the WDBA’s Summer Hoorah was Kristen St. Laurent of The Dancer’s Sole, marking ten years as a provider of dance instruction on the Webster-Dudley town line.

“Eighteen months to adult,” Ms. St. Laurent said, of her clientele. “Primarily age three to seventeen, every form of dance.

“I have been a member of the WDBA since 2013.”

Representing Westview Farm in E. Woodstock, Megan Hebert beamed in talking about a multigenerational family enterprise that sits on top of a hill with a panoramic view of a town rich in agriculture.

Westview Farm sells grass-fed and grass-finished beef, produces quality hay and maintains a seasonal farm stand that offers vegetables, berries, fresh eggs and cut flowers.

Founded as a dairy farm in the 1800s by the Wetherell family, Westview Farm was purchased in the 1970s by the Harmon’s and kept as a dairy farm until the dairy herd was dissolved and a small herd of Hereford cattle added. Westview Farm with the Hebert family now at the helm has changed from an 85% corn operation to almost 100% grasslands.

Lucas Perzan, owner of Insation Technologies in Webster and president of the WDBA, split time at the Summer Hoorah between demonstrating how prospective customers can “stop paying for cable!” and monitoring the goings-on around him.

Insation affords customers the opportunity to stream more than seven thousand channels live, and “save big.”

The WDBA is thriving, Mr. Perzan said.

“We have almost eighty members.

“Our next big event will be the opening of Prestige Nail Salon’s location at 118 Main St., in September.

Contact Rod Lee at [email protected] or 774-232-2999.