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Month: October 2004

Plan for Progress Sets New Course for Region

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Sections Supplements
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Tim Brennan says the overhauled Plan for Progress is an important step forward for the economic vitality of the region.

And he’s right.

Why? Because the Pioneer Valley, unlike other areas of the state, has penned a detailed road map to achieve economic growth and prosperity. While other regions of the Commonwealth may have similar goals and ambitions — for job creation, infrastructure improvement, workforce training, leveraging higher education assets, and creating vital industry clusters, few have mapped out a plan for getting it done.

The Pioneer Valley has, and late last month, amid much fanfare and on the 10th anniversary of the creation of the original plan, the new document was unveiled. Its highlights include:

ï An emphasis on nurturing small businesses and creating more of them;

ï Ensuring an adequate workforce for the future;

ï Elevating the status of UMass to that of a world-class research university and taking better advantage of the 14 colleges in the Valley;

ï Improving and enriching pre-K‚12 education;

ï Enhancing both conventional and high-tech (broadband) infrastructure; and

ï Championing statewide fiscal equity.

The plan was introduced at the Basketball Hall of Fame, and there was a decidedly sports-oriented theme to the festivities. Lead speakers (including plan creators, Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan, and Ranch Kimball, secretary of the state Executive Office of Economic Develop-ment) were introduced as a starting lineup, and all of these players invoked sports phrases and metaphors.

Ryan, reiterating his belief that the city is not getting its fair share of state aid, said the playing field on which the state’s 351 cities and towns compete is not level. Meanwhile, Paul Tangredi, director of business development for Western Mass. Electric Company and one of the plan’s architects, borrowed a quote from the late Herb Brooks, coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, when he said that athletes should play for the name on the front of their jerseys, not the back.

This was another reference to the need for area players (meaning individual communities) to play as a team, and this theme was at the heart of the original Plan for Progress. That document was crafted at a time when the region was struggling. Companies and jobs were leaving the area, and in their zeal to lure new jobs, cities and towns competed aggressively against one another, often to the detriment of the region as a whole.

The original Plan for Progress laid the groundwork for formation of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., which has succeeded in creating a regional focus, not regional rhetoric. The plan has also played a part in formation of the Hartford-Springfield Economic Partner-ship, and in the formation of the Regional Technology Alliance (now the Regional Technology Corporation), which is spearheading efforts to bring more technology jobs to the Valley.

The re-tooled Plan for Progress has identified some new priorities, and we hope the plan’s implementers, as Brennan calls them, can achieve some measurable success with each one.

The first is the nurturing of small businesses. We’ve said on many occasions that this area is not going to grow by luring 1,000-employee companies to Western Mass. That might happen in Spartanburg, S.C., but not here. Instead, the Valley should be focused on growing by taking small businesses, nurturing them, and helping a few of them become 1,000-employee companies.

Meanwhile, the region must focus on making sure those businesses it nurtures have the quantity and quality of workers they will need years down the road. All area business owners remember the worker shortage of 1999-2001. Companies seizing on a white-hot economy were desperate for good help and fighting one another for what talent was available.

Things will be much worse in a decade or so when the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement age — unless plan implementers can find ways to keep those Boomers in the workforce longer, and also develop more and better strategies for keeping college graduates in Western Mass.

Another priority is what is being called non-conventional infrastructure, meaning broadband. The Berkshire Connect project brought reliable, high-speed broadband to an area desperate for it. The challenge now is to build on that model and make sure all areas of the Valley are properly wired for growth.

The roadmap for future prosperity in the Valley has been created. Now, it’s up to area leaders to follow that map and execute the game plan.

Is Westfield On Target?

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Uncategorized
Over the past 20 years, Westfield has transformed itself from a once-thriving manufacturing mecca into a distribution hub. Several national retailers and wholesalers have facilities in the city, and now, Minneapolis-based Target Corp. has come forward with a plan to build a 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in the city’s north side. As the proposal moves forward, there are questions to be answered, specifically: does the city need more trucks — or distribution jobs?The numbers are staggering.The distribution center proposed by the Minneapolis-based retailer Target Corp. would cover 1.6 million square feet. That’s about the size of the Holyoke Mall, which is built over multiple floors. The ’L’-shaped, single-story distribution center would cover 38 acres (or the equivalent of perhaps 80 standard home building lots), while the accompanying parking lot would cover another 83 acres.The facilities would cost $52 million to build, and would generate about $1 million in annual property taxes. The one-time building fees alone would be $600,000, according to current estimates. That’s more than was generated in the city — which has seen a surge in both residential and commercial development — over the past two years combined!The number Westfield officials are most intrigued by, however, is 800. That’s the current estimate on the number of jobs the distribution center would bring to the area, making it the city’s largest non-municipal employer and one of the top 20 in the region. And the jobs come with decent wages and benefits, said Westfield Community Development Director James Boardman, citing a projected range of $15-to-$18 per hour."These are good jobs at good wages," said Boardman, noting that while technically they are not manufacturing jobs, they come close to matching positions in that sector for overall compensation.In just about any other area community, the proposed Target facility would be a virtual slam dunk, a welcome infusion of jobs and tax dollars. But no other area municipality has the available land for such a structure, nor the highway access, and the one that does already has a handful of large distribution centers and more on the way. Which means that in Westfield, there are questions about whether the city wants or needs Target’s massive project.Specifically, some question whether the city should commit such a large tract of land to a facility that will generate distribution jobs, which are generally on a lower wage scale than manufacturing positions. Meanwhile, others wonder whether the city can handle more trucks on its roads.To the first question, Boardman says its been nearly a decade since Digital Equipment Corp. left the city, and more than 20 years since the company hit its high-water mark in the community, when it employed more than 2,000 people in mostly white-collar jobs. In the interim, the city has not seen anyone come to the table with jobs of that quantity or quality — and he doesn’t think it’s fruitful to wait and hope that someone will."You can’t make the possible the enemy of the perfect," Boardman explained. "That school of thought says to hold, hold, hold, and wait for the next DEC to come along. As I look out on the national economy, I don’t see another DEC."As for the trucks, Boardman and Westfield Mayor Richard Sullivan believe the city can handle more — if some steps are taken to minimize their impact. Such steps include set truck routes that take vehicles off residential roads; some infrastructure improvements, especially at the turnpike exit; and possibly creation of a truck park, a facility that would take trucks off city streets and into a designated area.Such a facility would be equipped with devices that would enable drivers to heat and cool their cabs, and also operate a computer or watch a small television set without having to keep the truck idling.Sullivan says the Target proposal faces a long, hard road. It must clear environmental hurdles — part of the parcel lies within an aquifer recharge area — and also strong opposition from neighbors and what will likely be a very close zoning vote in the City Council. But he believes the city would be negligent if it did not give the plan a hard look."Target would become one of our largest employers and the largest taxpayer in the city overnight," said the mayor. "That will take some pressure off our budget and help balance all the residential growth we’ve had and the added municipal expenses that go with it. There are simply too many benefits for us to let this go without giving it our best shot."What’s in Store?Target’s proposed distribution center underscores Westfield’s transformation from a manufacturing town to a distribution hub. The city was once the home to dozens of buggy whip manufacturing companies, and after the invention of the automobile decimated that industry, it hosted bicycle maker Columbia, as well as a host of paper and textile manufacturers and machine shops.Some of that manufacturing base remains — Columbia still exists, although it now focuses on school furniture and employs a fraction of the workforce it did in its heyday, and several machine shops are still operating. But over the past 10-15 years, the city has put its inventory of developable land and its easy access to the Turnpike and I-91 to good use as a home to a number of distribution facilities, with more on the way.In the mid-’90s, C&S Wholesale Grocers built a 500,000-square-foot frozen foods distribution center on a 100-acre parcel that formed roughly half of the Summit Lock Industrial Park. After Digital left the city, a series of national retailers have used the retrofitted former DEC plant for distribution. First, it was Caldor, then Ames. Home Depot began leasing roughly two-thirds of the building’s 600,000 square feet earlier this year, and Yankee Candle is also using a portion of the property. Meanwhile, Lowe’s is poised to break ground on a new distribution facility in the city’s north side. In all, there are currently more than 1,300 distribution-sector jobs in Westfield.With this backdrop, the Target proposal is being viewed as the next major distribution facility in Westfield, and the last, said Boardman, noting that there will be no large, contiguous pieces of land left after this one absorbed, and the city will probably reach its saturation point with trucks if Target goes forward."This would be the last one," he said. "We’ll be getting out of the distribution center business after Target’s project."Target officials were not available for comment on their plans, but Allan Blair, president of the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Western Mass., told BusinessWest that the company, eager to expand in the Northeast, has been looking for a site for a New England-region distribution center for some time, and has been considering options in Western Mass. for more than two years.In keeping with its regional approach to economic development, the EDC considered Target’s plans from a Valley-wide perspective, and worked to find a site that would make the most sense for the company and the region. It didn’t take long to identify Westfield as the only area community that could realistically handle the assignment, said Blair, adding that, eventually, focus turned to an assembled parcel near DEC and Barnes Municipal Airport that is owned by the airport and Equity Industrial Properties.The proposed facility would be similar in size, scope, and design to a Target distribution center in Wilton N.Y., said Boardman, noting that the model in question offers numbers — in terms of jobs, wages, trucks, and square footage — that are in attractive proportions.Elaborating, he said the city has dismissed other distribution center proposals that called for fewer jobs, less-attractive wages, more trucks, or any combination of the above."Target’s proposal has the package we’re looking for," he explained. "This plan calls for more jobs than trucks, while some people were offering more trucks than jobs. It will enable us to have our cake and eat it, too."The more we find out about the Target plan," he continued, "the more we like it."Thinking Outside the Box?When asked whether paving nearly 130 acres of Westfield’s north side was a sound economic development strategy, Blair and Boardman uttered the exact same words; "We need those jobs."Elaborating, both officials said Westfield, and the Valley as a whole, has lost a number of minimum-skilled and semi-skilled jobs in recent years as manufacturers have left the area. Westfield’s recent influx of distribution jobs has helped fill that void, but more jobs in that category are needed, said Blair."This is a good use of that property … maybe not the best use, but certainly a good one," he told BusinessWest. "If this was a highly automated plant of that same size but with few jobs, we wouldn’t be saying that."Boardman acknowledged that some believe the parcel in question should be saved for better-paying, technology oriented jobs. He countered by saying that the city hasn’t received any proposals for such operations in recent years. And if it does, there are many smaller parcels available for such use, including the nearby 120-acre industrial park being developed by Braintree, Mass.-based Campanelli Companies."Looking down the road, I don’t see growth in manufacturing — the trend is clearly toward outsourcing," he said. "Things are not going to be made in this country; that’s not where we’re going with our national economy, and if we think we’re an island and somehow different, I think we’re delusional."Echoing Westfield’s mayor, Blair said that when the benefits from the Target proposal and put in one column, and the drawbacks in another, the first list will be much longer than the second."Think about the spin-offs from this," said Blair, adding that in addition to jobs and tax dollars, the Target facility and its 800 employees will certainly help area businesses and perhaps spur creation of new service companies. "I think this will provide a huge boost for businesses in that area, and become a real asset for Westfield."Road GameSome city residents would probably use other, less-positive words to describe the proposal and its impact. "Now, where I see trees, I’m going to see a monstrosity," said one resident at a recent preliminary hearing on Target’s proposal. "[The city] should have said ’no’ to this a long time ago."The city didn’t say ’no,’ said Sullivan, because there are simply too many benefits — from tax dollars to jobs to all those building fees — to dismiss the proposal without looking at it from all sides."Target would give 700 to 800 people a chance to earn a decent living," he said. "We have an obligation to look closely at this and make a decision that is in the best interests of the largest number of people."Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at [email protected]

Commerce 2004

By
Uncategorized
Trade Show Organizers Add New Dimensions to EventThe 14th edition of the annual Commerce trade show, staged by the Chicopee and Holyoke chambers, is set for Oct. 28 at the Big E. Organizers, who are expecting record turnout of both exhibitors and visitors, have added some new features designed to bring additional value to both of those constituencies.

After last year’s Commerce trade show, organizers of the popular event enlisted the help of a focus group to ensure that, as the show moves forward, it continues to bring value to exhibitors and attendees.

Participants in that focus group said that, in addition to gaining leads on new business and renewing acquaintances with existing customers, they wanted something more — something they could take back to the office with them the day after the show.

In a word, they wanted more information, said Doris Ransford, long-time president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. And this year’s event, the 14th Commerce show, is designed to provide more of it, with ’how-to’ attractions.

Slated for Oct. 28 at the Young Building at the Eastern States Exposition, the Commerce show will include two additional features designed to help businesses of all sizes. The first will be a day-long program devoted to helping individuals understand today’s rapidly advancing technology; and to make more and better use of it.

Called Techno-Rama, the new addition will be a business technical center, as Ransford called it, and it will include displays of some of the latest technology — computers, hand-held devices, cell phones, and more — and have IT experts on hand to answer questions and help people make full use of it.

The second new feature is a panel discussion, called Meet the Business Press. As the name suggests, it is intended to be an informative session featuring area business writers, including BusinessWest editor George O’Brien, who will provide insight into how businesses can establish and maintain solid working relationships with the business press.

"Everyone wants press," said Chicopee Chamber President Gail Sherman. "But there’s more to it than that. Companies need to know how to establish a real relationship with the press. We want to help them do that."

People Power

When asked what makes a trade show successful, Sherman uttered one word: ’people.’

By that, she was referring to both the exhibitors behind the booths, and the visitors — business owners, purchasing managers, job seekers, and random opportunists — who walk the aisles and hopefully stop at a few attractions.

The mission for any trade show organizer is to provide both quantity and quality of exhibitors and visitors, said Sherman, adding that without such a critical mass, a show won’t be successful, especially at a time when there are many marketing alternatives and business owners are becoming increasingly savvy about promotional spending.

Trade show attendance is down nationwide, said Ransford, and one prevailing theory as to why surrounds organizers’ ability to keep a show fresh and effective — or, in many cases, a lack thereof. It was this need to keep the show from becoming stale and ineffectual that led to the focus groups conducted earlier this year. And it was the desire to achieve record turnout that led to this year’s theme, a call to action, if you will: "Be the Difference. Be There."

Jim Fiola, president of Chicopee-based Westwood Advertising, which was hired to promote the Commerce show, told BusinessWest that while there were different opinions expressed by focus group participants about what they liked and didn’t like about the event (especially the 2003 edition), there was consensus on one point. "People wanted more information," he said. "They wanted something of value to take back to the office with them."

This was the inspiration behind Techno-Rama, said Fiola, who told BusinessWest that some business owners and managers are intimidated by technology, and many of them fail to take full advantage of what the latest equipment has to offer.

Dean Leclerc, director of emerging technologies for Whalley Computer Associates, and one of those organizing Techno-Rama, concurred. He said the program is designed to take some of the mystery out of technology, and also give business owners and managers a sense of how technology can help them do whatever it is that they do better.

"We want people to look upon technology as an investment," said Leclerc, "and not something you just spend money on."

Leclerc said the day-long exhibit will likely feature short presentations on the latest in information technology, as well as meet-and-greets with manufacturers’ representatives. He said a number of companies have expressed interest in attending, including Apple, Cisco, EMC, and Polycom. Products on display should run the gamut, from the latest phones to videoconferencing equipment.

He said the exhibit is geared toward IT directors, but even moreso toward the owners of small-to medium-sized businesses who would like to learn how effective use of technology can benefit their operations.

Those same individuals can benefit from the Meet the Business Press program, said Fiola, noting that many small business owners are too wrapped up in the day-to-day operations of their ventures to know or practice the ins and outs of media relations.

The press seminar, which will feature several members of the print and electronic media, is designed to be informative and educational, he said, but business owners and managers can also make some introductions.

"Some business owners think that all you have to do is put a press release in the mail or the fax machine," said Fiola. "In reality, there’s much more to it."

Stock and Trade

Ransford told BusinessWest that, nationwide, trade shows have tried a number of things to provide that critical mass of people that makes an event successful. Some have tried food to lure visitors, while others have turned to special events or high-profile breakfast speakers.

There is no magic bullet, she said, noting that event organizers must continually try to anticipate the needs of business owners and then try to address them. It is ongoing process, she noted, one that Commerce show officials face on an annual basis as they try to keep their show fresh and relevant.

"Times change, and shows like this one have to keep pace," she explained. "If you don’t keep up, you’ll be left behind."

For more information on the show, or to reserve booth space, call the Greater Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376, or the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, (413) 594-2101

Bankruptcies

By
Departments

Acevedo, Elisa
30 Morgan Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/04

Acevedo, Manuel
Acevedo, Zenaida
309 Poplar Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089-2972
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/04

Afonso, John J.
19 Ranger St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/20/04

Almeida, Lisa A.
53 Elmdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/04

Alshenwah, Ahmed S.
27B Bliss St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/04

Alvaro, Joseph M.
88 Booth St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/20/04

Avila, Ruth M.
99 Barber St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Beaupre, Carrieann L.
46 Calvin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/10/04

Bennett, Treagan
5 Sargeant St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/01/04

Benoit, Roger M.
Benoit, Ann Marie
27 Asselin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/04

Bessette, Francis Thomas
Bessette, Shirley Adeline
47-B Taylor Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Blasotto, David P.
PO Box 33
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/04

Boardway, Kyle
189 Heywood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/03/04

Bolduc, Angela S.
Bolduc, Jamison A.
868 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Bonafe, Eddie A.
54 New Bridge St.
W. Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/04

Bowler, Brian P.
1653 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/04

Bozek, John T.
Bozek, Anna M.
23 Abbey St.
Chicopee, MA 01023
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/01/04

Breault, Richard
25 Heritage Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/04

Brown, Mildred A.
37 Stanley St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/14/04

Browning, Arlene Ann
137 Portulaca Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Bruso, John D.
24 Dwight St., Apt 20
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Bruso, Stacy M.
24 Noble Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Burlin, Kimberly A.
386 Hermitage Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/04

Burry, Martin E.
Burry, Amanda M.
24 Gaylord St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/04

Bush, Faye Ellen
6 Gardner Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Campbell, Steven P.
Campbell, Jane A.
64 Clark St., Apt. 2
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/04

Capellan, Pilar
3 Barrett St., Apt. 6206
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/04

Caraballo, Efrain
Caraballo, Lourdes
73 Lynch Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/04

Carey, Andrea K.
32 Leahey Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/04

Carrano, Michelle Lynn
219 East St., Apt. A
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Clarke, Thomas C.
623 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/04

Conroy, Kevin J.
Conroy, Martha E.
17 Central Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Cooper, Ricky R.
93 Charles Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Corriere, Ronald R.
72 Wellington Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Cosgrove, Christopher J.
44 Riverview St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/10/04

Costigan, Melissa
1723 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/04

Cotter, Anna L.
334 St. James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Cotto, Carmen M.
56C Bay Meadow Rd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/01/04

Cottrell, Elizabeth F.
60 Stanley Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/01/04

Craik, Ian W.
20 Call St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/04

Craven, Fay D.
20 Pelham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/04

Cummings, David R.
52 Vadnais St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/01/04

Cusson, Jay R.
11 Blodgett St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/04

Dacosta, Sonia C.
27 Morgan St., Apt. 1
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/04

DeMars, Edward E.
221 Corcoran Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/04

DeMars, Nancy Lee
1111 Westfield St., Ap
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Dempsey, James J.
92 Columbia St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/04

Draper, John P.
43 Washington St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/04

Dubois, Julie A.
4 Sunset Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/04

Eger, Jeffrey R.
395 Rock Valley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/04

Ezold, William J.
1163 B-L Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Felton-Stephenson, Betty
125 John St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/04

Flynn, Mark E.
25 Pleasant St., Apt. D
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/04

Forry, Robert J.
137 Root Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Foss, David L.
118 Woodland Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/04

Friedman, Edward
202 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Garcia, Radames
44 Carver St., Apt. 1
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/04

Golash, Stanley P.
129 Pleasant St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Gonyea, David P.
153 Atherton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/24/04

Gonzalez, Jesus M.
141 Locust St., Apt. 1
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/04

Gore, Richard W.
95 Breckwood Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/10/04

Goshea, John F.
129 Muzzy St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/04

Grandbois, Roland Joseph
140 Blanchard St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Granger, Michael F.
Granger, Kathleen
25 Roanake St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/08/04

Greaney, Elaine M.
11 Columbus Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/04

Harrington, James E.
Harrington, Michelle D.
9 Perennial Lane
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/04

Himmelreich, Philip J.
149 Kendall St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/04

Hogan, Daniel J.
1475 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/04

Hoynoski, Edward R.
Hoynoski, Jane E.
213 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Iglesias, Anthony
14 Livingstone Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/04

Jalbert, Angela E.
80 Highland Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/17/04

Jimenez, Margarita
20 Prouty St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Kantor, Marc David
32 Meadowlark Lane
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Killeen-Seipel, Margaret M.
63 Pequot Point Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/04

Kissee, Susan C.
3 Palmyra St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/04

Klipstand Manufacturing Co.
288 Union St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/04

Kornilieff, Lorri
1286 Granby Road, Lot 72
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/04

Kuzdzal, Joseph P.
Kuzdzal, Deborah A.
20 Stephanie Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/04

LaCrosse, Norman D.
56 Flint St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/03/04

LaPointe, Roland E.
81 Polaski Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

LeBlanc, Normand P.
49 Montgomery St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Lewis, Stephen D.
309 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/04

Lockwood, James Brian
13 Cosgrove Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/04

Louder, Sandra S.
100 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/04

Lowell, Alan R.
Lowell, Karen J.
86 Independence Road
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/04

MacInnis, Robert J.
959 Berkshire Ave.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/04

Mariani, Chad V.
Mariani, Serena M.
395 Cold Spring Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/01/04

Marquez, Esperanza
485 South St., Apt. 117
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/04

Martinez, Lana
28 Larone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Martino, Lynne A,
29 Bill St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Maspo, Madge Irene
35 Call St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

McCurdy, Kimberly
51 High St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/04

McDonald, Rose
16 Cosgrove St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/04

McLane, Louis H.
McLane, Phyllis B.
265 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/04

Merchant, Michael S.
626 McKinstry St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Milillo, Katie J.
190 North Westfield St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/19/04

Milillo, Kenneth J.
190 North Westfield Stree
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/19/04

Miller, Michael
Miller, Diane
84 Valley View Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/04

Moore, Dawn
13 Northampton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/25/04

Moquin, Sherri L.
32 Malibu Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/04

Morgado, Maria M.
5 Connolly St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Mulvenna, Thomas J.
13 Day Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Neil, John D.
34 Nantasket St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/04

Nickless, Maureen L.
416 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/07/04

Ocasio, Omayra
58 Howes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/25/04

Ortiz, Benigno
3 Barrett St., Apt. 6206
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/19/04

Ortiz, Jessica Paige
617 Bay St., Apt. C
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/04

Pagan, Yvette
55 Maple St., Apt. 6
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/04

Palazzi, Lisa M.
108 Elizabeth Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Parenteau, Peter L.
97 Celebration Cir.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/04

Passo, Jillian I.
447 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/01/04

Paul, Linda A.
111 Blanan Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/27/04

Pellegrino, Nancy L.
79 Warren St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/30/04

Perreault, Roger N.
Perreault, Linda S.
233 Acrebrook Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Poirier, Steven A.
51 George St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/03/04

Pouliot, Melissa A.
89 Dale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Provost, Donald L.
114 Wilno Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/08/04

Quinones, Samuel
44 Bruce St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Reyes, Mary M.
18 Lawndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/04

Riopelle, Lewis George
Riopelle, Raquel
87 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Rivera, Eddie
663 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/04

Robert, Annette M.
95 George Hannum Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/04

Sanchez, Benjamin J.
24 E. Silver St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/06/04

Sanchez, Jovanni A.
30 Morgan Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/04

Sawyer, George T.
Sawyer, Annette
243 Linden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/18/04

Seibold, Marshall A.
P.O. Box 2202
Westfield, MA 01086
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/25/04

Seiffert, Gregory J.
Seiffert, Lindsey L.
74 Meadowbrook Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Seipel, Roy B.
63 Pequot Point Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/04

Shields, James S.
12 Wawel St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Slowik, Theodore A.
Slowik, Martha A.
31 Coronet Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Smith, Joseph
146 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Tangredi, Bethany A.
193 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Tardy, Arthur William
34 Country Club Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/23/04

Vega, Herodita
141 Locust St., Apt. 1
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/04

Vilanova, Sarah Lee
569 South Canal St., Apt. 113
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/20/04

Villanueva, Roberto
97 Merrick Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/03/04

Watt, Adrion I.
Watt, Robin J.
42 Ruskin St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/16/04

Wegiel, Patricia L.
32 Depot St., Apt. 1
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/04

Whalen, Kevin T.
6 Maplecrest Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/04

Wildes, John S.
Wildes, Lela M.
P.O. Box 437
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/04

Williams, Denise M.
39 Royal St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/26/04

Williams, Lula L.
P.O. Box 91104
Springfield, MA 01139
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Wilson, Timothy H.
PO Box 4513
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/04

Woodworth, Amanda A.
1
0 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/04

Wrubel, Ilana B.
50 Franklin Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/01/04

Yusko, John T.
3 Golden Court
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/31/04

Zerwitz, Lisa R.
35 Geenacre Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 08/24/04

By
Departments

The following building permits were issued during the months of September 2004.

AGAWAM

Silver Street Associates
104 Silver St.
$205,000 — Interior construction of warehouse and offices

United Methodist Church
454 Mill St.
$25,000 — Vinyl siding

AMHERST

Amherst College Trustees
Kirby Theater
$13,000 — Install steel to support scenery-rigging equipment

Amherst College Trustees
Kirby Theater
$21,300 — Install acoustical material on walls

Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
170 University Dr.
$9,000 — Repair retaining wall, add guardrail

Hampshire College
Greenwich House
$19,998 — Extend roof overhang

Paul C. Shumway
330 College St.
$6,000 — Interior renovations

Trustees of Hampshire College
Music and Dance Building
$7,483 — Renovate recital hall

CHICOPEE

Mcork Realty Trust
510 Front St.
$521,925 — Erect First American Insurance building

EAST LONGMEADOW

East Longmeadow Center Village for Walgreens
31 Maple St.
$1,160,000 — New building

Maybury Association
90 Denslow Road
$1,898,891 — New building

HOLYOKE

Benderson Development Co.
375 Whitney Ave.
$6,148,410 — Erect five-story hotel

Homestead Grocery
625 Homestead Ave.
$125,000 — Interior renovations and addition

Joseph Miller
56 Jackson St.
$4,000 — Interior renovations — prefab spray booth

Nicholas Sierros
1735 Northampton St.
$7,200 — Modify to operate Domino’s Pizza

Sisters of St. Joseph
34 Lower Westfield Road
$246,903 — Modify offices and bedrooms

NORTHAMPTON

Birch Hill LLC
4 Lawn Ave.
$10,000 — Interior renovations

City of Northampton
274 Main St.
$95,000 — Construct handicap ramp

Hampshire Property Management
51 Clark Ave.
$40,000 — Strip and shingle roof

Levee LLC
163 Conz St.
$67,000 — Reconfigure two rooms, repair sidewalk

Locust Professional Condo
51 Locust St.
$23,500 — New roof

Matthew Pitoniak and B. Feeney
21 Main St.
$99,800 — Interior renovations for bar/tavern

Rockwell Management Corp.
17 New South St.
$22,000 — Interior renovations

Trustees of Smith College
15 Arnold Ave.
$30,000 — Demolish fire-damaged structure

Ten Main Street Florence LLC
10 Main St.
$112,865 — First-floor interior renovations

SPRINGFIELD

Charter One Bank
296 Cooley St.
$120,000 — Interior and exterior remodeling

First Park Memorial Baptist Church
4 Garfield St.
$90,750 — Remove and replace roof

WNEC D’Amour Library
1215 Wilbraham Road
$1,222,441 — Three-story addition

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Bank of America
225 Memorial Ave.
$27,145 — New roof

Discount Office Furniture
2131 Riverdale St.
$51,800 — New roof

WESTFIELD

Elm Development
40 Court St.
$6,000,000 – New building

By
Departments

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden and Hampshire Counties between mid-August and mid-September, the latest available. They are listed by community.

AGAWAM

All Tek Builders Inc., 105 Edward St., P.O. Box 662, Agawam 01001. Wayne Albrecht, 939 Granby Road, Chicopee 01020. General contracting, remodeling, roofing, etc.

Lazkani Corp., 51 Riviera Dr., Agawam 01001. Mustapha Lazkani, same, president and treasurer; Samar Lazkani, same, secretary. To own and operate a laundromat business.

Pananas Realty Inc., 1673 Suffield St., Agawam 01001. Leonidas Pananas, same. A real estate holding company.

AMHERST

Medsource Solutions Inc., 6 University Dr., Suite 206-232, Amherst 01002. Alan Tomasko, 36 Greenleaves Dr., #57, Hadley 01035. Medical consulting/education related equipment sales and services.

BELCHERTOWN

57 Sheffield Inc., 14 Maplecrest Dr., Belchertown 01007. Gail M. Flood, same. Retail & wholesale business, related manufacturing.

LC Sand & Gravel Inc., 21 Summit St., Belchertown 01007. Claude Whitman, same. Material removal. Material removal.

CHICOPEE

A.H.H. Inc., 1195 Granby Road, Chicopee 01020. Craig R. Authier, same. General contractor, real estate improvement.

Network Employment Services Inc., 1036 Chicopee St., Chicopee 01013. Luz A. Velez, 126 Peace St., Chicopee 01013. Employment staffing and placement.

SE Holidays Inc., 9 Stanley Dr., Chicopee 01020. Ming Sum Kwan, same. Chartered bus.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Bonneville International Inc., 20 Deer Park Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. Christopher Southey, 274 Duchesnay St., Skte. Marie, Quebec CAN. CT Corporation System, 101 Federal St., Boston 02110, registered agent. (Foreign corp; NH) Manufacture and sale of windows and doors.

Vehicle Inspections Inc., 200 North Main St., Ste. 6, East Longmeadow 01106. David W. Townsend, 227 Farmington Road, Longmeadow 01106. Electronic vehicle inspections.

FEEDING HILLS

On-Hold Marketing & Communications of Western New England Inc., 97 Columbia Dr., Feeding Hills 01030. Laurie Fay, same. To create and provide personalized marketing messages and hardware for businesses to help retain callers, increase sales, etc.

HADLEY

Valley Vodka Inc., 20 Maple Ave., Hadley 01035. Paul Kozub, same, president, treasurer and secretary. Distiller and distributor of spirits.

HAMPDEN

Elegant Creations Inc., 5 Bayberry Road, Hampden 01036. Pamela M. Clark, same. Retail fruit arrangements.

HOLYOKE

Bijou Bijou Inc., 50 Holyoke St., #G301, Holyoke 01040. In Jae Lee, 631 Division Ave., #1st Fl., Carlstadt, NJ 07072. In Jae Lee, 50 Holyoke St., #G301, Holyoke 01040, registered agent. Retail fashion jewelry.

MD2 Inc., 30 Holyoke St., Mrs. Fields Store, Holyoke Mall, Holyoke 01040. Samir N. Dave, 91 Beacon Terr., Springfield 01119. To operate a Mrs. Fields Original Cookies store, etc.

Sunoco of South Street Inc., 580 South St., Holyoke 01040. Adib Mohsen, same. Retail gas.

LONGMEADOW

Advanced Contracting Enterprises Inc., 658 Converse St., Longmeadow 01106. Brian J. Walker, same. General contracting.

Race Aviation Inc., 70 Warren Terrace, Longmeadow 01106. John T. Race, Jr., same. Professional pilot services, aircraft management, and aviation consulting services.

LUDLOW

Brad Willard Professional Painters Inc., 89 Woodland Circle, Ludlow 01056. Jonathan B. Willard, same. Arranging of painter to provide painting services to the public.

SOUTHWICK

Southwick Foodmart Corp., 610 College Hwy., Southwick 01077. Sunil R. Patel, 80 Mill St., North Easton 02356. A general convenience store.

SPRINGFIELD

AA Glass & Mirror Inc., 62 Tremont St., Springfield 01105. Michael A. Romanelli, same. Glass and mirror sales and services.

Biff-Bam-Boom Inc., 92 Parallel St., Springfield 01104. Anthony Rivera, same. Comic sales.

Branch Street Realty Management Inc., 417 Springfield St., Ste. 139, Agawam 01001. Michael P. Margiotta, 7 Forest Hill Road, Feeding Hills 01030. Realty management.

Crown Fried Chicken Inc., 1208 Main St., Springfield 01103. Mohammed Asif, same. Fast food restaurant.

E J Bara and Son Plumbing Contractors Inc., 8 Raymond Circle, Westfield 01085. Edward J. Bara, Jt., same. Plumbing.

Eman Corp., 1324 Boston Road, Springfield 01119. Maqsood Cheema, 55 Rosewood Dr., Rocky Hill, CT. 06067. Muhammed H. Warasat, 30 Wyndward Road, Longmeadow 01106, treasurer. Restaurant business.

The Falls Fruits and Vegetables Inc., 1003 St. James Ave., Springfield 01104. Ahmet Akin, 29 Manitoba St., Springfield 01108. Fruits and vegetables.

Falls Pizza Inc., 103 Main St., Springfield 01020. Ilyas Yanbul, 59 Cedar St., Ludlow 01056. Pizza shop/food service.

Feeds Inc., 95 State St., Ste. 1100, Springfield 01103. David V. Bloniarz, 33 Atwater Road, Springfield 01107. (Nonprofit) To assist the community at large, including the minority community, in entrepreneurial and business endeavors.

Sisters in Struggle Inc., 76 Amherst St., Springfield 01109. Sabriyya Abdur-Rauf, same. (Nonprofit) To holistically develop individuals, families, and the community in compliance with the Qur’an, etc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Miten Mart Inc., 50 Morgan Road, West Springfield 01089. Kaushik D. Patel, 109 Raffeale Dr., Waltham 02454. To carry on a general mercantile business.

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