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Month: January 2009

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Ringing in 2009

The Young Professionals Society kicked off 2009 in style with its inaugural New Year’s Ball, an event that drew more than 200 people to the Sheraton in downtown Springfield. Clockwise, from right, YPS Co-vice President Jeffrey Fialky and his wife, Emily, enjoy the festivities; Co-vice president Trevis Wray toots his own horn; toasting the new year are, from left, Tina D’agostino, Sandra Bessette, current President Alyssa Carvalho, and Andrew Schmidt; an ice sculpture boasts the society’s working slogan.

Communications Conference

On Jan. 8, Western New England College and the Valley Press Club staged their annual Communications Conference, a day-long program of talks and panel discussions centered on the issues of effective communication and developing working relationships with the press. Above, from left, George O’Brien, editor of BusinessWest; Kathy Tobin, anchor for WGGB40 and FOX6; and Wayne Phaneuf, executive editor of the Republican, take questions from the audience during a “Meet the Gatekeepers” panel discussion. At right, Mark McCandlish, organizational development manager with Baystate Health, leads a workshop on “Delivering on Your Service Promise.”

OPINION

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Uncategorized

With his Cabinet in place, President-elect Obama will turn his attention to the agencies and the countless appointments that will complete his new government. Although some appointments will be virtually unnoticed, they are no less instrumental in fulfilling his agenda of change. For example, who will replace Dana Gioia as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts? And what is the NEA again?

That Gioia’s agency is little known is partially a reflection of the agency’s modest allocation. The Endowment’s annual budget is less than the Pentagon’s cost for a single fighter plane. And for every per-capita dollar the NEA spends, France’s Ministry of Culture spends more than $13,000.

Gioia was once asked why the U.S. government doesn’t support the arts the way Europe does. “The U.S. provides more funding for the arts than any other country in the world,” Giolia replied. “It’s called the tax deduction.”

A tax deduction is not an arts policy.

Under the federal tax code, deductions are allowed for contributions made to charitable organizations. Individual and corporate support for the arts, incentivized by these tax deductions, will likely slow in a chilling economy. Arts organizations will compete for shrinking funds, insufficient to sustain them all. An opera company might skate by, relying on its endowment and longstanding donors, while a small Latino theater troupe or an inner-city music school would be forced into extinction.

But funding isn’t the only problem. For 20 years the NEA has been in hibernation.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a handful of artists were accused of subverting American culture, and social conservatives and fiscal watchdogs joined forces in an offensive against the arts. Their battle cry: art was responsible for the decay of American values, and why should American tax dollars pay for it? The agency survived but retreated, leaving American artists to fend for themselves.

The Endowment has stirred again during Gioia’s tenure, having secured its first significant funding increase since 1984. “American Masterpiece” was awarded $18 million to bring American classics to the far-reaching corners of 50 states as well as military bases. “Shakespeare in American Communities” was another Gioia initiative, and this year he launched “The Big Read,” a $2.8 million nation-wide Oprah-style reading club.

But a reading club is not an arts policy, and Gioia’s programs stop short in bringing the NEA back to life. These programs do not reflect the arts as a vital and dynamic expression of American culture. They do not reflect the diverse face of America. These programs do not fuel the economic engine of American communities large and small. In this financial climate, that’s an issue that deserves attention.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt recognized the combined power of American productivity and creativity. Between 1935 and 1943, his Works Progress Administration put 8 million Americans to work. Under the same umbrella, construction workers and engineers built the nation’s physical infrastructure, while writers, painters, and performers constructed the nation’s cultural foundations. Buildings and bridges, murals and sculptures sprung up in public places around the nation.

John F. Kennedy’s commitment to the arts paved the way for the formation of the NEA. Kennedy’s vision of an America in which ingenuity was championed above all else was not reserved to space travel alone. The arts were included too. “If art is to nourish the roots of our culture,” he said, “society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.”

Obama’s campaign planted the seeds of change. As he builds his administration, he should follow in the footsteps of Roosevelt and Kennedy, considering the unique and historic role that the arts have always played in cultivating change. He should select a new chairperson who will lead the NEA with a commitment to the ways in which the arts can nourish the nation’s economy and its imagination.-

Thor Steingraber is an opera director and Harvard University’s Hauser Center fellow for arts, culture, and media.

In Praise of the Difference Makers

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Opinion

BusinessWest launched a new recognition program late last year. It’s called Difference Makers, and as we said in our initial announcement, while that name says it all in some ways, in other ways it really doesn’t.

That’s because the phrase ‘making a difference’ is somewhat overused and has lost some of its meaning and its punch. With this new program, BusinessWest wants to bring some attention and acclaim to those who really are making an impact in the community we call Western Mass., and are inspiring others to do the same.

When we unveil the first round of winners in early February, you’ll see what we mean.

But let’s back up a minute.

BusinessWest already had a few recognition programs with its name on them. One is the Top Entrepreneur award, given since 1996 to individuals who exemplify the proud tradition of entrepreneurship in this region, a tradition shaped by people like Milton Bradley, George Davis, Everett Barney, and Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson, and carried on by recent winners such as Jeb Balise, the Falcone family (founders and operators of Rocky’s Hardware), and the recipients for 2008, Arlene Kelly and Kim Sanborn, who have created two businesses that have changed the face of health care business operations.

We also created 40 Under Forty. Well, actually, we started our own version of what has become a national trend among business publications — to recognize up-and-coming talent in a given market.

Both programs have become huge successes, and play key roles in helping this publication relate the accomplishments of some very talented people. But something was missing.

Not all people are true entrepreneurs (although most in business are at least entrepreneurial), and, alas, certainly not everyone doing important things and making lasting contributions is under 40. So we created another program that can, and will in many cases, recognize those who don’t fall into one or either category.

These can be individuals who are making great strides in business and thus perhaps changing the fortunes of a company, a business sector, a community, or a region. They can be individuals who are making an impact in the community through donations of money, time, energy, and inspiration to nonprofits and those served by them. They can be leaders who are at the forefront of change and improvement in the quality of life for people who live, work, and play in this region.

The timing of this program is important. While we didn’t exactly plan it this way, Difference Makers becomes a counterbalance to the successive waves of negative news about the economy, the stock market, job losses, and the incredible toll all this is taking on individuals and communities. There are still good things happening in the region, and some of that news is being buried in the avalanche of negative press.

But BusinessWest is not a ‘good-news journal.’ That’s not our purpose, and it never will be. Instead, our mission is to simply hold up a mirror to the region and especially its business community and effectively reflect that image — good, bad, ugly, or promising.

Difference Makers is part of all this mirror-holding work that we do.

It was created to reflect the work of people (some of which goes largely unnoticed or underappreciated) that contributes to progress in this region and makes Western Mass. special.

The stories vary, of course, but they all start with unique people who, well, want to make a difference — and are doing so.

So who are the first Difference Makers? For that, you’ll have to wait two weeks. We need to build up some suspense.-

Bear Market

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The conversion of the old town hall into CitySpace is one of many arts-focused initiatives in Easthampton.
Features
Easthampton Is ‘Maturing’ as a Center for the Arts
The conversion of the old town hall into CitySpace is one of many arts-focused initiatives in Easthampton.

The conversion of the old town hall into CitySpace is one of many arts-focused initiatives in Easthampton.

Editor’s Note: In this issue, Business-West begins a new series that will provide snapshots of many of the cities and towns in Western Mass. In each issue, a different community will be highlighted in a program intended to inform readers about the issues and challenges facing these cities and towns, while also providing some of the flavor that makes each community different. This series will include communities in the four counties of Western Mass. — Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire — and begins with the Hampshire County jewel Easthampton, one of the region’s newest cities.

Michael Tauznik is Easthampton’s first, and still its only, mayor. He was first elected in 1995, giving him tenure surpassed only by North Adams’s long-time corner-office holder, John Barrett III, who has been in his seat since 1984 and is the longest-serving mayor in the Commonwealth.

Beyond the very unofficial title of ‘dean’ of Springfield-Holyoke-area mayors, Tauznik’s lengthy stint in what can now be called City Hall. has given him a front row seat to an ongoing evolution of this community’s economy. A former mill town where everything from paper to rubber stoppers; from cleaning products to the stretch bands in underwear were produced, Easthampton has become a more arts- and culture-focused community, with much of that old mill space now occupied by painters, sculptors, photographers, upholsterers, furniture makers, and others who find the community an attractive and affordable alternative to Northampton.

Meanwhile, the community’s old town/city hall is undergoing a transformation that underscores this fiscal evolution. It’s called CitySpace, the name given to the effort to convert the Main Street landmark into a center for the arts and arts-related businesses. The first floor is now occupied by a gallery and frame shop, and there are preliminary plans to take the spacious auditorium on the second floor where town meetings were once staged and convert it to a performance venue.

And starting this summer, the city will become home to something called the Easthampton Bear Fest. From June through mid-October, the community’s downtown will host an exhibit of life-sized, fiberglass bears (like the cows seen in some communities and the whales that populate Cape Cod) that are creatively painted, decorated, and festooned by artisans from Easthampton and the region and placed in various public spaces within an easy walking tour. A total of 30 bears, 20 life-size and 10 smaller, will be displayed. The bears will be sponsored by businesses and individuals, and will be auctioned off at the end of the festival to benefit Riverside Industries Art Program, Easthampton Public Schools art programs, the artists who decorate them, and Easthampton City Arts.

That’s quite a change from the days when most everyone who lived in the town worked at one of a dozen major mills.

But while Easthampton is embracing the arts and the artisans, its manufacturing heritage is not exactly a thing of the past. In many ways, it’s still a thing of the present, said Tauznik, with several major players, including Berry Tubed Products, October Co., Stevens Urethane, and others, employing more than 1,000 people.

There are far fewer of the major employers that called this community home decades ago, said Eric Snyder, director of the city’s Chamber of Commerce, adding that Easthampton, like most other area cities and towns, now relies on small businesses and diversity to remain vibrant.

“Easthampton’s progression is still a work in progress,” said Synder, who told BusinessWest that the city is “maturing” as a center of arts and culture and home to small and very small businesses. “We’re still at a point where we’re growing, and there’s greater realization that is what’s happening in Easthampton; people are taking notice of what’s going on here.”

In this issue, BusinessWest, in the course of profiling Easthampton, will examine this maturation process and what lies ahead for this gem in the shadow of Mount Tom.

Brush with Fame

It’s called Art Walk Easthampton.

That’s the name attached to a program started two years ago and staged on the second Saturday of every month. Residents and visitors are encouraged to walk around the community and, while doing so, visit some of galleries and arts venues and get a sampling of local, regional, and national talent.

Such venues include the Blue Guitar Gallery, Easthampton City Arts (the non-profit group formed in 2005 to enhance the collaborative efforts of the artist and business communities in the city), the Lathrop Inn Art Gallery, Nashawannuck Gallery, and the Pioneer Arts Center of Easthamp-ton. Each venue is identified by a bright yellow Art Walk banner; there’s even a similarly colored shuttle bus.

The fact that this community now has a monthly art walk with its own Web site (www.artwalkeasthampton.org) speaks to the changes that have taken place over the past few decades, said Snyder, adding that change is ongoing and constant.

The transformation began while the community was still actually a town, said Tauznik, noting that, over the past 15-20 years, Easthampton has seen many of its old mills become small-business incubators and homes to hundreds of artisans. The first of these conversions was at One Cottage Street, an old mill that once made elastic bands for undergarments and other uses.

The property was eventually taken over by Riverside Industries Inc., a nonprofit agency serving the developmentally disabled, which began leasing out some of the cavernous space for use as studios and workshops. By the late ’90s, a cultural community had taken root on the property, one that continues to grow, thrive, and inspire similar ventures today.

The city’s evolution continued with the biggest of these mill conversions — at the sprawling former home to Stanley Home Products, later Stanhome, on Pleasant Street. The 500,000-square-foot building is home to dozens of businesses and has become both a business address and a destination, with a number of restaurants and shops that bring visitors — and dollars — into Easthampton from outside its borders.

Today, the tenant list includes everything from a maker of decorative gift baskets to a driving school.

There have been other, smaller mill conversions, including the one at the former Paragon Rubber Co. plant just down the road from Eastworks (see story, page 39). The sum of these efforts has given the town a solid foundation on which to build and a chamber membership roster at more than 350, and growing.

“This is really a community of small businesses now,” said Snyder, whose job it is to serve and engage his members. “They’re the backbone of the economy here.”

The emergence of an arts community has brought attention — and large numbers of visitors — to the city’s downtown, said Tauznik, noting that one challenge for the community is to market itself and thus increase its visibility.

Art Walk Easthampton has certainly helped in this regard, he said, and the bear festival provides an additional boost to the efforts to move Easthampton off the list of best-kept secrets.

Like Snyder, Tauznik said Easthampton is in the midst of a maturation process as it grows and promotes its cultural economy. And continued growth will be challenged in the short term by the recession and its impact on town finances.

Like virtually all communities, Easthampton is facing sharp declines in auto excise tax receipts and other forms of revenue, as well as the threat of cuts in local aid from the Commonwealth. Thus, the city will have to become creative itself as it searches for funding sources for projects like CitySpace.

“Finding money to do some of the things we want to do will be difficult, but doable,” he said, noting that the community recently secured funds to help the owners of the Paragon building install new windows along Pleasant Street. “We’re going to have to be diligent and imaginative.”

Not Your Run-of-the-mill Town

“Connecting the Past with the Future.”

That’s one of the working slogans used by Eastworks in its promotional efforts, and in many ways it speaks to what the community is trying to do as it continues to evolve and mature.

It’s not leaving the past behind, said Tauznik, noting, again, that the city embraces its manufacturing heritage and still relies on that sector for needed jobs. But like all communities, it must diversify to remain vibrant.

It has been made considerable strides in that regard, but, as Snyder and the mayor noted, there’s still work to do with this work in progress.

George O’Brien can be reached at[email protected]

Showing Their Metal

By
Janice Visconti
Features
Avid Ironworks Forges a Place in the Region’s Construction Industry
Janice Visconti

Janice Visconti says her career change from nursing to president of Avid Ironworks has been a successful blending of business and family.

When Janice Visconti left a career of more than 20 years to run the family business, she knew that her new role would surprise those who had known her as a pediatric nurse.

“It’s definitely a career change,” she told BusinessWest. “I see people I used to work with, and they ask, ‘are you still at the hospital?’ And I say, ‘oh, you won’t believe where I am.’”

To be specific, she’s in the president’s chair at Avid Ironworks in Springfield, which her husband, Dave, and her father-in-law, Joseph, launched in 2005.

Dave had built and operated an independent metal-fabrication business since the mid-1980s, but closed shop about five years ago. He reopened with his father at the helm as a silent partner, but Janice bought him out in 2006.

The timing was right to switch careers, she said, because she wasn’t actively working in nursing. About five years ago, after the Viscontis’ 9-year-old son lost a five-year battle with neuroblastoma, the importance of family overshadowed career goals, and Janice quit her job in home care to spend more time with her daughter, now 11. When the opportunity arose to join her husband in the family business, it just made sense.

“I like the flexibility of it, the challenge of doing something different and working for myself,” she said. “After my husband had done it for years, he said, ‘I don’t want to be the president of a company anymore.’ He just wanted to go in and work. I started getting interested in doing some office work, and he asked me, ‘why don’t you own the company?’”

At first, Janice worked at home away from Avid’s small headquarters on Rose Street in Springfield, but when a larger, neighboring building became available, the entire operations moved there. “It’s worked out well,” she said.

Eager to Work

Avid Ironworks serves as subcontractor for a variety of general contractors, with output including rails, stairs, catwalks, and other ornamental metals; gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and aluminum, stainless, and carbon steel welding; and a range of other services.

“We fabricate iron and materials here in the shop, and we have welders that will install on site,” Visconti said.

“We’re working on colleges, libraries, police stations, fire stations — that’s where the work is right now. There are a lot of bids out there in the public sector. We used to concentrate on private work, but then we became DCAM-certified.”

That certification by the Mass. Division of Capital Asset Management opens doors for contractors and subcontractors seeking public-sector work in the Commonwealth, and it also promotes diversity, in particular businesses owned by women and minorities, which is a benefit for Avid.

“With these public jobs, you have to be DCAM-certified to work on them,” Visconti said. “We have to submit a bid to DCAM, and they have to choose the lowest responsible bidder, and the general contractor who wins that bid has to choose you. It’s good in a way; it gets the general contractors working with a lot of different people. We’re already pre-qualified, so we can do the job.

“It’s definitely a process, though,” she continued. “A lot of general contractors stay away from that because there’s a lot of paperwork for anything dealing with the state. But once you get certification, it’s nice because it opens up lots of doors.”

For instance, she’s spoken with general contractors in Connecticut who had to become DCAM-certified to move into Massachusetts. “With work starting to dry up in Connecticut, they’re moving over the border, but that gives us more opportunities to work with different contractors.”

On top of that, Avid has also been certified through the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance.

“Being a woman in the workforce, that’s supposed to help with gaining contracts and being more competitive with other companies,” she said. “That was the whole purpose of it. I own a business in a competitive market, and if this gives me any type of advantage, that’s good.”

Still, she said, Avid typically bids on DCAM work that must go to the lowest bidder, so she hasn’t seen many ill effects of being a woman in an overwhelmingly male field.

In fact, due to DCAM, “there are contractors out there who will contact us because they need to work with more women and minorities,” she said. “The state of Massachusetts is definitely pushing toward equal opportunities, and that’s definitely a plus.”

The ability to bid low also gives Avid an advantage over Eastern Mass.-based entities.

“There are a few companies in this area that we’re quite competitive with, but a lot of the companies out east, their prices are really out there,” she said. “I don’t know if they have so much work that they don’t need to move into our area, but we really don’t compete with them.”

What growth Avid had attained in the past few years, however, must be balanced against the financial dark clouds impacting industries of all types.

“The steel prices alone have gone way up. The delivery freight surcharges, the gas surcharges, everything went up,” said Visconti — and that was before the sharp economic downturn started to put the clamps on some expected work.

“Things are definitely slowing down. In the wintertime, it’s always down anyway in this trade. But there’s some work that was out to bid, and they’re holding off or cancelling the jobs, and that affects us as well as everyone else. We’re lucky to be busy, but right now we’re expecting 2009 and possibly 2010 to be slow. Hopefully not too slow.”

Family Affair

Ironworking runs in the blood for Dave Visconti, whose grandfather worked at the Moore Drop Forging Co. in Springfield. And the company he founded truly is a family business; while he serves as operations manager, the Viscontis have a nephew on board as project manager.

Like most businesses these days, Avid is concentrating on simply surviving the next year or two. But down the line, Janice Visconti isn’t as interested in growing physically as much as maintaining a solid schedule of work.

“We don’t want to grow too big; that’s not always the best way, and we’re happy where we are,” she said. “We just want to stay busy and continue to provide a quality product in a timely and cost-effective manner for our customers.”

Meanwhile, Visconti doesn’t want to be the silent executive her father-in-law was. After all, she didn’t leave a career in health care to sit in an office and crunch numbers — so she became a certified welder in 2006.

“I figured, if I’m going to own this company, I want to learn the business. I don’t just want my name on it. So I got down there and learned how to weld,” she said.

Sounds like the framework of a successful second career.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

The Numbers Game

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STCC President Ira Rubenzahl says that, even with student cost increases imminent, public higher education will continue to offer good value.
Sections Supplements
Public Colleges See Applications Soar, Budgets Fall
STCC President Ira Rubenzahl says that, even with student cost increases imminent, public higher education will continue to offer good value.

STCC President Ira Rubenzahl says that, even with student cost increases imminent, public higher education will continue to offer good value.

Glib pundits like to chart the economy with some interesting bellwethers: in a bear market, liquor sales are up, and travel is down; attendance at movies is higher, and women’s hemlines are lower. However, when the economy turns south, there are two other trends that those in public higher education are now quite familiar with: rising enrollment and falling budgets.

And together, they make for times of opportunity and extreme challenge.

Applications to the area’s public schools have been steadily increasing over the past few years, with some numbers for last fall considerably higher than had been expected. The Boston Globe recently reported that institutions across the state saw surges in fall applications, from a 40% jump at Westfield State College to a 60% climb at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, to a 75% increase at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Boston.

It’s easy to see why public schools would post such numbers in a weak economy. At private colleges across the nation, total student costs, including tuition, fees, room, and board, can easily exceed $35,000, often much higher. According the College Board, a non-profit member association of more than 5,000 colleges and universities, those prices are up 5.9% from the year before, a significant rise from the trend of the last decade.

In contrast, public higher education remains a fraction of that cost, charting price increases that generally match the annual inflation rate. Thus, area community colleges cite affordability as one of their core mission goals. And while total costs at UMass Amherst, one of the more expensive state flagship colleges, are $18,346 for in-state residents, SmartMoney magazine recently named the school as one of the nation’s top long-term values in higher education.

But paralleling this pattern of greater interest in public colleges is another trend that is part and parcel to economic downturns: budget cutbacks ordered by officials grappling with extreme revenue shortfalls. It happened in the early ’80s, again in the early ’90s and just after 9/11, and now it’s occurring again.

Gov. Patrick rang in the new year with a second $1 billion round of budget cuts, with planned reductions of more than $24 million to the entire UMass system, cuts to all public colleges in the state, and the threat of further reductions.

In the face of these cutbacks, administrators are charged with adjusting their bottom lines, but not in ways that will make their schools less attractive or accessible — and that’s no easy task.

In this issue, BusinessWest looks at how schools grapple with these conflicting working conditions.

First, the Good News

Ed Blaguszewski, director of News and Information at UMass Amherst, told BusinessWest that the school has recorded a notable increase in what are known as ‘early-action’ applications for next fall.

“The numbers are up 29% to 8,045, and we now anticipate an increase in overall applications of up to 10%,” he explained. “Families are taking a particularly close look at the quality, value, and affordability of college options amid the recession, and we expect they will find UMass Amherst an especially attractive choice.”

UMass Amherst has been seen as a great value in education for some time now, he continued, and this has been reflected in an increase in applications over the past five years. “Last year, we reached about 29,000 applications, and that is up substantially over the previous five years. I think that has a great deal to do with people understanding what UMass has to offer. Based on what we see right now, our admissions director thinks we may have a further 10% increase in applications for the class beginning in the fall of 2009.”

At Springfield Technical Community College, President Ira Rubenzahl reported a similar trend. “Our applications and our seat count are up; we are the low-cost alternative,” he explained. “In the fall semester our enrollment was up 6% from the fall of 2008. While we don’t know what the final figures will be for this spring, our applications are up 12%, and that is a significant increase for us. We do have more students in our technology programs, and our nursing and dental hygiene programs are oversubscribed, and have been for years. We have six or seven applicants for every spot.

“In the months to come,” he continued, “I think we can forecast such numbers as this into the next academic year. We’re seeing people’s perceptions that this time is even worse than other downturns, so I think we can see our growth trend continuing. Our cost increases track the inflation rate, around 3% to 4%, but if you look at private higher education, their costs are very high, relative to what they were 20 years ago.”

Ann Sroka, director of Marketing and Public Relations at Holyoke Community College, noted a strong increase in applications over the final months of 2008. “We are still accepting applications up until the first day of classes for the spring semester, but right before we left for the holidays, we had an increase of 20% more applications than the same time the year before. Those numbers aren’t final yet either, as we still have a few ‘registration express’ periods before the beginning of the semester.

“While this doesn’t necessarily guarantee the same number of applicants-to-enrollment, it is an excellent indicator,” said Sroka. “An interesting statistic for me is also that we are also seeing an increase in new students, that is to say first-time applicants to the college.”

And Now the Bad News

But even as the area’s public colleges post record numbers of applications, the state’s financial crisis has meant drastic reductions for those schools.

Gov. Patrick’s first $1 billion state budget cut, made last October, included an $11 million cut in the UMass Amherst budget, said Blaguszewski, noting that the school is looking down the barrel of significant further reductions.

While the campus has recently undergone some high-profile capital improvements, most notably in the multi-million-dollar construction of new studio arts, integrated sciences, and student recreation buildings, such growth is and has been important to secure an increasingly competitive applicant pool. However, late last year, Chancellor Robert Holub announced an expected fiscal year 2010 budget shortfall of $38 million, and the steps his school would need to take to address that situation.

According to university administrators, immediate cuts will be made by merging administrative functions, reducing energy consumption across campus, and making reductions in capital construction spending. A budget-planning task force board, comprised of faculty, staff and students, has been implemented to blueprint ways for the school to address the challenges.

“There are no easy answers to a cut of this size,” said Holub, “but I am hopeful that this group will provide innovative ideas to help me with the difficult choices ahead.”

Rubenzahl said that, so far this year, his school has been able to ensure that the loss of over $1 million will not affect the core mission of protecting academic programs and student services. “We’ve been able to tap into reserves, trim subsidiary accounts — equipment, supplies, and building renovation accounts,” he explained. “By pooling this together, we’ve been able to absorb the first round of cuts.”

But he cites the possibility of further cuts in February, and the need for fee increases in order to successfully and fully maintain services such as financial aid.

“What we are recommending to the board is that our programs continue to have quality faculty and sufficient laboratories and facilities, and that we continue to be affordable,” he continued. “We have a board policy that dates to when I first became president in 2004 that says our fee increases should track with inflation. But that might not be realistic this year. We will construct a package that strives to keep the students unharmed as much as possible.”

HCC President William Messner, who has been handed budget cuts of over $1 million already this academic year, said the school is responding to the reductions in a number of ways. “Number one, we’re trying to get a handle on the dimension of all these cuts, as that still isn’t even clear yet,” he said. “We’ve already taken two cuts this year, and there is a good possibility of another before this academic year is finished. It’s even less clear what’s going to happen for the next school year. The only thing that is certain is that it’s not going to be good.”

“Our responses to budget cuts,” he continued, “will be designed to have the least impact on quality of services for our students. The priorities are the academic program, the teaching and learning process, and student support services. We’ve pulled back on non-essential hiring, travel, and some of the services that we provide on campus that we don’t find critical to our offerings.”

The Bottom Line

At the beginning of this year, Messner told BusinessWest, he and the other community-college presidents across the state met with state Secretary of Education Paul Reville. Paraphrasing the combined presidents’ message for the governor, Messner said, “as the leaders of our institutions, we know that the state has serious economic problems, and we are not asking to be absolved from them. But the state needs to understand that community colleges are on the front line in terms of trying to deal with these economic challenges.

“Many of the individuals who might not be getting an education, who might otherwise be on the welfare rolls, or incarcerated, or otherwise being a drag on the economy, come to our institutions,” he continued. “After a year or two years, they are now making a positive contribution to the state. A cut in our ability to serve a population like that is an indirect undercutting to the infrastructure of the state. We ask the governor to understand that we are an investment to the state, not just a cost.”

Working diligently to get this message across is still another trend seen at public colleges during times of economic distress. Usually, it doesn’t resonate, at least to the point that the schools’ presidents might like.

This time, things might be different. Meanwhile, the schools will fight on to maintain those traits that make them so popular when times are tough: quality and accessibility.

Learning Curves

By
Jake Giessman, or ‘Mr. G,’ as he’s known, with several of his students at Academy Hill. He described 2008 as a breakthrough year for the facility.
Sections Supplements
Thinking Outside the Box — and the Textbook — at Academy Hill
Jake Giessman, or ‘Mr. G,’ as he’s known, with several of his students at Academy Hill. He described 2008 as a breakthrough year for the facility.

Jake Giessman, or ‘Mr. G,’ as he’s known, with several of his students at Academy Hill. He described 2008 as a breakthrough year for the facility.

Jake Giessman says there are a number of quantitative measures to gauge the growing success and visibility of Academy Hill, the private school in Springfield that he directs.

For starters, there’s the enrollment figure, which has climbed from roughly 60 to just over 100 since he arrived as a teacher in 2001. There’s also the spiraling number of applications to the school, located in a former nursing home off Liberty Street, as well as an expanding geographic radius of the students enrolled; it now stretches from Northern Conn. to Sturbridge and beyond.

While admittedly proud of such numbers and compass points, Giessman, or Mr. G, as most of the students call him, is admittedly more intrigued by some of the qualitative measures. These include the comments and actions of the private schools trying to recruit his graduates — people like Matthew Woodard, who, when he was 11, wrote a concerto for a string quartet that was performed at Carnegie Hall, and many others.

“There was one student last year — he was the top choice at every school he applied to,” Giessman recalled. “People were calling me on my cell phone around financial-aid decision time … they were asking, ‘which school does he want to go to? Which way is he leaning?’

“Last year was amazing that way; it was the year we broke through with the prep schools,” he continued. “People know about us now; we’ve got kids that schools are fighting over.”

Such attention provides ample evidence of how Academy Hill has emerged as an intriguing option for area parents of students who have “higher academic potential,” said Marjorie Weeks, director of Advancement for the school, who chose that phrase carefully.

Apparently, the words ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’ are not used, or used as much, to describe such students, she explained, noting that they often generate stigmas that can impact students, parents, teachers, and administrators at such facilities. So the school uses the slogan “nurturing and challenging bright minds,” and makes use of that phrase ‘higher academic potential,’ she said, adding that it is the school’s mission to help young people realize that potential.

It does so through its philosophy of engaging students and going well beyond textbooks and the Internet when it comes to imparting lessons in science, mathematics, social studies, Latin, and even economics.

Take as an example the recent field trip by middle school students to help them understand the causes and impact of the economic downturn. In addition to reading about the recession, the students visited those on the front lines of the meltdown — from bond tradesmen to a bankruptcy attorney — to gain firsthand knowledge. They even visited the local newspaper to see how the news is reported.

And soon, they’ll be heading back downtown, to visit with people like Allan Blair, president of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., and Tim Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, to see what they and others are doing to pull the region out of recession.

“With the first visit, we wanted to help explain what this crisis was all about,” said Giessman. “This time, we want to explore what’s happening to us and what’s going on here in the Valley.”

In this issue, BusinessWest goes inside the classrooms and hallways at Academy Hill to gain some perspective on the school, its progression, and plans for future growth.

Textbook Examples

Joshua Jacobson was talking about obesity, what prompts it, and why there is cause for alarm in this region and across the country.

But he didn’t stop with a visual presentation that included a host of statistics about how overweight the country has become, lists of the physical problems — from diabetes to sleep apnea — that obesity can contribute to, and speculation about how the trend, if not reversed, could lead to skyrocketing health care costs across the nation.

Instead, the composed, articulate eighth grader from Westfield also engaged his audience of other middle school students in a discussion about what causes obesity, how those who are overweight feel from a self-image perspective, and what can be done to stem the tide.

“The goal is to create a dialogue,” said Giessman as he talked about Jacobson’s contribution to a program called Forum.

A required part of the curriculum involving students of all ages, Forum (called the Good Morning Show for those in the early, or lower grades) requires students to make original presentations to their peers — eighth graders do six a year, while kindergartners do three. In doing so, they gain experience with public speaking and also some self-confidence, said Giessman, while generating thoughtful discussion — and maybe action — concerning the subjects involved.

And that list includes everything from ‘the origins of the universe’ to ‘the development of the elevator’ to ‘my new kitten,’ he told BusinessWest, adding that Forum is just one of the many ways in which Academy Hill goes about that task of helping students realize potential.

Overall, the school takes a team approach to that assignment, he continued, adding that this includes teachers, administrators, parents, and, as the Forum program clearly demonstrates, the students themselves.

Cultivating and nurturing this team approach has been Giessman’s unofficial job description since he became head of school in 2006 and ushered in an ongoing period of growth and development.

Tracing the history of the school, Giessman said it began in the ’70s as a parent-run cooperative that included weekend and afterschool enrichment. It became a day school in the mid-’80s, during the hey-day of the ‘gifted and talented’ school, he continued, and operated in space leased first from Wilbraham-Monson Academy and then MacDuffie School. In 2000, the school moved to its present site, one that afforded considerable space for the expansion that’s been realized.

Current tuition is $10,000 per year, and this accounts for most of the school’s annual budget, said Weeks, noting that there is an annual giving campaign and other fund-raising efforts. These include a recent auction that included a reserved parking space near the front entrance that is now the property of ‘Olivia’s Mom,’ who paid $500 for it.

Prospective students’ applications are weighed on a number of factors, said Giessman, listing a short IQ test (scores are not disclosed, but most all students are in the high-average to well-above-average range); references, especially from teachers recommending the school to parents; and student interviews. “There’s no single factor that trumps everything else,” he noted. “In the end, they need to be able to come here, want to come here, and be able to get down to the business of learning.”

Students can start at the kindergarten level, but many begin a few years later, because it is generally between second and fourth grade that parents and teachers will recognize strong academic ability and conclude that a child may not be getting everything that he or she needs in a traditional school, he explained.

Students come from a wide area, he told BusinessWest, listing such remote communities as Brimfield, Sturbridge, Mongtomery, and Washington. Meanwhile, the school’s location near both Baystate Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center has made it a popular alternative for professionals working at both facilities.

They are drawn not simply by geography, however, but by what Giessman described as a “more creative curriculum and more social environment” than what might be found at public schools or other private facilities. “Learning here is cool.”

Lesson Plans

In his tenure, Giessman, who was a member of BusinessWest’s inaugural class of 40 Under Forty in 2007, has led efforts to add and grow a middle school (grades 5 through 8), increase enrollment, improve visibility, launch the school’s annual fund, a campaign for unrestricted gifts, and initiate other fund-raising efforts.

These days, he devotes time to a number of duties, from teaching classical literature, including some Shakespeare — comedies like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado about Nothing were on the recent reading list — to crafting a long-term strategic plan for the school.

That document calls for, among other things, achieving continued growth in enrollment, nurturing the seeds recently planted for an endowment, and generating continued expansion and refinement of an educational approach he described this way: “picture in your head what typical teaching is … and that has nothing to do with what goes on here.

“Teaching as an art form is, by and large, a way of forcing or tricking kids into learning,” he continued. “Here, it’s different; it’s more akin to coaching or being part of the team with the students. In the conventional setting, it’s as if the students are holding the teacher back; here, the teacher has to scramble not to hold the student back.”

As Weeks led a tour of the school, she explained this phenomenon, and also how Academy Hill has grown, evolved, and created its current look and feel.

Describing that feel, she said it’s a more-casual learning environment, one that involves very small classes and an individualized approach. “There’s a lot of freedom,” said Weeks, “but also a lot of structure, because young minds need both.” Elaborating, she borrowed a well-worn line from the theme song to Cheers: “everybody knows your name.”

And by everybody, she meant parents, who play an active part in many of the programs at the school. They can often be seen sitting in the back rows during the Forum and Good Morning Show presentations, Weeks explained — “those sessions can be really entertaining; it’s worth spending your morning coffee watching them” — and they take part in many of the classroom activities as well.

“Parents are part of the equation here,” she continued, adding that teachers and administrators want them to participate. “We encourage them to work through their passion points; we try to hone their energies into what they’re good at.”

And while there is a sense of competition in this school for those with ‘higher academic potential,’ said Giessman, there is also what he called a “culture” of support that dominates this learning environment and is embraced by students and parents alike.

“Students here are driven, but there’s a sense of support and encouragement among the kids,” he explained. “I don’t know if that’s because of who they are or because of the way we’re structuring measures of their achievement, but it’s there.”

When asked where his students go from Academy Hill, Giessman smiled and said, “wherever they want.”

Some return to public school systems — several are now enrolled at Longmeadow High School — but many attend private secondary schools, and they are, as Giessman said, recruited heavily. “The prep schools of Connecticut and Western Mass. are actively recruiting our students,” he explained. “And some from the Boston area are also sending representatives out to grab some of our graduating eighth graders; it’s great to see such strong interest.”

Chapter and Verse

When asked about some of the many R-rated aspects of Shakespeare’s writing and how he handles them given the age of his students, Giessman, who reads those works to his charges and pauses often for questions and discussion, said, “well … there are some things you gloss over.”

But there isn’t much glossing over of anything else at Academy Hill, where students not only absorb the Bard, they act out some of his plays; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar were among the recent performances, and one student actually wrote an adaptation of Twelfth Night.

Such talent has caught the attention of the prep schools, thus putting Academy Hill on the map, and giving Giessman a rather intriguing measure of the success he and his staff has achieved.

George O’Brien can be reached at[email protected]

No Margin for Error

By
Eric Forish
Sections Supplements
For Area General Contractors, It’s Truly Survival of the Fittest
Eric Forish

Eric Forish says his company has added services and diversified, making it better-prepared for the rigors of the current downturn.

The economic downturn has hit a number of sectors hard, but perhaps none more than the construction industry, which has been impacted by everything from the sharp decline on the stock market to the collapse of the auto industry to falling confidence among business owners who might otherwise be looking to build or expand. There is some optimism, though, mostly in the form of hope that an economic-stimulus package will put some projects into the pipeline.

David Fontaine has seen a lot of things in his three decades in business — but nothing quite like the current spate of challenges facing the construction sector.

“We are probably at the low point of my 30-year tenure here,” said Fontaine, president of Fontaine Brothers in Springfield, which specializes in public-sector work and built the MassMutual Center, among many other local landmarks. “On average we have about 13 or 14 projects ongoing, and right now we are at four. The public sector bottomed out a few years ago, and in times like that you will typically see the private sector jump in and say, ‘now’s a good time for us.’ It just doesn’t seem like that really happened.”

Russell Sprague, president of 100-year-old A.R. Green & Son Inc. in Holyoke, noting that his volume is down 50% from a typical year, used similar language. “It’s gloomy out there right now; Public works projects are down, in general, and the sizes of the projects you do see are smaller.”

His company recently built the new field house at Smith College, but he doesn’t expect to see much more work on that scale anytime soon. “At the colleges, you don’t see the same scope of projects; there’s maintenance work on buildings that might have been deferred, but now they’re doing that work because they have to. Public-school construction has come to a screeching halt. I haven’t seen any of those in bid for the last six months.”

Other general contractors we spoke with sounded similar notes. Overall, say players in this field, there’s less work and far more competition for what work is available. These converging trends are driving bid prices — and therefore margins — way down.

Some contractors have been affected more than others, depending on their specialties, but nearly all of them are feeling the pinch, with builders noting downturns across virtually every sector — from higher education to ski resorts — that are impacting construction volume.

“We do a lot of work up in Vermont, and that area is really slowing down,” said Gene Kurtz, president of Kurtz Construction in Westfield, referring to ski country. “All the resort areas had seen a lot of high-end work, but that was Wall Street money. It’s basically stopped.”

Steve Killian, senior vice president of Barr & Barr Inc., a New York-based construction management firm with a local office in Springfield, said similar things about the higher-education sector, noting that, while his firm handled some large-scale projects last year at Mount Holyoke, Williams, and Yale, he’s not expecting the same volume in 2009.

That’s because college endowments were hit hard by the disastrous year on Wall Street, and many schools are re-evaluating some large-scale capital improvements.

“We’ve had a few projects pulled back or taken off the table,” Killian explained, noting that Yale is still going through with several aspects of a $1 billion capital campaign, but other schools have slowed down their construction activities significantly. “Williams College put the next phase of their 100,000-square-foot Stetson/Sawyer project on hold for about a year, maybe six months, depending upon the market.”

While most all companies are struggling to some degree, some are faring better than others because they saw this slide coming and prepared accordingly — by getting leaner and meaner, and, when and where possible, diversifying their services.

Looking forward, most companies say they will try to focus on more than mere survival, and instead position their companies for when the better times arrive, possibly on the wings of an economic stimulus package that might move construction projects into the pipeline and put crews to work.

Building a Consensus

But gauging when that day will arrive is difficult, and it has become the $64,000 question.

Indeed, while most contractors have lived and worked through many economic cycles, this one has some twists and turns that make predicting the future quite difficult.

“This will be the fourth recession I’ve seen,” said Fontaine. “The other three, you had a pretty good idea of how long they would last. This one here, I don’t think anyone has a grasp of how long it’s going to go on.”

As for the present, area contractors say they are focused on making the best of a bad situation. And for many, the hope is that planning for the current downturn and effective strategic response will not only get them through, but create some potential growth opportunities.

Eric Forish, president of Westfield-based Forish Construction, noted that this family business has been operating for more than 60 years, longevity achieved through diversity and flexibility.

“Because of our conservative, Yankee values, we have tended with time to maintain that philosophy of saving for a rainy day,” he said, “and this is that rainy day.

“We’ve positioned ourselves appropriately for 2009,” Forish continued. “We’ve maintained a diverse client base — private sector, public sector, institutional work, not just construction, but design services. We have a diverse portfolio of our operation. It’s proven successful for 63 years.”

Preparation for the recession was key to keeping ahead of the current, Kurtz agreed, noting a period of streamlining that his company undertook earlier in 2008. Coupled with reorganizing the company, he mentioned some other new developments which position his company well.

“One of the things we’ve done in the last couple of years,” he said, “is to increase the number of services and products we can offer, and that is helping us a great deal. We have a line of Lester buildings (pre-engineered metal structures) for small to mid-sized manufacturing facilities. Those buildings are marketable, affordable, and very popular right now. We’ve got a few of those projects in process.”

Said Killian, “the recession has been reflected in every aspect of our market. Our response as a company has been that we saw some of this coming, and we started making some reductions in both internal costs and overhead costs early on, in the last two quarters of 2008, which really helped. We prepared ourselves for an ’09 that’s a little more lean than we would like.”

Overall, though, no amount of preparation could have readied some companies for the severity of the downturn that hit in 2008, as reflected in U.S. Labor Department statistics showing that that the non-residential construction sector lost 6,800 jobs last December, and that for the year, job losses totaled 53,400, the biggest annual decline since 1991, or during the last major recession.

The fallout resulted from slowdowns, or near halts to building in several sectors, an environment created by factors ranging from the 35% decline on Wall Street, which impacted colleges, health care facilities, and any other institution with an investment portfolio, to a precipitous decline in confidence among business owners of all sizes.

Pounding the Pavement

Despite these challenges, there is some work out there, said Carol Campbell, president of Chicopee Industrial Contractors, a firm that specializes in assisting clients, mostly manufacturers, with moving and installing equipment, work that often goes on regardless of the economic conditions.

“The companies that we’re working with might be dealing with their own layoffs,” said Campbell, “ But these are projects that have been in the pipeline for several years. So, while we are doing a multimillion dollar project, the company itself might be streamlining its own internal organization.”

CIC has done some streamlining of its own, said Campbell. “We’re a little smaller than we were two years ago — we’re down four employees — but taking that into consideration, we are strong.”

One of the biggest challenges facing builders is the mounting level of competition for existing work, a climate created by declining volume across the state and the region, which has prompted firms from Worcester, Boston, Connecticut and other points on the compass to vie for work in the 413 area code.

“Yes, there are opportunities,” said Forish, “but they are getting fewer, and they are drawing more attention — competition is extremely keen. If you look at a public bid list, a few years ago you’d see maybe a half-dozen builders, but now you are seeing two or three times that number.”

Most everyone agreed that the growing legions of bidders have led to some shocking numbers for profit margins on jobs, with some builders possibly trading a dollar to make a dollar. “I think there are guys out there who didn’t prepare well that are cutting their bids down just to get a cash flow,” said Killian.

Added Sprague, “a lot of these guys coming from Connecticut or Eastern Mass., quite frankly, I don’t know how they’re doing it, because they are coming in with numbers that I consider to be below my costs. It’s scary.”

While the current conditions are bleak, there is some optimism concerning 2009, mostly in the form of conjecture concerning the size and scope of an economic stimulus package that many analysts believe will be passed in the next few weeks.

In its 2009 economic forecast, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) says that while this “looks like a challenging year for the commercial and industrial construction industry, the next federal stimulus package being discussed … may emerge as a countervailing force.”

Currently, communities across the nation are putting together wish lists for possible federal funding as part of this proposed stimulus package from President Obama. Forish mentioned that builders are watching carefully what public projects might become available from that incentive. “If local communities see some of that funding, that will enable them to go forward with construction projects that they wouldn’t be able to undertake otherwise.”

In the meantime, those managing firms must be diligent — and imaginative — in their pursuit of opportunities, said Peter Wood, president of Business Development at Associated Builders in South Hadley.

“There are always opportunities if you expand your marketing and continue to network to find the projects that are out there,” he told BusinessWest, adding that he believes Western Mass. has weathered the financial crisis better than many other parts of the country.

“Health and service industries, while they are impacted, they do need to keep up their facilities, whether it’s new construction or an upgrade of existing structures. From a construction standpoint, that work still tends to be available.”

The Real Dirt

Fontaine isn’t alone in his assessment about these being the worst of times — or the worst that most can remember.

Most general contractors have been through downturns, and they’ve weathered storms. But this one is different. A confluence of factors has made finding work and keeping crews busy increasingly difficult. This is a time to be a resourceful and creative, say the contractors we spoke with.

That’s because there is no real margin for error.

By
Departments

Hiring a Home Contractor

This is the second installment in a new feature called, simply, ’10 Points.’ As the name suggests, it provides 10 quick but important points about a given subject relevant to consumers or business professionals. If you would like to contribute to ’10 Points,’ please submit your idea to [email protected].

By ADAM BASCH

1. Just as an employer checks the references of someone seeking employment, a homeowner should check the references of a contractor. Ask to see some of the homes he has worked on in the past, and speak to the owners.

2. Check the contractor’s name at the registry of deeds. See if other customers have had to file suit against the contractor.
3. Make sure that the contractor is registered with the Common-wealth. A registration can be checked at www.state.ma.us.
4. Do not pull your own building permits. The contractor should pull all permits. If a homeowner pulls the permits, they will be disqualified from making a claim to the Guarantee Fund.

5. Avoid paying before services are complete. While most contactors will ask for a deposit, any future payments should closely follow the amount of work actually being done.

6. Make sure all terms of the agreement are reduced to a contract signed by both parties. If, during construction, additions or subtractions are made to the scope of the project, sign change orders.
7. If the contractor you are hiring has employed subcontractors on your project, make sure you obtain mechanic’s lien waivers from all subcontractors prior to making payment to your contractor.
8. Talk to the city or town building inspector. If the contractor has done poor work before, the building inspector may be aware of it.
9. Request a copy of the contractor’s workers’ compensation policy to insure all people working on your property are covered by workers’ compensation.

10. If expensive materials must be ordered, have the contactor order them, but send payments directly to the manufacturer.

Adam J. Basch, Esq. is an associate with Bacon Wilson, P.C. He is a member of the litigation department with expertise in the areas of construction litigation, personal injury, general litigation, and creditor representation; (413) 781-0560; [email protected].

By
Departments

Tabletop Business Expo

Jan. 21: The Women’s Partnership, a division of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Inc., is still accepting reservations for its annual Tabletop Business Expo, slated from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel on Riverdale Street, West Springfield. Now in its 11th year, the expo offers an affordable opportunity to network and to showcase one’s business to hundreds of professionals. Highlights of the affair include interactive exhibits and a presentation by personal chef Bill Collins. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Diane Swanson at the ACCGS office, 1441 Main St., Springfield, (413) 787-1555, or via E-mail to [email protected].  Booth reservations include one lunch ticket at a cost of $75; lunch/event tickets are $25.

Chamber Nite

January 21: The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will host Chamber Nite at the Greylock Federal Credit Union, 150 West St., Pittsfield, from 5 to 7 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres will be served during the networking event, which includes an update on the Berkshire United Way campaign. In addition, a name from all those who donated to the United Way campaign will be drawn and will win their choice of a 2009 Nissan Sentra or $10,000 in cash, donated by Johnson Ford-Lincoln-Mercury-Nissan and Greylock Federal Credit Union. Chamber Nite events are open to Berkshire Chamber members and their employees. For more information, call (413) 499-4000, ext. 26.

State of the State

Jan. 22: Mass. Lt. Gov. Tim Murray will visit Whalley Computer Associates in Southwick to participate in a seminar for mayors, town leaders, and school superintendents, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Paul Whalley, vice president of Whalley Computer Associates, will follow Murray’s presentation with a discussion titled “Saving Jobs and Money by Reducing IT Costs.” The presentation is intended to empower mayors, town business managers, and school superintendents to intelligently reduce their IT expenses while improving the end users’ experience. City, town, and school executives are encouraged to invite their IT directors to the meeting. Seating is limited for the breakfast and tour of Whalley Computer Associates. To register, contact Justin Newman prior to Jan. 16 at (413) 569-4245. Persons unable to attend the meeting but who would like more information on ways to significantly reduce IT costs may contact Mark Duarte at (413) 569-4231.

Jimmy Fund Benefit

Jan. 23: More than 30 of the area’s finest restaurants and caterers will present “Around the World with Chefs for Jimmy” from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam. The 19th annual Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute fund-raiser will feature culinary delights, as well as a silent auction. Door-prize drawings are also planned. Tickets are $75 and are available in advance only. For more information, call the regional Jimmy Fund office in West Springfield at (413) 546-6938, or visit www.jimmyfund.org/chefs-for-jimmy .  The Jimmy Fund supports the fight against cancer at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

WorldQuest Competition

Jan. 24: The World Affairs Council of Western Mass. will host its fourth annual Academic WorldQuest competition at Western New England College in Springfield, beginning at 2 p.m. Academic WorldQuest is an international affairs quiz featuring 10 rounds of 10 questions on a variety of topics, including current events, globalization, transnational crime, alternative fuels, and population in developing countries. The event is open to student teams representing Springfield public high schools. The public is welcome to attend the free affair. For more information, call the World Affairs Council office at (413) 733-0110.

CLIO Awards

Jan. 28: The Ad Club of Western Mass. will showcase the 2008 CLIO Awards for television from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Rivers Memorial at Western New England College in Springfield. The CLIO Awards honor creative excellence and innovation in the advertising, design, and interactive industries. Tickets are $25 for Ad Club members, $35 for future members, and $15 for students. Registration is necessary by Jan. 23 and may be made by visiting www.adclubwm.org  or by calling (413) 736-CLUB.

The Aging Brain

Feb. 5: A lecture titled “The Aging Brain: The Agile Mind” will be presented by Posit Science of San Francisco, Calif., as part of the Kaleidoscope lecture series at Bay Path College in Longmeadow. The lecture, beginning at 7 p.m., includes a post-discussion demonstration of a brain exercise to learn how to make the aging brain more agile. The free event is open to the public and will be conducted in Breck Suite in Wright Hall. For more information, call (413) 565-1066 or visit www.baypath.edu .

Outlook 2009

Feb. 9:  U.S. Congressman John Tanner will provide the keynote address at the Affiliated Chambers’ annual Outlook program to be staged at Chez Josef in Agawam, beginning at 11:45 a.m. The Outlook program, made possible through the sponsorship of presenting sponsor Health New England; platinum sponsors Eastern States Exposition, MassMutual Financial Group, PeoplesBank, Western Massachusetts Electric Co., and sound sponsor Zasco Productions, LLC, offers business professionals a first-hand opportunity to gain regional, state, and federal perspectives on legislative issues, politics, and economies. Tanner has represented Tennessee’s 8th District for the past 20 years and is a cofounder of a growing alliance of moderate-to-conservative Democrats known as the Blue Dog Coalition. Founded in 1995, the Blue Dog Coalition was so named because its members felt they had been “squeezed from the left and the right until they turned blue in the face.” Tanner is a leader in the fight for fiscal responsibility, supports pro-growth economic policies, and is in the forefront in the fight to eliminate the federal debt. U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal will introduce Tanner during the Outlook program. Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray has been invited to present the state outlook, and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno will provide the regional outlook. Outlook 2009 will begin with an invitation-only social hour at 11:15 a.m., and the program will begin at 11:45 a.m. Tickets are $45 per ticket for members of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield and $65 per ticket for non-members. Tables of 10 and 12 are available. Reservations must be made in writing and in advance. Sign up online at www.myonlinechamber.com, or mail, E-mail, or fax to Diane Swanson, Events Manager, 1441 Main St., Suite 133, Springfield, MA 01103-1449. E-mail: [email protected] ; fax: (413) 755-1322. Reservation deadline is Feb. 6.

Winter Weekend

Feb. 14-16: Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock will stage its annual Winter Weekend, which will feature ice harvesting at the Shaker Reservoir, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and nature walks. Visitors will also have an opportunity to participate in craft projects, cooking demonstrations, and tours of historic Shaker buildings. The ice-harvesting demonstrations will be led by Dennis Picard, who appeared last year in Absolure Zero, The Conquest of Cold, a PBS Nova program. For more information, call (800) 817-1137, or visit www.hancockshakervillage.org .

Women and Retirement

Feb. 26: Shelly Colville, a registered representative of the National Planning Corporation, will present a lecture titled “Women and Retirement: Are You Saving Wisely?” as part of the Kaleidoscope lecture series at Bay Path College in Longmeadow. Colville will lead women and men of all ages in an Oppenheimer Funds workshop to guide them to a better understanding of planning for the future. The free event is open to the public and will be conducted in Breck Suite in Wright Hall. For more information, call (413) 565-1066 or visit www.baypath.edu .

By
Departments

The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

Barkett, Paul F.
12 Church St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/08

Beamon, Tracy L.
37 Border St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/04/08

Beckwith, Clyde E.
Beckwith, Beverly R.
453 Brattleboro Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Bell, Matthew L.
Sweet, Chelsea C.
19 Willard Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/28/08

Bennett, Tracey E.
139 Mayfair Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/08

Bonilla, Osiris L.
143 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/01/08

Brancazzu, John A.
68 Dexter St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

Brown, Jody Frank
Brown, Terry Lynn
a/k/a Weibel, Terry Lynn
55 Stebbins St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Bump, Margaret J.
PO Box 1383
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/05/08

Burgess, Stephanie N.
81 Slater Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/15/08

Candy’s Pub Inc.
489 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 11
Filing Date: 12/01/08

Carraturo, Anthony J.
40 St. Kolbe Dr., Unit C
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/05/08

Cencia, Ryan C.
56 Vinal Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/08

Cwiok, Sandra J.
1115 Overlook Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Daigle, Scott N.
Daigle, Dawn M.
800 Old Petersham Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/28/08

Daryl’s Place
Alston, Daryl T.
Alston, Kim Angela
a/k/a Rogers, Kim Angela
212 Acrebrook Dr.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/08

Dean, Jason A.
98 Dartmouth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/02/08

Dillon, John M.
309 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/08

Ducharme, Henry L.
93 Grochmal Ave., Lot 6
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Duval, John M.
Duval, Yvette M.
1449 County Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/08

Espada, Myriam S.
70 Walnut St. #304
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

Favreau, Mark R.
Favreau, Sandra L.
74 Bacon St., Apt. #1
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/28/08

Fugiel, Carol Ann
269 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

Gerald, Juliette M.
12 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/02/08

Goodrich, Stuart B.
Goodrich, Dawn L.
121 West Road
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/08

Gresham, Barbara J.
139 Colton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/08

Harris, Louise A.
68 Theroux Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

Healy, Carla J.
a/k/a Barrett, Carla J.
P.O. Box 73
Worthington, MA 01098
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/05/08

Horrigan, John T.
Horrigan, Anna B.
11 Dale St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/12/08

Hughes, Chris A.
PO Box 172
North Hatfield, MA 01066
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Hughes, Deborah A.
P.O. Box 1465
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Juzba, Robert
40C Valley View
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Juzba, Thomas J.
110 Gardens Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Kuhn, Kelly A.
135 East Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Kum, Roger Olston
128 Benton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Labato, Daniel Louis
63 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Labonte, Denise M.
534 South St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Labosco, Carol A.
P.O. Box 284
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

Leang, Va
Son, Tha
64 Bonner St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/05/08

Long, Sue A.
P.O. Box 543
West Stockbridge, MA 01266
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/09/08

  

Love, Alita M.
9 Pelham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/05/08

Lozada, Juan D.
Lozada, Diana M.
1460 Page Boulevard
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/02/08

Martinez, Luz A.
33 Superior Ave.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/08

Mathes, Rick J.
323 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/08

Mazza, Dominic L.
Mazza, Marie E.
70 Garden St., Apt D
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/29/08

Modern Design Solutions
Kislyuk, Mark N.
P.O. Box 865
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Monette, Phillip J.
Monette, Jacqueline A.
a/k/a Wanczyk, Jacqueline A.
480 Hazard Ave.
Enfield, CT 06082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

Moorehouse, Sandra L.
45 Spring St. #210
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/08

Moriarty, Erin E.
a/k/a Manning, Erin E.
11 Conifer Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/08

Moriarty, Devin M.
6 West Creek Court
Lafayette, CA 94549
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/08

Morse, Todd R.
29 Hopkins Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/12/08

Negron, Francisco J.
Negron, Maricely
13 1/2 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

O’Connor, Craig
O’Connor, Kimberly
113 Harkness Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/12/08

Olszta, Anne Marie
69 Lathrop St. #5B
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

Parker, Holly M.
78 Southwick St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Prats, David
Prats, Barbara E.
65 Northwest Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Reardon, Michael James
42 Colony Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/08

Rines, Jonathan
93 Crochmal Ave.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/08

Rivera, Milton Luis
33 Parkin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Robbins, Greg A.
61 East Palmer Park Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Robinson, Donald C.
Robinson, Marianne B.
286 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/08

Rodriguez, Juan A.
46 West School St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/02/08

Rodriguez, Maria
70 Harrison Ave., Apt.301
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Rodriguez, Rufino
53 Empire St., Apt. F
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/08

Rolandini, Jacob P.
65 Riviera Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/12/08

Rooney, Darlene E.
Rooney, Shawn P.
519 East River St.
Lot 127
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/28/08

Sandoval, Shawn L.
76 Hall St. Apt 2A
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/08

Santaniello, Joanna
1083 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Schneider, Susan E.
11 Enterprise St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/09/08

Scyocurka, Gregory S.
113 Ely Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/08

Stackhouse, Stacy L.
223 West St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/08

Stoddard, Kathleen L.
19 Wilder Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/08

Tallman, Maria E.
49 Poinsetta St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/05/08

Talora, Carol A.
105 Laurel St., Apt.4A
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/08

Trzpit, Richard A.
Trzpit, Diane M.
5 Grove St
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/29/08

Weiner, Evan J.
Weiner, Virginia M.
5 Sherwood Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/08

Winters, Marianne
56 Harvard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/12/08

Woodard, James M.
Woodard, Lisa M.
342 Southwick Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/08

X-Pressions
Corriveau, Donald R.
2626 Old Westfield Rd
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/08

By
Departments

WFCR Opens Springfield Broadcast Center

AMHERST — The first new studio space in nearly 50 years for 88.5FM WFCR and 640AM WNNZ – NPR News and Music for Western New England, officially opened for business on Jan. 14 in downtown Springfield. Comprising a state-of-the-art production facility, broadcast studio, and news bureau, the WFCR/WNNZ Springfield Broadcast Center has been built within the broadcast complex of WGBY Channel 57. The new center will enable the station to produce a broader range of content and report more fully on Hampden County and Northern Conn. The move is also representative of the commitment that UMass Amherst, WFCR’s license holder, has for the Springfield area under the new Greater Springfield-UMass Amherst Partnership, according to general manager Martin Miller. The studio will be staffed full-time by two WFCR reporters and student interns from across the five-college consortium and colleges in the Greater Springfield area. WFCR’s plans also include a bilingual reporter who will cover issues in all of the emerging communities of Western Mass. and Connecticut, added Miller. WFCR’s main headquarters will remain in Hampshire House on the UMass Amherst campus, which is also being rehabilitated as part of the station’s $4.2 million capital campaign.

Dog Combating Bedbugs

SPRINGFIELD — “Bingo,” a NESDECA-certified search dog, is helping one local company combat bedbugs. American Pest Solutions Inc. has entered into a partnership with New England Canine Detectives for the use of a bedbug-detecting dog — Bingo — in its effort to combat the region’s growing bedbug infestation. Bingo is a beagle specifically trained to locate bedbugs, according to American Pest Solutions President Bob Russell. By using Bingo to quickly and efficiently locate bedbug infestations in homes and businesses, pesticides do not need to be used, added Russell. Russell noted that the region is experiencing what he calls a “bedbug epidemic,” and that using a dog like Bingo to find them quickly is “unbeatable.” For more information, call (413) 784-0044. American Pest Solutions Inc. is located on Williams Street.

Moriarty & Primack, P.C. Employees Give Back to Community

SPRINGFIELD — Each holiday season, employees of Moriarty & Primack, P.C. seek new ways to give back to the community, and last month was no exception. In addition to a donated Disney-themed tree for the Boys and Girls Club’s Festival of Trees, employees also organized dress-down days to benefit nonprofits and local charities. In November, employees’ dress-down funds provided breakfast at Thanksgiving for 300 people at the Friends of the Homeless. In December, employees contributed $540, and the company matched with an additional $540, to purchase toys for the Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield Head Start’s All I Want For Christmas campaign. Additionally, employees donated $575 to the Toy for Joy Fund.

JCC Opens Fitness Store

SPRINGFIELD — As area residents gear up to get fit in the new year, the Springfield Jewish Community Center (JCC) can help with its new “jcc FIT stuff” store. Fitness performance clothing, nutrition bars, boxing gloves, squash balls, yoga equipment, swimming gear, and other fitness-related items are offered for men, women, and youth to aid athletes both young and mature. All food items offered are kosher and were chosen by Kathy Roberts, RD, LDN, nutritionist and JCC member, with a focus on low-fat content, low-sodium content, and low sugar without artificial sugars or additives. Proceeds raised from store purchases benefit JCC youth athletic programs and scholarships for recreational and sports programs. For more information, call (413) 739-4715.

Nursing Center Has New Mission

WESTFIELD — Westfield Harborside Healthcare Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has undergone a transformation with a new name and mission statement. Now known as Westfield Care and Rehabilitation Center, the skilled nursing facility also recently unveiled its new mission statement — “Caring Is the Key in Life.” The corresponding new logo, a sun resting in the palm of a hand, symbolizes the act of caring by providing support to those who receive its services with a sense of warmth. The center’s new name was determined by a team of local managers with input from employees. Administrator George Mercier noted that the new external identity mirrors what the organization represents — a daily commitment to providing quality health care services to everyone entrusted to their care. The new logo replaces the center’s former logo which depicted a white sailboat on a blue background. Westfield Care and Rehabilitation Center is operated by the SunBridge Healthcare Corp., based in Irvine, Calif.

By
Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of January 2009.

AGAWAM

Charter’s General Carpentry
305 Springfield St.
Donald Chartier

Crystal Ice & Fuel
343 Main St.
Michael Grimaldi

S & S Plumbing & Heating
764 North West St.
Steven B. Lopes Jr.

AMHERST

Amherst Market Inc.
259 Triangle St.
Naresh Patel

College Pizza
150 Fearing St.
Hasan Cakmak

CHICOPEE

Around The Clock Repair
1057 Montgomery St.
Lynn A. Fontaine

DG Heating & Cooling
230 Clarendon Ave.
Daniel J. Gregory

L & C Advertising
63 Main St.
Lori A. Jerusik

Olde Time Service
2041 Memorial Dr.
Brian Kennedy

TruGreen / Chem Lawn
2160 Westover Road
TruGreen Limited Partnership

X Posse Productions
35 Bell St.
Eugene & Danielle McGahee

EAST LONGMEADOW

Child Empowerment Educational Consulting
17 Rural Lane
Gloria Sue Wald

College Tuition Landscaping
15 Anthony Dr.
Michael & Jennifer Morrisino

Elmcrest Country Club — 19th Hole Lounge
105 Somersville Road
John E. Haberern

Family Bike Inc.
217 L Shaker Road
Raymond Plouffe

Island Tanning — Century Fitness Inc.
491 North Main St.
Todd Witwer

Plouffe Realty Inc.
217 L Shaker Road
Raymond Plouffe

GREENFIELD

Kesco Services
62 Federal St.
Charles E. Kestyn

HADLEY

Center For Holistic Health
8 River Dr.
Richard Martin

HOLYOKE

AAP Alcon Auto Parts
775 High St.
Carlos A. Martinez

Aroma Therapy
50 Holyoke St.
Adam Vang

Butterfly Express
50 Holyoke St.
Richard Lau

King Mart
494 Westfield Road
Swadia & Patel LLC

Luna Bella Home Décor
50 Holyoke St.
Mary Welch

LONGMEADOW

Image Style Consultants
70 Green Willow Dr.
Hilary Suher

Northend Medical Associates, LLC
84 Lawrence Dr.
Florence Odutola

TDC Consulting
80 Longview Dr.
John Patrick Connolly

Western Massachusetts Learning Centers
281 Deepwoods Dr.
Robert Clarke

LUDLOW

Ludlow Massage Center
326 West Ave.
Debra Lewenzuk

NORTHAMPTON

AutoPart International Inc.
137 King St.
Brian Vautrin

Curran & Berger
74 Masonic St.
Joseph P. Curran

Logic Trail
448 Bridge Road
Alexander Simon

Sohofile
575 Bridge Road
Steve Duncan

  

PALMER

P & H Heating
177 Emery St.
Michael R. Hermanson

Vinny’s Firehouse Pizza
1112 Park St.
Vincenzo Manzi

SOUTH HADLEY

Child Adventures
93 Pine Grove Dr.
Geraldine Moriarti

Creating Comfort Outlet
2086 Memorial Dr.
Joshua Barina

Mychildren Mybride
20 Lamb St.
Leah Urbano

Pellerin Construction
84 Hadley St.
James Pellerin

Home Facelifters
244 Brainerd St.
Philip E. Stefanelli

SOUTHWICK

Qualifying Times Ministry
Linda Hawley
7 Sterrett Dr.

SPRINGFIELD

Aranea Pest Management
11 Watling Road
John Daniel Roncalli

Big Shots
126 Merida St.
Nathan Eugene

Bully U Entertainment
20 Ogden St.
John Nichels

Cali Nail Care
2460 Main St.
Kelly Huang

Compliance Security Co.
35 Windemere St.
Calvin V. Branch

Creative Theater Concepts
1700 Main St.
Steven Stein

Curl Up & Dye Hair Salon
439D Main St.
Jadwiga Moskal

D & A Constable Service
1396 Parker St.
Kelly Ann Doyle

DCP Judgment Recovery Service
77 Clifton Ave.
Diane Lowe

Evelyn’s Learning Center
23 Hamburg St.
Evelyn J. Bermudez

Fresh Kids
1291 Boston Road
Kerri Lyn Cofer

Good News Photography
5 Garvey Dr.
Harold P. Dixson

Huntington Learning Center
352 Cooley St.
Deborah Y. Alli

J & B Woodcrafters
15 West Laramee Green
James E. Brown

J.A. Trucking
164 Sherman St.
Felix Alberto Arias

WESTFIELD

Angela’s Aesthetics
41 Court St.
Angela Centracchio

Belco Construction Co. Inc.
385 Southampton Road
John J. Beltrandi

Hedges Electrical Services
216 Notre Dame St.
Chad Hedges

MG Snow Plowing
542 West Road
Michael Gogol

WEST SPRINGFIELD

K and M Auto Sales
697 Union St.
Kyle Paul Shoemaker

Mario Couture
1410 Morgan Road
Mario B. Couture

Preferred Painting
218 Union St.
Anthony M. Alfano

Sanditz Travel
1053 Riverdale St.
Henry Richard Wrotniak

Spherion Staffing
68 Westfield St.
Stix Inc. Corp.

Todd M. Banaitis Electric
46 Lotus Ave.
Todd M. Banaitis

By
Departments

Soup Kitchen Donation

Chicopee Savings Bank participated in a check presentation from the Mass. Bankers Assoc. (MBA) Charitable Foundation to Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen on Center Street in Chicopee. From left are William Wagner, Chicopee Savings Bank president and CEO; Lorraine Houle, director of Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen; Michael Williams, a member of the Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen board of directors, chairman of its fund-raising committee, and vice president of the Chicopee Savings Financial Services Center; Berdie Thompson, charitable gifts coordinator for Chicopee Savings; Dan Forte, president and CEO of the MBA; and Jerry Roy, president of the Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen board of directors.

Scholarship Winner

Springfield Technical Community College Energy Systems Technology student Jamie Tomas receives a $2,000 scholarship from W.W. Grainger, a supplier of facilities-maintenance products serving business and institutions in Canada, China, Mexico, and the U.S. Tomas, of Indian Orchard, is one of only 35 students in the U.S. to receive the award this year. From left are Michael Siciliano, Energy Systems Technology professor at STCC; John Duffy, branch manager, Industrial Supply Division at Grainger; Tomas; Robert Bujak, department chair, Energy Systems Technology at STCC; and Bill Piccolo, district branch service manager for Grainger.

OPINION

By
Opinion
Catalyzing the Clean-energy Economy

A key issue facing the nation, and one that must be addressed by Steven Chu, President-elect Obama’s pick for secretary of Energy, is how best to transform the nation’s energy infrastructure, catalyze the clean-energy economy, and reach Obama’s goal of creating 2.5 million green jobs.

While there are aspects of energy transformation that demand central involvement by the federal government, the country’s tremendous record of innovation is based on the power of individuals in the private sector to identify problems, envision solutions, and pursue their dreams as entrepreneurs — often starting in their garages. This is precisely what fueled the explosion of computers and information technology, and it can drive the development of a new generation of clean-energy technology as well.

In order to make this happen, Chu should direct a far greater percentage of the department’s budget and resources outward — sparking more clean-energy research in our universities and research centers, accelerating new venture creation, and helping to scale proven technologies.

A powerful template for action can be found in New England’s recent surge as a clean-energy cluster. Massachusetts and the region have seen the number of clean-energy companies grow exponentially since 2006; this can and should be repeated elsewhere. Here are a small number of programs that could help create powerful clean-energy clusters around the country:

  • Clean-energy seed grant program. Using the Bay State’s Green Jobs Act as a model, the department should aid other states in developing a clean-energy seed grant program — offering grants to researchers and teams whose technology suggests commercial viability. The goal should be to engage the private sector (investors, entrepreneurs, university technologists) and provide a team of business-oriented coaches who can guide each grant recipient toward private funding and commercialization.
  • National lab technology transfer. To increase the flow of technology out of our national labs and into the marketplace, the department should reestablish a network of regional offices within all sizable clean-energy innovation centers that do not have a lab in proximity, such as Boston, Austin, and Portland. Each office would be tasked with connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and companies with researchers and emerging technologies at national labs, and be measured on the number of technology transfer deals completed.
  • Clean-energy boot camp. The department should offer funding for a series of regional clean-energy boot camps that put entrepreneurial executives through an intensive, energy-focused, executive education program — and speed the transition of critical talent into the clean-energy sector. The goal: offer executives a working knowledge of energy technologies, a basic understanding of energy markets and macro trends, and a network of contacts in the clean-energy field.
  • Clean-energy pilot plant development. The department should expand its loan guarantee program for helping clean-energy companies fund pilot plants. Such guarantees should be made through commercial banks (which would take on some risk for non-repayment) and should cover no more than 75% of the required capital — private investors would provide the rest. In this fashion, the risk profile of any loan would be lessened by the due diligence of both private investors and the banking institution.

    • Chu will be busy. There is a dizzying array of decisions to be made with regard to energy efficiency, renewables, and helping Congress formulate the market signals required to more quickly steer our society away from traditional, fossil-based energy.

    But most important, the new secretary must drive the department at the speed of business, utilizing public/private partnerships to catalyze private-sector action, if we are to achieve energy independence and a thriving clean-energy economy.-

    Nick d’Arbeloff is executive director of the New England Clean Energy Council. Hemant Taneja is a managing director at General Catalyst Partners, and the council’s co-chairman.

    There Were Some Bright Spots in 2008

    By
    Opinion

    A Boston Globe sports columnist was writing recently from Seattle. He was trying to describe just how bad things are for the sports teams and their fans there, and he summoned this phrase: “reading the sports page here is like reading the business page everywhere else.”

    Ouch.

    That says a lot about how last place has become the mailing address for most teams in that city — but also about how painful it was, and is, to turn to the business section. It has been replete lately with stories about layoffs, failing banks, climbing mortgage-foreclosure rates, stocks tumbling hundreds of points on a regular basis, businesses closing, car dealers posting wretched numbers, and retailers having lousy months, quarters, shopping seasons (take your pick, they all work).

    Locally, residents were treated to all of the above, with specific examples ranging from the collapse of Skybus and the closing of its operation at Westover to the loss of SunEthanol (now Qteros) to the Worcester area, the closing of several car dealerships, and even Springfield’s ranking among the fastest-dying cities in the U.S.

    It wasn’t all bad. It just seemed that way.

    Amid the gloom and doom there were some bright spots, and in an attempt to maybe get 2009 off to a decent start, BusinessWest thought it would recount five of those positive stories. In no particular order:

    • A blueprint on workforce development. Toward the end of 2007, regional economic-development leaders initiated a program to improve the quality and quantity of the region’s workforce for the long term. Called Building a Better Workforce — Closing the Skills Gap on the Road to Economic Resurgence, the endeavor took its first major steps forward in ’08 with programs to put workers in the pipeline for the health care and precision-manufacturing sectors, and also increasing access to preschool. Perhaps more important, the first steps will get a number of businesses and institutions actively engaged in an issue of vital importance to the region’s future
    • The emergence of YPS. That’s the acronym for a group called the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, which, while only a few years old, seems to possess enormous potential to not only keep more young people in this region, but also help prepare them to be leaders — in business and the community.
    • New life for an old mill. Westmass Area Development Corp. announced plans to acquire the old Ludlow Manufacturing Associates complex in the center of that community. This is a 20- to 30-year proposition that looks to transform the nearly 1 million square feet of mill space and 79 acres of adjacent undeveloped land into a business and industrial center. At a time when the inventory of traditional greenfields is shrinking, the Ludlow development is an imaginative attempt to give companies more opportunities to move to and grow within the Pioneer Valley.
    • The start of a ‘green’ wave. Yes, the region will lose Qteros, one of the best emerging ‘green’ stories in Western Mass., but there are some other signs of potential growth in the realm of ‘green jobs.’ In Wilbraham, a company called FloDesign is making progress on a prototype that may revolutionalize the design of wind turbines. Meanwhile, in Greenfield, there are the makings of a ‘green’ cluster. And everywhere, there is a commitment to creating jobs in what looks like a sector with enormous promise. Stay tuned.
    • Liberty Mutual brings hundreds of jobs to Springfield. With what seems like a big assist from Gov. Patrick, Liberty Mutual announced that it would locate a call center in the Technology Park at STCC. Cynics will say that these are just call center jobs and that the company would have done the city more good if it had located downtown. The bottom line is that these are new jobs, and decent jobs, coming in a year when there weren’t many gains in that department. Meanwhile, a big part of this good story is the fact that Springfield triumphed over many other job-hungry cities in what became known as Project Evergreen.

      • There were other somewhat uplifting stories from 2008 that, while they didn’t obscure all the bad news, generated some hope for 2009 and well beyond. Let’s see if the region can build on this in the year ahead.

      Shady Dealings

      By
      Dr. Ken Aquilino
      Features
      Lack of Sunshine Has Many People at Risk of Vitamin D Deficiency
      Dr. Ken Aquilino

      Dr. Ken Aquilino says ingesting foods rich in vitamin D won’t do much good unless the vitamin is triggered by exposure to the sun — which many kids aren’t getting enough of.

      There are many reasons not to like the shorter days that come this time of year, ranging from the psychological to the practical.

      Here’s one people might not be thinking much about. Less sunlight (not to mention less time in the sun when it is out) means less vitamin D, which is transferred to people’s bodies directly from the sun’s rays. And that can carry some health risks.

      “In the winter, you don’t have much choice,” said Dr. Kenneth Aquilino, an internist at Holyoke Medical Center. “There’s less sunlight during the day, and it’s cold outside, especially in the New England area. So a lot of people are at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.”

      Vitamin D, which maintains normal levels of calcium and phosphorous, aids in the absorption of calcium, which directly affects bone health. Not getting enough, he explained, can cause rickets in children and malfused bones and bone loss in adults.

      “With osteomalacia, the bone starts eating itself away, and in older adults there’s osteoporosis,” said Aquilino. “So there are some major problems and diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency.”

      For many children, however, lack of adequate sunshine has become a year-round problem because they don’t spend as much time outdoors as young people from previous generations did. Several factors — including parents’ safety concerns about playing outside, the growing popularity of video games and the Internet, and increasing rates of childhood obesity due to sedentary lifestyles — have converged to keep children out of the sun, meaning they’re not getting that natural dose of vitamin D.

      Even adults have increasingly drifted away from an outdoorsy lifestyle, and away from the sun — a problem that’s only exacerbated when the weather gets colder.

      “In New England, because of our climate, the consensus is that very few people are getting enough sun exposure,” said Paula Serafino-Cross, a registered bariatric dietitian at Baystate Medical Center.

      “In the hospital, we see lots of patients with low vitamin D levels, and people who are homebound or nursing home-bound are especially at risk,” she added. “We’re testing everybody now, at all ages, and we’re finding a prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. If we lived closer to the equator, spending more time outdoors, walking to work, it would be different.”

      In this issue, BusinessWest looks at the importance of this key nutrient, how to get more into the body, and why sunlight is still the best option.

      Pulling the Trigger

      The term ‘vitamin D’ actually refers to several different forms of the nutrient. Two are important to people: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2), which is synthesized by plants, and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), which is synthesized by humans in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Foods may be fortified with either vitamin D2 or D3.

      The good news is that vitamin D is present in a number of foods and drinks, said Aquilino, among them milk, cereals, yogurt, egg yolks, orange juice, and some seafood, including tuna and salmon — in other words, a wide range of common items.

      “The problem,” he continued, “is that we still need exposure to the sun, because that’s what activates the vitamin D and starts the process to convert it to an active form. Even if you eat plenty of vitamin D in your diet, if you don’t have sun exposure, it won’t do much good. Think of the sun as the trigger that starts the whole process. Without that switch, you can’t process the vitamin D.”

      The liver and kidneys are both active in this process, he added, and people with problems with those organs are also at higher risk for deficiency. Others at risk include people with malabsorption syndromes (like cystic fibrosis) or inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease).

      Vitamin D deficiency can exacerbate such medical issues, said Serafino-Cross, noting that gastric-bypass surgery poses a risk of malabsorption, yet many patients begin the surgery in that condition. “So surgeons are actually treating patients prior to surgery and monitoring their vitamin D levels after surgery,” she said.

      In older patients, she added, an adequate intake of vitamin D might stem the incidence of hip and other bone fractures, which often trigger a permanent downward spiral in health.

      Yet, even this demographic group isn’t as aware as it should be about the dangers of deficiency, said Serafino-Cross, who lectured recently at Keystone Woods in Springfield and asked a group of 30 residents if they knew their vitamin D levels.

      “Only one said, ‘yes, my doctor checked my vitamin D.’ No one else knew if their levels had been checked, or if they were too low — and this carries a heightened risk in this population.”

      On the other hand, Aquilio noted, while many benefits of vitamin D are well-established, others are only theoretical. “Nowadays, some studies say that people with vitamin D deficiency are prone to develop certain types of cancer, too,” he said. “Those studies are controversial, however, with little hard evidence to support those claims.”

      According to the American Cancer Society, a few small-scale studies have been conducted that examine the effects of vitamin D along with standard treatments for prostate cancer. In one study of men with prostate cancer that had spread, one in four had less bone pain and one in three had stronger muscles after taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D each day for 12 weeks. However, among these 16 patients, nearly half were deficient in vitamin D at the start of the study, which could have affected the results.

      Other studies have looked at the effect of vitamin D3 on blood PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels in prostate-cancer patients, and while early results were promising, the ACS said more studies are needed to determine whether vitamin D can have a significant role in slowing the progression of the disease.

      In addition, too much vitamin D can be unsafe for both children and adults; levels above what is recommended can cause nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss. Over the long term, too much vitamin D can lead to depression, headache, sleepiness, and weakness, as well as calcium and bone loss. It can also cause the arteries and other soft tissues of the body (such as kidneys, heart, and lungs) to become hardened and lined with layers of calcium, a condition known as calcinosis.

      Ray of Hope

      Serafino-Cross said the medical community has already begun to increase its recommendations for vitamin D intake, and the good news is that the vitamin in supplement form remains very inexpensive, “which is a nice thing, considering the economy right now.”

      More good news, for those who don’t exactly worship the sun, is that it takes only about 10 minutes of direct sunlight exposure per day, on average, to prevent the diseases caused by inadequate vitamin D. The fact that deficiency remains a problem speaks volumes about modern lifestyles, especially among children, whose bones are still growing and who especially need plenty of vitamin D.

      “We live in the northern latitudes, and anywhere above Georgia, people tend to be at risk for vitamin D deficiency,” said Aquilino, due to colder temperatures during the winter months keeping people indoors. But the issue is also one of lifestyle, he reiterated, given that today’s children, even in the warmer seasons, don’t spend as much time in outdoor play as kids did, say, 20 or 30 years ago.

      “Today, they’re more likely to play video games, and they do that indoors,” he said. “For whatever reason, they’re not out playing, and so they are at risk for vitamin D deficiency.”

      And forget trying to have it both ways, like moving the computer next to a window. “The thing is, the sun exposure has to be outside,” said Aquilino. “Indoors, essentially getting sun through the glass, is not going to cut it.”

      In other words, it’s time to power down, get outside, and power up.

      Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

      Nominations, Please

      By
      Features

      Nominations, Please

      This year’s five judges — including one member from each of the first two classes — will be announced later this month. They will be tasked with carefully weighing the achievements and community commitment of those who are nominated by their peers over the next two months. The nomination form can be found on page 20 of this issue. It will be reprinted in upcoming issues as well, and may also be printed from businesswest.com. The deadline for entry is Feb. 20.

      As with the past two installments of 40 Under Forty, the winners will be profiled in an upcoming issue of BusinessWest — always a must-read — and toasted at a reception in the spring.

      Of course, the contributions of young professionals certainly haven’t gone unnoticed in the business community at large, and BusinessWest isn’t the only organization to actively promote them.

      For example, William Trudeau Jr., another 2008 honoree and chief operating officer at the Insurance Center of New England in West Springfield, noted the efforts of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield to cultivate a group of young business people who work in the Valley and give back to its cities and towns on a civic level.

      “They give evidence that you can live here and make a good career here,” he said, adding that he got the same impression by spending time with his fellow 40 Under Forty honorees.

      “To see all these folks who are under 40, it’s promising for this region,” he said, noting that the experience was a good one for networking. “There were some people I knew and some people I had never known. It was just a good platform to get to know people, and a stepping-off point for a conversation when you see these people in the future. It was a great icebreaker to meet them through this event.”

      Davis agreed. “I very much enjoyed meeting some of the other young, talented people in the Valley, and I developed some good contacts,” she said. “I thought it was well-put together, and I enjoyed the experience.”

      And, of course, who doesn’t like a good party?

      “That was definitely a blast,” Anthony said. “I had a great time, and my family had a lot of fun. It was good to talk to everyone, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next group is all about.”

      If the past two years are any indication, they’re about to make a difference.

      Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

      Calling the Class of 2009

      By
      Sections Supplements
      Nominations Sought for the Third Annual 40 Under Forty

      Two years ago, BusinessWest initiated a new recognition program called 40 Under Forty. It was blueprinted to identify and then honor 40 outstanding young individuals in business and service to nonprofit agencies. But there was a much broader goal — to shine a spotlight on the wide and deep pool of young talent in this region. To say that the program has met and exceeded its goals would be a huge understatement. Now, it’s time for Year 3, and the work to identify the Class of 2009.

      Anyone who says that youth is wasted on the young isn’t talking about these fresh faces.

      We’re referring to the first two classes of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty program, which for the past two years has honored area business and civic leaders in their 20s and 30s — heck, two were barely out of their teen years — and is now gearing up to identify a third group of high achievers in 2009.

      “It’s really cool to be recognized with such a great group of people,” said Rob Anthony, program manager at WMAS in Springfield and one of the 2008 honorees, who were profiled in the pages of BusinessWest and toasted at what has become a must-attend gala and networking event in the spring. “You see what kind of talent is out there, and it definitely gives you a promising feeling for what the future has in store.”

      But the 80 individuals celebrated in 2007 and 2008 are only the tip of the iceberg. In both years, business leaders chosen to judge applications have said that the 60 or so individuals who didn’t score high enough to make the cut were certainly talented and valuable assets for the region.

      So now it’s time for the third installment of a recognition program that has captured the attention of the region and its business community, bringing into sharp focus what most already know: that Western Mass. is home to a creative, motivated, and successful group of young business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

      “This region draws a lot of unique people who — I know this sounds cliché, but it’s true — think outside the box,” said Amy Davis, a 2008 honoree and president of New City Scenic & Display in Easthampton. “I think people have moved from the cities and from other places to come here because it is a little bit different. People here are pretty eclectic, I’d say.”

      With that quality comes the sort of creativity and flexibility that responds quickly to economic trends — and forges new ones.

      “These are survivors,” she said, “people who, when things get tough, change it up a little bit. They’re able to go with the flow more than people in more conventional circumstances. I think there’s a unique and varied pool of talent in this area.”

      Indeed, previous honorees have emerged from law, education, retail, health care, social services, finance, and many, many other fields — some forging completely new paths in computer technology, renewable energy, and ‘green’ business. In all cases, they have been successful in business and active in civic volunteerism, the latter being a critical consideration when judging applicants.

      Michael Presnal, executive chef and proprietor of the Federal Restaurant in Agawam — one of three 2008 honorees who work in the restaurant business — was pleasantly surprised at the depth of talent on display in the Pioneer Valley.

      “There were a lot of interesting people at the gala, and I didn’t realize how many creative people we have in the area,” he said. “It was fun, and I got a lot of positive feedback, a lot of calls to congratulate me. It was very positive for the restaurant as well.”

      By
      Departments

      Editor’s Note:

      For this issue, BusinessWest begins a new feature called, simply, ‘10 Points.’ As the name suggests, it provides 10 quick but important points about a given subject. Over the coming months, writers contributing to this space will touch on matters ranging from non-compete agreements to wills; from choosing a general contractor to writing a business plan. For this issue, the subject is blogging. If you would like to contribute to ‘10 Points,’ please submit your idea to [email protected]

      By Christine Pilch

      1. Blogging requires a serious time commitment. You must post at least once per week, every week. In other words, a neglected blog is worse than none at all.

      2. One of the fastest ways to get your blog noticed is by posting comments on other relevant blogs, with a link back to yours.
      3. The blogosphere is a community, so you should expect to be engaged by others.
      4. Two of the most popular blogging platforms are Google’s free Blogger and SixApart’s paid TypePad. You do get what you pay for in this instance.

      5. Popular blogs are often written in the first person. This is an opportunity to allow your readers, clients, and prospects to get to know you as a person.

      6. Your blog can drive traffic to your Web site and vice-versa.
      7. Search engines love blogs because the content is constantly fresh.
      8. Blogs without pictures are boring, so you should have access to photos and possess basic photo-editing skills.
      9. You must be a good writer. Although the tone may be casual, spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors will keep you from being taken seriously.
      10. In the blogosphere, it is perfectly acceptable to republish another blogger’s work as long as you credit them. No permission is required, but it’s nice to make a request just the same.
      Christine Pilch is a partner with Grow My Company and a social-media networking strategist. She collaborates with professional service firms to get results through innovative positioning strategies: (413) 537-2474; growmyco.com; “Miracle Growth for Your Company.”

      By
      Departments

      Outlook 2009

      Feb. 9: U.S. Congressman John Tanner will provide the keynote address at the Affiliated Chambers’ annual Outlook program to be staged at Chez Josef in Agawam, beginning at 11:45 a.m. The Outlook program, made possible through the sponsorship of presenting sponsor Health New England; platinum sponsors Eastern States Exposition, MassMutual Financial Group, PeoplesBank, Western Massachusetts Electric Co., and sound sponsor Zasco Productions, LLC, offers business professionals a first-hand opportunity to gain regional, state, and federal perspectives on legislative issues, politics, and economies. Tanner has represented Tennessee’s 8th District for the past 20 years and is a cofounder of a growing alliance of moderate-to-conservative Democrats known as the Blue Dog Coalition. Founded in 1995, the Blue Dog Coalition was so named because its members felt they had been “squeezed from the left and the right until they turned blue in the face.” Tanner is a leader in the fight for fiscal responsibility, supports pro-growth economic policies, and is in the forefront in the fight to eliminate the federal debt. U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal will introduce Tanner during the Outlook program. Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray has been invited to present the state outlook, and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno will provide the regional outlook. Outlook 2009 will begin with an invitation-only social hour at 11:15 a.m., and the program will begin at 11:45 a.m. Tickets are $45 per ticket for members of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield and $65 per ticket for non-members. Tables of 10 and 12 are available. Reservations must be made in writing and in advance. Sign up online at www.myonlinechamber.com, or mail, E-mail, or fax to Diane Swanson, Events Manager, 1441 Main St., Suite 133, Springfield, MA 01103-1449. E-mail: [email protected]; fax: (413) 755-1322. Reservation deadline is Feb. 6.

      By
      Departments

      The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

      Abelin, Michael Anthony
      33 Norman Ter. Apt. 60
      Feeding Hills, MA 01030
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Alvarado, Greychi
      a/k/a Perez, Greychi
      28 Allison Lane
      Indian Orchard, MA 01151
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Armitage, Charles R.
      Armitage, Marilyn E.
      416 Main St., Apt. 401
      Athol, MA 01331
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Armstrong, Michael J.
      26 Hamlin St. Apt. 4
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/21/08

      Babbin, Walter F.
      Babbin, Eleanor R.
      78 Superior Ave.
      Indian Orchard, MA 01151
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Baker, Nina M.
      334 School St.
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      Barton, Robin D.
      30 Fairview St.
      Greenfield, MA 01301
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Blow, Bart D.
      Blow, Nancy A.
      14 Mayfair St.
      East Longmeadow, MA 01028
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      Blue Moon Grocery Inc.
      Mascaro, Lisa M.
      41 Edwards Road
      Westhampton, MA 01027
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Brennan, Mary Ellen
      17 Mapleview Dr.
      West Stockbridge, MA 01266
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Brito, Jose R.
      Cotto, Sheila M.
      233 Seymour Ave.
      Springfield, MA 01109
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Burns, Daniel A.
      Burns, Patricia M.
      22 Highland Lane
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Chartier, Joseph P.
      Chartier, Shari D.
      1808 North Main St.
      Palmer, MA 01069
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      Chicaderis, Judith Star
      159 Leyden Road
      Greenfield, MA 01301
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Colon, Angel L.
      1279 Dwight St., 2nd Floor
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Corporan, Inocencia S.
      663 Summer Ave.
      Springfield, MA 01108
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/17/08

      Cote’s Family Restaurant
      Cote, Michael Maurice
      Cote, Joanne Marie
      44 Spring St.
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Cox, Bernard
      PO Box 91211
      Springfield, MA 01139
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Crigger, Terresa K.
      a/k/a Sherman, Terresa K.
      321 Dorset St.
      Springfield, MA 01108
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      Cromack, Brian D.
      111 Hollow Road
      Brimfield, MA 01010
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/17/08

      Czypryna, April A.
      Czypryna, Christopher S.
      60 South Liberty St.
      Belchertown, MA 01007
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Daneault, Nancy Ann
      519 East River St. Lot 8
      Orange, MA 01364
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Demarey, Dawn Marie
      280 Rock Valley Road
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Depianta, Darren John
      Sendek, Cheryl M.
      37 Woodcrest Court
      Chicopee, MA 01020
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Desanctis, Tina M.
      28 Grassy Meadow Road
      Wilbraham, MA 01095
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Dias, Armind G.
      Dias, Julie A.
      27 Shirley St.
      Wilbraham, MA 01095
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Dosreis, David S.
      371 Main St.
      Indian Orchard, MA 01151
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Dowd-Ramos, Kerry Ann
      9 Cherryvale St.
      Chicopee, MA 01020
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Drawec, Patricia A.
      35 Paula Ave.
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Driscoll Photography
      Driscoll, John T.
      Driscoll, Andrea J.
      11 Bethel St.
      Springfield, MA 01108
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Drumm, Michelle A.
      742 Glendale Road
      Wilbraham, MA 01095
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      Erskine, Thomas H.
      Erskine, Dianne E.
      156 Beekman Dr.
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Felix, Amaryllis
      Denizard, Amaryllis
      392 Allen Park Road
      Springfield, MA 01118
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Finch, Jason R.
      Finch, Amanda M.
      a/k/a Holden, Amanda M.
      16 Carpenter St.
      Orange, MA 01364
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/20/08

      Fleury, Jeannine R.
      a/k/a McBride, Jeannine R.
      16 Pearl Lena Court
      Chicopee, MA 01013
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Flores, Johanny
      Rosario, Jesus
      1143 Liberty St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Flowers by Sandra
      Polcaro, Sandra M.
      a/k/a Schlesinger, Sandra M.
      a/k/a Bucchio, Sandra M.
      18 Adah St.
      Athol, MA 01331
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Gaudette, Lawrence Edward
      P.O. Box 565
      South Deerfield, MA 01373
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Gebeau, Carlyle B.
      Minor, Susan A.
      79 Yorktown Dr.
      Springfield, MA 01108
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Gerald, Karen C.
      12 Feeding Hills Road
      Southwick, MA 01077
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Germain, Alice M.
      133 Jabish St. Apt. E5
      Belchertown, MA 01007
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Giard, Steven E.
      2092 Palmer Road
      Three Rivers, MA 01080
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Ginman, Ronald E.
      18 Lotus Ave.
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Gleason, Christine A.
      44 Lake Ave.
      Orange, MA 01364
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Gorecki, Michelle M.
      14 Ashmont St.
      Chicopee, MA 01013
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Hodgson, Chester George
      19-B Brodeur St.
      Chicopee, MA 01013
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Hotte, Randy D.
      PO Box 695
      Chicopee, MA 01021
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Houle, James H.
      Houle, Patricia J.
      266 Miller St.
      Ludlow, MA 01056
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/20/08

      Howland, Roger G.
      146 Temby St.
      Springfield, MA 01118
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Jones, John P.
      Jones, Bonnie L.
      750 East St.
      Lee, MA 01238
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Kupperman, Mitchell J.
      115 Quinnehtuk Road
      Longmeadow, MA 01106
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      		  

      Lasorsa, Ronald Scott
      PO Box 1363
      Stockbridge, MA 01262
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      LeBlanc, Danielle Cecile
      24 Kaveney St.
      Chicopee, MA 01020
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Lezinski, Michael A.
      54 Athol St.
      Springfield, MA 01107
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Magnani, John P.
      Magnani, Debra B.
      69 Kenmore Dr.
      Longmeadow, MA 01106
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Marigliano, Mark J.
      Marigliano, Maria R.
      a/k/a Butler, Maria R.
      294 East Main St.
      Orange, MA 01364
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Martinez, Jacqueline
      82 Harvey St.
      Springfield, MA 01119
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Martinez, Juan B.
      Martinez, Nancy A.
      67 State St.
      Chicopee, MA 01013
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Martins, Neil V.
      Martins, Marti-Ann E.
      826 East St., Apt. 12
      Ludlow, MA 01056
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      McKinney, Awilda
      a/k/a Colon, Awilda
      477 Wilbraham Road
      Springfield, MA 01109
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/17/08

      Menard, Danielle D.
      61 Brookline Ave.
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Mercado, Lourdes J.
      33 Salem St., Apt. 3A
      Springfield, MA 01105
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Molleur, Wayne G.
      Molleur, Dorene A.
      a/k/a Mongue-Molleur, Dorene A.
      22 Jordan St.
      Adams, MA 01220
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Morin, Jeffrey L
      25 1/2 East Bartlett St.
      Westfield, MA 01085
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Morrison, Mary C.
      1477 Roosevelt Ave.
      Springfield, MA 01109
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Murray, David M.
      17 Neptune Ave.
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Niles, Steven A.
      21 Yarmouth St.
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Palucci, Mary Ann
      42 Clinton Ave.
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Pelaez, Yenny C.
      201 Orange St.
      Springfield, MA 01108
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/17/08

      Pelletier, Wayne John
      16 Ridge Hill Road
      Sturbridge, MA 01566
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/20/08

      Phillips, Garrett Ryan
      35 Shattuck St.
      Greenfield, MA 01301
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      Pinard, Beth Jaye
      4 Princeton Ave.
      Easthampton, MA 01027
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/26/08

      Platenik, Jeffrey E.
      235 State St., Unit #2
      Springfield, MA 01103
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Popko, Susan K.
      49 Stewart Lane
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Provost, Jerome V.
      122 Bellwood Road
      Springfield, MA 01119
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Raposa-Gonet, Margaret
      37 Francis Ave.
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      Reynolds, Brian W.
      Reynolds, Diane L.
      15 Temple St.
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/17/08

      Reynoso, Leocadio M.
      526 Dickinson St.
      Springfield, MA 01108
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Rodriguez, Enid
      80 Parkside Dr.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Rodriguez, Nereida L.
      56 Terrence St.
      Springfield, MA 01109
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/20/08

      Rosario-Diaz, Luis A.
      P.O. Box 2602
      Holyoke, MA 01041
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Safford, Steven J.
      Safford, Barbara A.
      221 Chapin Road
      Hampden, MA 01036
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/16/08

      Santiago, Leonor
      20 Tracy St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/17/08

      Santos, Ivor R.
      Santos, Aletta P.
      118 Pasco Road
      Springfield, MA 01151
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Santos, Joseph A.
      Santos, Natalie P.
      230 Jeffrey Road
      Springfield, MA 01119
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/25/08

      Sevene, Rebecca L.
      368 Country Club Road
      Greenfield, MA 01301
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Seward, Wallace L.
      Seward, Sylvia A.
      43 Froman St.
      Athol, MA 01331
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Siano, Patricia I.
      17 Young Ave.
      East Longmeadow, MA 01028
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Streeter, Sandra
      PO Box 761
      Bernardston, MA 01337
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/17/08

      Sweet, Norman Mark
      Sweet, Judi Behan
      194 Redfern Dr.
      Longmeadow, MA 01106
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 11/28/08

      Taveras-Rodriguez, Victoria M.
      124 Kirkland Ave.
      Ludlow, MA 01056
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/20/08

      Towne, Patrick J.
      Towne, Annalisa
      15 Walnut St.
      Ware, MA 01082
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/21/08

      Turgeon, Joseph R.
      Turgeon, Dorothy G.
      31 Keddy Blvd.
      Chicopee, MA 01020
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/20/08

      Velazquez, Maribel
      11 Raymond Place, Apt. 1
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Velez, Blanca I.
      310 Nottingham St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/24/08

      Vincent, Mary E.
      182 Butternut Hollow Road
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/17/08

      Wallace, Anthony
      Wallace, Leslie
      21 Laurel Dr.
      Ware, MA 01082
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      Washburne, Samuel R.
      Washburne, Kelly
      25 West Glen St.
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/16/08

      West, Benjamin C.
      West, Nadine M.
      a/k/a Rogers, Nadine M.
      46 Bissell Road
      Williamsburg, MA 01096
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Wiseman & Son Transportation
      Wiseman, James T.
      38 High St.
      Southampton, MA 01073
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/18/08

      Y-Knot Trucking
      Y-Knot Equine Center,
      Y-Knot Stable
      Petell, Oliver Edgar
      Petell, Carol Patricia
      a/k/a Cronin, Carol Patricia
      53 Center St.
      Granby, MA 01033
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 11/19/08

      By
      Departments

      Chicopee Bancorp Opens South Hadley Branch

      CHICOPEE — The newest Chicopee Savings Bank opened its doors on Dec. 15 at 32 Willimansett St., South Hadley. The full-service branch offers two drive-through teller windows, a 24-hour drive-up ATM, and night depository service. This is the bank’s seventh branch location, and as part of expansion plans, Chicopee Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Chicopee Savings Bank, is preparing to open its eighth branch in Ware later this month. Visit www.chicopeesavings.com for more information.

      Atlantic Fasteners Receives Lockheed Martin Contracts

      WEST SPRINGFIELD — Lockheed Martin recently awarded Atlantic Fasteners two-year contracts totaling $940,000. The aerospace division of Atlantic Fasteners won the contract bids in December, the largest to date in the division’s history. The contracts’ combined value is nearly five times higher than the division’s previous two-year contract with Lockheed Martin, according to Marc Dionne, director of the aerospace division. An authorized Lockheed Martin supplier since 2000, Atlantic’s aerospace division has earned exceptional quality and delivery ratings in the high 90s and often 100% from Lockheed Martin, according to Dionne. Dionne added that recent steps to increase the aerospace division’s national visibility by investing in technology have paid off, pointing to the recent introduction of online pricing as one example. Atlantic Fasteners now uses a bar-code inventory-management system and offers online ordering, RFID, and electronic invoicing. Through December 2010, Atlantic Fasteners will supply hundreds of fastener varieties to Lockheed Martin’s business units across the country. Atlantic Fasteners is an employee-owned company that stocks thousands of varieties of military, aerospace, and commercial fasteners.

      Lenox Softworks Launches Microscope Software Program

      LENOX — Lenox Softworks (LSW) recently debuted a Mac-compatible version of LX-ProScope HR, a customized version of the LUXUS software used with handheld USB microscopes. Patrick Consolati, product manager, noted that these capabilities make the LX-ProScope HR applicable to several industries, but its uses in health care are particularly diverse. Consolati added that its use in health care fields includes dermatology to evaluate skin changes. The technology creates a digital record of any fluctuations in a skin spot’s color or size and evaluates the overall health of skin and hair. Using the enhanced software, LX-ProScope HR provides for images to be captured at various screen resolutions, using an array of interchangeable, fixed lenses that magnify up to 400 times. The Windows version of the software was released by LSW last year. In addition to the recent Mac launch, Consolati said a host of new features have also been added to enhance both versions. LUXUS LX-ProScope HR was conceived in 2003 through a collaboration between LSW and Bodelin Technologies, based in Lake Oswego, Ore. Visit www.luxussoftware.com for more information.

      Baystate Medical Earns Fifth Beacon Award

      SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Medical Center’s Daly 6-2 Surgical Intermediate Care Unit has joined the ranks of the top health care teams in the nation, becoming one of only two such units to win the American Assoc. of Critical Care Nurses’ Beacon Award. Baystate has won five Beacon Awards altogether. The hospital’s Adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) earlier this year won a critical care Beacon Award for the fourth consecutive time. Intermediate care units meet an important need for care for patients who are too sick for a standard medical-surgical unit but do not require the level of care provided in an ICU, according to Deborah Morsi, vice president of Patient Care Services for Baystate, and chief nursing officer for Baystate Health. Morsi commended the Daly 6-2 nursing and patient care team for their dedication and commitment to providing the best care to patients. As recipient of a Beacon, Daly 6-2 met rigid criteria for excellence, adhering to high standards of quality in leadership, recruiting, and training nurses, and caring for patients and their families.

      Loomis Communities Supports Nonprofits

      Throughout 2008, employees and residents of the Loomis Communities worked collaboratively to raise more than $19,000 in support of other nonprofit organizations across the region. Outreach efforts included conducting blood drives for Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, and the American Red Cross, and selling Valentine’s Day cookies to benefit the American Heart Assoc. In addition, residents and staff participated in the daffodil sale and Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society, and partnered with the Sodexo Foundation with the Power of Change campaign to benefit the Food Bank of Western Mass. Organizations also benefiting from the Loomis Communities’ efforts included the Alzheimer’s Assoc., Brightside for Families and Children, and the Holyoke Visiting Nurse Assoc. Loomis Communities is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community that provides lifestyle and health care options to enrich the lives of older adults. The communities include Applewood at Amherst, Loomis House in Holyoke, and Loomis Village in South Hadley.

      Rockridge Residents Raise Money for Food Bank

      NORTHAMPTON — Once a month, Rockridge Retirement Community residents give up dessert for a day and instead donate that money to the Food Bank of Western Mass. During the holiday season, Rockridge residents presented their first $150 check to the Food Bank. Rockridge spends approximately $50 per day on making homemade desserts for residents, according to Diana Hitchcock, director of dining services. No-Dessert Day at Rockridge has allowed the community to donate $50 per month to the Food Bank. Beth Vettori, executive director at Rockridge, added that what the residents agreed to do reflects on the overall mission of the community. She noted that No-Dessert Day is a “powerful example” of the way residents inspire on a daily basis to give of themselves to help others in need.

      Insurance Center Answers the Call

      WEST SPRINGFIELD — After the recent ice storm that affected several hilltown counties, hundreds of calls regarding damage claims flooded into the Heritage Insurance Agency — which was also hit hard with electrical and communication outages. Its sister agency, the Insurance Center of New England, came to the rescue by deploying resources to answer customers’ calls and concerns about the damages to their property. The Insurance Center was able to redirect calls to its West Springfield location from customers calling to report claims on their cell phones. The Insurance Center of New England is a division of ICNE Group, a regional insurance agency for commercial products, group employee benefits, and personal insurance lines based in West Springfield. ICNE Group also operates offices in Chicopee, Gardner, Athol, Danvers, Fitchburg, Lowell, and Winchendon.

      MBA Foundation Donates to WestMass ElderCare

      HOLYOKE — An early holiday present was delivered recently by the Mass. Bankers Assoc. Foundation to the offices of WestMass ElderCare Inc., for its ongoing charitable purposes. Celebrating its 12th anniversary, the foundation awarded $5,000 to WestMass ElderCare through the nomination of PeoplesBank. WestMass ElderCare programs include elder home care, congregate and home-delivered meals, personal care management, adult foster care, nursing home ombudsmen, money management, and supportive housing programs. More than 3,000 individuals are served through its programs and services, according to Priscilla Chalmers, executive director of WestMass ElderCare. Chalmers noted that the organization was “extremely humbled” by the acknowledgement. The MBA Foundation has contributed more than $1 million to community organizations since it was created in 1996.

      By
      Departments

      The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of December 2008.

      AGAWAM

      Edward T. Mish Silversmith
      214 Springfield St.
      Edward T. Mish

      G.D Business Ventures
      37 Elizabeth St.
      Gary Dionne

      AMHERST

      Emily’s Vision Co.
      381 Flat Hills Road
      Emily O. Sweet

      KF Web Development
      340 Riverglade Dr.
      Fabrice Ketchaken

      CHICOPEE

      A-Certive Removal Services
      72 Arcade St.
      Justin Dansereau

      Dance For Joy
      222 Langevin St.
      Dawn Jarrell

      J & G Repair Services
      32 Granville Ave.
      John F. Thomas

      RS Computer Solutions
      232 Exchange St.
      Rolando Santos

      Sisters C
      234 Langevin St.
      Phyllis L. McComaha

      EAST LONGMEADOW

      Avalanche Landscape Design
      40 Crane Ave.
      Eric Weichselbaumer

      A.W. Brown TBW Inc.
      144 Shaker Road
      Thomas B. Wheeler

      Foy Miller Associates
      14 Overbrook Road
      Foy M. Miller

      Learning Styles, LLC
      34 Shaker Road
      Susan T. Fino

      Mec’s Landscaping Inc.
      32 Hampden Road
      Alessandro F. Meccia

      Omega Cleaners of East Longmeadow Inc.
      14 Harkness Ave.
      Joo B. Lee

      GREENFIELD

      Gingi Enterprises
      278 Main St.
      Eugene T. Vanasse

      HADLEY

      Valley Bookkeeping
      100 Venture Way
      Janet Jefflon

      HOLYOKE

      Downtown Delight
      285 High St.
      Carol Ann Stewart

      Go Games
      50 Holyoke St.
      Neil Aubuchon

      Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems
      933 Main St.
      Justin J. Carven

      Holyoke Tire & Auto Services Inc.
      1274 Dwight St.
      Peter Kearning

      Manny’s Market
      157 Sargeant St.
      Nelson Azcona

      LONGMEADOW

      Berkshire Facial Surgery Inc.
      171 Dwight St.
      P. Anthony Perry

      Brian Sullivan Photography
      79 Allen Road
      Brian Sullivan

      Comprehensive Consulting Associates
      144 Cooley Dr.
      Michelle Aube

      Paine in the Glass
      18 Maplewood St.
      Richard Miner

      NORTHAMPTON

      DPI Communications
      32 Gregory Lane
      E. Katerina Missry

      Power Dog
      123 Hawley St.
      Elizabeth E. Powers

      The Benefit Partnership
      7 Main St.
      Michael Ippolito

      The Zen Den Massage Therapy
      45 Main St.
      Adrian S. Richmond


      		  

      PALMER

      Muscles in Motion
      4023 Main St.
      Adelei Bernard

      SOUTH HADLEY

      Crack of Dawn
      20 Bridge St.
      Frederick Wohlers

      Griffin Online Solutions
      333 Granby Road
      Rita M. Griffin

      Houles Family Catering
      50 Lamb St.
      Michael Houle

      R & L Home and Business Inventory
      9 Woodcrest Lane
      Robert Lewko

      Stoney’s Pub
      1-3 Bridge St.
      Jay Hebert

      SOUTHWICK

      Silver Threads
      63 Hastings Road
      Jean Lamaureaux

      SNO Software
      8 Pine Knoll
      Austin Snow

      SPRINGFIELD

      Laksom Gallery of Fine Art
      28 Parker St.
      Gary J. Moskal

      Liberty Jean Co.
      260 Worthington St.
      Shamika Santos

      Lil This And That Boutique
      240 Walnut St.
      Suzette M. Cotton

      Litchfield Plumbing
      493 Forest Hills Road

      Pay Less Oil
      2 Amboy Court
      Robert Paquette

      Perez Landscaping & Snow
      1157 Sumner Ave.
      Edwin Perez Sr.

      R.M. Sullivan Transportation
      649 Cottage St.
      Therese S. Walch

      RHJ Productions
      28 West Laramee Green
      Tina Griffin-Clark

      Sky-Com
      1179 State St.
      Kenny Nguyen

      Springfield City Church
      34 Goodwin St.
      Glenroy Bristol

      The School Store
      43 Northampton Ave.
      Henry George Cockett

      Vance Advertising
      76 Palo Alto Road
      David Behnk

      Wholesale Auto Outlet
      480 Central St.
      Attilio Cardaropoli

      Young Oh Lucky Cleaners
      1003 St. James Ave.
      Young J. Oh

      WESTFIELD

      A Time To Grow
      6 Mainline Dr.
      Cheryl Ouelette

      Affordable Technologies
      24 Green Pine Lane
      Sharon Menard

      Billy C’s Jerky, LLC
      236 Elm St.
      William Chaoush

      Second Company
      92 Little River Road
      Patricia A. Castro

      WEST SPRINGFIELD

      Adults Only
      2025 Riverdale St.
      Daniel Andrew Crespo

      Bertelli’s Skate Shop
      726 Main St.
      Jay Passerini

      Duquette Electric Co.
      395 Morgan Road
      James A. Duquette

      E-Zee Mart
      662 Kings Hwy
      Fawad A. Khawaja

      Lynn Roofing
      216 Day St.
      Brian Perdue

      Michael Vincent Photography
      97 Lancaster Ave.
      Michael V. Epaul

      By
      Departments

      The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

      EAST LONGMEADOW

      Full Moon International Inc., 15 Benton Dr. East Longmeadow 01028. Oytun Troy, c/o Benza Erden, 136 Silver Birch, Longmeadow 01106. Import and export of various consumer goods.

      Grade A Floors Inc., 15 Benton Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. Laurie A. Oyler, same. Sales/flooring.

      FEEDING HILLS

      MACD Enterprises Inc., 525 Springfield St. Feeding Hills 01030. Mark Danalis, 96 Edmund St. East Longmeadow 01028. Full-service restaurant.

      GRANBY

      CCLI Corporation 4 Jerry Lane, Granby 01033. Crescenzo Calabrese, same. To operate a restaurant.

      GREENFIELD

      Greenfield Bancorp MHC, 63 Federal St., Greenfield 01301. E. Tucker, 26 Lawler Dr., Easthampton 01027. Accumulating, loaning, and investing the savings of its members.

      Jesse Leasing Company Inc., 52 River St., Greenfield 01301-3117. Cynthia Stasny, Same. Equipment leasing.

      HOLYOKE

      Carlos Torres Productions Inc., 2 Ivy Ave, Holyoke 01040. Alex Torres, Same. Artist management and representation.

      PITTSFIELD

      Ice River Springs USA Inc., 66 West St., Pittsfield 01201. James Fallis Gott, Grey Road 31, Feversham, Ontario NOC ICO. To engage in the ownership, improvement, development, maintenance, and management of real estate.

      		 

      SPRINGFIELD

      DevelopSpringfield Corporation, 1441 Main St., Suite 111, Springfield 01103
      Gary Fialky, 70 Yorktown Dr. Springfield 01108. To aid in the speedy and orderly development or redevelopmentn of property in the city of Springfield.

      MEME Air Inc., 35 Fern St., Springfield 01108. Mymie Pham, same. Aircraft rental.

      Patriot Fence and railing designs Inc., 50 Trumbull St., Springfield, MA 01104. Jason Simmons, 72 Church St. West Springfield 01089. To engage in the sale, construction, and installation of commercial and residential fences.

      Roger L. Putnam Technical Fund Inc., 1380 Main St., Springfield 01103. Franklin York Mayo, 73 High Pine Circle, Wilbraham 01095. To support current and future training courses and programs at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical High School and to solicit public and private contributions, including machinery and equipment.

      Royal Beauty Supply Corp. 1104 State St., Springfield 01009. Elizabeth Kro, 11 Fisher St., Springfield, MA 01009. Beauty supplies.

      WESTFIELD

      Real Irish Inc., 37 Broad St., Westfield 01085 William P. Farrell, 90 Bigwood Dr., Westfield 01085. To engage in the production and publication of commemorative items for sale to the general public.

      William Farrell, Counselor at law, P.C. 37 Broad St., Westfield 01085. William P. Farrell, same. To practice law and provide legal services to individuals and corporate entities.

      WILBRAHAM

      US Tae Kwon Do Education Foundation Inc., 28 Stoney Hill Road, Wilbraham 01095. Chun Ja Kim, 215 Chislak Dr., Ludlow 01056.To promote sportsmanship in young people.

      By
      Departments

      Northampton Cooperative Bank has promoted Tracey E. Egloff to Vice President. Egloff, the bank’s loan officer, oversees the residential-loan department, supervising underwriting compliance, approving loans and facilitating closings.

      •••••

      Dr. Carolyn J. Brown has joined the Jewish Geriatric Services Family Medical Care practice. Brown is board-certified in internal medicine and has practiced medicine in the Pioneer Valley for more than 25 years.

      •••••

      Florence Savings Bank announced the following:
      • Edward J. Garbacik has been elected Vice President, Investment Executive, of Financial Services;
      • Robert S. Allen has been elected Assistant Officer of the Compliance Department;
      • Linda M. Bates has been elected Vice President, Project Director, of the Operations Department, and
      • Ian T. Vukovich has been elected Project Officer of the Human Resources Department.

      •••••

      Janel Beaulieu has been named the Business Development and Sales Manager at TD Banknorth in Hadley.

      •••••

      Baystate Dental has added Dr. Nadia Church to the general dentistry practice. Church is welcoming new patients at all six Baystate Dental locations.

      •••••

      PeoplesBank in Holyoke announced the following:
      • Sheila F. King-Goodwin has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Retail Banking;
      • Stacy A. Sutton has been promoted to First Vice President, Retail Banking;
      • Joseph R. Zazzaro has been promoted to First Vice President, Information Technology, and
      • Duane H. Camp has been promoted to First Vice President, Consumer Lending.

      •••••

      Family Wealth Management Inc. announced that Doug Wheat has joined the company as a Financial Planner.

      •••••

      Kira Dunn has been named Executive Director of the Mass. Commission on the Status of Women in Boston. The organization conducts public hearings across the state to assess the issues of most importance to women in the Commonwealth, and also conducts the annual Unsung Heroines of Massachusetts Awards at the State House each spring.

      •••••

      Deborah A. Geisler has been named Branch Manager of the ninth full-service branch office of Hampden Bank in Longmeadow.

      •••••

      MassMutual Retirement Services in Springfield announced the following:
      • Ian Sheridan has been named President of First Mercantile Trust;
      • Stan Label has been appointed Vice President and National Sales Manager for First Mercantile, and
      • Four members of First Mercantile’s existing management have been named to Sheridan’s senior leadership team. Alan Dunaway, Vice President, Business Development, will oversee First Mercantile’s key accounts, TPA channel, and the distributor development unit headed by Susan Conrad. James Pratt will continue to lead First Mercantile’s finance operation, including oversight of the company’s operations team led by Pamela Greenwood, Director of Operations.

      •••••

      Cary Szafranski has been hired as an Associate Attorney at Gelinas & Lefebvre, P.C. in Chicopee.

      •••••

      Holly J. Fuller has been elected by the Easthampton Savings Bank Board of Directors to serve as Branch Officer at the Locust Street office in Northampton.

      •••••

      Holyoke Medical Center announced the following:
      • Dr. David Tupponce has been elected President of the Medical Staff;
      • Dr. Vijay Gandevia has been elected Vice President of the Medical Staff, and
      • Dr. Brigid Glackin has been elected Secretary/Treasurer.

      •••••

      Peter Pan Bus Lines in Springfield announced the following:
      • Bruce Westcott has been named Vice President of Business Development. He is responsible for sales and marketing strategies for Peter Pan Bus Lines and the Peter Pan-owned companies Camfour-Hill Country and Belt Technologies.
      • Joanne Berwald has been named Director of Human Resources.

      •••••

      Kerry A. Haberlin has joined Rankin & Sultan, based in Boston, as an Associate. Haberlin previously served as a judicial intern for The Honorable Bruce M. Selya of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. She also interned for the Joint Committee on Public Service, Massachusetts General Court.

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