January 2010 - BusinessWest

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Ringing In the New Year

The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield staged its second annual New Year’s Eve celebration at the Marriott in downtown Springfield. Nearly 300 people joined in the festivities. Clockwise, from left, the clock strikes midnight; from left, Scott Monson, Katie Duby, Chris Duby, and Lisa Monson; the cake art, provided by Artful Presences’ Janel Gurney, bears the words that form the YPS slogan; from left, Emily Fialky, YPS President Jeff Fialky, event co-chair Pam Thornton, and Maureen and Joe Picknally; from left, Dan Bessette, Jim Arnold, Ben Garvey, and Trevis Wray.

Setting the Stage

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Features

The Pieces Are Finally Falling into Place for Holyoke?s Victory Theatre

Donald Sanders is convinced that the Victory Theatre will not languish in faded glory, but will be relevant again.

The Victory Theatre has long been a valued part of Holyokes past, hosting everything from celebrated singers to Oscar-winning films to high school graduations. Making it a real part of the citys future has been a 30-year challenge met only with frustration. But a new group, the Mass. International Festival of the Arts, a Holyoke-based performing-arts organizer, has secured ownership and believes it has the friends and the funds to finally turn the lights back on.

These days, with red plywood covering all window openings, it might not look like much. But at the Victory Theatre at the corner of Suffolk and Chestnut streets in Holyoke, the magic always came from what is within.

No expense was spared in materials, said Donald Sanders. Staircases are Vermont marble, paneling is rare Brazilian mahogany, windows were made by Tiffany. The exciting thing is that, as weve gone through the building, going through the layers accrued over the years, weve discovered the original silk wall covering, most likely made by the Skinner family. It is basically intact, stretched on frames over felt and cloth, just the way it was done at Versailles.

Sanders is the executive artistic director of the 16-year old Mass. International Festival of the Arts (MIFA), a Holyoke-based performing-arts organizer with a history of bringing world-class acts to the Pioneer Valley. Past features include Mikhail Baryshnikov, the National Ballet of Cuba, and players from Shakespeares Globe Theatre in London, among many others.

Talking with BusinessWest recently, Sanders proudly described the chronology of the Victory Theatre, happy to add the latest chapter in a saga that has spanned close to a century. As of last December, MIFA is the newest owner of the former jewel in the crown of the regions theaters.

Other attempts have been made to revitalize the structure since the house lights dimmed for the last time in 1979, from homegrown initiatives to a venture funded by the Armand Hammer exhibition of paintings in the citys Heritage State Park in 1987. None have succeeded in opening the doors.

But Sanders said that important work was set in motion by each one of these steps along the way, and that the theater will not languish in faded glory and the forgotten memories of the city. With ownership now secure, and more than half of funding for a bill totaling $27 million underway, the Victory plans to open its doors to a theater-going public 92 years after the first opening night, on Dec. 30, 2012.

BusinessWest talked recently with Sanders and MIFAs managing director, Kathy McKean, both basking in the knowledge that, as the banner outside the building proclaims, Victory is ours!

Curtain Call

To say that Nathan and Samuel Goldstein built theaters is an understatement. The Goldstein Brothers Amusement Co. was the leading theater impresario of its day in the first decades of the 20th century.

Based in both Springfield and Holyoke, the brothers are responsible for some of the areas most-cherished venues: the Calvin in Northampton, the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, and a string of long-gone palaces of performing arts in Springfield, Westfield, Ware, and elsewhere. The Holyoke Transcript Telegram of February 1926 valued their business at close to $3.5 million, a staggering sum for the time.

When the business and civic leaders of Holyoke, among them the Parson and Skinner families, decided that Holyoke needed a world-class theater, it was the Goldstein brothers who got the call. What they built in the Victory Theatre was nothing short of their finest achievement. Preeminent theater architects Mowll & Rand from Boston designed the structure, and on opening night on Dec. 30, 1920, Eva Tanguay, a singer Sanders describes as the Madonna of her day, performed. In its heyday, everyone who was anyone took the stage at the Victory.

Sanders said that the legacy of the Goldstein brothers building continues to impress. The quality of the workmanship, down to the bricklaying … all the engineers comment on it, he said. Its also one of the first uses of steel beams to create a fan-shaped auditorium. No obstructions whatsoever, and the beams support the dress circle, what people call the lower balcony. Its an amazing building.

Designed at first to be, in Sanders words, a Broadway-style theater, the Victory was, over the years, slowly turned into a movie house, to reflect changing tastes in entertainment. But for Sanders, he knew the moment he first saw the inside that this was no ordinary hall.

It isnt a provincial theater house, he explained. The volume of the space is magnificent. For those of us in live performance, you know it the moment you walk in. The focus is entirely on the stage. I was totally flabbergasted that it was in there. Going by there, from the outside, you dont have the sense of what is in that footprint.

A 1942 fire damaged the interior of the Victory, which was redecorated to reflect the times. Sadly, very little photographic record exists of the interior prior to the redesign, and both Sanders and McKean said that a current appeal is for anyone with images in their familys possessions to step forward.

The Show Must Go On

The Victorys history went on to mirror its home city, and declining fortunes led ultimately to the theaters closing its doors for the last time in 1979. Unlike the numerous other theaters in this once-elegant city, the Victory was spared the wrecking ball, and for many residents the allure of the building continues to be a powerful force that cant quite be identified.

Local writers have waxed nostalgic about the Victory, linking it to the city of their childhood memories, halcyon days involving many other ghosts of downtown Holyoke past. McKean said that every time she goes over to the structure, once the door opens, people stop and say, I remember when.

Every single time, she said.

Almost immediately upon its closing, local grassroots efforts went into action to keep the Victory from suffering the same inglorious fate of its contemporaries. The Victory Theatre Commission began raising money in 1980, and it received money from the Armand Hammer exhibition, which went into the important first steps of architectural evaluation.

Those initial funds removed asbestos and shored up the failing roof, but the final price tag, $8 million, was just too much for the group. McKean said that it was important to put that bill into perspective.

It was at a time when downtown, and the idea of downtown, was not high on the priority list, she explained. There were so many other issues facing the city that a theater, and what to do with it, wasnt going to get the attention, especially with such a price tag.

MIFAs involvement with the theater is a story of chance occurrences that ultimately bring about the brightest lights in the Victory chronology. Sanders first became acquainted with the theater in the early 1990s, when a small performance was staged in the lobby.

After hosting the Cuban ballet at the Academy of Music, he realized that a larger venue would be necessary to garner the type of talent MIFA vies for. The Northampton venue seats 800, while the Victory can seat 1,600. He contacted the Save the Victory organization, but the word was that it had gone as far as it could.

At that time, MIFAs long-term strategic planning called for a permanent home in the Pioneer Valley. Sanders remembers thinking that the Victory, with its awe-inspiring possibilities, was too great to ignore. In 2003, the decision was made to make the landmark that home.

MIFA partnered with Nessen Associates out of Boston and Architectural Heritage Foundation, two firms with a successful history of historic restoration. Nessen has completed theater renovation projects in Worcester, at the Hanover, and at the Boston Conservatory of Music. Meanwhile, AHF is a pioneer in urban redevelopment, responsible for the landmark Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market revitalization.

After years of leasing the structure to MIFA, the Holyoke City Council finally agreed this past September to sell the structure to the organization for $1,500. On that day, Sanders wrote on the MIFA blog, let the fun begin!

The fun, as in fund-raising, will be a daunting task, but not insurmountable. Nearly 60% of the $27 million price tag will come from Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp. funds, similar to multi-million-dollar theater projects in Pittsfield and Worcester.

McKean noted that the project in Worcester is a bellwether for the Victory. Its interesting in that the Hanover Theater has become very successful, and business around it has increased. Not only is the theater doing well, but theyre seeing an increase in restaurants, and foot traffic, that they didnt see.

The Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp. did a study, which told them that the number-one stimulant for downtown rejuvenation was theaters and performing-arts centers, she continued. This was not an organization naturally drawn to the arts, but it did put an emphasis on their importance.

At this stage, just under $11 million needs to be raised to ensure the opening night of Dec. 30, 2012. Sanders and McKean both agree that the Victory is finally in the forward motion of renewal. We have everything in place, and we know what its going to cost, Sanders said. Fund-raising, and friend-raising, is the next stage. He expects that the former will come about like other projects have, with the usual mix of corporate and individual donors. Friend-raising, however, might be unique to the theater so ingrained into Holyokes civic identity.

If everyone who loves the theater made a contribution from $10 on up, and the community who really wants this becomes involved, it would be great, he said. Holyoke doesnt have a lot of corporations, and the Skinners and Parsons are gone.

McKean said that the biggest challenge she faces isnt fund-raising, but rather making sure that the city understands what the Victory will mean as a city resource. Were not going to drop something down into the city and then expect it to be a part of the community, she explained. People remember Saturday-afternoon movies, Holyoke High graduations. We want that too.

Sanders said that, when he heard about the Nessen brothers interest in Holyoke, he knew that the project was finally possible, and that it heralds a success not only for the theater, but also for the city itself. When the doors to the theater opened for the first time to the public in September 2008, Sanders said he expected 10 or 15 people to show up. It was a rainy and cold morning. I didnt know what to expect. There were people coming in steadily all day.

Theres been so much hope and disappointment in the past, he continued, pausing to reflect upon the Victorys future. People want that theater back. They dont necessarily know why, but it is a powerful entity. We finally have the expertise to make it happen. For me, personally, that is wonderful.

Bridging the Digital Divide

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Features

Comcast Program Helps Low-income Students Become Computer-literate

From left, high-school students Esther Njeri, Shemron Ross, Melissa Philogene, and Tevin Jones work together on a community-service project.

Its called the Digital Connectors Program, and, as the name implies, it is designed to help connect young people, specifically those in low-income areas, to digital technology. In Springfield, the program is opening eyes and also opening doors to opportunity.

Its 5 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon, and several teenagers are intently focused on computer screens at the Urban League in Springfield.

They are researching violence and its causes, studying the consequences of smoking tobacco, visiting college Web sites, and creating and editing public-service announcements and films.

Several months ago, the majority of these teens used the computer only to network with friends via Facebook and MySpace accounts. But today, thanks to the Comcast Digital Connectors Program, they have become proficient in broadband technology and are using their newfound knowledge to pursue personal goals and make a difference in Springfield.

The purpose of Comcasts program is to help young people in low-income neighborhoods become computer- and broadband-literate and develop leadership skills that will allow them to become ambassadors and share their knowledge with their families and community.

My friends told me about this, and it sounded fun and interesting, said 15-year-old Gladys Kibunyi. I wanted to become involved in something that could help me build my future and help me figure out what I want to be when I grow up. This will help me get ready for college and choose what college I want to attend. In this program, I can do community service or do volunteer work, learn how to get scholarships or grants, and meet important people and make the right connections.

Kibunyis sentiments mirror those of other program participants. I didnt know much about computers before I became part of this program, said 16-year-old Esther Njeri. I want to become a computer engineer, and this will help me with my future. It has also taught me about teamwork and how to work well with others.

The group recently used flip video cameras donated by Comcast to film themselves passing out informational packets to people in the downtown area. The packets contained a list of community resources and were provided by the Shannon Foundations Anti-Youth Violence Campaign.

They are also promoting the Urban Leagues Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program and developing a TV show, which they hope will air on Comcasts Springfield access channel as well as the Digital Connections Web portal.

Its a talk show about violence prevention, said Leon Cosby, director of the Urban League of Springfield Digital Connectors Program. We want to get them active in areas where they want to see change. We also hope to get some local radio stations to air their public-service announcements.

The program was set up for 25 students, but word of mouth has made it so popular that about 40 teens have become involved. Comcast provided the computers they work on as well as broadband service at the Urban League.

Each teen has their own Web page where they post videos and talk to students in other Comcast groups in the country, said Cosby. Leadership skills are built into the program. These teens could be anywhere, but they are here doing something constructive and building relationships with each other.

Classes began last April, but the programs curriculum has expanded and was recently finalized. Cosby has adapted it to their needs, making sure to focus on the core areas of competency.

The majority of program participants are from New Leadership Charter School. The Urban League was instrumental in its establishment in 1998 and continues to be involved with education and leadership and development programs there.

Our goal is to have these students become ambassador advocates, Cosby said. Once they have this knowledge they will be in a position to help others, and will also be on a level playing field with other teens.

National Initiative

Comcast has made a national $1.2 million commitment to sponsor its Digital Connectors initiative for three years, beginning in 2009. The company plans to implement the program in 22 cities across the nation, but chose Springfield, Washington, D.C., and Houston to launch its pilot programs.

The Comcast Digital Connectors initiative began with our desire to promote the importance of digital-literacy skills that are necessary for students to realize their potential, said Doug Guthrie, senior vice president of Comcasts Western New England region. They took action by forming a partnership with One Economy Corp., which began a Digital Connectors program in 2002, which identifies talented young people, immerses them in technology training, and helps them build leadership and workplace skills.

One Economys program is active in more than 20 rural and urban areas across the country. But since Comcast is the largest residential broadband provider in the country, combining resources will allow the program to grow quickly.

Its new curriculum, which was just released, has expanded the subject matter to be mastered from four to 12 areas of competency. Participants will be educated in leadership and diversity, personal development, workforce development, financial literacy, community mapping, digital literacy, hardware and networks, software and programming, media production and civic journalism, the environment and sustainability, service and global engagement, and teaching and facilitation.

The program, which contains testing to ensure that students are meeting benchmarks, is aimed at address what experts call the digital divide.

For cities like Springfield, the digital divide is not about access to broadband service. Its about the adoption and the development of digital-literacy skills that will be necessary for these kids to realize their future potential, said Guthrie.

Henry Thomas, Urban League president, agrees.

Knowledge is power, he said. Being connected digitally is critically important to the quality of peoples lives and gives them an advantage. Although digital connectivity is almost essential for work or college, the digital divide is very substantial.

A recent national study showed that 80% of Caucasians have computers and are connected to the Internet, while 55% to 60% of Latinos have those resources, but only 46% of African-Americans have the same advantage. We are the ethnic population that is the least connected, Thomas said, adding that inner cities are heavily populated by African-Americans and Latinos, and 85% of Springfields Mason Square residents are African-American.

Thomas cites two reasons for the digital divide. The first is affordability, while the second is that many people arent aware of the value computers and broadband can add to their lives. Unfortunately, childen in these families often fall behind.

Children in families who dont have computers or havent adopted broadband lack a major source of information and technology that they need to be competitive in the academic arena, he said.

Local Partnership

Thomas was delighted when Comcast approached him and proposed using the Urban League as the setting for its pilot program. Comcast has provided funding and support for the leagues programs in the past, including a computer-skills training program that took place about three years ago.

They were familiar with our mission and understand the impact we are having in the community, he said, adding that Comcast has relationships with many of the 101 Urban Leagues across the country. We were honored to be part of the initiative.

The students have done so well that Comcast made a DVD of their program for distribution to new markets. Thomas is proud of this and proud that students are sharing their new skills with others. We will increase the collective functioning within the inner city to the extent that we can establish value in being digitally capable and proficient, so that people can be on even ground as it relates to educational and workforce-development issues, he said.

The students are very appreciative of the opportunity and growth they have experienced since signed on as Digital Connectors.

I havent seen any other programs like this, said 17-year-old Ceeja Brice. Its been a very great learning experience and very valuable as our world is headed toward technology. I actually feel a lot smarter than I did before. Now I know what computers are capable of.

He has gained knowledge about how to utilize the Internet to search for jobs. The One Economy Web site has job-search tools, and I have shown the site to several people, including my mother, he said. She used it, and it was a new resource for her.

Brice is editing a public-service announcement the teens are creating about violence. It is never the answer to where you want to be, he said. People are being killed or sent to the hospital because of violence.

His life goal is to own a music business, and he has learned that the Internet can be a useful tool for conducting surveys about new musicians and music. This is making a huge difference for me, he said.

Kibunyi is producing a public-service announcement about tobacco use. She has also taught her mother how to use the Internet and is excited about coming into contact with a whole world of new people and opportunities.

Shes building her network, Cosby said.

Its a network that will continue to grow, city by city, across the nation as students in communities spread the word about the benefits of being a Comcast Digital Connector.

Strong Foundation

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Features

Integrity Development & Construction Builds a Name for Itself

Peter Jessop, president of Integrity Development & Construction

A summer job more than 30 years ago turned into a career for Peter Jessop, who launched Integrity Development & Construction in Hartford and later moved the business to Amherst. In those three decades of building homes and businesses, he has seen abundant change in his industry, from a computer revolution to an increased focus on environmental impact. Throughout it all, he says hes tried to build a reputation that lives up to his companys name.

Construction wasnt exactly Peter Jessops first plan for his life.

In fact, back in the 1970s, he was working at Hartford Hospital, partway through a masters degree in hospital administration, when that field started to seem unsatisfying.

I had a lot of ideas about how a hospital should be organized and run, but I realized I was trying to shift the Titanic; it wasnt going to move very much, he said. Between government regulations and the general inertia of a 3,000-employee operation, I couldnt move it the way I wanted.

Meanwhile, Jessop had worked as a carpenter during summer breaks from college, and he always enjoyed the experience. From there, an idea and a construction business eventually grew.

It took me a little while, but I started working on some smaller projects with people I knew in the Hartford area, and it blossomed into a slightly bigger operation, and that blossomed into an even bigger operation, he said. I did a lot of low-income housing, tax-credit deals in Hartford, Bridgeport, even Arizona.

That proved to be a bit too much travel, he decided. Fortunately, weve enjoyed good success working within an hour of our office.

That was the case for more than a decade working in Hartford, and remained true when he moved his operation, Integrity Development & Construction, to Amherst in 1992.

His first project there was Pioneer Valley Co-housing, a living community that melds private condos with communal space to create a unique sort of planned neighborhood in North Amherst. Jessop lives in the complex, too, and built his companys headquarters there as well.

As in Hartford, Jessop has balanced residential building and remodeling with commercial, industrial, and institutional projects, from Northampton Brewery to a new building at the Hartsbrook School in Hadley.

The wonderful thing about this business is the tremendous amount of variety, he said. Every project we do is different, and we always get to meet new and interesting people. Its wonderfully varied that way which wasnt the case early in my career.

Indeed, while hospital management left him feeling stifled and bored, as president of Integrity, I feel we make a difference in peoples lives in terms of the way they live.

In this issue, Jessop talks with BusinessWest about Integritys steady growth, how the construction industry has changed over the years, and those difference-making moments that convince him that he made the right career decision three decades ago.

Greener Pastures

One example of making a difference is energy efficiency, which has long been a priority for Integrity and has since become industry dogma. All the units in that first co-housing project were designed as Energy Crafted homes, a status that preceded todays Energy Star designation.

Theres an emphasis on energy efficiency in the building trades, Jessop said. Were pretty conscientious about air seals, insulation, window packages, appliances everything that goes into making a building as energy-efficient as possible. A lot more people are doing photovoltaic and solar-related projects; that continues to be strong, and thats a good thing.

I think this is a very exciting time to be in business, he continued. We have a lot of opportunities to raise peoples consciousness about energy use and siting of buildings. The whole field is changing, moving toward a greater awareness of how building affects the global environment.

Some people think driving cars is a horrible thing, he continued, but a much greater percentage of greenhouse gases come from buildings than cars, so making our buildings more efficient, thinking about things like deep energy retrofits, will make a difference for our children and our childrens children.

This increased focus on the environment is only one way the building trades have shifted in the past 30 years.

The industry has changed a lot since 1979, Jessop said, noting, as one example, that materials are different, with much more engineered lumber being used, offering higher performance and a healthier ecological impact.

And, certainly, the use of computers and the amount of information generated digitally has radically changed the business, he said. Weve moved from doing everything on paper and pencil to a digital world. Of course, every industry has seen that, and contracting is no different.

Its been a blessing, he continued. Everything from accounting to drawings to project management and communications with clients we still produce paper, obviously, but much of our work is done digitally. That saves a lot of time and makes us more efficient and makes the industry more professional.

Jessop came back to the notion of professionalism more than once during the interview. Its an element he said is reflected in the companys name, and also echoes a more-savvy clientele.

Customers are more sophisticated, which forces us to be more professional, he told BusinessWest. And we certainly take pride in our level of professionalism in our presentations to clients, our contracts and documents, and our knowledge of the industry.

Even professional journals, he noted, have become more sophisticated. And, not surprisingly, I think tradespeople are more knowledgeable than they were 30 years ago. Theyre more cutting-edge from the technological point of view, obviously, but also just in general knowledge. These kids seem brighter, more on top of things than they were 30 years ago.

What does that all mean for builders? You cant relax, Jessop said. People know better what they want, and the Internet has opened up a whole host of opportunities for folks to learn about things.

Sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, he added, and weve occasionally had to set clients straight on information they learned on the Internet that might not be accurate as our take on the situation. But theres nothing wrong with an informed consumer. They help us stay on track, help us stay professional.

Work and Play

Integrity tackles plenty of design-build work, but also works with local architects, reflecting a willingness to work within a clients needs and budget, Jessop said.

We have a great respect for architects and do many projects with an architect; Im a believer in good architectural services. But some projects dont need the services of a full-scale architectural firm.

Many home-remodeling projects fall into that category. Renovations have always been a strong part of our mix, he said. We find it a wonderful challenge working with older buildings, adding on or making interior spaces more functional. We enjoy that process. Some builders dont have the patience for that; its a slightly different animal.

For one thing, unlike new construction, theres the issue of working around a family who actually lives in the space, kids and pets often included. But its an expertise that has proven valuable in the Hampshire County region, where new building space is at a premium.

In this area, land is relatively costly, and there arent tons of land available to build new construction, he said. A lot of people are finding that an investment in their current homes is a much better way to go. They may like their neighborhood, they like the school system, but they need more space. So they reconfigure the space they have, put in a new kitchen or new bathrooms.

The ability to take on many different kinds of projects allows a builder key flexibility during an economic downturn when all contractors need to be nimble, Jessop said. Were in the midsize of construction companies not big, but not two guys in a pickup truck, either. The ability to be flexible, and be able to do anything from smaller projects to $2 million to $3 million projects, is certainly a benefit.

As for that recession, Jessop said the Western Mass. region is fortunate not to experience the economic peaks and valleys and the resulting rollercoaster of real-estate valuations seen in other parts of the country, and added that the many colleges and universities clustered in and around Amherst also provide some stability for his industry, as people are constantly moving into and out of the area.

There has been enough work to go around, and although the last year or two has been tough on everybody, well turn the corner on that, he said. Were proceeding apace, booking work for the spring and summer.

Indeed, while business could certainly be better across the industry, Jessop is confident that his companys diversity and reputation will continue to see it through.

There are a lot of good builders around here, but I dont think you can work here in the Valley without having a decent reputation, he said. People know were trustworthy, and that word gets around and helps you stay in business.

Even the need for modern tools such as a Web site hasnt changed that.

Our Web page is nice, but its a bit of a glorified electronic yellow pages, Jessop said. Our work comes from architects who know us, people in the community who know us, past clients who refer us, and other personal contacts we make.

He believes in that personal touch, and doesnt think a Web site can tell everything about how a company does business anyway.

You might find a doctor online, but would you stay with him just because you found him on the Internet or because you like this person and trust him? When people work with us, they understand they can trust us.

Thats a reputation to build on.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

OPINION

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Uncategorized

A Rescue Mission for Education

Forty years ago, I changed schools. On the south side of Chicago, my school had few books, 40 children in a classroom (most of us poor), teachers whose role was mainly to keep order, and police at every intersection of the halls. The school I changed to was a private New England prep school with small classes, longer school days, teachers with the latitude to innovate and experiment, and high expectations for each child.

I still want to change schools. But private schools are not the answer. Public schools are where most children get their education, and they should be consistently excellent.

The Legislature is now in final deliberations on a new education bill I filed last July that will close, once and for all, the pernicious achievement gaps that damage the lives of low-income, special-needs and minority children. I applaud the House and the Senate for bringing us to the precipice of real and lasting reform.

The bill promotes the creation of Innovation Schools a new type of public school with more autonomy and flexibility. It authorizes a targeted lift of charter-school caps in the Commonwealths lowest-performing school districts, allowing only those charter operators with a proven record of successfully serving high-needs students. Most important, it expands the ability of local superintendents or the commissioner of education to intervene in low-performing schools by providing new tools to attract the best and brightest educators, and new supports to help teachers, students, and families overcome the disadvantages of poverty.

Changing schools rescued me 40 years ago. This bill is a rescue mission for every child in the Commonwealth trapped in an underperforming school. Its all about the kids. And our future.

Some have portrayed the bill as a showdown between union and management interests a debate focused on adults and not children. Both sides of the debate have occasionally fallen back on entrenched positions where the goals of compromise and common purpose become harder to reach. Our children can no longer afford that kind of debate.

Seventeen years after the passage of landmark education reform in the Bay State, it is past time we launch the next chapter of reform. We need to give educators and leaders in our lowest-performing schools the kinds of supports we know can make a difference. We need to give students more time in school and the health and human services necessary to overcome the disadvantages of poverty and other conditions that interfere with their readiness to learn. Whatever gets in the way of that has to yield.

And, yes, sometimes that may mean changing the principal or a teacher or some of the rules governing a handful of the states lowest-performing schools. But this is not too much to ask to ignite a lifelong love of learning in a child, and is long overdue. And it can and will be done in ways that are respectful and transparent. Tinkering at the margins of underperforming schools, only to see them continue to languish, is no longer acceptable.

Urgent problems, especially ones that involve children, demand urgent and new solutions. Now is no time for us to retreat to our familiar foxholes to fight the same, tired battles. We can deliver the next great stride forward in a quest to deliver on the promise of American public education: an excellent school for each and every child. That is a more important educational, economic, and moral imperative than the interests of any adult. v

Deval Patrick is the governor of Massachusetts.

Positioning Springfield for the Recovery

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Uncategorized

Over the course of the past 18 months or so, business owners and managers quoted on the pages of BusinessWest have spoken with what has seemed like one voice about the Great Recession and their strategy for living through it. The exact words varied, but the general theme was the same: to make the best of a bad situation while positioning the company in question for when the recovery comes and individuals and businesses start spending again.

And by positioning, these business owners meant everything from rightsizing their operations to introducing new products and services (yes, its possible to do that in a recession), and keeping the company visible through effective marketing and branding something that must be done, somehow, even when times are tough.

While appropriate for businesses of all sizes, this approach also applies to municipalities, and especially the city of Springfield, which emerged from control-board oversight last summer and is seemingly primed for a rebound only its difficult to launch any kind of surge when unemployment is hovering around 10% and most business owners still lack the confidence in the economy that is necessary to take major steps such as expansion and relocation.

So Springfield finds itself in the same situation that many businesses are in making the most of a bad situation and doing that positioning work for when conditions improve. This, in a nutshell, is the assignment facing Mayor Domenic Sarno as he begins his second term in office (see story, page 6). He told BusinessWest that his administration isnt sitting on the sidelines waiting and hoping for the recovery to begin; rather, its doing what it can in this recession, while also taking steps that may help it maximize the opportunities that should develop when that aforementioned confidence is restored.

And while progress has been made on a number of fronts, from public safety to vibrancy in the central business district, there is much work to be done, as the mayor said repeatedly. And much of this work comes in the form of branding, marketing, and addressing Springfields ongoing public-relations problem.

As we said, there has been some progress in many areas, such as downtown, where the quick retenanting of the old federal building, now known as 1500 Main St., kept an important structure from going dark and has the potential to help many still-struggling businesses downtown. Also, UMass Amherst has agreed to move one of its departments into a building in Court Square, the start of what could be a much larger partnership.

Meanwhile, a second tenant has been secured for the Memorial II industrial park near Smith & Wesson. FW Webb will build a distribution facility there that will bring new jobs to the city and possibly create more momentum for the park. On the marketing and branding front, city officials staged another successful developers conference late last fall, opening some eyes to potential development opportunities in the process.

Many attendees at that conference were somewhat surprised at the level of vibrancy they saw, an indication that Springfield clearly has some work to do to repair the considerable damage done to its image by years of headlines about ineffective government, financial chaos, and how the once-proud center of manufacturing and innovation was decades removed from its best days.

Indeed, the perception of Springfield as a struggling city with unsafe streets and underperforming schools is certainly Sarnos biggest challenge moving forward, because, in many ways, perception is reality.

Which brings us back to that word positioning. To be properly positioned, the city needs to have a number of pieces in place from sites that can be developed to schools that can produce a large, reliable workforce; from neighborhoods that people want to live in to a downtown that is alive more than eight hours each day.

If the city can continue to make progress in such areas, it can, like many of the businesses in this region, be ready to seize the moment when the Great Recession is definitely and definitively behind us.

Company to Watch: A.O. White

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Features

This Western Mass. Institution Makes a Fashion Statement

Lewis White, owner of A.O. White, pictured with his wife, Kathy, says the most successful retail stores know when the time is right to reinvent themselves.

Evolution. Lewis White used that word early and quite often as he discussed the business, A.O. White, started by his father more than 60 years ago and that he took over in the early 90s. He also used it to describe the retail industry, fashion, attitudes about dress, and even that relatively new and ubiquitous industry term business casual, which both women and particularly men struggled to get their hands around when it came into prominence in the mid-90s.

We pretty much built a business on whats called business casual, he explained, because guys coming out of tailored clothing and the business uniform didnt know what to do. I gave seminars I went to companies and talked to people about what was good, what wasnt, what you could and couldnt do. People were in Never Never Land, not knowing what was appropriate.

In each case, including business casual, the evolution continues, said White, as he explained in depth how the store his father started in downtown Springfield to sell mens tailored clothing is now operating in the center of East Longmeadow and sells mostly womens attire. In short, A.O. White has changed to adapt to all that evolution taking place in society and retail, he said.

Today, we sell everything from $2,500 sheepskin coats to Red Sox T-shirts, he said, and very often to the same customer.

Tracing the history of the company, White said his father, Albert Oscar White, opened the mens clothing store that took his name and initials in the late 1940s. He moved several times, always within downtown Springfield, and eventually settled in what was then known as Baystate West (now Tower Square) not long after it opened in 1967. The elder White would go on to be the first general manager of that retail and office facility.

In the early years, his store sold tailored items suits, jackets, and trousers made by some of the finest clothiers of the time, including many names that have disappeared from the fashion landscape. It was a great store, said White, one of the finest in the country.

Albert Oscar White eventually diversified into womens clothing (he took a vacant storefront in Baystate West above his mens store for this second venture, A.O. White for Women), and it was this aspect of the business that his son essentially took over and refined, focusing on working women, which was a new trend in the retail sector.

In 1983, the company continued its evolutionary process by opening a store in the Longmeadow Shops called A.O. White Sports, which, as the name suggests, sold casual, sporty clothing for both men and women. And when downtown Springfield started to become much less of a retail center (part of that business sectors evolution in the wake of the Holyoke Mall and other facilities like it), A.O. White first closed its womens store downtown (in 1991), and then its mens store (in 1993).

The Longmeadow store then became the sole location, and it continued to change with the times, focusing increasingly on womens clothes and moving out of tailored mens clothing entirely.

When asked to describe the sum of whats offered today, White thought for a moment and said, a carefully selected and well-edited collection of casual and dressy clothes for men and women that basically covers every aspect of someones lifestyle.

I sell everything from upscale yoga pants and active sportswear for men and women to dressy separates and tops we dressed a lot of people for New Years Eve, he continued. This is probably the only store I know of where you can get a Red Sox sweatshirt and a crystal-trimmed silk tanktop sold to the same person. The common denominator is quality.

Over the past few decades, White and his wife, Kathy, have helped men adjust to business casual meaning, among other things, life mostly without ties while also continuing to edit the selections that go on the shelves and racks.

Were still evolving and still changing, said White, noting that the move to the East Longmeadow Center Village was part of that process. The new location, which features large amounts of natural light, gives the store a new look and atmosphere.

I was ready to do something fresh and new, said White. I think that you have to reinvent yourself in retail every so often, even when times are good. If you look at the stores that have gone out of business, I think its because they didnt do that.

When asked to recall the landscape when he first started with the family business meaning the scene downtown and the large number of competitors that existed back then White started talking nostalgically about a bustling central business district. And when he started naming those competitors from the old Forbes & Wallace and Steigers to Josephs and Paramount Clothes White paused for a moment and said, Im really dating myself.

Perhaps, but when recounting more than 60 years of life in the clothing business, one has to go through a lot of history and evolution.

George OBrien

Sound Business Strategy

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Features

Valley Communications Remains Focused on the Big Picture

Jim Tremble (right, with Bob Tremble, left, and Pat Parente) says Valleys 65 years in the industry gives it a competitive advantage.

Jim Tremble can tell you that the old adage, the more things change, the more they stay the same easily applies to his business.

As president of Valley Communications Systems Inc., he is one of six second-generation Trembles to carry on the company started by his parents in 1945. What began as a small retail photo shop has grown to become one of the pioneering distributors of communications equipment and services in New England.

The business has stayed in the same location in Chicopee, just off I-291, for the past few decades, yet from that same location new products and services have been added to the Valley roster almost as soon as theyve become available.

Tremble said that, because of the companys reputation, with 65 years in the industry, when manufacturers have something new to offer, its usually Valley who gets first crack at it. Being in business as long as we have gives us an advantage, he said. And we have developed a relationship in each of our disciplines. Weve represented the top manufacturers of each of them at one time or another. When a manufacturer has a new product and wants representation in the New England area, they come to us first. This isnt bragging; its a fact.

While Tremble could easily brag about the strength of the family business, he joined his brother Bob who, along with brother Mike, heads the video, A/V, and data/imaging department to describe how the company that began with a spirited young couple became the successful enterprise it is today.

Mother Knows Best

When Rita and Ed Tremble first hung out their shingle on State Street in Springfield, the pair sold photographic equipment. Ed ran the front of the house, while Rita took care of both the bookkeeping and the nuts and bolts of the business. Jim and Bob credit her vision for the company that Valley Communications has become today.

She was the instrument of change, Bob said. She recognized technology and decided that it was something that we wanted to be a part of almost immediately. She called in manufacturers, and, lo and behold, we were suddenly part of the security business, or the telephone business. Looking back, that foresight is nothing short of spectacular.

Within four years, a new branch opened on Belmont Avenue in Springfield. From there, Jim counted off the services that his parents added to their portfolio, essentially adding up a roster of the history of the 20th centurys communications industry.

First branching out as a holding facility for New England Telephones 16mm films for elementary classrooms, the pair segued into intercom systems for those schools. When Valley decided to add commercial sound systems to their roster in the late 1940s, it became the go-to resource for professional installation. The Eastern States Expositions Coliseum was outfitted by the Trembles, and later, they worked on both Springfield and Hartfords Civic Centers. Jim estimates that 80% to 90% of all churches in Massachusetts and Connecticut have had Valley Communications install their sound systems.

When Rita decided to add security to her portfolio, the company installed residential and commercial cameras and touch-tone entry pads. Within 10 years, the focus shifted to larger applications. And weve been doing that for the last 40 years, Jim noted.

A landmark FCC deregulation decision in the late 60s, known as the Carterfone Act, allowed non-AT&T phones to connect to that companys communications grid. Jim said that this legislation was immediately embraced by Valley. Because we were already doing work over lines like intercoms and such, it was a natural for us to get into that.

The companys history tells of the challenges they faced in those early days taking on Ma Bell head to head. Valley contended with what it calls mysterious accidents, cut wires and cables, uncooperative operators, and many court cases, all without hindering its role as David to AT&Ts Goliath. From that contentious beginning, according to company records, Valley is nationally recognized as one of the largest independent telephone interconnects in the communications industry.

Currently, the largest account for Valley is the Mass. State Lottery Commission. If youre familiar with Keno, Jim said, Valley installs at least one monitor in connection to the data computer in every restaurant, bar, and grocery store that sells and plays Keno. The new Daily Race Game, started about a year ago, is now an offshoot of that.

The beginnings of the company might be humble, but the current business, with more than $25 million in annual sales, is anything but. Jim is happy to mention that, of the 106 employees, many have been with Valley for decades.

Securing Success

Keeping abreast of technology in the highly competitive and constantly evolving field of communications can be a daunting challenge. But Jim said that Valley confidently keeps appraised of the latest and greatest, and described his simple yet secure methods.

We learn from what we see and read, and we keep up with the industry forecasters looking three to five years down the road, he explained. We listen to the manufacturers that we align ourselves with. They are developing new products, and that affects them more than us. We get it from our salespeople; they are out there seeing what people want and need. We get it from our competitors. Sometimes thats your best clue to whats going on. If someone gets the jump on you, well, youre going to find out what that is.

Those four key methods keep us tapped into the vein, he said.

Responding to comments about the economic conditions of the past year, Bob proudly stated that the business part of it, from 1945 to now, can be summed up as easily as this every single year weve made a profit. While some years might have been better than others, that has always been the case.

This past years performance was helped by solidification and expansion of a new division for the company, one focused on business security, something Valley has always done, but, until recently, on a relatively small scale.

About six months ago we decided to start a separate department to forge that division forward, said Bob Tremble. So in October of this past year, the division took off, and already weve had about $1 million in sales.

In addition to security at the former federal building at 1550 Main St. in Springfield, Valley is handling security systems at a county jail outside Boston, all of the WNEC campus, and just this morning, Bob added, we got a job for a high school in Connecticut.

Jim explained how the new security division is an example of ongoing expansion and diversification, a trademark for his business. Instead of saying, how can we cut back? and where do we have to cut jobs? weve said, how do we increase the number of jobs, and increase our income?

Bob agreed, adding that we knew there was a lot of business out there; what we needed to do was to position ourselves, with the proper people, talent, and resources, to go out there and get that business. And it is working.

Back to School

Another important product category for the company, one thats really exploded over the past 10 years, is the SMART classroom, Bob explained, using the brand name for what is known in the industry as interactive white boards. Chalkboards are destined to become another academic relic of earlier centuries.

The product looks like a white, dry-erase panel about six feet square, with a data projector mounted above. That white surface promises to be one of Valleys next great contributions to its clients.

There are about 53,000 classrooms K through 12 in Massachusetts, and about 32,000 in Connecticut, said Bob. We have put smart classrooms in about 20% of them, so we look at about 80% to go. Thats a lot of boards.

When we started to put these into the classrooms, he continued, we thought, what a great product. The teachers can link their computer up to it, and the board itself is touch-sensitive you can write on it with your finger.

While the newer crop of tech-savvy teachers might be as familiar with computers as their students, earlier generations found the tools foreign, Bob said. About three or four years into our putting these boards in, we went back to the schools to see how the teachers were using them. We thought it would be a good exercise. We found out that, in many cases, the boards were used simply as a white chalkboard, or a projection screen not the purpose for them. It was an awakening for us.

In true entrepreneurial fashion, a need was identified, and a solution quickly addressed. A training program for the SMART boards was established, with courses offered in all the disciplines and educational levels that would be working with the equipment. The training became a division known as Valley Academy. Those same teachers who relied on their older lesson plans, perhaps resistant to this newfangled device, discovered how it could improve their lessons and better involve tech-oriented students.

Because of the success of both Valley Academy and those teachers spreading the word out in the field, Bob said that there was an explosion of additional sales. Parochial schools in the Boston area have been programming a set number of boards to be installed in their schools every year until all classrooms are outfitted, and new construction often designates them. Smiling, Bob said his goal is to see those other 80% of classrooms with SMART boards.

Local Heroes

While Valley may have a geographic market all over New England, both Trembles emphasized that this company is, and will always be, a local business.

Were a private institution, not a worldwide entity, Jim said. We know that New England is our territory, and we want to do the best possible job that we can in that area. In my lifetime, I dont want to be a national company. I eat and sleep in the area that I sell my products. I run into the people that I do business with, and I want to continue to be proud of what Ive done for them.

For Valley, he stressed, the relationship with the client begins after the product or service is sold. It doesnt take much magic to sell something, Jim said. Anyone can do that; you lower your price and get it out there. It does, however, take something to carry on after the sale.

Looking ahead, the third generation of Trembles is busy on the front lines, just like the generation before them. Both men have sons that work for Valley, both in the Chicopee facility and out in the field. While Ed passed away some time ago, Rita, at age 93, still comes in once a week to check up on her children. They laughed when the subject of succession to the next generation came up.

Its a little early to tell what will happen, Jim said. But there are 48 grandchildren, so theres a lot of good talent to pick from.

One thing is certain: the field of communications will be changing. But when Valley says that it too has evolved apace with technology, theres 65 years of proof to the statement. The Trembles method of business might be old-fashioned in a rapidly changing world, but Jim summed up how its a success.

The same customer that bought a system from us in 1950 is still doing business with us today, he said. That, to me, is the key that keeps my blood running. Its a great comfort that these people let us continue to do business the way we were taught to do it back in 1945.

Concrete Strategies

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Features

Contractors Must Tighten Belts, Stay Flexible to Survive the Recession

Joe Marois (right, with Vice President Carl Mercieri) says his company is facing unprecedented bid competition, including some from out-of-state builders.

To Joseph Marois, the most difficult part of running a business during a deep recession is minimizing the pain for everyone.

Our goal is to maintain our workforce, said the president of Marois Construction in South Hadley. We feel that we owe it to our people to try to make sure theyre not laid off. They have families, and theyve been good to us.

But thats not easy at a time when a shrinking job pool, combined with a surge in competition from increasingly desperate bidders, many from outside the region, have combined to push profit margins way down.

The bids right now are marginal in terms of profits, Marois said. Its very competitive. Were getting quotes with upwards of eight to 18 bidders from all throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. We dont usually see all that; normally theres three or four bidders on a job. Its kind of depressing.

Its an account being told and retold throughout the Pioneer Valley as contractors try to stay afloat amid continued economic turmoil, a time when private companies and public agencies alike are pulling back on new capital projects and reducing opportunities for builders in all niches.

So instead of asking them to repeat this litany of hardship its certainly not a new story BusinessWest asked area builders a different question: how do contractors slog through such tough times? After all, theyve survived recessions before. In most cases, the answer is as simple as watching every penny until the dollars start rolling in again.

Budget Blues

Carol Campbell, president of Chicopee Industrial Contractors, said shes not doing anything that most others in the industry arent also doing to minimize the current fiscal pain.

Were tightening our belts in every possible way, she said. Theres not a line on our income statement that we havent assessed, which continues to cause a ripple effect. We have cut costs, we have eliminated any non-essential purchases or programs, and our main focus, when spending money, is on the training and support that allows us to provide a better product and service to our customer. Otherwise, if a purchase is not job-related or a required improvement in the services we are providing, the purchase is being delayed.

Marois mentioned similar cutbacks. Weve taken some vehicles off the road, he said, and initiated other ideas to dramatically minimize our costs and overhead.

Meanwhile, Associated Builders in South Hadley has also been taking a close look at containing costs. Its been a difficult but necessary process, said Peter Wood, the companys director of sales and marketing. For starters, the firm has closely examined the number of hours its trucks and other equipment are in service, making sure resources are properly utilized and not used for busywork. And the cutbacks dont stop there.

Normally, like everyone else, we implement as many cost savings as we can in the company, Wood said, whether thats reducing the number of employees due to the amount of work or looking at energy consumption making sure that we have all the proper efficiencies, not leaving lights on, anything that has to do with energy use.

Energy efficiency is a common way to save costs, although it sometimes requires some investment up front in new materials or equipment. But with green business becoming an important consideration for companies across all industries, Campbell said, its something builders should be looking at anyway.

Our driving force, now as before, is energy efficiency and green initiatives, she said. Certainly the cost savings on our electric bill make the investment something I can justify.

In addition to cutting costs and seeking such efficiencies, many contractors say maintaining diversity in the types of projects pursued can be an effective hedge against a downturn.

We do both public and private work, Marois said. We dont have one niche right now; we bid anything.

At the same time, Wood said that contractors need to understand their strengths and not panic and chase jobs that might not fit their business model.

We try to stick directly to our core values, which is how weve tried to do business for the past 35 or 40 years, he told BusinessWest. That means looking at projects that fit our business profile strictly design-build, using our in-house engineering and architectural services.

Were broadening our area; we may be looking at going a little farther geographically from our base, looking at projects we might not have looked at in busier times, he continued, but we always keep in mind that we have a successful business plan and a reputation for not trying to do things weve proven not to be as competitive at, or are out of our realm of expertise for instance, public work, schools, bridges, etc.

According to Wood, companies that go far outside of what theyre good at for the sake of chasing down a few dollars are the ones least likely to survive a recession.

Were fortunate even in down times, when all contractors are struggling to maintain a level of profitability that we have a solid business plan and a consistent approach to how we do business, he said. Staying on the path of our business plan, though difficult, is allowing us to survive. It has allowed us to maintain a certain level of business that may not be seen across the board.

No End in Sight?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction-industry employment has declined by 1.6 million nationally since the start of the current recession, with 53,000 of those job losses coming in December 2009 alone. What worries some builders is the idea that this period of belt-tightening and minimal profits might not end anytime soon.

I think this recession has some unique qualities that limit our ability to make a determination as to whats going to happen; its difficult to predict whether or not well continue to spiral downward, Marois told BusinessWest.

Were dealing with failures of large institutions, federal bailouts of an unprecedented nature, which is increasing our debt ceiling nationally, and thats causing confusion for business leaders and their ability to make sense of the whole thing, he added. Normally industry corrects itself, but unknown forces seem to be complicating that process.

Even if the economy does begin to rebound, he posited, builders wont reap the benefits until after businesses regain the confidence to tackle capital projects again and then proceed through architectural planning and the bid process.

From the time they decide theres some confidence in the industry, it could be three or four months before we got the job, and then two or three months before we started realizing an infusion of capital, Marois said. So the relief is not going to be immediate.

Until that relief does arrive, builders will keep grappling with those razor-thin profit margins, double-checking every budget item relieved that theyre not yet a casualty of an economic downturn that continues to be as unpredictable as it is destructive.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Departments

Ten Points About : Home and office security

By DAVID CONDON

1. Landscaping and lighting. Ensure that all entrances and windows are well-lit. Using motion-activated lights is an excellent deterrent. Keep bushes and shrubs small so a burglar can’t hide behind them. Plant bushes that grow thorns, whenever possible, below windows.

2. Locks. To resist breakins, buildings should have deadbolts on all outside doors. Areas with glass, such as doors or windows, should have locks designed to keep a burglar from breaking the glass and reaching in to gain access.

3. Keys. If you are going to give copies of your keys to employees, neighbors, relatives, or others, install locks that have key control so individuals who receive keys will not be able to make copies without your knowledge and authorization.

4. Doors. A lock is only as good as the door on which it is installed. Make sure that your doors are properly maintained.

5. Burglar alarms. Alarm systems are very easy to use, and new technologies have reduced the frequency of most false alarms. An alarm system can notify the proper authority in case of breakins, fire, flooding, medical emergencies, or carbon-monoxide detection.

6. Safes. Safes come in many different shapes, sizes, and types. When selecting a safe, you need to consider what you are planning to put in it. Things to consider are whether or not you need burglar protection, fire protection, or both, and where you are going to locate the safe inside your home. Fire safes by themselves will not protect media such as CDs, flash drives, and other electronic items, so additional protection is required.

7. Access control. Locks will keep a door secure, but they will not tell you who unlocked it or when. Access control can give you information on which employee or family member is coming and going, and when.

8. Cameras. Recorders are now digital and can store months of recorded footage. If something is stolen, use the video footage to find out who took it and when. Cameras come in many different sizes and styles.

9. Fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers should be close at hand in commercial buildings and homes. Seconds count when fighting a fire, and a fire extinguisher can be the difference between a small mishap and a devastating loss.

10. Fire alarm. An often-overlooked area is having your fire-warning system tested. Commercial buildings are required by law to be tested at least annually. Smoke detectors should be of the photoelectric type to ensure early warning of most home fires. Check and replace your batteries once a year.

David Condon is chief operating officer at Northeast Security Solutions Inc; (413) 733-7306; [email protected]

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Departments

Security Summit

Jan. 27: The Massachusetts Information Security Summit (MassISS) will be featured at the Sheraton Springfield. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. and Associated Industries of Mass., the daylong program will highlight key aspects of the new state and federal information-security laws. Sten-Tel Transcription of Springfield and Peritus Security Partners of East Longmeadow are jointly hosting the summit. In addition, speakers and industry vendors will focus on providing objective information to help attendees develop a comprehensive compliance strategy. Breakout sessions will feature presentations by government and industry experts. For more information, visit www.massiss.org or call (888) 228-8646. For information on summit partners, visit www.sten-tel.com, www.peritussecurity.com, or www.massbar.org.

Rick’s Place Benefit

Feb. 6: The Wilbraham Country Club will be the setting for the second annual Heart to Heart fund-raiser to benefit Rick’s Place Inc. Established in memory of Rick Thorpe, who died in Tower Two of the World Trade Center on 9/11, Rick’s Place Inc. was created to provide a supportive, secure environment where families can remember their loved ones and avoid the sense of isolation that a loss can produce. Rick’s Place offers biweekly bereavement support at no cost for families with children ages 5 to 18. Tickets for the 6 to 11 p.m. fund-raiser are $50. A silent auction and raffle drawing are among the highlights of the evening. Underwriting and corporate sponsorship opportunities are also still available. For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation to Rick’s Place, call Shelly Bathe Lenn, executive director, at (413) 348-3120, or visit www.ricksplacema.org.

Berkshire Job Summit

Feb. 19: The Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield will be the setting for the first Berkshire Job Summit, a think tank of top employers in the region who will discuss a collaborative growth strategy, region-specific strengths and weaknesses, and potential action plans geared toward ending hiring freezes and steering Berkshire County toward a sustainable economic recovery. A letter to recruit employers to take part in the summit can be read at www.berkshirejobsummit.com. In addition to employers, members of local, regional, state, and federal government are invited to participate. For more information, send an e-mail to [email protected].

Women’s Professional Development Conference

April 30: Bay Path College will host its 15th annual Women’s Professional Development Conference at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (413) 565-1000 or visit www.baypath.edu.

Chamber Delegation Trip

May 17-19: The Mass. Chamber of Business & Industry is leading a delegation to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Annual Small Business Summit in May. Seminars include ‘Government Policies and How Business is Responding,’ ‘TradeRoots,’ ‘Leveraging Social Media to Build New Relationships,’ ‘Temperature Check: Free Enterprise in the Current Political Climate,’ and ‘Economic Outlook.’ In addition to seminars, several networking events include breakfasts, cocktail receptions, and a Technology Center exhibition. Accommodations are planned at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. For more information, contact Debra Boronski-Burack at [email protected].

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Departments

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

Allen, Wayne A.
11 I St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/09

Ayala, Dinorah
a/k/a Marquez, Dinorah Ayala
43 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/10/09

Ball, Karen R.
735 Salisbury Road
Sheffield, MA 01257
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/09

Bennett, Randy J.
Bennett, Sheila D.
61 Coffey Hill Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Biddle, Albert L.
2 School St., Apt. 3A
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/06/09

Britt, Betty L.
33 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/09

Burridge-Vohar, Donna L.
90 Pomeroy Ter.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Burzynski, Teresa
Burzynski, Jean F.
32 Alderbrook Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/09

Carey, Michelle E.
Carey, Russell J.
84 Grove St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/09

Carlson, Martin Scott
3 Edward Ave.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/09

Channell, Scott M.
49 Bridge St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/09

Charland, Alice Jeanne
26 Emerald Place
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/09

Chase, Susanne M.
a/k/a Holt, Susanne M.
129 Litttle River Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/09

Chester, Vernon A.
183 School St. North
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Clark, John W.
Clark, Amy M.
a/k/a Finocchio, Amy M.
6 Bellevue Ave. Ext.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/09

Clendenin, Mark A.
Clendenin, Brenda L.
9 Shore Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/11/09

Colon, Jennifer B.
3 Exeter St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/13/09

Conant, Denise M.
74 Walker Pond Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Cooley, Annette Madel
a/k/a Warren, Annette Madelene
93 Grochmal Ave. #28
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/09

Coulombe, Robert Ronald
Coulombe, Claire Lucille
250 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/09

Cuffie, Adrienne Denise
235 College St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/09

Daviau, Lawrence A.
Daviau, Kathleen A.
168 Keddy St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Dawson, Brian K.
Dawson, Kimberly K.
186 Oakham Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/09

Dawson, Todd M.
Dawson, Taryn E.
a/k/a Begley, Taryn
a/k/a Lapalm, Taryn
88 Derryfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/09

Doyle, Bridget A.
199 Cherokee Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/09

Doyle, John C.
157 Regal St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/09

Duncan, Tracy L.
a/k/a Manseau, Tracy L.
2 Dickinson Farm Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/09

Eljaoual, Abdeljalil
115 Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/06/09

Evans, Douglas M.
70 Crest St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/09

Fahey, Eric J.
214 Wisdom Way
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/02/09

Gardner, Dorothy Maria
PO Box 522
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/03/09

Gee, Jr., Capus
17 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/09

German, Tywon
18 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/08/09

Gianninoto, Michael Stephen
26 Emerald Place
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/09

Glenn, William D.
218 Cherokee Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Goodrich, Corey W.A.
87 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/11/09

Greenwood, Todd M.
Greenwood, Kim M.
10 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/06/09

Hutchinson, Andrea L.
884 West Royalston Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/09

Jones, Kevin E.
29 Hudson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/09

Joseph, Ketty
414 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/09

Kmon, Jacques E.
92 Sheri Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/09/09

LeBlanc, Robert P.
LeBlanc, Melissa M.
89 Ridgewood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/09

Lepper, Tonia D.
71 Craig Dr., F-5
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/09

Mailloux, Jeannette R.
645 Warren Wright St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/09

Marrero, Andres
8 Lilly Pond Road
P.O. Box 853
Goshen, MA 01032
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/09

Marrero, Mary
14 Harold St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/09

McDonald, Leslie Z.
a/k/a Mimitz, Leslie
21 Pantry Road
West Hatfield, MA 01088
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/09

Melikian, Mark S.
71 Breckwood Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/11/09

Millane, Lucille A.
42 Prospect St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/09

Murray, Patricia A.
49 North St., Apt 3
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/09

Odugbile, Adekunle O.
11 Stanley Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/09

Pegoraro, Lisa A.
75 Angeline St.
West Springfield, MA 01089-2868
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/09

Plourde, Clifford C.
Plourde, Marsha M.
790 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056-1651
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/09

Ricard, Cheryl A.
8 Mt. Dan Road
Sturbridge, MA 01518
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/01/09

Rivera, Sandra Maria
a/k/a Mathis, Sandra M.
a/k/a Reyes, Sandra M.
23 Temby St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/09

Roman, David Oliveras
Roman, Nereida Roman
83 Chalmers St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/09

Roule, Lucille A.
19 Parker St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/09

Sanchez, Elizabeth
Sanchez, Adalberto
100 B Rifle St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/09

Seymour, Cheryl Ann
77 Valley View Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/09/09

Sheets, William J.
Sheets, Shannon L.
a/k/a Moore, Shannon
54 Ruthven St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/07/09

Skea, Teresa L.
258 Woodcrest Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/09

Snow, Mark E.
Snow, Linda J.
307 Martindal Road
Bernardston, MA 01337-9649
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/09

Stokes, Cynthia Melva
76 Ambrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/09

Stone, Deborah D.
250 Oak Grove Ave.
Apt. 314, 3d Floor
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/09

Szczepanek, Kathi A.
10 Cottage St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Tardy, Jerome M.
Tardy, Kelly M.
57 Sanford St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/04/09

Tetrault, Bruce
115 North Branch Parkway
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/11/09

Tetrault, Tara
49 Stockman St.
Springfield, MA 01114
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/11/09

Tetreault, Robert M.
21 Jimmy Court
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/09

Thayer-Reid, Susan
786 Pleasant St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Therrien, Mitchell K.
51 Warwick Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/14/09

Tirozzi, Margaret Mary
37 Mebla St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/09

Tracz, Marek
Tracz, Beata
87 Bellanger St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/10/09

Upton, Donald J.
14 Titans Pier Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/15/09

Wadman, Carol L.
510 South Barre Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/04/09

Wilson, Brenda M.
135 Wilno Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/13/09

Wilson, Chester L.
402 Chapin St., #8
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/13/09

Woicyk, Patricia A.
a/k/a Meyer, Patricia A.
90 Devon Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/02/09

Young, Larissa F.
832 Silver Lake St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/07/09

Zick, John E.
Zick, Karen M.
P.O. Box 404
West Stockbridge, MA 01266
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 12/03/09

Zuese, John R.
Zuese, Elaine
218 Nichols Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 12/01/09

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of December 2009.

AGAWAM

Jason Lucas
40 Moylan Ave.
$40,000 — Construct office and break room

AMHERST

Boyden & Perron Inc.
41 South Whitney St.
$48,000 — Renovation of retail area

CHICOPEE

U.S. Tsubaki Inc.
106 Lonczak Dr.
$30,000 — New roof

EAST LONGMEADOW

CVS
217 North Main St.
$5,000 — Repair auto accident damage

Kevin Mattson
12-14 Somers Road
$100,000 — Interior and exterior renovation

Police Station
160 Somers Road
$48,000 — New roof

GREENFIELD

Chaffee Properties, LLC
62 Federal St.
$250,000 — Interior renovations

Girl’s Club of Greenfield
35 Pierce St.
$2,000 — Interior renovations

HADLEY

Sandy Pearson
173 Russell St.
$30,000 — Build out of two tenant spaces

HOLYOKE

Conklin Office Furniture
75 Appleton St.
$170,000 – Remove existing roof and install new

Merchant Devonshire LTD.
48-50 Holy Family Road
$15,000 — Install three antennas on rooftop

LONGMEADOW

Police Department & Fire Stations
34 & 44 Williams St.
$28,000 — Alterations

NORTHAMPTON

City of Northampton
170 Glendale Road
$15,000 — Remove three antennas and install six new units

Forty Main Street Inc.
40 Main St.
$2,200 — Construct non-bearing wall with door on the third floor

SPRINGFIELD

Linden Towers, LLC
310 Stafford St.
$25,000 — Replace three antennas on rooftop

Phys. Associates, LLC
572 St. James Ave.
$54,000 — Remodel offices

WESTFIELD

Westfield G & E
100 Elm St.
$44,000 — Renovate third floor

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Departments

MassMutual Helps Beautify Neighborhood

SPRINGFIELD — A new Springfield Housing Authority (SHA) program is off to a fast start with a donation from its first ‘friend’ — the MassMutual Financial Group. The Friends of SHA aims to encourage public and private partnerships to improve the quality of life, education, and job opportunities for city residents, according to SHA Executive Director William Abrashkin. MassMutual was awarded a certificate of appreciation at the fall board of directors meeting for its $15,000 donation toward the Robinson Gardens Improvement Project. The donation allowed the SHA to purchase signage, hire a landscape architect, and landscape the grounds that face the intersection of Bay Street and Berkshire Avenue. The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has also agreed to install a new bus shelter adjacent to the landscaped property. Abrashkin hopes to identify similar needs around the city and develop public/private partnerships to address them.

Big Y Announces Store Changes

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y Foods Inc. recently acquired the New Milford Pharmacy in New Milford, Conn., and also announced plans to close the Boston Road supermarket. The results of a recent customer business review led to the decision to close the Boston Road store, according to Big Y President Charles L. D’Amour. The business review included an evaluation of competitive markets within the area, continued lack of population growth within the trade area coupled with a challenging economic climate, as well as the imminent termination of the store’s lease. Many of the 130 employees at the 800 Boston Road market will be offered employment within other Big Y stores. These openings resulted from recent voluntary layoff packages offered before the end of 2009. D’Amour added that the store closing, along with the pharmacy acquisition, will help Big Y move forward with expansion plans for the coming year with intentions to develop two new locations and efforts to remodel five existing ones. In addition, the New Milford Pharmacy will represent Big Y’s 34th pharmacy, and most of the store’s pharmacists and employees will be offered positions at the new Big Y Pharmacy.

Academy Hill School Donor Issues Challenge

SPRINGFIELD — The newly created Crandall Family Scholarships will offer opportunities for inner-city students to attend the Academy Hill School on Liberty Street. The program, with scholarships totaling $35,000, is being funded through a gift from Roger and Gabrielle Crandall of Somers, Conn. Academy Hill is a private, independent day school that serves gifted and talented students in grades K through 8. The Crandall Family Scholarships are available to high-performing, minority students who are residents of Springfield and would otherwise be unable to afford tuition to Academy Hill. The Crandalls are also issuing a challenge for other potential donors to contribute to the scholarship fund. The Crandalls pledge to match those additional contributions up to $10,000. For more information about the scholarships or about Academy Hill itself, visit www.academyhill.org, or contact Marjorie Weeks, director of school advancement, at (413) 788-0300.

Cinemas Bought by Rave Motion Pictures

SPRINGFIELD — Rave Cinemas, LLC, a newly formed company, recently announced a definitive agreement with National Amusements Inc. (NAI) to purchase the business operations and selected real-estate assets of up to 35 NAI theaters, and that it closed on the acquisition of an initial group of 29 of those theaters. In Western Mass., Rave purchased Showcase Cinemas on Riverdale Street in West Springfield and in Springfield’s Eastfield Mall. Following the close of the acquisitions, Rave, which will operate under the Rave Motion Pictures brand name, anticipates it will own or manage 65 theaters and approximately 1,000 screens located in 20 states, and will have a presence in seven of the top 10 designated market areas in the country. Rave is expected to become the fifth-largest domestic circuit by box-office gross and number of screens.

Springfield Museums Receive Grants

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums recently received a $15,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to support Family Science Adventures and Art Discovery Center programs. The programs are part of the Family Learning and Springfield Access Card Initiative, a combination of family activities and a free admission program that encourages city families to visit the museums and participate in hands-on art, history, and science activities. The free programs are offered on weekends, school vacation weeks, and during the summer. In other news, the museums have been awarded a $28,300 organizational support grant for FY 2010 from the Mass. Cultural Council, a state agency. The support program provides funding to state cultural organizations of all sizes and disciplines that meet high standards of excellence in program quality, community participation, and organizational capacity. The museums’ award was in the multidisciplinary category, reflecting the diversity of the exhibits and programs offered by the art, history, and science museums at the Quadrangle. The Springfield Museums include the Springfield Science Museum, the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Springfield History, and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden.

SBID Selects Vendor for Guides Program

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Business Improvement District (SBID) has hired Securitas Security Services USA Inc. as the new vendor for the Downtown Guides program. Guides are seen as ‘ambassadors,’ and are the eyes and ears for downtown Springfield, according to SBID Director of Operations Chris Castellano. He added that the hiring of Securitas professionalizes the Guides program and will help ensure that visitors, employees, and residents of the downtown area have a safe and enjoyable experience. The rebranding of the program with easy-to-see orange uniforms will allow the guides to stand out and be easily recognizable. For more information, visit www.springfielddowntown.com.

By BusinessWest Staff January 18, 2010

Departments

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

AGAWAM

A-Wam Snow Plowing
396 Main St.
Walter A. Meissner III

Advanced Fitness Equipment Repair
45 Vassar Road
William Deveno

Unusual Treasures
31 St. Jacques Ave.
Patricia Lindsey

AMHERST

MobileActive.org
62 Taylor St.
Katrin Verclas

Pizza House of Amherst
17 Montague Road
Francisco Perez

Rainbow Beach Villa
47 Redgate Lane
Jonathan Klate

The Royal Frog Ballet
174 Amity St.
Sophie Wood

CHICOPEE

Rock Star Video Productions
365 East Main St.
Jeffrey B. Masatt’s

Shine Cleaning Services
82 Chestnut St.
Flavio Fernandes Marques

Victoria Cleaning Services
158 South St.
Simone Vargas Gianei

GREENFIELD

Carsense Automotive
409 Deerfield St.
Raymond Perkins

First Advantage Dental
489 Bernardston Road
Lynn Emannelli

Franklin Media
19 James St.
Susan Wilson

Hair Therapy
40 School St.
Jamie Young

Hillside Woodworking
1173 Bernardston Road
Robert Callahan

Moonlight Electric
18 Power Court
Stephen Walk

HADLEY

Clearance Outlet
41 Russell St.
Luis Garay

Hadley Law Center
216 Russell St.
Jennifer Snyder

HOLYOKE

Davans
245 Main St.
David Rodriguez

El Purguerito
149 Chestnut St.
Javier Rosa

Holyoke Works
100 Front St.
Doris Ransford

Shell Food Mart
225 Whiting Farms Road
Neil Tierney

LONGMEADOW

A New Leaf
435 Porter Lake Dr.
Kushner Zvi

Artistic Embroidery
47 Willow Brook
Sara Sarno

Harry Guitars
162 Bliss Road
Harold Neunder

J. Jill Acquisition, LLC
100 Birch Pond Road
Peter Delahunt

LUDLOW

Homespun Gathering
22 Lyon St.
Anne H. Pietras

NORTHAMPTON

Auto Plus
125 Carlon Dr.
Uni-Select USA Inc.

Acadia Herbals
2 Conz St.
Jennifer Goodheart

Haven Body Arts, LLC
108 Main St.
Tiffany Matreone

Inspirit Common
219 Main St.
Bucky Sparkle

The Global Routes Foundation
1 Short St.
Global Routes Inc.

Videos for Justice
103 State St.
Samantha Lyon

PALMER

Auntie’s Place
254 Peterson St.
Linda Siegel

Mr. Wall
3117 Main St.
Jason Lebeau

Sam’s Food Store
1078 Park St.
Queel Ahmed

SOUTHWICK

DMS Manufacturing
10 Hudson Dr.
John Wilander

Laurie Lean’s Consignment Boutique
208 College Highway
Laurie Boettcher-Amsden

SPRINGFIELD

Michael’s Auto Body
1207-09 Worcester St.
Michael J. Partynski

Mini Mart
298 Hancock St.
Rolando Rijo

Mo’s Roofing & Construction
1671 Wilbraham Road
Modesto Nunez Jr.

New Millennium Barber
628 Carew St.
Carlos Sanchez

Office Team
1 Monarch Place
Evelyn Crane-Olivier

Ortiz Used Tires
83 Magazine St.
Maria Ortiz

Pin-Pun Market
314 Bay St.
Gladys C. Rodriguez

Ronald R. DeSellier
97 Goodwin St.
Ronald R. DeSellier

Thera-Pets
23 Pennfield St.
Carolyn Lewis

Top Service Marketing
65 Stuart St.
Warner Joseph

Tranquility Day Spa & Salon
1655 Boston Road
Charles Tran

Vinh Chau Restaurant
409 Dickinson St.
Lee L. Le

WESTFIELD

Children Come First
288 Honey Pot Road
Marie D. Cheney

HeliMetric
36 Blue Sky Dr.
David W. Howard

Mina’s Wine & Spirits
53 Elm St.
Mina Reshamwala

Starlite Auto Body
215 East Main St.
Timothy Chapman

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness
155 Ashley Ave.
Healthtrax Corporation Inc.

K’s Creative Celebrations
177 Quarry Road
Kayla M. Goller

Lincare Inc.
181 Park Ave.
Paul G. Gabos

TJ Maxx
239 Memorial Ave.
The TJX Companies

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

The Giving Tree

The Hasbro Children’s Giving Tree program marked its 25th anniversary last month, and in style. It generated 60,000 toys and games for underprivileged children in the Greater Springfield area and more than 650 pounds of food for the region’s families in need, and spread 1,500 acts of kindness throughout Western Mass. At right, as part of the wrapup celebration, eighth-grade students from Birchland Park School in East Longmeadow read about the acts of kindness they performed through the program. George Burtch, vice president of Global Integration at Hasbro, and Hasbro character Mr. Potato Head listen from behind the podium while Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno stands on the right. Below, fourth- and fifth-grade students from Milton Bradley Elementary School in Springfield pose for pictures with Sarno and Mr. Potato Head.

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

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

International Pest Control Inc., 24 Dell St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Vladimir Bovdyr, same. Pest control.

ROA Molding Inc., 200 North Main St., Suite 4, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. David N. Moore, 257 Mountain Road, Hampden, MA 01036. Plastic molding, manufacturing, and related services.

HOLYOKE

Bodega 24 Corporation, 47 Cherry St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Jean C. Concepcion, Same. Grocery retailer.

GREENFIELD

Hole Pie Inc., 44 Hope St., Greenfield, MA 01301. James Callaway, same. To own, operate, control and/or manage restaurants.

LONGMEADOW

Denise Desellier Real Estate Inc., 5 Dartmouth Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Denise M. Desellier, same. Real estate sales, purchase and sale of tax liens.

NORTHAMPTON

Developmental Testing Service Inc., 35 South Park Terrace, Northampton, MA 01060. Theo Linda Dawson, same. Educational and scientific purposes.

Glenn S. Fagen, PHD Inc., 100 King St., Suite 303, Northampton, MA 01060. Glenn Fagen, same. Psychotheraphy practice.

SPRINGFIELD

Forest Park Grocery & Fruit Market Corporation, 68 Appleton St., Springfield, MA 01108. Guillermo R. Negron, Same. Grocery and fruit market; soda, beer, wine, and tobacco

Massachusetts Center for Advanced Precision Manufacturing Technology Inc., 1441 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. J. William Ward, 14 Oakcrest Dr., Westfield, MA 01085. To facilitate and promote economic development generally and, in particular, to serve as a focal point and catalyst for technical services and growth initiatives that benefit the precision manufacturing industry in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Patriot Roofing & Remodeling Inc., 88 Arcadia Blvd. Springfield, MA 01118. Mark O. Kelly, same. Home and commercial repair roofing and remodeling.

WESTFIELD

K & M Corporation, 1176 Granville Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Michael E. Regensburger, same. Limousine service.

WILBRAHAM

Flodesign Wind Turbine Securities Corp., 380 Main St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Stanley Kowalski III, same. To make investments and manage funds.

RWD6 — Will Fly Again Inc., 830 Glendale Road, Wilbraham, MA 01056. Grzegorz Trzaska, same. To build a replica of RWD6 aircraft.

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

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

AGAWAM

Affordable Towing & Service
31 St. Jacques Ave.
Alexander Bloom

Family Basement Water Proof
724 Main St.
John Van Buren

Massachusetts Bike Information Guide
53 Fairview St.
Robert P. Alves

Power Metal Hood Cleaning
124 North Westfield St.
John A. Denardo

AMHERST

Berkshire College Advising
21 Sacco Dr.
Nathaniel Budington

Gottago Taxi
256 North Pleasant St.
Gangi Bakarani

Riverwolf Productions
404 State St.
Sharon Vardatira

CHICOPEE

Citgo Food Mart
817 Front St.
Sanjay Patel

Jack’s Auto Repair
238 Meadow St.
Tammy Lee Harrington

Veteran’s Landscaping
34 Glendale St.
Bryan Michael Bongle

GREENFIELD

Eye & Lasik Center
33 Riddell St.
Franklin Eye Care Association, LLC

Greenfield Garden Cinemas
361 Main St.
George Gohl

Green Tree Service
32 Summer St.
Jeffrey Koshinsky

Hedges Hot Stuff
324 Wells St.
Stephen J. Nelson

Locia Pottery
86 Leyen Road
Lucy Fagellia

Merry & Silver Company
37 Congress St.
Robert Edward Barber III

HADLEY

Baystate Outfitters
29 Hockanum Road
Patrick Banas

Rt. 66
110 Russell St.
Gary Kaneb

HOLYOKE

Hampshire Glass
504 South St.
Diane Dansereau

K&D Auto Sales
18 Kay Ave.
Alexander Quendo

Liberty Tax Service
344 High St.
Maria Kesjiwski

LONGMEADOW

Helpthekids
588 Longmeadow St.
Lula Abasha

Mary Jo Schubert
7 Edgewood Ave.
Mary Jo Schubert

Ryczek Tutoring
119 Coventry Lane
Kevin Ryczek

Starfish Webdesigns
102 Belleclaire Ave.
Rebecca Wales-Szyluk

LUDLOW

Easy Shop
546 Center St.
Tahir Humayon

Roxell @ Davinci Salon
115 Sewall St.
Roxell M. Armstrong

NORTHAMPTON

Leading the Way Day Training
18 Chestnut St.
Shannon Fitzgerald

McFalcon Construction
270 Bridge St.
Jose Luis Falcon

More Than Skin Deep
150 Main St.
Diana Cerutti

Toward Harmony Tai Chi
16 Center St.
Charles William Ryan

Wood Pellet Price
6 Conz St.
Seth Fischer

PALMER

Camp Archaeology
1356 Main St.
Patricia McFarland

Hollywood Nails
1411 Main St.
Tram Leim Thantt

The Purple Puppy Dog Grooming
529 Wilbraham St.
Rebecca Bouchard

Triangle Pattern
65 Springfield St.
David Ducomb

SOUTHWICK

Gallant Carpentry
16 Falmouth Road
Raymond Gallant

SPRINGFIELD

A & S Convenience Store
276 Oakland St.
Muhammad Ashraf

Albany Street Properties
250 Albany St.
Emilio J. Sibilia

Bement Associates
35 Lenox St.
Marta C. Leander

Bornfree Marketing
158 Island Pond Road
Charlie Holmes

Broad Strokes
1538 Carew St.
Christina M. Hickey

China Bo Express
762 Boston Road
Tok Chang

Family X Chang
394 Dickinson St.
Cuong Phuoc Ho

Finish Line Trucking Inc.
43 School St.
Karl V. Flash

Forever Clean Janitorial
66 Mattoon St.
Hakeen U. Duke

G & G Live Bait
1801 Page Blvd.
Eugene J. Kapper

Gargoyles Security
149 Darling St.
Kristian O. Martinez

Health & Relaxation
803 Belmont Ave.
Jian Hong Lin

Industrial Coating
24 Carlisle St.
Bryan L. Townsend

Kamia’s Sents
16 Merrick Ave.
Louis Maurice Squires

La Favorita Mini Mart
179 Walnut St.
Majid Nizam Din

Lebron’s Underwood Photography
135 Cheyenne Road
Leonard Wesley

Liberty Tax Service
2460 Main St.
Jacob Garcia

Luxury Nails Salon
1220 Main St.
Vy John Nguyen

M & R Entertainment
49 Murray Hill Ave.
Mark A. Woodberry

WESTFIELD

Diamond Custom Coating Inc.
3 Progress Ave.
John Balicki

Image Flooring
04 Southwick Road
Wayne G. Bruneau

Soup’s On, LLC
16 Union St.
Alice M Dawicki

Your Rescore
116 Hampton Ave.
Raymond Wells

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Donut Dip Inc.
1305 Riverdale St.
Richard J. Shields

Express
51 Bridge St.
Oleg F. Sagan

Rein’s
25 Park Ave.
Mass Deli, LLC

River Inn Motel
55 Main St.
OHM Namoshiray Inc.

Worldwide Staffing
425 Union St.
KWLS Inc.

Innovative Force

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Features

PMRAP Builds a Bridge Between Research at UMass and Area Manufacturers

Marla Michel says the Precision Manu-facturing Regional Alliance Project has the potential to help existing companies grow market share and add jobs.

Its called the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project, or PMRAP. Thats the long title of an initiative that one participant, a professor in UMass Amhersts Machining and Industrial Engineering department, called a two-way communication street between the university and area manufacturers. That communication is expected to drive innovation that will eventually lead to growth in a vital sector of the economy and job creation.

There were dozens of area dignitaries gathered at the new Museum of Springfield History for the Dec. 17 press conference to announce an initiative called the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project, or PMRAP for short.

Many of the speakers, from Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno to Greg Bialecki, secretary of the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, said the kinds of things one might expect as they discussed the project, funded by a $600,000 National Science Foundation grant.

They used words like historic and breakthrough and potential as they discussed what amounts to a unique partnership between the regions precision-manufacturing sector, departments at UMass Amherst, and other players, designed to foster innovation and create jobs.

But when the owners of these precision manufacturers and officials at UMass spoke, there was a different, very confident tone that wasnt speculative in nature, noted Dave Cruise, project manager for the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, who was one of those in attendance.

And there was good reason for that, said Cruise, one of the lead coordinators of the PMRAP project. Its because they know that this is not just talk. They can tell that its going to work. Theyve seen it.

Indeed, while those representing the various parties involved in the project waited until the circumstances were right and all the major players could be assembled to stage the elaborate announcement ceremony and signing of a memorandum of agreement, the work toward forging partnerships was already well underway.

It started in late summer with the first of four so-called technology-innovation forums, said Cruise, referring to sessions at which area precision-manufacturing shop owners meet with faculty members at UMass to discuss ways in which they can help each other. These forums had titles ranging from Non-metallic Metals Machining and Processing Technologies to Manufacturing Process Optimization; from Metals and Composite Interfaces to Cryogenic Machining.

The common denominator in each case, said Cruise, was open dialogue designed to develop ways in which research at UMass could help area manufacturers create new products; develop new, more efficient processes; or use lighter and stronger materials to better serve customers and drive innovation.

Marla Michel, director of Research Liaison & Development at UMass, put things another way. She said the innovation forums and the PMRAP as a whole were blueprinted to create what she called an invisible new climate in which technology can be transferred from the labs at the university to plants across the Valley.

Elaborating, she said that UMass faculty members and students are involved in many different types of research projects, and are conducting such work mostly unaware of how it might be applied by small and mid-sized precision manufacturers. Meanwhile, these same manufacturers are facing both challenges and opportunities with regard to existing markets and possible new ones, and without much of an understanding about how ongoing research at UMass might help them accomplish stated goals.

The PMRAP was conceived to essentially open up the lines of communication, keep them open, and build a bridge between a still-strong sector of the economy and one of the states leading research institutions, said Sundar Krishnamurty, a professor in the universitys Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) department, one of two that are closely involved with the project.

I think this is a very unique opportunity for us to collaborate with small and medium-sized manufacturing facilities, he said. Our valley is known for its manufacturing expertise, but nevertheless, industry on the whole, and especially in Western Mass., is being challenged by increased competition globally, aging facilities and technologies, and insufficient labor.

Krishnamurty said the PMRAP is unique in that it is focusing on smaller precision manufacturers, and also on innovation that will take place in a few years, not 10 or 20, as is the case with most such initiatives. Therefore, it has strong potential to become a model for other regions and universities, he said, noting that there are already some presentations being planned for a year from now, at which PMRAP participants will discuss how their work can be emulated.

More importantly, though, he said, the project could foster job growth, help area companies maintain market share, and increase market share.

Material Evidence

The essence of the PMRAP can be derived from language in the memorandum of agreement between the three major players the Western Mass. Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc., UMass Amherst, and the REB and specifically from some of the passages pertaining to what UMass effectively agrees to do:

Collaborate in the design and implementation of the Technology Innovation Forums that will result in identifying solution approaches to short- and long-term technology-development issues;

Facilitate and enable the piloting of a technology-transfer project that will demonstrate the feasibility of transferring research discovery or new-product invention from UMass to a small precision-manufacturing company;

Agree to support small precision-manufacturing companies in their applications for new funds to further the technology transfer between them and UMass; and

Liaison between the REB technology-innovation and applications engineer to mine technologies and practices that can be shared with the precision-manufacturing companies to help the regional industry develop flexible, creative solutions, and to deliver new and better products and services in the present or new markets.

Breaking down these assignments and those given to the other parties involved, Cruise said it all comes back to one word: partnerships. And in that respect, the PMRAP is a perfect followup to other work being funded by a John Adams Innovation Institute Grant to make the regions precision-manufacturing sector more visible, a better alternative for job seekers, and, ultimately, more competitive.

Ed Leyden, president of Ben Franklin Design & Manufacturing in Agawam and current president of the Western Mass. Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc. (NTMA), said that one of the main goals of the Innovation Institute-funded initiative is to drive transfer of technology from UMass to area precision-manufacturing shops; the PMRAP will essentially piggyback that effort and ensure that such transfers take place.

And by doing so, it will keep technology that has historically gone elsewhere inside the Commonwealth and, specifically, the 413 area code.

What excites me about this is that theres so much money being spent on research and development in this state, including that $1 billion set aside for life sciences, he said, and my big question is, why arent we bringing those things to market, why arent we creating jobs in this state? Were doing the research and development here, and then its leaving.

How difficult is it for us to get together, he continued, and keep it here, and create good quality jobs in the process?

The PMRAP project will help change that equation, said Cruise, adding that the initiative has a number of partners. In addition to the REB and UMass, the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., Springfield Technical Community College, Holyoke Community College, and six area vocational technical high schools are all involved.

There are several goals and deliverables, he continued, including the far-reaching ambition of establishing something that would be called the Massachusetts Center for Advanced Precision Manufacturing Technology, which would take all of the PMRAPs stated goals and strategies for reaching them to a higher plane.

The initiative falls under the broad category of economic development, said Michel, and, more specifically, an emerging focus on the state level to help existing companies to not only stay in business but also identify ways to trigger growth and penetrate new markets.

In previous years, theres been a lot of attention put on attracting new businesses here, she explained. But theres been this revival, or aha moment, that we have to make sure that the companies that are already here stay here, and grow. Theres actually been some data that shows that most of the business growth comes from companies that are already here anyway. So why not put some resources there?

If the project takes the course organizers believe it will, then there will be several winners emerging from the work done, Michel continued, noting that precision manufacturers win because they gain new business; researchers at UMass win because they get new and interesting problems to solve, and thats their lifeblood; and the region wins because it gains jobs (in all likelihood), and an important sector becomes more vibrant.

Parts of the Whole

What the PMRAP does is allow small- to medium-sized manufacturers to step beyond the daily grind of survival and look at new-product discovery and development and new and better ways of doing things, Michel told BusinessWest.

What we know is that most of these businesses are looking day to day, how to meet the next order, how to find the next customer, she explained, and not necessarily looking at how to find the next process or how to find the next new material so we can find a different customer and grow our customer base.

Thats one of the really neat things that this project is doing, she continued, using the present tense as she did so. Its allowing companies to learn about new technologies before they have customers with them, and so they can find customers with them. But its also allowing the faculty, the researchers, to see how the technology is used in an environment like this, as opposed to with a larger company or in a research environment.

Krishnamurty agreed, and said the main goal of the PMRAP is to create what he called a two-way communications street whereby those in the precision manufacturing industry and faculty and students at UMass can get together and discuss new and innovative ideas.

And not in a generic sense, but in targeted, tailored research projects, he said, ones that will likely have an immediate impact. A lot of the work that goes on at universities is futuristic looking 10 or 20 years down the road and assessing how we can change things. But with this particular project, our focus is on more immediate transfer of applications.

This, in essence, is what the technology-innovation forums are all about.

Michel says she hasnt been to any of the innovation forums, but shes received enough feedback from those who have to gain a real sense of whats happening at these events and why the exchanges bode well for the future.

She described the sessions as elaborate mating dances of sorts, during which the two main parties (the MIE and Polymer Science Engineering departments at UMass and representatives of area precision manufacturers), as well as other partners, gauge compatibility and the ability to understand each others language. Most have gone well, but one that got off to a rather slow start showed and perhaps better than the others how these are going to work.

The fourth session [Cryogenic Machining, or the use of liquid nitrogen to cool tools] looked like it was going to be a total dud, Michel explained. People were getting ready to wrap up and say, this is not working we dont have anything here, but then, someone said something, and things just started flowing.

Krishnamurty, who was one of several from the MEI Department in attendance for that session, said it was slow to yield some true results, but eventually, the give-and-take led to discussions that might eventually lead to process improvements that could improve efficiency for many area shops.

Cryogenic manufacturing eliminates the need for many other kinds of cooling processes, and reduces the general wear and tear on the tools, he explained. The challenge is how to bring the liquid nitrogen into the plant in what shape and form does the process take, and how does it affect the machining operation?

Our hope and hypothesis is that it will lead to significant improvement in efficiency and cost-effectiveness for our partners, he continued, adding that discussions on this subject will definitely continue.

Similar developments should be expected from the other forums, both those already held and two additional ones slated for early this year, said Krishnamurty, noting that the sessions have yielded what he called very good exchanges.

These have been very conversational discussions on what our priorities should be moving forward, he explained. What projects are of interest to them, and what are the projects with which UMass can make the maximum contribution? We heard from the companies about their needs, and we heard from the faculty about their expertise.

In so doing, he concluded, the sessions helped break down what one area shop owner called a wall between the university and the manufacturing sector.

Finished Product

Several of those who spoke at the Dec. 17 press conference talked about how the history museum was the perfect setting to announce the PMRAP. Most all of the exhibits in the facility, which opened only a few months ago, are prime examples of how innovation changed everyday life and fueled the regions economy.

Those in attendance were given a tour that included exhibits of Rolls Royces made in Springfield, Indian Motocycles that were invented in the City of Homes, Smith & Wesson guns, and some products made by current precision manufacturers spawned by what many consider the age of innovation in the the Pioneer Valley.

No one can say with any degree of certainty when or if the PMRAP project will add to the exhibits in the museum. But what all those involved do know is that this initiative has enormous potential for making the precision-manufacturing sector more vibrant and a bigger force in economic development.

They know, because theyve already seen it.

George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]

Schools of Thought

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Features

Springfield Superintendent Focuses on Community Partnerships

Alan Ingram says his life is an example of being challenged to overcome barriers to success and achieving it.

As he goes about the task of running the states second-largest school system, Alan Ingram falls back on experiences and lessons from his own childhood (spent attending a different school virtually year), a 22-year career in the military, time spent learning from several mentors, and a stint in Oklahoma City, a community facing many of the same statistical challenges as the City of Homes. His philosophy is simple: to create a culture of educational excellence.

Springfield School Superintendent Alan Ingram has a core belief that defines his work.

I believe in the power of high expectations believe that children and adults will rise to the level of expectations that you create for them, he told BusinessWest. Success is possible, even against the odds.

Its a tenet learned through a life that has taken him from an impoverished Detroit neighborhood to Europe and military bases around the world, to Oklahoma City, and more recently to Springfield, where he sits at the helm of the second-largest school district in the Commonwealth.

Its a job in a city with statistics that are startling and present their own challenge. The majority of the students are minorities, who share poverty as a common demonimator.

The student body is 54% Latino and 23% African-American. Nearly 85% qualify for the federal lunch program, and 23% have special needs, a figure that is almost double the national average of 13%.

In addition, 13% of Springfield students have limited proficiency in English, and 24% speak English as a second language.

But those numbers have little effect on Ingrams expectations and belief that, with collaborated effort, Springfields schools can become known for excellence. Our circumstances just require that we do things differently to address the unique needs of our kids, he said.

His life experiences and significant mentors taught Ingram that urban challenges can be overcome with a no-nonsense attitude and a strategic formula that puts everything and everyone in alignment.

There is much work ahead of us, yet we will take time to celebrate our accomplishments along the way, he said. My vision is for a culture of educational excellence. In plain words, this means every kid will get a great education. It doesnt mean we are perfect. People shouldnt equate excellence with perfection. But it does mean we will be striving for excellence in every aspect of our work.

His formula includes parents, teachers, principals, school administrators, the transportation department, food-service workers, business partners and even policies that Ingram has carefully combed to facilitate cooperation and consistency. Springfield is a city where I can give back what was given to me by working hard every day to provide the highest quality of education so that all of our students are empowered to realize their full potential.

Early Education

Ingrams beliefs were ingrained in early childhood. He grew up in poverty in a single-parent home in Detroit. His mother was a high-school dropout, and by grade 4, he was responsible for caring for his two siblings after school until his mother returned home from working second shift.

In spite of their circumstances and her own limited academic history, Ingrams mother had a strong belief in the power of education, along with high expectations for her children. My mother was, without question, a very strong-willed, no-nonsense woman, Ingram said.

She had no tolerance for excuses and expected a lot from her children. One of my favorite childhood memories about expectations is that, when we pointed out what other children were doing, she would tell us, Well, their name isnt Ingram, he remembered. What mattered to her were the expectations she set for us.

Ingram attended nine different schools from the time he entered kindergarten until his high-school graduation. While in high school, he had to change schools every year. Although I was born and raised in Detroit, I graduated from high school in South Carolina, he said.

Athletics played a large role in his life. I played basketball and football, but football was the thing I was best at, Ingram said.

But it was tough, he continued, referring to the constant change of schools. When he lived in Detroit, 90% of the school population was African-American. When he moved to South Carolina to help his aunt and uncle, that number was reversed, and was especially noticeable in sports. There were very few African-Americans on the team, he said.

But no matter where he was, people expected big things of Ingram. Ive been blesssed with coaches, mentors, and caring adults who have made a difference in my life, he said.

One was his junior-high English teacher, Dr. Matt Blount. He, too, was no-nonsense and had very high expectations, Ingram said. I resented him because he wouldnt let me get away with anything.

But they still share a friendship today, and Blount passed his strong work ethic, discipline to persevere, and love of writing to Ingram.

Another pivotal figure was Judge Dominick Carnovale. Ingram met him when he was in sixth grade, living in Ingrams aunts neighborhood. He visited Carnovale on weekends and during his adolescence. I cut his grass and washed his car he was the kind of man who always had $10 or $15 for a kid trying to earn a few dollars by working odd jobs.

More importantly, he had time for Ingram, and when his grades dropped precipitously during his freshman year of high school, Carnovale took him in and became his legal guardian and the father figure I know to this day, keeping a close watch on his educational and moral development.

As a teen, Ingram was often an observer of Carnovales courtroom proceedings. I sat there and saw people who made horrendous mistakes and their consequences, he said, adding that he lived with Carnovale for two years and is still very close to him.

During his senior year of high school, his aunt decided to move from South Carolina. Ingram didnt want to switch schools again and moved in with his best friends family. It was headed by Willie Mae Smith, who had eight children and taught him the spirit of giving. She was a devout Christian and beautiful lady, he said.

Life Experience

Ingrams next venture was the U.S. Air Force. Although his dream had been to play college football, he attended so many schools, he didnt have a portfolio to demonstrate his potential.

Instead, he volunteered to serve his country. His career spanned 22 years, and Ingram lived all over the world, spending 11 years in Europe and three in Hawaii. Eleven of those years were spent in education and training, and he specialized in leadership and management, which he taught to to young airmen as well as civilians. By the end of his military stint, Ingram had achieved the rank of Air Force chief master sergeant. Only 1% ascend to that grade, he said.

During his years in the Air Force, Ingrams belief in high expectations was enhanced by values that included integrity and a need to give of himself to my country and my community. I also learned the value of excellence, which I had been introduced to at an early age. It was nurtured and cultivated and is certainly integral to who I am today, he said.

Living abroad schooled Ingram in diversity and the importance of recognizing and appreciating different cultures. We cant live with borders and walls around the U.S. Its a global economy, and we have to work with our neighbors in a productive way, he said.

Ingram married while he was in the military. His wife was also in the Air Force and had been stationed in Oklahoma City.

When he left the military, he honored her desire to move there again and took a position as admissions officer for Oklahoma State University. I saw it as a way to help kids, he said, adding that it aligned with the educational work he had done in the military.

About two years later, with a little nudging and encouragement, he assumed the job of central office administrator for Oklahoma public schools. He spent 10 years on the job, and when he left, he was chief account officer and held the second-highest position in the district. During his time there, mentors Gui Sconzo and Bill Scoggins told him if that, he wanted to become a school superintendent, he needed to get a doctorate, which he accomplished.

At the time, Oklahoma City was almost a mirror image of Springfield in terms of its student body. It had 40,000 students and was the second-largest district in the state at the time. They have a large Latino population and are a very poor urban district, much like Springfield, he said.

But the knowledge and skills that led him to the City of Homes were honed even furthur when he was acccepted at the prestigious Broad Superintendents Academy. It gave me exposure to some of the best minds in the country who were concerned with urban issues, he explained. We studied Miami-Dade, Chicago, Houston, Long Beach, California, and other areas.

After graduation, he became one of 20 candidates who vied for the position of school superintendent in Tacoma, Wash. He was one of two finalists, but didnt get the job, and the application process was so grueling, he was not ready to begin another.

But a short time later, he was contacted by a national search consultant about the superintendents opening in Springfield Schools. He interviewed, was hired in May 2008, and began work that July.

Ambitious Goals

Ingrams action plan for Springfield began with a period of listening and learning the needs of the students, their teachers, the school system, and the community. His goal was to assess the districts strengths and understand its challenges and weaknesses.

Every child can and should learn, he said. We must not be satisfied with simply helping some children to succeed we must strive to have every child learn to their highest potential. If we settle for anything less than success, thats what we will get.

Since that time, Ingram has put a number of initiatives into place via a strategic planning process. It was a year-long endeavor that brought 60 to 70 people together with a common goal. They included community leaders, people in the faith community, school principals, administrators, and parents. We spent a year developing a vision, mission, and priorities for the district, he said. I believe in collaboration and have a leadership style based on bringing the right people to the table.

Over the past 15 months, Ingram has made a significant number of changes to the Springfield School system. His first priority is to ensure that every child gets a great education, and to that end, he reorganized Springfields three school districts.

Today, all of the elementary schools are in two zones, and the middle and high schools make up another zone. Ingram also initiated a quality-measurement survey of district stakeholders which included students, parents, teachers, and staff, so he could prioritize needs.

In June, he presented four plans to the School Committee for its approval. The first was a Pupil Progression Plan, which would identify what each student should learn in each grade, along with intervention strategies.

The second was a District Grading Framework, which calls for grading students based on a formula composed of their achievement-based assessments and their academic habits, such as class participation and homework.

The third is a Student Assignment Policy, Procedure, and Process Manual, which contains guidelines and formal assignment practices.

Ingrams final proposal dealt with academic policy. He revised the old policy to provide incentives for students to return to school after extensive absences, with a plan to recover lost credits and make up missed school hours.

He also instituted a rigorous process to find and hire experienced teachers, principals, and administrators, and fired a principal in July who allowed 10 students to graduate who had not fulfilled graduation requirements.

Ingram has joined forces with the Hampden County Sheriffs Department to launch a comprehensive, service-oriented truancy intervention and prevention program, and created a new Springfield Student Attendance Resource Center. Its goal is to provide support for students with egregious truancy records to help them get back on track.

The warning signs are flashing around us, and its obvious that what we have been doing is not working, Ingram said. If we want new results, we have to do something new and something that has been proven to work in other districts.

In November, he also instituted a Principal for a Day program which allowed community leaders and business people to get a first-hand look at the challenges these officials face on a daily basis.

Ingram continues to be relentless in his pursuit of excellence and says he wants to make sure every student has the opportunity to become proficient in a school system that is safe. He has created community partnerships to facilitate these goals and formed committees to study a variety of issues.

He said one of the things that attracted him to Springfield was the realization that the business community has a vested interest in the citys schools and is willing to work with him. Companies such as Big Y, MassMutual, and Baystate Health have strong alliances with the School Department, and a network of volunteers are dedicated to helping students.

What makes Springfield different from other cities is that the business people here really understand the connection between schools and success. You cant create enough gates outside of Springfield to shelter yourself from urban social ills. The solution is in the community how well the children are educated and the opportunties they have, he said.

Ingram believes leadership is and should be about influence. Its about creating the right vision and, more importantly, how to influence the people willing to go with you and those who are unable or unwilling, he said. The best way to do this is to strike a chord through collaboration with the use of data, high expectations, progress monitoring, and strategic planning.

Its a tall order, but what else would one expect from a leader who believes greatness lies within each student even if they dont realize it yet.

OPINION

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Uncategorized

High-speed Rail a Clean Win for Commuters

Americans traveling this holiday season were no doubt frustrated by long lines at airports and congestion on the roadways, caused by years of neglect to our national infrastructure. President Obama has an ambitious plan to fix these problems, which includes the creation of a nationwide network of high-speed and intercity passenger rail routes.

To advance this goal, the president made an $8 billion down payment through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and proposed another $1 billion for each of the next five years. Nearly 40 states have applied for this money.

To assist states, the Department of Transportation is providing funding and technical expertise as they meet important environmental planning benchmarks created by federal law. These benchmarks must be met before large-scale high-speed rail programs get underway, and they apply to every region of the country. Our goal is to make sure states follow these rules and are not burdened later with unnecessary project delays that drive up costs and hinder the long-term success of projects.

As a former secretary of transportation for Maryland, I know the issues faced by communities on the Northeast Rail Corridor. The Obama adminsitration is committed to the region, and the Northeast Corridor will certainly be part of our future high-speed rail network. Just last year, we opened up a new bridge over the Thames River in Connecticut, and there is a $100 million project underway to replace the Niantic Bridge through Recovery Act dollars. There are plenty of other opportunities to maintain and improve Amtraks current high-speed service on the Northeast Corridor.

The benefits of high-speed rail also include improving the environment by reducing carbon emissions, lessening highway congestion, and providing a much-needed alternative to the frustrations of air travel.

We are building long-term relationships with states and coalitions of states to build world-class high-speed rail service, something that already exists in Europe and Asia. The U.S. program will provide tens of millions of Americans with transportation options that have not previously been available.

The program will also offer relief to communities around the country that rely on manufacturing and that have been hard-hit economically. In fact, nearly three dozen rail manufacturers and suppliers, both domestic and foreign, have committed to establish or expand their operations here in America if they are chosen by states to build their high-speed rail lines.

This effort will take work from all sides: a continued commitment from the federal government to support these investments, real oversight to make sure these new lines are safe and reliable, and a sustainable funding stream from states to maintain these routes. Through these efforts, we will improve the quality of life in many communities across the country, including those along the Northeast Corridor.

John D. Porcari is the U.S. deputy secretary of Transportation.

In Praise of the PMRAP

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Uncategorized

Its an acronym not likely to become part of the local lexicon anytime soon, if ever, except maybe among some economic-development leaders and professors at UMass Amherst.

But PMRAP thats the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project is worthy of gaining a place in the regions vocabulary, because its already a good story and has the potential to become a great one.

Why? Because it embodies many positive elements identified as critical to making this region more vibrant and able to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. First, it involves partnerships between area economic-development agencies, businesses, and colleges. Second, it takes the involvement of the UMass Amherst campus to an increasingly higher plane in terms of economic vibrancy and long-term prosperity. And third, it involves the regions manufacturing sector, and specifically the precision-machining industry, which has enjoyed a long history of innovation and can still play a key role in the Pioneer Valley economy going forward.

PMRAP, as the full name suggests, is all about an alliance between area precision-manufacturing operations; the university; other schools, including STCC, Holyoke Community College, and several vocational technical high schools; and organizations like the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. All these players have a common goal: to help bring research at UMass to the boardrooms and shop floors of area manufacturers, with the goal of driving innovation and, in the process, creating jobs.

There are many elements to this equation, with one of the keys being something called technology-innovation forums, which, in a nutshell, will open the lines of communication between researchers and shop owners, lines that have mostly been closed, and to the detriment of all the players involved.

There have already been four of these forums, with more scheduled for the months to come. Thus far, those involved say theyre doing exactly what they were designed to do: stimulate a dialogue between two groups that can definitely help one another.

Area shop owners can provide researchers with problems to solve which is what researchers live for. Meanwhile, researchers can solve the problems and, in the process, give shop owners new and better processes, new materials, and new ways to approach business.

And with all that, these manufacturers can retain market share, grow market share, tap into new markets, expand, and add new, well-paying jobs in a region that remains desperate for some.

Meanwhile, theres something else: A region that once made its reputation for generating innovative products and processes can turn back the clock in that regard.

No one can say with any degree of certainty how many jobs the PMRAP may create or retain. Its much too early in the process for that, and there are, by most all accounts, no models of this kind of alliance to study anywhere in the country.

But what is known is that this program certainly looks good on paper. Actually, it looks good in conference rooms at the university and in some area precision-manufacturing facilities places where these technology-innovation forums have been staged since last fall.

In those three sessions, participants could see that PMRAP isnt just words, and it isnt just an acronym. Its a blueprint for progress.

Companies to Watch: Graduate Pest Solutions

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Features

This Entrepreneur Is Getting the Bugs Out

Glenn Olesuk says his degree in Entomology gives him a competitive edge and it also gave his company a name.

Glenn Olesuk says he wont easily forget his first professional assignment.

That was as the technical director for a local pest-control company in Chicago. There were many elements to that job description, but at the top of the list was battling something the locals and the press had dubbed the super rat. This was a pest said to have amassed a resistance to all or most of the rodenticides in use at that time (1979).

There was evidence that some resistance had been built up, said Olesuk, now the owner and entomologist with his own company, Hampden-based Graduate Pest Solutions, adding quickly that the super rat was, in his opinion, more myth than reality.

But he did see plenty of rats, and he has some vivid memories from those days in the Windy City, including one that he and his wife, Brenda, often retell. Glenn, it appears, wanted to show Brenda just what he did for a living, specifically his work at some of the finer hotels to keep rats out of the view of guests.

Every major city has layers downtown Chicago had whats known as Wabash Avenue, which is the layer below the main streets, where the service vehicles would come in, he explained. And thats where the real battle with rats took place. We would trap and kills rats by the hundreds. One night I took my wife to show her what I do every day; I was driving with my lights off, and pulled into an alleyway behind one of the major hotels. When I turned the lights on, it was like a Hollywood movie there was just a mass of dark gray that moved from the street and ran into these inconceivable little holes and openings in the alleyway.

These days, Olesuk is doing battle with far-less-exotically named pests at a venture he named Graduate to call attention to something he says differentiates him from most all competition. That would be his bachelors degree in Entomology, the study of insects, that he earned at Syracuse.

Sometimes I have to explain it, he said of his companys name and the motivation behind it. But by the time Im done explaining, they get it.

Most in this huge, highly competitive industry dont have such qualifications, he explained, adding that, from his studies in college not to mention his 30 years in the field (and in attics and back alleys) he can effectively answer most all questions people have about pests in their home or business.

And informed answers are what clients and potential clients want most, said Olesuk, adding that hes been providing them since his career path took a turn at Syracuse. I was going to get into forestry, he explained, But then one of my professors said, take pest-control technology, and youll always be employed. He was right.

Tracing his history in the pest-control business, Olesuk said he worked for both local and regional firms until becoming part-owner of a venture in 1998. That business partnership eventually dissolved in early 2007, he continued, adding that he launched Graduate Pest Solutions shortly thereafter, and has been building a book of business steadily since then.

Moving forward, Olesak, who has his two sons, Paul and Scott, working with him in part-time capacities, said his primary goal and challenge is to get his companys name and his résumé in front of people. If he does so, he believes he can take market share from a host of local, regional, and national competitors.

And once he gets a customer, Olesuk says he keeps it. Ive always had 100% retention, he explained. Ive never lost a client to service.

Olesuk says the majority of his clients are commercial, and while hes working to continually build that portfolio, he also wants to greatly increase his residential customer base as well.

In both realms, the key is exposure, he said, adding that hes employing a number of marketing vehicles from some direct mail to his service truck, outfitted with a new logo to introduce people and businesses to his venture.

Olesuk hasnt encountered any super rats in his current service territory (Hartford north through the Pioneer Valley), but he is being kept busy with Asian lady beetles, mice, spiders, ants, and bees, each with their own season, except spiders, which are generally a year-round concern.

He can talk at length about any and all of them, because he has not only experience, but that diploma that gives him a degree of separation both figuratively and literally.

Who Will Be the Next 40?

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Uncategorized

Nominations Sought for the Class of 2010

After three successful years of its 40 Under Forty recognition program, one might think BusinessWest is running out of stories to tell of young professionals making a difference in the Pioneer Valley.

But that would be wrong. And were asking you, the readers, to prove us correct by nominating a new batch of fresh faces for the class of 2010.

Since 2007, BusinessWests 40 Under Forty has captured the attention and respect of the regions business community, bringing into focus what most already know: that Western Mass. is home to a creative, motivated, and successful group of young business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators people who, even in tough economic times, are redefining what it means to grow successful businesses and serve their communities with whatever spare time they have left over.

Michelle Sade, operations manager for United Personnel in Springfield, said she was honored to be part of last years 40 Under Forty class. As a founding member of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield which placed several of its members in the class of 2009 she has expressed a passion for cultivating young talent in the region, and said BusinessWests annual program bolsters that effort.

It definitely highlights the amount of talent throughout the Pioneer Valley, Sade said. The Young Professional Society has worked to allow those talented young professionals to come together and network, and what BusinessWest has done is to put the spotlight on some of the rising stars of that group.

That sort of sentiment is gratifying to hear, said Kate Campiti, associate publisher of the magazine, noting that the program was created to draw attention to not only the depth of young talent in the region, but also its diversity, both demographically and in the types of work they do.

Were telling the story of young people doing some incredible things, said Campiti, but were also telling the stories of the ventures theyve started, the established companies they work for, and the nonprofits they lead. Add it all up, and it paints a bright picture of the region and its future.

The 120 previous honorees have emerged from law, education, retail, health care, social services, finance, and 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.

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

Without fail, the 40 Under Forty honorees say theyre impressed with the quality of the people they meet at this event, and consider it a springboard for long-term networking.

It was wonderful, and the exposure to such quality people was amazing, said Renee Stolar, president of J. Stolar Insurance Co. in Palmer, another member of the class of 2009. Ive been able to keep in touch with many of them, so this opened the door to a whole realm of people I probably never would have met otherwise. I was very happy with the whole experience.

The nomination form can be found on page 22 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. 19.

After the deadline passes, the nominations will be scored by an independent group of judges comprised of area business leaders and previous 40 Under Forty honorees. 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.

I dont know how you can choose when so many people are doing such good things, and have such talents and passions and things they feel are important to the revitalization of the area, Sade said. Everyone has a different idea what that means; if you look at the 40 Under Forty, every one of them is trying to make a positive impact on their business, their community, a nonprofit and in some ways that are quite remarkable.

She cited the example of Kathy LeMay, who received the highest scores in last years judging. LeMays Florence-based company, Raising Change, cultivates connections between philanthropists and nonprofit agencies, and shes made a difference to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars raised.

Shes amazing, Sade said. These are people doing some amazing things. She added that the 40 Under Forty annually makes an example of young people who are not leaving the Valley, but are trying to make it a better place to live and work. Theyre just inspiring.

If youve been similarly inspired by a young professional making that kind of difference, dont hesitate to fill out a nomination form. – Joseph Bednar

Class of 2007

Doing Business in: Chicopee

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Features

City Strives to Create Momentum in Its Downtown Core

Economic-development leaders hope the Ames Privilege building is only the beginning of more housing downtown.

Chicopee is the crossroads of New England, Gail Sherman said proudly even as she acknowledged that other communities might take offense to that descriptor.

I know a lot of cities say that, said Sherman, president of the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce. But with the Mass Pike and the interstates, this really is a very convenient location.

The chambers goal, however, is to make Chicopee more than convenient for business owners, but also an affordable and attractive place to do business.

Our electric rates are lower than many other cities because we have a municipal electric company, she noted, also citing property taxes, which were lowered last year so that businesses are paying less than before to the municipality an attractive draw for companies to locate in town. Thats a real advantage at a time when people are tightening their belts.

Meanwhile, Mayor Michael Bissonnette and other Chicopee officials are busy shepherding projects to draw more retail, services, and housing; expand parking capacity downtown; and generally try to counter an economic climate that has not been kind to any city.

Business is still tough, Sherman said. Manufacturers are struggling, and everyones wondering whether to hire people back or not, wondering what will happen in the new year. Some businesses have laid off a third of their workforce. Retail has done pretty well with the holidays, but now the holidays are over. And restaurants are struggling; people arent eating out as much. Everyone seems to be waiting to see what happens in 2010.

Its a year when some long-awaited projects could start to bear fruit, positioning Chicopee to benefit from whatever economic recovery might emerge in the new decade.

Parking Lost

Patrick Gottschlicht, co-owner of the Munich Haus restaurant downtown, knows the area has a long way to go before becoming the sort of vibrant destination some envision. But his establishment has been one of downtowns significant success stories, and when he looks out his front door, he sees opportunity.

Every time I talk to the mayor, hes trying to attract some new businesses. He hasnt forgotten about the downtown, and one of his priorities is getting businesses down here, Gottschlicht said.

Obviously in its hard in this economy to attract new business, but theres definitely unlimited potential downtown, he added. There are a lot of open storefronts, but that can be a good thing too, because once we get some of them filled, it could cause a chain reaction and bring more business down here.

Parking capacity has been an issue, and the city continues to examine possible downtown properties to purchase and convert to more parking.

Theres been a big push for more parking, and theres a good chance well see that happen, Gottschlicht said, noting that, while Munich Haus faces a shortage of parking during lunch hours, its easier to find a spot nearby for dinnertime, after many businesses are closed for the day.

A lot of downtown storefronts are empty, Sherman said, but so much is about parking. Once we make more parking, well start filling up some of those storefronts and perhaps start that chain reaction Gottschlicht mentioned.

Other downtown projects aimed at revitalizing the area are at various stages of progress. The historic mill building now known as Ames Privilege is home to some affordable housing, and New York-based developer Josh Guttman has been targeting the neighboring Cabotville complex for more condos, both affordable and market-rate. Sherman believes housing is a key component to the long-term health and vibrancy of any downtown, and such a project could be an attractive residential option for Elms College professors, Baystate Health employees, and retirees.

Its that whole idea of people living around the businesses, she said. When people retire, they want to be closer to downtown services.

Then theres the bike path being developed alongside the Chicopee River, which should be completed this spring, as well as a burgeoning nightlife scene, with the success of the Maximum Capacity nightclub and talk of converting the former Rivoli Theatre into a European-style nightspot.

City officials take seriously the potential for more entertainment and dining options. They can point to a recent resident survey conducted as part of a long-term neighborhood revitalization plan funded in part by the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

Nearly 90% of respondents felt that more retail, entertainment, and leisure options were very important or essential to the downtowns revitalization. More than 80% also named more food and beverage options and better parking as very important or essential. When asked where they would spend the citys money to revitalize downtown Chicopee, the three clear favorites were to raze or fix up blighted properties, increase parking, and increase retail activity.

Gottschlicht also cited the old library building that borders City Hall and is currently vacant. The library is still out there for requests for proposals, he said. Something could definitely happen with that building; theres a ton of potential over there.

For potential fulfilled in Chicopee, the clearest success story has been the rebirth of the Memorial Drive retail corridor particularly the stretch adjacent to Mass Pike exit 5. Where the dying Fairfield Mall used to sit is now a complex housing Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Marshalls, and a host of other retail establishments and dining options.

Memorial Drive continues to grow, Sherman said, noting that the stalled Chicopee Crossroads development at exit 5, with a planned mix of retail and restaurants, could eventually be another success story. The whole area has become a thriving retail center.

Deep Roots

Sherman said Chicopee has one other selling point thats harder to quantify: a close-knit community feel in its various neighborhoods that, over the long term, breeds loyalty to business establishments.

Its the second-largest city in Western Mass., yet it feels like a town; businesses here have deep roots in the community, she said.

Gottschlicht agreed. For us, the key to our success has always been the people of Chicopee, he said. Its a very, very loyal city, and we knew that coming in; my mother grew up in Chicopee, and my grandfather grew up here and worked here. So that loyalty of the businesses and residents has been a key component; their word-of-mouth promotion is the best advertising we could have.

Sherman also praised the financial stweardship of the city, which gives it flexibility in pursuing various projects.

Chicopee is in great shape fiscally, she said. We have almost $10 million in a rainy-day fund, so, unlike a lot of cities, were blessed with having good fiscal management.

She concedes, however, that many of the moves Chicopee is making to attract businesses, from downtown improvements to competitive tax rates, may only be laying a foundation for future economic development, because the state of the current economy continues to spook developers and business owners from making moves.

Businesses are worried because they dont know whats coming, so it could take two or three years for everything to bounce back if it ever does, she said. Some people say that, with this economy, well never go back to what we perceived as normal.

Which is why its all the more important particularly in a state known for saddling business owners with costly regulations for a city to create as much of a business-friendly environment as possible, to compete when the economic tide does turn.

This city seems to respect the fact that businesses carry the city, Sherman said. When businesses move out, so do residents.

So far, however, Chicopee continues to grow, and the projects strewn across the drawing board of the chamber and city officials continue to take shape, albeit slowly.

Were hoping for a kind of renaissance in the years to come, Sherman said, again contemplating the needs of Chicopees downtown. The mayor feels like its going to happen, and I feel its going to happen, too.

Joseph Bednar can be reached

at[email protected]

State of the State Institutions

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Uncategorized

Public Colleges and Universities See Enrollments Soar, Funding Decline

State colleges and universities are facing serious challenges as two forces collide: an increase in enrollment prompted in large part by the economy and a sharp decline in state aid.

Stimulus money helped many stay on track this year, but that safety net is unlikely to be there for 2011. Since the mission of state schools is to provide accessible and affordable education, officials are combing their budgets in an attempt to ensure they can provide quality education without having to lay off staff or cut classes, which would shortchange students.

The gravity of the situation was revealed in a letter sent by UMass Amherst Chancellor Robert Holub to the university community. In it, he relayed a warning from the Obama administration that state and local agencies will face a funding cliff in 2010.

Here at UMass Amherst we are no different, Holub wrote. We estimate that our state allocation will be reduced by $50 million or more in the coming fiscal year an enormous and potentially devastating cut.

As the new year begins, BusinessWest takes a look at how four area public colleges are managing the challenge, why they remain optimistic as they face deficits of up to $50 million, and how those losses will affect students.

UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst Executive Director of News and Media Relations Ed Blaguszewski said many adults are currently seeking additional education to enhance their net value or put themselves in line for a promotion. This has translated into a real surge this year in the universitys Division of Continuing and Professional Education, which saw a 5% to 8% increase in enrollment.

Many students who had never completed their four-year degree enrolled in the University Without Walls program, he said, which handled the increase by adding courses to its online program, which has grown steadily over the past five years.

Their universitys masters programs in Business Administration and Public Health have grown, and an increasing number of nurses with associates degrees are pursuing an advanced nursing degree online. Its significant, compared to the national trend, said Michael Grabscheid, director of Outreach Marketing and Technology. Other colleges are seeing these type of enrollments hold steady, or they are dropping off. This growth is not pervasive across the country.

He attributes it to local job losses and peoples need to make themselves valuable to the workplace. Its an incremental cost to add these programs as they dont need physical space, he said. They contribute to the colleges economy as a whole and are a net gain.

So far, the school has not had many layoffs. We are in better shape than many other colleges, Blaguszewski said. Even private colleges have had major declines in their endowments.

But that doesnt mean anticipated budgets wont affect students or staff.

Holub recently outlined the budget strategy via his online statement. In this current fiscal year, the infusion of federal stimulus funds has enabled us to avoid the kinds of drastic cuts that would have resulted from the enormous reduction in our state allocation. We have, however, reduced our base budget by more than $10 million, much of it from administrative areas, he said. But because of stimulus funding we have not yet felt the pain of the major reduction in state support.

The FY 2010 budget for the Amherst campus is $824 million, and Holub said the loss of state funding is being handled by the Budget Planning Task Force, which has created a number of new initiatives. The ideas range from new and innovative masters degree programs, student-recruitment strategies, and summer initiatives to budget-reduction priorities and fee increases, he said. We will continue to work closely with all constituencies on ideas to generate revenues in new and inventive ways, cognizant of the fact that every new dollar we raise is one less dollar we must cut.

Administrators are also working to secure government funding. We have worked to engage our students, alumni, and other supporters in an institutional-advocacy network to make the case in both Washington and Boston that support for UMass Amherst is a critical investment, Holub said.

Westfield State College

Westfield State has seen a steady rise in applications for its day school for about three years. Two years ago, it received approximately 1,500 applications, while that number soared to 2,100 this year, and applications from high-school students are still arriving. However, the continuing-education enrollment, split between evening school and graduate school, has remained flat for three years.

The state college had 4,300 full-time students in 2008, 4,500 in 2009, and expects to serve 4,700 undergraduates in the coming year.

We attribute our increase to the fact that we have the reputation of being a quality school with the feel of a private school at a public cost, said Janet Garcia, director of Marketing.

Vice President of Administration and Finance Gerald Hayes said Westfield State expects to see its population continue to grow. Affordability is an issue for Massachusetts families, which has accelerated student interest in our school, he said. Westfield State is an attractively priced alternative to private higher education.

WSCs annual operating budget is $72 million, and the state appropriation for 2009 was initially $23 million. But that amount declined to $19.4 million and is only expected to be $18 million in FY 2011, which begins July 1, 2010.

This years budget decline was mitigated by federal stimulus dollars and employees have been asked to be more conservative about spending, Garcia said, adding that the board of directors is searching for methods to enhance revenues.

Still, officials are also hoping more stimulus money will become available. Last week, the Department of Education in Washington unleashed $50 billion for state and local governments to distribute to maintain employment levels, Hayes said. But that still has to go through the legislative process.

In the meantime, officials are focusing on ways to grow revenue while tightening their belts. Continuing education and online education are good examples of where we might be able to grow, Hayes said. We may also look at a reduction in travel and the use of consultants.

Student fees have risen in the past few years, but Hayes said further increases would be a last resort. Accessibility and affordability are two key issues, he said. But its too early to tell if we will have to raise fees in the next fiscal year. These are challenging times.

Adjunct faculty has been hired, but Hayes, like others we spoke with, said this is not a long-term solution. At some point, something is going to have to give.

Springfield Technical Community College

Springfield Technical Community College has seen an increase in enrollment of 12% in two years. It is a trend that seems to be continuing and is very significant for us, Rubenzahl said. This area hasnt had a population increase, so these numbers are substantial. Its hard to absorb that and not be able to hire any new faculty and staff. It makes it really challenging.

The school has filled the gap with a large number of part-time faculty members, but its less than an ideal solution. Our students deserve a full-time faculty. Every other educational facility from kindergarten to grade 12 has full-time staff members, Rubenzahl said. Community colleges are a forgotten segment. More than 50% of the students in public higher education attend community colleges, but we get 25% of state dollars. We were dramatically underfunded before we went into this recession. It has exacerbated a difficult situation.

STCC has adjusted by renegotiating contracts with vendors, using electronic communication to save money on postage, and downsizing by not replacing people lost through attrition.

These strategies, along with a 6% increase in student fees this year, has allowed the college to maintain its ground. Our fees are much greater than our tuition, Rubenzahl said. At one point, Massachusetts was one of the least expensive places to obtain higher education in the nation. Now we are in the top 10 or 15. But the value we provide to our students and to the community is very high, especially in this economy.

Many adults have returned to school to get advanced degrees or a degree in a field in which they can establish a new career. STCCs Nursing program has increased enrollment by 25%, and its Computer Science program is in high demand.

This summer, STCC had to close applications to its Mechanical Engineering Technology program for the first time due to high demand for seats. Its a bellwether thats indicative of what is going on, Rubenzahl said. A few years ago, this program didnt have a strong enrollment.

The schools operating budget is $42 million. It lost about $5.6 million last year, but replaced it with federal stimulus money. However, that amount didnt reflect the increase incurred due to state cuts in employee benefits, which brought the loss to about $7 million.

We have been able to deal with that, but the bigger problem is next years cuts, Rubenzahl said. The Board of Education is recommending a 22.5% cut to all colleges.

They are using that number to plan for the future. But theres only so much we can do. We have gotten some grants and are trying to reduce expenses, but all colleges are looking at a very significant increase in student fees, Rubenzahl said. We are all in the same situation, and we are very concerned about fiscal year 2011.

Holyoke Community College

Holyoke Community College also suffered a dramatic decrease in state appropriations last year. But it was able to compensate as its enrollment increased by 14% and it raised fees. Students had paid $6 million in fees at the start of 2009, and today, that amount has risen to $19 million.

Students are now paying for 47% of our budget, said HCC President William Messner. We are operating more and more like a private institution that relies on student revenue and less and less like a state institution. The state is no longer picking up the lions share of the cost.

It is impossible for the college to continue with a growth rate of 14%, he explained. We dont have the room, so the growth is not sustainable. And if our students continue to be the major shareholders, we will have to continue with hefty fee increases, which is at odds with our mission. We are supposed to be affordable, and there is a high percentage of people who cant afford the ever-increasing fee rates.

Still, HCC is one of the three least expensive community colleges in the state, and it has accommodated its increased population by adding four new faculty positions. We hope to add four more next fall, and we have also done some very limited hiring in critical areas, Messner said. The Financial Aid office has been overwhelmed, so we have added a finanicial-aid officer.

Part-time faculty have also been hired to teach in the evening and online programs, he continued, but we do not want to continue that pattern.

Class offerings have also expanded, but, again, students have picked up the cost. The school received $3 million in stimulus funds, but Messner said the majority was used for strategic investments in infrastructure. We installed more-efficient lighting and heating and tried not to backfill, because that money comes to an end this year, he said. If all we did was replace state dollars with stimulus dollars, there would be a bigger hole in our budget next year. Our student-support areas admissions, advisors, and financial aid are under real stress.

The enrollment spike is made up of students entering directly from high school. Its a pattern we have been seeing for the last three or four years as high-school students increasingly look to community colleges nationwide for their higher-education involvement, Messner said.

Their numbers have been supplemented by adults seeking more education or additional training. The two have merged and blown the top off of enrollment, Messner said, adding that he expects the increase to taper as the economy improves. What will continue to drive our enrollment is younger students. Private colleges in this area cost $40,000 to $50,000 a year, while HCC costs $4,000, Messner said.

Although budget cuts have been sharp, HCC has no plans to lay off faculty or personnel in core areas. We have done some small pruning around periphery operations, he said.

That includes cutting the World Institute for Economic Research program, which the college subsidized for six years. It sells information to businesses and organizations and has operated within the Kittredge Center for Business and Industry.

It has also relocated staff to better serve students. Given the circumstances, we have fared pretty well, Messner said. There have absolutely been stresses, and our staff has worked long and hard due to the increase in our growth. We have converted our tennis courts into parking lots and invested in parking-lot attendents at a cost of $50,000 to $100,000 a year to keep traffic flowing.

Although the times demand extraordinary measures, Messner believes the future is bright. We will get through this and may even come out stronger, he said, if state officials do their duty. The state needs to take a long, hard look at how it supports higher education. The only real resource Massachusetts has is its people, as we are not rich in natural resources. But we are people-rich, and we need to mine that resource and develop it.

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

Ten Points About : Extension of the COBRA Subsidy for Involuntarily Terminated Employees

By KIMBERLY A. KLIMCZUK, Esq.

1. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) allows employees who lose their health insurance benefits to continue their coverage for up to 18 months under certain circumstances. Traditionally, employees who elected COBRA benefits were responsible for paying the cost of their COBRA health insurance premiums.

2.The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) amended portions of COBRA to provide a government subsidy for COBRA premiums to employees who left their jobs involuntarily between Sept. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009.

3. Under the ARRA, the government subsidized 65% of the COBRA premiums for eligible employees for up to nine months. Employers were required to pay the subsidy up front as part of the employees’ premium payments and received reimbursement from the federal government through reduced federal payroll tax payments.

4. The subsidy applies to periods of health coverage beginning on or after Feb. 17, 2009, and, under the ARRA, was to last for up to 9 months.

5. On Dec. 19, 2009, President Obama signed the 2010 Defense Appropriations Act (DAA), which extends the eligibility period for the COBRA subsidy to include employees who involuntarily separate from employment on or before Feb. 28, 2010.

6. The DAA also lengthens the COBRA subsidy period from nine months to 15 months.

7. In addition, former employees who had already reached the end of their subsidy period prior to passage of the DAA may continue their reduced-premium COBRA coverage for the additional six months as long as they pay their 35% share of the COBRA premium by Feb. 17, 2010, or within 30 days of receiving notice from their plan administrator, whichever is later.

8. If any such employees already paid 100% of their premium in December 2009, they are entitled to either a reimbursement of the 65% that is subsidized under the DAA’s extension provisions or a credit toward future premiums equal to 65% of the monthly premium.

9. The DAA requires employers to modify their COBRA election notice to provide information about the extended COBRA subsidy to all individuals who experience a COBRA-qualifying event between Sept. 1, 2008 and Feb. 28, 2010.

10. Information on new notice requirements, updated guidance, fact sheets, and frequently asked questions will be available on the DOL’s Web site, www.dol.gov/cobra.

Kimberly A. Klimczuk, Esq. is a partner in the law firm Royal & Klimczuk, LLC. She specializes in management-side labor and employment law; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

Hot Topics in Philanthropy Breakfast

Jan. 8: “Communicating in a Digital Age” is the focus of the next Hot Topics in Philanthrophy Breakfast at Bay Path College in Longmeadow. Nonprofit professionals are invited to the free event; however, registration is required. Keynote speaker Brian Reich, author of Media Rules! Mastering Today’s Technology to Connect with and Keep Your Audience, will provide a framework for understanding our technology-driven environment and how best to harness the appropriate digital tools to communicate an organization’s mission, vision, and purpose. In addition, panelists Suzi Craig, director of marketing at Fathom; and Megan Pete, director of development of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, will share their organizational challenges and successes related to this topic. The 7:30 to 10 a.m. event will be held in the Blake Student Commons. To register, visit www.baypath.edu or call (800) 782-7284, ext. 1056.

Security Summit

Jan. 27: Catuogno Court Reporting will present its “Total Compliance Solution” at the Massachusetts Information Security Summit at the Sheraton Springfield. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., the daylong program will highlight key aspects of the new state and federal information-security laws. In addition, speakers and industry vendors will focus on providing objective information to help attendees develop a comprehensive compliance strategy. Breakout sessions will feature presentations by government and industry experts. For more information, visit www.massiss.org.

Rick’s Place Benefit

Feb. 6: The Wilbraham Country Club will be the setting for the second annual Heart to Heart fundraiser to benefit Rick’s Place Inc. Established in memory of Rick Thorpe, who died in Tower Two of the World Trade Center on 9/11, Rick’s Place Inc. was created to provide a supportive, secure environment where families can remember their loved ones and avoid the sense of isolation that a loss can produce. Rick’s Place offers biweekly bereavement support for families with children ages 5 to 18 at no cost. Tickets for the 6 to 11 p.m. fundraiser cost $50. A silent auction and raffle drawing are among the highlights of the evening. Underwriting and corporate-sponsorship opportunities are also still available. For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation to Rick’s Place, call Shelly Bathe Lenn at (413) 348-3120, or visit www.ricksplacema.org.

Women’s Professional Development Conference

April 30, 2010: Bay Path College will host its 15th annual Women’s Professional Development Conference at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (413) 565-1000 or visit www.baypath.edu.

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

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

Audette, Lillian C.
PO Box 638
Chicopee, MA 01021
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/23/09

Baldwin, Sylvia D.
434 Cannon Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/23/09

Barnack, Heather
47 Bradford Dr., Apt. D1
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Bedard, David B.
Bedard, Eleanor E.
1629 South Branch Parkway
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/19/09

Benard, Richard Edward
Benard, Juliette Marie
17 Whitin Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/16/09

Brockney, Etta R.
504 Meadow Crest Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Burke, Beverly A.
PO Box 145
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/25/09

Cahalan, William Edward
Cahalan, Cherri Jean
791 East St.
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/27/09

Chadderton, Tracy L.
67 Warrenton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/18/09

Coody, Jennifer M.
91 Front St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Decoteau, Denise M.
a/k/a Buzzell, Denise M.
90 Quaboag St.
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/18/09

Demers, Wayne F.
8 Bluemer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/25/09

Derose, Robert C.
304 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Diaz, Alberto
Davila, Nylsa
46 Canterbury Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Diaz, Edwin
293 Cortland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/19/09

DiLuzio, Sylvia J.
19 Hampden St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/19/09

Duncan, Cheryl D.
693 Main St., Apt. 10
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/27/09

Eno, Jodi
101 Thaddeus St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/19/09

Feliciano, Clotilde
Feliciano, Carrie D.
3 Hazelhurst Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Filio’s Auto Sales
Filiault, William C.
Filiault, Diane R.
17 Sunnyside Ter
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Gambrell, Sarah H.
172 Newton St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/28/09

Girard, Michael J.
Patterson-Girard, Andrea L.
88 Glynn Farms Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/20/09

Gladu, Andrew J.
381 Warren Wright St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/17/09

Gladun, Fedor
182 Beekman Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001-2605
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/29/09

Godbout, Debra A.
5 Greenleaf Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/18/09

Gomez, Alberto
256 Gratten St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/29/09

Gomez-Aponte, Damaris L.
256 Gratten St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/29/09

Grace-Urban, Laurie A.
45 Moreau Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020-4826
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/16/09

Guertin, Brian D.
84 Maple St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/19/09

Hines, Christopher Robert
29 Dublin St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Hotte, Jesse W.
Hotte, Tammy M.
8 Norman St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/20/09

Jumba, George
135 Hampden St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/17/09

Jumpp, Rohan G.
Jumpp, Evadney E.
15 Delaware Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/20/09

Kania, John J
147 Ridgeview Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/20/09

Kirkland, Kimberly A.
51 Felix St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/16/09

Kozuchowicz, Katarzyna M.
80 Damon Road, Unit 4112
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/23/09

Kusmierczak, Kimberly N.
124 Dubois St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/16/09

Lamorder, Robbin
33 New Ludlow Road
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/29/09

LeBlanc, Catherine M.
Ploof, Catherine M.
78 High St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Malchow, Jr. David C.
75 Pocantico Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/23/09

Medina, Sara L.
64 West Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/18/09

Mitchell, Dondi M.
Mitchell, Shirley Ann
86 West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/26/09

Nowicki, Keri A.
80 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/20/09

Ocampo, Virginia
236 Locust St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/18/09

O’Meara, Thomas J.
919 Southampton Road.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/19/09

Palmer, Colleen E.
109 Gardens Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/23/09

Perez, Gricela
48 Highland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

Petell, Laurie B.
80 Merriam St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/21/09

Pham, Hong Kimthi
94 Treetop Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/25/09

Pignatare, Joseph W.
Denis-Pignatare, Gwendolyn J.
30 St. Paul St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/19/09

Prieto, Laurie D.
a/k/a Prell, Laurie
261 Houghton St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Ramirez, Manuel
17 Indian Leap St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/27/09

Renaud, Judith M.
1 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/20/09

Rivera, Jesus
141 Breckwood Blvd.
Springfiield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Rondon, Juan A.
139 Orange St., 2nd Fl.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/18/09

Rosner, Richard A.
Rosner, Kimberly A.
55 North Main St., Unit 48
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/25/09

Santa, Antonio
Vega-Santa, Elba W.
40 Suzanne St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/16/09

Simmington, James Joseph
Simmington, Jessica Lynn
57 Pleasant St. #2
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Soderberg, Brendon M.
Soderberg, Stephanie L.
24 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/23/09

Souza, Amy E.
a/k/a Weissbach, Amy
231 Cabot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/23/09

Suchecki, Virginia M.
140 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/27/09

Sweener, James P.
237 Springside Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/19/09

The Hampshire Community
P.O. Box 444
Huntington, MA 01050
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/25/09

Toelken, Jeremy R.
11 Niles St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/29/09

Tosado, Elizabeth
129 Walnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Tower, Lawrence B.
Tower, Ruth G.
580 Holmes Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/23/09

Towne, Jennifer R.
775 Springfield St., Apt. 11B
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/24/09

Woodbury, Peter M.
2 Woodside Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/30/09

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of December 2009.

AGAWAM

Church of Redemption
108 Bridge St.
$25,000 — Install a three-stop lift

AMHERST

WD Cowles Inc.
29 Cottage St.
$3,650 — Interior renovations

CHICOPEE

Eugene Nawrocki
25 Sheridan St.
$120,000 — Construct a 2,150-square-foot addition to be used as an auto repair garage

EAST LONGMEADOW

Chocolate Works
440 North Main St.
$24,000 — Interior renovations

Creations Factory
200 Shaker Road
$22,000 — Commercial renovation

Tomasz Chrzan
100 Shaker Road
$248,000 — Commercial renovation

GREENFIELD

Edward Wierzbowski
289-291 Main St.
$8,000 — Install commercial hood system

Edward Williams
18 Main St.
$22,000 — Interior renovations

HADLEY

Campus Plaza LTD
454-460 Russell St.
$35,000 — Remove existing water tower and replace with air-cooled condensing unit

HOLYOKE

First Light & Power
200 Northampton St.
$166,000 — Construction of a 24-foot by 60-foot steel building

NORTHAMPTON

David Biddle
184 Main St.
$7,000 — Install a new hood exhaust system

Wright Builders
Village Hill Road
$503,000 — Construction of four townhouses

PALMER

Sears Holding Corporation
159 Wilbraham St.
$38,000 — Update existing facade at K-mart

SOUTH HADLEY

U.S. Industrial
7 Gaylord St.
$250,000 — Repair and renovation

SPRINGFIELD

Freedom House Church
563 Union St.
$6,000 — Reframe main entrance and install new door

JCP Partners, LLC
1719 Boston Road
$84,500 — Repairs to existing masonry

WESTFIELD

City of Westfield
59 Court St.
$32,000 — Structural repair

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

Jan. 6: ACCGS Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, West Springfield. Speaker: John Pantera, Elements Therapeutic Massage. Cost: members $20; non-members $30.

Jan. 7: West of the River Wine Tasting, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Studio Sergei, West Springfield. Cost: general admission $20, members $10.

Jan. 15: ERC 5 Business Information Forum, 7:45 to 9 a.m., hosted by Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Greenhalgh Gymnasium Board Room, Wilbraham. No admission cost.

Jan. 20: Women’s Partnership Business Expo, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sheraton Springfield. Cost: $75 for table/lunch.

Jan. 27: Executive Power Networking, 7 to 9 a.m., TD Bank Conference Center, Springfield. Cost: members $20; non-members $25.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com

Jan. 21: Third Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m., hosted by Smith’s Billiards, 207 Worthington St., Springfield. Cost: free for members; non-members $5, includes food and cash bar.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

Jan. 13: Breakfast and Chamber Annual Meeting, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Courtyard by Marriott.

Jan. 27: After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

Jan. 20: Salute Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Days Inn, 450 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Cost: members $18; non-members $25. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

Jan. 27: Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Cafeno Cyber Cafe, 76 Main St., Chicopee. Cost: registered members $5 ($7 at the door); non-members $15.

Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

Please visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

Please visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

Jan. 26: Economical Development Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., hosted by Yankee Pedlar, Holyoke. More details will be forthcoming.

Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

Please visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
www.qvcc.biz
(413) 283-2418

Please visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce
www.shchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

Please visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce
www.threeriverschamber.org
(413) 283-6425

Please visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

Jan. 8: Legislative and Economic Forum with AIM (Associated Industries of Massachusetts), 9 to 11 a.m., hosted by Mestek Inc., 260 North Elm St., Westfield. Guest speakers: Rick Lord, president and CEO of AIM; and Brian Gilmore, AIM’s executive vice president for public affairs. An informal briefing on several political and economic issues important to the Commonwealth’s employer community. AIM stands for an economic policy that balances key public investments with a competitive cost structure that keeps jobs in Massachusetts. For reservations, contact Marcia Kielb at (413) 568-1618 or [email protected].

Jan. 13: WestNet After 5 Event, hosted by Springfield Teachers Credit Union, 453 East Main St., Westfield. Food and beverages provided by Tucker’s Restaurant, Southwick; BusinessWest; and Silver Member Easthampton Savings Bank. Cost: members $10; non-members $15. For reservations, contact Marcia Kielb at (413) 568-1618 or [email protected] .

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

Cowls to Close Manufacturing Division

AMHERST — Citing diminished customer demand for custom-sawed lumber, W. D. Cowls Inc. will close its sawmill, one of its four divisions, this month. The ninth-generation family business will focus its future on its timberland and real-estate-management services, and Cowls Building Supply’s retail lumberyard and design showroom, according to Cinda Jones, president of W. D. Cowls Inc. Cowls’ core business, since 1741, has been sustainably managing timberland in Western Mass. from its home farm in North Amherst. Over the past 268 years, the family business enterprises have also included onion, corn, tobacco, and potato farms. Jones noted that family businesses have to innovate and change over time to survive and thrive, and her family is excited about the future. She added that this latest endeavor “is not about a business closing, but about a business evolving.”

NTS Moving into Springfield

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — New Technology Systems Inc. (NTS) will expand its presence into Western Mass. with a business service and sales office in the Monarch building beginning Feb. 1. NTS is a privately held, enterprise IT company that has been servicing Connecticut and Massachusetts for more than 28 years, according to Barry Kelly, vice president of NTS. Kelly noted that NTS specializes in the assessment, design, supply, and implementation of cost-effective technology solutions. NTS is headquartered in East Hartford.

Bell & Hudson Insurance Recertified

BELCHERTOWN — Bell & Hudson Insurance Agency Inc. has achieved full recertification as a Five Star insurance agency by the Mass. Assoc. of Insurance Agents. The Five Star Award of Distinction is earned by agencies that pass a comprehensive fitness review based on model best practices in customer focus, management, leadership, human resources, processes, products, and services. Once the designation is achieved by an insurance agency, the agency must be recertified every three years to retain it. The Five Star certification team, which conducts the fitness review, made note of the agency’s outstanding leadership, positive employee morale, and the staff’s commitment to the agency’s customers and the community as a whole. Bell & Hudson Insurance Agency, a full-service independent insurance agency, is located at 19 North Main St.

Auto Distributorship Transformation Brings Awards

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The University of Hartford’s new Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center has been honored repeatedly as an outstanding example of ‘adaptive reuse’ of an old industrial facility. The project transformed the former Thomas Cadillac distributorship at the corner of Albany Avenue and Westbourne Parkway in Hartford into a 55,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility for dance and theater instruction and performance for the Hartt School. The $22 million facility includes five dance studios, four theater rehearsal studios, three vocal studios, and two black-box theatres, as well as faculty offices, a café, a bank branch, and a community room. The architects of the arts center received a 2009 Design Award on Dec. 7 from the Connecticut Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in the category of ‘preservation.’ The center was designed by Smith Edwards Architects of Hartford with the goal of preserving the unique character of the original facility, which was created in 1929 by pioneering industrial architect Albert Kahn. The center also received a 2009 Hartford Preservation Alliance Award for its rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the former Cadillac building. Other honors for the project include a Connecticut Real Estate Exchange Award for adaptive reuse, a 2009 Connecticut Preservation Award from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, and a Connecticut Main Street Center 2009 Award of Excellence for adaptive reuse.

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. Note that these are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Keyla Sullivan v. HHK Properties, LLC
Allegation: Ceiling collapse in bathroom causing personal injury: $3,792.32
Filed: 12/2/09

Martin Topor Oil Co. Inc. d/b/a Central Oil v. Timberland Trucking, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of oil sold and delivered: $4,870.10
Filed: 11/23/09

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

ECI Rail Constructors, LLC v. Northern Construction Service, LLC and Hanover Insurance Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay for flagging services rendered during the repair of a railroad bridge: $79,900.88
Filed: 12/07/09

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC v. Pioneer Supply Co.
Allegation: Default on a retail installment sales agreement: $7,779.88
Filed: 11/27/09

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

American Express v. Paradise Limousine
Allegation: Monies owed pursuant to a credit-card agreement: $27,317.74
Filed: 11/18/09

Bank of Western Massachusetts v. Shelburne Falls Wine Merchants, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of commercial notes and guaranties: $105,150.72
Filed: 11/23/09

Dimitry Primakov v. Aero-Bond Corp.
Allegation: Failure to pay wages and wrongful termination: $25,000+
Filed: 11/10/09

Holyoke Mall Co., LP v. Nail Pro
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $229,798.17
Filed: 11/10/09
Ikon Financial Services v. Grynn & Barrett Inc.
Allegation: Breach of equipment lease agreement: $54,579.87
Filed: 11/20/09

Jonathan Kerr v. Menard, Murphy, & Walsh, LLC
Allegation: Conversion and fraud regarding deposit in real estate transaction: $150,000
Filed: 11/20/09

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Beatrice Cokely v. Colonel Woodbridges Tavern Inc.
Allegation: Negligence in property maintenance, causing personal injury: $63,000
Filed: 12/07/09

Joan M. Johnson v. CPL Cabot LLC & Revera Health Systems
Allegation: Emotional distress and retaliation in the workplace: $56,000
Filed: 12/16/09

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Ma Pacitti v. Eric Vaughn Roofing Co.
Allegation: Breach of a roofing contract: $3,000
Filed: 11/23/09

Ted Ondrick Co., LLC v. CAP Development and TRAK Petroleum, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of labor and materials: $3,462.50
Filed: 12/16/09

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Aggregate Industries Northeast Region Inc. v. Bill Griggs Carpentry
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $4,189.58
Filed: 11/16/09

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

American Express v. Attexor Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of monies loaned pursuant to a credit-card agreement: $18,873.76
Filed: 10/30/09

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. LA Newton School of Beauty Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services rendered: $11,146.97
Filed: 11/09/09

H&P Realty, LLC v. Audio Image
Allegation: Non-payment of rent: $31,320.00
Filed: 11/04/09

Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. v. Fales Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of judgment: $43,995.89
Filed: 11/04/09

PDQ Billing Services v. Agawam Primary Care
Allegation: Non-payment of billing services rendered: $4,474.66
Filed: 11/04/09

Unishippers v. Taxi Dog Bakery
Allegation: Breach of contract and non-payment of shipping services: $8,397.92
Filed: 11/02/09

United Rentals Inc. v. Pinnacle Roofing Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of materials, equipment, and services: $4,760.28
Filed: 11/05/09

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Wheeler Oil Co. Inc. v. Timberland Trucking, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of home diesel fuel sold: $9,986.98
Filed: 12/14/09

Current Events

By BusinessWest Staff January 4, 2010

Features

The Holyoke G&E Makes Some Powerful Statements

Current Events It was a spirit of entrepreneurship that made Holyoke into one of New Englands most vibrant industrial centers more than a century ago. Today, that spirit lives on in a place where one might not expect to find it at the citys 107-year-old municipal utility. The Holyoke Gas & Electric Department has initiated a number of bold steps in recent years, from purchase of the Holyoke Water Power Co., to startup and rapid expansion of its fiber-optic network, to ongoing work to build its portfolio of renewable energy. The sum of these and other ambitious steps has made the municipal utility a primary driver of economic development in the city and BusinessWests Top Entrepreneur for 2009.

Jim Lavelle says 2009 was a good water year.

By that, the manager of the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department meant that the water levels in the Connecticut River, helped by steady rains through much of the first half of the year, were high enough to yield a significant increase in the amount of electricity produced at HG&Es hydro power facility, one of the few in the country operated by a municipal utility.

But they werent too high.

There is a law of diminishing return, Lavelle explained. If the waters too high, you reach a point where production stops increasing. This year, the levels were just right.

A number of things have been going just right for the HG&E and its various departments in recent years. They range from the successful acquisition of the various assets of the Holyoke Water Power Co. from Northeast Utilities more than a decade ago, to the launching of a fiber-optic division that provides voice and Internet service to homes and businesses in Holyoke and now well beyond, to the acquisition of land on Mount Tom for the exploration of a windpower operation and other initiatives to grow the utilitys renewable-energy portfolio.

Add it all up, and it makes for a decidedly different kind of honoree for BusinessWests Top Entrepreneur Award, first presented in 1996 to recognize the regions long history of entrepreneurship and those who are carrying on that tradition.

This is not an individual manager (although Lavelles strong leadership since he arrived in Holyoke 10 years ago has been a strong factor). Nor is it a private company. This is a utility, one with an entrepreneurial spirit, and one that has become a driving force in Holyokes economic-development activities.

Indeed, it was the G&Es ability to provide a large, reliable supply of inexpensive and green (hydro) power that convinced a group of partners from academia and corporate America the list includes MIT, UMass, Boston University, and Cisco to select Holyoke as the site for a high-performance computing center in what was undoubtedly the brightest moment in an otherwise down year business-wise.

Lavelle stated repeatedly that the utilitys recent string of success stories and its selection as Entrepreneur of the Year are the byproduct of strong leadership from managers and large doses of teamwork. That, and a very businesslike and environmentally conscious, or green, approach to the utilitys 107-year-old mission: to provide reliable electricity at a competitive cost to the ratepayers of Holyoke, while providing great customer service.

In short, the utility is not merely providing reliable and comparatively inexpensive power, said Lavelle, but it is working continuously to lower its carbon footprint in the process.

Fran Hoey, chair of Holyokes Municipal Light Board, used the word innovative repeatedly as he talked about the many initiatives Lavelle and his team have undertaken over the past decade or so, and thats a quality he says is needed in what has become an ultra-competitive and very challenging industry and if the HG&E is going to continue to be a driving force in economic development.

Innovation has to be part of it, and a big part of it, he explained. The energy market operates within a changing market, probably more so now than at any time in the past, in terms of both the regulatory requirements and the financial drivers. We need to be able to successfully navigate these challenges, while at the same time exploit the opportunities that they present.

To sustain our position as market leaders, we really need to develop and promote an innovation-oriented culture, and thats what our team has done, he continued. In this business, the status quo wont cut it.

BusinessWest kicks off this year as it has the previous 13, with the naming of its Top Entrepreneur, and a detailed look at why this choice is worthy of such an honor.

Dam Straight

BusinessWest has gone outside the box in its selection of previous Entrepreneurs of the Year, such as with the choice of Springfield Technical Community College President Andrew Scibelli for his work to create the Technology Park and Enterprise Center in the former Digital Equipment Corp. complex across Federal Street from the main campus.

A similar pick was Craig Melin, president of Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, chosen for leadership in efforts with everything from improving efficiency and patient satisfaction to initiating green-energy measures such as a biomass plant.

Those examples show that entrepreneurship is not confined to successful private business operations, and the HG&E provides more evidence.

And this story is similar to those at STCC and CDH in many different ways. They start with leadership, but are punctuated by teamwork and an entrepreneurial spirit that flows from the top through the entire organization, and the HG&E is no exception.

Lavelle was working as an administrator at United Technologies in its Space and Sea Division when he decided to become a candidate for the managers position at the G&E in 2000. He eventually triumphed over a number of other contenders, including the citys former mayor, Daniel Szostkiewicz.

Upon arriving, Lavelle quickly determined that he had a number of challenges on his to-do list, ranging from blueprinting a growth strategy for the then-fledgling fiber-optic operation to finding new revenue streams, to developing a plan for coping with the sea changes that were taking place in the energy business.

There were a lot of questions to be answered, he said. First off, we were trying to figure out how to meet growing electric demand and whether we should pursue acquisition of the hydroelectric project from Northeast Utilities. There was also the matter of what we were going to do with the telecommunications system, which at that time was just a network attached to municipal buildings in Holyoke, and how we could maximize that asset. And then we had to figure out how to fix the steam department, which had been losing money for years.

One of his first orders of business was to assemble and task a team of managers that now includes Brian Beauregard, superintendent of the Electric Division; Timothy Shannon, superintendent of the Gas Division; Robert Gaboury, Telecommunications Operations manager; Paul Ducheney, superintendent of Electric Production; Jim Jackowski, business liaison; and Brian Richards, comptroller.

Together, and with Lavelles lead, theyve injected a decidedly entrepreneurial spirit into all five of the utilitys operations gas, electric, steam, fiber-optic, and customer service while using the utilitys mission as a guide.

Certainly the boldest, and in many ways most controversial, gambit was the purchase of the many assets of the Holyoke Water Power Co. from Northeast Utilities, which had been, through a rather unusual set of circumstances, a direct competitor to the HG&E.

It was totally unique there were two sets of wires that went down a lot of streets, said Beauregard, noting that he could recall just one other city (Cleveland) which had two utilities vying for the same business. And it wasnt just concentrated in downtown Holyoke; there was a line that went down by the mall and into Westfield. Northeast Utilities had about 17 or 18 miles of distribution lines and a lot of customers.

We were literally competing head to head, he continued. Somebody from Northeast Utilities would go in with a proposal, and then someone from the Holyoke Gas & Electric would come in with a proposal. Whoever had the best proposal would get to serve the customer, and both sides were very aggressive.

Amped Up

So when NU eventually agreed to sell the various assets of the water power operation to HG&E for $17.55 million in 1999 it rebuffed an earlier attempt five years earlier and kept its operating license the transaction provided the municipal utility with not only a solid source of energy, and renewable energy, but it also resolved what Lavelle called legacy issues and helped the utility streamline its operations.

The acquisition also helped set a tone within the department, Lavelle continued, one marked by creative problem-solving, innovative thinking, and entrepreneurship. And this method of doing business was employed in several departments.

Indeed, with its fiber-optic business, the HG&E took a decidedly different route from most competing in that arena. Most focus on residential customers and, on the commercial side, what Gaboury calls low-hanging fruit.

Instead, the utility focused on larger, enterprise customers on the commercial side of the ledger, starting in Holyoke, but quickly expanding into downtown Springfield, where the HG&E has wired three buildings Monarch Place, Tower Square, and the TD Bank tower.

Growth has been relatively slow but steady, and at a pace that the utility can handle, said Gaboury, adding that the telecommunications component has provided the HG&E with a solid business-growth opportunity, and the city with another hard asset in its drive to spur more economic development.

The same can be said of the utilitys efforts with regard to renewable energy, said Lavelle, noting that it is working to become a leader in that realm. Thanks to the good water year in 2009, the HG&E was able to meet roughly 75% of its energy needs through hydro, while in a normal year that number would be closer to half or 60%.

Overall, the department is committed to expanding its portfolio of renewable energy, he said, and, in the process, providing the city with an important economic-development asset. Elaborating, he said it is the right, responsible thing to do, but it also makes good business sense.

The impact on our carbon footprint is minimized by the hydro power we produce, he explained. The average electric distribution companys carbon footprint is about 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour, and ours is about half that, and a in a very good water year, it will be about one-tenth.

Add an attractive price to this large source of renewable energy, and Holyoke now has a real asset, he continued.

In virtually any other territory, if you want to get green energy, you pay a premium for it, he said. Here, we sell it off the shelf, and for less than what others charge for standard power.

Watts Ahead?

Lavelle said its no coincidence that the sum of the utilitys many expansion initiatives in recent years have made Holyoke a more-attractive site for locating or expanding a business; this was all part of the utilitys strategic plan.

The city still has one of the highest commercial tax rates in the region (currently $35.15), but that disadvantage is offset in many ways by the reliable, inexpensive power the G&E can provide to all its customers, and even lower rates for large users, as well as high-speed Internet service.

This combination of competitive advantages, and also the fact that a large percentage of the power produced is green (hydro), quickly made Holyoke the focus of attention for those exploring the prospects for building a high-performance computing center somewhere in southern New England.

While MIT and Harvard would no doubt like to have such a facility in their backyard in Cambridge, utility costs there are currently at least twice what they are in Holyoke, said Lavelle, and the power in Cambridge isnt green.

This combination of inexpensive power and renewable power is becoming very attractive to developers, he explained. Theres no doubt that this was a huge factor in the high-performance computing center coming to Holyoke, and there will be other businesses and government agencies that will want to follow suit.

The challenge moving forward, said Lavelle, is to scale up the utilitys green-power initiatives to ensure that the competitive edge that the city now has with regard to economic development will be there for years and decades to come.

It is this need that motivated the utility to purchase 270 acres on Mount Tom for exploration of windpower alternatives that would enhance green power supplies and enable the city to attract more businesses and institutions with a mindset to go green.

As part of our ongoing efforts to plan for our power needs and to develop plants to satisfy our power needs, we generally start by looking in our own backyard at what assets we have and how we can extract value from those assets, Lavelle explained. Were doing it with hydro were looking at how we can reduce our cost and reduce our carbon footprint and were also looking at Mount Tom and its viability for windpower.

Studies of that site are ongoing, he continued, adding that there are many factors that will determine if and how the utility moves forward with such a facility, including the ability to lower costs and further reduce the carbon footprint. Ultimately, though, the utility will need a larger portfolio of competitively priced renewable energy if, as Lavelle and others expect, the high-performance computing center prompts increased interest in Holyoke.

The Mount Tom acquisition was yet another bold initiative in a decade of many for the HG&E, which, through Lavelles leadership, had adopted an entreprenurial mindset through all its various operations. And, as Hoey noted, such a strategic approach is necessary if the utility is to effectively compete in this altered, highly competitive landscape.

Looking at the HG&Es body of work during his 12-year tenure, and especially during Lavelles stint as manager, Hoey said there has been what he called a passion driving the various programs and expansion efforts.

Acquiring the assets of the Holyoke Water Power Co. was a pretty bold and controversial move, but as we look back at it, its been a great win for the city, he said. Building out the fiber-optic network required vision and a certain amount of initiative, and now were evaluating the expansion of our renewable portfolio through small-scale hydro and community-scale wind. These initiatives are really paying off for the G&E, but especially for Holyoke and the region.

Power Plays

As HG&Es managers talked with BusinessWest late last month, one of them noted that the ninth anniversary of the utilitys acquisition of the dam and hydro facility (Dec. 14) had passed rather quietly, without much fanfare within the department.

Perhaps, but the impact of that bold initiative, and many of the G&Es other moves in recent years, certainly wont be overlooked any time soon.

The utility is making great strides in all its various divisions, taking many bold steps with regard to producing inexpensive, green power, and playing a key role in helping Holyoke return to the vibrancy that made it one of the states leading industrial centers.

As Hoye said, it was an entrepreneu
ial spirit that built Holyoke form an agrarian community into the home of dozens of paper and textile mills. And that spirit lives on today, at the citys utility.

George OBrien can be reached

at[email protected]

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