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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield announced that it has awarded a $40,000 grant for facade improvements to 1525 Main St., the new downtown location for New England Public Radio (NEPR). The grant is made possible under DevelopSpringfield’s Corridor Storefront Improvement Program, which provides grants of up to $10,000 per storefront for exterior improvements to first-floor businesses located on State and Main streets in Springfield.

Improvements to this space included renovations to multiple storefronts to accommodate fit-out of the new headquarters and studios in Springfield. The recently awarded funds were used to revitalize and repair the existing façade and included new windows, doors, and frames, along with reconstruction of some existing window fixtures. NEPR celebrated its grand opening in September.

“DevelopSpringfield is proud to partner with NEPR by supporting façade improvements to their new facility on this important Main Street corridor,” said Jay Minkarah, president and CEO of DevelopSpringfield. “The improvements have made a tremendous visual impact and highlight the vibrancy of our downtown.”

DevelopSpringfield’s Corridor Storefront Improvement Program was established in 2009 to enhance the visual appeal of State and Main streets while providing assistance to businesses making investments in these two key corridors within the city. For more information on the Corridor Storefront Improvement Program, visit www.developspringfield.com and click on ‘programs,’ or contact Minkarah at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected].

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SPRINGFIELD — The latest survey from the Western New England University Polling Institute finds the race for governor of the Bay State to be a dead heat. Republican Charlie Baker leads Democrat Martha Coakley by one point among likely voters and also by one point among the larger sample of registered voters in the telephone survey, conducted Sept. 20-28. But the race is in flux, with 41% of likely voters who expressed a candidate preference saying they could change their minds before Election Day on Nov. 4.

The survey of 416 likely voters found Baker with support from 44%, while 43% said they would vote for Coakley if the election were held today. Independent candidates Evan Falchuk and Jeff McCormick each received backing from 2% of likely voters, and independent candidate Scott Lively won support from 1%. Another 7% said they are undecided. The margin of error for the sample of 416 likely voters is plus or minus five percentage points. The margin of error for the larger sample of 536 registered voters, which includes the likely-voter sample, is plus or minus 4%.

The results in the race for governor reveal a much closer contest than previous surveys from the Polling Institute, which found Coakley with a 20-point lead over Baker among registered voters last October, and a 29-point lead among registered voters in a survey conducted March 31 through April 7. Coakley, currently the state attorney general, and Baker, a former healthcare executive who served in the cabinets of two Republican governors, won their parties’ nominations in primary elections Sept. 9.

“With the campaign in full swing now, it is anybody’s race between the two frontrunners,” said Tim Vercellotti, director of the Polling Institute and a professor of political science at Western New England University.

The Polling Institute also asked voters about their preferences in the race for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Incumbent Democrat Ed Markey, who won the seat in a special election in June 2013 and is seeking a full six-year term in November, leads Republican Brian Herr, a former selectman from Hopkinton, by 22 points among likely voters, 56% to 34%.

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NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Hospital will host a benefit tea and lecture for the Cooley Dickinson Nurse Development Program on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Smith College Conference Center, featuring author, historian, and scholar Judith Lissauer Cromwell.

Cromwell, author of the book Florence Nightingale, Feminist, will lecture on Nightingale’s story from a post-feminist perspective. Community members are invited to learn about Nightingale, a nursing pioneer, and support their local community hospital.

Cromwell, who lives in New York City, is excited to bring her work to Northampton and Cooley Dickinson. Her personal experience, both as a magna cum laude graduate of Smith College and as a 20-year veteran of corporate America, enriches the perspective she shares in her book.

Tickets cost $35 and can be purchased online at www.bit.ly/cdhgiving, as well as at Coopers Corner/State Street Deli, Broadside Book Store, and Amherst Books. For more information, call the Cooley Dickinson Development Office at (413) 582-2255.

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HADLEY — Valley Vodka Inc., a Western Mass.-based company founded by Paul Kozub in 2005, announced the purchase of its new world headquarters on Route 9 (146 Russell St.) in Hadley, the former St. John’s Catholic Church. State Sen. Stan Rosenberg will be touring the building on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.

“For the past nine years, we have been operating out of an old potato barn in Hadley. With the continued growth of V-One Vodka, we needed more space,” said Kozub. “ I have lived in town for 12 years and have seen the St. John’s church vacant since I moved here. I had always thought that this would be the perfect location for V-One’s world headquarters. We purchased the property a month ago, and since then we have begun cleaning the building, since it has been vacant for more than 20 years.”

Since V-One’s launch in September 2005 in 10 local liquor stores, it has expanded to more than 1,000 locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut. V-One Vodka has won some of the most prestigious liquor-tasting awards in the world, including the Double Gold at the World Spirit Competition in San Francisco in 2010.

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PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) has been designated a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (COEMIG) by the American Assoc. of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL), the leading association of minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons, and Surgical Review Corp. (SRC).

In addition, Drs. Daniel Barraez-Masroua, Andrew Beckwith, Robert Benner, Herbert Kantor, and Cassandra Service have earned the prestigious COEMIG designation. They are members of the BMC medi-cal staff and practice with Berkshire Ob/Gyn Associates.

“The COEMIG program recognizes hospitals and surgeons that demonstrate an unparalleled commitment and ability to consistently deliver safe, effective, evidence-based care,” said Kantor, chairman of Maternal Child Health for BMC. “The program is designed to help minimally invasive gynecologic-surgery providers to continuously improve care quality and patient safety. I am proud that we have achieved this designation, which results from our commitment to working together as a team to deliver the highest-quality care for our patients.”

The COEMIG program was developed by AAGL and SRC to focus on improving the safety and quality of gynecologic patient care and lowering the overall costs associated with successful treatment. The program is designed to expand patient awareness of, and access to, minimally invasive gynecologic procedures performed by surgeons and facilities that have demonstrated excellence in these advanced techniques. To earn the COEMIG designation, BMC provided information on all aspects of its minimally invasive gynecology program and processes, including data on surgical outcomes.

“The COEMIG program fosters quality improvement in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, and participation has focused our team on exceeding clinical benchmarks and guidelines,” said Kantor. “Most importantly, our commitment to excellence improves the health and well-being of our patients.”

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Grove Property Fund, owner of the Longmeadow Shops, announced that it has altered its concept plan for a proposed expansion of the Longmeadow Shops to incorporate more parking spaces and improve overall circulation of the existing parking lot.

The proposal, which seeks a zoning change on a 1.89-acre parcel owned by the Longmeadow Shops, calls for an additional 21,096 square feet of shared retail space. Based on the proposed expansion, town requirements call for the development to add an additional 139 parking spots for a grand total of 593 spaces. At previous Planning Board meetings, Grove Property Fund and the project’s architect, Phase Zero Design, presented plans that achieved 88% of that parking requirement.

“The message was clear to us at the previous Planning Board meetings that additional parking spaces and improving the overall circulation of the parking lot were top priorities,” said Steve Walker of Grove Property Fund. “Our team was able to reconfigure the existing parking lot to improve the overall circulation, eliminate dead-end parking rows, and ultimately add 139 parking spaces, which brings us to 100% compliance.”

The new plan delivers a grand total of 593 spaces to be shared among the existing tenants and new proposed retailers. The proposed retail space would be divided by three tenants and would include a drive-thru pharmacy location. The footprint of the expansion would not extend beyond land that is owned by the Longmeadow Shops.

The petition to change the 1.89-acre area to a business-zoned parcel is one that requires a two-thirds favorable vote at Longmeadow’s fall town meeting. The meeting will be held on Nov. 18 at the Longmeadow High School gymnasium. The Planning Board has also tentatively set a date of Oct. 29 for a public hearing on the matter to seek further public comments.

“We have solicited feedback from key stakeholders in town, our neighbors, and our tenants, and we feel that we have put together a plan that is very sensible,” said Walker. “The proposal maintains the charm and character of the Longmeadow Shops, improves parking, and enhances the overall makeup and strength of the shops for years to come.”

Grove Property has estimated that the proposed expansion would bring an additional $70,000 to $80,000 in additional tax revenues annually. Grove Property purchased the Longmeadow Shops in 1994.

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PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank was recently named by the Boston Business Journal as one of Massachusetts’ most charitable companies at the publication’s annual Corporate Citizenship Summit in Boston on Sept. 10.

The Boston Business Journal is one of the leading sources for business news, research, and events in the Greater Boston area. Each year the magazine honors a select list of companies for their charitable work in the community. Berkshire Bank ranked 40th for total financial contributions with more than $1.1 million donated in Massachusetts alone, and ranked fourth for its employee volunteer efforts. Berkshire Bank joined a select list of statewide, national, and international companies honored at the summit.

The award recognized Berkshire Bank and Berkshire Bank Foundation’s philanthropic investments in the community through their charitable grants, corporate giving, in-kind donations, and employee volunteerism through the bank’s award-winning X-TEAM volunteer program. Annually, Berkshire Bank and its foundation award $2 million to community organizations, as well as scholarships to high-school seniors with a record of academic excellence and financial need. In addition to financial support, the X-TEAM provided employees with paid time off to volunteer during regular business hours. In 2013, 70% of Berkshire Bank’s employees donated in excess of 40,000 hours of service to benefit community organizations across the company’s service area.

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SPRINGFIELD — The 24th annual SIDS Race For Life, in memory of Barry Metayer Jr., is being held on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m., with runner registration at 9:30 a.m. The five-mile road race and 3.5-mile fun walk will begin and end at the John Boyle O’Reilly Club on Progress Avenue in Springfield.

The accompanying food-truck festival is the first of its kind in the area, and for the past three years, the trucks have been as big a draw as the race. This year is no exception. A new lineup of trucks will be on hand to feed hungry runners and spectators. In addition to local favorites such as Log Rolling, Bruiser’s BBQ, and MJ’s, the Cupcake Brake will be coming from New Haven with custom desserts, and Felix’s Baked Potatoes will be serving up its superb spuds. Chanterelle’s will serve farm-to-table soups and salads, and the Simply Divine truck will be peddling gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches.

The SIDS Race for Life is made possible by a wide roster of generous sponsors, led by U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Williams Distributing, Darby O’Brien Advertising, and Baystate Health. All proceeds from the race will benefit the Massachusetts Center For SIDS. Further information about registration, routes, and more can be found at www.sidsrace4life.com.

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SPRINGFIELD — WGBY announced that development professional and BusinessWest 40 Under Forty alumna Monica Borgatti has joined the public television station as major and planned giving officer.

Borgatti, a Western Mass. native, has years of experience working with not-for-profit organizations in the region. Most recently, she worked as senior philanthropic service administrator at U.S. Trust in Glastonbury, Conn. Prior to that, she was development manager at the Center for Human Development in Springfield and resource development and communications director at Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity.

In 2011, Borgatti was named one of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty, a celebration of young business and civic leaders in the Pioneer Valley. She is active in the community, serving as president of Women in Philanthropy of Western Mass. and as a committee member for the Women’s Fund of Western Mass. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in non-profit management and philanthropy from Bay Path University.

“Major and planned giving provides vital and growing revenue for WGBY,” said Rus Peotter, the station’s general manager. “Monica’s knowledge, experience, and networks are terrific assets that she brings to support WGBY’s work throughout our service area.”

WGBY also announced that Jodi Fallon Fern, who joined its major and planned giving department in 2002, has been promoted to director of major and planned giving, replacing Laurie Leichthammer, who left WGBY in May 2014 when she and her husband relocated to New Hampshire.

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AMHERST — The National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected UMass Amherst Professor James Kurose to serve as assistant director for its directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE). The three-year appointment begins in January 2015.

Kurose is distinguished professor in UMass Amherst’s School of Computer Science, a position he has held since 2004. He has also served in a number of administrative roles, including chair of the department, interim dean, executive associate dean of the College of Natural Sciences, and senior faculty advisor to the vice chancellor for research and engagement. With Keith Ross, he co-authored the textbook Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, which is in its 6th edition.

“I’m honored to have been selected for this opportunity to serve the research community and the country,” Kurose said. “The role of computing in cybersecurity, infrastructure, networking, big data, and more continues to be of national importance. And NSF plays a crucial and fundamental role in contributing to our understanding of these and other issues.”

CISE’s mission is to promote the progress of computer and information science and engineering research and education and advance the development and use of cyber infrastructure; promote understanding of the principles and uses of advanced computer, communication, and information systems in support of societal priorities; and contribute to universal, transparent, and affordable participation in a knowledge-based society.

NSF Director France Córdova noted that “Dr. Kurose has contributed significantly to the nation’s understanding of computer sciences, both through his research focus and through his engagement with students across the world. His stellar reputation in the complex field of computer networking will translate well at NSF, as will his achievements and leadership for which he has received impressive recognition through the years.”

Added UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, “I congratulate Dr. Kurose as he takes on this significant leadership role at the National Science Foundation. He has long been one of our most accomplished computer science researchers who is also a talented teacher and valued mentor. That one of the world’s pre-eminent research agencies has turned to Dr. Kurose to help set the nation’s agenda speaks highly of his expertise and all he has contributed as a member of UMass Amherst’s outstanding computer-science faculty.”

Kurose’s research interests include computer network protocols and architecture, network measurement, sensor networks, multi-media communication and modeling, and performance evaluation. He has been a visiting scientist at IBM Research, INRIA, Institut EURECOM, the University of Paris, the Laboratory for Information, Network and Communication Sciences, and Technicolor Research Labs.

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BOSTON — The Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage offices in Chicopee, Longmeadow, and Westfield announced that Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England has been ranked as one of the top corporate charitable contributors in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage was the only residential real-estate brokerage firm to be recognized. The company was honored during the 9th annual Corporate Citizenship Summit, which was held at the Westin Copley Hotel in Boston and attended by approximately 700 guests representing a wide range of nonprofit organizations as well as local and national companies with a presence in Massachusetts.

“Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage knows that supporting local charitable organizations is vital, and giving back to our communities is part of our culture,” said Pat Villani, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England. “I am very proud of our employees and affiliated sales associates who continue to demonstrate their generosity through their volunteer efforts and contributions to our charitable foundation.”

Sales associates and employees raise funds for local housing-related causes by donating a portion of their sales commissions and paychecks to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares, the company’s charitable foundation. They also host fund-raisers and volunteer at local community organizations.

The primary purpose of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares is to raise funds to provide financial assistance to housing-related causes in the communities where Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has a presence. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares is the New England chapter of the Realogy Foundation.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is the largest residential real-estate brokerage company in New England. With more than 4,000 sales associates and staff in more than 80 office locations, the organization serves consumers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real-estate brokerage company.

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BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for August were down in most labor-market areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The preliminary statewide unadjusted unemployment rate estimate for August was 6.0%, down 0.1% from July. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.0% from the August 2013 rate of 70%. During August, the Worcester area recorded a gain in jobs, while the remaining 11 areas for which job estimates are published reported losses. The largest losses occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, and Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury areas.

Since August 2013, nine of the 12 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the Worcester, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Framingham, and Springfield areas. The Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, and Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury areas lost jobs. Job losses were impacted by temporary employment disruptions in the retail-trade sector.

The seasonally adjusted statewide August unemployment rate was 5.8%, up 0.2% over the month and down 1.4% over the year. The rate was 0.3% below the 6.1% national unemployment rate. The statewide, seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 5,300-job loss in August and an over-the-year gain of 54,300 jobs. The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor-market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

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BOSTON – Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett has awarded $7.4 million in grants to municipalities under the Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative.

The funding will be used for six projects to implement clean-energy technologies to improve resiliency at critical facilities, including two in Western Mass. This is the first round of grants through the initiative, which is part of Gov. Deval Patrick’s comprehensive climate-change-preparedness effort.

“This initiative is about being proactive and not waiting until the next severe storm to react,” the governor said. “These grants will assist communities in delivering critical services to residents, keeping people safer during times of danger.”

Through the Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative, $40 million in state funding is available to cities and towns that identify the facilities in their communities where the loss of electrical service would result in the disruption of a critical public-safety or life-sustaining function, including emergency services, shelters, food and fuel supply, and communications infrastructure. Municipalities can use the funding to implement clean-energy technologies to keep their energy systems operable.

“The Patrick Administration is committed to innovative solutions that both mitigate and prepare for climate change impacts in the Commonwealth,” said Bartlett. “We are proud to partner with municipalities to prevent disruption to critical facilities and services during times of emergency, while also continuing to secure our clean-energy future in the long term.”

Projects eligible for funding include clean-energy generation, energy storage, energy-management systems, islanding technologies, and microgrids.

The city of Springfield was awarded $2.79 million to develop, in partnership with Baystate Health, a 4.6-megawatt combined heat and power plant, which will provide electricity, chilled water, and steam to the hospital. The plant will include a gas turbine generator, heat-recovery steam generator, absorption chiller, black-start diesel generator, and load-management system. The plant will produce 80% of the hospital’s annual energy consumption, 68% of its electricity, and 97% of its steam.

Meanwhile, the city of Northampton was awarded $525,401 to incorporate solar PV and batteries with existing diesel generation at the Northampton Fire Department Headquarters, the sole city facility capable of providing a significant number of critical municipal services. The project will allow for diversified fuel sources available for power production during an extended outage, prioritize new emergency power-generation systems, offset use of emergency fuel oil during long-term power outages, reduce the environmental impacts from power generation for the facility, and improve grid-tied power reliability by enabling peak-shaving and load shedding.

Other communities to win awards through the Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative include Boston, Berkley/Taunton, the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District, and the South Essex Sewerage District.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Economic Assistance Coordinating Council (EACC) approved seven projects for participation in the Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP), which are expected to create 433 new jobs and retain 460 existing jobs, in addition to leveraging more than $61 million in private investment and supporting construction projects across the Commonwealth.

Among the approved projects are five manufacturing companies and three projects located in gateway cities, including one involving Freedom Credit Union and a new branch in Springfield. The EDIP program will facilitate the growth of these businesses, which will contribute to job creation and private investment in the state. The EACC meets on a quarterly basis to review applications.

“Supporting companies that are choosing to grow in Massachusetts is an important part and one of the administration’s key economic-development objectives to create economic opportunity in every region of the Commonwealth,” said Michael Hunter, executive director of the Mass. Office of Business Development. “These investments will help these companies expand and continue to enhance the Massachusetts economy by making our communities stronger in the long term.”

The EDIP is the Commonwealth’s investment tax-credit program for businesses. In 2009, Gov. Deval Patrick and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki, along with the Legislature, reformed the program, and, as a result, the EDIP has become one of the most effective programs helping business grow in Massachusetts. EDIP tax credits and other incentives are available to companies that make qualifying investments in new facilities and create new jobs. Those benefits can be recaptured if a company does not make the investments or create the jobs it projected.

Since these changes, 204 projects have received approval, leading to the potential creation of 14,416 new jobs, the retention of 40,911 existing jobs, and the leveraging of more than $5.5 billion in private investment. The EACC has assisted 111 manufacturers through the EDIP and has supported 94 projects in gateway cities.

The new facility in Springfield will be Freedom Credit Union’s 10th branch. As a result of the growth of the credit union, along with increased federal banking regulations, the organization is seeking to consolidate it’s two leased administrative facilities totaling approximately 7,000 square feet into a 12,000-square-foot facility in Springfield. The tax-increment-financing-only project will require an investment of approximately $2.2 million to consolidate back-office administration into a single location. The project will create 13 new full-time jobs in Springfield, and 16 employees will be transferred from Agawam to Springfield. The city of Springfield is supporting the project with a five-year tax-increment-financing agreement valued at $90,100.

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CHICOPEE — MicroTek Inc. will be hosting “Mornings with the Mayor” on Oct. 16 at its new location, 2070 Westover Road in Chicopee.

Coffee and light breakfast refreshments will be served, while Mayor Richard Kos provides updates and news about what’s happening in — and other topics that impact — Chicopee. Attendees may submit any questions, concerns, or ideas for discussion by Oct. 13 to Chamber President Eileen Drumm at [email protected].

This event is open to Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce members only, and is free, but registration is required so the host business knows how many will be attending. To register, go to www.chicopeechamber.org, scroll down under ‘Upcoming Events,’ and click on ‘More,’ or call the chamber at (413) 594-2101.

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BOSTON — Caregiver Homes Network Inc. has achieved the highest accreditation status of case-management accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

The structured family-caregiving model of care delivered by Caregiver Homes has received this accreditation, which recognizes service and quality that demonstrates strong performance that meets NCQA’s rigorous requirements for case management. NCQA’s case-management accreditation is a comprehensive, evidence-based accreditation program dedicated to quality improvement that can be used for case-management programs in provider, payer, or community-based organizations. The highest accreditation status extends accreditation to an organization for three years.

“Managed-care organizations consider NCQA accreditation to be the benchmark for evaluating other quality healthcare organizations,” said Caregiver Homes CEO Tom Riley. “Caregiver Homes is extremely proud to be the first entity focused on home- and community-based services to achieve an NCQA case-management accreditation.”

Margaret O’Kane, president of NCQA, noted that “case-management accreditation moves us closer to measuring quality across population-health-management initiatives. Not only does it add value to existing quality-improvement efforts, it also demonstrates an organization’s commitment to the highest degree of improving the quality of their patients’ care.”

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AMHERST — UMass Amherst now ranks among the nation’s top 30 public universities, moving up 10 spots during the past year in the 2015 Best Colleges guide released recently by U.S. News & World Report.

There are more than 600 public, four-year colleges in the country, and U.S. News ranks the top 122. The Commonwealth’s flagship campus, led by Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, earned its highest ranking ever in the prestigious national universities category. Since 2010, when UMass Amherst ranked 52nd among public schools, the university’s standing has steadily improved, reaching 40th last year before advancing to 30th for 2015, tied with four other schools.

Among all national universities, public and private, UMass Amherst moved up an impressive 15 places this year, from 91st to 76th, tied with eight other schools. A Washington Post analysis of the rankings cited UMass Amherst as one of only three national universities over the past five years that have risen more than 20 steps in the overall top 100 universities, from 99th to 76th.

“UMass Amherst increasingly is a destination of choice for the best students in Massachusetts and from all corners of world,” said Subbaswamy. “These rankings reflect our commitment to excellence in undergraduate education. We greatly appreciate such national recognition, and we are grateful for the increased investment in public higher education supported by our legislators and the governor. That investment is truly yielding dividends.”

Led this year by the University of California Berkeley, the University of California Los Angeles, and the University of Virginia, national public universities offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and Ph.D. programs, and are committed to producing groundbreaking research. The U.S. News rankings are based on a variety of weighted factors: graduation rate performance, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources, graduation and retention rate, alumni giving, financial resources, and student selectivity.

This fall, UMass Amherst again welcomed its most academically accomplished entering class. More than 37,000 students applied for admission, a 4% increase over the prior year. Applications have more than doubled since fall 2004. The academic profile of the entering class is at another historic high, continuing a record-setting trend. SAT scores increased by about 10 points to 1,218 compared to the previous year, and high-school grade-point average increased from 3.73 to 3.78. On average, the high-school rank improved, with students ranking, on average, in the top 20% their high-school class. The entering class includes 4,650 students, slightly more than last year.

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EAST LONGMEADOW — Excel Dryer Inc., manufacturer of the original, patented, high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR hand dryer and new XLERATOReco hand dryer, announced registered projects for the third annual international Green Apple Day of Service, an initiative from the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council that brings together advocates from around the world and encourages them to take action in their communities through service projects at local schools.

The Day of Service, now in its third year, provides an opportunity for students, teachers, parents, elected officials, organizations, companies, and others to transform all schools into healthy, safe, cost-efficient, and productive learning places. Projects organized by Excel Dryer this year include the installation of the Green Apple XLERATOR hand dryers at Brighton High School (part of the Boston public-school system), Angeles Mesa Elementary School (part of the Los Angeles Unified School District), and several locations throughout the UMass Amherst campus.

“The green movement is here to stay, and as all facilities are looking for green and cost-savings initiatives, installing XLERATOR hand dryers or our new XLERATOReco hand dryers accomplishes both,” said William Gagnon, vice president of marketing at Excel Dryer. “We are proud to be an original seed sponsor of the Green Apple program since its inception, and encourage groups and individuals to get caught green-handed and make a difference this month by registering a Day of Service project to install XLERATOR hand dryers or XLERATOReco hand dryers at local schools.”

Last year, more than 2,100 volunteer projects took place in communities around the world for the second annual Green Apple Day of Service, generating school-improvement projects in all 50 states and in 40 countries.

Excel Dryer has partnered with Green Apple and created custom covered Green Apple XLERATOR hand dryers that are available for any facility to purchase, and a portion of all proceeds go back to support the Green Apple program. The Green Apple XLERATOR hand dryer can be co-branded to include school logos, colors, mascots, or a custom sustainability message. The Green Apple XLERATOR hand dryer is also available in the new XLERATOReco model that uses no-heat technology to dry hands quickly using only 500 watts, making it the most energy-efficient hand dryer on the planet.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Falcons and Columbus Blue Jackets are extending their affiliation through the 2015-16 season with an option for two additional years, Falcons President Sarah Pompea and Blue Jackets General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen jointly announced.

The Falcons and Blue Jackets are entering their fifth season of partnership. The extension guarantees that Springfield will continue to serve as the American Hockey League affiliate and help develop top prospects in the Columbus organization through the 2015-16 season.

“We are excited to continue our affiliation and strong relationship with the Columbus organization,” said Pompea. “The extension further affirms our continued commitment to the Greater Springfield community. Columbus has been a great partner, and we look forward to having continued success with them both on and off the ice.”

Added Blue Jackets Assistant General Manager Chris MacFarland, who oversees hockey operations for the club’s affiliates, “the affiliation between the Blue Jackets and Springfield Falcons has been a successful and rewarding one for both clubs, and we’re pleased that the relationship will continue. The Falcons organization, under the leadership of Sarah Pompea, has been tremendous to work with, and we look forward to having our prospects continue to grow and develop in Springfield.”

Since becoming the AHL affiliate of the Blue Jackets in 2010-11, the Falcons have completed some of their most successful seasons. The team has a 163-119-11-15 record over the course of the partnership. They have won back-to-back Northeast Division Championships in 2012-13 and 2013-14. Along with claiming the division title, Springfield also set new franchise records with 47 regular-season wins and a .658 points percentage, while tying a team mark of 100 points, in the 2013-14 season. Additionally, 35 current or former Falcons players have skated in at least one game with the Blue Jackets since the affiliation began four seasons ago.

This season marks the Springfield Falcons’ 21st season in the AHL, while the Columbus Blue Jackets are heading into their 14th National Hockey League campaign. The Falcons play their home games at the 6,784-seat MassMutual Center.

“The extension of the Springfield Falcons’ affiliation agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets is great news for our region and the MassMutual Center,” said James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which owns and oversees operations of the MassMutual Center. “We commend Sarah Pompea for her leadership and look forward to the continuation of professional hockey in Springfield.”

The Springfield Falcons kick off the 2014-15 season with a visit to the Syracuse Crunch Oct. 11 and Oct. 17 before returning to the MassMutual Center for the home opener against the Hershey Bears on Oct. 18.

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WESTFIELD — Westfield State University will host Finnish educator and scholar Pasi Sahlberg as part of its Guest Lecture Series on Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. in Scanlon Banquet Hall. Sahlberg will present his lecture, “Protecting the Promise of Public Education.”

Sahlberg is considered an expert on education reform and has held many positions in the field, including senior education specialist in the World Bank in Washington, D.C., lead education specialist for the European Training Foundation, and director general of the Center for International Mobility and Cooperation (CIMO) at the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. In his current position as visiting professor of Practice at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Sahlberg works with graduate and doctoral students to better understand educational change and how education policies and reforms can improve and also harm school systems, teachers, and students in schools.

Sahlberg’s best-selling book, Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? explores the evolution of educational policies in Finland and explains how the policies differ from those in the U.S. and other countries. In 2011, the book was honored with the Upton Sinclair Award.

The lecture was organized by Trudy Knowles, professor of Education. Knowles said she invited Sahlberg to explain the differences between Finnish and American school systems, differences that she believes the U.S. could benefit from. “The education system in Finland is considered one of the top in the world, and yet their schools are structured in a completely different way than schools in the United States,” Knowles said. “He will challenge us to think in new and different ways about what is best for kids.”

Knowles also noted that the first step in improving the education system is eliminating high-stakes standardized tests. “Educating children to become functioning members of our society requires a holistic education that cannot be measured by a simple single assessment,” she said. “The current policies only value that which we can measure.”

Barbara Madeloni, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Assoc., and Gus Morales, president of the Holyoke Teachers Union, will also speak and discuss what changes can be made on a state level to improve education.

Sahlberg’s lecture is the first in a series of three forums about the future of public education in Western Mass. The second and third forums will be working sessions where educators, parents, students, and anyone interested in education can get together, discuss issues and concerns, and develop action steps for addressing those concerns. These forums will be held Oct. 23, 6:30-8 p.m., in Ely Room 017, and Nov. 20, 6:30-8 p.m., in Scanlon Banquet Hall. The Guest Lecture Series is supported by funding from the Academic Affairs budget to enhance student learning and service to the larger community. For more information on upcoming speakers in the series, visit www.westfield.ma.edu/speakerseries.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The first television commercial defending the state’s casino law focuses on Springfield and the prospects for thousands of new jobs if a gaming complex is built in the city’s South End. The ad, from the casino-backed Coalition to Protect Mass Jobs, was slated to debut Tuesday in Springfield and Boston.

The 30-second spot features Jeff Ciuffreda, director of Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, as narrator. “Springfield voted overwhelmingly,” he says. “It’s an $800 million economic-development project, the largest one we’ve had in Springfield for decades.” He continues, “Springfield’s unemployment rate is in double digits. We need the 3,000 jobs; we want the 3,000 jobs.”

The ad is the first of what is expected to be many in the coalition’s drive to defeat a proposed repeal of the 2011 state casino law, which authorized up to three casinos and a slots parlor.

Daily News

AMHERST — As part of the 2014 homecoming festivities, the UMass Amherst will officially hold dedication celebrations for the new UMass Football Performance Center and the Martin and Richard Jacobson Press & Skybox Complex on Sept. 26. The events are open to the public and will be capped off with a pep rally and fireworks display at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

The ceremony to dedicate the Football Performance Center takes place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. with an official ribbon cutting and guest speakers. At 7:45 p.m., fans are encouraged to return to McGuirk Alumni Stadium for a pep rally prior to the dedication of the new press box. The band and cheerleaders will be on hand, and 500 T-shirts will be given out to fans. The event will also serve as a final ticket-distribution point for any students still in need. The official dedication ceremony for the Martin and Richard Jacobson Press & Skybox Complex will take place at the 50-yard line of the stadium at 8:15 p.m. At the conclusion of the ceremony, a fireworks show will cap off the night.

The state-of-the-art Football Performance Center marks the first-ever dedicated facility housing all support elements for the UMass football program. The 55,000-square-foot, two-level complex will greet visitors with a foyer displaying proud moments in the program’s history while providing a dynamic vision of the future. Office space, meeting rooms, a multi-purpose/formal event space, and a terrace overlooking the field highlight the upper level. The lower level houses the locker room, equipment room, strength and conditioning space, and the athletic training room.

Ground was officially broken in April 2013, with the center opening for team use this past August. The press box measures 5,800 square feet and will be designed to accommodate a range of media, with a primary focus on television-production accessibility. It has suites for game-day use, broadcast rooms for radio and television, and dedicated instant replay for officials, and will be the base of operations for game-day staff. The press box can serve as a working facility for more than 100 members of the media. The total cost of the projects was $34.5 million.

Company Notebook Departments

Holyoke Mall Announces ‘Magical Night of Giving’
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Mall at Ingleside will be hosting its ninth annual “Magical Night of Giving” event to help local nonprofit groups and schools raise funds for their organizations. The event will be held on Sunday, Nov. 23 from 6 to 9:30 p.m., with the orientation and ticket-distribution session held on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 5:30 p.m. The orientation will be held at Holyoke Mall’s Guest Services Center, located on the lower level in Sears Court. The “Magical Night of Giving” is a simple and effective way for nonprofit groups and schools to raise funds for their organization. Holyoke Mall at Ingleside covers all overhead expenses, and the charity keeps 100% of each $5 admission ticket sold. The event works as follows:
• Holyoke Mall at Ingleside will print admission tickets. These tickets will be available for nonprofit groups to pick up and sell beginning Sept. 24.
• Prior to November’s event, organizations will sell these admission tickets for $5 each and keep all money earned from the sale of these tickets.
• For anyone not purchasing tickets in advance, admission tickets will also be sold the evening of the event at all mall entrances by some of the participating organizations.
• Participating Holyoke Mall at Ingleside retailers will offer special discounts that are exclusive to the “Magical Night of Giving.” The ticket is the only means to receive these special discounts between 6 and 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 23.
• Admission tickets sold also act as a raffle ticket. Prizes will be awarded, including a $1,000 Holyoke Mall gift card. The raffle drawing will begin at 8:30 p.m. the evening of the event.
Said Holyoke Mall General Manager Bill Rogalski, “this event helps to raise approximately $50,000 each year between the various organizations involved. Holyoke Mall is providing the tools for the groups to hold their own fund-raiser. It’s a simple way for nonprofit groups and area schools to raise much-needed funding for their organizations.” To reserve tickets for pickup on Sept. 24, contact Simone Enright at (413) 536-1441 or [email protected] by Friday, Sept. 19. Anyone unable to pick up tickets on Sept. 24 may make arrangements with Enright to pick them up at a later date. Call Holyoke Mall’s Marketing department at (413) 536-1441 with any questions.

Webber & Grinnell Named to Circle of Excellence
NORTHAMPTON — Webber and Grinnell Insurance Agency has been inducted into the Plymouth Rock Assurance and Bunker Hill Insurance 2014 Circle of Excellence, recognizing outstanding professionalism, financial performance, and commitment to customer service by independent insurance agents during 2013. Selected from a pool of more than 400 independent agents across Massachusetts, Webber & Grinnell was one of 25 agents to receive this honor. “The Circle of Excellence is our premiere recognition and rewards program reserved for our top independent agents,” said Chris Olie, president of Plymouth Rock Assurance and chairman of Bunker Hill Insurance.“These agents are key parts of Plymouth Rock and Bunker Hill’s success. They have each worked hard to build their businesses while also providing excellent service and trusting advice to their customers.” Webber & Grinnell is one of the largest insurance agencies in Western Mass. The agency currently serves more than 5,000 automobile and homeowner policyholders, and insures nearly 900 businesses throughout the region. “As an independent agent, our goal is to provide expert service tailored to the specific needs of each client we serve,” said Bill Grinnell, president of Webber & Grinnell. “It’s always rewarding to be recognized for our hard work and dedication, and we’re grateful to receive this honor from Plymouth Rock and Bunker Hill.” Plymouth Rock and Bunker Hill are leading automobile- and home-insurance carriers serving Massachusetts. As a member of the Circle of Excellence, Webber & Grinnell will receive marketing support funds, education and training, and other initiatives designed to promote sustained success. The agency will be honored at a fall retreat.

Freedom Credit Union Touts New Logo, Website
SPRINGFIELD — Freedom Credit Union recently unveiled its updated look with a new logo and a redesigned website. At the same time, the credit union launched its presence on social media with new Facebook and LinkedIn pages. “This rebrand is an effort for us to freshen up our image and present a more contemporary look and design across all parts of the credit union, from our website and in-branch messaging to our advertising and promotional materials,” said Barry Crosby, president and CEO. The new logo incorporates the outline of a bell, which represents the credit union’s founding as the Western Massachusetts Telephone Workers Credit Union in 1922. The new website features a more modern design with enhanced navigation and organization. Most of the information is organized within four areas — personal banking, business banking, member tools, and ‘about us’ — and the new rates page is arranged in tabs so that all credit-union rates can be accessed on one page. “Our new website also makes it very convenient for our members to apply for a mortgage or consumer loan online,” said Jeffrey Smith, Freedom’s vice president and chief lending officer. “Members can even get pre-qualified for a mortgage on our website in just a few minutes.” Members can apply for any type of consumer loan online — mortgages, home-equity loans, auto loans, personal loans, home-improvement loans, education loans, and more. On social media, Freedom has attracted hundreds of ‘likes’ on its Facebook page and numerous followers on its LinkedIn page. To access Freedom’s social-media sites, go to www.freedom.coop and click on the logos at the top of the page. Membership at Freedom is available to include anyone who lives, works, or attends a college or university in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, or Berkshire county. The organization boasts nine branches throughout the Pioneer Valley in Ludlow, Chicopee, Feeding Hills, Sixteen Acres, Springfield, Easthampton, Northampton, Greenfield, and Turners Falls. A tenth branch is slated to open in September at the Roger L. Putnam Technical Academy in Springfield.

Bauzá & Associates Joins Worldwide Partners
ENFIELD, Conn. — Worldwide Partners Inc. (WPI) has added another partner to the world’s 8th-largest full-service ad-agency network and the world’s largest network of independent ad agencies, according to Al Moffatt, president and CEO of Worldwide Partners, headquartered in Denver. Bauzá & Associates, headquartered in Enfield, Conn., specializes in multicultural marketing and is headed by principal and CEO Héctor Bauzá. Founded in 2003, the agency became an LLC in Massachusetts in 2005 and has a roster of clients including the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center of Dorchester, and the Connecticut Lottery. “What makes us attractive to clients worldwide is that we’re comprised of innovative, progressive agencies across a full range of disciplines and industries,” Moffatt said. “We’re a collaborative, bottom-up network whereby the partner agencies own us rather than us owning them. We provide the resources and the global outreach to help our partners achieve greater profits and revenue while the partner agencies work together to build each other’s business and service clients locally, regionally, and internationally. We’re an efficient, international network that is built to succeed in today’s highly competitive and fragmented marketing environment. Each partner is hand-selected for its progressive and innovative approach. In short, we have the critical mass and skills of the agency conglomerates coupled with the flexibility of the independents. We’re very happy to have Bauzá & Associates join us.” Added Bauzá, “we are honored to be a part of WPI’s tremendously successful network of independent agencies. As a smaller agency, the added muscle from WPI will help to increase the size of the projects Bauzá & Associates will compete for and expand this agency’s reach to regional, national, and global markets.” Worldwide Partners Inc., which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2013, has more than 20 network-wide regional and international clients, including Wal-Mart Centroamerica, Caterpillar, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Group Santander, MINI, Western Digital, California Tourism, and Novartis.

Dadanco Opens New Facility in Westfield
WESTFIELD — Dadanco, a manufacturer of commercial hydronic-based heating and cooling products, including active chilled beams, induction units, and induction diffusers, announced the grand opening of its Luxton-Reed Center, with an open house to be held on Sept. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Luxton-Reed Center is aptly named after two industry pioneers for heating and cooling technologies: professor Russell Luxton of Australia, the co-founder of Dadanco, and John Reed of Westfield, the founder of several hydronic heating companies, including Sterling Residential & Commercial Hydronics, which are divisions of Mestek Inc., the largest manufacturer of finned-tube baseboard radiation in North America. The Luxton-Reed Center (LRC) is a unique facility focused on research and development and specific high-efficiency equipment testing utilizing a thermal-scenario test chamber which accurately measures air and water flow, temperature, and capacities. The test chamber is highly configurable and can simulate actual real-life application conditions. Alongside the LRC corporate offices are several live-fire training and showcase spaces. Each space meticulously represents an actual real-world installation, including a hotel suite, hospital room, and laboratory. The hotel suite is one of the most technically complex demonstration spaces in the LRC facility, as the room features a thermal wall with glass façade which simulates outside conditions and three different types of hydronic cooling solutions, so guests get to compare and contrast without leaving the room. LRC’s main mechanical room is host to multiple high-efficiency products produced by other Westfield-based Mestek companies, including condensing cast-iron boilers from Advanced Thermal Hydronics, flexible small-duct air distribution, and reverse-cycle chiller systems by SpacePak, direct outside air systems by Applied Air, hydronic fan coils by Airtherm, and integrated control systems by HeatNet. The facility is a fully operational showroom and research center for high-efficiency indoor comfort equipment and integrated control platforms. Every room, including the offices, the classroom/training room, the videoconferencing room, and the kitchen/break room, houses various mediums of high-efficiency air-distribution equipment.

Departments Incorporations

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

AMHERST

Living Arts Farm, Inc., 45 Schoolhouse Road, Amherst, MA 01002. Alisande Cummingham Sweney, same. Provide educational programs on sustainable agriculture, gardening, optimal health, the natural world, and the arts.

GRANBY

Munsing Ridge Inc., 118 Munsing Ridge, Granby, MA 01033. Thomas R. Hill, same. Tavern.

GREENFIELD

Meadows Café & Golf Center Inc., 398 Deerfield St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Constant S. Poholek Jr., 30 Washington St., Attleboro, MA 02703. Golf center with café.

LUDLOW

Leary Masonry Solutions Inc., 31 Armand St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Martin D. Leary, same. Masonry, landscaping.

Limelight City Café, Inc., 893 Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056. John R. Pereira, same. Restaurant/bar.

Moreau Masonry Inc., 215 Holyoke St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Wendy Moreau, same.

NORTHAMPTON

Northampton Jewelers Inc., 104 Main St., Unit C, Northampton, MA 01060. Kendall Nicole Knapik, 76 Vernon St., Northampton, MA 01060. Light manufacturing and selling of jewelry/art.

One Bar & Grill Inc., 1 Pearl St., Northampton, MA 01060. Matthew Gibbs, 21 Viola St., Springfield, MA 01109. Restaurant/bar.

OTIS

Mass Media Marketing Inc., 138 Gibbs Road, Otis, MA 01253. Stephen Graves, same. Advertising agency.

SOUTH HADLEY

Nick Gardner Inc., 399 Newton St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Nicholas Gardner, same. Mechanical services.

SPRINGFIELD

Open House Evangelistic Outreach Industry, 22 Maryland St., Springfield, MA 01108. Everton Francis, same. To preach the gospel of God and the bible.

Nevadarcy Red Telecom (NRT) Copy & Secretarial Inc., 661 Main St., Suite 1A, West Springfield, MA 01089. David H. Lim, same. Network telecommunications, mobile network, secretarial, fax service, photo copying.

WESTFIELD

Michael’s Auto Transportation Inc., 93 South Maple St., Apt. 20, Westfield, MA 01085. Sergh Bonchukov, same. Trucking.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Multicultural Resource Center of Massachusetts, Inc., 425 Union St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Polina Bodner, same. Providing assistance to immigrants and refugees as they integrate into American society.

Commercial Real Estate Sections
Art and Commerce Intersect at Thriving 1350 Main Street

Evan Plotkin

Evan Plotkin says 1350 Main Street, with its robust leasing activity and artsy “vibe,” is a microcosm of what could happen across downtown Springfield.

There’s an art and science to marketing commercial real estate. In some cases, lots of art.

Take 1350 Main Street, or One Financial Plaza, in downtown Springfield, which was recently branded the MassLive Building after its newest tenant, which is leasing 11,000 square feet of space and paying for the right to emblazon the tower with its logo. MassLive is among several companies and colleges that have recently forged deals at 1350 Main, drawn by its location, its noteworthy art galleries (more on that later), and what Evan Plotkin describes as a palpable “vibe” at the site.

“One of the fascinating things about this building is that it represents, in my mind, a microcosm of an economic-development concept that is arts-driven,” said Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin, which co-owns the property. “When we acquired this property in 2007, the storefronts [on the first floor] were empty. We made major improvements in the plaza, including bringing the fountain back, putting in benches, and creating an environment conducive to gathering.”

That’s quite a contrast to seven years ago. When NAI Plotkin invested in 1350 Main, occupancy was 34%, the café now in the lobby was just a dark space, and there wasn’t much reason anyone would want to be on the property if they didn’t work in the tower, he said. “Most companies we approached said there was not enough foot traffic, and they would not be willing to make an investment.”

1350MainDPartBut some of the more recent tenants — like the Baystate Innovation Center, which will move in around Nov. 1; Bay Path University, which leased space last year; 180 Fitness, which opened its doors on Jan. 1; and MassLive — say that’s changed dramatically.

“What I’m hearing over and over again is that what we’ve done here is build a community in this building,” Plotkin said. “That happens because we’re getting people out of their offices, and they’re able to interact with each other, and that’s how innovation happens. That’s why the Innovation Center, of all the places they could have gone, wanted to be here, because they felt it was right for innovators because of the vibe this place gives off.”

That vibe includes a unique collection of paintings, sculptures, and other works of art assembled by John Simpson, manager of the Hampden Gallery at UMass Amherst and an art professor in the Commonwealth Honors College at the university. He has been working with Plotkin over the past few years to bring art to 1350 Main, from the impressive ninth-floor art gallery to the myriad paintings decorating the lobby.

Plotkin has also revitalized the outdoor pavilion, not only with those aforementioned tables and fountain, but with regular music events. The Palazzo Café, opened in 2007, remains busy, and 180 Fitness has not only thrived in its new space, but is attracting people who have no other connection to the tower.

“We’re talking about marketing their membership to the new market-rate housing developments coming to downtown,” Plotkin said. “I’ve offered these types of opportunities so we can start connecting the dots downtown. We need to stop building silos and start looking beyond the walls where we live and work and realize we have this incredible, walkable city.”

And that, he told BusinessWest, is the real story of the newly christened MassLive Building — not the success of the tower itself, which has more than doubled occupancy in the past seven years, to 79%, but how it models the kind of vibrancy he envisions for the entire downtown area.

Framing the Issue

Plotkin placed 1350 Main in the context of a recently released report detailing a potential innovation district centered around Worthington Street and Stearns Square. “There are major improvements being proposed in that study that will ultimately attract restaurants and other retail to that dining district. That’s what we did here by improving the outdoor community space and creating vibrancy here.”

John Simpson

John Simpson, who curates the art at 1350 Main Street, has also painted a series of murals, like this one of B.B. King, on the walls of nearby 31 Elm St., bordering Court Square.

That included offering an extremely attractive rate to the Palazzo Café. “Someone had to prime the pump. We had to do something to increase the vibrancy in the area, knowing that a retailer was reluctant to take that kind of risk. A small business can’t afford to take the risk if there isn’t foot traffic. It’s incumbent upon private business and, I think, the public sector as well, to create an environment where people want to gather.”

It’s clearly working. “We’re getting companies — large, established companies — renewing their leases now, even when they have term left. They’re seeing the demand for the building and understanding that, as vacancy goes down and demand increases, rates usually go up.”

As for MassLive, “we’re happy to be identified with them. It’s a very positive organization, and it says a lot that the company wants to grow in Springfield. They can go anywhere they want, but their commitment to Springfield is important.”

Although it’s significant for the building’s branding, the MassLive lease is just one more in a string of deals, including Thing5’s occupancy of the entire sixth floor in 2012. “In the last three years, in a declining market, we’ve leased 90,000 square feet of space,” Plotkin said. “So I look at this as a microcosm of what is possible.”

He looks specifically to Stearns Square, a gathering place that the city is looking at as a linchpin of its innovation district. “The fountain hasn’t worked in 15 years, and the turf has been worn away by concerts, with no restoration to it. You have vacant properties all around.”

It will take investment — both from the city and private developers — to change the aesthetics and provide incentives to attract retailers and restaurants, and hopefully housing will follow, he explained. “There has to be that initial investment by the property owners and the city to make the infrastructure improvement.”

Elm Street and State Street

Simpson will continue his mural project and liven up this alleyway connecting Elm Street and State Street.

That will require the participation of organizations like the Springfield Business Improvement District, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the mayor’s office, and other stakeholders, working together to promote the cultural assets of the city and continue developing the market-rate housing necessary to drive more retail, dining, and other business. “That’s what’s going to make site selectors look at downtown as a cool, vibrant place,” Plotkin said.

“It helps to have the other dynamics going on,” he continued, “with Union Station up there, the possibility of MGM coming in, and the sale of Morgan Square to a company that’s investing in market-rate housing. We have UMass downtown, Bay Path College, Cambridge College, NPR — all these companies and schools down here. Now you need to create an urban theme park — an urban campus, in the colleges’ case — where students and faculty leave their buildings. That’s a huge customer base, and they feel trapped in their buildings. We need to get them out.”

In other words, create foot traffic.

“To create an urban theme park, where you can access your cultural assets, you have to deal with people’s fear,” he continued. “But the more you engage people in walking, the more foot traffic you have, the less people are concerned about crime. You have fear when you have no people around, when you have vacant storefronts. People don’t want to walk on a block where they don’t see anyone.”

Art of the Deal

Plotkin and Simpson believe that art installations can go a long way toward creating an atmosphere where people want to be outside.

“John and I have been collaborating on public art for almost as long as I’ve been here, and it’s been a wonderful thing,” Plotkin said. “Even people who are not art aficionados can’t help but be taken by the beauty of our lobby and the paintings there. Then, when we take them up to the ninth floor, the incredible gallery up there, and they see the different conference rooms and a fitness center on the other side of the hall, people talk about mind, body, and spirit all here on one floor.”

The floor has become a popular spot for business meetings and school tours, but in 2007, it was considered a liability.

“That was a dark floor with a former call center and a cafeteria,” Plotkin said. “I was told by the appraiser, when I bought the building, that they deducted value from the ninth floor because of the cafeteria; the way it was laid out, it would cost so much to restore it to office use.”

Instead, he continued, “we have turned that space in to this beautiful asset which, if nothing else, has brought people here who would otherwise never see the building. We’ve created this vibe and this word of mouth about the building being such a cool place. Nobody has anything like this downtown. But I remind people that we’re trying to do this all over the downtown.”

Take neighboring Court Square, for example. During the Jazz & Roots Festival held there last month — an event that drew several thousand music lovers — Simpson painted a series of murals of musical icons on the black panels covering the darkened storefronts of 31 Elm St., a project that’s far from complete.

“Not a day goes by that people don’t thank us for doing it,” Simpson said of the public art displays he’s helped bring to 1350 Main and downtown in general. “A woman just told me it makes her day.”

It’s just one way the downtown can distinguish itself as a place people want to live, work, and shop, Plotkin said, noting that Springfield’s location at the center of the Knowledge Corridor, at the crossroads of Interstates 90 and 91, already make it an intriguing location for site selectors.

“But if we don’t have a city that people want to work in, if they say, ‘look, I don’t want to move to Springfield because I’m afraid there’s nothing to do,’ or any number of other reasons, that needs to change.

“The walkability of the city is what we have going for us, but we have blockages,” he added. “I use the analogy of a heart that’s pumping; if you have blocked arteries, you have extremities that aren’t getting oxygen. I would say that’s an example of what’s happening in many pockets of the city. It takes four and a half minutes to walk from here to the riverfront, but nobody talks about that; no one thinks of going there. We need to bring back these linkages and create walkability. If you don’t have walkability, people feel isolated.”

On the Horizon

Plotkin continues to work to fill that remaining 21% of the MassLive Building. For instance, he’s been talking to a video-game company interested in space. “They’re impressed with 1350 Main Street and the murals and sculptures all over.”

And he’s confident that the city and its developers will continue to work together in a holistic way to create the environment — the vibe — needed to keep drawing businesses and jobs downtown.

As one example, he cited MassMutual’s recent $5 million investment in the Springfield Venture Fund — an attempt to cultivate high-potential startups in the City of Homes — as an example of a proactive effort to keep talent local and stimulate the economy. “But that alone won’t do the trick. We need to create an environment downtown where people want to go. I’m seeing a huge uptick in rents. It’s working at 1350 Main, and it will work in other places. It’s not that complex — in fact, it’s very simple.

“At the end of the day,” he added, “we’re trying to get students who are graduating from the colleges up and down the Knowledge Corridor to say, ‘why not Springfield?’ By attracting retail, restaurants, coffee shops, we will generate the foot traffic to support other businesses. And it just builds on itself.”

Plotkin said he’s consulted with other property owners on how to bring art into their buildings, yet some people have wondered why he’d help rival real-estate owners accomplish something that already distinguishes his own tower.

“But it’s not about having exclusivity in having good taste in art; it’s about putting a mirror up and saying, ‘look, you can do this too,’” he said. “I hope other businesses downtown do this; imitation is the best form of flattery. Let’s talk about it so we’re not just an island here all by ourselves. We’re connected.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Agenda Departments

Craft Brewer Lecture
Sept. 25: Dan Kenary, co-founder and president of Harpoon Brewery, will speak about the history and success of New England’s largest craft brewery at Old Sturbridge Village (OSV). His appearance is part of the village’s continuing OSV Overseers’ Distinguished Speaker Series. Kenary, a Worcester native, will host a fun-filled evening of beer tasting paired with food samples and will share the story of Harpoon’s success. Doors open at 6 p.m., a cash bar is available, and Kenary’s program will begin at 7 p.m. In his talk, “How Passion, Continuous Improvement, and Grassroots Marketing Have Made Harpoon Brewery the Largest Craft Brewer in New England,” Kenary will recount how Harpoon introduced fresh, local craft beer to Boston in 1986, becoming the first brewery to commercially brew and bottle beer in Boston in more than 25 years. “The big beer companies are like factories. What craft beer has done is to bring some local flavors,” he noted. “I’m bullish on better beer. We don’t believe in making beer we don’t like.” Tickets are $45 per person, $40 for Old Sturbridge Village members. Attendees must be at least 21 years old. Seating is limited, and pre-registration is required. The event is sponsored by Spencer Bank. For more information, visit www.osv.org or call (800) 733-1830. Old Sturbridge Village celebrates New England life in the 1830s and is one of the largest living-history museums in the country. The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. OSV offers free parking and a free return visit within 10 days. Admission is $24, or $22 for seniors; $8 for children ages 3-17, and free to children 2 and under.

Great River Challenge
Sept. 28: The only town in Massachusetts located on both sides of the fourth-largest river in the U.S., Northfield will be the scene of the first annual Great River Challenge Triathlon. The event will begin at Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center’s riverfront park and extensive trail system located on Route 63. Classified as a ‘non-traditional’ triathlon because it involves paddling rather than swimming, the Great River Challenge will be the first event of its kind in the Upper Pioneer Valley to use the broad Connecticut River. The Northfield Mountain recreational facility offers a number of advantages for racers and spectators, including a comfortable lodge, convenient parking, and a food-vendor area, amenities that most other race locations lack. The race features a canoe/kayak/SUP leg, a trail run, and an off-road mountain-bike leg on scenic Northfield Mountain. The paddle leg will be a mass start from the center’s riverfront park, paddling out and back and around Captain Kidd’s Island over 5.2 miles. The running leg is a challenging 3.5 miles of single-track trails and groomed trails, followed by a 6.5-mile mountain-bike ride on mixed single-track and open trails. Individuals and two-, three-, and four-person teams are welcome, and there is a junior division. Registrations start at $65 for individuals, with discounts for teams and half price for junior competitors (age 20 and under), plus a small sign-up fee at runsignup.com. Detailed information about the race, pre-registration and on-site registration, and pre-race activities can be found at www.greatriverchallenge.com. Organizer David Thomas — an athlete, coach, and owner of Stellar Kayaks in Northfield — expects 150 racers and 500 spectators at the first of what he hopes will be an annual event. “We are excited to launch this event in Northfield, showcasing the unusual beauty and abundant natural features we have here, from the river to the surrounding mountains,” he said. Proceeds from the event will support Northfield Kiwanis programs for children and needy families and visitor programs produced by the Northfield Area Tourism Assoc.

ACCGS Breakfast
Oct. 1:
Menck Windows Chairman Bodo Liesenfeld will be the keynote speaker at the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield’s October Business@Breakfast at 7:15 a.m. at Twin Hills Country Club, 700 Wolf Swamp Road, Longmeadow. The event will be hosted by WGBY Director of Public Affairs Jim Madigan and sponsored by United Personnel. Liesenfeld will present “Looking from the Outside In,” and discuss the benefits and strengths the region has to offer businesses interested in locating and relocating to Western Mass. Menck Windows, a joint venture of Menck USA Inc. and Menck Fenster GmbH, of Hamburg, Germany, a 130-year-old, fourth-generation business that provides custom windows and doors in Europe, the Far East, and the U.S., recently opened the doors to its first U.S. manufacturing operation here in Western Mass. Liesenfeld is managing partner of Liesenfeld International GmbH, a private investment enterprise. For nearly 30 years, he was CEO and chairman of German-based Rohde & Liesenfeld, an international air and sea freight-forwarding group with global presence. He is the honorary representative of the city of Hamburg to the Northeast region of the U.S. and serves as chairman of the German Latin America Business Assoc. Since making his home in Boston in mid-2009, he became a fellow at Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and chairman of the advisory board of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. He is chairman of the board of the Latin America Business Assoc. and a board member of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, among other board positions in the U.S., Germany, and Latin America. Reservations are $20 in advance for ACCGS members ($25 for member walk-in registration) and $30 for general admission. Reservations are suggested and can be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com.

Amherst Area Chamber Annual Awards Dinner
Oct. 2: The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce announced the upcoming Farm to Table Annual Awards Dinner, to be held Oct. 2 at Hadley Farms Meeting House in Hadley. The dinner, a yearly celebration that is a highlight of area businesses’ community social calendar, is expected to sell out. This year’s award winners reflect a celebration and acknowledgement of a number of community partners and leaders. The “A+” Award Winners include the Rotary Club of Amherst, which will receive the chamber’s Community Service Award, recognizing the many contributions that this group of volunteers has made to the Amherst area, in addition to its work dedicated to the global eradication of polio; Stephanie O’Keeffe, who will receive the chamber’s Legacy Award, a celebration of what this individual has accomplished, specifically in her role on the Amherst Select Board; and Tony Maroulis, former executive director of the organization, who will receive the chamber’s Most Valuable Player award for all of his hard work elevating the chamber’s stature and involvement in the community. “It was a daunting task to sift through the nominations for this year’s batch of award winners, because as there are so many individuals and organizations in this community worthy of recognition,” said Don Courtemanche, Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce executive director. “We feel that the recipients that we have selected represent the best, the brightest, and the most outstanding of the terrific partners that the chamber is fortunate to be associated with.” Tickets for the dinner will be available Sept. 2. Reservations for the dinner or for the program book may be made by contacting the chamber at (413) 253-0700.

Stroke Lecture at CDH
Oct. 2:
Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in the U.S. Stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings blood and oxygen to the brain gets blocked or ruptures. When this happens, brain cells don’t get the blood they need, and deprived of oxygen, nerve cells can stop working and die within minutes. In “Stroke Prevention and Treatment,” a Cooley Dickinson/Massachusetts General Hospital lecture, stroke neurologist Dr. Scott Silverman will discuss ways to reduce the risk of stroke and how to recognize stroke warning signs. He will also discuss treatments for stroke. Community members are invited to attend the lecture, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Dakin Conference Room at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Silverman is an instructor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and an assistant in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he works on the stroke service. He received his undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Bowdoin College, and received his medical degree and completed his neurology residency at UMass Medical School. He then completed a fellowship in vascular and critical-care neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Silverman is board-certified in neurology, vascular neurology, and neurocritical care, and is director of Outpatient Stroke Services at Mass General. He has a strong interest in medical education and is currently the director of the Partners Vascular Neurology Fellowship. Silverman’s research and clinical interests are in ischemic stroke, specifically intracranial atherosclerotic disease and stroke in the young. Also participating in the lecture will be Dr. Tor Krogius, an emergency department physician at Cooley Dickinson and medical director of the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Stroke Program, as well as the telemedicine programs for stroke, neurology, and burn. He earned his medical degree at McGill University Faculty of Medicine and completed his internship and residency training at Baystate Medical Center.

BMLH Tag Sale and Electronics Recycling Day
Oct. 17: Recent building renovations and office upgrades at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital have resulted in a quantity of usedchairs, tables, desks, file cabinets, and other office equipment. As a result, a tag sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot near the back of the Medical Office Building, off Marjorie Street. Combined with the tag sale, the hospital will also sponsor a community-wide recycling event. Old and/or non-working electrical devices such as radios, air-conditioning units, toasters, phones, light fixtures, etc. will be collected at no cost,with the exception of TVs and CRTs, for which there will be an $8 fee. The community recycling event will also take place in the parking lot near the back of the Medical Office Building. All items collected will be trucked away to a recycling center shortly after the event. All proceeds will benefit community-benefit programs sponsored by the hospital. For more information, contact Ryan Moore at (413) 967-2140.

Western Mass. Business Expo
Oct. 29: The fourth annual Western Mass. Business Expo will be presented by BusinessWest at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The event is a business-to-business show featuring more than 150 booths, seminars, breakfast and lunch events, Show Floor Theater presentations, and a day-capping Expo Social. Details about events, programs, and featured speakers will be printed in future issues of BusinessWest. Comcast Business will again be Presenting Sponsor, while the social will be sponsored by Northwestern Mutual and MGM Springfield. Silver Sponsors are Health New England, DIF Design, Johnson & Hill Staffing, and MassMutual Financial Group. Education sponsor is the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. In 2013, more than 2,200 business professionals attended the expo, and between 2,500 and 3,000 are expected in 2014. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600 or visit www.wmbexpo.com.

Briefcase Departments

Baystate Celebrates Acquisition of Wing
PALMER — Team members and leaders from Baystate Health and Baystate Wing Hospital joined elected officials and members of the Palmer community Friday to celebrate Wing’s official entry into the Baystate Health community. Wing formally became part of Baystate Health at midnight on Monday, September 1. “Our community hospitals enable us to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time for thousands of patients and their families,” said Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health. “We expect the addition of Baystate Wing Hospital to have a major positive impact on quality, access, and affordability of healthcare in Western Massachusetts, and on our ability to continue to provide outstanding, high-value care for our patients close to where they live. Bringing two organizations together is a major undertaking, and doing it well requires vast amounts of teamwork and planning. Over the last several months, I have witnessed the outstanding commitment and expertise of both Wing and Baystate Health team members, who are driven by the common desire to ensure a smooth transition for patients and families. I thank all who have contributed their energy and expertise to this transition. We’re proud to bring Wing into our organization, and we’re grateful to be welcomed so warmly into the Palmer community.” Dr. Charles Cavagnaro III, president and CEO of Wing for the past 15 years and newly appointed president of Baystate Health’s Eastern Region, saluted his team’s grace in dealing with the change in ownership. “I’m so encouraged and so heartened by the way my colleagues at Wing have greeted this change with enthusiasm, open-mindedness, optimism, and hope — and by the way Baystate has eased the transition and greeted us with open arms. This new partnership has us well-positioned to meet the challenges of fulfilling our mission in a turbulent time in healthcare. It will take hard work, open minds, partnership, and commitment. And I believe our future is very bright.” Baystate Health’s Eastern Region encompasses Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, Baystate Wing Hospital, and its affiliated medical centers. Collaborations between Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing will be a key element of improving the delivery of care in the region, said Keroack. “We are committed to the success of Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing, and are eager to explore innovative ways of working together that also provide new and exciting opportunities for physicians and all Baystate team members in the region.” Baystate Wing Hospital is the third community hospital to join Baystate Health. Baystate Mary Lane Hospital became part of the health system in 1991, after Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield in 1986. Baystate Health acquired Wing Memorial Hospital from UMass Memorial Health Care, based in Worcester. The two health systems continue a collaborative relationship announced in September 2013. Baystate Wing Hospital has been serving patients in the Palmer, Quaboag Hills, and Pioneer Valley region since 1913. The 74-bed hospital and its five community medical centers in Belchertown, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, and Wilbraham offer emergency, diagnostic, medical, surgical, and psychiatric services as well as outpatient services provided by more than 50 medical staff and 165 registered nurses. Baystate Wing Hospital’s network also includes the Griswold Behavioral Health Center and the Wing VNA and Hospice. Baystate Wing is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and is designated a Primary Stroke Service hospital by the Mass. Department of Public Health. It was also recently recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as one of model hospitals promoting health and improving quality of life. Together, the hospital and its community medical centers are focused on high-quality, patient-centered care delivered by physicians specializing in 45 medical disciplines, including adult family medicine, internal medicine, geriatric medicine, ob/gyn, and pediatric medicine.

Business Growth Center Expands Programming
SPRINGFIELD — The Business Growth Center at Springfield Technology Park has received a grant from the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) to help underserved or disadvantaged business owners in the Pioneer Valley grow, or stabilize, their enterprises. The funds will enable the center to continue its Stronger Businesses Program, starting Oct. 7, and supplement funding for its staff. This is the second time the Business Growth Center has received this MGCC grant for the Stronger Businesses Program, which focuses on businesses with fewer than 20 employees. An assistant program manager will also be added to the center’s staff to support its Growth Advisory Program and seminars. The grant is part of the MGCC’s 2015 Small Business Assistance Grants Program, which is designed to complement and enhance the traditional public and private small-business assistance network. The Business Growth Center is one of 30 organizations statewide to receive 25 grants, and the only one in Hampden or Hampshire county to receive funding from the MGCC. “Businesses with fewer than 20 employees dominate the Pioneer Valley,” said Marla Michel, the Business Growth Center’s director. “They will benefit from this support, as it allows us to re-offer a proven business-growth workshop and build our capacity for other growth programs.” The Stronger Businesses Program is an eight-session, in-depth offering for motivated leaders of for-profit and nonprofit businesses aiming to strengthen their organizations and accelerate growth through better decision making, new-product introductions, and more efficient operations. The program starts on Oct. 7 and, after a five-week ‘homework’ period, runs from Nov. 12 to Dec. 23. Business owners can bring an associate at no additional charge to help absorb what they learn more effectively. Discounts are available to members of all the regional chambers of commerce and the Western Mass. chapter of the National Machine and Tooling Assoc., as well as clients of the Business Growth Center’s service providers: the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network, the New England Business Associates Business Development Center, and SCORE. Participants in last year’s program reported increased business stabilization or growth as a result of the program. “If I hadn’t taken this class, my company wouldn’t have been in as upward a position as it is,” said Kristin Maier, program participant and president of Peerless Precision Inc. in Westfield. Added Leslie Belay, senior program manager at MGCC, “we are pleased to have the Business Growth Center as one of our grantees in Western Mass. Their Stronger Businesses Program is compelling and will assist small-business owners in expanding their products and services to meet new growth opportunities in the Pioneer Valley.” Registration is open for the Stronger Businesses Program and available on the center’s website.

Women’s Fund Announces $240,000 in Grant Awards
EASTHAMPTON — The Women’s Fund of Western Mass. announced a total of $240,000 in grant commitments in Berkshire, Franklin, Hamden, and Hampshire counties. Working within its focus areas of educational access and success, economic justice, and safety and freedom from violence, partners in these communities will each receive $60,000 over three years to deploy innovative programs that will help shift the landscape for women and girls. Among the grantees, Berkshire United Way will spearhead a coalition effort titled Face the Facts Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition; in Franklin County, Greenfield Community College will launch the Franklin County Women’s GARDEN Project Collaborative; in Hampden County, the Prison Birth Project will continue its social- and reproductive-justice efforts for incarcerated and post-incarcerated mothers; and in Hampshire County, funding will go to the Treehouse Foundation’s project titled Re-envisioning Foster Care Together. “We have incredible partnerships with our grantees,” said Elizabeth Barajas-Román, who joined the Women’s Fund as its new CEO earlier this month. “By investing in these organizations, the fund is deepening our impact and strengthening our reach.” In addition to the financial award, the Women’s Fund is investing an additional $12,000 into the partnership by giving each organization the opportunity to select two of their staff, constituents, or board members as participants of the Women’s Fund’s Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI). LIPPI, a program of the Women’s Fund, has equipped 200 women from across the four western counties to become civic leaders in their communities; impact policy on the local, state, and national levels; and seek and retain elected positions. Collectively, these four grantees will help leverage the Women’s Fund’s impact on the lives of women and girls in Western Mass. The Women’s Fund will also continue to convene skill-building sessions and support the programming of organizations that work on issues that impact women and girls. The Women’s Fund advances social-change philanthropy to create economic and social equality for women and girls in Western Mass. through grant-making and strategic initiatives. Since 1997, the WFWM has awarded more than $2 million in grants to more than 100 programs in the four counties of Western Mass. The WFWM is building its capacity to be the go-to organization for all issues related to improving the lives of women and girls.

State Touts Web Portal for Municipal Grants
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration has unveiled a new web portal for cities and towns to easily identify grant opportunities that could benefit their communities. The Municipal Grant Finder (mass.gov/municipalgrants) is a one-stop web shop for local officials and residents to learn about grant opportunities across state government, regardless of which state agency manages a grant program. “Through the new Municipal Grant Finder, the Patrick administration is continuing its commitment to provide resources to help our municipal partners deliver core services to their communities,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor. The web portal will highlight what resources exist and where to find them, as management of these grants and resources is decentralized among a multitude of state government agencies. The Municipal Grant Finder will help them navigate state government by succinctly profiling more than 60 funding and support opportunities for cities and towns. Working together, the Patrick administration and the Commonwealth’s municipalities have already achieved real, meaningful savings and structural changes to keep costs down so municipalities can make the necessary investments in community services that keep them thriving. Municipal healthcare reform is providing significant and immediate savings to cities and towns, and 257 communities and school districts across Massachusetts have already collectively saved more than $247 million in health-insurance premiums over the past three years as a result of the landmark municipal healthcare reform law signed by Patrick in July 2011.

Community Spotlight Features
South Hadley Leaders Seek Rebirth of the Falls

Michael Sullivan

Michael Sullivan says the Falls offers opportunities for investors, business owners, and developers.

Two years ago, South Hadley won a Communities by Design award from the American Institute of Architects, or AIA. In addition to the accolades, it earned town leaders a visit from a sustainable-design assessment team, which created a revitalization plan for the Falls section of town.

The committee that crafted the winning proposal is called the Rise of the Falls Facilitation Group, and part of its work involves implementing recommendations put forth in the report.

It has been updated with new ideas and adjustments, but the vision of a rebirth of the industrial neighborhood, which had fallen into a state of disinvestment, has become a focus for town officials.

“The Falls was once the center of life and commerce in South Hadley, and we want to restore that vibrancy today,” said John Hine, chair of the Board of Selectmen.

Frank DeToma agreed. “The Falls has enormous potential, and a lot of people are working to move the area toward that goal,” said the board’s vice chair.

The South Hadley Falls Neighborhood Assoc., which was formed two years ago in response to a recommendation by the AIA, has taken a proactive approach to improvement. It publishes a monthly newsletter, continuously lobbies the Select Board to take action that will help that section of town, and has created events that have brought thousands of people to the area.

Its efforts have been supplemented by the Rise of the Falls group, which is working to create a historic district in the neighborhood. Other initiatives are being undertaken by the four-month-old South Hadley Redevelopment Authority, which has been tasked with improving economic conditions in the Falls. The group has chosen a consultant to write a redevelopment plan, which it needs to move forward, and was in negotiations with the firm when BusinessWest went to press.

However, over the past year, these endeavors received a major boost from a number of noteworthy projects. A new library has been built at the corner of Main and Canal streets on a formerly vacant lot, and is slated to open this fall. Its brick façade is reminiscent of the industrial history of the Falls, and the public spaces inside have beautiful views of the Connecticut River.

The library is situated above a new, $12 million park slated to open this month. It is set on the banks of the river and overlooks the Holyoke Dam.

John Hine, left, and Frank DeToma

John Hine, left, and Frank DeToma hope the vibrant neighborhood that once existed in the Falls can be revived to meet 21st-century standards.

Work on the park began in April when the Texon factory building, which was an eyesore that had been vacant for 20 years, was torn down. “It was a very complicated demolition,” DeToma said.

But it is complete, and the park, which features a lookout platform, will be handicap-accessible and enhanced by attractive landscaping and plantings that will be installed in October.

Town officials don’t plan to hold a grand opening ceremony until next May, because the park must remain closed from Nov. 1 to April 1 due to a mandate by the Army Corps of Engineers. “But we will have limited access for special viewings if the conditions are right,” said Town Administrator Mike Sullivan. He explained that the park is being built by Holyoke Gas & Electric as remuneration to the town for using its half of the river, which came about through an agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

In addition to the breathtaking lookout platform, the park will feature walking areas and a quarter-mile pathway that will begin at the Vietnam Memorial Bridge.

“It is very much in keeping with the master plan of trying to link the village common with the Falls through a series of bike paths and walkways, and we are hoping that, in the future, this path can be linked to the beachgrounds below,” said Sullivan, adding that the town is working with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to create a comprehensive plan for a bicycle and pedestrian pathway.

“It’s all part of our efforts to redevelop the Falls,” DeToma said.

Innovative Measures

Work by the South Hadley Falls Neighborhood Assoc. is ongoing because it wants people to see what the Falls has to offer. The association has organized many activities, including a block party, a fall cleanup day, a tag sale, a winter luminary, and other social events.

The Falls Fest music festival, held at Beachgrounds Park in July, attracted more than 6,000 visitors, and Sullivan says the area has the potential to become a center for the arts.

“Many people don’t realize what a beautiful piece of earth it is,” he said. “It’s important for visitors to come here because there’s a rule of thumb that, if people visit a place eight times in a year who have not visited before, they are five times more likely to consider it as a place to live and establish a business.”

Other efforts to bring people to the Falls are being undertaken by the Rise of the Falls group. A few months ago, it met with representatives from the Bike/Walk Group, the Tree Committee, the Falls Neighborhood Assoc., and the Board of Health to discuss how to create a map that would showcase the walkability of the neighborhood. The meeting was fruitful, and maps will soon be published that will outline four self-guided walking loops.

Housing plays a vital role in revitalization, and officials are looking at opportunities to create a variety of new units. A property at 1 Canal St. owned by the town is large enough to house 14 units. “We think it would be an ideal place for commuter housing,” Sullivan said.

He explained that this type of housing, typically made up of apartments that contain 400 to 600 square feet, appeals to young people who are living at home but want to live independently while paying off student loans. “It’s an interesting new phenomenon and would be a way of putting more wallets in the Falls,” he said.

A developer wants to build three duplex homes very close together on Ludlow Street, and the former Carew Street School building, owned by Lake Star Development, could also be turned into housing. In addition, the town is working with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the Department of Housing to create a 40R district that would increase the amount of land zoned for dense housing.

Currently, the Falls contains many two- and three-family homes. However, a number of owners had stopped renting their apartments, so last year the town held a symposium to educate them on best practices to attract good tenants.

“It was well-attended, and I think it made a difference,” Sullivan said. “If we can increase the number of people in the Falls, there will be a tipping point that makes it worthwhile for people to invest in small businesses, such as barbershops, dry cleaners, and the traditional services needed in a small village.”

Zoning changes may be needed, but the infrastructure is in place, and several initiatives are in the works, including an application for a grant that would make housing-rehabilitation funds available to qualified Falls homeowners.

The vision of recreating a walkable village will also be boosted, Sullivan said, when Amtrak’s Vermonter passenger train begins running from Springfield to St. Albans, Vt., because people from the Falls will be able to walk to the Holyoke station and go to New York or Montreal.

Another bonus is the fact that the Falls has a number of very successful restaurants, which officials say are an important part of creating a walkable, vibrant neighborhood.

“There is El Guanaco, the Vietnamese restaurant Sok’s, and Ebenezer’s, which has typical pub fare,” said DeToma. “Plus, The Egg & I and the Ruse are South Hadley institutions.”

Hine agreed. “The village has good bones. We just need to add meat and muscles to the skeleton that is there,” he said.

That will happen when new businesses make their home in the area. However, interest in the neighborhood is already beginning to rise. The new Patriot Care Corp. medical-marijuana cultivation center will create 30 jobs, and town officials have been working with other companies considering the location, Sullivan said.

Seemingly unlimited opportunity exists in a five-building complex on Gaylord Street that was once a bustling mill. “It has 270,000 square feet of unoccupied space, and some of it is in move-in condition; it would be ideal for a small manufacturer who needed 20,000 to 30,000 square feet,” Sullivan said, adding that Lake Star Development, which owns the property, is willing to subdivide it.

“We believe the complex is also an ideal area for startups or venture capitalists. One section contains 159,000 square feet that is wide-open space and could be converted to a research facility,” Sullivan said, adding that E Ink moved into a 45,000-square-foot space in a building there three years ago.

Potential also exists in the former library on 27 Bardwell St., and DeToma said residents have suggested ideas for the structure that range from a bed and breakfast to an art gallery.

Efforts are also being made to address neglected properties, and although Sullivan said some owners are less than cooperative, town officials believe their efforts will yield positive results.

“In the short term, it’s very painful as people shake their fists and call us names, but the reality is that, long term, it will result in a better appearance and draw more people who are willing to make investments,” he told BusinessWest.

Far-reaching Vision

Sullivan said South Hadley is using many tools to encourage investors, residents, and visitors to view the Falls as a great place to live and work.

“Everything we’re trying to do is inherently contained within the name of the committee, the Rise of the Falls,” he said. “And the area has so much to offer — riverfront property, a very affordable tax rate, and the influence of colleges and urban centers like Chicopee and Holyoke.”

DeToma agreed. “The Falls is getting lots of attention, and it’s going to pay off soon.”

South Hadley at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1775
Population: 17,514 (2010)
Area: 18.4 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $18.65 or $19.21
Commercial Tax Rate: $18.65 or $19.21
Median Household Income: $46,678 (2010)
Family Household Income: $58,693 (2010)
Type of government: Town Meeting; Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Mount Holyoke College, Loomis Communities, E Ink

Latest information available

Banking and Financial Services Sections
Greenfield Savings Bank Emphasizes Community Ties

Rebecca Caplice

Greenfield Savings Bank President Rebecca Caplice

Rebecca Caplice laughed when asked whether Greenfield Savings Bank had seen growth of its online and mobile services among younger customers.

“You’d be surprised at the acceptance across the board,” said Caplice, the bank’s president. “My father is 87 years old, and he’s on Facebook and Twitter every day. It’s really not just young people asking for these things; we are all attached to those mobile devices. I can hardly remember what it was like when someone in a group of people had a question, and no one knew the answer. Now we just look it up.”

In other words, Caplice said, banks had better offer robust options in electronic banking if they want to attract new customers — of all generations, not just Millennials. It’s one of many ways the banking world has evolved, and continues to do so.

“We have all kinds of ways to access your banking services. And we’re seeing growth in those electronic channels,” she told BusinessWest — but that growth has not come at the expense of branch traffic. “You read the industry press and see all these articles — ‘the branch bank is dead.’ But in our experience, our branch traffic hasn’t declined, even as other types of traffic have increased. We’re seeing people use several channels interchangeably, depending on what they’re doing.

“Sometimes a single transaction might use more than one channel; they might start someplace and end up somewhere else. That has been a real change,” she added. “Take mortgage applications, for example. More than half of our mortgage applications use an online channel to do part of the process electronically; then they’ll come in. I guess that speaks to people wanting to do things on their time, not the bank’s time.”

If there’s any difference between older and younger customers when it comes to technology, it’s not comfort with the tools, but with security fears.

“That’s where the separation occurs,” Caplice said. “It’s not the technology that’s frightening, but the younger people have less of a concern about security and privacy. I guess being brought up in a world where technology is all around you gives you a certain comfort level with that. I think those of us who have been on the planet a little longer don’t have that ease of comfort.”

Making Change

Caplice has seen plenty of change in the banking industry since arriving at GSB in 1991, and even since taking the reins as president in 2007. But her 23-year arc at the bank has also given her some deep roots in Franklin County, where the bank enjoys a 50% market share in savings deposits and is also the county’s number-one lender.

But GSB — which, along with Greenfield Cooperative Bank, is one of only two institutions located in Greenfield 20 years ago that are still around today — has expanded gradually over the years. It merged in 1967 with the Crocker Institution for Savings in Turners Falls, making that office its first branch outside of Greenfield, and added another branch in South Deerfield in 1972.

Additions during Caplice’s time at the bank include branches in Shelburne Falls and Conway; the opening of the Amherst Financial Center in 2002, marking the bank’s first physical presence in Hampshire County; and the recent opening of its first Hampshire County branch, in Northampton.

Greenfield Savings Bank

Greenfield Savings Bank has been a fixture in its namesake town for 145 years.

“When we made that next step into Hampshire County, it was almost like we were following a growing customer base there — Franklin County customers work there and said, ‘boy, I wish I had a branch in Northampton.’ So we saw an opportunity there, even though we’re still the dominant player here. You can’t take your eyes off that; you have to look outside your boundaries.”

As the region gains more distance from the Great Recession — although the economy can hardly be described as booming — commercial loan volume is up at GSB as well. “We’ve seen a lot of growth in commercial loans in the last four or five years. Ask any banker, and they’ll tell you the same thing.”

Rising demand for commercial loans runs the gamut, she said, including a manufacturing base in Franklin County that has suffered in recent years but is slowly gaining steam. “This region has a history and legacy of skilled blue-collar workers, and as those workers have transitioned into more precision machining, those industries have been doing very well.”

Meanwhile, the bank has differentiated itself in the market with unique products, like its trust business, which GSB started to cultivate during the 1990s when other banks with strong trust divisions, particularly Bank of New England and Shawmut Bank, left the Franklin County landscape. It now offers the region’s only in-house trust and investment department — a business most small banks don’t normally delve into.

“These are really high-touch banking services; we can manage people’s money, pay their bills, take care of their property, or take care of their estate. Sometimes a trust is set up for a child with special needs. It’s all kinds of high-touch financial management,” Caplice said. “And there is no bank in the Valley that has a locally controlled trust department. We’re at about $200 million under management, which gets us to a size that is respectable in the industry.”

It’s an interesting time for investment services in general, she added, especially with the massive wealth transfer from the GI Generation to their Boomer children. “The Baby Boomers’ parents are dying, so we’re seeing this transfer.

“There’s also a shift in what people’s goals are financially,” she continued, particularly at the other end of the generational spectrum, with the Millennials, and their relationship with banking institutions.

“In community banks, we’ve always emphasized our role in the community — that’s important,” Caplice said. “And we’ve got this generation that’s eventually going to be in charge, and they care deeply about causes. Yes, they want to earn money on their investments, but they also ask, ‘what are your values, and are those values the same as my values?’ I think that was not so much the case in other generations. It will be interesting to see how that impacts our business.”

Local Flavor

With a 145-year history in Greenfield, GSB has certainly cultivated strong bonds with the towns it calls home.

For example, about five years ago, the bank partnered with institutions ranging from the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. to Greenfield Community College in spearheading a project to revitalize a series of downtown buildings. The development model brought together several property owners, representing more than a dozen buildings, who used tax-credit financing, facilitated by GSB, to fund renovations of the vacant sites.

“Taking on those projects individually wouldn’t have been cost-effective, but the project resulted in the renovation of those buildings in the core of the downtown,” Caplice said.

Before that, almost a decade ago, the bank launched an initiative called ‘civic action accounts,’ by which GSB donates money to school districts and other organizations based on how often customers use their debit cards.

Meanwhile, bank employees regularly set out to perform random acts of kindness. “I think that’s one thing that makes this place special,” Caplice said. “Each branch office plans its own events, and for the most part, they have nothing to do with banking. Maybe they’ll go up and down the street putting money in everyone’s meters, or wash every car that comes through the lot, to handing out free ice cream in Dixie cups. If you go to work proud of what’s going on in the organization and you’re having a good time, I think that resonates with customers, even though the activity itself has nothing to do with the business.”

Caplice was quick to add that Greenfield Savings Bank employees sit on many nonprofit boards, and the bank offers resources to various causes, but the smaller acts of kindness are often what customers, and prospective customers, notice. It’s part of a culture at the bank that the Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce honored several years ago with its Employer of Choice Award.

“If we create an atmosphere where the people who work here want to come to work, because they have fun and are permitted to do things they know change people’s lives, that attitude is infectious. You can feel it when you walk into a place,” she said. “We pay a lot of attention to culture; we think that’s really critical.”

After all, even in today’s fast-paced, high-tech banking landscape, there’s still room for kindness — and maybe a little ice cream.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Kamari Collins was recently appointed to the position of dean of academic advising and student success at Springfield Technical Community College by the STCC board of trustees after serving as the college’s director of academic advising since 2011.

Collins began his employment with the college in 2007 as an academic counselor. Prior to his employment with STCC, he served as the director of youth and education programs at the Urban League of Springfield for several years.

“I’m excited to take on this new role as the dean of academic advising and student success and look forward to continuing to serve our students and the campus community. It’s truly an honor and a privilege to face this new challenge in my career,” said Collins. “I take pride in working with my colleagues to implement college initiatives, programs, and activities that support student success. College can often be difficult to navigate, and it is our goal in the academic advising department to help put students on the right educational path.”

Collins earned both his bachelor’s degree and his master’s degree with a concentration in organizational management and leadership from Springfield College. He was named one of BusinessWest magazine’s 40 Under Forty in 2009 and currently serves as a board member of the Children’s Study Home and Urban League of Springfield Inc. and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts education committee.

Departments People on the Move

Maria Burke

Maria Burke

JERICHO, the Bureau for Exceptional Children & Adults, has announced the appointment of Maria Burke as Associate Director. JERICHO is well-known for its programs and services, begun by Fr. Robert Wagner and continued by Sr. Joan Magnani, emphasizing inclusion for all people with disabilities in Western Mass. over the past 44 years. “I am delighted that Maria has been named associate director,” said Magnani. “Working with her allows us to move forward with new strategic-planning efforts focused on how we can best serve the families and individuals living with disabilities, as well as the professional agencies and staff who care for these people in Western Mass.” Burke brings expertise in many areas of nonprofit management and a substantial fund-raising history in the region, as well as a strong personal focus on the needs and challenges facing many families and individuals living with disabilities. “I look forward to continuing this important work,” she said, “as well as expanding our reach with new partnerships, training, and networking opportunities to serve the many families who face difficulties and challenges. It will be wonderful to include new people and provide services that make life at least a bit easier for all families and providers serving the disabled.”
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The Professional Women’s Chamber, a division of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, recently honored Carol Campbell, president of Chicopee Industrial Contractors, as its 2014 Woman of the Year. The annual Woman of the Year Banquet was held at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee. The award is presented to a woman in the Greater Springfield area who exemplifies outstanding leadership, professional accomplishment, and service to the community. The Professional Women’s Chamber promotes the status of women professionals, working to empower career-oriented women through participation in leadership, education, and networking opportunities, and striving to strengthen the positive impact of women in the business community and on the economy.
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Michael Gove

Michael Gove

Attorney Michael Gove, of Gove Law Office LLC in Northampton, recently announced that he has purchased a law practice in Ludlow and will open a second office in that community, his hometown. Gove’s 10-year-old practice concentrates on business and corporate law, real-estate transactions, and estate planning. On Sept. 2, Gove assumed ownership of Thompson & Bell of Ludlow, the business formerly operated by the late James “Jason” Thompson and his associate, Gregory Bell. Bell and Gove will work together to cover the Ludlow and Northampton offices; in addition, the Ludlow office will also handle bankruptcy and personal-injury law. Gove earned his law degree from Boston College School of Law in 2004, after graduating cum laude from UMass Amherst in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., the Hampden County Bar Assoc., the Hampshire County Bar Assoc., the Connecticut Bar Assoc., the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, and the Northampton Assoc. of Young Professionals. Gove has also served on many area nonprofit boards and presently serves as a corporator of the Horace Smith Fund, which grants scholarships for Hampden County residents pursuing a college or graduate education. He also volunteers for Cooley Dickinson Hospital and serves on the board of Best Buddies of Western Massachusetts. In 2012 and 2013, Gove was selected as a Massachusetts Rising Star by Super Lawyers, a designation earned by no more than 2.5% of lawyers in Massachusetts. Bell is a 1983 graduate of Western New England College School of Law. He concentrates in residential and commercial real estate, consumer bankruptcy, probate administration, and personal-injury law.
•••••
Dr. Thomas Cleary Sr. was recently recognized as a William McKenna Volunteer Hero by the Mass. Dental Society (MDS), a statewide organization serving nearly 5,000 member dentists. He was acknowledged by his peers for substantial contributions to organized dentistry at both the state and local district levels. Cleary is currently a member of the MDS Council on Dental Care and Benefits, and has served as a volunteer coordinator for the Yankee Dental Congress, New England’s largest dental meeting. Within the Valley District Dental Society, he has been chair of Dental Connections, an educational program for dental auxiliaries; co-chair of the education committee; and a member of the executive committee. He is also past president of the Hampshire Dental Society. Cleary is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM). In addition to maintaining a dental practice in Easthampton, he is an assistant professor of operative and prosthetic dentistry at TUSDM. Several years ago, he was a member of a group of TUSDM faculty who went on a fact-finding trip to Cuba, and this summer he took part in a service mission to the Dominican Republic organized by students. He established his general dentistry practice in Easthampton in 1974. His son, Dr. Thomas M. Cleary Jr., joined him in 2008. The Volunteer Hero award is given in memory of the late Dr. William McKenna, who was a driving force behind the development of the Yankee Dental Congress and considered by many to have been a model of volunteerism within the MDS.
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Craig Johnsen

Craig Johnsen

Loomis Communities announced the appointment of Craig Johnsen as Administrator at Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing. In this role, Johnsen is responsible for administering and overseeing the day-to-day operation of the retirement community in Springfield, as well as serving as a member of the Loomis Communities Senior Leadership Team. Johnsen is a licensed nursing-home administrator with more than 30 years working with older adults. Prior to joining Loomis Communities, he served as executive director of Eastview at Middlebury in Middlebury, Vt. He holds a bachelor’s degree in long-term-care administration and has completed a graduate fellowship in strategic and financial planning with Leading Age and Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management at Harvard University. Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing offers independent-living cottages and apartments, assisted living, skilled nursing care, medical offices, and primary-care physician services, all under one roof.
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Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) announced that Dawn Leaks has joined the LPV team in the newly created position of Program Manager. In this role, Leaks will be responsible for managing LPV’s signature 10-month regional leadership development program and helping recruit future participants. Leaks is a certified coach and speaker and adjunct professor of Business at Bay Path University. She joins Leadership Pioneer Valley after nearly five years in communications and development at the American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter. As director of communications, she was responsible for public affairs, media relations, social media, and marketing communications. In previous roles, she worked as recruiter for a mid-size public school system and an account executive for MassLive.com. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and has served on several boards of local organizations, including Next Level Development for Women of Color and Dress for Success of Western Mass. She is an active board member at the New England Public Radio Foundation Inc.
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Christopher Marini

Christopher Marini

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced the appointment of Christopher Marini to the board of trustees for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. In addition to serving on the board, Marini will also be serving on the audience development and education committee. Marini has been an audit associate with the firm for just over one year, specializing in nonprofits and HUD, reviews and compilations, and income-tax returns for individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and partnerships. Before coming to MBK, he worked for two years at a local public accounting firm. Marini earned a BBA from the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management and Commonwealth Honors College. He is currently pursuing his MSA at UConn. He is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society and the Massachusetts Society of CPAs.
•••••
The Springfield Falcons
announced that Andy Zilch will join the organization as the team’s play-by-play broadcaster and Manager of Broadcasting. Zilch comes to the Falcons after spending two seasons with the Greenville Road Warriors of the East Coast Hockey League. While being the voice of the team, he also oversaw media relations and served as an account executive. The St. Louis native generated several corporate partnerships and was strongly involved in the community. The majority of his donated time was spent assisting the local children’s hockey program. Prior to his time with the Road Warriors, Zilch served two years in the National Hockey League as a broadcast intern with the St. Louis Blues. He also spent time with the National Football League’s St. Louis Rams on the team’s radio network. A 2009 graduate of Lindenwood University in Missouri, Zilch entered broadcasting as the play-by-play broadcaster for the men’s hockey team on KCLC, the student radio station. He has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with an emphasis on radio and television.
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Main Street Hospitality Group (MSHG) announced that Adam Brassard has been appointed to the position of Executive Chef of the Williams Inn. His responsibilities include all kitchen operations and menu development. Brassard’s appointment marks his return to the Williams Inn. In 2007, he began his professional culinary career as the Williams Inn sous chef. From there, he joined the Red Lion Inn as sous chef under the leadership of Red Lion Inn Executive Chef and MSHG Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations Brian Alberg. Brassard began his career as an intern in the McCann Technical High School Culinary Arts department and went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., in 2007. Brassard has participated in numerous farm-to-table events and food and wine festivals throughout the Berkshires, Boston, and New York. Brassard also works with the Railroad Street Youth Project, demonstrating culinary techniques to young adults; is on the advisory board of the Culinary Arts department at McCann Technical High School; and takes part in judging projects for Skills USA, a competition among technical high schools. Brassard has cooked at the renowned James Beard House in New York City, working alongside Alberg.

Daily News

CHICOPEE — Allpax Gasket Cutter Systems, a division of Guardair Corp., announced a new, expanded line of extension-style gasket cutters, replacement parts, and accessories, including Zimmerman Spearhead brand-compatible products.

Allpax has broadened its extension-style gasket-cutter line beyond traditional brass (heavy-duty) models and now offers cutters featuring aluminum (medium-duty), plastic (light-duty), and phenolic (compact) construction. All kits include new, non-slip, self-healing cutting boards. Punch offerings have expanded beyond hollow punches to include arch, power, and dovetail types. Packing hooks are now available in 14 convenient sizes.

“Our newly expanded Allpax product line fills a void in the market to help end users meet their gasket-cutting needs through one manufacturer,” said Thomas Tremblay, president of Guardair Corp. “As part of the expansion, we have also upgraded our website, www.allpaxcorp.com, to include product specifications, how-to videos, and the ability to make purchases quickly and easily.”

Allpax Gasket Cutter Systems, founded in 1927, was incorporated into Guardair Corp. in 1999. In 2012, the assets of Allen Gasket Cutting Machine Co. were also acquired, adding rotary-style gasket cutters to the Allpax product line. Today, Allpax is the world’s largest manufacturer of gasket cutters, punches, and accessories used in the fabrication of flange gaskets. Allpax products are sold through a national and international network of more than 1,200 industrial MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) dealers and distributors. End users can also order product direct through the Allpax website. For more information, visit www.allpaxcorp.com.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that seven of its attorneys will be included in the 2015 edition of the prestigious national guide Best Lawyers in America.

Robinson Donovan attorneys were included in a number of categories, with three lawyers earning additional Lawyer of the Year recognition for their practice area. Only one lawyer in each practice area in each community is eligible to be named Lawyer of the Year. The Robinson Donovan honorees include:

• Richard Gaberman: corporate law; real estate law, commercial; tax certiorari; tax law; trusts and estates (23rd consecutive year); Lawyer of the Year, real-estate law. Also previous Lawyer of the Year award for trusts and estates

• James Martin: franchise law, automobile dealerships; real-estate law, franchise

• Jeffrey McCormick: personal-injury litigation, automobile collision; catastrophic injury; civil litigation; ethics and professional responsibility; insurance; medical malpractice; premises liability; professional malpractice

• Carla Newton: family law; Lawyer of the Year, family law

• Nancy Frankel Pelletier: personal-injury law, defendants (10th consecutive year)

• Patricia Rapinchuk: employment law, management; litigation, labor and employment; Lawyer of the Year, employment law, management

• Jeffrey Roberts: corporate law; trusts and estates; also previous Lawyer of the Year award for trusts and estates

For more than 30 years, Best Lawyers has been regarded, by both the legal profession and the public, as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the U.S. The 2015 volume of Best Lawyers, the 21st edition, is based on a rigorous evaluation process that included thousands of clients, highly skilled lawyers, and law-firm representatives.

Cover Story
Ted Hebert Sets His Own Standard of Success

COVER0914bTed Hebert walks through his store, hugging customers he knows, slapping them on the back, making recommendations, and bending over happily to pat dogs that people bring inside with them.

His positive attitude and the relaxed atmosphere that emanates throughout Teddy Bear Pools & Spas in Chicopee belies the fact that the pool and spa business is down 70% from the peak it reached between 2004 and 2005.

But Hebert has weathered worse storms, and his love for people and reputation for customer service have allowed him not only to survive when his competitors went under, but ultimately thrive during the course of his 39 years in business.

None of that has come easily. Hebert enjoyed unprecedented highs but also suffered devastating blows as his business grew from the carport of his parents’ home to the position it holds today as one of the leading pool and spa businesses in the Northeast. Still, “to me, success is not what you have; it’s about what you give back to the community,” he said. “It includes respect, which is something you can’t buy, and my goal is to make this a better world than it was when I came into it.”

Hebert’s business history is peppered with philanthropic endeavors, and he and his wife, Barbara, have served on the boards of countless charities and made an untold number of generous donations, which include the gift of a kangaroo to the Zoo at Forest Park in Springfield. They sponsor hundreds of youth and adult sports teams, and have also sponsored events ranging from the Paws Golf Tournament for the MSPCA of Western Mass. to the Shriners Chowder Bowl, which they supported for 15 years, to the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The couple has volunteered all over the world, and Hebert has been feted with many awards for his altruism, including the prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship for distinguished community service, which he received in 2008 from the Rotary Club of West Springfield.

He takes pride in the fact that the majority of his employees have been with him for more than three decades, his salespeople close 75% of their sales, and factory representatives come from as far away as California to learn from his business.

Teddy Bear Pools

Ted Hebert doesn’t do much advertising, but his community activity — occasionally involving his store’s mascot — is its own form of marketing.

But he has always set the bar high, and Hebert’s concern for his customers extends to the products that line the shelves at Teddy Bear Pools and Spas. The majority carry his private label and were created decades ago when he discovered the industry was reducing the quality of chemicals needed to maintain the chemistry of the water in pools and spas.

“I have some medical background, so I understood what was taking place in terms of the chemistry,” he said, adding that he hired a company to make products to his specifications, with ingredients that were better than what he could purchase and resell.

This concern for other people and their lives, which extends to their pets, was learned at his mother’s knee and highlighted by an incident that took place during his childhood.

Christmas was approaching, and although Hebert and his siblings were excited about the holiday, any hopes of finding toys beneath the tree were dashed when their mother told them money was tight and she could not afford to buy them much.

But when the doorbell rang a few moments later and a woman asked her to donate a dollar for flowers for a sick neighbor, Billie Hebert hurried to her desk and painstakingly counted out pennies and nickels until she had enough to satisfy the request.

“When I asked her why she did it, she told me, ‘it’s more important to use the money to help others than to buy toys with it,’” Hebert recalled. “She ingrained the belief in me at a young age that it was important to do what you can to make the world a better place.”

Since that time, it has been a guiding principle in his life, and to that end, he had a bench in his backyard emblazoned with the words, “make the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.”

“It sits by our pond,” Barbara said, “and the words are something he has always lived by.”

Getting Ahead

Hebert was a lonely child, as his mother worked two jobs to make ends meet, and his father was rarely home. He also had a stuttering problem and suffered from low self-esteem. “But I always had an innate ambition to work,” he said, adding that, by the time he was 9 or 10, he was mowing lawns, shoveling driveways, washing windows, devliering newspapers, selling Christmas cards from a catalogue door to door, and collecting old newspapers and bottles to exchange for cash.

Ted and Barbara Hebert

Giving back to others is important to Ted and Barbara Hebert, as this bench at their home reminds them.

He was hired as a busboy at age 14, and during his high-school years, he worked every night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. as a dishwasher at New Bay Diner in Springfield. “I spent more time working than I did at school,” he said, noting that he took a second job during his senior year, working around the clock from Friday night to Sunday night at the Oaks Inn.

The course of his life changed when his mother purchased an above-ground pool for a Fourth of July party. The people who were supposed to install it didn’t show up, and when Hebert’s uncle volunteered to do the job, he decided to help.

They had to visit the pool store to get some missing parts, and he saw a young man cleaning a pool there and working in the display lot. “I thought it looked like a cool job,” Hebert said.

So he had his mother drive him to the store, where, much to his surprise, he was hired to fill a temporary slot, which led to a permanent position. The following summer, Hebert began installing above-ground pools with several different subcontractors, and after he got his driver’s license, he and his best friend decided to become their own subcontractors.

“I realized I could make more money that way, so we loaded shovels and rakes into my Corvette and went to work, digging by hand,” Hebert recalled.

His career soared after he began installing in-ground pools. “I fell into it,” he told BusinessWest, explaining a woman insisted he do the job for her even though he had no experience, so he tried and met with success. “By the time I was 21, I had five or six guys working for me and was subcontracting the heavy-duty equipment we needed.”

But prior to that, after graduating from high school, Hebert attended classes at Holyoke Community College. At first, his grades were poor, as he was working so many hours, but after three semesters he switched to Springfield Technical Community College, where his grade point average improved, then went on to Worcester State College, where he finally earned high grades.

Hebert wanted to become a doctor, but didn’t have the money for medical school. In 1975, after 14 rejection slips from schools he hoped to attend, he made the decision to start his own pool company from the carport of his parents’ home. It was the right thing to do, Hebert said, as his mother had suffered a mild aneurysm, and he wanted to stay home and care for her.

Although the original moniker he chose for his business was Custom Pools by Ted, his mother suggested he use his childhood nickname of ‘Teddy Bear’ given to him during a visit to his grandmother in Canada, which was a play on the French pronunciation of Ted Hebert.

“I thought the name Teddy Bear Pools was stupid,” he said, but conceded to her suggestion after he thought about it and realized everyone likes teddy bears.

By 1976, Teddy Bear Pools had grown enough to allow Hebert to rent a former car-wash bay on Memorial Drive in Chicopee and turn it into a storefront. When the property was foreclosed upon three years later, he purchased what he describes as “a beat-up car dealership in a completely dilapidated, 4,000-square-foot building on East Street in Chicopee.”

The property contained an old garage and was owned by the Partyka family. “I was blessed, as interest rates were 18%, but because they liked the idea of my business, they offered me financing at 10%,” he said.

In the early years, he did his bookkeeping himself, and the business grew steadily. Despite its success, however, Hebert suffered terribly years later when some of his employees betrayed him and mismanaged his business. The first event occurred in 1986 when an audit undercovered $1.2 million of money and goods not accounted for, and the second took place while he was on his honeymoon in 1987. When he returned, he found an additional $200,000 of money and goods missing.

“I had no business background and a great faith in people,” he told BusinessWest. “I was very naïve and learned the hard way. For many years I was consumed by hurt and pain, and my business completely controlled my life. But I finally realized that money and materials could be replaced. I have survived two mismanagements, paid off $1.45 million in debt, and never went bankrupt.”

He also refused to allow the pain of betrayal to destroy his belief in others. “The reason I survived and have done so well is because of the people who stood by my side. They were my rock.”

Innovative Measures

Today, Hebert’s retail operations are housed in an 18,000-square-foot complex of buildings in Chicopee, backed by a 38,000-square-foot warehouse in South Hadley which serves as the center for his service and installation operations. “We can service and repair up to 10 spas at a time,” he said, adding they are sent from as far away as the mid-Atlantic states, and he received a great deal of work after Hurricane Katrina.

The company also installs several hundred new pool liners each year, opens 1,300 pools each spring, and closes about 1,600 pools in the fall, which equates to roughly 40 a day.

“The business we do is not normal. We are very, very unusual,” Hebert said, adding that the store has five laboratories where pool and spa water can be analyzed and tested at no charge to the customer.

The Teddy Bear name is well-known in the community, and in the last few years, Hebert has done little in the way of formal advertising. Instead, the Teddy Bear Pools name is emblazoned on the uniform shirts he provides for sports teams. Meanwhile, he has sponsored many racecar teams and owns a Volkswagen ‘Bear Bug,’ emblazoned with his company’s mascot, and a Smart Car known as ‘Smart Bear’; both are a hit at parades and other events. In addition, he was the first local business owner to have a hot-air balloon with his company name on it.

These measures, along with his charitable work, have morphed into an indirect advertising and branding campaign. “I love helping kids and adults in any way that I can,” he told BusinessWest, noting that his work on the boards of nonprofit organizations, such as the Rotary Club, where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow for his generous contributions to society, helped spread the word about his business.

“My wife has also been very instrumental and has done a lot for local charities. She left her job after we married to help me, and we do everything together,” he said.

The business also expanded due to Hebert’s commitment to his customers, which led him to implement innovative ideas. For example, when he realized people often forgot the initial instructions they were given about how to maintain a new pool, he hired a production company and made a video that explained everything pool owners needed to know, from how to change, operate, and clean filters to how to vacuum a pool, winterize it in the fall, then reopen it again in the spring. It can be viewed at no charge on the Teddy Bear website at www.teddybearpools.com.

Then, in 2009, when pool manufacturers Esther Williams and Johnny Weissmuller went out of business, Hebert launched a company to make replacement parts for those brands to make sure his customers had everything they needed if a problem occurred. Teddy Bear is also one of the only companies in the Northeast that repairs automatic electric pool vacuums. “People sold them, but no one wanted to fix them,” he said, adding that he regards his customers as family, and didn’t want them to encounter insurmountable obstacles with the products they purchased.

As a result of these measures, the company soon achieved national and international recognition. Teddy Bear Pools carries Hot Springs spas and is rated 22nd out of 700 dealers in the world who sell its products. “We have had people come here from the factory in California to see how we operate,” Hebert said, “and we were one of the first companies inducted into the Aqua Hall of Fame.”

Above and Beyond

Hebert’s success led him to become a motivational speaker at national conferences in his industry, and he created eight three-hour seminars on topics that range from branding to team building to “How to Survive the Economy, the Weather, and Your Employees.”

However, he says he values the people who work for him and prides himself on the benefits he offers his 85 employees — a number that expands during the summer season.

“I consider them part of my family and believe I have been successful because I care about people, quality, and value,” he said. “We are fair in price, and I take advantage of every opportunity I have to help the community. But you are only as good as your employees, and the people who work for me are my greatest asset.”

Although no one can predict the future, Hebert says he will never retire. “I keep getting new ideas. I don’t know where they come from, but the work I do is fun and gives me a reason to get up in the morning. Every season is a new adventure, and I have been blessed to have the foresight to look ahead and see where the business is going,” he said. “But I never want to forget where I came from, and for the past 15 years, I have called customers personally to thank them for their business.”

Thus, Hebert’s reputation and business continue to grow, while he and Barbara remain committed to using their time and talent to do what matters most to them — which is, “to make the world a better place to live in,” he said.

And to swim in, of course.

Banking and Financial Services Sections
There’s Still Time for Homeowners to Take Advantage of HARP

Mel Watt has been on a campaign.

Watt, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has been reaching out to the public all summer to let people know about the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, a five-year-old program to help homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages refinance to a lower interest rate.

“We know that there are hundreds of thousands of borrowers who can still benefit from HARP and are essentially leaving money on the table by not taking advantage of the program,” Watt said. “By engaging directly with local community leaders, faith-based organizations, local elected officials, and lenders, our goal is to leverage these trusted sources to reach as many borrowers as we can.”

Watt may be understating the potential untapped market for HARP loans, said Bob Michel, senior vice president at Hampden Bank. Well over 3 million Americans have taken advantage of HARP since it was created in the wake of the housing-market crash of 2008 and 2009, but some banking analysts say there could be just as many homeowners still eligible to apply.

“Basically, the HARP program was designed for borrowers who had kept their mortgage current, yet they were underwater or didn’t have sufficient equity to finance at today’s low interest rates,” Michel told BusinessWest. “The government tried a number of different modification programs, but most of those were designed for people who had become delinquent. They finally recognized that people who had done the right thing, who had maintained their payment schedule as well as they possibly could, would benefit from taking advantage of low interest rates. We’ve seen people lower their interest rates by 2%, 3%, or more with this program.”

Yet, Watt told HousingWire magazine that a combination of factors, including fear, is keeping others away.

“HARP is designed to reward those borrowers who are the most committed in this country. This is not a scam,” he said. However, “as it stands now, people don’t trust their lenders, and it’s creating uncertainty.

“Today,” he added, “there’s just a lot of people — and no one pays enough attention to it — who got burned.”

HARP is a means to relieve some of that sting, Michel said, as long as people take advantage of the program before it expires at the end of 2015.

Underwater Rescue

The bursting of the housing bubble in 2008 put millions of American homeowners in a serious predicament. Inventories soared nationwide, and home prices plummeted, and many recent homebuyers saw the value of their homes drop below the balance of their mortgages.

Interest rates declined soon after, but these underwater homeowners were prevented from taking advantage of lower rates through refinancing, since banks traditionally require a loan-to-value ratio of 80% or less to qualify for refinancing without private mortgage insurance.

FHFA and the U.S. Treasury Department introduced HARP in early 2009 as part of the Making Home Affordable program. HARP is one of the only refinance programs that allows borrowers with little or no equity to take advantage of low interest rates and other refinancing benefits. To be eligible, homeowners must meet the following criteria:

• Their loan must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac;
• Their mortgage must have been originated on or before May 31, 2009;
• Their current loan-to-value ratio must be greater than 80%; and
• They must be current on their mortgage payments, with no late payments in the last six months and no more than one late payment in the last 12 months.

“The basic HARP program will easily go up to 125% of the market value of the home, so you can be underwater — and there are provisions that go beyond that on a case-by-case basis,” Michel said. “You still have to have an adequate credit rating and the ability to pay. But these are people who have been paying all along, so they’ve already demonstrated an ability to pay. The vast majority of HARP borrowers who applied with us have been able to be approved.”

The savings, nationally, have been dramatic. Tracy Hagen Mooney, senior vice president at Freddie Mac, said homeowners who refinanced through HARP during the first quarter of 2013 saved an average of $4,300 in interest payments over the first 12 months.

Interest rates have risen since then to between 4% and 5%, and Mooney, like most analysts, doesn’t expect them to return to 2012 and 2013 levels. “However, mortgage interest rates are still comparatively low. Looking back to the mid-2000s, the average 30-year fixed interest rate was around 6%,” she writes. “Given that nearly half of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgages owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae have rates of 5% or greater, lots of homeowners stand to benefit from acting now.”

That’s the word Watt is trying to spread. “We know that there are hundreds of thousands of borrowers who can still benefit from Home Affordable Refinance Program and are essentially leaving money on the table by not taking advantage of the program,” he said.

Bottom Line

That’s Michel’s concern, too.

“I know there are a number of people out there that could still benefit from this program but are not taking advantage of it,” he told BusinessWest, adding that the bank has tried to reach out to them through direct mail and advertising campaigns. “We’re still in a time of historically low interest rates, but I think the growing consensus is that these rates are not going to last a whole lot longer. I think we’re on the verge, sometime in the next six to 12 months, of seeing interest rates rise.”

In other words, there’s still time for underwater borrowers to swim to shore — the sooner, the better.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Banking and Financial Services Sections
Government Secrecy on Cash and Credit Transactions Is Troubling


By PAUL MANCINONE

Back in May 2013, our firm wrote an article for Accounting Today, “Taxing Times for the Restaurant Industry.” We followed that up with another, “Taxing Times Two for the Restaurant Industry,” which was published last month. Most recently, the Kiplinger Tax Letter contacted us, and we shaped the 1099-K paragraphs published in the Aug. 29 issue of its biweekly Tax Letter. These articles focused on the use of Form 1099-K, the IRS-mandated procedure for reports issued by credit-card companies to taxpayers that accept credit cards for payment, which we’ll attempt to summarize herein.

While the articles were focused on the restaurant industry, an area where we do a lot of representation work, the issue is not at all exclusive to any particular industry, although the IRS and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) do target restaurants heavily. This trend involves any retail enterprise that collects its revenues in both cash and credit-card transactions. Any small business that accepts cash and credit cards as payment is a potential target.

If you aren’t familiar with Form 1099-K, you should be. According to the IRS, “the 1099-K is an IRS information return for reporting certain payment transactions to improve voluntary tax compliance.” That’s for sure! The IRS has a mechanism to compare Form 1099-K to gross receipts reported on a tax return, which is then used to create audit leads.

As an example, let’s again look at the restaurant industry. Let’s say there are two restaurants, located in the same geographic area, both with $1 million in gross receipts. Restaurant 1 has 75% in credit-card sales, while Restaurant 2 has 95% in credit-card sales. The IRS and the state DOR can now very easily see that Restaurant 1 does 25% of its sales in cash, and Restaurant 2 does only 5% of its sales in cash. No need to guess which restaurant here is the audit lead — it’s Restaurant 2.

This type of analysis is happening right now, to all types of closely held retail enterprises, such as hair salons, restaurants, hardware stores, jewelers, ski shops, grocery stores, you name it. The IRS is compiling the data it receives from tax returns from these various industries, obtaining an acceptable ‘range,’ and using the data to compare with retail establishments that appear to be reporting less than what the IRS believes to be their fair share of cash sales, and going after them.

But what is a reasonable percentage of credit-card sales for a particular industry? If an auditor says, “your client’s credit-card-to-gross-receipts percentage is too high,” i.e., meaning not enough cash reporting, that is based on what authority? I would suggest that the 1980s are long past, and plastic here to stay. Everyone reading this knows the prevalent use of credit cards, even at low-price-point establishments like the local donut shop, where cash was king just 10 years ago. Yet, this is an audit approach used by the IRS and the DOR. Even worse, tax representatives, as well as all the targeted industries, are fighting with one hand tied behind their backs, and here’s why.

We submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the IRS, specifically requesting research data related to credit-card-to-gross-receipts percentage as it relates to the restaurant industry, preferably allocated by region, if at all possible. Oh, we got an answer, all right. Our “request was denied for law-enforcement purposes.” So not only is the IRS targeting closely held retail establishments, using this 1099-K analysis as its tool, but it’s not going to share the results of its studies, which, by the way, were gathered from tax returns of U.S. taxpayers.

I believe this was very unfortunate, but not much of a surprise. The IRS is a little weak in public opinion right about now, and not exactly transparent. But this secrecy is shortsighted. Taxation in the U.S. is getting increasingly voluntary as the IRS gets its funding scrutinized (and diminished) in the wake of the Lois Lerner fiasco. One would think that releasing this data would be a wonderful aid. At least then it would get a dialogue going between accountant and business owner.

Maybe there are valid explanations for a high credit-card percentage. And if there isn’t a good explanation, having access to this ‘secret IRS data’ may raise revenues for the U.S. Treasury, as errant retail establishments can pay more attention to their income reporting (i.e. self-audit). The IRS refusing to reveal this data does nothing to help the voluntary compliance that is unquestionably more necessary with the IRS’s limited resources.

Maybe a business has been subject to theft — less cash. Perhaps it’s in a business area with patrons using credit cards almost exclusively — less cash. There are myriad explanations to address a variance. But there is no way to know if there is a variance if the IRS is not forthcoming with benchmark data.

I believe that this type of information will eventually be released via litigation. It seems to me that, at a tax-court adjudication level, if a taxing authority uses a credit-card-to-gross-receipts test as part of its analysis, that data will need to be produced at the litigation level and subject to review by the opposing side.

For retail establishments that find my thoughts a potential concern, I would urge them to get into contact with their trade associations to request this information and publish it for its members. From my experience, no one has as of yet. It is as important, if not more so, than the other multitude of trends these associations release — the vast majority of which are interesting, but much less relevant to income taxes.

We also urge the IRS to reconsider its poor decision to refrain from releasing this data, gathered from taxpayers, for the benefit of taxpayers.

Paul L. Mancinone is president of Paul L. Mancinone Co., P.C. in Springfield; (413) 301-8201.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Fourteen lawyers from Bulkley Richardson were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2015. Bulkley Richardson had the most honorees of any law firm in Springfield, with 12 of its 14 selected lawyers based in its Springfield office.

Two of the firm’s honorees were also named Springfield “Lawyer of the Year” in specific practice areas. William Hart Jr. was so honored in the category of trusts and estates, and John Pucci for criminal defense, white-collar. He was also recognized in the area of criminal defense, non-white-collar. The following Bulkley Richardson lawyers were also selected for the 2015 edition of Best Lawyers:

• Peter Barry: construction law

• Michael Burke: medical-malpractice law (defendants); personal-injury litigation (defendants)

• Mark Cress: bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights; insolvency and reorganization law; corporate law

• Francis Dibble Jr.: bet-the-company litigation; commercial litigation; litigation (anti-trust, labor and employment, securities)

• Daniel Finnegan: administrative/regulatory law; litigation (construction)

• Robert Gelinas: personal-injury litigation (defendants)

• Kevin Maynard: commercial litigation; litigation (banking and finance, construction)

• David Parke: corporate law

• Melinda Phelps: medical-malpractice law (defendants); personal-injury litigation (defendants)

• Donn Randall: commercial litigation

• Ellen Randle: family law

• Ronald Weiss: corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; tax law

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as a definitive guide to legal excellence. Because it is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 52,000 leading attorneys cast almost 5.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”