Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Foundation for TJO Animals will present Pets Rock! — a concert to benefit local homeless animals in need at the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center — on Saturday, June 10 from noon to 5 p.m. at Springfield Lodge of Elks #61, 440 Tiffany St., Springfield. All proceeds from this event will provide much-needed medical care and training to the many animals that call TJO their temporary home.

Sponsored by Planet Fitness, Pets Rock! will be an afternoon of music, food, and fun. Pat Kelly of Lazer 99.3 & 105.1 will host a lineup of four local bands: Locals Only, Feel Good Drift, Tough Customer, and Trailer Trash. Attendees are welcome to bring their beach chairs and blankets to enjoy food trucks from establishments including Murphy’s Pub, Plan B Burger, and Poppie’s Concessions, as well as games, raffles, and face painting for the kids.

Tickets are $15 (children under 12 are free), available at the gate or online at www.tjofoundation.org. The first 200 people admitted will receive a free commemorative mug to fill with the beverage of their choice. The venue requests service dogs only, and no coolers are allowed.

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Bacon Wilson announced the opening of a new facility at 57 Center St. in downtown Northampton. On May 24, the firm welcomed clients, neighbors, and friends to a grand-opening reception. Also present was Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, who officiated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Bacon Wilson’s newly renovated, state-of-the-art office space at 57 Center St. features several striking design elements, including lots of natural light, an enclosed interior courtyard, and soaring ceilings. The main conference room has been christened the Fogel Room, in tribute to former partner Bruce Fogel, who passed away last year.

Bacon Wilson has had a long-time presence in Hampshire County. The firm’s first Northampton office space opened in 2001, and expanded significantly with the 2005 acquisition of Morse & Sacks. In 2006, a merge with Monsein & MacConnell brought Bacon Wilson to the Amherst community. Earlier this year, the firm added another new location, on Russell Street in Hadley. The current move to 57 Center St. brings Bacon Wilson even closer to the heart of downtown Northampton, and reaffirms the firm’s commitment to the local Northampton community, and to the entire Pioneer Valley.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College is offering what may be the first course of its kind in the region, in industry-related airbrushing.

The 20-hour workshop is designed to provide instruction and hands-on experience in the airbrushing application of makeup, nail design, temporary body art, and tanning.

The workshop, which starts on June 5 at 3 p.m., lasts 20 hours, spread over five Monday afternoons. The cost is $350.

“We work closely with local employers, and they tell us what they want their employees to know,” said Ruth Butler, clinical instructor from the Cosmetology Department at STCC. “We think this workshop will be interesting and enjoyable for everyone, but may be especially helpful for those that are working or looking for work in the industry.”

Younger students are encouraged to attend. Students must be 16 years of age or older or at least entering their junior year of high school to participate.

“If a young person takes this workshop and sees that they have a talent or an interest in taking additional classes, we’d be happy to help them to succeed in this field,” Butler said.

Matt Kriftcher, department chair for Graphic Communications and Photography at STCC, has been a professor of airbrushing techniques for over 20 years. He co-teaches the workshop.

“Limited spaces for this course are available due to STCC’s dedication to providing low faculty-to-student ratios to ensure constant feedback and detailed learning opportunities,” he said.

Students must supply a few nominal items. For more information or to enroll online, visit www.stcc.edu/wt and search for ‘airbrushing.’ To enroll in person, go to STCC Building 6, Room 146, or call (413) 755-4225.

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Attorney Michael Gove of Gove Law Office will offer an informative discussion about key issues that are important to understand when planning for the future or for the care of an aging loved one. The session will take place at Christopher Heights Assisted Living Community on Wednesday, June 21 at 6 p.m.

Gove will review various documents, such as healthcare proxy, trusts, power of attorney, last will and testament, declaration of homestead, and medical orders for life-sustaining treatment. Those in attendance should gain a better understanding of when and if these documents are necessary to complete.

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided, and tours of the assisted-living community will be available after the program. Seating is limited, and reservations are requested by June 16 by calling (413) 584-0701 or e-mailing [email protected]. Parking is available on Village Hill Road, Moser Street, and in the Christopher Heights parking lot on the corner of Moser Street and Musante Drive.

Education Sections

Bringing Classrooms to Life

By Alta J. Stark

Steven O’Brien emceed Western New England University

Steven O’Brien emceed Western New England University’s Student Media Festival, part of his spring internship as chair of the festival.

Today’s college graduates understand it takes much more than book learning to compete in the job market; employers are looking for real-world experience. Students gain that experience through internships in their field, but they gain more than that. BusinessWest spoke with a few from this year’s graduating class who said their internships gave them confidence, inspiration, connections, and, in one case, a whole new career focus.

As thousands of new graduates from the region’s colleges and universities prepare to start their careers in a competitive labor market, the range of their majors is as varied as their diverse backgrounds and talents. But they’re finding it often takes more than a degree to prepare for the work world.

Increasingly, who gets the plum jobs comes down to the work experience students accrue well before they graduate.

“As students transition out of the university into the real world, employers are looking for students with experience,” said Andrea St. James, director of the Career Development Center at Western New England University. “College internships are now a major component in providing students with on-the-job skill sets they need to succeed. We encourage students to get that experience early and often.”

All colleges boast active career centers that help cultivate meaningful and practical experiences for students, but a unique consortium of career-center professionals is bringing it all together in the Pioneer Valley. Comprised of career directors from American International College, Bay Path University, Elms College, Holyoke Community College, Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College, Western New England University, and Westfield State University, College Career Centers of Western Mass (CCCWM) provides companies and organizations a central venue in which to connect with a pool of potential interns and entry-level candidates located in Western Mass.

“We meet monthly to learn from each other. We want to help students not only build their résumés, but help direct where they may want to take their education when they leave,” said St. James.

CCCWM cross-posts job and internship opportunities, participates in career fairs throughout the year, and educates and empowers students through special events and focus groups, she added. “It’s a great resource to add to the specialized career preparation that’s available to students in their schools’ career centers. We encourage students to start exploring opportunities in their first year because an effective combination of education and career programs is a valuable complement to the academic experience.”

Laurie Cirillo

Laurie Cirillo says her department at Bay Path empowers women to take charge of their own career path.

In addition, career counselors help internship-seeking students make and maintain connections with friends, peers, professors, and alumni who may be helpful in their search. To hear the students tell it, those efforts are paying off.

The Right Channels

As a communications major at Western New England University, Steven O’Brien is learning how to tell stories creatively and effectively. He’s an incoming senior who’s spent the past three years studying mass media, television, radio, online media, and media production. This past spring, he jumped at the chance to turn his academic learning into real-life, hands-on experience.

“Ask anybody who has anything remotely to do with finding a job after college — anybody from the career development center, any of my professors — and they’ll tell you internships are critical because more and more employers, even for entry-level positions, are looking for people who have experience in the field,” he said.

O’Brien chaired WNEU’s 15th annual Student Media Festival, which celebrates student-produced music videos, news reports, newspaper articles, radio programming, commercials, public-service announcements, and digital photography.

“The Media Festival is a huge part of the spring semester for everyone who enters WNE. My focus was to make this the best it could be and do my job well because a lot of people were counting on me to do that,” he said.


SEE: List of Colleges in Western Mass.


He worked closely with Professor Brenda Garton-Sjoberg, who told BusinessWest that internships place students in the driver’s seat to navigate through career options, as well as providing outstanding networking opportunities.

“They allow students to experience a job through academic credit to determine if that’s the best path for their future down the road,” she explained. “I believe internships are essential for anyone, especially students interested in careers in communications.”

Simply put, O’Brien added, “being in the internship environment forces you to either sink or swim. It puts you in a position that, if you don’t have these skills, you have to find them quickly. If you’re not familiar with something, you need to know about it, and you need to learn about it.”


We encourage students to start exploring opportunities in their first year because an effective combination of education and career programs is a valuable complement to the academic experience.”


What O’Brien liked best about the internship was wearing many hats. “It was really a multi-faceted internship that went beyond the norm. It dealt with myriad skills and disciplines from public speaking and PR to marketing, media production, event planning, social-media marketing, and e-mail marketing. To get a taste of each of those, I think, was incredible.”

St. James agreed. “It’s the soft skills that he’s building that all employers value; yes, it’s the networking, the résumé building, but knowing how to manage personalities, the critical thinking, the teamwork, the motivation, communication, the small talk that has to occur to bring this people together — that’s really invaluable.”

O’Brien aced the internship in more ways than his grade. He also networked himself into a paid summer internship with the festival’s media sponsor, Cloud 9 Marketing Group, a fairly new startup founded by a recent WNE graduate.

“I worked with him throughout the entire process, and got to know him,” he said. “After the festival, I e-mailed him to ask if he was looking for interns this summer. We met, and now it looks like I’ll have an internship this summer that grew from my spring internship.”

Gaining Empowerment

Alison Hudson has been performing since she was 3 years old. She says she’s always known she wanted a career that would include her love of the creative arts and her passion for psychology. She graduated from Bay Path University in May, majoring in forensic psychology, with a minor in performing arts. In the fall, she’s going to Lesley University to seek a master’s degree in mental health counseling with a focus on drama therapy.

Hudson said her senior-year internship was critical because it showed her she was on the right path for her future. Specifically, she interned as a residential assistant at Berkshire Hills Music Academy, a live-in community for young adults with developmental disabilities, who gain communication skills through music therapy.

“The students are really wonderful,” she said. “They welcome you into their lives, and it’s very rewarding.”

Tori Bouchard, certified trainer and 2017 Springfield College graduate (left), with Sue Guyer, chair of Exercise Science and Sport Studies at the college.

Tori Bouchard, certified trainer and 2017 Springfield College graduate (left), with Sue Guyer, chair of Exercise Science and Sport Studies at the college.

Prior to her internship, Hudson wanted to work with veterans and rehabilitated criminals, but her work at the academy pointed her in a different direction. “This internship gave me the confidence to take on the challenge of grad school and follow a career path of working with people using performing arts as therapy,” she said.

In fact, helping students build confidence helps them graduate, move on to graduate school, and get a job, said Laurie Cirillo, assistant dean of Student Success at Bay Path’s Sullivan Career & Life Planning Center. “We’re trying to empower women to be in power over their own destiny.”

To help students grow and develop self-reliance, Bay Path has adopted a unique take on the internship experience, which has become a hallmark of the university. “We don’t place our students; they work with a career coach to match themselves,” Cirillo said. “We provide a solid support system and strategies for success, but we’ve found multiple benefits to having students open the doors to the next steps of their lives and careers.”

When Delmarina Lopez entered Bay Path as a freshman, she didn’t think she could do that. The young Latina woman with a love for the public sector recalls that she was ready to transfer out.

“College was a rude awakening for me, academically, culturally, and financially, but President [Carol] Leary wasn’t going to let me go. I received amazing support, guidance, and mentoring. I stayed, and I do not regret it.”

Lopez, who’d already achieved success in her young life as the first high-school-age, community-based intern for former Gov. Deval Patrick, became more active on campus, serving as Leary’s presidential ambassador, as well as president of the Student Government Assoc. She started as a criminal justice major, then switched to legal studies after interning with attorney Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ross of Springfield.

“I knew her as one of a handful of Latina leaders in our community. It was good to work with someone who looked like me and has a similar background,” Lopez said. “She taught me the importance of mentoring and bringing someone up with you, not just focusing on yourself. I learned that law isn’t about competition; it’s about justice.”

Lopez applied to multiple law schools across the country and was accepted at 12; she chose to stay close to home, entering Western New England University Law School this fall on a full scholarship.

Cirillo says helping build a woman’s self-efficacy is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. “Many students come here with a lot of self-doubt, but by the end of their college experience, they’re able to stand back and see what they’ve achieved, and what lies ahead as they realize their potential.”

Trainers in Training

Springfield College is well-known for its athletic programs. “We’re preparing students for careers in the fitness and health industry, providing them with classroom and hands-on training from day one,” said Sue Guyer, chair of the school’s Exercise Science and Sport Studies program. “Undergrads and grads work with varying populations, from top-level athletes to still-developing high-school athletes and the elderly, and they’re influencing their lives for the better.”

Tori Bouchard completed six internships during her studies to become a certified athletic trainer. It’s a program requirement to complete a clinical rotation each semester, starting sophomore year.

“Through these rotations, we’re able to connect to patients, coaches, other athletic trainers, and other healthcare professionals, and athletic directors. We’re able to grow as athletic trainers,” Bouchard said. “We’re able to see and meet all sorts of different people. No case is the same. No patient is the same patient. So you take the theories you’re learning in the classroom, and you apply them to the setting, and not everything is always textbook. Nothing is ever textbook, actually. So, sometimes you’re learning one thing, but you realize  — under supervision of the preceptor — ‘oh, this isn’t necessarily going to work for this case, but I also know about this technique.’”

Guyer said it’s impossible to measure the true value of the experiential learning. “It’s invaluable to have the opportunity to mentor into the profession,” she told BusinessWest, noting that the rotations can also have a positive impact at understaffed schools, which may have large populations of student athletes, but just one athletic trainer on staff.

“If Springfield College sends two interns to that high school, they’ve added two qualified people to help maintain the health and well-being of students,” she went on. “What we’ve learned is, if a student is able to see, feel, experience, treat, and rehabilitate athletes, that it really brings the classroom to life.”

Bouchard agreed. “The connections with people are unbelievable,” she said.
“You learn so much just by talking to other people, learning what they’ve learned, and you grow as a person.”

Bouchard has passed her certification exam and is presently looking for a paid internship before heading back to graduate school. “I think I still have more to learn in the clinic,” she said. “I think you’re always learning something new, and I want to learn who I really am when I’m working on my own team without another athletic trainer.”

That is, after all, what the college experience is really about — young people learning who they are, what they can do, and how to realize their potential.

Departments People on the Move
Jacqueline Charron

Jacqueline Charron

The Professional Women’s Chamber (PWC) announced that Jacqueline Charron, chief risk officer and senior vice president of Operations and Information Technology for PeoplesBank in Holyoke, has been named the PWC 2017 Woman of the Year. The Woman of the Year award is presented to a woman in the Western Mass. area who exemplifies outstanding leadership, professional accomplishment, and service to the community. This award has been given annually since 1954. Liz Rappaport, secretary of the PWC board committee, said the selection committee was thoroughly impressed with Charron’s work-life balance, as evidenced by her pursuit of education while managing her career and being the mother of four children. “The PWC recently had a work-life balance panel at a luncheon, and we loved how, through her application, Jackie personified work-life balance,” Rappaport said. Charron earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Mount Holyoke College while working as a teller at PeoplesBank. She went on to receive an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. She has done post-graduate work at Babson College (Mass. Bankers Assoc. School of Financial Studies), Villanova University (master certificate in Lean Six Sigma), and the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business Leadership Program. After 32 years, Jackie continues to build a successful career at PeoplesBank, where today she leads a team of 40 associates in deposit operations, information technology, electronic banking, and risk and compliance. She has served at the leadership level of many community and business organizations, including the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Girls Inc., the South Hadley and Greater Holyoke chambers of commerce, and United Way of Pioneer Valley. She also enjoys volunteering at the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Road Race and at activities and fund-raisers that support her children’s academic and athletic interests. She can be found working the concession stand at a high-school girls’ soccer game or attending a gala for the Fine Arts Center or Bright Nights. A celebration in Charron’s honor will be held on Thursday, June 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the Carriage House, Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or by contacting Jessica Hill at [email protected].

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Jim Ayres

Jim Ayres

United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) announced that its board of directors has appointed Jim Ayres the organization’s next president and CEO, effective June 12. Ayres, who currently serves as the CEO of the United Way Hampshire County, will succeed Dora Robinson, UWPV’s most recent president and CEO and current president emeritus. Ayres comes to UWPV from United Way of Hampshire County (UWHC), where he has served as CEO and executive director since 2011. During his tenure there, he expanded the donor base and increased both funding diversity and overall revenue at a time when many United Ways nationally had experienced shrinkage. Prior to joining UWHC, he served for 12 years as the executive director of the Center for New Americans, an education and resource center for immigrants, refugees, and other limited-English speakers in Western Mass. With roots in the Springfield public schools, where he worked as a parent community and involvement coordinator, he has extensive experience working with school systems, local and state governments, community coalitions, workforce boards, and other nonprofit organizations to develop programming and policy. He is the incoming board president of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network and an adjunct professor of Nonprofit Administration and Philanthropy at Bay Path University. He holds master’s degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. UWPV will celebrate Ayres’s arrival at the organization’s 95th-anniversary celebration on Wednesday, May 31 at the Barney Carriage House at Forest Park.

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Mark Foster

Mark Foster

Jay Seyler

Jay Seyler

Shana Hebdrikse

Shana Hebdrikse

Jessica Menard

Jessica Menard

PeoplesBank announced the appointment of Mark Foster to vice president, operational risk manager; Jay Seyler to vice president, business banking officer; Shana Hendrikse to business banking officer; and Jessica Menard to commercial credit officer. Foster brings more than a decade of financial and audit experience, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. He is an RSA Archer-certified administrator and was named a 2015 RSA Archer Innovation Award winner. Seyler possesses more than 30 years of banking and financial experience, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Bryant University and an MBA from Western New England University. Hendrikse brings more than a decade of banking and financial experience, and holds a master’s degree from Colorado State University and a bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo University. She has completed training through the New England School of Financial Studies at Babson and holds a certificate in financial studies. Menard possesses close to a decade of banking and commercial-loan experience, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Bay Path University. She has completed training through the Risk Management Assoc., the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc., and the Center for Financial Training.

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Hyman Darling

Hyman Darling

Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that attorney Hyman Darling recently took the oath of office as the incoming president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). He was sworn in as president at NAELA’s annual conference along with other incoming members of the executive committee, and will officially assume his duties as NAELA president on June 1. In addition to accepting the office of the presidency, Darling was also honored as a NAELA fellow for 2017. The fellow designation is the highest honor bestowed by NAELA, and is granted to members who have careers in elder law and who have made exceptional contributions to the field. Election as a NAELA fellow signifies an attorney recognized by his peers as a model for others, and an exceptional lawyer and leader. The most significant component in the selection process is commitment and contributions to NAELA through committee participation, programs, and leadership. Upon accepting the fellow award and the presidency, Darling proceeded to address his NAELA colleagues, thanking them for record-high conference attendance and laying out his plans for the coming year. Much to the delight of the audience, his remarks were delivered entirely in rhyming verse. Darling is a partner at Bacon Wilson, where he has practiced since 1981. He concentrates in the areas of trusts, estates, taxes, estate planning, probate, guardianships, special needs, and elder law. Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, he served as a trust officer. He has been a frequent presenter for both the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education. He has also spoken for NAELA at several conferences, both local and national. He is an adjunct faculty member at both Western New England University School of Law and Bay Path University. Darling serves on many local planned-giving committees, and is a frequent lecturer for professional and civic groups in the Pioneer Valley. He is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, and is also a former president of the Hampden County Estate Planning Council.

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Kevin Maltby

Kevin Maltby

Bacon Wilson, P.C. also announced that attorney Kevin Maltby is a recipient of 2017’s Excellence in the Law Pro Bono Award from Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. He was recognized for his pro bono efforts in connection with the Springfield District Court’s Lawyer for a Day program. With the support of the Hampden County Bar Assoc., Maltby led the 2012 effort to establish the weekly program, and he is currently working on significant expansion of pro bono services offered by the Hampden County Legal Clinic. He was inspired to initiate the Lawyer for a Day program after taking note of numerous people trying to represent themselves in court, often unsuccessfully, due to their unfamiliarity with the law and court procedures. In addition to the District Court Lawyer for a Day program, Maltby contributes his time to numerous other pro bono programs, including the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Dial-a-Lawyer program, and the Hampden County Bar Assoc. Lawyer on the Line program. He is the current president of the Hampden County Bar Assoc., where he also serves on the pro bono committee. He is a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s standing advisory committee on professionalism, and is an adjunct professor at Bay Path University, where he teaches advanced litigation.

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Thomas Walbridge

Thomas Walbridge

Community Health Programs has named Thomas Walbridge its new chief financial officer. He will oversee the health network’s budget, financial operations, and planning. Walbridge has served as chief financial officer and vice president for the Kinsley Group Inc. and as CFO for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority; he was also director of finance and human resources at Six Flags New England. His early professional career was spent in the banking sector in Pittsfield. He holds a business degree from Babson College and an MBA from Western New England University. CHP finished its 2016 fiscal year with an operating surplus of nearly $700,000, on revenues of $14 million. During that year, CHP increased its patient and client numbers from 16,000 to more than 22,000, with the addition of two new practices in North Adams and other new-patient outreach. During 2016, employment at CHP grew from 140 to 175 and continues to expand. Walbridge is also the founder and operator of LuckBridge Sports LLC, a company that creates affordable, inclusive team-building opportunities for youth and coaches in the developmental and advanced instruction of baseball and basketball. He volunteers in his community with youth sports programs, the American Red Cross, the March of Dimes, the Agawam Chamber of Commerce and the Agawam Rotary.

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Christopher Scott

Christopher Scott

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) announced the hiring of Christopher Scott as the dean of the School of Health & Patient Simulation. Scott had been the interim dean since the retirement of Michael Foss in 2016. His previous positions at STCC include assistant dean for the School of Health & Patient Simulation and director of Clinical Education and SIMS Medical Center. Scott will lead a school that offers the most competitive programs at STCC and is home to the Northeast’s largest patient-simulation training facility. The SIMS Medical Center at STCC provides a clinical setting to train students as well as healthcare providers. Scott played a key role in expanding the facility when he was hired as director in 2010. At the time, the center included 18 patient simulators and five rooms and provided 3,000 simulation experiences each year. Today, there are 52 simulators and 12 rooms, or simulation areas, and more than 20,000 simulation experiences. As dean, he is responsible for the overall leadership of the school as well as for the daily and long-term operation of all the credit and non-credit health programs. About 800 students are enrolled in credit and non-credit programs. The school includes more than 100 full-time and part-time faculty and staff. Scott sees his mission as helping to meet the community’s health care needs and ensuring access to the degree and certificate programs, which include cosmetology, dental assistant, dental hygiene, diagnostic medical imaging, interdisciplinary health studies, medical assistant, medical laboratory technician, nursing, rehabilitation therapies, respiratory care, and surgical technology. Scott, who holds a master’s degree in health education and curriculum development from Springfield College, is currently is completing his doctorate of education in higher education administration from Northeastern University in Boston. A certified healthcare-simulation educator, Scott earned his bachelor’s degree in emergency medical services management from Springfield College.

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Bruce Marzotto

Bruce Marzotto

Lee Bank announced that Bruce Marzotto, senior vice president of Commercial Lending, has been named a Community Bank Hero by the Warren Group and Banker & Tradesman. Community Bank Heroes is an annual award that honors the achievements, commitment, and dedication of financial professionals who go above and beyond for their institution and community. Award recipients are nominated by their peers and selected by Banker & Tradesman’s editorial board; this year’s 13 winners hail from community banks throughout Massachusetts. Marzotto has been with Lee Bank for 10 years and has worked in banking in Berkshire County for 40 years. After receiving his associate’s degree at Berkshire Community College, he continued his education through banking courses with the American Institute of Banking as well as the New England School of Banking at Williams College. As former treasurer of the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, Great Barrington Little League, and Boy Scouts of America Troop 23, he is continuing his community involvement as a trustee of the newly organized Great Barrington Municipal Affordable House Trust. The Community Bank Heroes awards will be distributed at a dinner event on Tuesday, May 23 at the Hyatt Regency Boston hotel. Recipients will be featured in the May 22 issue of Banker & Tradesman. To see a full list of the Community Bank Heroes and for more information about the awards dinner, visit www.thewarrengroupevents.com/communitybankheroes.

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Sharon Dufour, chief financial officer for Luso Federal Credit Union, and Kimberly Anderson, Community Relations representative for Luso, were recognized on National Financial Educators Day for their hard work and dedication to promoting financial-literacy education in Ludlow, Hampden, and Wilbraham. Nominated by Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, Dufour and Anderson, supported by Luso Federal Credit Union and a grant from the Joseph and Anna C. Dias Family Foundation, help bring financial-literacy education to thousands of youth in the three communities. Every child in Ludlow schools and St. John the Baptist School, kindergarten through grade 8, participates in a JA program each year, as well as all the students at Thornton Burgess Middle School in Hampden and Wilbraham Middle School. Dufour and Anderson not only secure the funding for the programs, but recruit and train nearly 100 volunteers to deliver the programs. Dufour and Anderson also teach multiple JA programs each year.

Construction Sections

Blueprint for Growth

From left, the principals at Caolo & Bieniek Associates, James Hanifan, Bert Gardner, Curtis Edgin, and John MacMillan.

From left, the principals at Caolo & Bieniek Associates, James Hanifan, Bert Gardner, Curtis Edgin, and John MacMillan.

“More horsepower.”

That’s the phrase summoned by Curtis Edgin when he was asked to identify the primary advantage gained through the union of two architecture firms, Caolo & Bieniek Associates (CBA), which he serves as a principal, and Reinhardt Associates, a long-time competitor.

He would go on at length in his answer and use a number of different words and phrases, but the term ‘horsepower’ probably summed it up best.

He used it to describe everything the union brings to the table: experience, client bases, contacts within both the public and private sectors, and simple know-how — about this business, this market, and much more.

It’s a case of simple addition by … addition, said Edgin, noting that this new, larger firm has a bigger engine, if you will, one capable of fueling additional growth.

And by engine, he meant people in particular.

“In a service business, and especially architecture, it’s about the people; it’s not about tables and chairs and computers,” he explained. “Your main resource is the intelligence you bring to the table; architecture is about designs, but it’s really about relationships.”

John MacMillan, formerly president at Reinhardt Associates and now a partner with Caolo & Bieniek, agreed. With a larger team, he noted, the firm brings more experience to the forefront, especially in several specialty areas shared by CBA and Reinhardt, including schools, public-safety complexes, senior centers, and others.

“The competition is getting tougher, and you have to be able to show people more of what you can do,” he explained, touching on a theme he would return to often as he spoke with BusinessWest. “This union certainly strengthens the résumé; we can show 30 or 40 examples of past projects.”

Both MacMillan and Edgin agreed that, because of these shared specialities, talents, and especially relationships forged through decades of work with common institutions, cities, and towns, the union of the companies made sense on a number of levels.

“John and Reinhardt have a good, established client base, and CBA has a good, established client base,” Edgin explained. “And we thought that joining together those assets would be beneficial as we continue to serve those past clients and also pursue future clients.”

For this issue and its focus on construction, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the union of the two firms and what this additional horsepower means in terms of growth potential.

Progress — by Design

The walls of an architecture firm’s lobby — and this case, the conference room as well — usually tell a story.

It’s told through photographs and renderings of projects that have made it from the drawing board to reality — and the firm’s portfolio as well.

The walls within Caolo & Bieniek’s offices in Chicopee relate such a story, with images of schools, public-safety complexes, senior centers, bank branches, municipal offices, libraries, and more.

Actually, the walls and the images tell two stories — well, sort of. Caolo & Bieniek’s deep portfolio and wide diversity of projects mirror the body of work assembled by Reinhardt Associates.

The new Easthampton High School

The new Easthampton High School is one of many education-sector projects in the Caolo & Bieniek portfolio.

Indeed, both firms focused on both private and public-sector work, and especially the latter. In fact, they competed against each other for probably hundreds of individual projects for the better part of 60 years. (Caolo & Bieniek was founded in 1955, and the Reinhardt firm in 1957.)

These common specialties were among the most common-sense reasons for the firms coming together in what the principals prefer to call a “strategic alliance.”

Talks began sometime last fall, and they culminated in an agreement earlier this year that saw MacMillan and another architect join the Caolo & Bieniek firm.

As noted, the union gives the firm more horsepower at a time when it is certainly needed. Indeed, while the economy is relatively strong and work somewhat plentiful — in both the public and private sectors — competition for that work is as keen as ever.

And it’s coming from all points on the compass, especially the east, said MacMillan, where a number of Boston-area firms are becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of work in the 413 area code.

“We’re getting more competition from the east, including some of the larger firms, which have set up satellite offices in this area,” he explained. “And everyone is looking for specialists these days, so it’s harder to be a general practitioner.”

Overall, the firm intends to use its additional horsepower and existing strengths and contacts to generate more growth, said Edgin.

One of these strengths is simple diversity, a trait that helps keep operations afloat when one segment of the industry falls off, as school construction did years ago when the state cut back on funding. But it also helps when times are better and there are a number of projects to bid on.

And the company’s portfolio — not to mention those walls in the lobby and conference room — reveal that it has undertaken everything from restoration work on the clock tower of the Old Chapel at UMass Amherst to the new transit center in downtown Westfield; from a host of police and fire stations to school projects across the region and well outside it.

Roughly 75% of the joined firms’ portfolios fall in the public-sector realm, said Edgin, adding that schools are a big component of this work, and projects run the gamut from preschool to colleges and universities.

umasspolicefacility

Among the many projects in the Caolo & Bieniek portfolio are the new UMass Police facility, top, and the new Arrha Credit Union branch in West Springfield.

Among the many projects in the Caolo & Bieniek portfolio are the new UMass Police facility, top, and the new Arrha Credit Union branch in West Springfield.

The firms have collectively done a considerable amount of work for UMass Amherst, for example — the new police headquarters there is another example — and Westfield State University, where projects include a residence hall, classroom spaces, and the Eli Campus Center.

Public-safety complexes have become another strong niche, said MacMillan, noting that experience with such structures certainly helps in the highly competitive bidding process, and it has helped the firm amass nearly a dozen such projects over the years.

And he believes the combined experience of the firms helped CBA as it won the contract to build a new public-safety complex for the town of Westhampton.

Other specialties include libraries and senior centers, he went on, adding, again, that the firms have been very similar in the composition of their portfolios, although Reinhardt would often venture out of the 413 area code — it did a lot of work on both the North and South Shores of the Bay State — while CBA stayed closer to home.

The union of the companies also allows CBA to be more responsive because it can bring more resources to bear, said Edgin, adding that this is another important trait within a market that has become, in a word, more demanding.

“People want things faster, they wants things to be less expensive — they want it all,” he said. “By joining together, we can be responsive to clients.”

Building Momentum

Architects use numbers and images in their work, but, as Edgin noted, this is a relationship-driven business, where people make all the difference.

But ‘horsepower’ is a term that works, well, because it has a number of definitions, in this case the ability to offer valuable resources and experiences in efforts to serve the client.

And through this union of two former competitors, a larger firm can bring considerably more horsepower to bear.

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

Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Moe Belliveau

Moe Belliveau

Moe Belliveau says it’s certainly not the most important part of her job. But it just might be the most meaningful.

She was talking about the ribbon cuttings that mark the openings of new businesses and expansions of existing ventures. As executive director of the Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, Belliveau, like her colleagues at chambers across the region, has taken part in more of these than she can count. In fact, after borrowing a pair of large ceremonial scissors for her first such celebration nearly three years ago, she ordered her own pair.

But despite some sameness, these ceremonies never get old, she said, because they’re not about her — or the various elected officials who might turn out for the ceremonies. No, they’re for the business owner or owners in question, and for many, it’s one of the biggest days of their lives.

“This is an important day for them — people put their lives into these businesses,” she explained. “And it’s important that these moments are celebrated.”

There have been many ribbon cuttings in Easthampton in recent years, said Belliveau, who took the helm at the chamber three years ago, noting that this former mill town continues to make great strides in the effort to reinvent itself as a center for the arts, retail, hospitality, and, in a word, vibrancy.

The most recent involved Corsello Butcheria, a Roman-style butcher shop opened by Vincent and Kasey Corsello on Cottage Street in April.

By Roman-style, Vincent means a butcher shop modeled on the one they frequented while living in Rome, an open-air facility where shoppers would stop and pick up something fresh for that night’s dinner.

A software project manager by trade — actually, he’s worked in various capacities — Corsello said he returned from Italy determined to become an entrepreneur and intent on starting his own butcheria. And he says Easthampton is the perfect landing spot.

In fact, his commentary sums up the thoughts of many now doing business there or supporting the business community in various ways.

“This is a truly authentic community with all the moving parts,” he told BusinessWest. “Twenty years ago, people would have said Easthampton’s best days are behind it; now, I think, and most people think, its best days are ahead of it.”

Meanwhile, the next ribbon cutting will likely come on June 10 at a venture known as Valley Paddler, which will bring paddle boats to Nashawannuck Pond in the center of the community.

There have been many others in recent years, involving restaurants, breweries (there are three of them now), arts-focused establishments, tech companies, and much more.

Together, they speak to Easthampton’s revival and vibrancy, or its “renaissance,” the word chosen by Mayor Karen Cadieux, who believes it fits.

She’s had what amounts to a front-row seat for this transformation as it has unfolded over the past quarter-century or so. Indeed, she served as an assistant to the selectmen and then the town administrator before Easthampton officially became a city in 1996, and then served in that same capacity to the community’s first mayor, Michael Tautznik.


Karen Cadieux

Karen Cadieux

What happens … is you have new owners who take abandoned buildings, and they bring new ideas to the table. And it becomes growth, and it becomes catchy.”


When Tautznik decided not to seek re-election after eight terms in office, he encouraged her to seek the corner office, which she did, triumphing in the 2013 election.

With all that experience at both desks in the mayor’s office, she spoke with some authority when she said “this is a working mayor’s position,” noting that those two people do it all, but they also work in partnership with a host of other individuals and agencies, including the chamber.

And much of that work, she said, involves making the city more business-friendly and a true destination for a host of constituents, including artists, tourists, craft-beer lovers, and, yes, those looking for a good place to set up shop.

As an example of these efforts in the name of business friendliness, she cited what have come to be known as ‘roundtable meetings.’ These are gatherings involving a prospective new business owner and a number of city officials, where questions are asked and answered and a road map of sorts is laid out for getting to another one of those ribbon cuttings.

“A meeting is scheduled with my office, and anyone who would be involved in the permitting process — the city planner, the building inspector, the fire chief, the DPW director, and others — all of them are there,” she explained. “They can ask anything they want, they bring in their plans, tell us their idea … and in that way, they’re prepared for when they go to the Planning Board.

“It has streamlined the process, and in the meantime, they know we’re willing to work them,” she went on, adding that these roundtables have met with a very positive response.

For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at Easthampton, a city that continues to add new chapters to a compelling storyline of economic revival.

Lager Than Life

It might sound like a line from Casablanca, but in this case, no one who utters it has been misinformed.

People really do come to Easthampton for the water. In 2015, the city won the gold medal for the best-tasting water in the U.S. at the National Water Assoc. Rally in Washington, D.C.
Cadieux has a ceremonial coffee mug to prove it, although she and the city have much more substantial proof of that honor in the form of three craft-beer breweries that now call the city home.

“You need good, clean water, and lots of it, to brew beer,” said Belliveau, adding that Fort Hill, Abandoned Building, and New City Brewery are now helping to … wait for it … create a buzz in this community.

But while water is one of the main ingredients in the city’s revival, both literally and figuratively, there are many others. That list includes an abundance of old mill buildings with large expanses ready for imaginative reuse, public/private partnerships that have made such reuses feasible, a thriving arts community, with many of its members taking up space in those mills, and a city government looking for new and different ways to streamline the process of doing business here.

And now, another critical ingredient is a more active, more responsive chamber of commerce, one that Belliveau came to after a stint with the Westfield Business Improvement District before it was dissolved. She said she was drawn by the energy in the community and a desire to be part of the story that was being written there.

“I was between jobs and in a position to start a new adventure,” she told BusinessWest. “I could feel the buzz starting to rise and the excitement in Easthampton. And the city had an interesting combination — there’s an urban feel, but the city hasn’t lost its suburban charm; there’s an interesting intersection of all that here.”

Since arriving, Belliveau said she has been focused on taking the focus off of merely staging events — for fund-raising, networking, and other purposes — and bringing more value to members.

And that value has come in many forms, from so-called ‘listening sessions,’ where input is sought from businesses across different sectors of the economy, to a universal gift card redeemable at dozens of area businesses that are also chamber members.

“I did a lot of listening; I talked with everyone I could — members, non-members, former members — to try understand who we are and where we wanted to go,” she explained. “When I arrived, the board was very ready for some new energy, some new animation, and moving out into the world.

“We were event planners at that time — that’s what the chamber was,” she went on. “And we decided to do something new and different, and the board has embraced the idea of evolution.”

That specific tone of this evolution has been set as a result of reaching out to various constituencies — members and non-members among them — and responding to the feedback, she said, adding that she initiated something she called “listening lunches.”

One of the first was with restaurateurs and other hospitality-related business owners, she said, adding that this sector was not well-represented on the chamber at the time.

“We started at noon, and I figured people would be on their way by 1; instead, we were still talking at 2,” Belliveau recalled. “There were many takeaways, and one of them was their perception that we weren’t marketing this area as well as we should.”

The universal gift card was part of the response to that feedback, she said, adding that the chamber does essentially all of the heavy lifting — it markets and sells the cards. The original goal when things got started early last fall was to have 25 to 30 participating members on board, a target that was easily reached, and today there are more than 40 participants, and the number continues to rise.

The cards have been popular with the public as well, she said, adding that they sold well in the run-up to the holidays, and have been in demand recently, with graduations, Mother’s Day, and other events on the calendar.

There have been other initiatives within this evolutionary process, she went on, including collaborative efforts with other neighboring chambers, including Holyoke, Northampton, and Westfield, and new, more value-laden events, including a women’s leadership conference to be presented in conjunction with the Holyoke chamber, slated for Sept. 22. “The Art of Risk” will be the broad theme for the day-long conference, which will feature keynote speaker Angela Lussier, founder of the Speaker Sisterhood, a business devoted to helping women find their voice.

High-steaks Venture

As she talked about how Easthampton has evolved over the past quarter-century or so, Mayor Cadieux talked repeatedly about partnerships — on many levels.

They have involved private business and city government, the city and state, and among a host of agencies working within the broad realm of economic development, she said, adding that these efforts have succeeded in making Easthampton a welcoming city when it comes to both business and tourism.

As just one example, she cited the case of an entrepreneur looking to buy a commercial property (a former theater) on Cottage Street.

“The owner wouldn’t sell the property without the adjacent parking lot,” she explained. “But the new buyer didn’t have money for the parking lot, so what we did was obtain a grant for the parking lot, and it became a partnership.”

That was maybe 15 years ago, she went on, adding that there have been countless examples of such partnerships since, and these efforts by public agencies to help private business owners have created an environment conducive to continued growth and vibrancy.

“What happens in such instances is you have new owners who take abandoned buildings, and they bring new ideas to the table,” she went on. “And it becomes growth, and it becomes catchy.”

To sustain this momentum, the city has been diligent about finding ways to continue a dialogue with the business community and continuously improve and streamline the process of helping new businesses plant roots in the city.

The chamber’s listening sessions are one example of this, said the mayor, adding that another involved her successful efforts to attain a technical grant to gauge just how competitive the city is with its permitting process.

“From that, we started the roundtable meetings,” she said, adding that the response to such sessions has been overwhelmingly positive.

“All of our departments are communicating with a prospective new business,” she explained. “You don’t have to go from this department to that department to this department — we’re all right there. It’s another example of partnership, and I think it sends a really good message.”

That message was received by Vincent and Kasey Corsello, who cut the ceremonial ribbon in mid-April and are enjoying early success with a fairly unique venture that offers locally sourced food.

“We cut food to order — if you want a pound of ground beef, we’ll grind it right in front of you,” he noted. “If you want a steak, we’ll cut it right there so it will be just the thickness you want.”

Slicing steaks is a long way from software-development work, but after living and working in Italy for years and seeing how the butcheria was not just a source of fresh meat but also a gathering spot in the community, he decided he wanted to create one of his own.

His family settled in Easthampton, and the Corsellos quickly determined that this community was the right place at the right time for their venture.

“The town looks somewhat unassuming from the outside,” he told BusinessWest. “But has all those moving parts … it has its own truly local economy. I’m thrilled with it; there’s no place I’d rather be at this point.”

A Cut Above

Those ceremonial scissors Belliveau ordered have turned out to be a good investment. In other words, they’ve seen quite a bit of use over the past few years alone.

That’s a reflection of many positive things in the community, from its growing cultural community to the paddleboats soon to arrive on Nashawannuck Pond; from the universal gift card to those craft breweries; from the roundtable meetings to the Roman-style butcheria in the heart of downtown.

They all provide solid evidence of a renaissance, an evolution from an old mill town to a new and exciting destination city.

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

 

Easthampton at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1809
Population: 16,036
Area: 13.6 square miles

County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $15.59
Commercial Tax Rate: $15.59
Median Household Income: $57,134
median family Income: $78,281
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest employers: Berry Plastics; Williston Northampton School; National Nonwovens Co.; October Co.
* Latest information available

Education Sections

Down to a Science Center

Marcia Scanlon says the numerous simulators in the new Science and Innovation Center provide unique, hands-on learning experiences.

Marcia Scanlon says the numerous simulators in the new Science and Innovation Center provide unique, hands-on learning experiences.

John McDonald hit the pause button ever so briefly in his conversation with BusinessWest and went to the window.

He then scanned the parking lot for his pick-up truck, found it, and gestured toward it. “There … that was our other lab space — my truck,” said McDonald, an assistant professor in the Environmental Science Department at Westfield State University. “Occasionally, we’d have field labs, such as animal necropsies, and we’d have to do those on the back of the truck, parked next to Route 20. We had zero functional lab space.”

The window he pointed from is one of many in the spacious classroom/lab area dedicated to Environmental Science at the Dr. Nettie Maria Stevens Science and Innovation Center at WSU, which opened last fall and was officially dedicated earlier this month.

The space represents everything this department didn’t have before — especially ample room and modern facilities such as a wet lab complete with drains in the floor. And while this department represents perhaps the most dramatic ‘before-and-after,’ ‘night-and-day’ scenario when it comes to the new building, there are many such stories to be told here.

Like the one the Department of Nursing and Allied Health can tell.

Marcia Scanlon, chair of that department, said that, prior to the opening of the new center, the Nursing Department made do with some classroom space on campus and, for hands-on skills work, a room with three hospital beds and two simulators in what amounted to rented space at Baystate Noble Hospital, about a mile from the campus.

Now, Nursing has a spacious suite of facilities in the 54,000-square-foot facility, including three simulation rooms, an eight-bed health-assessment room, an eight-bed nursing-skills lab, two control rooms, four high-fidelity mannequins, and 12 additional low- and mid-fidelity mannequins representing adults, children, infants, and newborns.

All this represents quite an upgrade, not just in space and convenience (students no longer have to make their way to Baystate Noble), but in overall learning opportunities, said Scanlon.

“By having all this on campus in this center, that gives students better access,” Scanlon explained. “It gives them better visibility, better access, and more opportunities to come for extra help if they need it.”

Jennifer Hanselman, professor and chair of the Biology Department, and Christopher Masi, chair of the Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, told somewhat similar stories.

The 54,000-square-foot Dr. Nettie Maria Stevens Science and Innovation Center.

The 54,000-square-foot Dr. Nettie Maria Stevens Science and Innovation Center.

They, like Scanlon and McDonald, said a tremendous amount of research and input gathering, including visits to many other health and science centers in this region, were undertaken before the architects and construction crews went to work.

“We affiliated very closely with Springfield Technical Community College, which is a renowned simulation center for its Nursing and Allied Health,” said Scanlon, as she discussed just one example of this process. “We went and toured there to look at their technology and their equipment, and how they integrate it  — how often do they bring students to use it, and how do they use it? We made several trips there, and they actually came here, put hard hats on, and walked through our space to give us advice.”

Those exercises have yielded a facility that takes WSU to a new, much higher level in terms of its facilities, learning opportunities, and ability to recruit top students.

For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest went inside the new science center to get a feel for what it means to those departments now housed there, and the university itself.

Grade Expectations

As WSU cut the ribbon on the new center on May 5, a good amount of time was spent explaining just who Dr. Nettie Maria Stevens was. And such a discourse was needed, because most in attendance — not to mention the students now doing work in the facility — don’t know the story.

And they should.

Stevens completed four years of coursework at what was known then as the Westfield Normal School in only two years. In 1905, she published a series of papers in which she demonstrated that the sex of an offspring is determined by the chromosomes it inherits from its parents. Her discovery had an immeasurable impact on science and society; however, despite the significance of her work, Stevens’ notoriety went unheralded even as her male colleagues received recognition.

It is fitting, then, that the school named the center after her, said speakers at the ribbon cutting, especially in light of the role the facility will play in advancing a statewide strategy in promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers, especially with women.

At WSU, women comprise 51% of the student population, said a spokesperson for the university, and within the school’s STEM majors, there has been 69% growth in male majors and an impressive 109% increase in female majors over the past 10 years. (Nationally, only 29% of the science and engineering workforce is female.)

The new science and innovation center should only help improve upon those numbers, said the educators who spoke with BusinessWest, noting that the facility features state-of-the-art facilities and interactive classrooms, with an emphasis on collaborative learning.

Jennifer Hanselman says the new biology facilities in the Science and Innovation Center provide educators with better opportunities to work with students and develop their skills.

Jennifer Hanselman says the new biology facilities in the Science and Innovation Center provide educators with better opportunities to work with students and develop their skills.

Translation: the Environmental Science Department has come a very long way from the back of John McDonald’s pickup truck. And the same can be said for the other departments that now call the center home.

Elaborating, McDonald said his department had a small classroom in Wilson Hall, where most science programs were housed, some counter space and cabinets, and “a hood that didn’t work and a walk-in freezer that didn’t work, and no workspace other than a collecting hallway to another classroom that was about 10 feet long.

“It was pretty meager,” he went on, adding that environmental science is a relatively new major, one that now has considerable space in which to grow.

“Getting this room, and the adjacent workroom and storeroom with a working walk-in freezer, has been a huge boon to what we’re able to do with our students,” he said of the large space now occupied by his department. “The space doubles as a teaching classroom, but we can get it as dirty as we want with soil samples, water samples, or wildlife samples.”

Meanwhile, the Nursing Department has undergone a similarly dramatic transformation through its new facilities.

Indeed, as she offered a tour of the suite, Scanlon showed off a host of amenities that were just not available to students at Baystate Noble.

These include the wide array of simulators, representing everything from newborns to a pregnant women to a senior citizen, complete with a hearing aid. These simulators can take the role of either gender — “they all come with wigs and interchangeable parts; I can make them ‘Bob,’ and I can make them ‘Dorothy,’” said Scanlon — and present students with myriad medical conditions and problems, from high blood pressure to a skin rash to heart palpitations.

There were also the control rooms guiding work with those simulators (at Noble, an educator would work from behind a curtain), as well as a ‘medication-simulation room,’ which, as that name suggests, allows students practice with retrieving and dispensing medication.

And then, there are the large, eight-bed health-assessment room and nursing-skills lab. Designed to replicate conditions in a hospital, where nurses would obviously be caring for multiple patients at a time, these facilities provide learning opportunities simply not available at Noble.

“I think this is the beginning of something big,” she said while describing what the new facility means in terms of education opportunities, using a phrase that everyone we spoke with would echo. “We’re just trying to learn the technology and see how to implement it. But in the future, this will be transforming; we’ll have inter-professional education, and we’ll be able to do things using this technology that we weren’t able to do before. And it will provide a higher degree of safety because we have the actual equipment the hospitals have.”

Masi used similar language as he talked about the facilities dedicated to the Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, noting, as others did, that the Science and Innovation Center represents a significant upgrade.

“Our new facilities provide us with a safer space to work in,” he explained. “We can now deal with more students at a given time, and we can work with them in a safer environment.”

Elaborating, he said there were 144 students enrolled in the General Chemistry classes in the new facility and roughly 80 in Organic Chemistry, both sizable increases.

“By moving from one building to the next, we can get more students in, which is important, because other majors are requiring Organic Chemistry,” he explained, adding that, beyond sheer capacity, the new space creates a more collaborative learning environment. “We’re excited to have the space and to be able to get to some of the things we’ve been slowly working on in the past.”

Hanselman, meanwhile, said the new space brings similar improvements and new opportunities for the Biology Department, which currently has roughly 230 students enrolled in that major.

“The modernized lab facilities offer us the opportunity to certainly work and prepare our students more effectively,” she explained. “We have a goal of working with our students in the scientific process; we emphasize research experience, and we planned this space accordingly.”

As examples, she pointed to two dedicated labs and a tissue-culture facility.

“Those lab spaces are never scheduled for classes; they’re used only for student research,” she explained. “This is giving us a chance to really work with students and develop their skills.

“These labs are designed in a way to promote inquiry-based instruction for those 100- and 200-level lab courses,” she went on, adding that they provide an environment conducive to problem solving and critical thinking.

Class Acts

As noted earlier, Scanlon was speaking for everyone when she said the first year of activity at the new Science and Innovation Center was merely the beginning of something big.

Something much bigger than McDonald’s pickup truck. Something that, as many of those we spoke with said, will be transforming.

Something to which Dr. Nettie Maria Stevens would be proud to lend her name.

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

Modern Office Sections

Progressive Environment

Cooley Dickinson Health Care is no stranger to environmental awareness, recently earning the Greenhealth Partner for Change award from Practice Greenhealth for the fifth consecutive year.

Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading healthcare community dedicated to transforming healthcare worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint and becomes a community anchor for sustainability and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.

The Partner for Change award is one of the organization’s Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor outstanding environmental achievements in the healthcare sector. The award recognizes healthcare facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury-elimination, waste-reduction, recycling, and source-reduction programs. At minimum, facilities applying for this award must be recycling 15% of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination, and have developed other successful pollution-prevention programs in many different areas.

Among Cooley Dickinson’s recent environmentally friendly practices, it has recycled 65 tons, or 85%, of the construction waste during the construction of the Comprehensive Breast Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital; replaced kitchen dishwashers, saving 50% of water and energy use; arranged contracts for 3,500 kwh of solar power under a 20-year agreement, which is 30% of CDH’s annual usage; and replaced and upgrade lighting to LED technology in 15,000 square feet of the CDH property.


“Cooley Dickinson’s employees take pride in our sustainability efforts to lessen our impact on the environment and look forward to working with Practice Greenhealth to continue this work across the country.”


“As a Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Award winner, Cooley Dickinson is committed to improving the health of our patients, staff, and community as a whole,” said Anthony Scibelli, vice president, Operations and chief administrative officer. “Cooley Dickinson’s employees take pride in our sustainability efforts to lessen our impact on the environment and look forward to working with Practice Greenhealth to continue this work across the country.”

Practice Greenhealth recently released its eighth annual Sustainability Benchmark Report, analyzing data from leading hospitals and health systems across the country, giving a snapshot of trends in environmental performance and sustainability in energy, water, toxics, food, and other categories. Among the findings:

• While U.S. hospitals emit an estimated 8% of the nation’s greenhouse-gas emissions, in the last three years, the percentage of facilities that have a written plan to address climate-change mitigation has nearly doubled. Also, the percentage of facilities that generate or purchase renewable energy has increased by 81%.

• Hospitals in the U.S. produce more than 4.67 million tons of waste each year. But in the last two years, the percentage of facilities that have taken measures to reduce the generation of pharmaceutical waste has grown by 11%. Leading hospitals are routinely achieving a 30% recycling rate — more than double the early EPA goal of 15%.

• More hospitals are purchasing products with safer chemicals. In 2016, the percentage of hospitals prioritizing furniture and medical furnishings free of halogenated flame retardants, formaldehyde, perfluorinated compounds, and PVC (vinyl) more than doubled from the previous year. A total of 78% of hospitals have chemical or purchasing policies that identify specific chemicals of concern to human health and the environment, with 79% purchasing certified green cleaning chemicals and 30% indicating they have programs in place to purchase furniture or furnishings that avoid chemicals of concern.

• Currently, U.S. hospitals use more than 7% of the nation’s commercial water supply. However, in the last three years, the percentage of facilities that benchmark water usage has doubled. During that time, there’s also been a 36% increase in the percentage of facilities that have a written plan to reduce water use over time with specific goals and a timeline. However, only 17% of hospitals reported any water-reduction projects in 2015.

“Our annual Sustainability Benchmark Report allows us to share how the nation’s leading hospitals are making progress year after year to improve health and reduce environmental impact while delivering strong financial return,” said Cecilia DeLoach Lynn, director of Sector Performance and Recognition for Practice Greenhealth. “We are proud to see more hospitals than ever appointing sustainability leaders to oversee environmental performance.”

Briefcase Departments

Massachusetts Adds 3,900 Jobs in April

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate increased to 3.9% in April from the March rate of 3.6%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts added 3,900 jobs in April. Over-the-month job gains occurred in professional, scientific, and business services; education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; other services; information; and manufacturing. From April 2016 to April 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts added 58,600 jobs. The April state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.4% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Through the first four months of 2017, Massachusetts has added over 20,000 jobs, with much of those gains coming from key sectors of the economy like professional, business, and scientific services,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said. “These job gains, coupled with large increases to the labor force and a low unemployment rate, are signs of a strong economy in the Commonwealth. Our workforce agencies remain focused on closing the skills gap and ensuring that those newly entering the job market have the training necessary to access employment opportunities.” The labor force increased by 33,000 from 3,661,200 in March, as 21,200 more residents were employed and 11,800 more residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point from 4.0% in April 2016. There were 300 more unemployed persons over the year compared to April 2016. The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — increased six-tenths of a percentage point to 66.5% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased 1.5% compared to April 2016. The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in professional, scientific, and business services; construction; financial activities; education; and health services.

Cultural District Seeks Pop-up Gallery Proposals

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Central Cultural District (SCCD) has issued a call to artists for a unique opportunity in downtown Springfield. The Cultural District is searching for artists to host a solo show in their Art Stop pop-up gallery program and sell their work in one of three locations downtown – New England Public Radio (NEPR), UMass Springfield, and 1550 Main. The RFP asks for proposals from artists of all mediums to show their work from July to October. Requirements to what the art should look like are fairly laid-back, to best enable creative expression. All art will be available for sale during the display period, with 100% of proceeds going directly back to the creator. A stipend of $200 will also be awarded to the chosen artists. The Art Stop venues include a small community meeting space at NEPR which has been used for its youth arts program, MediaLab, and yoga classes; the highly visible first-floor lobby of 1550 Main, trafficked by hundreds of people daily; and the sunny and recently renovated main entryway of the UMass Center at Springfield. The SCCD hopes artists will draw inspiration from these differing spaces. “Art Stop has now become a flagship program of the Cultural District,” said director Morgan Drewniany. “We began this in October of last year and continued the effort in April, expanding to include Tower Square. Visitors love the unique blend of art, music, and community at the openings, and artists love being able to connect directly with their audience, as well as have a platform to sell their work downtown.” A joint reception will be held between the three locations in mid-summer, with gallery openings, street art, and performances between the locations to encourage walking, and light food and drinks, all provided by the SCCD and the artist hosts. The Springfield Central Cultural District encompasses an area of the metro center of Springfield and is membership-based, involving many of the downtown arts institutions. Its mission is to create and sustain a vibrant cultural environment in Springfield. The RFP and more program details can be found at springfieldculture.org/artistresources. Any questions can be forwarded to Drewniany at [email protected] or (413) 454-1195.

Plainridge Study Suggests Casino Projects Can Lower Unemployment

HADLEY — The UMass Donahue Institute released a compilation of results from two years of new employee questionnaires at Plainridge Park Casino. This report is the latest in a series of studies focused on the economic impacts of the gaming industry in the Commonwealth. Representatives from the UMass Donahue Institute presented its findings to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) during a public meeting on May 10. The findings reveal several important characteristics of new hires at Plainridge Park Casino and the emergent casino workforce in Massachusetts:

• 50.1% of new hires worked part-time or were unemployed before obtaining their job at Plainridge Park Casino;

• Major reasons for seeking employment included career advancement, improved pay, and improved benefits;

• 40.1% of new hires said they needed work due to being unemployed, part-time, or underemployed. 86.2% had no gaming experience prior to their jobs at Plainridge Park Casino;

• 96.5% of new hires did not transfer from other Penn National Gaming locations, and 92.8% did not move to take their jobs at the casino. Of those who moved, one-quarter originated from cities or towns within Massachusetts; and

• Nearly three-quarters of respondents come to their job without pre-employment training for their position.

The vast majority of survey respondents are people who are new to the gaming industry and are now being hired for gaming and non-gaming positions at Plainridge Park Casino, including its food-court vendors. Very few workers (only 7%) moved to take their job at Plainridge Park Casino, and those who did were mostly from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This suggests that most new employees live close enough to commute to their positions at Plainridge Park Casino. “As we have pointed out repeatedly, the Legislature made broad-based economic development a key focus of the Gaming Act, with a particular focus on local employment for those underemployed and unemployed,” said MGC Chairman Steve Crosby. “This report, thus far, demonstrates that legislative intent is being achieved. We are also pleased to see the implementation of the legislative mandate to objectively and rigorously assess the economic and social impacts of gaming. This report represents one of the many important research topics fulfilling that objective.” Added Rachel Volberg, principal investigator of the Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA) group, “one of the most important positive impacts of expanded gambling is increased employment. However, in assessing the overall impacts of expanded gambling, it is important to understand whether employment gains at the casino result in the loss of employment in other sectors of the economy and in surrounding communities. This report establishes a basis for making this determination going forward and will help us understand the role of casinos in increasing economic activity, and overall employment, in Massachusetts.”

Manufacturing Partnership Graduates 100th Student

TURNERS FALLS — On Friday, May 19, 14 advanced-manufacturing trainees will receive certificates of completion and start down the pathway toward precision-machining careers in Pioneer Valley manufacturing companies. The current cohort of students in the Advanced Manufacturing Pipeline – Computer Numerical Control (AMP-CNC) training program hail from across Franklin and Hampshire counties, including Belchertown, Colrain, Easthampton, Greenfield, Montague, Northfield, South Hadley, and Shelburne. Among these trainees will be the 100th graduate of a successful job-training partnership that began four years ago to address a shortage of skilled machinists in the Valley’s precision-manufacturing industry. The event will be held at 4 p.m. at the Franklin County Technical School. AMP-CNC is a non-credit, 15-week, 300-hour, hands-on training program offered by Greenfield Community College (GCC) in partnership with the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board (FHREB), the Franklin Hampshire Career Centers, Franklin County Technical School (FCTS), and area machining companies. The program has been offered at no cost to qualifying participants thanks to funding provided by federal and state grants and employer contributions. The AMP-CNC program is taught by experienced instructors in a state-of-the-art machine shop at Franklin County Technical School. The shop is outfitted with Haas CNC mill and lathe machines funded by employer contributions and matching state funding. The program uses the FCTS machine shop in the evenings after the high-school day concludes, thereby maximizing training use of the equipment. The previous seven cohorts have averaged a 93% graduation rate and an 84% job-placement rate. Students participating in the program complete testing, a four-week Foundational Manufacturing precursor program, and online Tooling U assignments. Coaching and job-placement support are provided to help students demonstrate readiness and pursue careers in precision machining by completing résumés, cover letters, and work-search plans. Trainees recently completed their résumés and cover letters to participate in a recent CNC job fair before graduation. Employers present included Bete Fog Nozzle, Hassay-Savage, G.S. Precision, Mayhew Tool Co., Poplar Hill Machine, Quabbin Inc., and VSS Inc., all employer partners of the program. Those interested in applying can sign up to attend one of the monthly information and application sessions by registering online at www.gcc.mass.edu/manufacturing or by calling the Franklin Hampshire Career Center at (413) 774-4361. The next information session will take place on Monday, June 12 at 3 p.m. at the GCC Downtown Center, 270 Main St., Greenfield. For more information about the AMP-CNC training program, contact Andrew Baker at FHREB, (413) 774-4361, ext. 375, or [email protected], or April Estis-Clark at GCC, (413) 774-1602 or [email protected].

Modern Office Sections

Move Along

Mike Morin says sales of adjustable sit-stand desks are soaring

Mike Morin says sales of adjustable sit-stand desks are soaring as employers discover their health and wellness benefits.

It’s no secret that workers who struggle to stay healthy and fit can cost employers in myriad ways, from absenteeism to lowered productivity. That’s why more forward-thinking companies are launching wellness initiatives aimed at boosting their staff’s health and — by extension — their morale and job satisfaction. While they can take many forms, these efforts often start with a simple goal: get moving.

Attention, desk jockeys stuck at uncomfortable workstations: Mike Morin feels your pain.

“I’ve had jobs before where you get hired, go to the office and sit down at the computer, and you realize, geez, this is not how I naturally work,” said Morin, marketing and communications coordinator at Conklin Office Furniture in Holyoke. “I’ve had that moment where you step back and realize you’ve been hunched over the desk, staring at a computer screen for two hours.”

Many employers, however, are giving desk workers some relief by installing adjustable sit-stand desks, so employees have the option of working on their feet, which can improve blood flow, reduce tiredness, and avoid the long-term drawbacks of being largely sedentary for eight hours a day.

“People are definitely more concerned about health nowadays, in general and in the workplace,” Morin said. “We offer a sit-stand, height-adjustable desk, and sales are going through the roof with those. People are spending more time at the office — not just at their workplace, but at the home office as well. And they want desks they can stand at.”

One selling point, he said, is giving employees a choice, convincing employers they don’t have to go with a one-size-fits-all mentality. Sit-stand desks can often be incorporated right alongside traditional desks and tables, and can be designed to match the existing décor and furniture in the office.

Lisa Bowler says Baystate takes a holistic approach to employee wellness, as reflected by its wide range of programs to that end.

Lisa Bowler says Baystate takes a holistic approach to employee wellness, as reflected by its wide range of programs to that end.

It’s one way employers are taking a harder look at workplace wellness, incorporating not just equipment, but programs and incentives to keep their workers healthy, reduce absenteeism, and, in theory, lower costs in the long term.

Lisa Bowler, manager of Wellness and WorkLife at Baystate Health, says her employer has offered a raft of wellness benefits for many years, and sit-stand desks are an option many workers have chosen — but emphasized that they’re a very small part of the equation in a system where 60% of employees are clinical staff who are on their feet all day, not behind desks.

“It’s such a vast array of roles and types of jobs … the challenge is, how do we deliver wellness programs that make the most sense?” Bowler noted. “We offer a whole host of programs — a great variety — and we provide those resources to support our employees’ health and well-being because we know, in many ways, that contributes to a healthy organizational culture and also makes for a great place to work.”

Lisa Verville would agree. As Human Resources director for the O’Connell Companies in Holyoke, she has overseen a formal wellness committee launched two years ago that partners with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) to offer wellness-related apps, challenges, and incentive progams where not only employees, but their spouses can earn money for reaching activity and fitness goals. Employees are also reimbursed up to 75% for annual gym memberships.

The O’Connell Companies have always had a culture of caring about their employees,” Verville said. “This is another facet of that — making employees aware of things they can do and listening to what they want, and trying to provide resources that make the healthy choice the easy choice.”

Culture of Health

Mary Ellen Shea, Marketing manager at O’Connell, told BusinessWest that wellness efforts at the firm stretch back well before the formal committee. “There’s always been a culture of health,” she said, “but now I feel it’s been ramped up.”


SEE: List of Office Furniture Dealers in the Area


Employees earn points through the BCBS partnership for walking, hydration, and nutrition challenges, as well as completing online workshops, scheduling wellness visits, and other tasks.

“It encourages a holistic approach,” Verville said, noting that employees were surveyed on the types of programs they wanted to see. “It’s actually been a lot of fun. We also had our health fair last November, and it was fun to see people from all our companies get together. We provided incentives — gift cards, gift baskets — to get people to come, and we had a great turnout, and got a lot of good feedback; we’re looking forward to doing it again this year, with hopefully an even bigger event.”

While many employees try to participate in many wellness activities, one challenge for O’Connell is that it’s a geographically dispersed company, with several affiliate companies spread across the Valley. “So it’s hard to get everyone to participate in a lunch and learn, with so many employees out in the field,” she went on. “But the committee has representatives from every subsidiary, we get direct feedback on what works and what doesn’t work. Not every program is tailored to the same group; we try to offer a lot of variety while still focusing on what the needs and interests are.”

This fall, it will be easier to bring employees together for wellness activities when O’Connell moves into a newly built headquarters on Kelly Way in Holyoke, consolidating more of its operations under one roof. The project allows the company to incorporate wellness initiatives right into the building design.

“We have a great opportunity there,” Verville said. “When we move, the plan is to install, for those who want them, the adjustable workstations. We’re also thinking about walking paths and things of that nature, a fitness room with equipment in it, and there will be an area dedicated to the wellness seminars.

“It’ll bring more people together,” she went on. “The new building will provide a lot of new opportunities, and having more employees in one location will help encourage more collaboration and cohesiveness, and get more people involved.”

Bowler said Baystate has built a similar emphasis on wellness into its operations, which are even more spread out than O’Connell’s.

Lisa Verville

Lisa Verville says employees at the O’Connell Companies have taken enthusiastically to the wellness programs launched two years ago.

“We would define a culture of health as a work environment where our employees have the resources and tools and support that empowers them and motivates them to take steps to benefit their health,” she said. “We’ve evolved the program over the years, and we think it’s important to view health holistically. Programs are designed in such a way to help our team members learn how to make healthy lifestyle choices and help them manage their responsibilities at work and at home.”

The effort includes access to a WebMD portal that provides not only health information but access to fitness challenges. In addition, “we have walking clubs, mindfulness classes, two or three educational webinars each month, confidential counseling for employees and family members, Weight Watchers memberships free of charge, and a whole host of resources for parents,” Bowler said, not to mention smoke-free facilities since 2007.

Rising Tide

Many of the initiatives at Baystate and O’Connell mesh with the top workplace-wellness trends recently outlined by the Corporate Health & Wellness Assoc. These include:

• Lifestyle management, which may include cholesterol screenings, flu shots, sleep-management programs, and incentives (like gift cards or insurance-premium discounts) for participating in corporate wellness programs;

• Weight-loss programs, from yoga and Zumba classes on site to gym and Weight Watchers memberships, to offering healthy sbacks in the office;

• Redesigned workspaces, which include standing or treadmill desks, ergonomic chairs and headsets, and FitBit trainers and pedometers;

• Smoking bans in the office and accompanying smoking-cessation programs to help employees kick the habit for good; and

• Stress-management programs, including meditation instruction and guidance in everything from personal finance to parenting.

And programs don’t have to be tied to specific company initiatives, Shea said. “Usually twice a day, team members or employees meet in the lobby, go out, and walk together around the block.”

She and Verville said wellness programs conceivably lower costs for companies by reducing absenteeism — or presenteeism, where tired or ailing employees show up but are far from productive.

“We certainly have seen that,” Bowler added, noting that Baystate has won recognition from national business groups for its wellness policies. “Employees who regularly participate are more engaged, healthier, and more productive. Beyond that, having these programs available is the right thing to do. As an organization, we’ve taken the view that achieving a culture of health is not something that occurs overnight. We are in this for the long term and are committed to it.”

From talking to Conklin’s clients, Morin can tell interest is rising.

“Nowadays, people are obsessed with health, and for good reasons,” he said. “People are paying more attention to what they’re eating, so it’s natural they’re noticing how much time they’re sitting at a desk each day. Studies have come out claiming that sitting down for long periods of time is as unhealthy as smoking.”

That’s why he’s gratified that employers are increasingly tailoring office design to individual worker needs through flexible workstations. “In the past, offices were set up a certain way, but not everyone works like that. There’s a new focus in ergonomics where it’s more customizable.”

Bowler said companies of any size can make changes to improve employees’ health, and some — from walking clubs to lunch-and-learn sessions — don’t take much financial investment. “But to really get that return and change the culture, there needs to be a comprehensive approach.”

And it’s happening more and more, she told BusinessWest. “The concept of worker wellness has been around a long time. It just seems to be gaining more energy and visibility the last several years.”

And it can begin with something as simple as standing up.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Alban, Jacinta A.
14 County St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/20/17

Al-Ryati, Yousef
76 Gary Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Batty, Jennifer Lynne
621 Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/20/17

Bedinotti, Catherine M.
11 College St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Benoit, David C.
164 Walker St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Boardway, Sharon L.
31 Roosevelt Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Bonaiuto, Philip V.
Bonaiuto, Kimaliane
18 Riddell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Boone, Ryan W.
Boone, Angela R.
42 Stafford Road
Wales, MA 01081
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/21/17

Bryant, Gregory Scot
Bryant, Danielle Marie
218 West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Campbell, Phyllis Ruth
22 Carol Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Castleman, Matthew J.
109 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/17

Chancellor, William Scott
73 Barrett St., #1004
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Chaverri, Oscar E.
a/k/a Chaverri, Emilio
24 Ledgewood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Chessey, Joseph Francis
Chessey, Tiffany
a/k/a Hopewell, Tiffany
196 Nonotuck Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/27/17

Crochetiere, Joshua Ryan
95 Glenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Crystal Music Healing
Tilden, Bradford W.
37 Nile Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/17

Davidson, JoAnn Elizabeth
8 Lincoln St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/20/17

Fairley, Theresa M.
25 Prospect St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Figueroa, Wilfredo
90 Strong St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/17

Ford, Anthony J.
15 Sutton Place
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/23/17

Garcia, Miguel A.
245 Old Farm Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/21/17

Heath, Brian Leigh
11 Grout Circle
Millers Falls, MA 01349
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Heath, Lynne Marie
11 Grout Circle
Millers Falls, MA 01349
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Henry, Sonia
Melendez, Sonia N.
a/k/a Cividanes, Sonia N.
a/k/a Trabal, Sonia
50 Holy Family Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/17

Hogan, Patricia
22 School St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/26/17

James, Paul F.
James, Sandra Elizabeth
9 Lake View Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/17

Karas, Lori A.
29 Darthmouth St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/17/17

Labonte, Steven A.
49 Craig Dr., Apt. 2U
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/25/17

LaPlante, Joanne Mary
111 Garland St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/20/17

LaRosa, Sebastiano Michael
LaRosa, Kristie Lynn
20 Los Angeles St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Lessard, Edwina F.
21 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/20/17

Lupien, Dennis James
Lupien, Stephanie Natasha
a/k/a Berthiaume, Stephanie Natasha
34 Hamilton Dr.
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/17

McCarl, Lois A.
108 Jensen Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/17

Meyrick, Ronald E.
1111 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/17

Morehouse, Sandra L.
45 Spring St., Apt. 210
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/24/17

Morse, Matthew D.
51 Hop Brook Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Moving Pictures, Inc.
Berube, Steven M.
267 Falley Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/18/17

Newman, Lawrence Edward
Newman, Serena Lynn
269 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Otero, Juan R.
Owens, Kathleen P.
49 Hummingbird Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/17

Peletier, Dolores Ann
6 Power Square
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Perry, Jean Adele
9 Victorian Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/17

Pleppo, Carol L.
643 Newton St., Apt. 4
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Polidoro, Steven Louis
30 Melba St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Special Transport, Inc.
Leroux, Marc D.
Leroux, Barbara A.
380 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/17

St. Germain, Martin O.
70 West Main St. #72
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/26/17

Tamasunas, Jamie Lynn
263 School St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Van Buren, Randall P.
Van Buren, Maureen A.
28 Wolcott St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/19/17

Vega, Luz
122 Sycamore St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/21/17

Vizcarrondo, Keith M.
94 Lowell St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/27/17

Wajda, Kurt A.
Wajda, Christina J.
a/k/a Voisine, Christina J.
162 Wildermere St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Wilder, Joan Marie
612 Pequoig Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/28/17

Zinn, Byron
Zinn, Julia
57 Harding St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/25/17

Departments Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Blanchard Landscaping Inc., 31 Simpson Circle, Agawam, MA 01001. David E. Blanchard, Same. Landscaping and snow and ice removal.

CHICOPEE

Alias Solutions Inc., 45 Felix St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Paul C. Stallman II, same. Web design.

EASTHAMPTON

Bake and Ladle Inc., 107 Oliver St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Kimberly Scribner, same. Operate and manage a restaurant.

HINSDALE

Back to Great PT, PC, 701 Peru Road, Hinsdale, MA 01235. Danielle M. Driscoll, same. Physical therapy service.

HOLYOKE

A&A Fernandez Inc., 161 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Ada I. Rodriguez, 38 Broulliard Dr., Chicopee, MA 01013. A restaurant, banquet, and meeting room.

PITTSFIELD

ALC Corp., 961 Dalton Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Paul Supranowicz, same. Safe structured residential drug- and alcohol-free.

SPRINGFIELD

Atwater Park Civic Association Inc., 60 Green Lane, Springfield, MA 01107. Steve Haddad, same. Dedicated to the preservation, maintenance, and vitality of the Atwater Park Neighborhood.

WESTFIELD

Artworks of Westfield Inc., 40 New Broadway St., Westfield, MA 01085. Bill Westerlind, 29 Alexander Place, Westfield, MA 01085. Nonprofit that creates and promotes cultural arts, literary arts, musical events, and performing arts for the Westfield community.

Automatic Lube Systems Inc., 23 Darwin Dr., Westfield, MA 01085. Johnathon H. Whetton, 15 Sherwin Dr., Enfield, CT 01077. Sale and installation of lubrication systems.

Bay State Title & Escrow P.C., 146 Elm St., Westfield, MA 01085. Robert K. Walker, same. Law firm specializing exclusively in residential real-estate title, closing, and legal services.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

ASI Manager Inc., 380 Union St., Suite 300, West Springfield, MA 01089. Fred Anthony, same. Management of business interests.

Belaz Inc., 15 Cottage St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Anatoliy Sergeychik, 506 Main St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Transportation.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross presented Western New England University (WNEU) with the President’s “E” Award for Exports at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 22. The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.

“Western New England University has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion,” said Ross in his congratulatory letter to the university announcing its selection. “The ‘E’ Awards committee was very impressed with Western New England University’s use of trade missions and education fairs to increase recruitment of international students. The institution’s work within the education community to help other colleges and universities develop their international student recruitment programs was also particularly notable. Western New England University’s achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export-expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs.”

Western New England University currently has nearly 4,000 students enrolled, from 40 U.S. states and territories and 30 other countries.

“Ten years ago, our international population at the university was very small, and we would only enroll about 10 new students a year,” said Michelle Kowalsky, director of International Admissions. “Looking to become a more international learning community, in 2016 we brought in 60 new international students, and our overall population has grown to about 5% of the total student population. Getting here required a lot persistence and perseverance, and we are truly honored to be receiving the President’s ‘E’ Award.”

In total, Secretary Ross honored 32 U.S. companies and organizations from across the country with the President’s “E” Award for their role in strengthening the U.S. economy by sharing American ingenuity outside of U.S. borders.

Chamber Corners Departments

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• June 2: “Spicing Up Your PowerPoint Presentations,” 8:30-10:30 a.m., hosted by La Quinta Inn & Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. Cost: $40 for members, $50 for non-members.

• June 17: Third annual Champions of Chicopee 5K and 2-mile walk, starting at the Portuguese American Club, 149 Exchange St., Chicopee. Registration is at 7:45 a.m., and race begins at 9:30 a.m. Cost: $25 per runner/walker, $15 for kids 12 and under. Each participant receives a T-shirt (if registered by June 3) and lunch at the Munich Haus. Part of the proceeds will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in memory of Nathan Dumas of Lucky Design + Media. Sponsored by Munich Haus, PeoplesBank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Westfield Bank, First American Insurance Agency Inc., Insurance Center of New England, and MedExpress Urgent Care.

• June 21: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Munich Haus Restaurant, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members.

• June 29: Business After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Valley Blue Sox, Mackenzie Stadium, Holyoke. Game time: 6:35 p.m. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• June 6: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., “Move the Mountain” with the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, hosted by New City Brewery, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc. and Westfield Bank. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Refreshments will be available. For more information, call the Easthampton Chamber office at (413) 527-9414 or the Holyoke Chamber office at (413) 534-3376.

• June 28: Speaker Breakfast: “Why Ping-pong Tables Do Not Define Your Business Culture,” 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Ave., Easthampton. Featured guest speaker: Tim Retting of Cincinnati-based InTrust. Sponsored by BusinessWest, Easthampton Savings Bank, Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc., Innovative Business Systems Inc., United Personnel, and Williston Northampton School.

• July 13: Networking by Night featuring the Oxbow Water Ski Team, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Oxbow Marina, Old Springfield Road, Northampton. Sponsored by BusinessWest, Fleury’s Outdoor Equipment Inc., and American Boat Restoration. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

• July 28: The Chamber Island Golf Tournament, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by Southampton Country Club. Visit www.easthamptonchamber.org for additional information.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holyokechamber.com
(413) 534-3376

• June 6: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., “Move the Mountain” with the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, hosted by New City Brewery, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc. and Westfield Bank. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Refreshments will be available. For more information, call the Holyoke Chamber office at (413) 534-3376 or the Easthampton Chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• June 14: Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Year in Review and Award Winner Announcements, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Wyckoff Country Club, 233 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Corporate Leaders. Networking, buffet, and announcement of 2017 Business Person of the Year and the Fifield Volunteer Award winners. Cost: $35. The public is invited to attend. Visit holyokechamber.com to register

• June 21: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., sponsored and hosted by Slainte Restaurant, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Mix and mingle with your friends and colleagues at this casual networking event. Refreshments will be available. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up at holyokechamber.com.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• June 7: June Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., at ConVino, 101 Armory St, Northampton. Sponsors: Keiter Builders and MassDevelopment. Networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• June 23: “Microsoft Excel: Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts,” 9-11 a.m., at the Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. To register, visit [email protected]. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members.

• July 12: Arrive@5, 5-7p.m., hosted by Three Sisters Sanctuary, 188A Cape St., Goshen. Sponsored by BusinessWest. Cost: $10 for members.

• Sept. 13: Arrive@5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Family Legacy Partners, 48 Round Hill Road, Suite 2, Northampton. Sponsored by Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• June 1: Workshop: “Non-Compete Agreements,” 8:30-10 a.m., hosted by Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Attorneys Mary Jo Kennedy and Ryan Barry from Bulkley, Richardson & Gelinas, LLP will present on the subject of non-compete agreements. Topics will include the circumstances in which non-compete agreements arise, non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements, how to structure non-compete agreements, limitations on the enforceability of non-compete agreements, recent cases discussing non-compete agreements; proposed legislation regarding non-compete agreements; and alternatives to non-compete agreements. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. Cost: free for members, $30 for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door or in advance). Light refreshments will be served. Online registration is available at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• June 5: June Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Stanley Park, 400 Western Ave., Westfield. Join us for our monthly Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. This event is free and open to the public. Call the Chamber office at (413) 568-1618 to register for this event so we may give our host a head count.

• June 9: June Breakfast featuring Secretary Jay Ash, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Westfield State University in Scanlon Hall, 577 Western Ave., Westfield. Sponsored by Westfield State University (platinum) and Westfield Gas & Electric (gold). Come hear Jay Ash, secretary of Housing and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, at the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce June Breakfast. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members (paid in advance). There will be a 50/50 raffle to benefit the chamber’s CSF – Dollars for Scholars fund. Online registration is available at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• June 14: June After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Westfield Bank, 462 College Highway, Southwick. Our kickoff to summer is a celebration with a cookout. Refreshments will be served. There will be a 50/50 Raffle to benefit the chamber’s CSF – Dollars for Scholars fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: Free for members, $10 for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door). Online registration is available at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• June 1: Professional Women’s Chamber Woman of the Year Dinner honoring Jacqueline Charron of PeoplesBank, 5:30 p.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern Carriage House, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Cost: $55.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• June 7: Business@Breakfast, Annual Meeting honoring the Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Flynn Campus Union, Springfield College, 263 Alden St., Springfield. Cost: $22.50 for members in advance ($25 at the door), $30 for non-members in advance ($35 at the door).

• June 14: After 5 on the Riverfront, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, North Riverfront Park, 121 West St., Springfield. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Register online for events at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• June 7: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Lattitude, 1338 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information about this event, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• June 15: Annual Meeting and Business Grant Drawing, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Chez Josef, Agawam. The event will kick off with the welcoming of new Chairman Frank Palange and the incoming WRC board of directors. Two $500 business grants will be drawn the morning of the event. Guest speaker will be Drew Crandall. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. For more information and for tickets to this event, call the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
springfieldyps.com

• June 15: Ninth annual Great Golf Escape, hosted by the Ranch Golf Club. Cost: $95, including lunch and dinner. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m., shotgun start at noon.

Agenda Departments

White Lion Wednesdays

Through Aug. 27: White Lion Wednesdays returned to Springfield on May 17 and will run through Aug. 27, presented by Berkshire Bank in partnership with the Springfield Business Improvement District (BID) and Springfield’s White Lion Brewing Co. Touted as one of last summer’s “Best Pop-up Beer Gardens” by Food & Wine magazine, Raymond Berry, president of White Lion, said this season will be even better. “White Lion is ecstatic to kick off this year’s beer garden series in May. Last year’s series had great attendance and obtained national recognition; we will look to capitalize on its success, and we are honored to be part of a collection of creative programs in the heart of downtown Springfield,” he said. “During the series, brewer Mike Yates will introduce a new beer commemorating the grand opening of Springfield’s Union Station. The honorary selection follows last year’s releases, which celebrated the Eastern States 100th anniversary, and the history of Springfield brewing in partnership with the Springfield Museums.” Again, the Springfield Business Improvement District will host White Lion Wednesdays, rotating between three locations from 4 to 8 p.m.: One Financial Plaza at 1350 Main St., Tower Square Park at 1477 Main St., and the Shops at Marketplace at the rear of 1341 Main St. More details on White Lion Wednesdays, including locations and dates, can be found at springfielddowntown.com/white-lion-wednesdays.

‘An Afternoon with Tom Ahern’

June 1: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation invites regional nonprofit staff to attend “An Afternoon with Tom Ahern,” a two-part workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. at Jane Iredale Cosmetics, 50 Church St., Great Barrington. Back by popular demand, Ahern will present two back-to-back workshops: “The Big (little) Diff: Writing for Online Readers,” a discussion of best practices in writing for web, e-mail, and social-media platforms; and “Writing a Powerful Case for Support,” which will review effective fund-raising methods. The New York Times calls Ahern “one of the country’s most sought-after creators of fund-raising messages.” This event is part of Berkshire Taconic’s popular annual Seminars in Nonprofit Excellence series. Tickets are $40 per person, and light food and beverages will be provided. To register, visit www.berkshiretaconic.org/ahern.

Discussions about Race

June 2-3, 9-10: Cooley Dickinson Health Care, the United Way of Hampshire County, and the Jandon Center for Community Engagement at Smith College are addressing the issue of racism, as well as race-related incidents that continue to occur both locally and nationally, by offering a series of community dialogues on race in Northampton and Amherst. Community members who live or work in Hampshire County are invited to attend either of the sessions. The two-part dialogue will be offered Friday, June 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jandon Center for Community Engagement at Smith College, Wright Hall, 5 Chapin Dr., Northampton. A second two-part session will be offered Friday, June 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, Amherst. Event organizers say they aim to move toward solutions rather than continue to express or analyze the problem; to reach beyond the usual boundaries, offering opportunities for new, unexpected partnerships; and to unite divided communities through a respectful, informed sharing of local racial history and its consequences for different people in today’s society. The community dialogue is free, and lunch will be provided. Attendance is limited to 30 people, and participants must attend both Friday and Saturday. When registering, people will be asked their name, the organization they represent, if any, and their race/ethnicity. Organizers are asking about race/ethnicity as they have a goal of 50% participation from people of color. To register, call (888) 554-4234 by Tuesday, May 30. You will receive confirmation on whether you have been selected to attend a session.

WGBY Asparagus Festival

June 3: The WGBY Asparagus Festival returns to the Hadley Town Common from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to once again celebrate the region’s legacy of agriculture and community. The family-friendly, outdoor event features more than 90 local food, crafts, and agricultural vendors at a Farmers’ & Makers’ Market. In addition, there will be entertainment displays, kids’ games, and a live visit from PBS Kids character Curious George. A large “Rooted in the Valley” stage will feature popular performers. Family entertainer Tyler Conroy will start off the day, followed by bands Western Den and Parsonsfield, which were selected by Northampton-based Signature Sounds. Western Den blends “compelling lush harmonies with ambient textures,” and Parsonsfield “trades instruments, shares microphones, and sings in tight multi-part harmonies,” according to each of the bands’ websites. More than a dozen Pioneer Valley culinary artisans, local brewers, and regional food vendors will offer a wide variety of snacks and meals. Taste original dishes from Mi Tierra, Esselon Café, or Spoleto. Visit the Wheelhouse Farm, UMass Dining, or Hadley Fry King food trucks. Or, go on the sweeter side and sample asparagus-flavored ice cream from Flayvours of Cook Farm, maple treats from the North Hadley Sugar Shack, or a specialty from the Florence Pie Bar. Other food vendors include North Hadley Congregational Church, Harmony Springs, and Dean’s Beans. In addition, a large craft-beer tent will provide tasting opportunities from popular local breweries (craft beer tasting tickets available at wgby.org/beer). The WGBY Asparagus Festival is open to the public and free with a recommended donation of $5 per person. It will be held rain or shine. Donations directly benefit public television and education efforts in the Western New England region. The event is sponsored by the Dennis Group, Greenfield Savings Bank, Whole Foods Hadley, and Alternative Recycling Systems. Media sponsors include the Daily Hampshire Gazette, MassLive, and Yankee magazine.

Girls on the Run 5K Celebration

June 4: Girls on the Run of Western MA will host its 5K celebration at Springfield College. The run will begin at 10:30 a.m., but festivities, including a group warm-up and talk by Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper, will begin at 10 a.m. Early arrival is suggested. There will also be food trucks and face painting. Girls on the Run is a physical, activity-based, positive youth-development program that uses fun running games and dynamic discussions to teach life skills to girls in grades 3-8. During the 10-week program, girls participate in lessons that foster confidence, build peer connections, and encourage community service while they prepare for an end-of-season, celebratory 5K event. Participation in the 5K event is open to the public. Girls on the Run drew 500 girls and 160 volunteer coaches to the program this season, more than 1,200 participants are expected at the 5K event. Last season’s event brought together more than 1,000 program participants, families, friends, and community members. The event will begin on the track and do two loops around the campus. The cost is $20 for adults and $12 for children, and includes an event shirt. To register, visit www.girlsontherunwesternma.org, or register on site the day of the event beginning at 8:30 a.m.

‘Meeting Your Mission Through Integrated Communications Strategies’

June 9: Bay Path University, partnering with the Human Service Forum, will host a free conference and workshop, “Hot Topics: Meeting Your Mission Through Integrated Communications Strategies,” for area nonprofit management and leadership. The session is being presented by Bay Path’s MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy and MS in Strategic Fundraising programs and will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Blake Student Center, where Amy Sample Ward, CEO of the Oregon-based Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), will present to attendees. The morning session and presentation by Ward will be followed by a hands-on workshop at Wright Hall that will provide building blocks for area nonprofit professionals. The program, “Community-Driven Communications,” will outline community-driven communication strategies, including the use of social media, and provide templates and plans attendees can complete and implement with their organizations. According to Sylvia de Haas-Phillips, director and assistant professor of the MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy and MS in Strategic Fundraising programs, the event will help nonprofits more effectively use digital, social, and mobile technologies in engaging supporters and in collaborating with other community organizations. Full participation in the breakfast presentation and afternoon workshop earns CFRE points towards certification or recertification. Those interested can register at bit.ly/2q4hHmv. Ward is a speaker and author; her latest book is Social Change Anytime Everywhere: How to Implement Online Multichannel Strategies to Spark Advocacy, Raise Money, and Engage Your Community. In addition to serving as CEO of NTEN, she educates and supports nonprofit organizations nationwide in using integrated communications strategies to create meaningful engagement.

40 Under Forty

June 22: The 11th annual 40 Under Forty award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, honoring 40 of the region’s rising stars under 40 years old. An independent panel of judges has chosen the winners, and their stories are told in the April 17 issue and at BusinessWest.com. The event is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Moriarty & Primack, Health New England, the Gaudreau Group, the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Six-Point Creative Works, Renew.Calm, Baystate Health, and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield. Tickets cost $75. A limited number of standing-room-only tickets are available, but are expected to sell out quickly. To purchase tickets, call (413) 781-8600.

BFAIR Walk for Independence

June 24: Berkshire Family & Individual Resources (BFAIR) announced its second annual Walk for Independence. Last year, the inaugural walk along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail saw participation of nearly 100 walkers of all ability levels, with this year already set to exceed that number. A stroll to Cheshire and back (with or any distance in between), the walk will be a fund-raising event in which BFAIR participants, community members, and sponsors can get involved in through sponsored walking, lunch, bucket raffles, and entertainment. Starting and finishing at the Adams Visitors Center, the walk is a day of fun and helps BFAIR share its mission to enrich the lives of people of all ages and abilities by providing positive life experiences and advocacy through distinctive, individualized, quality services. As a local nonprofit, BFAIR relies on public funds to provide critically needed residential, vocational, habilitative, and clinical services for adults, adolescents, and children with developmental disabilities, autism, and acquired brain injury, as well as home-care services for the elderly. The registration fee for the walk is $25 for adults and $12.50 for children 10 and younger. Registration includes a picnic lunch and ball-cap giveaway. Interested walkers can register online at thedriven.net/bfairwalk, by calling (413) 664-9382 ext. 40, e-mailing [email protected], or visiting www.bfair.org. In addition to registering, walkers may seek individual sponsors by asking family and friends to support their walk. Donations are accepted via thedriven.net/bfairwalk, or donation envelopes can be provided for walkers. Corporate sponsorships are available for the trail, mile, bronze, silver, and gold levels, ranging from $100 to $2,500, respectively. Interested businesses should contact Jennifer Civello at [email protected] for more information. Current gold-level walk sponsors include Greylock Federal Credit Union, MountainOne, and the Print Shop Williamstown.

Nomination Deadline for Healthcare Heroes

June 29: Healthcare Heroes, an exciting recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched this spring by HCN and BusinessWest. Sponsored by American International College, Bay Path University, Elms College, and Renew.Calm, with additional sponsorships available, the program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and individuals providing that care. Nominations are now being sought — and will be accepted until June 29 — in the following categories: Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider; Innovation in Health/Wellness; Community Health; Emerging Leader; Collaboration in Health/Wellness; Health/Wellness Administration/Administrator; and Lifetime Achievement. The nominations will be scored by a panel of judges to be announced in the coming weeks. The winners will be chosen in July and profiled in the September issue of HCN. The guidelines to consider when nominating individuals, groups, or institutions in these various categories are available at healthcarenews.com and businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes.

Brightside Golf Classic

July 24: More than 200 golfers are expected to participate in the 37th annual Brightside Golf Classic at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield. “This event raises funds to continue Brightside’s mission to support our community’s most vulnerable children and their families,” said Allison Gearing-Kalill, vice president of Fund Development for Mercy Medical Center and its affiliated services. Two tee times are available. Breakfast and registration for the morning session begins at 7 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Lunch and registration for the second session will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The evening reception will be held immediately following the tournament from 5 to 8 p.m. Prices include green fees, golf cart, breakfast or lunch, a gift and swag bag, and reception featuring cocktails, food stations, auction, networking, and live entertainment. On-course food and beverages will be provided by event sponsors throughout the day. Golfers will also be eligible for a chance to win prizes and participate in raffles during the day. For more information on sponsorships, donations, and attending the event, contact Gearing-Kalill at (413) 748-9986 or [email protected]. Information is also available at www.mercycares.com/brightside-golf-classic.

DBA Certificates Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2017.

AMHERST

MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts, LLC
165 University Dr.
Kimberley DeSousa

Pineapple Dance
83 Sunderland Road
Charlotte Doyle

SolBridge Partners
51 Station Road
Kevin Mepham

BELCHERTOWN

Bistro 21
330 Chauncey Walker St.
Fan Du

Country Crossroads Convenience Store
43 Federal St.
Praful Patel

J.P. Maggi Paint & Wallpaper
442D State St.
Joseph Maggi

Nom Nom Hut, LLC
644 Federal St.
Nancy Magarry, Edward Magarry

Park Place Bed & Breakfast Inn
38 Park St.
Janey Maurer

CHICOPEE

Big Boys Contracting
930 McKinstry Ave.
Victor Borisik

Ela Deli
226 Exchange St.
Elzbieta Magda, Gregorz Magda

Frank’s Garage
11 Lawndale St.
Frank Drewniak

Hearth and Harness
35 Cochran St.
Ginger Moon

Martin and Son Custom Masonry Co.
103 Sheridan St.
Patrick J. Martin, Patrick R. Martin

RJ Services
1 Exchange St.
Richard Jones

EASTHAMPTON

Brett’s Stump Grinding
49 Westview Terrace
Brett Roy

Eric J. Wonderlich & Co.
212 Hendrick St.
Eric Wonderlich

EAST LONGMEADOW

Ascent Dental Solutions
250 North Main St.
Kevin Coughlin

Bond Financial Group Inc.
180 Denslow Road
Dylan Bond

Cote Construction
30 Wood Ave.
Kenneth Cote Sr.

GREENFIELD

Meadows Café & Grille
358 Deerfield St.
Michael Johnson

Ray’s Cycle Center
332 Wells St.
Theresa Pydych

HOLYOKE

Anugraha Brows Threading #1
50 Holyoke St.
Parlad Gurung, Poonam Gurung

Anugraha Brows Threading #2
50 Holyoke St.
Parlad Gurung, Poonam Gurung

Crazy Andy Liquors
7 Cabot St.
Jasvinder Arora, Ravinder Arora

Dairy Market
1552 Dwight St.
Syed Sada, Hussain Shah

Pulowski Property Maintenance
1094 Main St.
Nathan Pulowski

Ron’s Auto Care
150 Suffolk St.
Ron Poirier

LUDLOW

Basics Mini Mart
192 East St.
Ahmad Amin, Hasan Nadeem

Birch Pond Farm
1709 Center St.
Marcy Reed, Adolfo Segarra

Holiday Inn Express
321 Center St.
Kishor Parmar

Two Roses Tea & Cupcake Co.
8 Chestnut St.
Lorraine Watt

NORTHAMPTON

Columbia Delta Co.
32 North Elm St.
Richard Kowalski

Cultivate & Bloom
20 Hampton Ave.
Amy Lovell

Equiview
98 Main St.
Durryle Brooks, Samuel Bloom

Frank Wdowiak, Master Electrician
938 Bridge Road
Frank Wdowiak

MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts, LLC
366 King St.
Kimberley DeSousa

Scotti’s Drive-In
90 Haydenville Road
Amanda Ashton

Strada
108 Main St.
Anna Bowen

VAM Technology, LLC
76 Industrial Dr.
Maksim Loboda

Vintage Treasures
121 North Main St.
Cynthia Wheeler

PALMER

Around the House Handyman Service
131 North St.
Daniel Flowers

Bob’s Small Engine Repair
106 Belchertown St.
Robert Caine

Burgundy Brook
3092 Palmer St.
Keith Gordon, Inna Gordon

Crane Exterior Design
70 Bourne St.
Dale Crane

Cricket Wireless
10458 Thorndike St.
Evan Morowitz

MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts, LLC
1001 Thorndike St.
Kimberley DeSousa

Trek Associates
90 Beech St.
Steven Dykstra

Wedgewood Motel
1430 Park St.
Stanley Lamb, Genevieve Lamb

SPRINGFIELD

Amedisys Personal Care
811 Worcester St.
Associates Home Care

Avery’s Painting
100 Loretta St.
James Avery

Bernal Properties
97 Prospect St.
Adalberto Bernal

Cavalry Marketing Group
17 Sumner Ave.
Latna Boyd

Dunn’s Property Management
1655 Boston Road
Aaron Dunn

Enlightened Child Care
104 Clifton Ave.
Dorrett Dawes-Gobay

G & S Cleaning Services
101 Bancroft St.
Carmen Correa

G.A. Murray Consulting
174 Cabinet St.
Gemini Murray

The Laundry Spot
496 Page Blvd.
Marc Brown

Lwyre Enterprises
14 Radner St.
James Hall IV

Modern Day Scribe
48 Grandview St.
Nancy Domenichelli

Nails by Wanda
1 Locust St.
Wanda Tiburcio-Duran

New England Duct Cleaning
117 Fenwick St.
Alvin Medina

R & L Auto Repair
419 Taylor St.
Reinaldo Torres Jr.

R & R Fresh Sushi
1941 Wilbraham Road
Rebecca Maung

Rivera & Sons Services
37 Sunrise Terrace
Edwin Rivera Jr.

Roache Investment Group
82 Fargo St.
Don Roache

Salty Mama Boutique
49 Hobson St.
Gail Corliss

Tesla Carpentry and Tile
28 Rush St.
Cory Richard

Vega’s Ink Studio
159A Boston Road
Marilyn Pirela

The Watcher’s View
123 Bay St.
Anthony Smith

White Glove Inc.
28 Beaumont Terrace
Chandler Daniels

Wind and Wray Glass Creations
34 Front St.
Bonnie Roy

WARE

Moosey’s Muddy Brook Café
259 Greenwich Road
Amy Luksha

WESTFIELD

Cake Ladies at Totally Baked 413
18 School St.
Patricia Partridge

Compass Homes Real Estate School
108 Elm St.
William Miner

Country Mart
397 Little River Road
M & H Enterprises

Cutting Edge Hair Salon
45E Meadow St.
Chiara Bassett

Healthy Lifestyles with Donna
16 Union Ave., Suite 1
Donna St. Jean

Integrative Health & Fitness
1029 North Road, #1A
Robert Guiel

J & J Variety
69 Franklin St.
J & J Variety

Michael J. Fioroni
6 Main St.
Michael Fioroni

Prime Photography Imaging & Services
16 Union Ave.
Andrea York

Vivid Hair Salon & Spa Inc.
99 Elm St.
Basia Belz

Wireless Solutions of New England
83A Main St.
Afaq Ajmeri

Yellow Bear Indoor Tag Sale
98 Southwick Road
Yellow Bear Indoor Tag Sale

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Delta Stores
242 Memorial Ave.
Afaq Ajmeri

Law Office of Caroline M. Murray
71 Park Ave.
Caroline Murray

Nippon Grill
935 Riverdale St.
Aroma Inc.

WILBRAHAM

The Daily Pint
2523 Boston Road
John Leven, Karin Jeffers

Doyle Home Improvement
340 Glendale Road
Timothy Doyle

O’Grady Construction & Design
744 Main St.
Matthew O’Grady

Total Image Salon
2440 Boston Road
Huang Dan Yun

Wicked Good Treats by Elaine
3 Ely Road
Elaine Shepard

Departments Real Estate

The following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

230 South St.
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Alan D. Rice
Seller: Snow INT
Date: 04/28/17

BUCKLAND

Chestnut Mountain Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Gregory G. Zgrodnik
Seller: Dickinson, Champion E., (Estate)
Date: 04/28/17

21-1/2 Walker Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Kevin C. Dee
Seller: Wanda L. Ankers
Date: 04/18/17

COLRAIN

299 Adamsville Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $161,500
Buyer: Lester G. Mandigo
Seller: Rockwell J. Lively
Date: 04/28/17

North Green River Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Robert Deal
Seller: Cersosimo Industries Inc.
Date: 04/26/17

ERVING

22 River Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Pamela J. McNamara
Seller: Nicole Emond-Trott
Date: 04/28/17

GREENFIELD

110 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Leesa D. Crocker
Seller: Ronald C. Fountain
Date: 04/19/17

45-49 Main St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: OM Greenfield RT
Seller: Cumberland Farms Inc.
Date: 04/26/17

177 South Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Michael A. Davey
Seller: Steven M. Knapp
Date: 04/21/17

MONTAGUE

41 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Brandon M. Emery
Seller: Michelle L. Lefebvre
Date: 04/26/17

ORANGE

70 Briggs St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Michele A. Curtis
Seller: Jonathan D. Targett
Date: 04/28/17

23 East Howe St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Mary K. Hakkinen
Date: 04/27/17

85 Hayden St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $182,720
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Robert Burke
Date: 04/24/17

60 Stone Valley Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Kevin E. Klaiber
Seller: Dennis J. Chaffee
Date: 04/19/17

ROWE

137 Leshure Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $655,500
Buyer: Herbert Butzke
Seller: Dale S. Dunnell 2004 LT
Date: 04/28/17

SHUTESBURY

17 Leverett Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Mark L. Hawkins
Seller: Timothy D. Boudreau
Date: 04/25/17

WARWICK

175 Chestnut Hill Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Mark O. Fellows
Seller: Howard L&E L. Keith LT
Date: 04/28/17

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

650 Cooper St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Benjamin D. Kronlund
Seller: Raymond A. Turrini
Date: 04/28/17

135 Country Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Greg M. Popielarczyk
Seller: Janine M. Pranka
Date: 04/28/17

65 Day St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Karen Szymczyk
Seller: Charles N. Hoffman
Date: 04/27/17

85 Garden St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Giordano Building Inc.
Seller: Anatoliy Belozerov
Date: 04/27/17

66 Kathy Terrace
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Maryna Sukhyna
Seller: Paul R. Stevenson
Date: 04/28/17

5 Pheasant Run Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Oleksandr Skrypchenko
Seller: Matthew J. Jones
Date: 04/27/17

14 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $143,600
Buyer: Ronnie Clarke
Seller: HSBC Bank
Date: 04/28/17

228-230 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Robert C. Lombardi
Seller: Louise J. Lombardi
Date: 04/28/17

437 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Jonathan Zuber
Seller: Donna M. Bys
Date: 04/28/17

BLANDFORD

30 Woronoco Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Lawrence G. O’Connor
Seller: Lawrence F. Ward
Date: 04/28/17

BRIMFIELD

28 Saint George Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Joseph R. Doldoorian
Seller: Wendi W. Denning
Date: 04/28/17

CHICOPEE

17 Abbey St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Karen M. Torres
Seller: Viktor Moshkovskiy
Date: 04/28/17

54 Armanella St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Alexis Rentas
Seller: Miguel A. Sanchez
Date: 04/24/17

172 Center St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: G&C Real Estate Invests
Seller: Paulo, Fernando O., (Estate)
Date: 04/25/17

94 Clarendon Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $204,500
Buyer: Jose E. Carattini-Diaz
Seller: Andrzej Mikula
Date: 04/25/17

394 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Melanie M. Ethier
Seller: William P. Moore
Date: 04/28/17

78 Glendale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $129,250
Buyer: Matthew J. Ray
Seller: Lauretta M. Lazarz
Date: 04/19/17

26 Hafey St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Pedro Torres
Seller: Roberta Urbanski
Date: 04/28/17

53 Harding St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $144,500
Buyer: Philip S. Marcil
Seller: Linda M. Pereira
Date: 04/28/17

169 Labelle Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Peter N. Jerusik
Seller: Karl R. Schmidt
Date: 04/28/17

88 Lauzier Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Preston Beckwith
Seller: Tomasz J. Niemiec
Date: 04/28/17

93 Lombard St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Robert C. Richards
Seller: Thomas Fregeau
Date: 04/21/17

15 Magnolia Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Juan J. Mercado
Seller: Joseph Domingos
Date: 04/20/17

97 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $116,500
Buyer: 97-99 McKinstry Avenue RT
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank NA
Date: 04/28/17

1057 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: 100 Century Inc.
Seller: Barbara J. Bernashe
Date: 04/28/17

163 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Louis G. Lopez
Date: 04/26/17

48 Morgan Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Tomasz J. Niemiec
Seller: CRA Holdings Inc.
Date: 04/28/17

32 Mount Vernon Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Sujeir Fernandez-Lorenzo
Seller: Andrew P. Laprade
Date: 04/20/17

94 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Thomas Chisholm
Seller: Kelly Bicket
Date: 04/26/17

108 New York Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Matthew Yacubeck
Seller: Kerry Watson
Date: 04/27/17

Old Dale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: Monaco, Alfred Joseph, (Estate)
Date: 04/28/17

820 Pendleton Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Mathieu A. Toczek
Seller: Andrew Toczek
Date: 04/18/17

Rosemont St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: Monaco, Alfred Joseph, (Estate)
Date: 04/28/17

31 Rosemont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: Monaco, Alfred Joseph, (Estate)
Date: 04/28/17

63 Ruskin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: David A. Corliss
Seller: Shannon T. Caney
Date: 04/26/17

14 Simard Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $6,375,000
Buyer: Simard Apartments LLC
Seller: Brook Edge LLC
Date: 04/26/17

175 South St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Carmen M. Narvaez
Seller: Antonio M. Francisco
Date: 04/27/17

22 Suzanne St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Elizabeth M. Roy
Date: 04/26/17

313 Tolpa Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Eric Lapointe
Seller: Lisette Martinez
Date: 04/27/17

47 Wallace Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $218,900
Buyer: Thomas J. Baron
Seller: Dale King
Date: 04/28/17

1611 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Kavua M. Kakesa
Seller: Frances A. Cabrera
Date: 04/28/17

18 Wildermere St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Thomas P. Rondeau
Seller: Abdallah A. Hannoush
Date: 04/27/17

EAST LONGMEADOW

391 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Mark Melikian
Seller: Mario A. Ferrentino
Date: 04/28/17

39 Dearborn St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Robert J. Decosmo
Seller: Michael Carabetta
Date: 04/27/17

22 Edmund St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Richard S. Curpenski
Seller: Linda P. Shapras
Date: 04/21/17

41 Hazelhurst Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: George A. Celdran
Seller: Eric J. Carrington
Date: 04/27/17

115 Lee St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Kessler
Seller: Steven G. Kessler
Date: 04/19/17

68 Mill Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: William Raleigh
Seller: Cacciapuoti, Janice O., (Estate)
Date: 04/25/17

1 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: James Roraback
Seller: James M. Georgantas
Date: 04/24/17

129 Sanford St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Joseph J. John
Seller: Harold C. Atwater
Date: 04/28/17

106 Thompkins Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Samuel A. Maroney
Seller: Ian E. Rowles
Date: 04/21/17

24 Thompson St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Kate Tran
Seller: Diane F. Hebert
Date: 04/24/17

GRANVILLE

119 South Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Peter Strniste
Seller: Lewis, June M., (Estate)
Date: 04/26/17

HOLLAND

67 Vinton Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $116,302
Buyer: Southbridge Savings Bank
Seller: Jeffrey V. Wojtowicz
Date: 04/19/17

HOLYOKE

6 Appleton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: 6 Appleton LLC
Seller: Anderson Industries LLC
Date: 04/24/17

7 Cabot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Jasvinder Arora
Seller: 13 Cabot Street LLC
Date: 04/26/17

1154 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $159,650
Buyer: Hillary E. Rathbun
Seller: Thomas W. Florez
Date: 04/24/17

64 Harvard St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $279,500
Buyer: Scott S. Benton
Seller: Eileen Claveloux
Date: 04/28/17

219 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Neil C. Daigneault
Seller: Samantha T. Scanlan
Date: 04/28/17

3 Judith St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Sebastian R. Labonte
Seller: Joseph J. Richter
Date: 04/28/17

8 Nicholls Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Karen G. Webb
Seller: Lisa G. Madzunovic
Date: 04/20/17

1238 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: EDC Real Estate LLC
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 04/25/17

1319 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Matthew C. Love
Seller: Cynthia H. Thomas
Date: 04/21/17

124 Ridgewood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Nicole C. Arnold
Seller: Cole A. Morrison
Date: 04/21/17

54 Taylor St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Jennifer C. Abild
Seller: Anthony J. Canata
Date: 04/20/17

3 Vassar Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: William Cubi
Seller: Steven J. Coombs
Date: 04/28/17

9 Vassar Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Plaza
Seller: William J. Cubi
Date: 04/28/17

87 Vermont St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Ryan A. Andrews
Seller: Stephen J. Lamirande
Date: 04/28/17

108-110 Walnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Crecenciano A. Fernandez
Seller: Felix L. Lopez
Date: 04/21/17

LONGMEADOW

390 Bliss Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Christopher E. Distefano
Seller: William P. Meserve
Date: 04/28/17

69 Edgewood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Paul Huijing
Seller: Jonathan M. Theroux
Date: 04/25/17

101 Ellington St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Kristie A. Canegallo
Seller: Michael J. Craig
Date: 04/19/17

51 Fenwood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Alfred Hajati
Seller: Premium Properties Inc.
Date: 04/19/17

96 Hazelwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Donna T. Roberts
Seller: Leslie L. Desroberts
Date: 04/24/17

212 Hopkins Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Sara C. Tufts
Seller: James W. Burke
Date: 04/27/17

Jonquil Lane #6
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Nandakumar Ponnusamy
Seller: Rajab Khanbabai
Date: 04/19/17

23 Lawnwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Nicholas R. Gagnon
Seller: Brian T. Kennedy
Date: 04/21/17

100 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: Ann C. Campagna
Seller: Thomas J. Taylor
Date: 04/27/17

81 Massachusetts Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Derek Blais
Seller: John C. Joyal
Date: 04/27/17

50 Woodside Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Varaha Gopisetti
Seller: Iqbal Murtaza
Date: 04/28/17

LUDLOW

51 Bowles Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Gala A. McInerny
Seller: Mary B. Will
Date: 04/27/17

84 Bridle Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Dion
Seller: Brett M. Still
Date: 04/28/17

153 Cedar St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $183,900
Buyer: Jeremy S. Corneau
Seller: Theodore J. Zwinski
Date: 04/28/17

101 Edison Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Zachary Dreher
Seller: James E. Gagner
Date: 04/28/17

111 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Shaun M. Alix
Seller: Hildegard Nowak
Date: 04/20/17

76 Highland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Sheryl Fedora
Seller: Maria F. Serrenho
Date: 04/26/17

372 Holyoke St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Igdalia Medina
Seller: Michael Napolitano
Date: 04/21/17

84 James St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Andrew Toczek
Seller: Diane M. Lauthier
Date: 04/28/17

165 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Theodore J. Zwinski
Seller: Brian L. Gendron
Date: 04/28/17

28 Pleasant St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Nikolas Linna
Seller: Thomas E. Melling
Date: 04/28/17

50 Pleasant St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Peter C. Garland
Seller: Randy R. Placzek
Date: 04/28/17

149 Wilno Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $202,668
Buyer: Andrew C. Luzio
Seller: Alicinio Martins
Date: 04/28/17

MONSON

38 Ayers Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Joseph R. Hess
Seller: H&L Tassinari Builders
Date: 04/24/17

354 Boston Road West
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Globe Source LLC
Seller: S&L Properties LLC
Date: 04/19/17

33 Elm St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Brier
Seller: Karen A. Barna
Date: 04/20/17

20 Harrison Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Marc Wright
Seller: Yolanda Grieve
Date: 04/27/17

164 Hovey Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: William J. Mitchell
Seller: Reed N. Lincoln
Date: 04/18/17

216 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $474,900
Buyer: Silktree Properties LLC
Seller: Kevin Malloy
Date: 04/25/17

171 Moulton Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Katherine M. Schneider
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 04/27/17

194 Silver St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Harold C. Atwater
Seller: Lauren E. Landers
Date: 04/28/17

20 Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: James K. Quackenbush
Seller: Allen Block LLC
Date: 04/24/17

MONTGOMERY

23 Lambson Road
Montgomery, MA 01050
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Jeffrey A. Sawyer
Seller: Ryan M. Leveille
Date: 04/26/17

97 New State Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $616,250
Buyer: Seth R. Gemme
Seller: Howard P. Kelley
Date: 04/18/17

PALMER

27 Bowden St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: James Lee
Seller: Steven A. Runnals
Date: 04/21/17

Griffin St. (SS)
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Flebotte
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/21/17

4285 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Eric J. Carrington
Seller: Yurkunas, Patricia F., (Estate)
Date: 04/27/17

97 Laurel Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Jonathan D. Jedziniak
Seller: Andrea B. Leydon
Date: 04/28/17

62 Mason St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Janelle L. Tarantino
Seller: Nelligan, William J., (Estate)
Date: 04/18/17

1008 Oak St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Christina N. Muscaro
Seller: Peter C. Garland
Date: 04/28/17

1320 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Angela D. Miguel
Seller: Christi-Jo Brothers
Date: 04/28/17

SOUTHWICK

38 Deer Run
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Irina Tkachenko
Seller: Vladimir V. Kot
Date: 04/28/17

50 George Loomis Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Howard P. Kelley
Seller: Raymond M. Preis
Date: 04/18/17

266 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Joseph W. Casey
Seller: Gregg Kennedy
Date: 04/21/17

204 Hillside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $239,542
Buyer: USA VA
Seller: Autumn T. Roberts
Date: 04/26/17

20 Jeffrey Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Brian R. Mountain
Seller: William D. Stucklen
Date: 04/20/17

15 Sefton Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Craig A. Thomas
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 04/20/17

SPRINGFIELD

30 Bartels St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: William J. Lapointe
Seller: Derek Blais
Date: 04/27/17

1243 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Janice D. Sanchez
Seller: Oussama Awkal
Date: 04/24/17

32 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Tamaz Inc.
Seller: Kayrouz Realty LLC
Date: 04/28/17

161 Brandon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Moraima Sanchez-Santiago
Seller: Aleksandr Martynenko
Date: 04/28/17

36 Burns Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Yarlene Sanchez
Seller: Dhara Desai
Date: 04/25/17

115 Butternut St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Andrew C. Reist
Seller: John Pedro
Date: 04/28/17

33-39 Cameron St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Constant O. Ogutt
Seller: Steven M. Smith
Date: 04/28/17

27 Castle St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,900
Buyer: Andrew M. Siano
Seller: Sheila M. Burke
Date: 04/28/17

72 Champlain Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Kristine R. Gabriel
Seller: Earl Pierre
Date: 04/28/17

47 Cuff Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Julie A. Mardner
Seller: Picket Fence Ventures LLC
Date: 04/28/17

118 Dorset St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Sherita Williams
Seller: Zoraida Fontanez
Date: 04/27/17

25 Driftwood Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $165,300
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Michael A. Sternowski
Date: 04/26/17

50-52 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Torry Gajda
Seller: Graduate Housing Services
Date: 04/27/17

65-67 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Trevis L. Obanner
Seller: Michael A. Kibbie
Date: 04/27/17

76 Eddy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Jose A. Rivera
Seller: Richard A. Sypek
Date: 04/20/17

56 Edgemont St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Luisa M. Ferrer
Seller: Pineview RT
Date: 04/28/17

235 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Christina M. Stelzer
Seller: Joy L. Dykstra
Date: 04/21/17

26 Fairfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Kevin Diaz
Seller: Robert W. Beaton
Date: 04/18/17

163 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Erin E. Cawley
Seller: Kathy S. Anderson
Date: 04/28/17

121 Glenoak Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $170,500
Buyer: Thomas E. Hanna
Seller: Keely A. Veto
Date: 04/19/17

30 Gorman Ln
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Barber
Seller: William R. Cosgrove
Date: 04/21/17

215 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Dil M. Darjee
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 04/27/17

102 Hartford Terrace
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Crawford
Seller: Antonio Martinez
Date: 04/28/17

31-33 Home St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $142,900
Buyer: Derrick J. Hatwood
Seller: Hector Santiago
Date: 04/24/17

391 Kent Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Hien P. Nguyen
Seller: Bayview Loan Servicing
Date: 04/28/17

37 Lafayette St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Johanna Sanchez-Espinosa
Seller: Huang Family Property LLC
Date: 04/27/17

106-110 Lincoln St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Wvspringfield LLC
Seller: Stephen P. Gray
Date: 04/27/17

Lincoln St. (NS)
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: WVSpringfield LLC
Seller: Stephen P. Gray
Date: 04/27/17

33 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $158,100
Buyer: Jonathan Ortiz
Seller: Juan Santana
Date: 04/28/17

68 Lorenzo St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Swanna R. Hall
Seller: Alonzetta M. Gabriel
Date: 04/28/17

6 Macomber Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Katelyn E. Lofland
Seller: James Skarbek
Date: 04/18/17

31 Madison Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Willie C. Frazier
Seller: R2R LLC
Date: 04/28/17

87 Methuen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Carmen M. Bermudez-Torres
Seller: Justin A. Etting
Date: 04/21/17

150 Old Lane Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Xavier Delvalle
Seller: Danielle Chenaille
Date: 04/28/17

126 Osborne Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Wildally E. Colon
Seller: Fallah Razzak
Date: 04/20/17

11 Peekskill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Artur Dzietczyk
Seller: Owen M. Knox
Date: 04/18/17

133 Regal St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $154,700
Buyer: Crystal A. Frederick
Seller: Anexi Polidura
Date: 04/26/17

19 Rochford Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Robert A. Couture
Seller: Ann M. Corl
Date: 04/27/17

122 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Mickelia A. Pearson-Ross
Seller: David P. Gafney
Date: 04/28/17

21 Silver St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Bryan D. Fontaine
Seller: Dustin Ruby
Date: 04/28/17

92 Sunrise Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jose R. Gonzalez
Seller: Juan C. Acevedo
Date: 04/27/17

273 Tremont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Darcie M. Casineau
Seller: Peter N. Jerusik
Date: 04/28/17

153-155 Verge St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Irena K. Tomas
Seller: Joseph T. Lesniak
Date: 04/19/17

17 Washington Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $186,900
Buyer: Adrienne C. Mitchell
Seller: Joseph P. Cox
Date: 04/28/17

89-91 Washington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: Tran Thi-Le
Seller: Charles D. Beeler
Date: 04/19/17

28 Whitaker St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Stephen F. Payne
Seller: Gregory M. Popielarczyk
Date: 04/28/17

45 Whitmore Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,900
Buyer: Riad Elkadri
Seller: Lynch, Kevin J., (Estate)
Date: 04/24/17

1671 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Irving Deltoro
Seller: Marisol Rivas-Nunez
Date: 04/28/17

76 Wilshire Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $146,580
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Eric J. Karpoff
Date: 04/20/17

129 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Maria D. Moncion
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 04/28/17

TOLLAND

117 Beetle Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Justin Etting
Seller: William B. Blakesley
Date: 04/21/17

WEST SPRINGFIELD

30 Ames Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $122,300
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Nicole D. Habiger
Date: 04/18/17

936 Prospect Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Yung Kang
Seller: Robert MacDonald
Date: 04/20/17

115 Day St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: 502 Union Station LLC
Seller: KOT Realty Co. LLC
Date: 04/28/17

123 Day St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: 502 Union Station LLC
Seller: KOT Realty Co. LLC
Date: 04/28/17

84 Hill St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Lal Wagley
Seller: Sergey Savonin
Date: 04/28/17

25 Kings Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Amber Starr-Larrivee
Seller: Marilyn A. Harpin
Date: 04/28/17

152 Laurel Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Ashley R. Tucker
Seller: Mark T. Miles
Date: 04/27/17

91 Lower Beverly Hills
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Paula J. Dalzovo
Seller: James Whalen
Date: 04/24/17

157 Norman St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Woodcliff Properties LLC
Seller: Lesley A. Vila
Date: 04/28/17

635 Piper Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Kathleen A. Martin
Seller: Jose L. Quinones
Date: 04/27/17

282 Prospect Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Allison L. Houghton
Seller: Kaitlin Foley
Date: 04/27/17

29 Salem St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Kenneth B. Beagle
Seller: Della Ripa Real Estate
Date: 04/27/17

22 Spring St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Sonia E. Cavanaugh
Seller: Sylvia Adorno
Date: 04/28/17

68 Tiara Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Hamelin Framing Inc.
Seller: Kolodziej Enterprises LLC
Date: 04/28/17

73 Worcester St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Mariyeta Yurashko
Seller: Mikhail V. Yurashko
Date: 04/28/17

WESTFIELD

15 Aviator Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Alexandria M. Vassallo
Seller: Walter F. Surniak
Date: 04/28/17

137 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $201,400
Buyer: Daniel Rosario
Seller: Joseph W. Casey
Date: 04/21/17

74 Big Wood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Jonathan D. Awtrey
Seller: Nello J. Grimaldi
Date: 04/27/17

25 Chestnut St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Edward F. Jaeger
Seller: Cynthia J. Geiger
Date: 04/28/17

55 Country Club Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Brendan P. Irujo
Seller: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Date: 04/28/17

69 Crane Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Erika L. Chrystal
Seller: John S. Haftmann
Date: 04/28/17

52 Deer Path Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Jayme L. Coggin
Seller: John A. Wegrzyniak
Date: 04/21/17

1463 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: John C. Dasilva
Seller: Jayme L. Coggin
Date: 04/21/17

1545 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,031
Buyer: US Bank NA
Seller: Faye L. Monczka
Date: 04/18/17

21 Egleston Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Geoffrey Parenteau
Seller: Roy D. Hiltpold
Date: 04/28/17

16 George St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: 16 George Street LLC
Seller: Greggs Mobile Auto Repair
Date: 04/26/17

3 Gillette Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Holly A. Prater
Seller: Alexandria M. Vassallo
Date: 04/26/17

18 Llewellyn Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Barbara A. Spear
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/28/17

61 Medeiros Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $49,816,729
Buyer: AGNL Grocery LLC
Seller: ARC HR5CSMA1 LLC
Date: 04/20/17

625 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Ryan N. Wheeler
Seller: Brenda M. Harris
Date: 04/18/17

5 Montgomery St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: Darek P. Marlow
Seller: Domozick, Garry, (Estate)
Date: 04/20/17

11 Noble Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $274,410
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Sharon Nutting
Date: 04/28/17

42 Noble Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Josue Cruz
Seller: Donna M. Nash
Date: 04/21/17

46 Northridge Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Bryan Turgeon
Seller: Amanda M. Gamelli
Date: 04/25/17

26 Parker Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,500
Buyer: David J. Boido
Seller: Heather A. Smithies
Date: 04/27/17

27 Patterson St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $202,400
Buyer: Izabet Rodriguez
Seller: Wanda M. Brothers
Date: 04/21/17

27 Pleasant St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Edward Peterson
Seller: Eleanor L. Bystrynski
Date: 04/28/17

10 Sherman St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $141,782
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Warren N. Lander
Date: 04/27/17

127 Susan Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Timothy Pereira
Seller: Krista Groleau
Date: 04/24/17

234 Union St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Amanda M. Elliott
Seller: Jennifer Sears
Date: 04/18/17

38 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Emily S. Sesti
Seller: James T. Popko
Date: 04/24/17

64 Woodside Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Amanda M. Gamelli
Seller: Anthony M. Fratamico
Date: 04/25/17

WILBRAHAM

11 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jorge R. Figueroa
Seller: Give Them Sanctuary Inc.
Date: 04/20/17

35 Beebe Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Luke P. Kochanowski
Seller: Karen D. Statham
Date: 04/28/17

4 Belli Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $243,100
Buyer: Cynthia Lambert
Seller: Kevin M. Hanks
Date: 04/28/17

4 Bellows Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Hanks
Seller: George R. Ward
Date: 04/28/17

30 Brentwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $311,000
Buyer: Joseph C. Ferrentino
Seller: Thomas A. Trites
Date: 04/28/17

16 Dalton St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Nicholas DelBuono
Seller: Michael J. Jachym
Date: 04/20/17

25 Highmoor Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: Daniel Johnson
Seller: Perry P. Eastman
Date: 04/26/17

466 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: 6 Burt Lane LLC
Seller: S&L Asset Management Corp.
Date: 04/21/17

499 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Jaime A. Paterno
Seller: Frederic W. Fuller
Date: 04/19/17

33 Manchonis Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Ryan Schmitt
Seller: Lynn A. Pratt
Date: 04/20/17

18 Millbrook Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: James E. Gagner
Seller: Kara L. Rice
Date: 04/28/17

9 West Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Nicholas Manolakis
Seller: Charles J. Ouimet
Date: 04/27/17

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

80 Blue Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $499,900
Buyer: Jamier Rowan
Seller: Maura E. Mahon
Date: 04/28/17

45 Chapel Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $393,000
Buyer: Jan S. Yung-Wilson
Seller: Curtis J. Orvis
Date: 04/28/17

12 Edge Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $261,000
Buyer: Ramona J. Hamblin
Seller: Aaron W. Chen
Date: 04/21/17

25 Flintlock Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $292,500
Buyer: Colin J. Gleason
Seller: Kevin A. Rasmussen
Date: 04/18/17

384 Henry St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $545,000
Buyer: Elizabeth H. Follmer
Seller: Western Development Corp.
Date: 04/21/17

103 Larkspur Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Laura B. Balzer
Seller: Laurie J. Anastasia
Date: 04/28/17

269 Leverett Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Carl E. Mailler
Seller: Paul R. Higgins
Date: 04/28/17

111 Mill Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Marco Keiluweit
Seller: Joshua W. Wallace
Date: 04/20/17

375 Pelham Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Ruth E. Levy
Seller: Larry R. Levitt
Date: 04/26/17

BELCHERTOWN

60 Aldrich St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $239,700
Buyer: Pamela M. Wentworth
Seller: Michael D. Stauffer
Date: 04/25/17

Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Town Of Belcher
Seller: Belchertown Historic Association
Date: 04/18/17

535 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Jean A. Doel
Date: 04/19/17

25 Catherine Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Josh L. Mason
Seller: Terry L. Mason
Date: 04/28/17

72 Dana Hill
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Sarah Bleichfeld
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 04/27/17

545 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Pamela J. McConnell
Seller: Anthony R. Pycko
Date: 04/26/17

9 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Dafu Yang
Seller: Herbert C. Wood
Date: 04/26/17

58 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Kenneth E. Hyde
Seller: JP Builders Inc.
Date: 04/28/17

EASTHAMPTON

7 Franklin St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Revampit LLC
Seller: Stephanie Sousbies
Date: 04/21/17

10 Kingsberry Way
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $429,000
Buyer: Lisa J. Connolly
Seller: Crown Meadow Corp.
Date: 04/21/17

6 Lincoln St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $236,500
Buyer: Fred Englander
Seller: Santander Bank
Date: 04/21/17

239 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Cole A. Morrison
Seller: Eve Andrade
Date: 04/28/17

197 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Martha C. Sector
Seller: Jay R. Ryan
Date: 04/28/17

263 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Jennifer N. Beichman
Seller: Joseph Donohue
Date: 04/27/17

119 Oliver St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Derek D. Manley
Seller: John W. Skorupski
Date: 04/20/17

113 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Ryan Kidder
Seller: Rose M. Weibel
Date: 04/28/17

58 Ward Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Rainbow Properties LLC
Seller: Ward Ave LLC
Date: 04/28/17

GRANBY

78 West St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: William A. Buckhout
Seller: Benchmark Custom Homes
Date: 04/28/17

HADLEY

33 Hockanum Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Saunders N. Whittlesey
Seller: Courtland S. Michaels
Date: 04/26/17

8 Indian Pipe Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Baoshan Xing
Seller: Bercume Construction LLC
Date: 04/21/17

12 Meadow St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: C. W. Fydenkevez
Seller: Deborah A. Liebl
Date: 04/18/17

Route 9
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $975,000
Buyer: Mecu Hadley LLC
Seller: Pizza Hut Of America LLC
Date: 04/26/17

HATFIELD

34 Mountain Road
Hatfield, MA 01066
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Gregory G. Zgrodnik
Seller: Dickinson, Champion E., (Estate)
Date: 04/28/17

95 North Hatfield Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $35,152,271
Buyer: AGNL Grocery LLC
Seller: ARC HR5CSMA3 LLC
Date: 04/20/17

HUNTINGTON

21 Goss Hill Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Cory G. Larochelle
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 04/26/17

263 Goss Hill Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Matthew A. Stenson
Seller: Jesse D. Chamberlain
Date: 04/27/17

NORTHAMPTON

28 Deerfield Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Barbara J. Plante
Date: 04/28/17

302 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $403,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Sternal
Seller: Eleanor Wakin
Date: 04/28/17

66 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Hampshire Property Management
Seller: Emerson Way LLC
Date: 04/21/17

7 Gilrain Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Luis C. Granda
Seller: FHLM
Date: 04/28/17

54 Grant Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Daniele Girardi
Seller: Rosemund LLC
Date: 04/26/17

88 Maple Ridge Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $551,000
Buyer: Caroline C. Johnson
Seller: Ronald A. Matuson
Date: 04/27/17

29 Ridge View Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $509,500
Buyer: Timothy P. Schmitt
Seller: Ridgeview Development LLC
Date: 04/21/17

221 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $291,100
Buyer: Nonotuck Community School
Seller: City Of Northampton
Date: 04/21/17

23 Rust Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $392,000
Buyer: Konstantin Vatrenko
Seller: Jeremy D. Ober
Date: 04/25/17

100 Whittier St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $662,500
Buyer: Marie-Claire Maroun
Seller: Jeffrey J. Anderson
Date: 04/28/17

PELHAM

4 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: W. R. Killingsworth
Seller: Michael D. Young
Date: 04/27/17

SOUTH HADLEY

49 Bardwell St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Zachary Wolkoff
Seller: James B. Currier
Date: 04/24/17

44 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $230,500
Buyer: Benjamin J. Spooner
Seller: Kenneth A. Rogers
Date: 04/28/17

12 Grant St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Kaali Huang LLC
Seller: John A. Barbaro
Date: 04/19/17

27 Lathrop St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Ron W. Miyashiro
Seller: Gerald F. Lavoie
Date: 04/21/17

62 Ludlow Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $162,240
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: David R. Cross
Date: 04/18/17

5 Plainville Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $387,786
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Thomas Lesperance
Date: 04/18/17

SOUTHAMPTON

44 Line St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $253,500
Buyer: Adam Dunne
Seller: FNMA
Date: 04/20/17

WARE

40 Cherry St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Joseph D. Sinclair
Seller: Jeffrey H. Vandale
Date: 04/28/17

8 Desantis Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Robin Gilbert-Newcomb
Seller: Susy Verghese
Date: 04/18/17

32-34 East Court
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Alicia G. Bays
Seller: Darren C. Andrews
Date: 04/28/17

WESTHAMPTON

101 Montague Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Kerry A. Watson
Seller: Silvio J. Baruzzi
Date: 04/28/17

WORTHINGTON

115 Huntington Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Jessica M. Rida
Seller: Peter C. Webber
Date: 04/25/17

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2017.

AGAWAM

Agawam Plaza, LLC
63-79 Springfield St.
$5,800 — Wall sign and window sign

JEM Real Estate Holdings
12 Springfield St.
$13,281 — Wall sign

JEM Real Estate Holdings
12 Springfield St.
$13,281 — Standing sign

AMHERST

55 University Dr., LLC
55 University Dr.
$225,000 — Remodel existing tenant space to accommodate new medical-marijuana dispensary

Amherst College
214 Main St.
$92,987 — Install sprinkler system and rough in duct work

Cooley Dickinson Hospital
170 University Dr.
$26,128 — Repair sprinkler damage

CHICOPEE

CPI 425 Meadow Street, LLC
425 Meadow St.
$391,074 — Separate and demolish a structure from the existing Callaway Golf plant

Public Storage Properties XVII
31 Jamrog Dr.
$20,000 — Add three antennas and three RRUs for T-Mobile

EASTHAMPTON

A-Z Properties, LLC
184 Northampton St.
$400,000 – Construct two-story, mixed-use building

EAST LONGMEADOW

Cartamundi
443 Shaker Road
$428,000 – Roofing

Cornerstone Church
15 Kibbe Road
$29,000 – Wheelchair lift

Town of East Longmeadow
60 Center Square
$98,000 – Fire sprinkler system at Town Hall

GREENFIELD

Baystate Franklin Medical Center
164 High St.
$80,000 — Structural upgrades in the attic of north building of hospital

Greenfield Corporate Center, LLC
101 Munson St.
$125,000 — Remodel existing office space for Melanson Heath

Greenfield Health Camp Inc.
Leyden Road
$15,000 — Construct new cabin

Kangel, LLC
99 Elm St.
$14,115 — Install vinyl siding

Montague City Road Terminals, LLC
34 Montague City Road
$80,538 — Install 89 solar panels on roof

HADLEY

E & A / I & G Campus Plaza, LP
454 Russell St.
$136,200 – Interior remodel of T.J. Maxx

Home Depot USA Inc.
358 Russell St.
$40,000 – Redo bathrooms, update with new fixtures and tile

LONGMEADOW

GPT Longmeadow, LLC
738 Bliss Road
$1,800 – Add sign

LUDLOW

Head to Toe Day Spa
36 East St.
$17,000 — Alterations

S & R Realty Properties
563 Center St.
$4,500 — Illuminated sign

Site Acquisitions
1 State St.
$40,000 — Cell-tower alterations

NORTHAMPTON

Community Enterprises Inc.
5 Franklin St.
$63,000 – Renovate existing office building

DAS Property Group, LLC
108 Main St.
$17,000 – Remove existing partitions along walls, frame and board new walls

Massachusetts Audubon Society
Pynchon Meadow Road
$14,260 – Repair ceilings, install new light fixtures, replace doors, repair deck and railing

New England Deaconess Assoc.
37 Coles Meadow Road
$28,000 – Turn existing multi-purpose room into two rooms (computer room and salon), turn existing activities room into three rooms, and turn existing shower rooms into restrooms

Northampton Montessori Society Inc.
42 Bates St.
$73,920 – Install 75 photovoltaic modules on south-facing roof of school

PALMER

Pride Limited Partnership
1045C Thorndike St.
$6,000 — Modify existing sprinkler for new tenant fit-out

SPRINGFIELD

Luis Carrillo
9 Andrew St.
$7,700 — Roofing

Chestnut Springfield Inc.
146 Chestnut St.
$1,500 — Demolition of interior partition wall

City Tire Co. Inc.
25 Avocado St.
$234,000 — Photovoltaic solar panel installation

James Huang
42 Waltham Ave.
$7,200 — Enclose space for the manufacture of ice cream

Leon Marsh
160 Catherine St.
$3,100 — Install interior finishes, laminate flooring, and floor tile in bathroom of barber shop

Monarch Enterprises
1414 Main St.
$9,700 — Interior renovation

WARE

Charter Foods North
118 West St.
$40,000 – Install two RTUs, ductwork, kitchen hood, exhaust duct, and restroom exhaust duct at Taco Bell

Town of Ware
126 Main St.
$5,200 – Remove and replace windows at Town Hall

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Colvest West Springfield, LLC
1010 Union St.
$310,000 – Interior branch bank infill, including interior partitions, doors, frames, ceilings, lighting, and finishes

Alan Crosby
48 Capital Dr.
$1,023,500 – Buildout

A.J. Desai
529 Union St.
$500 – Erect handicap-accessible counter

David Neill
662 Riverdale St.
$15,000 – Remove upper siding on mansard, repair wood as needed, install new Tyvec and new vinyl soffit

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield College Career Center has been named the winner of the 2017 Innovation in Program Development Award by the Eastern Assoc. of Colleges and Employers (EACE). Springfield College was chosen for its Peer Referral Program, which rewards students who are engaged with the Career Center, for serving as brand ambassadors and referring their peers.

“I am exceptionally proud of the Springfield College Career Center for receiving this well-deserved recognition by EACE,” said Shannon Finning, Springfield College’s vice president for Student Affairs. “While our staff have always done and continue to do exceptional work with students who find their way to the Career Center, I am most proud of the fact that Career Center staff members are now engaging undergraduate student leaders as peer career mentors. The Peer Referral Program emerged from the partnership between our student leaders and the Career Center staff. As we work to engage even more of our students with the exceptional services, programs, and staff in the Career Center, the Peer Referral Program is proving to be a game changer.”

Finning noted that 150 new students were referred to the center this year, and now these students will also refer their peers. “I am excited by the continued innovation and evolution in the Career Center and know we will continue to well-serve our students, employers, faculty, alumni, and partners better each and every year by staying so closely connected and attuned to our student body.”

By capitalizing on the idea that word of mouth and viral marketing are the best strategy for reaching this underserved demographic, the program accomplished its goals through an approach that includes utilizing two students as paid peer career ambassadors to hype services and events, rewarding engaged students for referring their friends and classmates, facilitating a raffle for first-time users, launching a T-shirt campaign, and implementing a Refer-a-Peer Day event.

“We credit our wonderfully engaged Springfield College students for partaking in this exciting career-development initiative and for making the Peer Referral Program the great success it has become,” said Career Center Interim Director Scott Dranka. “From the launch of the Peer Referral program this semester, the Career Center counselors have been afforded the opportunity to work alongside newly referred students on their career-related endeavors, while also witnessing very high levels of student engagement and positive interaction with the Career Center.”

Departments Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]
A photo essay of recent business events in Western Massachusetts / May 30, 2017

Special Delivery

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The Post Office Food Drive for the Northampton Survival Center took place on May 13. Postal trucks delivered more than 24,000 pounds of food, with hundreds of volunteers working in two-hour shifts to unload, sort, weigh, and box up the donations. Top: volunteers Cher Willems, Debin Bruce, Elaine Findley, Tyler Lacombe-Bart, Liz Bedell, and Talia O’Shea sort boxes, cans, and glass. Bottom: volunteers Jake Greenburg, Lucas Steblea, and Reed Shimmelfing help a postal worker unload the truck.

All You Need Is Love

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Mercy Medical Center’s first annual Caritas Gala raised $358,316 to expand and enhance Mercy Behavioral Health Care’s opioid-treatment and addiction-recovery programs, including a new inpatient step-down treatment program for post-detox services. Themed “All You Need Is Love,” the inaugural gala was held at the MassMutual Center in March. John Sjoberg and Brenda Garton-Sjoberg served as honorary chairpersons of the event. Sjoberg serves as chairman of the board for Mercy and as vice chairman of the board for Trinity Health – New England. Garton-Sjoberg has served as honorary chairperson of Mercy Gift of Light. Pictured, from left: Alice Kennedy, director of Special Gifts, Fund Development, Mercy Medical Center; Dr. Mohamed Hamdani, committee member, Opioid Project; Sr. Mary Caritas; Dr. Robert Roose, vice president, Mercy Behavioral Health Care; Allison Gearing-Kalill, vice president, Fund Development, Mercy Medical Center; Sjoberg; Garton-Sjoberg; Dean Whalen, chair, Opioid Project; and Daniel Keenan, regional vice president, Advocacy and Government Relations, Trinity Health – New England.

Unified Against Bullying

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More than 650 people gathered at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on May 16 to celebrate diversity through fashion at a fund-raiser for Unify Against Bullying. Students of all shapes, sizes, styles, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and physical ability from 30 different schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut strutted their stuff at the nonprofit’s third annual Fashion Show, presented by Robert Charles Photography of East Longmeadow. Greta Salóme (top), Icelandic performer, joined the students on stage for a moving performance which portrayed an example of dealing with bullying and what it takes to rise above it. During the skit, she performed her song, “Hear Them Calling,” which she sang in the finals of Eurovision in 2016. Bottom: a runway model performs in a skit about bullying.
Photos by Robert Charles Photography

Earning and Learning

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Sharon Dufour, chief financial officer for Luso Federal Credit Union, and Kimberly Anderson, Community Relations representative for Luso, were recognized on National Financial Educators Day for their hard work and dedication to promoting financial-literacy education in Ludlow, Hampden, and Wilbraham. Nominated by Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM), Dufour and Anderson, supported by Luso Federal Credit Union and a grant from the Joseph and Anna C. Dias Family Foundation, help bring financial-literacy education to thousands of youth in the three communities. Every child in Ludlow schools and St. John the Baptist School, kindergarten through grade 8, participates in a JA program each year, as well as all the students at Thornton Burgess Middle School in Hampden and Wilbraham Middle School. Dufour and Anderson not only secure the funding for the programs, but recruit and train nearly 100 volunteers to deliver them. Dufour and Anderson also teach multiple JA programs each year. Pictured, from left: JAWM Development Director Megan Beliveau; Dufour; Anderson; and JAWM Program Manager Abigail Ames.

Construction Sections

Home Makers

An example of Laplante Construction’s work

An example of Laplante Construction’s work creating both indoor and outdoor spaces.

When it comes to custom homes, trends come and go, but buyers are always looking for the next big thing — or, to be more accurate, the next not-so-big thing, as one of those trends favors downsizing in favor of easier maintenance and more energy-efficient touches. But high-end homebuyers aren’t shorting themselves on the interior; they still want the best floors, trims, and technology money can buy. And many are turning to Laplante Construction to get the job done.

Ray and Bill Laplante both grew up around the construction business, so it’s not surprising they’ve made a name among the region’s top luxury home builders.

“My dad was a builder, and my older brother was a builder,” said Ray Laplante, who launched East Longmeadow-based R.E. Laplante Construction — since shortened to Laplante Construction — in the early 1970s. “I started out doing a lot of work for them, and after a few years, there wasn’t enough for me, so I went out on my own, doing remodeling and framing and building.”

At the time, duplexes were in vogue in Springfield, and he cut his teeth there, but soon started building custom homes in Longmeadow, Wilbraham, East Longmeadow, and surrounding towns. “Business just took off from there,” he said, and soon he was developing entire subdivisions of high-end residences in those communities.

His son, Bill, grew up in the business too, helping on job sites when he was only 13 years old.


SEE: List of Home Builders


“I would clean out houses, do final cleanings upon completion of houses,” he told BusinessWest. “Then I started in the framing crew, working as a mason tender and doing some finish work. I basically worked through all the way through high school and college, through the summer breaks and vacations.”

He graduated from Trinity College in 1992 with a degree in economics, but a few days after graduation, he was back out on job sites, where he worked for about five years, framing houses and performing myriad other tasks. But, though the experience was invaluable, his heart wasn’t in the field.

“So I started working in the office,” he said, “in project management and then in financial management and sales and marketing, touching virtually all aspects of contruction and understanding how everything goes together — all facets of building.”

Company founder Ray Laplante (left) and President Bill Laplante

Company founder Ray Laplante (left) and President Bill Laplante say a healthy mix of residential and commercial building and remodeling keeps their business thriving.

That’s the part of the business he enjoyed most, Bill said — working with clients on the big picture, and shepherding their vision to reality.

“Growing up, I always liked the idea of seeing something built,” he continued, “but I knew pretty early on, after getting out of college, that I didn’t want to stay in the field; I wanted to work with people, helping design and build what is, in many cases, their largest investment: a new home. That’s really what I’ve enjoyed. My passion is in working with the people and selling our services.”

Today, Bill Laplante serves as the company’s president, working alongside its founder to bring those visions to life — including, in 2014, a replica of Thomas Jefferson’s famed Monticello estate in Somers, Conn.

But luxury homes are only one staple of this family business, as it expands its reach in commercial construction as well, delivering a range of building and remodeling services with the diversity to weather economic cycles and record continued growth.

Estate of Mind

In fact, Ray said, Laplante takes on many different types of jobs, from single bathroom remodels up to large commercial buildings. “And every once in a while, you get a Monticello thrown in there.”

That’s not quite true, of course, as both he and Bill acknowledged that Monticello Somers, built at the behest of Friendly’s co-founder S. Prestley Blake, was a once-in-a-generation project. Ray and Bill Laplante designed the project themselves based on copious research into the original Virginia estate, creating a ‘modernized replica’ that’s historically accurate in the façade, yet decked out in 21st-century amenities inside.

“It was extremely interesting trying to recreate a building like that,” Bill said. “One of the most challenging aspects was trying to create a modernized interior within a very old exterior. And there were code issues that didn’t exist in the original Monticello.”

To be sure, custom finishes, modern touches, and code compliance have long been facets of Laplante Construction’s work building and renovating high-end homes in the Greater Springfield region. But, contrary to a Monticello-scale project, Bill said the trend in luxury homes today is moving away from massive floor plans and toward spaces that are smaller, but still pack all the bells and whistles.

While many homeowners are looking to downsize, Bill Laplante says, the company still puts up plenty of large homes.

While many homeowners are looking to downsize, Bill Laplante says, the company still puts up plenty of large homes.

“We’re seeing people generally downsize. There has been an increased demand for single-family living, low maintenance, and high energy efficiency. Many people are selling their 4,000-square-foot, two-story, inefficient colonial and want a 2,500-square-foot, very well-appointed, single-family house that’s very low-maintenance, which they can shut down and head to Florida over the winter and really reduce their operating expenses.”

He credits a desire for a simpler lifestyle; people are staying home more and enjoying the space they have, but don’t necessarily want to maintain a sprawling estate.

“It’s amazing — 15 years ago, we built one or two ranches. Nowadays, we’re building, six, eight, 10 ranches a year,” he went on. “That’s because of downsizing. Everyone used to want a colonial, but now focus on ranches and other things. It’s becoming desirable to buy those smaller homes and put money into them.”

And they are investing plenty of money into them, he added. “They want all the amenities — granite countertops, expensive finishes, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances. They want those outdoor spaces, the screen porches, the outdoor kitchens, all very well-appointed.”

That goes for remodeling as well, Bill added, which has long been a critical part of the business — which was fortuitous when the market for custom homes dried up in the years following the financial crash in 2008.

“People weren’t building homes, but they were still trying to renovate their homes,” he noted. “What served us well was, we never abandoned the remodeling. Other builders at the time wouldn’t take on smaller remodeling projects; they were busy with bigger housing projects. We always maintained smaller remodeling jobs. Then, when the new-construction market dried up, we were well-positioned to respond to demand for remodeling as well.”

Those home remodels, which are often aimed at creating a getaway without actually having to get away, often include outdoor elements, particularly features that blur the lines between inside and outside living, Ray noted. “We’re starting to see a lot of outdoor-living projects — carriage houses, pool cabanas, outdoor kitchens, things of that sort.”

These can all carry hefty price tags, but, interestingly, other home costs have come down in recent years, notably whole-home technology — the devices that control heat, cooling, lights, security cameras, and irrigation remotely.

“The old ‘smart house’ was very expensive, but nowadays, with technology and with the iPhones and apps available, virtually every manufacturer has a product or an app that can be controlled on a cell phone from anywhere in the United States,” Bill explained. “That goes for heating, lighting, security cameras, you name it — and people are really embracing that. I mentioned people closing up the house and going down to Florida for the winter; they can check in with their phones, see what the temperature reading is in the house, or turn the lights on and off.”

clients want the interior well-appointed with high-end flooring, tile, trims, and technology.

No matter the size of the home, Bill and Ray Laplante say, clients want the interior well-appointed with high-end flooring, tile, trims, and technology.

Homeowners appreciate the cost reductions in that area, as they do the savings they realize from energy-efficient investments.

“Because of the spike in energy costs a few years ago, everyone became much more concerned with energy efficiency,” Bill said. “When people move from 4,000-square-foot homes into smaller, higher-energy-efficiency houses, they’re shocked by the savings in operating costs. We’re doing a lot with spray-foam insulation, energy-efficient windows, air sealing, and super-energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment. Then there are people who want to go even further, into geothermal heating as well as photovoltaic and solar.

“Some of these technologies, there’s not a great payback on, but there are some tax credits available to explore alternative energies,” he added. “And it makes people feel good to reduce their carbon footprint and be energy-conscious.”

Down to Business

Laplante Construction is widely recognized as a custom home builder, but its commercial roster is deep and far-reaching — and has been expanding over the past decade.

“Going back to the ’80s, when my father did a lot of Jiffy Lubes in the area, that type of work has always been there,” Bill said, “but I would say there’s been a resurgence over the past eight to 10 years in commercial. We’ve done a wide range of things, from banks to an eye-care office to a behavioral health clinic to Kringle Candle Country Barn in Bernardston to a school in West Springfield. We have a pretty good diversity of commercial construction.”

That mix of expertise promises to keep Laplante growing as it moves forward with what has been one of its best years in the past decade.

“Maintaining that diversity, and keeping the commercial work going as we do our residential new construction and remodeling, allows us to be flexible and weather turns in one or two sectors,” he told BusinessWest. “With the increase in commercial work, we feel very comfortable and confident moving forward.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Opinion

Opinion

By Associated Industries of Massachusetts

Employers often call the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Employer Hotline to ask what happens when an inspector from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) comes to their job site. While every workplace is unique, OSHA’s list of top 10 workplace safety violations provides an insight about what the inspectors are looking for.

Read the list and ask yourself: “would OSHA find any of these to be a problem if they inspected my workplace?”

The OSHA workplace violations list for FY2016 drew on information obtained from about 32,000 inspections of workplaces by federal OSHA staff. The categories on the list rarely change. OSHA inspectors see thousands of the same on-the-job hazards year after year. OSHA also notes that more than 4,500 workers are killed on the job every year, and about 3 million workers are injured.

The top 10 are:

1. Fall protection. Fatalities continue to plague the construction industry. OSHA’s data shows that 39.9% of deaths in the industry are fall-related, yet this category continues to be the most common violation found every year. Roofing, framing, and home contractors were the most cited employers. Employers can minimize fall risks with training, stand-downs (taking a break to discuss safety risks with employees), and using OSHA’s fall-prevention campaign.

2. Hazard communication. OSHA saw numerous instances of inadequate training, lack of updated data sheets, and not having a program to address hazard chemical exposure.

3. Scaffolds. Fall protection and scaffolding go hand-in-hand. Framing, roofing, siding, and masonry contractors were among the most commonly cited employers for this violation. Improper assembly and access to scaffolding were often noted.

4. Respiratory protection. Companies were cited after employees wore respirators but were not medically evaluated, were put in situations with overexposure to contaminants, or were not properly fit-tested for respiratory protection. Protection is essential for preventing long-term and sometimes fatal health problems associated with breathing in asbestos, silica, or other toxic substances.

5. Lockout/tagout. The top three instances for which companies were given citations for improper lockout/tagout were employees not trained in proper lockout/tagout procedures, lockout/tagout procedures were nonexistent, and employers failing to perform periodic inspections of lockout/tagout procedures. OSHA reported that proper lockout/tagout procedures make certain that machines are powered off and cannot be turned on, reducing the risk of workplace death.

6. Powered industrial trucks. The agency saw operators who lacked certification, were not trained on the hazards associated with the facility, and did not maintain safe use when operating the vehicle.

7. Ladders. The most common hazards associated with ladder use involved improper use of portable ladders. The ladders were not being used according to their design specifications. Injuries occurred when workers used the top rung as a step and when the ladder had a structural defect. Also, employees were not trained on proper ladder use.

8. Machine guarding. OSHA’s National Emphasis Program on Amputations is an effort to reduce the hazards associated with machine and equipment hazards. In addition to machine guarding, investigators saw machinery that was not anchored/fixed as it should be and the use of tools that cause cause hazards.

9. Electrical wiring. Investigators noted unsafe substitutes for permanent wiring and incorrect use of extension cords. They also cited employers for using inappropriate extension cords in places such as wet locations.

10. Electrical, general requirements. The most common offenses include electric equipment not installed properly or not used in accordance with recommended uses. In addition, working space around electric equipment should be unobstructed.

Opinion

Editorial

It might be as simple as a walking club.

One of the companies BusinessWest spoke with this month about workplace wellness initiatives (see story HERE) related the fact that several employees get together every day to walk around the block, and that its new facility set to open this fall will be even more amenable to walking, with more natural surroundings and trails nearby.

The idea is, quite simply, to get people moving, away from the typical office worker’s pose, hunched over a desk, staring at a screen, often not even leaving the cubicle for lunch. When people move around and engage in some light exercise during the day, they tend to be fitter, feel better, and become more productive and even happier employees. Allowing them time to take a walk is an investment that pays off for the company in the long term.

And it’s only one way businesses are promoting what’s been called a ‘healthy culture’ at work. There are lunch-and-learn seminars on health and wellness topics. Free or discounted gym memberships, or even exercise facilities in the workplace. Free, healthy snacks in the community kitchen. No-smoking policies. Adjustable desks that allow workers to perform their computer tasks standing up.

Some of these initiatives cost money. But many cost almost nothing, and even the ones with a price tag promise to lower costs exponentially down the road.

The reason touches on a concept called presenteeism, the state of showing up for work, but not performing at full capacity — a state that can be triggered by many things: boredom, apathy, trouble at home, but also not feeling well. According to a Global Corporate Challenge survey on presenteeism, while employees tend to be absent from work for sickness four days a year, they confessed to being unproductive on the job an average of 57 days annually — which, from a bottom-line perspective, costs businesses 10 times what absenteeism costs.

That, in black and white — and red ink — is the financial argument for creating a culture of wellness at work and committing to it for the long term. After all, healthy, happy employees who feel like their employer’s care about their well-being are a powerful force in the workforce, and their satisfaction can be infectious — in the best sense of that term.

Company Notebook Departments

MassMutual Refreshes Brand to Celebrate Interdependence

SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. has unveiled a newly refreshed brand, designed to better reflect and build on its legacy and the core values that have guided the company since its founding. Celebrating the gift of interdependence, the new positioning elevates the idea that Americans today want to protect the ones they love with a company whose values align with their own. The brand refresh — marked by the launch of a new, multi-channel advertising campaign, updated logo, and dramatically revamped website — communicates the company’s long history of stability and strength. “Since 1851, MassMutual has been guided by our founding principle — we are people coming together to look out for one another,” said Gareth Ross, chief Digital and Customer Experience officer. “We know people are inherently reliant on one another, whether that’s at home, in the workplace, or in the community. Our new positioning celebrates these relationships, underscoring that, when we depend on each other, we are not only more secure, but life is also happier and more fulfilling.” He added that, based on company research and customer insights — combined with the fact that a substantial number of individuals and families across the U.S. are in need of financial guidance — MassMutual wanted to reinforce the company’s vision and identity in a new, fresh, and relatable way. The new brand recognizes that, while the world celebrates independence, true happiness comes from our reliance on one another. It also seeks to inspire people to see themselves as part of something bigger. MassMutual’s new look is being rolled out through a broad, multi-channel advertising campaign that includes prominent TV, radio, print, outdoor, digital, and social-media advertising across the nation. The company’s visual identity has also been updated to focus on its policy owners and customers. The blue chip has been replaced by a newly designed logo, featuring a bold, dynamic blue color and symbolic dots that represent the community of people that MassMutual is helping to connect. Additionally, the company’s website, massmutual.com, has been redesigned to reflect the refreshed brand, improve the user experience, and deliver new features. “This is just the beginning of the next chapter in MassMutual’s long journey of helping people secure their future and protect the ones they love,” Ross said.

Baystate Wing Hospital Breaks Ground on New ED

PALMER — Baystate Wing Hospital, public officials, community leaders, and donors held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Emergency Department this week. When it opens in September 2018, the $17.2 million project will expand the Emergency Department to better accommodate the needs of the community by supporting the current annual patient volume of 24,000 visits. “For over 100 years, Baystate Wing Hospital has played a vital role in the community by providing exceptional care for the region. The new Emergency Department will ensure that patients continue to receive outstanding emergency care close to home in an innovative and highly efficient space that will reflect the expertise and commitment of our Emergency Department team,” said Michael Moran, president and chief administrative officer for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region, which includes Baystate Wing Hospital and Baystate Mary Lane. The planning process for the Emergency Department project included input on design concepts from staff, emergency medical service providers, infection-control experts, and patients. The new space will include separate ambulance and public entryways and will feature 20 patient rooms, including trauma, behavioral health, and other dedicated specialty-care areas. In the new Emergency Department, private rooms will replace curtained bays to enhance patient privacy, and a dedicated space will be created for behavioral-health patients. Additionally, patients will have access to sophisticated medical technology, including CT scan and Radiology (X-ray) services, all located in the new, 17,800-square-foot space. While the new facility is being built, the existing emergency room will remain open for the community. “Once the new building is completed, the current Emergency Department space, which was built in 1995, will be retrofitted for other uses,” said Dr. Robert Spence, chief of Emergency Medicine for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region. “The Baystate Mary Lane Emergency Department is appropriately sized for their annual patient volumes of 12,000 emergency visits and will continue to provide 24-hour emergency care in Ware.” During the early phase of the project, Country Bank pledged ongoing investment in healthcare by donating $1 million to the new Emergency Department.

Pride Launches Campaign to Support Square One

SPRINGFIELD — First there were dice. Then came Wendy’s hamburgers, followed by Rubik’s Cube and SpongeBob. Now, Bob Bolduc and his team at Pride Stores want to add Square One to the list of famous ‘squares.’ The locally owned chain of gas stations and convenience stores is launching a campaign where customers may purchase a square for one dollar, in support of the work that Square One does with children and families throughout the region. “We are proud to be supporting the programs and services that Square One offers to ensure that children and families have the tools they need to be successful,” Bolduc said. “Selling squares and displaying them in our stores will be a very visible way to help raise funds for the organization and create greater awareness of the work they are doing.” The squares are available for purchase at the checkout registers of participating Pride locations. For every dollar donated, Pride will display a Square One square in the Pride location of purchase. All proceeds will benefit Square One’s early-learning and family-services initiatives. “We are so grateful to Bob and his team at Pride for all their very generous support of our work,” said Kristine Allard, chief Development and Communications officer for Square One. “Whether we are teaching children to read and write, inspiring an appreciation of fine arts, providing a nourishing meal, or developing a healthy love of play, everything we do is driven by our vision of a bright future for all children, despite the daunting challenges they face at home.” She added that many children in Square One programs are living in homeless shelters, struggle with food insecurity, have a parent who is in addiction recovery or post-incarcerated, or are in custody of an appointed legal guardian or foster parent. “Support from Pride and other businesses is critical to our ability to continue to serve these families.”

Porches Inn Invites Guests to Art Country

NORTH ADAMS — In the cultural hub of Northern Berkshire County, Porches Inn at MASS MoCA has debuted a new ArtCountry package that offers art lovers access to four of the area’s renowned institutions: the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), the Clark Institute, the Williams College Museum of Art, and Bennington Museum. The ArtCountry package includes one ArtCountry pass per adult per stay for complimentary admission to each museum, overnight accommodations, and buffet breakfast. Prices start at $270 per night based on double accommodations. The package is available for travel June 11 through Sept. 24. “With the location of Porches Inn literally across the street from MASS MoCA and the other museums just minutes away, our guests have a home base to experience what locals have always considered art country,” said Mel Karakaya, general manager of the Porches Inn at MASS MoCA. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with these venues to enhance that experience.” MASS MoCA will kick off ArtCountry’s summer season with the opening of its new addition, Building 6, on May 28. The new space will add 130,000 square feet to the museum’s campus and feature work from artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Bourgeois, James Turrell, Jenny Holzer, Laurie Anderson, and Gunnar Schonbeck (Bang on a Can). Located across the street from Porches Inn, MASS MoCA will be the largest contemporary-art museum in the country once the new addition is complete. Set in seven renovated Victorian-era buildings, the Porches Inn’s guest rooms and public spaces employ a clever synthesis of retro and contemporary designs. The inn features a year-round outdoor heated pool, wi-fi, hot tub, sauna, bonfire pit, fitness room, and meeting rooms for retreats and special events. For more information on the ArtCountry package, visit www.porches.com/berkshires-hotel-specials.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Red and white pom-poms will be waving as the Springfield Museums celebrate the grand opening of the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum — the first and only museum dedicated to beloved children’s book author and Springfield native Theodore Geisel — with a parade on Saturday, June 3, from 9 to 10 a.m.

The Cavalcade of Conveyances parade will start down the famed Mulberry Street at 9 a.m., and continue right onto Maple Street to Chestnut Street. The giant Cat in the Hat balloon will stay in Merrick Park while the parade continues up Chestnut to enter the Quadrangle at the Yertle the Turtle gate at about 10 a.m.

In addition to the giant Cat in the Hat balloon, the parade will incorporate a variety of vintage cars (including the Picknelly Rolls-Royce), the PVTA trolley, a fire engine, and the Peter Pan double-decker bus. This cavalcade of conveyances will carry dignitaries including the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2.

As the Community Music School’s bucket drummers set the beat, a number of groups will be among the marchers bringing the Cat in the Hat home, including Community Music School, Milton Bradley School, Homer School, Springfield College, Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, Springfield Library, Link to Libraries, Reading Success by 4th Grade, Springfield Thunderbirds, Valley Blue Sox, UMass Center at Springfield, and Yankee Candle.

The parade will end with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The parade and opening ceremonies are free and open to the public. Tickets are required for the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum.

The first floor of the new museum features family-friendly, interactive exhibits exploring Dr. Seuss’s Springfield roots and providing opportunities to experiment with new sounds and vocabulary, play rhyming games, and invent stories. The second floor recreates Geisel’s studio and living room (with the furniture and art materials he actually used) and features never-before publicly displayed art, family photographs and letters, and the original Geisel Grove sign which used to hang in Forest Park.

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SPRINGFIELD — Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield will host the Old Post Road Orchestra for a summer concert on the hospital’s front lawn on Friday, June 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. The music is inspired by composers from New England.

This event is free of charge, and light refreshments will be available for purchase. Attendees should bring their own lawn chairs. No alcohol, smoking, or pets will be permitted.

Cover Story Features

Hire Expectations

employeesartfinal

The job market in the region has tightened considerably in recent years, approaching, if not reaching, that state known as full employment. In this environment, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find good help — at least among the ranks of the unemployed — and many are responding to the situation proactively and creatively.

It was almost 17 years ago, but Kevin Lynn can still remember the sense of urgency in the employer’s voice and the impassioned plea for help — any kind of help.

“He just said, ‘get me someone with a beating heart,’” said Lynn, then (and still) director of FutureWorks, the one-stop career center based in Springfield. “That was his lone qualification; he was desperate, to be sure.”

That was in 2000, just before the recession prompted by the bursting of the tech bubble, he told BusinessWest, when the nation, and this region, were pretty much at full employment and companies were struggling mightily to find talented help.

Things are not quite that bad (for employers) or that good (for job seekers) at this moment in time, he added quickly, before offering a very intriguing, if not menacing, qualifier.

“If the economy keeps going the way it’s going, could we be there in a year? Maybe,” he said.

For now, Lynn, like others, would say merely that the job market is as tight as it’s been in a while, maybe since 2000, and certainly since the height of the last recession in 2009.

Kevin Lynn says the tightening of the job market has put many employers in a situation where they need to ‘grow their own’ talent.

Kevin Lynn says the tightening of the job market has put many employers in a situation where they need to ‘grow their own’ talent.

At that time, he noted, there was a very large pool of talented, skilled people looking for work. Now, the pool is seriously depleted, comprised mostly of people with fewer skills, both technical and ‘people,’ and less experience than employers would prefer.

This is the main byproduct of  ‘full employment.’ That’s a term used by economists and others, and it has a definition — actually several of them. The one that prevails goes something like this: ‘a state of the economy in which all eligible people who want to work can find employment at prevailing wages.’

Most economists believe full employment occurs when the unemployment rate is at or just above 4%, which, according to the latest figures, just happens to be the rate nationwide.

But from a practical standpoint, and for the purposes of this discussion, parties are more interested in what full employment, or something close to that, means figuratively, not literally.

For employers, it means challenges — everything from finding and retaining qualified help to rising wages, said Meredith Wise, executive director of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast.

“Employers are beginning to get frustrated with the lack of quality out there, the lack of skills out there,” said Wise, adding that this situation will, in all likelihood (meaning unless there is a dramatic downturn in the economy) become more exacerbated when MGM Springfield begins hiring people in large numbers. That should start happening about a year from now, and there should be quite an impact on the local employment picture (much more on this later).

Nearly full employment also means that many employers are becoming more creative when it comes to such matters as searching for help and developing employees’ skill sets once they arrive, Wise went on, which, overall, is a good thing.

“Employers are looking at the situation and saying, ‘well, if the regular methods for getting employees aren’t working — if I can’t just go out to the employed market — what else can I do?’” she explained. “We’re seeing employers that are trying to get more involved with the schools, trying to get more involved with interns, and other steps. Employers are sensing that, if the regular methods aren’t working, instead of just throwing their hands up and trying to steal people from others, they’re looking at what else they can do.”


Meredith Wise

Meredith Wise

Employers are telling me that the people who are walking through their doors don’t have the skills that they’re looking for.”


Lynn agreed, noting that, in many cases, employers are adopting what he called a ‘grow your own’ philosophy, whereby, instead of holding out for individuals who have the requisite skills upon arrival, they’re opting for taking rawer talent, if you will, and developing it.

He cited the staffing company Snapchef, which recently opened a location in downtown Springfield, as one that embraces a model others will likely have to follow.

“They provide a five-week training course for people who want to get into the food-service business,” he explained. “Individuals learn all the basics, and Snapchef gets people into a job; this is probably the model that more employers are going to have to embrace.”

As for the region as a whole, full or nearly full employment means working harder with those who are still in the labor pool — including some who might have given up on their efforts to re-enter the workforce and are now giving it another go — to help them attain and retain work, said Dave Cruise, executive director of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County.

“We’re working hard with those individuals looking to re-enter the market to address barriers that might have prohibited them from getting back in,” he said. “And as we do that, we’re focused not only on identifying candidates for employers, but also on the issue of retention, and dealing with issues now, as opposed to when someone is five or six weeks on a job.”

Work Orders

Lynn calls it the ‘recruiting corner.’

That’s an area at the FutureWorks complex — a table near the main entrance, actually — where area employers will, as that name, suggests, do actual one-on-one recruiting with those who come to the agency for help attaining employment.

At the height of the recession, and in the years after it, for that matter, the recruiting corner wasn’t used much because most companies weren’t hiring, and if they were, job hopefuls were coming to them.

The situation is much different now, obviously, Lynn went on.

“We’re seeing increased demand among employers who want to come and sit there during times of high foot traffic and get some face time in front of potential employees,” he said, adding that the economy is, for the most part, solid, and many companies across a host of economic sectors, are hiring — or at least thinking about it.

Dave Cruise

Dave Cruise says many of those who remain unemployed face one or more barriers to re-entering the workforce.

And what they’re finding as they go about hiring is that the pool of talent is shallow, that most of the individuals they would prefer to hire are already gainfully employed, and that they’re going to have to work harder and be more creative in their efforts to find and retain talent.

The resulting challenges for employers manifest themselves in many ways, from the recruiting corner to the strong interest shown in a job expo to be staged early next month at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

“We recently opened registration,” said Lynn. “And as soon as we put that out, we got three or four companies to sign up.”

Locally, as noted, the employment situation is not as tight, or robust, as it is nationally, or certainly in the eastern part of this state.

Larry Martin, director of Employer Services & Engagement with the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, said the unemployment rate in Hampden County is just over 5%, compared to roughly 3.6% for the Commonwealth. In Springfield, meanwhile, still one of the poorest communities in the state, unemployment is at roughly 6.8%.

Both that number and the 5% for the county represent significant improvement over just a few years ago, said Martin, noting that unemployment in Springfield was well above 10% at the height of the recession.

As for the current situation and what it all means, those we talked with started by assessing the constituency that remains unemployed. This is where Cruise made repeated use of that word ‘barriers,’ adding that most all of those out of work and looking for work (some are not) generally face at least one, and perhaps several.

Wise agreed, and summoned that well-worn phrase ‘skills gap’ to describe what employers generally see or perceive from the current workforce, meaning those who are presently unemployed.

“Employers are telling me that the people who are walking through their doors don’t have the skills that they’re looking for,” she explained. “Sometimes this is in manufacturing, when people are looking for someone specific, like machine operators or maintenance people, or other roles. But other times, it’s just the general market — people walking through the doors for receptionist positions or accounting clerk, positions where you don’t need a lot of technical skills, but you need the customer-service skills and people with good work histories.

“A lot of the people who currently make up that 4% are people whose work history is maybe not that great,” she went on. “They may have moved around a lot, or they may have been out of the workforce for a while, so therefore employers are hesitant to bring them back in.”

Work in Progress

Some of those who remain unemployed are older individuals (a term usually used to describe those over 55, although the age varies), who were downsized during the recession and have often struggled to re-enter the workforce or given up altogether.

The tightening of the job market has given some of these older workers the impetus to get back in the hunt for work, said Martin, noting that some face a steep climb because their skills are outdated.

“There were a lot of older individuals who may have been in a particular industry and didn’t have the updated skills, and got discouraged,” he explained.

Wise agreed, but opined that she believes some employers are making a mistake by overlooking or perhaps underestimating some older workers and, more specifically, their desire to return to the workforce at a salary (and rung on the ladder) lower than where they were when they left.

“Employers look at some of those older workers and look at what they had been making and also at what their job responsibilities may have been,” she noted. “And they’re hesitant to bring them into their workforce now, because they’re concerned that the individual may not be satisfied — this person may have been in a managerial position or a position with some responsibility, and is now looking for a lower-level position.

“I think employers are doing themselves a bit of a disservice, because they’re bypassing those people,” she went on. “A lot of those older workers that have been in a position of responsibility … they’re done with that; they don’t want those responsibilities anymore. They want to keep working, and they’re ready to take that step back and do the 9-to-5. And many employers are overlooking those people.”

Others among the unemployed have different barriers, including everything from language to basic skills to transportation, said Cruise, adding that one of the REB’s main focal points at this juncture is working to remove some of those barriers — not just to gaining a job, but to succeeding in one and staying in it.

Elaborating, he said many individuals come to the REB looking for employment, but before they are ready to attain it, they need one or more of the other services provided by the agency — training, education, and various forms of support.

“What we’re finding is that fewer and fewer of the people coming to us are ready, based on our assessment of them, for that top bucket — employment,” he explained. “They may come in looking for employment, but we’re finding that in many cases they need training, and prior to that, they need education, such as basic mathematical skills.”

They also need some of those softer ‘people’ skills, he added, adding that the workforce of today is different from the ones years ago in that teamwork and the ability to work in tandem with others, as well as the ability to perform many different tasks, are far more important.

“It’s no longer a situation where you park your car, punch in, and go to your workstation and stay there, in isolation, until your lunch break,” he explained. “That doesn’t exist anymore, and for a lot of people trying to re-enter the workforce, it’s a matter of educating them to a different work culture and the necessity of them working in team-type situations and having the skills to move from task to task.”

Rolling the Dice

As the pool of unemployed workers shrinks and become less qualified, several forces come into play, said Wise, adding that employers must be focused not only on attaining new help, but retaining existing help.

Indeed, in such cycles, competition for those with skills and good work habits naturally intensifies as the advantage clearly shifts from employees to workers, she went on, adding that this dynamic is reflected in rising wages and benefits.

They’re not going up dramatically in this region, but they are rising, she said, noting that, while most companies weren’t giving any raises at all during the recession and the year or two after it (in fact, wage cuts were common) and then giving increases of only a percentage point or two, most are giving raises averaging 2.5% to 3%.

“That’s been pretty consistent for the past few years,” Wise said. “And in many industries, it’s closer to 2.8% or 3% than 2% or 2.5%.”

These wage hikes reflect the heightened competition for good help, said Lynn, adding, again, that in this environment, most people who are seeking employment and have desired skills are already gainfully employed.

“If you talk about people who have solid work histories and skill sets … if companies want what we’ll call a ‘fully formed’ employee, they’re pretty much looking at stealing from other employers,” he told BusinessWest. “Those who are still looking for work are facing barriers to employment, and in general, we have to train that group up to a point where they’re attractive to an employer.”

This brings him back to that notion of companies having to ‘grow their own,’ as he put it, and get someone in the door and do more training, rather than hope to find someone who already has all the requisite skills.

“I think we’re at a point where companies need to reconsider how they bring people in,” he explained. “We’re coming into a period where companies who are successful at attracting people are going to have to do more training; they’re going to have to look at people and say, ‘this person has the raw material — they may not have everything, but they have the ability to learn, and we’re going to have to grow our own.”

This situation should become more exacerbated within the next 12 to 15 months as MGM Springfield, scheduled to open in the fall of 2018, begins to assemble a workforce projected to number 3,000, said Lynn.

He said several sectors, especially financial services (bank tellers and others), food service, and the broad hospitality industry are certainly vulnerable to losing valuable employees to the casino.

And if the current trends with regard to the job market continue, backfilling those individuals lost to MGM could prove quite challenging.

“The backfill is the most crucial thing — how are we going to deal with those vacancies?” he asked. “Banks have something to worry about, based on what we’ve seen when other casinos have opened — tellers have left for those jobs because of the flexibility; you can give someone an off shift. And anything involving food and restaurants — because they’re having trouble finding people now.

“If you add another major player into the mix, and their wages are more than competitive, that will be problematic for employers,” he said, adding that their woes could be further compounded by another casino slated to open in Northern Conn.

Wise agreed, and noted that, while the casino’s opening is more than a year away, it certainly isn’t too early for employers to start thinking about what might happen and reacting in a proactive manner. Some are doing just that, she went on, but others, caught up in today, tomorrow, next week, and maybe next month, aren’t able or willing to focus on the fall of 2018 just yet.

“There are still organizations thinking, ‘I need to get through this month,’ or ‘I need to get through this year, and the casino’s not coming for another year,’” she told BusinessWest. “They’re thinking they’ll worry about that down the road, and that may be short-sighted.”

Bottom Line

Lynn said that, to the best of his knowledge, no one has called FutureWorks recently putting in an order for someone possessing only a beating heart.

The market has, indeed, tightened, but conditions are not yet approximating those of 2000 and the years that followed.

But as the steady use of the recruiting corner and the early registration for that job expo clearly show, employers are facing challenges, and they’re responding, in many cases, with creativity and maybe a mild dose of desperation.

No one really knows what will happen in the months to come, but it appears likely that conditions will only worsen — for employers, anyway — before they improve.

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

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — On behalf of current and future home and property owners throughout the country, more than 9,600 Realtors traveled to Washington, D.C., in mid-May to advance key real-estate issues during the 2017 Realtor Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.

Members of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV) joined fellow Realtors from Massachusetts and across the nation to attend meetings and informational sessions, as well as meet with regulatory agency staff and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss and advocate on real-estate issues affecting their businesses, communities, and clients.

Members of the National Assoc. of Realtors focused on several significant issues affecting the industry during the legislative-focused meetings, including flood insurance, tax reform, and sustainable home ownership.

“Realtors are critical advocates for the real-estate industry and for their clients, and this meeting is the perfect opportunity to educate ourselves on the issues facing real-estate markets, as well as the legislative and regulatory issues on the horizon that could affect Realtors, home buyers and sellers, and property owners,” said Rick Sawicki, president of the RAPV.

While in Washington, the Pioneer Valley Realtor delegation met with U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey and U.S. Reps. Richard Neal and Jim McGovern on Capitol Hill to discuss and influence public-policy decisions that directly affect consumers’ ability to own, buy, rent, and sell residential and commercial real estate.

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AMHERST — Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement announced it has entered into a partnership with UMass Amherst and Mullins Center, home to the university’s men’s and women’s basketball and ice-hockey programs. In conjunction with the partnership, UMass Amherst Athletics and the Mullins Center will leverage Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement’s ticketing and access-management functionality.

This expands the university’s relationship with Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement, as the institution has utilized Spectra’s Marketing Automation platform powered by FanOne Marketing, as well as the company’s industry-specific implementation of Salesforce Customer Relationship Management (CRM), since May 2016.

As the primary ticketing provider of UMass and the Mullins Center, Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement will provide the organization with its ticketing and e-commerce platform to efficiently simplify the selling and allocation of inventory to all events in real time through an integrated website and online box office. The Paciolan platform will enable fans and students to manage their accounts online, transfer tickets and print tickets at home, or deliver tickets to their mobile device to scan upon entry at events. UMass and the Mullins Center will utilize PAC Access Management, Spectra’s digital-ticketing solution, for access control to allow fans to bypass will-call lines and enter events quickly via print-at-home or mobile 2D barcode tickets.

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WESTFIELD — The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) honored Tighe & Bond’s Duncan Mellor with its 2017 Distinguished Lighthouse Community Service Award at its annual gala at the Nonatum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine on May 7. Every year, the organization honors one person who has contributed significantly to ALF’s mission.

Since 2011, Mellor has donated his engineering and waterfront expertise to upgrade the Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine. This three-phase project included designing repairs for two granite breakwaters and a new docking system with walkways that achieved federal government approval and met ALF’s goals for public access and safety.

“This is a well-deserved honor for Duncan — and just one example of his exceptional expertise and commitment to our coastlines and waterfronts,” said Tighe & Bond President and CEO David Pinsky.

Mellor leads Tighe & Bond’s coastal engineering services with more than 30 years of experience in the profession. Clients throughout New England know him well for his role in complex coastal projects and solving all types of shoreline and waterfront challenges. Mellor has also overseen unique projects that have required highly creative solutions, such as tidal turbines, offshore structures, and lighthouses.

A licensed engineer in New Hampshire and Maine, Mellor has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s degree in Ocean Engineering, both from the University of New Hampshire.

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NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Health Care, the United Way of Hampshire County, and the Jandon Center for Community Engagement at Smith College are addressing the issue of racism, as well as race-related incidents that continue to occur both locally and nationally, by offering a series of community dialogues on race in Northampton and Amherst. Community members who live or work in Hampshire County are invited to attend either of the sessions.

The two-part dialogue will be offered Friday, June 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jandon Center for Community Engagement at Smith College, Wright Hall, 5 Chapin Dr., Northampton. A second two-part session will be offered Friday, June 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, Amherst.

Event organizers say they aim to move toward solutions rather than continue to express or analyze the problem; to reach beyond the usual boundaries, offering opportunities for new, unexpected partnerships; and to unite divided communities through a respectful, informed sharing of local racial history and its consequences for different people in today’s society.

The community dialogue is free, and lunch will be provided. Attendance is limited to 30 people, and participants must attend both Friday and Saturday. When registering, people will be asked their name, the organization they represent, if any, and their race/ethnicity. Organizers are asking about race/ethnicity as they have a goal of 50% participation from people of color.

To register, call (888) 554-4234 by Tuesday, May 30. You will receive confirmation on whether you have been selected to attend a session.

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HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce’s end-of-year Business Breakfast will take place on Wednesday, June 14 at Wyckoff Country Club in Holyoke. The agenda includes the chamber’s 2016-17 accomplishments, a look ahead to future initiatives, and recognition of the change of leadership in its board of directors.

The breakfast will welcome new board members and recognize outgoing board members. The incoming board members are Eileen Leahy, senior manager of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Comcast; Jay Candelario, proprietor of Jay’s Bed & Breakfast; and Zuleika Rivera, co-owner of Appliance Bargain.

The Henry A. Fifield Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of the top chamber volunteer and the 2017 Chamber Business Person of the Year will be announced.

The Business Breakfast is sponsored by the Chamber’s corporate leaders: PeoplesBank, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Log Cabin Delaney House, the Republican, the Dowd Insurance Agencies, Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke Community College, Marcotte Ford, Resnic Beauregard Waite & Driscoll, Goss & McLain Insurance, Ferriter Law, United Bank, Mountain View Landscapes & Lawncare, United Personnel, Health New England, Loomis Communities, Peoples United Bank, Northeast IT Systems Inc., and Holyoke Mall.

Registration begins at 7:15 a.m., with the program beginning at 7:30. The cost is $25 for chamber members and $35 for non-member guests and includes a traditional buffet breakfast. Tickets may be purchased at holyokechamber.com. Call the Chamber at (413) 534-3376 with any questions.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Each year, the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) honors members of the community who demonstrate leadership qualities and exemplify the core values and mission of the organization. On Thursday, June 8, Ellen Freyman, attorney and shareholder with Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., will be recognized for her significant contributions to the local community at the annual Human Relations Award Banquet beginning at 6 p.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

NCCJ was founded in 1927 in response to religious divides in the country at the time. The goal of the organization and its prominent founders — including social activist Jane Addams and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes — was to bring together diverse populations to combat social injustice, a mission perpetuated to this day.

Freyman concentrates her practice in all aspects of commercial real estate: acquisitions and sales, development, leasing, and financing. She has an extensive land-use practice that includes zoning, subdivision, project permitting, and environmental matters. She is a graduate of the Western New England University School of Law (1988) and Pennsylvania State University (1977).

One of the most highly awarded attorneys within the Pioneer Valley, she has been recognized or awarded by BusinessWest magazine (Difference Maker, 2010), the Professional Women’s Chamber (Woman of the Year, 2012); Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts (Pynchon Award, 2012); Springfield Leadership Institute (Community Service Award, 2011); Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (Top Women of Law Award, 2010); and Reminder Publications (Hometown Hero Award, 2010).

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SPRINGFIELD — Healthcare Heroes, an exciting recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched this spring by HCN and BusinessWest. Sponsored by American International College, Bay Path University, Elms College, and Renew.Calm, with additional sponsorships available, the program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and individuals providing that care.

Nominations are now being sought — and will be accepted until June 29 — in the following categories: Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider; Innovation in Health/Wellness; Community Health; Emerging Leader; Collaboration in Health/Wellness; Health/Wellness Administration/Administrator; and Lifetime Achievement. The nominations will be scored by a panel of judges to be announced in the coming weeks. The winners will be chosen in July and profiled in the September issue of HCN.

The guidelines to consider when nominating individuals, groups, or institutions in these various categories are available at healthcarenews.com and businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes.

Daily News

CHICOPEE — Sunshine Village announced several personnel changes as the organization continues to grow its programming footprint in the area to just under 500 participants.

Recently, Jenny Galat was promoted to program manager of the new Litwin Center Day Habilitation Program. Since 2013, Galat has worked for the organization as a developmental specialist, case manager, and program supervisor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in social work from Saint Anselm’s College. When it opens this summer, she will oversee the new program’s focus on innovative day services for adults aged 18-32 years old.

As it expands, Sunshine Village welcomes Nichole Chilson as human resource generalist to assist with employee benefits, safety and health protocol compliance, and employee-relations initiatives. Chilson brings more than 25 years of human-resources and customer-service experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from Western New England University.

In addition, the organization recently named Amie Miarecki director of community relations. She brings 15 years of experience working in health and human services, including marketing, community relations, and resource development. She will promote Sunshine Village’s mission to help everyone shine by engaging with community partners and employers. Miarecki holds a master’s degree in corporate and organizational communication with a specialization in leadership from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from UMass Amherst.

Sunshine Village is a nonprofit organization with a main campus in Chicopee and additional sites in Chicopee, Springfield, Three Rivers, and Westfield. Since 1967, it has provided day services for people with developmental disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum.

Daily News

LEE — Lee Bank recently announced the promotion of three leaders within the company and the addition of a mortgage officer to support its continued growth in 2017.

Susie Brown has been named to the position of senior vice president, Human Resources and Administration; Paula Gangell-Miller has been named to the position of vice president, Community Banking – Retail Operations; and Paula Lewis has been named to the position of first vice president, Retail Lending. They have a combined 70 years of tenure with Lee Bank, one of the few remaining local and independent full-service banks in the Berkshires.

In addition, Kathy Kelly has joined Lee Bank as a mortgage officer in its Pittsfield office. Kelly has been a mortgage professional for most of her banking career, with First Agricultural Bank, Legacy Banks, and most recently Berkshire Bank.

Brown has been employed at Lee Bank for more than 37 years and has worked in many areas of the bank, including operations, human resources, building and maintenance, security, and administration. She will continue to oversee human resources, administration and security, and management of board meetings and governance processes for Lee Bank and its holding company, Berkshire Financial Services.

Gangell-Miller joined Lee Bank 29 years ago and has been involved in many facets of the bank throughout the years, having held positions as teller, operations supervisor, community banker, branch manager, and area manager, in addition to her new role.

Lewis joined Lee Bank in 2012 as vice president of Mortgage Loan Operations. In her new position, she will oversee residential lending and will sit on Lee Bank’s ALCO committee as well as its executive loan committee.

“I am pleased to announce these well-deserved promotions and to welcome Kathy Kelly to the Lee Bank team,” said President Chuck Leach. “I’m confident that Kathy will not only mesh with but also enhance our culture just as Susie Brown, Paula Lewis, and Paula Gangell-Miller have for many, many years. Lee Bank is very fortunate to have an extremely valuable culture of loyal, dedicated employees who are not only outstanding contributors in the workplace, focused on continued excellence in serving our customers, but also to our Berkshire community.”

Daily News

BOSTON — Local unemployment rates decreased in 13 labor-market areas, increased in three areas, and remained the same in eight areas in the state during the month of April, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported.

Compared to April 2016, the rates were down in nine labor-market areas, increased in 10 areas, and remained the same in five areas.

All 15 areas for which job estimates are published recorded seasonal job gains in April. The largest gains occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Springfield, Barnstable, Worcester, and Framingham areas.

From April 2016 to April 2017, 12 of the 15 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the New Bedford, Barnstable, Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton areas.

In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for April was 3.8%.

Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.9% in the month of April. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 3,900 job gain in April, and an over-the-year gain of 58,600 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. The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodology specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.