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The Bing Arts Center Raises Its Profile — and Needed Funds

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bingfeature-0717b
Creative Economy Sections

The Show Must Go On

Brian Hale

Brian Hale hopes an ambitious fund-raising plan will transform the Bing Arts Center into a widely known destination.

Folks who grew up in Springfield’s Forest Park area or near the X commercial district have fond memories of attending movies at the Bing Theater — at least, until it was shuttered in 1999 for non-payment of taxes. But a 13-year (and counting) effort to revitalize the site into a multi-purpose arts center has the place buzzing again, with a regular schedule of arts events. Now comes the bigger challenge — renovating the Bing’s main theater and turning it into a regional destination.

Brian Hale remembers growing up near Springfield’s historic X district and watching movies on Saturdays at the Bing Theater. Those excursions, he understands now, were helping to lay the foundation for a lifetime of appreciating the arts — not just film, but art in all forms.

“A lot of people today don’t realize the impact going to the movies had,” he told BusinessWest. “People today take them for granted; you can watch a movie on your phone or your computer. But back then, going to the movies on a Saturday — that was excitement.”

Hale, owner of Design WorkShop Inc. in Springfield and president of X Main Street Corp. (XMSC), the nonprofit that owns the Bing, spends a lot more time there these days than he did as a kid, not just appreciating the arts, but trying to raise their profile and make the facility the community centerpiece it once was.

It hasn’t been an easy road, and there’s still a long way to go, but there is once again a palpable buzz about what is now known as the Bing Arts Center.

“It’s very intimate, very sociable; it’s a listening room, not a bar,” he said of the unassuming structure on Sumner Avenue, which is slowly being renovated while hosting music and educational events in its small lobby, flanked by two small art galleries. “It’s a welcoming space where people can feel comfortable coming and meeting friends. This is about making the community a better place, and a good way to do that is through the arts.”

I get frustrated with the state of the world and the community as much as anyone. But I feel like nothing brings people together like the arts, and having a community space that attracts a wide variety of people from the city who might not otherwise run into each other.”

Since reopening for cultural and community events in 2010, the Bing has quietly built a busy schedule of performances, all of which take place in the building’s front lobby because the former theater space is in need of a serious remodel. But Hale’s vision, and that of his fellow board members and area arts supporters, is to see the entire venue open once again, with multiple spaces housing gatherings both large and small, indoors and outdoors, perhaps even on the roof — all of it, he told BusinessWest, aimed at bringing people together over shared passions during a time when Americans increasingly feel polarized by current events.

“I get frustrated with the state of the world and the community as much as anyone,” he added, “but I feel like nothing brings people together like the arts, and having a community space that attracts a wide variety of people from the city who might not otherwise run into each other.”

The Bing has achieved part of that goal already. The rest will take a lot more work — and money. But the end result, Hale said, will be one more attraction to further stamp Springfield as a city clearly on the rise.

Reel Life

The building wasn’t always a theater, but originally housed Kossaboom’s Service Station through the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s. When it closed, the pumps were removed, the front of the building reconfigured, and an auditorium was built in the rear.

The Bing Theatre, named for then-superstar Bing Crosby, opened in 1950 with a showing of Samson and Delilah. For the next half-century, the movies kept coming, concluding that era with Gus Van Sant’s shot-by-shot remake of Psycho. That was in 1999, when the city of Springfield took the property for non-payment of taxes, and all activity ceased on the property.

the Bing hosts myriad concerts, lectures, films, and other activities in its lobby.

With the main theater currently unusable, the Bing hosts myriad concerts, lectures, films, and other activities in its lobby.

But before long, a group of arts advocates and business people held a series of meetings and suggested the theater should be used as an arts center.

“The city put out an RFP for some type of community arts use, and our organization, the X Main Street Corp., made up of local business people, got involved,” Hale said. “These Main Street corporations are all over the country, and are generally created to try to revitalize urban commercial districts like the X.”

The organization was formed in 1995 to help revitalize the Forest Park neighborhood, the X commercial district, and the Sumner Avenue corridor, with efforts like starting the Forest Park Farmers’ Market, operating a food-security program, and securing significant streetscape improvements for the area, including new streetlights, benches, planters, and other touches to make the neighborhood more attractive. The XMSC also managed a façade-improvement program and developed and presented a series of technical-assistance seminars for local businesses.

The Bing posed a more significant challenge — but a great opportunity as well.

“When I saw this space was available, I said to the board, ‘this would make a great arts center. We could stimulate development, get people here at night; it’ll be good for local restaurants.’”

In 2002, the board of directors decided to adopt the strategy of arts accessibility to strengthen the community culturally and economically. XMSC then became the preferred developer for the former Bing Theater and, in December 2004, finally convinced the city to sell the property to the nonprofit.

Plans were formulated to convert the storefronts to gallery space, bring everything up to code, and use the former lobby as a multi-purpose space. The marquee and façade were also renovated. After six years of planning, fund-raising, and work, the Bing Arts Center opened in June 2010, and now presents regular cultural and educational programming — everything from visual arts and film screenings to musical performances and art classes — in addition to hosting meetings for other community groups, serving as a neighborhood hub.

“We’ve made an impact. We wanted it to be an arts center and offer as much diverse, eclectic content as we could,” Hale said, rattling off some of the performers who had been through in only the past few weeks, ranging from local rock bands to chamber ensembles to a folksinger from Sweden. Meanwhile, local artists are invited to display their work in rotating exhibits in the storefront galleries that flank the lobby.

“We also have a pop-up gallery where anyone can put their art on the wall for an evening and sell it,” he added. “We have refreshments and music; it’s a fun thing. People who want to see their work in a public space can come in and do it.”

The center also promotes connections between artists and the public instead of building walls between them, he added.

“A filmmaker makes a movie and shows it here, and people enjoy talking to them — ‘how did you do this?’ ‘How did you shoot this scene?’ That’s a good way to experience the arts.

“Springfield does big arts pretty well,” he went on. “We have Symphony Hall, CityStage, the MassMutual Center, and Theodores’ is a great little club; there’s a lot of good things to do. But there isn’t really anything else like the Bing in the area.”

Coming Attractions

To reach Hale’s goal of restoring the large theater, with the goal of featuring national-release independent and art films, preparations for phase 2 are underway. The theater will initially be configured for 300 to 350 seats, including a mezzanine, which it did not have before. The original theater held more than 900 seats, but the plan, as designed by local architect Stephen Jablonski, will accommodate two separate spaces, the main room for larger audiences and a smaller, adjoining space for smaller events.

Phase 1 of the Bing’s revitalization

Phase 1 of the Bing’s revitalization saw its façade, lobby, and gallery space renovated, while phase 2 aims to bring back its large theater.

Achieving all that will take about $1 million in fund-raising, but Hale also envisions creating a roof space for outdoor events, which could also be rented out for parties and receptions. “It would be the coolest arts venue in the valley if we had that,” he said, but admitted that addition could push the price tag close to $4 million.

Support for the main theater restoration has come from unexpected places, including a woman Hale went to school with in Springfield; she lives in Arizona now, but the two have kept in contact on Facebook, and she has donated periodically to the Bing’s revitalization. Recently, she and her husband reached out with a request to purchase naming rights to a program, and after a $25,000 donation, her parents have been memorialized with the Richard and Ethel Hanley Arts Education Program.

Understanding that the valley is full of companies and individuals with the resources to make large gifts, Hale hopes it won’t be the last such naming opportunity. It’s an investment worth making, he added, noting that people talk about the rise of Springfield’s downtown, but only a few thousand people actually live there, while some 26,000 call the X and Forest Park area their home.

“Younger people are coming back to cities; they don’t want to live out in the suburbs, and this is definitely a crucial piece,” he said of attracting that new, younger generation of city dwellers.

“The arts can’t change a place by itself, but they are vital, no doubt,” he added. “A city has to think of itself as a business. You need residents moving into your city. There aren’t enough places for musicians to play, for artists to exhibit, places for arts education that bring artists and the community together, where they can actually interact. But it’s happening here.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Harry Dumay Takes the Reins at Elms College

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Education Sections

Determined Course

Harry Dumay

Harry Dumay says Elms College generated considerable momentum under Sr. Mary Reap, and he hopes to build on that progress.

Soon after Harry Dumay reached that point professionally where he determined he was ready and willing to pursue a college presidency, he did what many people in that situation do.

He put together a wish list, or a preferred list, if you will, of the type of institution he eventually wanted to lead. And he did so because, in such situations, as so many eventual college presidents have told BusinessWest over the years, ‘fit’ is all-important — to both the candidate and the school in question.

When asked about what he preferred, Dumay ran off a quick list:

• A Catholic institution would be ideal — he had already worked in high-level positions for two of them, Boston College and St. Anselm College in New Hampshire;

• A sound financial footing was also high on the list — and there are many institutions not on such solid ground;

• A commitment to strong academics was a must; and

• Above all else, he desired to lead a school with a strong track record for diversity — not merely ethnic diversity (although that was certainly important), but the broad range of student and educational diversity (he would get into that more later).

Because Elms College in Chicopee could check all those boxes and others as well, Dumay not only desired to fill the vacancy to be created by the announced retirement of Sr. Mary Reap last year, but he essentially made the nearly 90-year-old school the primary focus of his presidential aspirations.

The more I started looking into Elms College, the more I started to become fascinated by it, and I just fell in love with the place.”

“The more I started looking into Elms College, the more I started to become fascinated by it, and I just fell in love with the place,” he told BusinessWest.

Dumay, who was serving as vice president for Finance and chief financial officer at St. Anselm when Elms commenced its search, said he was quite familiar with the school through another role he has carried out for several years — as a member of the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges’ Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

He knew, for example, that not long ago, the school wasn’t on that sound financial ground he desired, and that it was only through a significant turnaround effort orchestrated by Reap that the school was no longer on a list of institutions being watched closely by NEASC for financial soundness.

“Sister Mary has essentially completed a turnaround of the financial situation at the institution over the past eight years,” he noted. “She took it from numbers that were not satisfactory to having successive years of positive margins and putting the college very well in the black.”

But as she put Elms on more solid financial footing, Reap also maintained and amplified what Dumay called “an entrepreneurial spirit” that manifested itself in new academic programs and construction of the Center for Natural and Health Sciences, which, when it opened in 2014, was the first new academic building on campus in more than 30 years.

And she led efforts that enabled the school to make great strides in what has become a nationwide focus on student success and, overall, greater return on the significant cost of higher education.

As he talked about his goals and plans moving forward, Dumay, who arrived on campus July 1, said his immediate assignment is to meet as many people within the broad ‘Elms community’ as possible. This means faculty, staff, trustees, and area business and civic leaders, he said, adding that his primary role in such meetings is to listen to what such individuals are saying about Elms — its past, its present, and especially its future.

This listening and learning process will continue at a retreat next month involving the school’s leadership team, he went on, adding that his broad goal is to attain a common vision concerning where the school wants to be in the years to come and how to get there and execute that plan.

But in most all respects, Dumay said his primary focus is on keeping the school on the upward trajectory charted by Reap. For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest talked at length with Dumay about that assignment and his approach to it.

A Stern Test

As he prepared to sit down with BusinessWest on a quiet Friday afternoon earlier this month, Dumay was wrapping up one of those meet-and-greets he mentioned earlier — this one a quick lunch with trustee Kevin Vann, president of the Vann Group.

As noted, there have been several of these sessions since he arrived, and there are many more to come as Dumay continues what could be described as a fact-finding, opinion-gathering exercise concerning not only Elms College but the region, and students, it serves.

As he mentioned, Dumay already knew quite a bit about Elms — and most of this region’s colleges and universities, for that matter — before arriving on the Chicopee campus. He is determined, though, to add to that base of knowledge.

He’s learned, for example, that nearly a third of the school’s students are first-generation, meaning that they’re the first in their family to attend college. Dumay said that statistic certainly resonates with him — he, too, is a first-generation college graduate — and that his career in some way serves as a model to the students he will soon lead.

A native of Quanaminthe, Haiti, Dumay came to the U.S. to attend college, specifically Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., a historically black, public, land-grant university founded by African-American veterans of the Civil War.

He graduated magna cum laude, and would continue his education with a master’s degree in public administration from Framingham State University, an MBA from Boston University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from Boston College.

He would put those degrees to use in a number of different positions at some of the nation’s most prestigious schools.

He worked as director of Finance for Boston University’s School of Engineering from 1998 to 2002 (he was hired and later mentored by Charles DeLisi, who played a seminal role in initiating the Human Genome Project), before becoming associate dean at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work from 2002 to 2006, a rather significant career course change — in some respects, anyway.

“From engineering to social work … those are vastly different worlds,” he explained, “but my job was essentially the same: working on aligning resources —— technology, processes, and people — to support the work of the faculty.”

Dumay then took a job as chief financial officer and associate dean at Harvard University’s Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2006, and served in that capacity until 2012.

That timeline is significant because he was at Harvard at the height of the Great Recession, which took a 30% bite out of Harvard’s huge endowment and not only prompted the delay of an ambitious initiative to expand the campus into Allston — a plan that included the School of Engineering — but also brought about campus-wide efforts to create greater operating efficiencies. And Dumay played a significant role in those efforts.

“That was some of the most rewarding work I’ve been part of,” he said. “And there were some great opportunities for learning how organizations can structure themselves to be more efficient.”

He then took another significant career course change, moving on to St. Anselm, where, instead of working for a specific school or division, he become CFO of the institution and later became senior vice president and, in many respects, the right hand of the president. In that role, he played a key role in developing a new strategic plan for the school.

After nearly two decades of work in higher education in these leadership roles, Dumay said he considered himself ready, professionally and otherwise, to pursue a presidency.

And others were encouraging him to take that next step.

“For a while, being a number two on a campus seemed to be very satisfying and very appealing,” he explained. “But, progressively, my former president started to encourage me to seek a presidency, even though I had been thinking about it as well.”

Elms College

Harry Dumay says Elms College, like most colleges and universities today, is putting a strong focus on student success.

At the advice of his former president, he attended a year-long program sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges designed to help individuals discern whether they have a ‘vocation for a college presidency.’

“Those are their words,” said Dumay. “They want people to think about this not as a job, not as a step in one’s career, but as a vocation, as a calling, because there’s a certain work to be done as a college president.

“It eventually became clear to me that the influence that I wanted to have and the way I wanted to contribute to higher education, a presidency was the best position, the best vantage point to make that happen,” he went on.

While many who reach that point where they can truly say this is a calling cast a somewhat wide net as they explore and then pursue opportunities, Dumay took a more specific focus. And when Reap announced her intention to retire last year, Elms became the focus of his ambition.

“This was the one search I was seriously involved in,” he said.

School of Thought

What intrigued him was the institution Elms has become over the past 89 years, and especially the past few decades — one that could easily check all those boxes mentioned earlier, and especially the one concerning diversity and the many forms it takes here.

The student body is just one example, he said, adding that it has historically been ethnically diverse and added a significant new dimension when men were admitted for the first time in 1997.

But it is diverse in many other respects as well, including the depth of its programs and the nature of “how teaching happens,” as Dumay put it.

“Elms College has a diversity of formats in which it provides a strong Catholic liberal-arts education,” he explained. “It happens on campus, it happens through online education, it happens with the residential population, it happens with people who commute, and it happens off campus through a number of sites. That’s a broad definition of diversity that appealed to me.”

Beyond the diversity, the school also has that solid financial footing that Reap had created, momentum in the form of new programs in areas from health sciences to entrepreneurship, and something else that Dumay identified — “courage.”

He used that term in reference to the school’s decision to admit men 20 years ago, but said it has been a consistent character trait.

“Institutions that have made big shifts like that … to me, that shows resiliency, forward thinking, and courage,” he explained, “because it takes courage to change an institution’s trajectory like that and make decisions that will not be popular with all constituents. To me, that was impressive.”

Equally impressive has been progress at the school in that all-important area of student success.

I’m not sure how that effort is going to continue with the current administration, but higher-education institutions have, in general, taken that message to heart. Instead of getting that mandate from the federal government, this sector has been telling itself, ‘we’d better to be able to prove ourselves … we need to show how our students are receiving value for the dollars they’re investing in their education.”

This isn’t a recent phenomenon, he noted, but there has been considerably more emphasis on ROI as the cost of education has continued to climb.

The Obama administration made that focus a priority, he went on, adding it worked to put in place measures for how well a specific school’s degree programs were translating into success (salary-wise) in the workplace.

“I’m not sure how that effort is going to continue with the current administration,” he went on, “but higher-education institutions have, in general, taken that message to heart. Instead of getting that mandate from the federal government, this sector has been telling itself, ‘we’d better to be able to prove ourselves … we need to show how our students are receiving value for the dollars they’re investing in their education.”

Measures created or emphasized in this regard include everything from graduation and retention rates to the starting salaries of graduates in various programs, he continued, adding that Elms has achieved progress in this regard as well.

“Sister Mary had started an initiative to really focus on student success as part of our strategic plan,” he explained. “And as part of that, there is a plan to create a center for student success, and she started a campaign to raise funds for it.”

That facility will likely be ready by the end of summer, he said, adding that the school’s commitment to not only enrolling students but giving them all the tools they will need to graduate and achieve success in the workplace was another factor in his decision to come to Elms.

Moving forward, Dumay said that, after several more meetings like the one he had that day, and after the leadership retreat in August, and after gaining a better sense of where the college is and where it wants to go, he will commence what he said is the real work of a college president.

“That is to ensure the coherence and the articulation of a common vision, so we can all be pulling in the same direction,” he explained, adding that this is the essential ingredient in achieving continued progress at any institution. “Anything that anyone has been able to do has begun with getting everyone in the same frame of mind and saying, ‘this is what we’re going to do.’”

Grade Expectations

As he talked about that process of getting everyone at an institution of higher learning on the proverbial same page, Dumay acknowledged that this can often be a stern challenge in this sector.

“The theory is, higher education is like steering a car on ice,” he said with a smile on his face, adding that such work can be made easier through clear articulation of a vision and the means through which it will be met.

And this is the essence of a college president’s job description, he said, adding that, back at that year-long program for aspiring college presidents, he definitely came away with the sense that he did, indeed, view this as a calling, or vocation, and not a job or stepping stone.

And Elms, as he noted, was the natural landing spot.

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

Northampton Facility Offers Affordable Space for Creatives

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Creative Economy Sections

A Dream Home for the Arts

By Kathleen Mellen

An architect’s rendering of the new facility on Hawley Street in Northampton.

An architect’s rendering of the new facility on Hawley Street in Northampton.
Thomas Douglas Architects

It’s been four long years since the Northampton Center for the Arts had a place to call home. But that’s about to change.

In September, the center will become the first tenant of a building at 33 Hawley St. in Northampton, purchased in 2013 by Northampton Community Arts Trust, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve space for use by artists. It was conceived on the principle of a land trust, in which land is purchased with a particular intention, such as preservation.

“The arts trust’s mission is to preserve, in perpetuity, spaces for the use of arts,” said Penny Burke, executive director of the Center for the Arts, who has been involved in the development of the trust since its inception. “We need a multi-purpose, multi-functioning community place for the arts.”

The need for such a space became abundantly clear in 2013, when the nonprofit Center for the Arts lost its home of nearly 30 years at the former D.A. Sullivan School complex in downtown Northampton, after its non-renewable lease expired.

As Burke searched for new space that could accommodate the center’s programming of music, dance, theater, and visual arts — a process that took far longer than she had anticipated — she was forced to mothball much of its equipment and programming, and run the operation out of a small office on Strong Avenue, or, at times, from her home.

After a number of disappointing false starts, Burke said, the center entered into a collaborative search for space with interested city residents and other arts organizations, including Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd. (APE), which, in 2006, had moved out of its 10,000-square-foot home in Thornes Marketplace after the building was sold. APE has since relocated to a much smaller space on Main Street, which doesn’t accommodate many of the performances that had been a major part of its programming.

interiorstairs

The spacious interior of the new facility in Northampton provides ample space for artists.

The spacious interior of the new facility in Northampton provides ample space for artists.

“Our interest is not in occupying the space,” said Gordon Thorne, the founding director of APE, “but we want to have input into programming in the building. We were looking for a way to replicate what we had in Thornes, to replace our performance capacity. This is really completing that goal for us.”

Northampton has long had a reputation as a premier arts town. It is home to scores of visual and performing artists who have been flocking to the city since the mid-’70s, when an economic downturn resulted in storefront vacancies and cheap rent. That was like a siren call to artists, who typically have limited economic resources.

With the resulting influx of creative individuals, by the early 2000s, the arts had become integral to the personality, character, and economic health of the city. Not only has it been dubbed one of the best small arts towns in the country, it has also been named one of the nation’s top 25 arts destinations.

Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner says artists need affordable space, and the new facility created by Northampton Community Arts provides it.

But all that has come at a price to the artists, says Richard Wagner, president of the Northampton Community Arts Trust’s volunteer board of directors. As the arts have helped propel the city’s renewed economic vibrancy, vacancies have been filled, and prices for space have exploded, leaving many of the artists to discover that they have unwittingly helped price themselves right out of their artistic homes.

“The end state of any creative economy is going to be where creativity has been pressed out of the market,” Wagner said. “Artists need space, and if you want to keep artists, if you want to keep the creativity, you’ve got to lock in affordability, or they go somewhere else. That’s what’s happening in Northampton.”

The Northampton Community Arts Trust aims to stem that tide.

Planning a Reboot

To be sure, Burke’s organization has not been dormant during the past four years, but programming has been minimal; she has continued to present the center’s annual chalk art, ice art, and en plein air painting festivals, as well as hosting Northampton’s First Night Celebration — a venture the center will turn over to the Northampton Arts Council this year after running it for 32 years.

Now, Burke says, she’s excited to have a home where she can reinstate the plethora of arts and community activities that have been the center’s hallmark. “It’s been a huge hole,” she noted.

The Center for the Arts will serve as an operational and managerial tenant of the Hawley Street building, and will facilitate much of the core programming. With that slated to begin right after Labor Day, Burke explained, she’s hustling to get her ducks in a row, reaching out to the center’s resident companies, including the Lisa Leizman Dance Co. and the Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra, and booking space for classes, rehearsals, and, eventually, performances. Other organizations are expected to follow the center into the space shortly, including Northampton Community TV, which will have an education and media center there.

We wanted to create a building with minimal operating expenses, where artists can actually afford to work, and that meant not borrowing money. I had the capital, so I paid it.”

The center’s move to Hawley Street is one step in a long journey that began in earnest with the $1.5 million purchase in 2013 of the former site of Northampton Lumber, a 25,000-square-foot building on 1.5 acres of land. Money for the purchase was initially raised through private donations and a short-term loan, but was ultimately paid in full by Thorne, who reimbursed the trust for the cost of the building.

“We wanted to create a building with minimal operating expenses, where artists can actually afford to work, and that meant not borrowing money,” Thorne said. “I had the capital, so I paid it.”

While some events were held in the building for several months after it was purchased, all that was put on hold in 2015, when construction began to build the trust’s dream home for the arts.

The $6.5 million project (which includes the purchase of the building) is being done in three phases, under the guidance of Thomas Douglas Architects. Phase one, with a cost of just over $1.86 million, is nearly complete, and has included an overall renovation of the building and indoor framing.

“We had to do basic development work because of the shape the building was in,” Wagner told BusinessWest. “We framed out the spaces, added an elevator … we took a beat-up box of a building and gave it a new skin.”

That work also included the addition of energy-efficient features, such as a highly insulated shell and roof, as well as a solar array, donated by Thorne, which should provide the building with essentially free electricity. “Our HVAC costs should be minimal,” Wagner said.

Phase 2 will be a complete build-out of the building’s interior, including a lobby and mezzanine, an 800-square-foot exhibit gallery, and space for performances, events, and workshops, as well as site work and landscaping. With an estimated cost of $2.5 million, that phase will have to wait while the trust secures further funding, but Burke and Wagner say they hope it will be completed by the end of 2018.

In the meantime, in order to accommodate an initial, limited public use of the building, the city awarded the trust a limited-occupancy permit to utilize space on the lower level of the two-story building, including a 1,200 square-foot multi-purpose studio for rehearsals, classes, and small performances, events, and meetings.

Burke has already booked some art classes and is working with local choreographer Kelly Silliman to create a dance program that will utilize a 900-square-foot dedicated dance studio that will be available for use on the upper level.

There will also be a series of outdoor events this summer, dubbed “Outside the Box,” that will feature film, music, and poetry presentations.

Looking Ahead

The current plan for phase 3 will be the creation of a 3,800-square-foot black-box theater on the lower level, capable of seating more than 200 patrons, as well as ancillary space, such as dressing rooms and a green room. That will be undertaken when the rest of the building is complete, Burke said, but only after members of the local theater community, including APE, have an opportunity to weigh in on its design.

We want to create a separate body of people who will take on the design and management of that space. We need to take into consideration not only technical aspects of theater, but to ask where that whole realm of creative work will be in the future.”

It’s a concept that still needs a lot of thought before a budget and timeline can be established, Thorne told BusinessWest.

“We want to create a separate body of people who will take on the design and management of that space,” he said. “We need to take into consideration not only technical aspects of theater, but to ask where that whole realm of creative work will be in the future.”

To date, the trust has raised roughly $4.38 million through gifts from individual donors, as well as government and institutional grants, including $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, $35,000 from the Beveridge Family Foundation, $25,000 from C&S Wholesale Grocers, $180,000 from the state Executive Office for Administration and Finance, and $140,000 and $300,000 in separate grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The Center for the Arts contributed $400,000 — money that had been saved over the years from First Night revenue specifically to pay for a new home.

While what Wagner calls the “quiet” phase of the capital campaign continues, focusing on individual donors and other grant opportunities, he said a public capital campaign will be launched at a future date.

As those plans move ahead, Thorne said, it will be incumbent upon the trust to articulate its plans and its mission to the public. “We need to educate the community about what this is, our bigger mission.”

To that end, Wagner hopes the programming that will take place under the partial occupancy allowance will generate public awareness, and interest in supporting the space and the trust.

“One of the reasons we’re doing this is to get the building back into use,” he said. “We want to open it up to the public, so they can feel and taste the possibilities.”

New Strategies Are Being Applied to Age-old Efforts to Align Teeth

By
Health Care Sections

Some Straight Answers

By Kathleen Mellen

Dr. Linda Rigali shows off a model of traditional braces

Dr. Linda Rigali shows off a model of traditional braces, which have been replaced for many patients by newer, more cutting-edge models.

Dental care has come a long way in the past few decades, with high-tech equipment, less noticeable materials, and less intrusive procedures the order of the day. For proof, look no further than how the art and science of braces have evolved. In short, area dentists say, there’s never been a better time to straighten those teeth.

As long as there have been mouths to feed, there have been crooked teeth. And since ancient times, it seems, we’ve been trying to fix them.

As early as 400-300 BC, the Greek physician Hippocrates was looking for ways to align teeth, and there’s archeological evidence that ancient people sometimes wrapped metal bands around their teeth, presumably in an effort to straighten them. Apparently, even Cleopatra wore braces.

While no one knows for sure how effective those early efforts were, experts say the ancients were on the right track, applying sustained pressure to teeth in an effort to move them into a more favorable position.

It’s essentially the same thing we do today, albeit with much more elegant systems (and presumably less pain), through the practice of orthodontics, a dental specialty that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and correction of teeth that are not properly aligned.

Modern-day orthodontics was born when, in 1728, French dentist Pierre Fauchard first used a device called a Bandeau, a horseshoe-shaped piece of iron that helped expand the palatal arch. By the mid-19th century, orthodontia was recognized as a science, and by 1901, orthodontists had their own scientific organization, the American Society of Orthodontics, which evolved in the 1930s to the American Assoc. of Orthodontists.

Early training was minimal. The first school of orthodontics, which opened in 1899, offered a three- to six-week course for dentists. Today, the training is extensive, and generally includes four years of undergraduate study, four years of graduate study at a dental school, and two years of post-graduate study in orthodontics.


You literally had to tie the teeth into the wires, and there was a lot more force involved. Today’s braces are tiny, and are bonded onto the teeth, rather than tied around them.”

Just as education has changed over the past century, so, too have materials and techniques, improving outcomes, as well as the patient experience — and much of that has occurred in just a generation or two.

Not Your Grandmother’s Braces

As braces gained popularity during the 20th century, dentists wrapped bands around each tooth and connected them by a wire, inserted into brackets, or braces, that were cemented to the teeth. Gold and silver were popular materials, although each had its drawbacks: gold was expensive and soft, requiring more frequent adjustments; silver was less expensive, but also less malleable.

Dr. Linda Rigali

Dr. Linda Rigali says braces can treat issues like overbites, underbites, crowding, excess spacing, and asymmetries.

Those materials were largely replaced by stainless steel in the early 1960s, but, even then, braces were bulky and uncomfortable, said Dr. Linda Rigali of Rigali & Walder Orthodontics in Northampton.

“You literally had to tie the teeth into the wires, and there was a lot more force involved,” Rigali said. “Today’s braces are tiny, and are bonded onto the teeth, rather than tied around them.”

Materials have improved further since Rigali opened her practice 31 years ago. “We use nickel-titanium, which holds its shape and gets more active with body temperature,” she said. “They very slowly express the forces over a period of time. It’s just as effective as the old ones, but definitely a lot more gentle,” and not as painful as some adults might remember from their own childhoods.

That might help account for the fact that more than 4 million people in the U.S. are undergoing orthodontic treatment, according to the American Assoc. of Orthodontists (AAO).

A century ago, most patients made their first trip to an orthodontist in their 20s, but today, the AAO recommends children see an orthodontist at about 7 years old, when the permanent teeth are emerging, to evaluate whether they will need braces and, in some cases, to do interceptive treatments that can change problematic growth patterns. Indications for treatment with braces are predominantly functional, Rigali says, and can include overbites, underbites, crowding, excess spacing and asymmetries.

Once a need for braces is established, a treatment plan will be devised. A first visit will include a thorough examination, close-up photographs, and X-rays, which have also changed for the better, Rigali says, since she joined the profession.

“Thirty-one years ago, we were hand-dipping X-rays in a dark room,” she said. “Now that’s all digital — we get it all on the computer.”

Among the more dramatic recent advances is the use of nearly invisible Invisalign braces, which are taking off in the industry; about 35% of Rigali’s patients now use the clear, flexible, lightweight plastic aligners that combine advanced 3-D computer-graphics technology with the 100-year-old science of orthodontics.


We do a three-dimensional scan, get a virtual model on the computer, then I can move the teeth, on the computer, through all the stages. Once I have the staging the way I want it, the company produces a series of clear plastic aligners. They’ve got a couple hundred bioengineers working on the process. This has changed things a lot.”

While the theory is much the same as traditional braces — that slow, steady pressure will move teeth — the material and the treatment plan are revolutionary, Rigali said.

“We do a three-dimensional scan, get a virtual model on the computer, then I can move the teeth, on the computer, through all the stages,” she told BusinessWest. “Once I have the staging the way I want it, the company produces a series of clear plastic aligners.” Each set is worn for two weeks, and then is switched out for the next, she added. “They’ve got a couple hundred bioengineers working on the process. This has changed things a lot.”

For example, the use of 3-D scanning technology has nearly eliminated the need for dental impressions, which require pressing a tray of gooey material into the top and bottom teeth.

“It’s the hottest thing now,” said Dr. Janice Yanni, owner of Yanni Family Orthodontics (YFO), who utilizes the ITero Element Scanner in each of her offices, in Longmeadow, West Springfield, and Tolland, Conn. “Our practice is going impressionless — so no more gagging on those impressions.”

Dr. Janice Yanni says she takes advantage of modern technology to make visits fun for patients.

Dr. Janice Yanni says she takes advantage of modern technology to make visits fun for patients.

The advent of the Invisalign braces in 1997 might well have contributed to the 40% rise in the number of adults who sought orthodontic treatment between 1996 and 2015, as reported in the Wall Street Journal. About 20% of Rigali and Yanni’s patients are adults, and many request Invisalign braces, which are used by about 30% of Yanni’s patients in total.

Form Follows Function

As the practice of orthodontics has changed, so, too, have orthodontists’ offices, says Craig Sweitzer, the owner of Craig Sweitzer & Co. General Contractors, who has built some 200 dental offices over his 34-year career.

“When we began, there was different equipment, different decorations — it was a whole different feel,” he said. “The equipment drives the design, and the stress nowadays is to keep things clean, uncluttered, and to hide the equipment. It’s become more friendly-looking.”

In Yanni’s Longmeadow office, for example, there are no visible hoses, lines, cables, or orthodontic tools, even in the treatment room, where, as is typical in orthodontists’ offices, multiple bays are set up in a single, large room for fittings and adjustments. Extra-bright ceiling lights have eliminated the need for the bulky workstation lamps that used to loom overhead, so patients can chat with family members or watch a movie on one of the large, flat-screen TVs mounted on the wall. (“The hot movie right now is Beauty and the Beast,” Yanni said.)

Sweitzer says he and his sons Michael and Brian, who have joined their father’s company, work closely with the doctors on office design.

“It’s nice to control the project, get a relationship with the doctor, from square one,” said Michael Sweitzer, who designed and built Yanni’s Longmeadow office. “It’s really cool, drawing it, then seeing it come to life.”

The company does collaborate with architects, as is required by law. “In Massachusetts, you have to have a registered architect to pull a building permit for a commercial project, anything over 35,000 cubic feet,” Craig Sweitzer said.

Having Fun

There’s more to keep up with these days than advances in the science and technology of orthodontics, and practices like Yanni’s and Rigali’s take advantage of interactive and social media to help make the experience a pleasant one for their tech-savvy young customers.

At Yanni’s Longmeadow office, for example, patients can use one of four iPods set up at a station in the waiting room, designed by Michael Sweitzer with input from an IT specialist.

In addition, YFO sponsors a number of online contests, including #YFOPromPosals, in which patients submit photos of themselves asking someone to the prom to the practice’s Instagram and Facebook pages. They earn points for likes and shares, and the winner receives up to $250 to cover the cost of hair, flowers, and transportation for the prom. (Incidentally, YFO can be found on Snapchat as well.)

Rigali & Walder also holds virtual contests, such as Where in the World is Rigali and Walder Orthodontics? and Hero Dad, which are designed to keep young patients entertained and engaged.

“You’ve got to make it fun,” Yanni said.

Much of today’s research in orthodontia focuses on the biology of tooth movement, and looking for ways to speed up the process. “Everybody wants it done faster,” Rigali said.

One new device, AcceleDent, appears to move things along. Used with traditional or Invisalign braces, the vibrating mouthpiece is worn for 20 minutes a day to stimulate bones, which leads to faster bone remodeling.

“There are studies that show it is speeding tooth movement up to 30% to 50%,” Rigali said. “Studies are still coming out, but we’ve seen some really great results with this.”

Another promising technique, Propel Orthodontics, uses micro-osteoperforations to accelerate tooth movement and bone regrowth.

“We make little perforations right through the gum tissue into the bone. That sets up a wound response that gets the bone metabolism to go faster,” Rigali told BusinessWest. “This has some very legitimate studies; it is based on really good, sound research.”

In spite of advancements that promise to hasten the process, Yanni cautions her patients that there are no quick fixes. She tells them to plan to commit to a two- or three-year period, and once those teeth are straight, a retainer will still be required to keep them from moving back.

“There is no instant gratification in the world of orthodontics,” she said. “You’re either in it, or you’re not.”

Strong & Healthy Smiles Stresses Preventive Care

By
Health Care Sections

Nothing to Fear

Dr. Sue Keller (far right) with some of her staff at Strong & Healthy Smiles

Dr. Sue Keller (far right) with some of her staff at Strong & Healthy Smiles: from left, dental assistant Chettele Houle, dental hygienist Michelle Engstrom, and office administrator Cassie Roule.

Dr. Sue Keller jokes that she’s been interested in dentistry since she was 6, when she wasn’t able to eat cookies with loose teeth, so she figured out how to wiggle them and get them out as soon as possible.

But she does have other fond childhood memories of dentistry, like getting a cavity filled around age 9 and the floaty feeling from the nitrous oxide the dentist used. Or her blue-collar father working two jobs to make sure she and her brother could get braces to fix their crooked teeth and regain their confidence to smile. Both memories influenced the kind of practice she would one day run as Strong & Healthy Smiles in Florence.

“I hear about people having a bad experience at the dentist, but that doesn’t have to be the case. I had good experiences, and they can have good experiences, too.”

There’s a joy in taking someone who hasn’t been to the dentist in five or 10 years and helping them get back on track and healthy again, so they keep coming back for maintenance.”

During her residency at Hartford Hospital, Keller considered an orthodontic practice, but decided — after training in settings from preventive care to trauma situations, working on accident victims — to practice more generally.

In 1995, she opened her practice in Greenfield, moving to a larger space in Florence in 2007, and has brought with her some of the concepts forged during her formative years, from conscious-sedation dentistry to an innovative program to help people pay for care — in other words, ways to make visiting the dentist a positive experience, not a negative one.

“There’s a joy in taking someone who hasn’t been to the dentist in five or 10 years and helping them get back on track and healthy again,” she told BusinessWest, “so they keep coming back for maintenance.”

Root Causes

While dentists obviously know how to clean teeth, fill cavities, and install implants, Keller said she sees her role as helping people minimize those aspects of care by taking care of their oral health at home.

“We have a strong preventive-care program,” she told BusinessWest, adding that people often stay away from the dentist out of fear, which only compounds as their teeth deteriorate over the years. If she can get them in good shape and convince them to continue good habits at home, the fear goes away as the visits get easier and easier.

Dr. Sue Keller

Dr. Sue Keller says she wants to get to the bottom of why patients get cavities, not just treat them when they emerge.

To that end, she explained, “we test saliva six different ways and go through a very detailed evaluation of your habits at home, your diet, what you’re drinking, what teeth-cleaning products you’re using — and most of the time, we’re able to find out the likely reasons you’re getting cavities.”

Patients might receive special toothpastes, rinses, other tools, but more important, they get dietary and lifestyle advice to help them care for their teeth and prevent new cavities, she explained. “A good diet and good habits at home really keep people in good stead.”

Many dental habits ingrained in Americans for decades should be reconsidered, she went on. Take the common advice to brush twice a day, a message that emerged in advertisments from toothpaste makers in the 1950s. Since then, most people assume that means brushing upon waking up and going to bed, when the most critical times to brush are immediately after eating.

“Every time you eat, it puts carbohydrates in your mouth, which produce acids,” she explained, before relating a slightly gross metaphor she uses with kids. “I ask them if they wash their hands after they go to the bathroom to get the germs off. Well, when they eat, I say, they poop and pee in their mouth. That usually gets their attention.”

Rather than the wake-up and bedtime brushing regimen, Keller emphasizes brushing after every meal or snack. That’s usually no problem at breakfast and dinner, but people generally don’t feel like bringing a toothbrush to work, so she recommends after-lunch habits like Xylitol rinses and gums, or simply rinsing out the mouth with water. For people loath to floss, she recommends tools like GumChucks that make it easy to reach back into the mouth.

“Whatever someone’s problem is, I have a tool for them to try, as long as they’re willing to put in the effort,” she said. “I want to set you up for success. Maybe you can’t brush after every meal, every day, but if you can embrace the concept of cleaning your mouth after meals, and do it over the course of a lifetime, you’ll need very little dental care.”

When I meet someone with significant dental problems and can help them get their smile back, when they thought it was hopeless and nothing could be done, that makes me happy. We can always do something for someone. Sometimes we have to replace teeth, but usually we can just maintain their health.”

For people who do need more attention, Keller is one of the few offices in the region offering nitrous oxide gas and sedation pills and non-surgical treatment of gum disease with lasers.

“When I meet someone with significant dental problems and can help them get their smile back, when they thought it was hopeless and nothing could be done, that makes me happy,” she said. “We can always do something for someone. Sometimes we have to replace teeth, but usually we can just maintain their health.”

Keep Smiling

Of course, it’s not just fear that keeps people away from the dentist; cost is a factor as well. It’s a particular problem for those without dental insurance through their employers, who decide they don’t want to pay out of pocket for cleanings and other basic procedures, which can lead to long-term issues.

That’s where Keller’s Smile Shares program comes in. Inspired by the region’s farm-share programs where people pay farmers up front and reap a harvest all year, Smile Share members pre-pay a discounted rate at the start of the year for their preventive care and then can access other discounted services throughout the year as well.

“Normal, regular care is affordable and protects you from more expensive, emergency care down the line,” she told BusinessWest. And that’s the key — getting people who have avoided the dentist back to good health, and keeping them there.

“That’s really fun for me, to take someone with brown teeth and turn them into white teeth,” she said. “Then, it’s great when they come in for a regular maintenance visit, and they look great and don’t need much cleaning at all. That’s my ultimate success, when they keep up the good work on their own. There’s great satisfaction in keeping them motivated and on track.”

And smiling, of course.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

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

AGAWAM

Genesis Health Ventures of Massachusetts Inc.
65-67 Cooper St.
$10,000 — Construct cement housekeeping pad for generator

Town of Agawam
68 Main St.
$26,179 — At Agawam Middle School, install four concrete equipment pads, infill masonry opening, cut opening in existing chimney stack for new fire-rated access door, remove existing louver and reinstall panel in its place for two new boilers

Walnut Plaza, LLC
365-385 Walnut St. Ext.
$2,000 — Install laundry room for new massage-therapy business

CHICOPEE

Kirby Ward
21 Alvord Ave.
$10,250 — Roofing

DEERFIELD

Yankee Candle
25 Greenfield Road
$50,000 — New roof over restaurant area

Yankee Candle
25 Greenfield Road
$222,210 — Cosmetic changes to restaurant kitchen

EASTHAMPTON

Polish Pulaski Club
79 Maple St.
$12,000 — Install hood system with associated ductwork

Tubed Products
44 O’Neill St.
$90,000 — Roofing

Williston Northampton School
191 Main St.
$75,000 — Interior renovations to convert from dormitory to single-family apartment unit

Willison Northampton School
87 Park St.
$22,100 — Roofing

EAST LONGMEADOW

Heritage Park Plaza
436 North Main St.
$5,500 — Commercial interior renovations

Reflections by Claudia
87 Shaker Road
$35,000 — Commercial alterations

GREENFIELD

Center for Human Development
102 Main St.
$150,000 — Build out dental suites

Center for Human Development
102 Main St.
$82,100 — Renovate existing fire-sprinkler system

Greenfield Corporate Center, LLC
101 Munson St.
$125,000 — Remodel existing space for Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

Quality Realty Partners II, LLP
55 Federal St.
$136,000 — Renovate interior office space

Rachael Katz
229-231 Main St.
$55,972 — Remove metal facing on front and sides of building, rebuild front of building

HADLEY

Gary Pelissier
1 Russell St.
Install concrete pad for above-ground storage tank

W/S Hadley Properties II, LLC
337 Russell St.
$3,400 — Remove and replace three wall signs at Walmart

LUDLOW

Heron Machine & Engineering
100 State St.
$4,000 — Commercial alterations

Ludlow Mill Housing
68 State St.
$14,000 — Two non-illuminated signs

Tony Nails
263 East St.
$1,100 — Two non-illuminated signs

NORTHAMPTON

94 Industrial Drive, LLC
94 Industrial Dr.
$27,000 — Roofing

94 Industrial Drive, LLC
94 Industrial Dr.
$29,500 — Install truck ramp with retaining wall and overhead door, install new overhead door

100 Main St. Florence, LLC
100 Main St.
$75,000 — Interior renovations for a new law office

American Benefits Group
320 Riverside Dr.
$38,000 — Remove built-in partitions to install cubicles

City of Northampton
170 Glendale Road
$19,000 — Replace antenna, add radio heads at leachate treatment facility

Continental Cablevision of Western New England Inc.
790 Florence Road
$90,000 — Add ground equipment, cables, and three antennas to existing guyed tower

Emerald City Partners
17 New South St.
$44,980 — Frame interior walls, install two entry doors and three bifold doors, install trim

Gandara Mental Health Center Inc.
18 Summer St.
$38,443 — Strip and shingle roof, repair chimney

McDonald’s Corp.
221 King St.
$395,000 — Update exterior of building, remove building arcades, configure drive-thru for side-by-side layout, interior remodel including dining area and restrooms, new roof, ADA updates

Pioneer Contractors
32 Masonic St.
$82,000 — Replace windows

Smith College
123 Elm St.
$25,000 — Remove and replace three antennas and related accessories for AT&T

Smith College
102 Lower College Lane
$70,500 — Convert decommissioned stairs to former balcony into storage space

Smith College
186 Elm St.
$550,000 — Remodel space for first-floor laundry, bathroom, kitchenette, and lounge area

Thornes Marketplace, LLC
150 Main St.
$25,000 — Remove and improve facade Suite 170, replace five windows, and relocate non-structural partition wall

Unique Lodging, LLC
74 Bridge St.
$241,500 — Add three-season room, deck, and elevator

PALMER

Baystate Wing Hospital
40 Wright St.
$269,900 — HVAC duct systems for the hospital and Emergency Department expansion

MPact
1659 North Main St.
$31,500 — Roofing

St. Joe’s Club
18-20 Commercial St.
$29,000 — Roofing

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Health
759 Chestnut St.
$804,650 — Interior renovations to North Cafe at Baystate Medical Center

Howard Belliveau
1414 Main St.
$478,043 — Tenant fit-out in former bank space for a new bank space

Mercy Medical Center
175 Carew St.
$141,100 — Renovation to existing space

Springfield College
263 Alden St.
$95,000 — Remove existing floor and wall; frame new walls; install new finishes, ceiling, wall and floor tile in Cheney Hall

WARE

Charbonneau Funeral Home
30 Pleasant St.
$25,000 — Remove wall and ceiling covering, insulation, replace wiring, heating, new wallboard and trim

WS Development, LLC
352 Palmer Road
$5,000 — Two signs

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Drew Moyes
958 Riverdale Road
$4,400,000 — Construct new structure to house dryer process equipment at Agrimark building

Salamon Realty
103 Myron St.
$45,849 — Roofing

Superior Auto Properties
501 Memorial Ave.
$41,895 — Roofing

First Choice Loan Service, Berkshire Bank Home Lending Join Forces

By
Daily News

BOSTON — New Jersey-based residential mortgage lender First Choice Loan Services Inc., a Berkshire Bank company, and Boston-based Berkshire Bank Home Lending announced that they will merge their mortgage lending platforms together. This follows Berkshire Bank’s acquisition of First Choice Bank, former parent company of First Choice Loan Services, announced in June 2016 and finalized in December.

Berkshire Bank Home Lending covers home-lending needs with its 45 mortgage loan originators. These loan originators will work alongside the approximately 150 loan originators from First Choice Loan Services. Established in 2009, First Choice Loan Services produced over $2.5 billion in loan volume in 2016.

“It’s exciting to see the combination of these two home-lending teams who are so well-matched in every way come together,” said Al Costello, president of First Choice Loan Services and executive vice president of Berkshire Bank Home Lending. “From their core values to business processes and philosophies to their company cultures, they will do incredible things as one team. The synergy that is in the works shows amazing opportunities and possibilities for the future.”

Feigenbaum Foundation Pledges $2.5 Million to Berkshire Museum

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — The Feigenbaum Foundation is providing $2.5 million in support of the Berkshire Museum’s New Vision campaign, the largest single gift to the museum since its founding in 1903.

The announcement came as part of the museum’s July 12 special event celebrating the culmination of a two-year master-planning process which will lead to the creation of a new, interdisciplinary museum. At the event, on behalf of the Berkshire Museum board of trustees, Executive Director Van Shields offered a detailed presentation of the concepts and designs for the new museum, as well as information on the New Vision campaign, part of the funding strategy for the reinvented museum.

The goal for the New Vision campaign is $10 million. The lead gift of $2.5 million from the Feigenbaum Foundation, along with other gifts and pledges for a total to date of $5.4 million, bring the campaign more than halfway to the goal.

The Feigenbaum Foundation has long been a significant supporter of the Berkshire Museum. The Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation first opened in March 2008, as a 3,000-square-foot exhibition space exploring innovations in science, technology, business, politics, culture, and the arts.

As part of its commitment to ensuring that visitors to the museum enjoy experiences on the leading edge of exploring innovation in the Berkshires and beyond, the Feigenbaum Foundation made it possible for the Berkshire Museum to create the Curiosity Incubator, which opened in February. In the Curiosity Incubator, visitors discover exciting ways to learn about science and history through state-of-the-art, interactive stations. Filling an entire second-floor gallery, the Curiosity Incubator utilizes vivid full-wall graphics, touch screens, virtual-reality headsets, video monitors, a photo booth, and fresh ways to view objects from the museum’s collection. Meanwhile, a series of Feigenbaum Innovative Experiences will be deployed throughout the building as part of many of the exhibits being designed for the transformed institution.

“The Feigenbaum Foundation is proud to contribute to the museum as it embarks on this exciting new plan. We endorse the idea of a heightened focus on science and innovation as well as the creation of a consistently high-level core experience for visitors,” said Emil George, president of the Feigenbaum Foundation.

Added Shields, “we are extremely grateful for the Feigenbaum Foundation’s continued interest and generosity that also helps cement our position at the forefront of regional institutions dedicated to fostering creativity and innovation. As a result, the new Feigenbaum experiences will continue to be significant in the way they explore how invention shapes our lives and the world around us.”

Art Stop Pop-up Gallery Walk Returns to Downtown Springfield

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Central Cultural District (SCCD) announced the return of Art Stop, a pop-up gallery/street-festival hybrid on Wednesday, Aug. 2, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The district has partnered with venues downtown to open five galleries in unexpected spaces simultaneously. Between the galleries, which will have the typical artist talks, drinks, and appetizers, there will be street performances and other surprises. Art Stop was designed to both activate underutilized community spaces with colorful art and create economic opportunity for artists.

“Guests who attended Art Stop in April or last October will be pleased to see we’ve scaled the program up substantially,” SCCD Director Morgan Drewniany said. “In response to the feedback of our audience, we’ve added two new venues to the existing three spaces, to allow for more art and music.”

Galleries will be located at 1550 Main Street, New England Public Radio (NEPR), UMass Center at Springfield, Community Foundation of Western Mass., and TD Bank. Each individual gallery opening will feature a reception with food and drink, and the artist will be on site to both sell and talk about their work.

The SCCD, along with organizing the curation of art in all five spaces, has hired unique buskers to encourage attendees to walk from place to place. August’s performers are all focused on jazz, in celebration of the upcoming Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12. All five locations are accessible by foot or otherwise, located within a block of each other.

On the evening of Aug. 2, White Lion Wednesday, a program of the Springfield Business Improvement District, will be taking place in Tower Square Park, right in the middle of the gallery walk. Drewniany noted that “this is a great example of the work the SCCD does — bringing organizations, resources, and people together in a way that feels genuine to Springfield and its many assets.”

Single-family Home Sales in Pioneer Valley Down in June

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Single-family home sales were down 2.6% in the Pioneer Valley in June compared to the same time last year, while the median price rose 4.8% to $218,000, according to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley.

In Franklin County, sales were down 1.3%, while the median price rose 16.3% from a year earlier. In Hampden County, sales were up 3.2%, while the median price was up 5.5%. And in Hampshire County, sales fell 15% from June 2016, while the median price was up 6%.

Blue Sox to Host Final Free Community Clinic of Season on July 23

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Valley Blue Sox will be hosting their final free pre-game clinic presented by Shriners Hospitals for Children this Sunday, July 23, at 1 p.m. The clinic will last approximately one hour and will be led by Blue Sox players and personnel. The clinic is open to kids ages 7-14.

Attendees will learn the basics of fielding, throwing, and hitting from Blue Sox coaches and players prior to Sunday Night’s 5:05 p.m. double-header with the Sanford Mainers. They will also get to hang around for pre-game batting practice and warmups, as well as receiving a free ticket to that evening’s games.

Players are required to wear activewear and sneakers or cleats, and ring their own hat, glove, and bat. The camp is open to the entire region.

“It’s a great opportunity for some kids to come out, get some work in, meet the new players, and have some fun learning the game,” said Blue Sox General Manager Hunter Golden. “Our community clinics are always a hit, and we’re very thankful that Shriners has stepped up to help support this week’s clinic.”

The Blue Sox will begin their pre-game routine at 2:30 p.m., and gates to the stadium will be open, allowing campers to come in early and watch the Blue Sox take infield/outfield and batting practice, as well as see some bullpen sessions up close and personal. Campers will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the players at various stations throughout the night, which will cover all the basics of baseball, including hitting, fielding, throwing, and pitching.

In addition, the Blue Sox will host Military Appreciation Night that evening, sponsored by AAA Pioneer Valley and VA Healthcare. The first 400 fans in attendance will receive a special digital camo hat.

Massachusetts Adds 10,000 Jobs in June

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate increased to 4.3% in June from the May rate of 4.2%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday.

The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts added 10,000 jobs in June. Over-the-month job gains occurred in education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; leisure and hospitality; other services; manufacturing; information; and financial activities. The May estimate was revised to a gain of 2,000 jobs.

From June 2016 to June 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 65,900 jobs. The June state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.4% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The labor force decreased by 2,600 from 3,711,100 in May, as 7,600 fewer residents were employed and 5,100 more residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased six-tenths of a percentage point from 3.7% in June 2016. There were 27,400 more unemployed persons over the year compared to June 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 — remained at 66.7% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased 1.8% compared to June 2016.

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; financial activities; and other services.

“During the first six months of 2017, Massachusetts has experienced the largest increase in the labor force on record, and the 66.7% labor-force participation rate is now 3.9 points higher than the U.S. rate,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta. “These marked labor-force gains should help ease labor-market pressures and are signs of a growing economy in the Commonwealth.”

Springfield BID Announces Summer Music Festival

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The first annual Springfield Jam Fest in downtown Springfield promises to be a musical experience unlike any other in Western Mass. Dozens of local artists will be performing on two separate stages throughout the entire day from all genres of music, including rock, country, blues, reggae, and more.

The festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Court Square from noon to 11 p.m., and will feature local food and beverage options in addition to the music.

Proceeds raised by the concert will go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Western Mass., which is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through support, education, and advocacy.

Curator’s Corner Takes Flight at Springfield Armory

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SPRINGFIELD — In conjunction with its current exhibit, “Push the Green Hand Ahead: Springfield Armory in World War I,” the Armory will host curator Alex Mackenzie’s Curator’s Corner program on Saturday, July 29 at 2 p.m. This series offers the public a glimpse of artifacts from the museum’s extensive collection and a chance to hear stories about these interesting objects. Admission is free of charge. Reservations are required due to limited seating.

Selecting a few WWI pieces from the collection, MacKenzie will share both the history and details of each item. It is an ideal opportunity to learn more about the rich collections of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site.

“The First World War is a conflict that involved an incredible amount of new technology. We’ll explore the inventive — and occasionally ridiculous — ways each country sought to arm one of those amazing pieces of new technology: the airplane,” MacKenzie said.

Following the presentation, attendees can speak with the curator and see the featured items up close.

The final two Curator’s Corner programs for the Armory’s World War I exhibit will take place Saturday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 9, both at 2 p.m.

Ski Butternut Plan to Purchase Blandford Ski Area Gains Momentum

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BLANDFORD — Members of the Springfield Ski Club voted Tuesday to advance serious discussions about selling the 132-acre Blindfold Ski Area property to Ski Butternut and its owner Jeff Murdock, the Republican reported. The price is still being negotiated, and no formal purchase-and-sale agreement is in place yet.

As part of the planned purchase, Murdoch intends to upgrade the snow-making and snow-grooming equipment at Blandford, which features 25 trails, three double chair lifts, and two lodges.

Berkshire Hills Reports Second-quarter Earnings

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PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. reported second-quarter 2017 net income of $19.7 million, or $0.53 per share. Core earnings totaled $21.6 million, or $0.58 per share. Net income was up 23% year-over-year, while core earnings grew 31% due to the benefit of business expansion. Net income per share increased by 2%, while core EPS increased by 7%. Net income was impacted by net non-core charges related primarily to acquisitions.

“We had a strong second quarter, extending the operating momentum from the first quarter,” CEO Michael Daly said. “We also conducted a successful stock offering and completed an agreement to acquire Worcester-based Commerce Bancshares. These actions support our plan to cross the $10 billion asset threshold and provide the capital resources to accelerate our growth. Total assets increased at a 10% annualized rate in the first half, reaching $9.6 billion at mid-year. We announced a planned move of our headquarters to Boston and are accelerating our business development in New England’s largest and fastest-growing markets.”

Daly also noted that net interest income advanced and fee income grew by 15% to 32% of total revenue. “Our strong and diversified revenue sources produced a 42% year-over-year increase in total revenue, which now exceeds $400 million on an annualized basis. The resulting positive operating leverage led to the achievement of a profitability milestone, with core return on assets advancing to 92 basis points. GAAP return on assets was 84 basis points after non-core charges primarily related to merger activity.”

Calvin Hill Selected for National Leadership Development Program

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SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College announced that Calvin Hill, vice president for Inclusion and Community Engagement, is one of 24 senior-level administrators in higher education nationwide selected by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) to participate in the 2017-18 Executive Leadership Academy.

Individuals chosen for the year-long program are vice presidents or cabinet officers in higher education who aspire to the presidency of an independent college or university. Starting this week, Hill will participate in two seminars in Washington, DC; the opening seminar will take place July 20-22, and the closing seminar will be held June 18-20, 2018. He will also engage in readings, webinars, and a mentoring program. In addition, he will develop and follow an experiential learning plan focused on specific areas of presidential responsibility.

“Competition for the available places in the program was intense,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “The review committee found the nomination materials to be most impressive. They (and I) believe that Dr. Hill has the potential for highly effective leadership as a college or university president.”

In July 2015, Hill joined Springfield College as the vice president for Inclusion and Community Engagement. His responsibilities include promoting diversity and inclusion among all constituents of the college, and connecting and promoting the college’s resources to area communities.

Hill arrived at Springfield College with more than 20 years of experience in higher education. Prior to his time in Springfield, he served as the university Diversity and Inclusion officer for the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Prior to that, he developed strong ties to higher education in Massachusetts working as assistant to the president and director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity at Worcester State University. He also has served as associate provost and chief Diversity officer for MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston and assistant dean and director of Diversity Programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Hill is a consultant on diversity issues and presents nationally on issues of inclusion, where he focuses primarily on providing equal access to educational opportunities for underrepresented populations.

Fifty-nine percent of participants in the first Executive Leadership Academy cohort (2009-10) have since advanced in the higher-education ranks, and 24% of participants in a recent cohort (2015-16) have already moved up in the ranks. “These indicators suggest that CIC is helping to meet the leadership needs of higher education by offering highly effective leadership development programs for modest fees to member institutions,” Ekman said.

Westfield Bank Names Oleksak VP, Commercial Loan Officer

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Michael Oleksak

Michael Oleksak

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank announced that Michael Oleksak has joined the bank as vice president, commercial loan officer. Oleksak brings more than a decade of banking experience to his new role. He previously served as assistant vice president, business banker at United Bank, where he was responsible for managing and developing small-business customer accounts and establishing new customer relationships.

Oleksak is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University, where he earned a master’s degree in business administration. He also completed LEAD NY, a leadership program through Cornell University. He currently serves on the board of the West Springfield Boys and Girls Club, and was previously on the boards of the Cooperative Development Institute and the Charlene Ann Foundation.

“I’m pleased to welcome Michael Oleksak to the Westfield Bank team,” said James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank. “Over his career he’s demonstrated real skill at serving the needs of local businesses by understanding what makes them unique in order to help them realize their potential, and by relating to every customer as an individual person. He knows that better banking for local businesses requires outstanding communication, responsiveness, and the imagination to seek out opportunities for our customers.”

The Financial Physical: Ensure Your Business Is Banking Healthy

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HOLYOKE — The secret of successful businesses is that they are constantly reassessing their business needs. While some aspects of a business, like employee performance or the need for new equipment, are reevaluated frequently, one aspect of a business — its banking — can often be overlooked.

“Business owners should consider a financial physical. Business needs change from year to year, and business-banking needs may have also changed as well,” said Dave Thibault, vice president, Cash Management at PeoplesBank. “Similar to a real physical, it’s a quick, face-to-face chat. It allows my customers to catch me up on their business and any changes, then I can recommend any updates that will save them money or make their processes more efficient. Most importantly, I see them walk out of the office with peace of mind knowing there’s a plan in place and it’s been vetted with someone they trust.”

The checkup is a brief series of questions focusing on three key areas:

1. Make your Business Checking Work for You. Are you keeping higher or lower balances than in previous years? Are you making more transactions? If so, may you benefit from cash-management solutions or another account type? “The answers to these questions will help determine the right business-banking solutions for you,” said Cynthia Wszolek, Cash Management Officer at PeoplesBank. “They also will help you know which online tools would work best for your business.”

2. Eliminate as Many Fraud Risks as You Can. Is your anti-virus and security software robust and up-to-date? Is your staff educated on best business practices to safeguard against actions that can compromise workstations and the network? When it comes to your business banking, are you aware of your current level of fraud protections? “Some business owners forget that banking options come with varying levels of fraud protection,” Thibault said. “There are a lot of options, and some of them can reduce the risk and liability that could fall on the business owner. Things like alerts to catch suspicious activity, and, if something does get flagged, your bank can work directly with you to rectify the issue before it becomes a larger problem.”

3. Increase Banking Efficiency. Do you pay your employees by check? Do you go to the bank to make your deposits? Does reconciling your account take time? “If you answered yes to any of these questions, new cash-management solutions may make your banking processes more efficient,” Wszolek said. “These new solutions let you deposit your checks right from your office and automatically updates your accounts-payable system. Your process becomes more efficient — saving you time, giving you faster access to your cash, and increasing your cash flow.”

“Banking technologies continue to become more innovative,” she concluded. “An annual financial physical will help ensure that your business-banking processes are efficient, effective, and safe from fraud.”

United Financial Bancorp Inc. Announces Second-quarter Results

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GLASTONBURY, Conn. — United Financial Bancorp Inc., the holding company for United Bank, announced results for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. The company reported net income of $16.2 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, compared to net income for the linked quarter of $13.7 million, or $0.27 per diluted share. The company reported net income of $9.1 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2016.

“I am pleased to announce that United Financial Bancorp Inc. delivered record earnings of $0.32 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2017 driven by record revenue, expense control, and continued excellent asset quality. For the last four consecutive quarters, the company has averaged a return on average assets of 0.89%, a return on average equity of 8.94%, and a return on average tangible common equity of 11.15%. Tangible book value increased 9.7% annualized from the linked quarter after paying our 2.83% annualized dividend yield,” said William Crawford IV, CEO of the company and the bank. “I would like to thank our United Bank team for the continued steadfast focus on serving the needs of our customers and communities.”

Assets totaled $6.88 billion at June 30, 2017 and increased $179.5 million, or 2.7%, from $6.70 billion at March 31, 2017. At June 30, 2017, total loans were $5.05 billion, representing an increase of $110.2 million, or 2.2%, from the linked quarter. Changes to loan balances during the second quarter of 2017 were highlighted by a $64.5 million, or 3.8%, increase in investor non-owner occupied commercial real-estate loans, a $23.8 million, or 3.1%, increase in commercial business loans, and a $21.8 million, or 4.2%, increase in home-equity loans. Total residential mortgages increased during the second quarter of 2017 by $5.1 million, or 0.4%. Total cash and cash equivalents decreased $9.8 million, or 11.6%, from the linked quarter, while the available-for-sale securities portfolio remained relatively flat, with a slight decrease of $2.3 million, or 0.2%.

Deposits totaled $4.99 billion at June 30, 2017 and increased by $203.1 million, or 4.2%, from $4.79 billion at March 31, 2017. In the second quarter of 2017, NOW checking deposits increased by $96.5 million, or 17.9%, from the linked quarter, while non-interest-bearing checking deposits increased by $31.4 million, or 4.5%; the increases are reflective of success in new account-acquisition strategies deployed throughout the first half of 2017. The company experienced an increase of $99.7 million, or 6.0%, in certificates of deposit as compared to the linked quarter. These increases were offset by a $25.7 million, or 1.9%, decrease in money-market accounts, which is typically experienced in the second quarter due to seasonal withdrawals in municipal deposit accounts.

Thunderbird Thursdays Take Flight July 20

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Business Improvement District and the Springfield Thunderbirds announced the start of Thunderbird Thursdays, presented by TD Bank, with the season opener slated for Thursday, July 20 at the Shops at Marketplace.

Each of Thunderbird Thursday will feature a guest craft brewer, live music, food, fun, and games. The Thunderbirds’ promotional team will also be on site each week with an inflatable slap-shot game, ticket information, raffle prizes, and more.

“We are thrilled to continue the Thunderbirds’ partnership with the Springfield BID to build up excitement for our 2017-18 season through Thunderbird Thursdays,” said Thunderbirds Executive Vice President Nathan Costa. “We see Thunderbird Thursday as another exciting and social atmosphere for our fans, much like the game-night experience at the MassMutual Center.”

Thunderbird Thursdays will run from 4 to 8 p.m. each week from July 20 to Oct. 12 in downtown Springfield. Thunderbird Thursdays will rotate between three locations: 1350 Main St., the Shops at Marketplace at the rear of 1341 Main St., and Tower Square Park. For a full schedule of dates, locations, entertainment, and brewers, visit springfielddowntown.com/thunderbirds-thursdays.

The Thunderbirds open their second season in Springfield on Saturday, Oct. 14 against the Hartford Wolf Pack. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. at the MassMutual Center. Fans can also see the Thunderbirds in action for pre-season matchups on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8, at the MassMutual Center. Single-game ticket information will be available in the coming weeks.

Fans are also enouraged to visit www.springfieldthunderbirds.com to learn more about Thunderbirds season-ticket memberships. Packages start at $12 per game and feature a number of benefits, including an exclusive commemorative jersey. For more information, call (413) 739-4625.

Bay Path, Girls Inc. of Holyoke Partner for STEM Summer Event

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LONGMEADOW — A group of 15 second-year students from Girls Inc. of Holyoke will participate in “Eureka! Too Fast, Too Furious: the Physics of Car Racing” at Bay Path University today, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Led by Bay Path faculty and students, participants from Girls Inc. will have the opportunity to perform hands-on scientific activities and take a tour of campus. They will learn about what Bay Path University has to offer and how it differs from other universities they have been exposed to.

The main project of the day is balloon car racing. Girls Inc. participants will design, build, and race their own lightweight, ‘gas-powered’ vehicles; the gas source is the air in the balloons. From this activity, they’ll learn about simple machines, motion, force, friction, energy transfer, mechanical energy, and problem solving.

Girls Inc. of Holyoke aims to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold by providing them opportunities to develop and achieve their full potential. It provides girls ages 5-18 with engaging and educational youth development programs that are cutting-edge, research-driven, and designed to meet the specific needs of girls.

HMC Promotes Dr. Jennifer Mark to Chief Medical Officer

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HOLYOKE — Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, announced the promotion of Dr. Jennifer Mark to chief medical officer at Holyoke Medical Center.

“Dr. Mark is a highly skilled physician with a proven track record and expertise in leading a team to success. Her focus on patient satisfaction, in conjunction with high-quality care and open communication style, will continue to be an asset to HMC as she enters this new role,” said Hatiras. “Dr. Mark’s knowledge of the culture within the organization will continue to be appreciated and allow for a smooth transition to this position.”

Added Mark, “I really like the fact that Holyoke Medical Center is very focused on patient-centered care in terms of our overall strategy and how we make improvements in safety and quality. The administration is aligned with providers and other caregivers, all of whom want what’s best for our patients.”

Mark, whose extensive background includes both primary and emergency care, has been with HMC since 2008, serving for the past five years as Emergency Department (ED) medical director. During that time, patient satisfaction has increased by 85% for overall care in the ED, and the length of stay for discharged patients has decreased by about 30 minutes. These changes have been made despite increasing patient volumes and severe space constraints, which should improve in the new ED that opened earlier this month. “It is a beautiful new facility that will be wonderful for our patients,” Mark said.

As director, Mark worked closely with the ED nurse manager to direct operations of the facility that treats over 44,000 patients per year, with oversight of 14 doctors and 12 mid-level providers. She also went through intensive communication training and then helped teach those skills to her team in the ED in order to raise patient satisfaction.

Previously, Mark, who graduated from Yale University School of Medicine, served in various emergency and adult-medicine physician roles throughout Massachusetts. She was also a founding partner of a private Emergency Department physician group where she served as assistant medical director for five years.

Blue Sox, BusinessWest to Host Running of the Mayors on July 19

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HOLYOKE — On Wednesday, July 19, the Valley Blue Sox and BusinessWest will present the Running of the Mayors charity event during the Blue Sox game vs. the Winnipesaukee Muskrats at MacKenzie Stadium. Game time is 6:35 p.m., with the mayors set to dash before the seventh inning.

The Running of the Mayors will feature local sponsors, including Polish National Credit Union, putting money up for the mayors to race on behalf of their local Boys and Girls Club. The mayors — which include Springfield’s Domenic Sarno, Chicopee’s Richard Kos, West Springfield’s Will Reichelt, Holyoke’s Alex Morse, and Westfield’s Brian Sullivan — will race down the right field line in a short sprint, past first base and to home plate. The first mayor to cross the finish line wins a matching donation to their local Boys & Girls Club, allowing them to double their money. A bonus donation will go to the best-dressed mayor.

“Being an old catcher, who wore the ‘tools of ignorance,’ yes, I’m in,” Sarno said. “Even though my playing days are over, I’m doing it for a good cause, and a good laugh too.”

Pioneer Valley Realtors Build Playhouses for Boys and Girls Clubs

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SPRINGFIELD — The Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV) community service committee built two custom playhouses for the Boys and Girls Club of West Springfield and the Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys and Girls Club.

The playhouses were built using specific designs put together with crayons and markers by the children who would be using them. The RAPV community service committee spent hours constructing these unique and inspiring structures, makings the kids’s designs come to life.

“I so enjoyed building the playhouses for our community boys and girls clubs. The project was fun and challenging. It was so inspiring to watch the children as the houses were delivered. The children’s faces were so happy and expectant, and it was great when they all ran over to squeeze into the new playhouse,” said JoMaria Velez of the RAPV community service committee.

Barbara Glanville, preschool director of the Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys and Girls Club, added that “the kids love going in and out of it. They use it for different things, like a store, a fort, etc. Sometimes they just talk in there.”

Haabiba Whitney, director of Membership and Marketing at the Boys and Girls Club of West Springfield, said the members are thoroughly enjoying their time-machine-themed playhouse. “The playhouse is a fun place to exercise their imaginations and dream up all the possibilities awaiting them today and in the future. We believe there is no limit to what our youth can accomplish, and being able to imagine and believe in their greatness is where it starts.”

HMC Receives $100,000 from Hazen Paper Co. and the Hazen Family

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HOLYOKE — The Hazen Paper Co. and the Hazen Family contributed $100,000 toward the Holyoke Medical Center capital campaign — titled “Care. Community. Commitment.” — for the new Emergency Department and Medical Office Building. The contribution will fund the Emergency Department gardens.

“Hazen Paper employs more than 200 people in Holyoke, and we view Holyoke Medical Center as a vital resource for the health and safety of our employees. My father, my siblings, and I were all born at Holyoke Hospital. The Hazen Family has deep ties in the community,” said John Hazen, company president. “Hazen Paper believes in supporting our community, which we also do by offering the World Is Our Classroom program, inviting every fifth-grade student in Holyoke to spend the day in our factory learning how to make paper.”

The new Emergency Department, which opened on July 6, is a 21,460-square-foot facility featuring the Center for Behavioral Health Emergency Services, 40 treatment areas, multi-patient trauma rooms, advanced life-saving equipment, and a patient-navigation service. The expanded facility is allowing the hospital to treat patients in a more efficient and private way.

“We are very appreciative to the Hazen family and the Hazen Paper Company for the continued, multi-generational support provided to the hospital,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. “Generous contributions from families and area companies allow us to make these types of investments in state-of-the-art facilities and new technologies.”

In support of the Emergency Department project, the Holyoke Medical Center capital campaign has reached $2.25 million of its $3 million goal. Anyone interested in helping with the campaign is invited to call the hospital’s Development Department at (413) 534-2579.

Benchmark Employees Perform More Than 1,000 Acts of Kindness

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WILBRAHAM, AGAWAM — Nearly everyone has heard of random acts of kindness, but Benchmark Senior Living employees took things up a notch by committing more than 1,000 ‘radiant acts of kindness’ during the month of June in the towns and neighborhoods where their 54 senior-living communities are located.

If you live near Orchard Valley at Wilbraham or the Atrium at Cardinal Drive in Agawam, the two local Benchmark Senior Living communities, you may have received a sunshine jar filled with candy to brighten your day, some cold beverages on an oppressive afternoon, or a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card for your next coffee.

“This is Benchmark’s 20th-anniversary year,” said Tom Grape, the company’s founder and CEO, “and we wanted to give back to the communities and families that have supported our company’s growth since 1997. So every one of our 54 senior-living communities across seven Northeast states committed to performing at least 20 radiant acts of kindness during June in their local neighborhoods and towns.”

Carol Green, executive director of Orchard Valley of Wilbraham, said the associates at her facility enjoyed giving back to the Wilbraham community with more than 20 acts of kindness. “We love our neighbors and this community and loved the opportunity to give back.”

Cheryl Moran, executive director of the Atrium at Cardinal Drive, echoed those sentiments. “We always have fun at work, but we were able to share our fun with the local community by doing over 20 radiant acts of kindness throughout the month.”

Granite City Electric Supply Relocates from Springfield to Chicopee

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CHICOPEE — Granite City Electric Supply Co. has opened a new, 80,000-square-foot distribution center and relocated its Springfield retail counter service to 451 Meadow St., Chicopee. This distribution center will provide service to the Western Mass., Connecticut, and New York markets, and further enhance the company’s exclusive GCE Night Train Delivery Service.

“Our new, state-of-the-art facility incorporates leading-edge innovations in material management and leverages the latest advances in automation and LEAN practices. We have implemented best practices of class-leading enterprises from several industries to give us a highly efficient and scalable platform to best serve the current and evolving needs of our customers. This will allow us to continue to be at the forefront of our industry, and to solidify Granite City as the leading local provider of electrical supplies throughout New England,” said Adrian Grundy, chief operating officer at Granite City Electric. He also notes the capacity and operational efficiencies of the new facility will support expanded inventory levels to better serve all customer needs.

The new location is equipped with many innovations and customer-centric enhancements. The new indoor service bay allows customers to drive indoors, so that, for example, large pipe orders can now be loaded indoors, out of the elements. The enclosed storage facility prevents rust and damage to material traditionally stored outdoors. Innovative and automated picking lanes allow for faster, accurate order fulfillment to get product to customers more quickly. And the new Chicopee facility will offer greatly expanded wire inventory, including colors and pulling-head options.

The company will also deliver more to more customers, as the Chicopee location affords an expanded delivery footprint for the GCE Night Train Delivery Service, ensuring accurate and more efficient order fulfillment. The service allows customers to avoid waiting at the counter or wasting time in traffic to pick up electrical supplies.

Unlock Potential: Five Successful Secrets to Motivating Employees

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HOLYOKE — As a business, your most valuable assets are your employees. When your staff is happy and motivated, they’re more likely to perform at the highest levels. “The best way to create this type of environment is by giving everyone a sense of ownership,” said Margaret Lenihan, senior vice president, Cash Management at PeoplesBank.

In other words, get all your employees to think like entrepreneurs. “If your employees don’t feel they own their own spaces, they will constantly wait for your day-to-day directions and expect you to solve every problem,” Lenihan added.

The ‘owning your own space’ principle is one any business can incorporate, whether it has two or 200 employees. Here are the five steps:

1. Set Project Goals. When beginning projects, ensure your team has a clear set of goals. “Give them leeway in establishing the time frame for those goals,” said Tammy Bordeaux, asistant vice president, regional manager at PeoplesBank. “When they’re able to set the deadline, they’ll feel more accountable for meeting it.”

2. Establish Accurate Metrics. Implement both quantitative and qualitative criteria. “Letting your staff know what metrics you consider the most important allows them to decide what tradeoffs they’re willing to take when making choices on the project,” Lenihan said.

3. Provide Proper Resources. If employees don’t have appropriate resources, they won’t be able to finish the project and may feel like they’re not being given a real chance to succeed. “Especially if there may be budget constraints,” added Bordeaux, “decipher how much those restraints play into the success of the overall project and either adjust your expectations accordingly or decide if the project isn’t realistic.”

4. Monitor; Don’t Suffocate. “Just because you’re not physically hovering over your worker’s desk doesn’t mean that you’re not micromanaging,” Lenihan said.

Micromanagement is a lot subtler in reality, whether it’s taking back authority over previously delegated projects or just having an overly critical eye for details. “Instead, go over the status of a project by having meetings at midway points and making suggestions,” Bordeaux added. “But keep in mind your team should still be free to achieve the revised goals in the way they think is best.”

5. Tolerate Mistakes. If you want your employees to take chances, you need to be forgiving when they make mistakes. “You shouldn’t accept mistakes that are caused by laziness or sloppiness; however, you do need to tolerate a well-intentioned mistake,” said Bordeaux.

If a project does fail, you can then make it a teachable moment by providing feedback on what led to that mistake. “Always start with what went right before you discuss what went wrong,” Lenihan added, “and never humiliate them in front of others, or you’ll witness an intentional decrease in productivity in response to your actions.”

In conclusion, Bordeaux said, “when you’re successful at making your employees feel like they have ownership in the company, they will begin to make choices as if they’re spending their own money. They’ll also be able to adapt quickly in case anything changes along the way. Over time, this type of culture will increase motivation and help you identify star performers, which will ultimately lead to better results.”

Partnership Connects Incoming STCC Students to Career Pathways

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SPRINGFIELD — They just graduated from high school and will start college this fall, but these five teenagers are not kicking back and taking it easy this summer.

They are enrolled in an eight-week nurse’s aide certification program at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) that is tied to an internship program through Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership (BSEP).

Thanks to the STCC-BSEP partnership, Springfield residents Rumbila Abdullahi, Julia Hong, Genesis Medina, Anderson Nguyen, and Suraji Omoru are gaining the kind of experience they say will make them stand out as they work toward careers in healthcare.

BSEP connects students from Springfield public schools to programs such as the Certified Nurse Aide and CPR Certificate Program, a workforce-training course at STCC. BSEP pays for the STCC course, which includes class and lab work as well as hands-on clinical work at healthcare facilities. The BSEP program also offers students other hospital-based learning experiences, including a paid internship that builds off of their work in the CNA course.

Instructor Alyson Orgera-McNamara said the CNA course typically attracts students who seek entry-level positions in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities as certified nurse aides or home health aides. Many of her students enroll because they have a loved one who is ill and they discover how difficult it is to care for them.

“They’ve just been through that with their loved one, and they’re now wanting to help others,” she said, adding that it’s rare to have five students enrolled who aspire to become doctors or surgeons. “The maturity level that these five have is incredible for their age. They’re just so focused and wanting to go for it. That is so impressive to me. They’re very intelligent.”

Peter Blain, BSEP manager, said his organization has sent students to STCC for the past few years. The timing works well, he said, because students can start the CNA program in June after they graduate from high school. After they receive certification, they will work as CNAs as part of a 200-hour internship.

“We have a number of students who work while going through college,” Blain said, adding that he is impressed with the five students enrolled in the STCC course. “It’s a good group. They are all very motivated and interested. Our philosophy is, we provide the opportunity, and they make something of it. We emphasize for the student that if they’re passive, they won’t get much out of the program.”

The CNA course at STCC provides an invaluable opportunity for students dreaming of a healthcare career to work around patients, Blain added. “Any understanding of clinical or patient care is going to be a huge plus.”

Orgera-McNamara praised the Baystate program for helping to steer young people toward a health career — and opening their eyes to some of the tough jobs in the industry. The STCC CNA course trains healthcare workers to take on difficult activities such as bathing and feeding residents of a facility.

“This whole program is a hidden gem in our community. So many people are going to be served by their commitment to providing care. A good aide is worth their weight in platinum,” she said.

“A good aide can make or break your entire facility,” she went on. “They’re the front line. They’re constantly interacting with the family. They’re constantly interacting with the resident. It’s important that their behavior and their skill level is excellent. That’s what I ask for — excellence. I see their potential, and I push them.”

STCC will offer an evening version of the CNA course starting Aug 7. A day program will begin Oct. 10. For more information on these and other courses and to enroll online, visit www.stcc.edu/wt, call (413) 755-4225, or e-mail [email protected].

Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative to Host Posh Picnic July 23

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LENOX — Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative will host its fourth annual Posh Picnic at Tanglewood on Sunday, July 23. All proceeds will help fund BFMC’s educational initiatives.

The event begins at noon with the opening of the Tanglewood gates. Guests will be greeted with appetizers and a make-your-own-bloody-Mary bar, thanks to sponsor Berkshire Mountain Distillers. The event will also feature an eclectic silent auction, with items including a VIP invitation to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, house seats to Come from Away on Broadway, tickets to a Lion’s Gate premiere, and many more.

This year, the Posh Picnic honoree is art director and production designer Carl Sprague, an active member of BFMC’s board of directors whose credits include work with Wes Anderson, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese, to name a few. Attendees will have a chance to bid on Sprague’s signed artwork at the silent auction.

The winners of BFMC’s first annual Short Screenplay Competition will be announced at the picnic. This contest was open to all local amateur screenwriters. The picnic lunch will be catered by Gourmet Caterers of Boston.

At 2:30 p.m., the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s afternoon concert will feature Ken-David Masur conducting Kernis, Prokofiev, and Tchaikovsky, featuring pianist Nikolai Lugansky.

To register, click here. For more information, contact [email protected].

TommyCar Auto Group Awards Two Scholarships

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Daily News

HADLEY — TommyCar Auto Group awarded two students each with a $1,000 scholarship to attend college this fall. Lily Rogers and Allison Jenks were chosen from among more than 100 applications sent by local students. Rogers, of Northampton High School, will attend Yale University, while Jenks, of Hopkins Academy, will attend the University of Connecticut. Both students demonstrated excellence in the classroom and in the community.

The Tom Cosenzi Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Thomas E. Cosenzi. When Cosenzi passed away in 2009, it was not only ownership of the TommyCar Auto Group that passed to his children, Carla and Thomas, but his legacy of giving back to the community.

“The Tom Cosenzi Scholarship is dedicated to assisting high-school graduates in furthering their education,” said Carla Cosenzi, president of Tommy Car Auto Group. “The combination of academic achievement and community leadership exhibited by these students underscores the core values of this scholarship.”

Home Health Aide Graduates Honored at STCC Ceremony

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Home Health Aide program at Springfield Technical Community College has given Rhonda Skinner more than just skills to care for the elderly and people with disabilities.

“When I walked through that door, my life changed,” said Skinner, one of 18 graduates who were honored with certificates at a ceremony on July 7. “All of it has impacted my life more than I thought it would. It’s made me stronger. I thought I was confident before, but now I’m even more confident.”

Skinner and her classmates received certificates after successfully completing a program administered by Training and Workforce Options (TWO), a collaboration between STCC and Holyoke Community College.

The program was supported by a 2016 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Training Resources and Internship Networks (TRAIN) Program. Because the grant ended this year, Skinner’s class represented the fourth and final cohort of TRAIN home health aide graduates.

Sharon Grundel, director of Healthcare Training Development for TWO, said she hopes the state will revisit funding for the program. While a stand-alone course is not currently offered, anyone seeking training as a home health aide can enroll in the Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Plus program at STCC.

Grundel said 50 people graduated from the four cohorts, and the majority of them have landed jobs.

The graduates are highly sought after by employers, said Dr. Arlene Rodriguez, Vice President of Academic Affairs at STCC. “It is one of the highest-demand occupations, not only in the Springfield area, but throughout the Commonwealth.”

Lisa Gentile, nurse case manager at Porchlight VNA/Home Care in Chicopee, said her agency has hired several of the program’s graduates.

“There’s a huge demand,” she noted. “Within the next 10 years, we won’t have enough caregivers to meet the need. We’re constantly working on filling our schedule every day. The referrals just constantly come in, and we’re struggling to meet the need. It’s not just us. It’s every home-care agency.”

While some are new to the field, other graduates had been working as home health aides or personal-care attendants and needed certification. All participants received OSHA-10 certifications, National Career Readiness Certificate preparation and testing, and first aid and CPR certification. They also received career-pathway advising about the healthcare industry, especially how an entry-level position such as a home health aide or personal-care attendant can lead to job and wage advancement.

Gentile called the Home Health Aide Program at STCC “super important” to agencies like Porchlight because it provides valuable training and produces quality employees. “We just hired some from the last class. You can just see they’re a notch above the rest. They’re worth their weight in gold.”

Berkshire Bank Promotes Joseph Marullo

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced the promotion of Joseph Marullo to senior vice president, Commercial Relationship manager from his current position of vice president.

Marullo will continue to be responsible for growing both commercial and industrial business, as well as commercial real-estate lending. In addition, he will expand relationships with products and services offered through the bank’s other business lines, including cash management, wealth management, insurance, private banking, and retail banking.

Marullo has 15 years of banking experience and has been with Berkshire Bank since 2006. Prior to joining the bank, he held the position of commercial credit analyst with TD Bank, where he received formal credit training.

“For the past 11 years, Joe has been an integral part of the Pioneer Valley commercial team, making significant contributions to the bank’s growth and success in the local market,” said Jim Hickson, senior vice president, commercial regional president.

Marullo holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Quinnipiac University and an MBA from UMass.

Tanzania Cannon-Ecklerle Named One of Top Women in Law

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Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Royal, P.C. congratulates Tanzania (Tanzi) Cannon-Eckerle on her honor as one of the Top Women of Law, as published by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. The award was presented for her efforts in the diligent practice of law, community involvement, and high ethical standards.

Cannon-Ecklerle currently serves as owner, general manager, and general counsel for Brew Practitioners in Florence. She successfully balances this with her role as chief development officer at Royal, P.C. She is the third attorney from the firm to be bestowed this award; previous Royal honorees include Amy Royal (2012) and Rosemary Nevins (2013).

Beverly Orloski Named Top Loan Originator in Western Mass.

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — At the recent 2017 Mid-Year Mortgage Conference, the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman magazine, released its annual report of the top mortgage originators in Massachusetts. Beverly Orloski, vice president and mortgage consultant at PeoplesBank, was named as the top loan originator by volume in Western Mass. She was listed as the top loan originator by volume in the market in 2015 and 2016 as well.

“What makes Bev the number-one consultant in Western Massachusetts is her ability to get the customers comfortable with the process and work with the team in the background to make it all happen seamlessly,” said James Sherbo, senior vice president, Consumer Lending at PeoplesBank.

Added Orloski, “the thing I like most about this job is working with the people. You get a certain satisfaction because you take them all the way through the process, from the time they first sit with you through their closing. That can be typically 30 to 60 days, and you’re interacting with them the whole time.”

A resident of South Deerfield, Orloski has more than 30 years of financial and banking experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Elms College and is a graduate of the American Bankers Assoc. Residential and Commercial Lending School. She is a member of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley.

Blue Sox, BusinessWest to Host Running of the Mayors on July 19

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — On Wednesday, July 19, the Valley Blue Sox and BusinessWest will present the Running of the Mayors charity event during the Blue Sox game vs. the Winnipesaukee Muskrats at MacKenzie Stadium. Game time is 6:35 p.m., with the mayors set to dash before the seventh inning.

The Running of the Mayors will have several local sponsors who will put money up for their mayor to participate in the race on behalf of their local Boys and Girls Club. The mayors — which include Springfield’s Domenic Sarno, Chicopee’s Richard Kos, Holyoke’s Alex Morse, Westfield’s Brian Sullivan and West Springfield’s Will Reichelt, with more to be announced — will race down the right field line in a short sprint, past first base and to home plate. The first mayor to cross the finish line wins a matching donation to their local Boys & Girls Club, allowing them to double their money. A bonus donation will go to the best-dressed mayor.

“Being an old catcher, who wore the ‘tools of ignorance,’ yes, I’m in,” Sarno said. “Even though my playing days are over, I’m doing it for a good cause, and a good laugh too.”

Westfield Bank Announces Seven Promotions

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Daily News

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank announced that Richard Hanchett has been promoted to senior vice president/Commercial Loan officer. Meanwhile, six other Westfield Bank employees have been promoted to vice president, including Bryan Cowan, Cathy Jocelyn, William Judd, Sarah Medeiros, Kelly Pignatare, and Rick Zabielski.

A 34-year veteran of the local banking industry, Hanchett joined Westfield Bank in 2007 as vice president/Commercial Loan officer. As team leader of the bank’s Commercial Loan Division since 2015, he manages a group of seven lenders in addition to maintaining a large loan portfolio. Prior to joining Westfield Bank, he spent 24 years at the former Westbank, rising through its Commercial Credit Department to senior credit analyst before becoming a Commercial Loan officer in 1986.

Civically engaged, Hanchett currently serves on the Springfield Chamber of Commerce legislative steering committee and education & workforce development subcommittee, and is on the board of the Work Opportunity Center in Agawam. He is a graduate of Western New England University.

Cowan, who has been promoted to vice president/Finance, started his career at Westfield Bank in 2001, advancing to accounting associate, then staff accountant by 2005. He was named assistant vice president in 2014 as he developed his skills in financial reporting, forecasting, interest-rate risk, liquidity management, and data analytics. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and an MBA and master’s degree in finance from Northeastern University.

Jocelyn, now vice president/Marketing manager, joined the bank eight years ago as Online Banking coordinator; shortly after, she moved to the Marketing Department as Marketing coordinator, was promoted to Marketing manager, then assistant vice president/Marketing manager, in which position she holds responsibilities for bank advertising, branding, sponsorships, and charitable giving, among other duties. She has extensive experience in the banking industry, and holds an associate’s degree from Bay Path University.

Judd, who has been promoted to vice president/Credit Administration, started with the bank as a teller in 1997, moving to the Commercial Loan Group in 2001, becoming Credit Department manager in 2007. In 2012 he was promoted to assistant vice president/Credit Administration; in that role, he has been instrumental in the development of the bank’s commercial-credit underwriting process and in training new credit analysts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University and an MBA from Northeastern University.

Medeiros, now vice president/Commercial Credit, began her banking career in 2011 as a commercial credit analyst at Chicopee Savings Bank, quickly advancing to Credit Department manager, then assistant vice president in 2013. She has been instrumental in the development of a credit-administration structure to support Westfield Bank’s $1.1 billion commercial portfolio. A former CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP and director in Risk Management for Forest City Enterprises, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a minor in Finance from Providence College.

Pignatare, who has been promoted to vice president/regional manager, joined the bank in 2007 following five years of experience in the local banking industry as an online banking and cash-management specialist, branch-administration manager, and business-development officer. At Westfield Bank, she quickly advanced to assistant vice president, Small Business Sales manager, then regional manager and assistant VP, Sales Administration and market analyst. She attended Holyoke Community College.

Zabielski, now vice president/Underwriting and Processing manager, has been with the bank since 1996, holding a number of positions before his most recent role as assistant vice president/Underwriting and Processing manager for Retail Lending; he has experience as a consumer loan underwriter, mortgage originator, and manager of the bank’s loan center. In his new role, he is also responsible for underwriting and processing of residential lending, home-equity, and consumer loans.

“I am delighted to announce these well-earned promotions,” said James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank. “Rick Hanchett is a natural leader and a talented banker who will continue to strengthen our relationships with local businesses. Many of our customers count on Rick for clear, effective advice when making their most important decisions, and he’s earned that trust. And when I look at our new VPs, I’m impressed by their hard work and dedication to always putting our customers first. These qualities have resulted in successes for the people they serve, and for Westfield Bank — guiding us successfully through our recent merger with Chicopee Savings Bank, and helping us rise to the top echelons of our region’s banking industry. They’re role models and simply great bankers.”

Webster Bank Taps Alice Ferreira for Senior Communications Role

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Daily News

WATERBURY, Conn. — Webster Bank has named Alice Ferreira as senior vice president of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. She is responsible for all external and internal communications, public relations, and government affairs for the bank, and will oversee the bank’s community-affairs and philanthropy efforts. She reports to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Dawn Morris.

“Alice is a strategic communications leader with more than 20 years of business-to- business and consumer-communications experience and a proven record of delivering high-impact, measurable results that enhance reputation, increase employee engagement, and drive growth,” said Morris.

Ferreira joins Webster from UnitedHealthcare, where she was vice president, Corporate Communications for its Medicaid Division, overseeing corporate media relations, internal communications, crisis management, and thought-leadership programs. Prior to that, she was director of corporate communications for HealthNet’s $10 billion Northeast Division.

Ferreira serves as honorary chair of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Conn., and is a member of the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

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