BusinessWest Staff, Author at BusinessWest

ORANGE — Dress for Success Western Massachusetts (DFSWM) will host a pop-up boutique for all residents within Franklin County at American Legion Post 172, 40 Daniel Shays Highway, Orange, on Friday, April 26.

Area residents can come and receive free work-appropriate clothing between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. New and gently used clothing was donated to Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, which covers all four counties in Western Mass.

Local DFSWM programs include the Foot in the Door workforce-readiness program, the Margaret Fitzgerald Mentorship Program, the Professional Women’s Group, a digital-literacy program, and the suiting program.

Dress for Success thanks the area businesses who helped collect donations, as well as the Delta Kappa Gamma Alpha Mu sorority, which helped with collecting, sorting, and hanging the clothes received, as well as creating outfits. Work-appropriate donations will still be accepted at American Legion Post 172 through April 26.

For additional information about the pop-up boutique, email Volunteer Engagement Manager Diane Jacobs at [email protected].

Comcast Delivers Gig Speeds to Xfinity Mobile Customers on Millions of WiFi Hotspots

PHILADELPHIA — Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business Mobile devices can now connect to millions of new Xfinity Mobile hotspots and receive internet speeds over WiFi up to 1 gigabit per second. By delivering a faster connection over Xfinity’s WiFi network, Comcast is helping ensure customers can stream, game, chat, download, and surf wherever they are.

Today, 90% of the mobile data traffic on Xfinity Mobile devices travels over WiFi, not cellular. With more than 23 million WiFi hotspots giving customers a speed boost, Xfinity Mobile aims to deliver a better experience to support data-intensive applications when traditional cellular networks can’t keep up. Comcast has invested more than $20 billion over the past five years to upgrade and expand the Xfinity network and introduce new, innovative features like WiFi Boost to support the constantly increasing number of connected devices consumers use both inside and outside of the home.

“We’re supercharging hotspots to unlock the full potential of our customers’ mobile devices and give you the boost you need, when you need it, to download a large file, stream a live sporting event, or host an important video call,” said Kohposh Kuda, senior vice president of Xfinity Mobile, Comcast. “A billion devices connect to WiFi over our network because it delivers a superior experience. We’ve invested billions of dollars in a network that can support the massive growth in data consumption, and our WiFi Boost upgrade is a huge win for our mobile customers.”

For more information or to sign up for Xfinity Mobile, visit an Xfinity store or www.xfinity.com/mobile.

Rachel Dionne of Polish National Credit Union Joins Providence Ministries Board

Rachel Dionne

CHICOPEE — Polish National Credit Union (PNCU) announced that Rachel Dionne, assistant vice president and credit risk officer, has joined the board of directors of Providence Ministries.

PNCU, a full-service community credit union, is committed to meeting community needs and fostering growth. The organization emphasizes community engagement through corporate leadership and volunteerism.

“We encourage our team members to actively participate in community and volunteer activities,” said Mike Sugrue, executive vice president at PNCU. “Currently, our employees are engaged with around 40 local organizations through board or committee roles. Rachel’s decision to join the Providence Ministries board is commendable, and we are excited for the board to benefit from her insights.”

Dionne is dedicated to community service. Her volunteer work includes more than a half-decade on the board of trustees for Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School, membership on the school’s finance committee, involvement in a youth ministry group, service on the Southampton Finance Committee, and as an eucharistic minister at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Westfield. She now adds the Providence Ministries board membership to her list of contributions.

Providence Ministries, a nonprofit organization serving the Greater Holyoke region since 1980, offers life-sustaining and transformative programs to those in need. Sr. Margaret McCleary, SP founded Providence Ministries, which includes McCleary Manor, Broderick House, Loreto House, Kate’s Kitchen, Margaret’s Pantry, and St. Jude’s Clothing Store. They are affiliated with and sponsored by the Sisters of Providence.

“I am thrilled to join the board of directors for Providence Ministries,” Dionne said. “Their impactful work in providing essential needs like food, clothing, and shelter, as well as sober housing for men in recovery, is inspiring. I look forward to contributing to the mission.”

With nearly 35 years of experience in accounting and finance, Dionne joined PNCU in 2017. In her role, she analyzes complex commercial financial information, oversees commercial lending policies, and manages loan administration, loan servicing, and credit teams. She is a two-time graduate of American International College (AIC) with degrees in accounting and nonprofit management.

Picture This

WFD members simulate bringing a student into the decontamination tent

Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

Practice Makes Perfect

On April 13, a mass-casualty drill was held at Baystate Noble Hospital, a group collaboration between the Westfield Fire Department (WFD) and the hospital’s Emergency Department. In attendance were team members of the Nursing Flex team, Security, and more than 40 students from Elms College, Westfield State University, and Holyoke Community College.

Southwick High School student Abigail Grazia uses her moulage skills on herself and a dummy to add some striking realism.

WFD members simulate bringing a student into the decontamination tent

Home Stretch

At a festive reception on April 2, the Irish Cultural Center (ICC) of Western New England announced the formal launch of its capstone capital campaign to raise the final $2 million needed to complete its facility at 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield. Funds raised will be used to complete the Community Performance Center.

From left: Frank Quigley, ICC co-Vice President Kevin O’Connor, West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, ICC co-Vice President Ed Sullivan, and ICC President Sean Cahillane

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, honorary campaign chair, speaks at the reception

Career Exploration

Every other Saturday this spring, 16 area high-school students get a hands-on experience working with talking patient simulators at Springfield Technical Community College as part of the STCC Career Connections Academy, a state-funded program designed to expose high-school students to high-demand industry options such as business administration, healthcare, and social assistance.

Daniel O’Neill, patient simulation information coordinator at STCC, talks to the students

West Springfield High School student Nahla Williams works with a patient simulator

Wesley Carter, director of the STCC Career Connections Academy

Agenda

Agenda

Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR

Through May 5: Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR has come to Hartford, Conn. for the first time ever. A colourful homage to Cirque du Soleil legacy, BAZZAR opened on April 6 and will continue its performances until May 5 at Under the Big Top on Market Street. The show features acrobatic disciplines such as teeterboard, acrobike, contortion, duo rollerskates, duo trapeze, aerial rope, hair suspension, fire manipulation, slackline, and music performed live on stage. Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR is intended to be an eclectic lab of creativity where a joyful troupe of acrobats, dancers, and musicians craft an awe-inspiring spectacle. Led by their maestro, they band together to invent a whimsical, one-of-a-kind universe. In a place where the unexpected is expected, the colourful group imagines, builds, and invents vibrant scenes in an artistic and acrobatic game. The high-energy excitement, collision of sounds and colors, and meeting place of diverse characters one might find at a traditional bazaar inspired the name of the show. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/bazzar.

Alumni Achievement Award Nominations

Through May 10: When BusinessWest launched its 40 Under Forty program in 2007, it did so to identify rising stars across our region — individuals who were excelling in business and through involvement within the community — and celebrate their accomplishments. In 2015, BusinessWest announced a new award, one that builds on the foundation upon which 40 Under Forty was created. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award. As the name suggests, it is presented to the 40 Under Forty honoree who, in the eyes of an independent panel of judges, has most impressively continued and built upon his or her track record of accomplishment. Candidates must be from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007 to 2023. The 2024 Alumni Achievement Award finalists will be profiled in the June 10 edition of BusinessWest, and the honoree will be announced at the 40 Under Forty gala on June 20. The presenting sponsor of the Alumni Achievement Award is Health New England.

Visit businesswest.com/40-under-forty/alumniachievementaward for the nomination form, and visit businesswest.com/40-under-forty/40underforty for a list of the past 40 Under Forty classes.

Rev. Hugh Crean Lecture

May 1: Elms College and the St. Augustine Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture will present the fifth annual Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished Lecture in Catholic Thought at 4:30 p.m. The lecture, which will take place in person in the college’s Alumnae Library Theater, was rescheduled from its initial April 4 date. The distinguished speaker for this lecture is Dominic Doyle, associate professor of Systematic Theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (STM). The theme for Doyle’s remarks will be “Christian Humanism and the Theology of Hope.” Most recently, Doyle led STM’s Neuroscience Education for Theological Training grant from the Science for Seminaries program sponsored by the American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science/Dialogue on Science, Religion, and Ethics. He is currently working on a book exploring the history of theological virtues, tentatively titled Thematic Variations in Theological Virtue. To register, visit www.elms.edu/events/st-augustine-rev-hugh-crean-distinguished-lecture.

YWCA Golf Tournament

May 6: The YWCA of Western Massachusetts Golf Tournament will be held at Springfield Country Club, with registration now open online at ywworks.org. Proceeds of the charity golf tournament will support the Children Who Witness Violence program, which offers therapy for children who have witnessed or experienced abuse and violence. The Healthy and Empowering Relationship Education program of the YWCA, which helps Springfield middle- and high-schoolers learn about healthy relationships and friendships, will also benefit from proceeds raised at the tournament. Cost per golfer to participate in the tournament is $155, which includes golf, cart, lunch, dinner, and a quarter-zip jacket. There will be a raffle and cash bar at the country club. Individuals or organizations interested in registering or sponsoring the event can visit ywworks.org.

‘So You Think You Want to Join a Board?’

May 8, Aug. 14, Oct. 9: United Way of Pioneer Valley is introducing a learning component as part of its OnBoard board-readiness and matching program. Serving as an on-ramp to the popular annual board-matching event held each winter, “So You Think You Want to Join a Board?” is a three-part series geared toward individuals considering board-level volunteer opportunities. Through a conversational style of presentations by highly experienced nonprofit mentors in Western Mass., attendees will have the opportunity to learn, ask questions, network, and receive resources and tools to help them determine if board service is a good fit. Part one of “So You Think You Want to Join a Board?” will be facilitated by Shannon Mumblo, president of Shannon Mumblo Consulting Inc., who will review the unique role nonprofits play in the community ecosystem and what potential volunteers should be aware of as board members. This breakfast event will be held on Wednesday, May 8 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the TD Bank conference room at 1441 Main St., Springfield. Part two will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 14 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and will be facilitated by National Federation of Community Broadcasters CEO Rima Dael, who will provide participants with an understanding of board service as it relates to governance, fundraising, and basic financial oversight. The final event in the series will take place the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 9, and will be led by Sarah Tanner, a partner with Financial Development Agency, who will guide attendees in understanding what questions they need to ask nonprofits in order to determine a fit. All three of the learning sessions are free and will culminate in the OnBoard matching event on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 12.

VA Central Western Mass. Centennial Celebration

May 11: The VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System is commemorating a century of dedication to serving U.S. veterans. Established in 1924, the healthcare system has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of veterans, delivering compassionate care and innovative services. To honor this significant milestone, the VA invites the community to an event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 421 North Main St., Leeds. The festivities will include special events, recognition ceremonies, and opportunities for veterans and their families to connect with one another, as well as food, games, and fun for the whole family. For more information about the centennial celebration and upcoming events, visit www.va.gov/central-western-massachusetts-health-care or call Sarah Robinson, Public Affairs officer for the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, at (413) 584-4040, ext. 3532.

Pioneer Valley Conference for Women

May 9: The third annual Pioneer Valley Conference for Women will be held at Marriott Springfield Downtown from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The conference will be held in person and virtually. This year’s theme is “Unleashed.” Christina Royal will serve as emcee for the conference. The former president of Holyoke Community College, Royal is now president and CEO of Infinite Unlearning LLC, a woman-, BIPOC-, and queer-owned executive coaching and consultancy service supporting mid- to senior leaders and their organizations. Keynote speakers are Meghan Rothschild, president and owner of the marketing and public-relations firm Chikmedia, and Jessika Rozki, founder of Rozki Rides, a transportation service focusing on children and seniors. The conference will also feature 10 different panels that women can choose to attend in the morning and afternoon. The 30 panelists are all local women. Dianne Fuller Doherty will be presented with the Goddess Award, recognizing her many years of volunteer work on behalf of women. A comedy kickoff reception the night before the conference will feature comedian Jess Miller. Visit ow.ly/qgYJ50QK85h for more information or to purchase tickets. Event sponsors include M&T Bank, Westfield Bank, Liberty Bank, Country Bank, and USI.

Free Shred Days

June 8, 22: bankESB invites customers and members of the community to two free shred days at local offices. Events will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. (or until the truck is full) on the following dates and at locations: Saturday, June 8 at 770 Main St., Agawam; and Saturday, June 22 at 241 Northampton St., Easthampton (two trucks at this event). No appointment is necessary. Local residents can reduce their risk of identity theft by bringing old mail, receipts, statements or bills, canceled checks, pay stubs, medical records, or any other unwanted paper documents containing personal or confidential information and shredding them safely and securely for free. A professional document destruction company will be on site in the bank’s parking lot and can accept up to two boxes of documents per person.

40 Under Forty Gala

June 20: BusinessWest will celebrate the 18th annual 40 Under Forty at the MassMutual Center in Springfield with fine food, music, networking, and the presentation of the class of 2024, profiled in this issue and at businesswest.com. The 40 Under Forty sponsors include presenting sponsor PeoplesBank and partner sponsors the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Live Nation, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health. The event will also feature the announcement of the 10th annual Alumni Achievement Award, presented by Health New England. Tickets cost $125 per person (tables of 10 are available), and they go on sale on Monday, April 29 at 9 a.m. at businesswest.com/40-under-forty/40underforty.

Hooplandia

June 21-23: Registration is now open for Hooplandia, the second annual 3×3 basketball tournament and festival, at www.hooplandia.com. The three-day event includes levels of play for all ages and divisions. Hooplandia launched in 2023. Taking place in the heart of Greater Springfield, the birthplace of basketball, the event is hosted by Eastern States Exposition (ESE) in West Springfield and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. Most games will be played on the ESE grounds, with special games held at the Hall of Fame. Seventy-five basketball courts will be set up to accommodate more than 650 games played by approximately 2,100 participants of all ages. Divisions of play have been created to provide an all-inclusive environment for players of all ages and playing abilities. The diverse divisions include young girls, boys, women, men, high-school-level, college-level, OGs, veterans, and more. Players are invited to build teams of four, create their own unique team name and uniforms, and register at www.hooplandia.com. Team fees range according to age, and children in the under-8 category are free of charge. Hooplandia will once again partner with Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the region as its designated philanthropic partner, providing $10 from every paid team registration to support the mission and programs of the clubs. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For inquiries, email [email protected].

Yidstock

July 11-14: Tickets are now on sale for Yidstock: the Festival of New Yiddish Music. Now in its 12th year, Yidstock brings the best in klezmer and new Yiddish music to the stage at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. Highlights this year will include the Klezmatics, Frank London, Eleanor Reissa, Judy Bressler, Daniel Kahn, and many more. Concert passes are available and include admission to all concerts and the two dance workshops. Individual tickets are also available for purchase for those who can only attend for part of the weekend. This year, livestream concert passes will allow friends from afar to experience Yidstock from the comfort of their homes. These passes only include access to the seven concerts; they do not include access to talks, workshops, or the film screening. Visit yiddishbookcenter.org/yidstock for more information and to purchase tickets.

People on the Move

People on the Move

Ricard Torres-Mateluna

Jillian Duclos

The Northampton Jazz Festival has welcomed two new board members who bring broad skills and deep experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, community organizing, and music from world cultures. They are Ricard Torres-Mateluna, who joined last month, and Jillian Duclos, who joined the board in September 2023. After earning a bachelor’s degree in politics at Mount Holyoke College as a Francis Perkins Scholar in 2017, Duclos became a grass-roots organizer, a driver of workforce development, and then a business owner. Now, as executive director of the Downtown Northampton Assoc., she collaborates with city leaders, downtown organizations, and community members to drive economic development for downtown Northampton and provide a safety net to local and small businesses who anchor the community. Torres-Mateluna is a brand and marketing strategist who thinks with a global perspective and seeks solutions at the local level. Over his more than 20 years in the field, he has successfully worked toward uplifting educational entities and nonprofit organizations, having worked in advertising agencies and startups — large and small, at home and abroad — run by people from all backgrounds. His current role is vice president of Marketing and Communications for the Springfield-based human services agency Viability Inc. Torres-Mateluna has been a jazz lover since childhood and is also a member of the editorial board and U.S. correspondent for Papeles de Jazz magazine in his native Chile.

•••••

Lee Craig

Freedom Credit Union recently hired Lee Craig as its senior vice president and chief financial officer. Bringing three decades of leadership experience in credit-union operations and compliance, Craig will lend his expertise to planning, directing, and controlling Freedom’s overall financial plans and policies, accounting practices, and relationships with lending institutions and the financial community. He comes to Freedom after 23 years as CFO at MassMutual Federal Credit Union, where he was responsible for the operation’s overall financial condition, information-technology oversight, compliance management, and strategic planning. He also previously served as principal examiner at the National Credit Union Administration. A member of the Credit Union National Assoc. CFO Council and Compliance Council and a past member of Fiserv’s user advisory board, Craig served on the town of Westhampton’s Finance Committee for several years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University.

•••••

Reinaldo Román

Joshua Burgos

Pittsfield Cooperative Bank announced the hiring of Reinaldo Román as vice president, branch officer. In this role, he will manage the institution’s branch operations at its main office located at 70 South St., Pittsfield. Additionally, he will assist the organization with its further development of Spanish-focused materials. Román joins the bank after a successful 23-year tenure at Greylock Federal Credit Union. He has extensive experience in branch operations and management, business development, retail lending, and customer relations. He received his business administration in banking degree from Berkshire Community College. The bank also announced the hiring of Joshua Burgos as its new Business Development and Cash Management officer. In this role, he will oversee the multitude of cash transactions for the institution’s commercial customers as well as manage business deposits, real estate, and non-real-estate loans. Burgos joins the bank after working most recently at Canyon Ranch as a senior accountant. He has 10 years of experience working in financial services, having served in positions at MassMutual and Greylock Federal Credit Union. He has an associate degree in business administration from Cambridge College, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Capella University, and will be completing his MBA from UMass Amherst this fall.

•••••

Colin D’Amour

The board of directors of Big Y Foods Inc. announced the appointment of Colin D’Amour as senior director of asset protection. In that role, he will lead the asset protection team, develop and execute future strategies, deploy new technologies, build relationships with law enforcement and other regulatory agencies, and foster both education and growth within the department. D’Amour began working as a service clerk at Big Y Supermarkets in 1998 at age 14. From there, he held several positions, including produce clerk, warehouse selector, and construction/remodel store projects coordinator. In 2007, he accepted a commission with the U.S. Marine Corps as second lieutenant, serving with distinction and ultimately earning the rank of captain. In 2010, he was deployed to Helmand, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2014, D’Amour left active duty in the Marines and returned to Big Y by entering into its store director training program. Since then, his career has included several roles, including store director, corporate center store sales director, senior manager of procurement, and, most recently, senior director of the Big Y Express division. He was also a project manager for the expansion of the Fresh and Local Distribution Center and is a member of Big Y’s real estate and store design committees. In addition, he oversees multiple programs and initiatives with Topco, an $18 billion cooperative that provides aggregation, innovation, and management solutions to its leading food-industry members across the country. A graduate of Boston College, D’Amour holds personal decorations from his military service, including both the Navy and Marine Corps commendation and achievement medals. He is the grandson of Big Y co-founder Gerald D’Amour and son of Executive Chairman Charles D’Amour.

•••••

Myranda Nasworthy

Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAi) has expanded its digital public-relations capacity by adding Myranda Nasworthy, an experienced video producer. Armed with GCAi’s new G7x vlogging cameras, Nasworthy worked on client videos before she started at the company. She will work in GCAi’s new edit suite, including a 2024 Apple Mac Studio. She is also equipped with a 2024 Macbook Pro for remote video editing. She is already working with a new GODOX lighting kit used at GCAi’s 24th-floor studios in Tower Square to produce 10 videos for an award program. Nasworthy shot and worked on all the edits with co-producer Nate Dion. She has also worked with GCAi’s West Coast team to produce 9:16 videos for Reels and TikTok. A former associate producer of New England Public Media’s Emmy-nominated quiz show, As Schools Match Wits. Nasworthy is a summa cum laude graduate of Westfield State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in media arts & analysis. Her skill set includes operating Sony, Canon, Panasonic, and Nikon filming equipment and studio, control-room, and field equipment. She also is experienced in working with Adobe Premiere Pro, Lightroom, Dreamweaver, and Final Cut Pro.

•••••

Monson Savings Bank announced its second annual President’s Award recipients. This year’s award has been presented to Sara Rodrigues, assistant vice president and Commercial Loan Operations officer, Bridget Bunce, Bank Secrecy Act analyst. The President’s Award is an opportunity to acknowledge those who consistently represent the bank’s mission and values through their commitment to customer service, the community, teamwork, and excellence. Rodrigues joined the Monson Savings Bank family in February 2013. She consistently represents the bank at many local events and has volunteered for numerous organizations, such as Revitalize CDC, the United Way of Pioneer Valley, and I Found Light Against All Odds. Bunce started with Monson Savings in October 2021 as a Deposit Operations administrator and was promoted to her current position in August 2023. She is always eager to lend a hand and has helped at several bank-sponsored events in 2022 and 2023.

•••••

Jeffrey Siegel

Fierst Bloomberg Ohm LLP announced that Jeffrey Siegel has become a partner of the firm. Having earned his juris doctorate at the University of Connecticut School of Law and his master of laws in taxation at the New York University of School of Law, Siegel has more than 35 years of experience assisting individuals with their estate-planning, tax-planning, probate and trust administration, and corporate law needs.

•••••

Paul Haible, executive director of the Peace Development Fund (PDF) for the past 20 years, announced his plans to retire on April 30. Under Haible’s leadership, PDF amplified its focus to include a broad range of social-justice issues and movements; expanded its footprint to include a regional office in San Francisco, where he was based; and increased its international scope to include funding to Haiti, Mexico, and the Middle East. He collaborated with the board to launch several initiatives engaging a range of issue constituencies, including a national environmental-justice initiative that spanned a decade, a cross-border initiative, and a national criminal-justice-reform movement. He was instrumental in creating PDF’s capacity-building program to fiscally sponsor more than 40 organizations and led PDF’s recent Indigenous Land Back work.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook

TMGC LLC Acquires Thomas Memorial Golf & Country Club

TURNERS FALLS — On April 3, Kyle and Kelly Snow, as well as Kyle’s father, Edward Snow Jr., acting as TMGC LLC, purchased the Thomas Memorial Golf & Country Club in Turners Falls. The Snow family, who own and operate Northfield Golf Course and Snow & Sons Landscaping in Greenfield, purchased the 55-acre property from the Thomas family with assets acquired from the Thomas Memorial Golf & Country Club board of directors. The acquisition also includes two private residences, an event space, a clubhouse, and a maintenance building. While membership rates will stay level with the 2023 season, the Snows plan to make immediate improvements to the grounds and clubhouse, including a facelift of the common areas and restrooms. These updates are part of a comprehensive three- to five-year improvement plan the Snow family developed to ensure that Thomas Memorial Golf remains a leading local course and offers a unique Franklin County experience for golfers at all levels of play. The Snow family plans to create a synergy between Northfield Golf Club and Thomas Memorial Golf that will benefit both courses.

Excel Dryer Pioneers Blueprint for Healthy, Sustainable Workplaces

EAST LONGMEADOW — Excel Dryer recently unveiled a comprehensive office expansion and renovation project. This initiative, rooted in the company’s mission to lead through innovation, aimed to merge beauty, health, wellness, and sustainability into its workplace. The project’s insights and methodologies are set to educate through a unique continuing education unit (CEU) course offered by Architectural Record magazine in its Continuing Education Center, serving as a detailed roadmap of Excel Dryer’s innovative journey. Guided by the WELL Building Standard as a principal framework, the renovation serves as a case study showcasing Excel’s commitment to integrating the latest and most effective products in support of occupant well-being, productivity, and environmental sustainability. This initiative aims to inspire and educate not just architects, designers, and the construction community, but also owners and facility managers, offering insights into the practical application of sustainability and health-focused principles in commercial interiors and demonstrating Excel Dryer’s leading role in the movement toward more responsible workplace design. The Architectural Record’s CEU course provides a focused overview on the intersection of modern design, health standards, and sustainability in commercial architecture. It provides information on the multiple innovative products used to achieve WELL certification and explores the evolution of hygiene and sustainability post-pandemic, highlighting the importance of touchless technologies in public restrooms to prevent illness. Ultimately, the course showcases how integrated design solutions can promote health, efficiency, and environmental stewardship in commercial spaces.

YWCA Awarded $111,111 Grant for Violence-prevention Program

SPRINGFIELD — The YWCA of Western Massachusetts recently received $111,111.11 from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for its youth violence-prevention program, called the H.E.R.E. (Healthy Empowering Relationships and Education) Project. This evidence-based project has been successfully embedded in many Springfield middle and high schools for about 18 months. With this new grant funding, the YWCA intends to hire additional staff to reach more youth within area schools beyond Springfield. The H.E.R.E. Project’s curriculum is specifically developed for teens, inclusive of all genders, and designed for applicability across gender, ethnicity, sexual identities, and socio-economic backgrounds. It specifically targets Springfield youth ages 12-18 and aims to educate youth at risk for teen dating violence, sex trafficking of minors, and gang violence. During these classes, YWCA employees use varied teaching methods such as games, small and large group work, and role playing. YWCA staff visit the participating middle and high schools once per week for eight weeks, and since the start of the program more than 18 months ago, the H.E.R.E. Project has served about 600 students.

Incorporations

Incorporations

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

AGAWAM

Wang Friendly’s Inc., 19 Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Yingying Wang, same. Food sales.

BLANDFORD

Baypoint Floristry and Events Inc., 56 Otis Tolland Road, Blandford, MA 01008. Tammy Saloomey Tavernia, same. Florist shop and related activities.

CHICOPEE

Opt for Nature Inc., 140 Padgette St., Unit E, Chicopee, MA 01022. Shahid Habib, 19 Spring Meadows, South Hadley, MA 01075. Brand holder of dietary supplements.

Wang China Star Inc., 80 Main St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Yingying Wang, same. Restaurant.

EASTHAMPTON

Reynolds Purified Water Inc., 6 Morin Dr., Easthampton, MA 01027. Bradford Reynolds, same. Water-purification systems.

FEEDING HILLS

A&A Remodel Co., 30 Logan Place, Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Andrii Prus, same. Sales and installation of windows and doors.

GREENFIELD

Franklin County Police Cadet Program Inc., 28 Forest Ave., Greenfield, MA 01301. Jason Haskins, same. Corporation established to create a safe and enjoyable environment for its youthful members; allow each cadet to develop healthy relationships with other youth and adults with similar interests; instill and develop self-confidence; teach respect and self-discipline, acceptable social values and behavior, responsibility, self-sufficiency, personal tolerance, and patience; expose members to the importance of positive police and community relations; learn how to act efficiently under stressful situations; and more.

HOLYOKE

Tru-Clear Window Cleaning Inc., 145 Westfield Road, Holyoke, MA 01040. Jared Martinez, same. Residential and commercial window cleaning.

PITTSFIELD

Conference on Language Modeling Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Alexander Rush, 385 Union Ave., #2A, New York, NY 11211. Conference on language modeling consisting of a series of professional meetings.

Missouri Dental Insurance Services Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Jacky Clay Standlee, same. Insurance sales.

TKT Enterprises Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Tracey Twarog, same. Health insurance, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare supplement plans, and prescription drug plans.

SOUTH HADLEY

Forbes and Sons Painting and Staining Inc., 63 Laurie Ave., South Hadley, MA 01075. Brad Forbes, same. Painting contractor.

SPRINGFIELD

AH Accounting and Tax Services Inc., 299 Carew St., Suite 134, Springfield, MA 01104. Abdillahi Hussein, same. Professional accounting and tax services.

Grandma’s Place Inc., 11 Moore St., Springfield, MA 01107. Dawn Hunter, same. Individual youth and adult mental-health services, including but not limited to social assistance, housing, and job-search assistance.

Titanium Springfield Inc., 1112 Bay St., Springfield, MA 01109. Muhammad Ali Saleem, same. Gas station.

Doing Business as Certificates

DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the months of March and April 2024.

AMHERST

Augusto Therapeutic Massage
401 Main St.
Debra Augusto

Dream Glimmers
85 Amity St., Apt. 201
Jennie Moss

Dungeon Delvers
30 Gatehouse Road, Unit 208
Aaron Damon-Rush

Heystack
34 Kingman Road
Prashant Shenoy

Just Body Glow LLC
17 Kellogg Ave.
Cheyquetta Charvis

Kim Chin-Gibbons
63 North Prospect St.
Kim Chin-Gibbons

Mt. Pollux Music
1301 South East St.
Dan Kennedy

Roger Sonier DDS
196 North Pleasant St., #13
Roger Sonier

Strategic Investigations
339 Potwine Lane
Philip Kass

Three P Painting
79 Tracy Circle
Mohamed Ben-Slama

BELCHERTOWN

Amherst Self Storage
1270 Federal St.
Alejandro Levins

Cole’s Pest Control
2 Canal Dr.
Nicole Balboni

Go with the Flow
1035 Federal St.
Julie Leahey, Elizabeth Eggleston

MVM Contracting
156 Stebbins St.
Michael Martins

Nutrition Genesis
20 Sheffield Dr.
Gina Headrick

Photosynthesis
279 Old Enfield Road
Marie Ciosek

Pretty Pickings
41 Doe Hollow
Renate Robinson

Revive and Thrive
786 Franklin St.
Elizabeth Moody

EASTHAMPTON

Conscious Soma
37 Hannum Brook Dr.
Virginia Wilke

Cleaners MultiServices
11 Princeton Ave.
Rubio Perez, Sergio Raiza

LauraLee Sampere-Gagnon, LICSW
23 Federal St.
LauraLee Sampere-Gagnon

R&R Properties
13 Northampton St.
Stephen Robinson

Robinson Properties
13 Northampton St.
Stephen Robinson

HOLYOKE

3 Brothers Auto Sales & Repair
522 Maple St.
Maple Street Sales Corp.

AE Outfitters Retail Co.
50 Holyoke St.
AE Outfitters Retail Co.

Clean Queen Car Wash
185 South St.
Richard Sherwood, Nicole Stasz

David Alger Consulting
1 Deer Run
David Alger

Los Supreme Latin Cuisine
50 Holyoke St.
Marielys Rosado Torres

Monsoon Bistro
50 Holyoke St.
Jin Rong Zhang

Pandora
50 Holyoke St.
Pandora Ventures LLC

Real Dry Waterproofing
137 Dupuis Road
Stephen Wall

Rewarding Tax Services
284 Maple St.
Lidia Rodriguez

Reyes Income Tax and Bookkeeping
2257 Northampton St.
Enrique Reyes

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Biscotti
11 Lombard St.
Berkshire Biscotti Inc.

Berkshire Concrete Repair
16 Hampshire St.
Michael Stewart Sr.

Berkshire Faceted Gemstones
494 Pomeroy Ave.
Daniel McMorris

Berkshire Fence Co.
1625 West Housatonic St.
Todd M. Driscoll Inc.

Berkshire Precision Paint Works
11 Myrtle St.
Berkshire Precision Paint Works LLC

BRC Transportation Service
120 Lyman St.
Bruno Rodrigues Camargos

Down the Garden Path
39 Windsor Ave.
William Morency

Email Overload Solutions
20 Lakecrest Dr.
Michael Einstein

Garden Blossoms Florist
97 First St.
Sean Colombari

Gino’s Pizza
1206 North St.
Filioglu LLC

Gustitos Boricuas
248 Dewey Ave.
Mariam Orengo

Hollywood Nails
351 North St.
Yen Thi Nguyen

Koto
795 Dalton Ave.
Sakura Hibachi Steakhouse Inc.

Peaslee’s Package & Variety
1 Wilson St.
Peaslee Inc.

Superior Sealcoat & Asphalt Service
19 Manchester Ave.
Superior Maintenance Group LLC

SOUTH HADLEY

Big Wide Smiles LLC
32 Willimansett St.
Karen Anne Lundsford

Teachin Beag LLC
112 River Road
Teachin Beag

Trinity Home Support LLC
52 Hadley St.
Trinity Home Support LLC

Wadsworth Birther and Family Care
16 Central Ave.
Taylor Wadsworth

WESTFIELD

Be There Travel
51 Court St.
Miyuki Johnson

Crispy Crepes
46 Chapel St.
Crispy Crepes

Green Groves Lawn Maintenance
5 Hickory Ave.
Green Groves Lawn Maintenance

Kettlebread Franchising Corp.
105 Meadow St.
Edward Grimaldi

Results in Wellness, LLC
93B Springfield Road
Results in Wellness, LLC

RKS Management
8 Dubois St.
Michael Stanley

Running Shoe Productions
273 Papermill Road
Running Shoe Productions

Savaria Painting
240 Sackett Road
Mark Savaria

Spritz Traveling Glow
22 Kellogg St.
Cynthia Barton

Storied Adventures
440 Falley Dr.
TJC Travel LLC

S.V. Tiling
31 Sunset Dr.
Serhii Vorobei

Triple 3 Racing
379 Russellville Road
Richard Miller

WEST SPRINGFIELD

AFC Urgent Care
18 Union St.
AFC Physicians of Massachusetts, P.C.

Asian Halal Market
20 River St.
Taqwa Inc.

Beauty Gate Salon & Spa
1646 Riverdale St.
Beauty Gate Salon & Spa

Custom Gutters
2385 Westfield St.
Custom Gutters

EpicVibe Production
117 Park Ave., Unit F3
EpicVibe Production

Guitar Center #556
935 Riverdale St.
Guitar Center Stores Inc.

Little George’s
2648 Westfield St.
Little George’s

Marties Floating Event Planning LLC
9 Willard Ave.
Marties Floating Event Planning LLC

Photography by Duval
439 Birnie Ave.
Madeline Duval Davidson

Pool Revolution
26 Fairview Ave.
Pool Revolution

Riverdale Inn
1500 Riverdale St.
Ram Sai LLC

Specialty Imported LLC
130 Allston Ave.
Specialty Imported LLC

Western Mass Hypnosis Center
201 Westfield St.
Western Mass Hypnosis Center

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies

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

Agyeiwaah, Afua
172 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/22/2024

Bordeau, Mary Ellen T.
29 High St., Apt. 1
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/27/2024

Casa, Gail C.
38 Honeysuckle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/30/2024

Cook, George Jayson
133 Donbray Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/21/2024

Corchado, Cindy Marie
83 Wilton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/18/2024

Curran, Christopher
10 Pleasant St., Apt. D
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/30/2024

Grogan, Kathleen P.
150 Oakland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/30/2024

Habib, Edward J.
19 L St., 1st Fl.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/27/2024

Hallock, Brian
191 Ashland St., Apt. 201
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/28/2024

Hector, James
67 Wentworth St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/21/2024

Jaskulski, Linda A.
23 Hancock St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/18/2024

Judd, Roger Gary
148 Templeton Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/25/2024

Kohm, Aaron M.
Kohm, Sarah F.
a/k/a Sugrue, Sarah F.
71 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/22/2024

Labonte, Edward
41 Biltmore St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/30/2024

Leduc, Scott R.
153 New Boston Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/19/2024

Lucey, Robert A.
77 Imperial Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/22/2024

Malanowski, Tim
206 Fairview Ave., Apt 1
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/21/2024

Medina, Eulogio Ferrer
70 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/27/2024

Melnik, Natalya
86 Sheri Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/18/2024

Miller, Russell A.
14 Madison St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/30/2024

Mogelinski, Carlos M.
42 Granville St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/28/2024

Morse, Shirley A.
174 Regency Park Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/30/2024

Mullarkey, Matthew James
Mullarkey, Nicole Marie
488 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/27/2024

Munoz, Jahayra
111 Manchester Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/22/2024

Murphy, Michael R.
97 Prokop Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/18/2024

Peck, Stephan
84 Telegraph Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/26/2024

Sears, Regina M.
73 Ontario St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/19/2024

Smith, Matthew J.
PO Box 399
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 13
Date: 03/30/2024

Sunderland, Matthew Whitney
132 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/27/2024

Velazquez, Osvaldo
Velazquez, Zoraida
80 Bircham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/20/2024

Wagner, Edward Bruce
180 Northampton St., Apt. L
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Date: 03/28/2024

Real Estate Transactions

Real Estate

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

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

1823 Hawley Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $777,000
Buyer: Ian Adams
Seller: Vincent M. Biggs
Date: 03/29/24

BUCKLAND

35 Avery Road
Buckland, MA 01339
Amount: $554,000
Buyer: Finnivan FT
Seller: Marc H. Dodson
Date: 03/26/24

139 Main St.
Buckland, MA 01330
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Albert E. Gray
Seller: Daniel Sonntag
Date: 03/29/24

DEERFIELD

Plain Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Friends Of The Franklin
Seller: Adella T. Wrobleski RET
Date: 03/22/24

251 River Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: John Decoursy
Seller: Robert W. Doyle
Date: 03/28/24

36 Thayer St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Anujkumar Dhamija
Seller: Nnpl TR
Date: 03/22/24

36 Thayer St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $333,828
Buyer: Nnlp TR
Seller: Bertha F. Markowski
Date: 03/22/24

GILL

155 French King Hwy.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $794,450
Buyer: David Giard
Seller: Giknis, James A., (Estate)
Date: 03/22/24

Mountain Road
Gill, MA 01376
Amount: $794,450
Buyer: David Giard
Seller: Giknis James A., (Estate)
Date: 03/22/24

GREENFIELD

602 Bernardston Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Parliament Redemption LLC
Seller: Stoneleigh Burnham School
Date: 03/20/24

616 Bernardston Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Parliament Redemption LLC
Seller: Stoneleigh Burnham School
Date: 03/20/24

28 Colorado Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: 23-34 Colorado Ave. LLC
Seller: Allan E. Keyes
Date: 03/26/24

34 Colorado Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: 23-34 Colorado Ave. LLC
Seller: Allan E. Keyes
Date: 03/26/24

19 Highland Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $536,500
Buyer: Steven J. Cohen
Seller: Dzanc Books Inc.
Date: 03/29/24

155-165 Main St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,100,000
Buyer: Stonewall Entities LLC
Seller: Sherman Realty LLC
Date: 03/25/24

220-228 Main St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Frank X. Cid
Seller: John Toro
Date: 03/22/24

220-228 Main St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: John Toro
Seller: Rolling js LLC
Date: 03/22/24

56 Rockland Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Parliament Redemption LLC
Seller: Stoneleigh Burnham School
Date: 03/20/24

71-73 West St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Maureen Pollock
Seller: Peter Kuzmeskus
Date: 03/25/24

HAWLEY

198 West Hawley Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: Max Leh
Seller: Wayne R. Clark
Date: 03/26/24

90 West Hawley Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Wayne R. Clark
Seller: James M. Desrochers
Date: 03/26/24

LEVERETT

42 Cushman Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Nathan Y. Lumen
Seller: Michael L. Williams
Date: 03/29/24

MONTAGUE

39 Grove St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $317,774
Buyer: Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC
Seller: David M. Shea
Date: 03/26/24

ORANGE

25 2nd St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Ruth Isaac
Seller: Jericho Fellows
Date: 03/18/24

52 Briggs St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Eli Miller
Seller: Norman Bartlett
Date: 03/29/24

232 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $301,000
Buyer: Marvin Q. Turuy
Seller: Tyler Q. Grossman
Date: 03/27/24

673 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Lestter Quintero
Seller: Dale O. Killip
Date: 03/18/24

87 Enfield Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Christopher K. Hart
Seller: Melanson, Rhonda J., (Estate)
Date: 03/18/24

SHELBURNE

90 Mahawk Trail
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $895,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Hayes
Seller: Susan M. Broadhurs
Date: 03/19/24

SUNDERLAND

62 Howard Hepburn Dr.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $622,500
Buyer: Elizabeth Mayers
Seller: Ryan J. Shea
Date: 03/21/24

495 Montague Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Paul Jacobs
Seller: Laryssa Kachorowsky
Date: 03/20/24

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

7 Agnoli Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Haczynski Homes LLC
Seller: Linda M. Cardaropoli
Date: 03/20/24

22 Center St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Edward D. Foley
Seller: Mary A. Ruscio
Date: 03/20/24

42 Independence Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Rafael O. Cornier
Seller: Prime Partners LLC
Date: 03/18/24

31 Maple St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Zachary Riopelle
Seller: Maple Tree Rentals LLC
Date: 03/29/24

123-129 Riviera Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $740,000
Buyer: Yosmaira Deleon
Seller: Robert A. Desimone
Date: 03/26/24

106-108 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Oma Inc.
Seller: Chenevert Properties LLC
Date: 03/29/24

649-651 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $342,000
Buyer: Matthew Czepiel
Seller: Christopher J. Frawley
Date: 03/29/24

90 Stewart Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Edward Haskell
Seller: O’Neil, John, (Estate)
Date: 03/29/24

BLANDFORD

9 Cobble Mountain Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Pamela J. Coon
Seller: Beacon Home Buyers LLC
Date: 03/27/24

BRIMFIELD

59 Sutcliffe Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Zi M. Zhao
Seller: Sam Zhao
Date: 03/27/24

CHICOPEE

62 6th Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Frank Dingman
Seller: Debra J. Hilton
Date: 03/18/24

52 Access Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: William E. Poirier RET
Seller: Stefanie C. Adkison
Date: 03/29/24

157 Amherst St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Rebeca Rios
Seller: Rafael Cornier
Date: 03/18/24

94 Arthur St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $382,000
Buyer: Jose A. Negron
Seller: Wladyslaw Pikula
Date: 03/20/24

53 Barbara St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $427,000
Buyer: Allen Benzenhafer
Seller: Alexis A. Karwowski
Date: 03/26/24

34 Beauchamp Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Ricardo Ortiz
Seller: Alfredo R. Ortiz
Date: 03/26/24

13 Beston St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Citrus Property Investors LLC
Seller: Christine Drost
Date: 03/18/24

83 Bonner St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: William Raleigh
Seller: Lena A. Perez
Date: 03/22/24

589 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: David A. Deslauriers RET
Seller: James, Fred P., (Estate)
Date: 03/25/24

48 Gardner Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Thomas R. Niemiec
Seller: Kathleen Niemiec
Date: 03/25/24

1075 Granby Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Jonathan Rivera
Seller: Chang L. Jiang
Date: 03/26/24

147 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Livingwater Capital LLC
Seller: Sopheak Mar
Date: 03/25/24

13 Lorimer St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $163,200
Buyer: Dnepro Properties LLC
Seller: Matthew D. Collins
Date: 03/28/24

1875 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $875,000
Buyer: URL Properties LLC
Seller: R. & T. Frattesi LLC
Date: 03/28/24

61 Montello Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Yocasta Lara
Seller: Carroll, Robert, (Estate)
Date: 03/27/24

47 Moore St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Lucy Wilson
Seller: Marek Grzejka
Date: 03/21/24

125 Nonotuck Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jrchr LLC
Seller: Wolfindale FT
Date: 03/22/24

115 Nutmeg Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: William Boyd
Seller: Martha F. Kusiak FT
Date: 03/19/24

16 Reed Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Carlos Cedeno
Seller: Glorimar Colon
Date: 03/29/24

48 Rimmon Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Seth E. Lorusso
Seller: Brewster, Janet T., (Estate)
Date: 03/26/24

104 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Iglesia Cristiana Casa
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop
Date: 03/29/24

EAST LONGMEADOW

102-104 Allyn St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $394,000
Buyer: Mishaela L. Brennan
Seller: Kevin R. Lumb
Date: 03/20/24

9 Crescent Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Equity TR Co.
Seller: Sharon B. Coliss
Date: 03/28/24

311 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Struening
Seller: Denise E. Degon
Date: 03/28/24

16 Hamlet St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Fumi Realty Inc.
Seller: Donna Decorie
Date: 03/29/24

763 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Joseph Morrison
Seller: Mental Health Assn. Inc.
Date: 03/18/24

22 Knollwood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Julien Gour
Seller: Paul M. Gour
Date: 03/28/24

249 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $787,000
Buyer: Joshua L. Matt
Seller: Leonard F. Pansa
Date: 03/29/24

HAMPDEN

5 Andrew Cir.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Douglas P. Rosien
Seller: Lee M. Zuber
Date: 03/28/24

1 Saint Germain Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $589,000
Buyer: Vanessa A. Cienciwa
Seller: Thomas P. Addicks
Date: 03/29/24

277 Walnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Abigail Glogower
Seller: Gail S. Bielizna
Date: 03/21/24

HOLLAND

203 Stafford Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Anthony Roman
Seller: David J. Valego
Date: 03/26/24

HOLYOKE

72 Berkshire St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: James Poirier
Seller: Amador Diaz
Date: 03/26/24

1435-1451 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,500,000
Buyer: Dwight Ivy LLC
Seller: OneHolyoke Community Development Corp.
Date: 03/28/24

807-809 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Urbanist Capital LLC
Seller: Rodriguez, Dominga, (Estate)
Date: 03/25/24

346 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $217,600
Buyer: Ashley Oquendo
Seller: Priscilla J. Myers RET
Date: 03/27/24

9 Ivy St.
Holyoke, MA 01013
Amount: $1,500,000
Buyer: Dwight Ivy LLC
Seller: OneHolyoke Community Development Corp.
Date: 03/28/24

69-71 North East St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Frilard LLC
Seller: Luis A. Gonzalez
Date: 03/25/24

1678 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: John M. Barrett
Seller: Gallagher Properties LLC
Date: 03/28/24

1985 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Iglesia Apostolica Cristi
Seller: Foley Property Mgmt. Corp.
Date: 03/26/24

16 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Sullymar N. Andujar
Seller: Gallagher Cap Group LLC
Date: 03/29/24

LONGMEADOW

72 Colton Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Alfons Skudlarek
Seller: Suzanne S. Warner LT
Date: 03/29/24

128 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $539,900
Buyer: Babatunde Idowu
Seller: Al-Tahoun TR
Date: 03/22/24

117 Edgewood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Wendy L. Foy
Seller: A-O-K RT
Date: 03/22/24

51 Village Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Kelley A. Bergin
Seller: Stuart M. Ransom
Date: 03/18/24

198 Warren Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Mary L. Hammer
Seller: David M. Guthrie
Date: 03/25/24

18 Wimbleton Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Vincent J. Mariano
Seller: Jeffrey G. Clayton
Date: 03/29/24

LUDLOW

325 Alden St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Ethan Jones
Seller: Nicholas J. Goncalves
Date: 03/29/24

764 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Nicholas J. Goncalves
Seller: Fengming Li
Date: 03/29/24

97 Church St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Joseph Moore
Seller: Rodman Capital Group LLC
Date: 03/28/24

Deroche Circle, Lot 2
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Peter E. Miccoli
Seller: Bourdeau, Robert D., (Estate)
Date: 03/22/24

Deroche Circle, Lot 3
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Peter E. Miccoli
Seller: Bourdeau, Robert D., (Estate)
Date: 03/22/24

208 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Branden Simard
Seller: Tiago B. Martins
Date: 03/19/24

132-134 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Deny Kim
Seller: Joao Sanches
Date: 03/29/24

181 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Sean Mckeever
Seller: William F. Richardson
Date: 03/18/24

80 Letendre Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Nery L. De Leon Reyes
Seller: Manuel J. Salgado
Date: 03/20/24

59 Meadow St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Robert Cunningham
Seller: Kevin P. Geissler
Date: 03/28/24

164 Prospect St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Daniel Moriarty
Seller: Robert J. Lefebvre
Date: 03/22/24

348 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Joyce D. Roswess
Seller: Clarke D. Kennedy
Date: 03/21/24

139 Yale St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Joel F. Marques
Seller: Jose A. Dias
Date: 03/19/24

MONSON

124 Butler Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Ray S. Frost
Seller: William J. Manning
Date: 03/28/24

32 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: BD Construction LLC
Seller: BG Real Estate Inc.
Date: 03/29/24

PALMER

100 Breckenridge St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Hussein S. Akbar
Seller: Taylor, Eunice F., (Estate)
Date: 03/25/24

2022 Maple St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Ryan T. Micelotta
Seller: Jjb Builders Corp.
Date: 03/29/24

2018 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Sami Afiri
Seller: Paul Jones
Date: 03/29/24

RUSSELL

210 Pine Hill Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Casey Belieu
Seller: Anatoliy Tereshchuk
Date: 03/20/24

69 West Main St.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Melissa King
Seller: Gerard J. Roy
Date: 03/27/24

468 Westfield Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Alexis King
Seller: Marsha K. Montori
Date: 03/29/24

SPRINGFIELD

52-54 Adams St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Veteran Stan LLC
Seller: Raffaele Russo
Date: 03/20/24

106 Barber St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,100
Buyer: Jjj17 LLC
Seller: Federal National Mortgage Assn.
Date: 03/28/24

35-37 Bartlett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $301,000
Buyer: Ariel Properties LLC
Seller: Topher Properties LLC
Date: 03/22/24

252 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Xavier Adorno
Seller: LKN Realty Investors LLC
Date: 03/21/24

84-86 Bowles St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: MLB Property Mgmt. LLC
Seller: R. M. Blerman LLC
Date: 03/18/24

127 Bowles Park
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Bridgette A. Bethel
Seller: Tyler J. Ledbetter
Date: 03/28/24

58 Brewster St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Lydia I. Quiles
Seller: Aisha A. Pizarro
Date: 03/20/24

661 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Cuong Tao
Seller: Jjj17 LLC
Date: 03/28/24

115 Carroll St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: M&M Renovations LLC
Seller: Fay Servicing LLC
Date: 03/18/24

120 Central St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $1,256,000
Buyer: H. P. Rum LLC
Seller: Springfield Gardens
Date: 03/28/24

408-410 Central St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Daphney Williams
Seller: Northern Flooring & Remodeling
Date: 03/20/24

700 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: 700 Chestnut LLC
Seller: Grace R. Hatch
Date: 03/29/24

144 Denver St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Erica Arce
Seller: Emid Properties LLC
Date: 03/28/24

284 Denver St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Mlm Holdings LLC
Seller: Courageous Lion LLC
Date: 03/22/24

238 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Heather Rusiecki
Seller: Lawrence R. Pelland
Date: 03/26/24

200 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Arnold C. Kamara
Seller: Robert J. Paskins
Date: 03/28/24

51 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $2,496,000
Buyer: H. P. Rum LLC
Seller: Springfield Gardens 49-59 LP
Date: 03/28/24

56-60 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: H. P. Rum LLC
Seller: Springfield Gardens 56-60 LP
Date: 03/27/24

59 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $2,496,000
Buyer: H. P. Rum LLC
Seller: Springfield Gardens 49-59 LP
Date: 03/28/24

66-68 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $1,248,000
Buyer: H. P. Rum LLC
Seller: Springfield Gardens 66-68 120-1 LP
Date: 03/28/24

73-75 Glenham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Juan Rodriguez
Seller: Stephen F. Burke
Date: 03/29/24

21 Greenwich St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Rafael Severino
Seller: Hlre Development LLC
Date: 03/20/24

42-44 Grover St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Flora Hernandez
Seller: Maria Santiago
Date: 03/20/24

129-131 Hamburg St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Rosario Del Rosario
Seller: Jessica Y. Gonzalez
Date: 03/18/24

100 Harvey St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Rukundo Bizimana
Seller: Ryan A. Reeves
Date: 03/27/24

157 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kelnate Realty LLC
Seller: Junior Properties LLC
Date: 03/22/24

161 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $312,500
Buyer: Benjamin Lawlor
Seller: Dnepro Properties LLC
Date: 03/26/24

89 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Sinclair Allen
Seller: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Date: 03/18/24

29 Lancashire Road
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Carlos F. Gonzalez Diaz
Seller: Eric Cassidy
Date: 03/29/24

94 Lang St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kehinde Oyedeji
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 03/26/24

17-19 Laurel St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Modern Creative Contracto
Seller: Carmen V. Dernandez
Date: 03/25/24

198-200 Leyfred Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Gilberto G. Perez
Seller: Miosol R. Rodriguez
Date: 03/26/24

34 Leyfred Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Ra Nou
Seller: Jose Cela
Date: 03/28/24

446 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Mindruns Properties LLC
Seller: Mass Rentals LLC
Date: 03/21/24

54 Lincoln St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Finlay O. Oguku
Seller: Elizabeth Roccamo
Date: 03/29/24

22 Locust St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Locust22spfld LLC
Seller: Christine M. Tazzini
Date: 03/29/24

418 Longhill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Prestigious One LLC
Seller: Yazan Haddad
Date: 03/26/24

83 Lorimer St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Bobbie C. Gentry
Seller: Christian B. Wiernasz
Date: 03/21/24

66 Melrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Lissette Compres
Seller: Federal Natl Mtg Assn
Date: 03/26/24

25-27 Merida St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Andre Ferdinand
Seller: Marianna Alvarado
Date: 03/21/24

24 Metzger Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Tracy Bradford
Seller: Judith M. Lemieux
Date: 03/18/24

30-32 Moulton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Tiffany S. Clark
Seller: Ob Properties LLC
Date: 03/19/24

43 Ontario St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jaime Duran
Seller: Sareen Properties LLC
Date: 03/26/24

352-354 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Equity TR Co.
Seller: Nicholas C. Pappas
Date: 03/20/24

1375 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Genevieve Construction Development Group Inc.
Seller: Meronda Richardson
Date: 03/26/24

130 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Linda A. McCarthy
Seller: Richard J. McCarthy
Date: 03/28/24

245 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Maureen E. Webber
Seller: Chad E. Joseph
Date: 03/28/24

333 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Prestigious One LLC
Seller: Orleans RT
Date: 03/22/24

761 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Efe Gunaydin
Seller: Larry Lawson
Date: 03/21/24

114 Saint James Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Abfc 2004-Opt5 TR 2004-Opt
Seller: William L. Costigan
Date: 03/20/24

156 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Deepon Realty LLC
Seller: Everett Sexton
Date: 03/29/24

49 Sylvester St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: 49 Sylvester Street LLC
Seller: Filipe L. Rodrigues
Date: 03/18/24

49 Sylvester St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Filipe L. Brito-Rodrigues
Seller: Stanwich Mtg. Loan TI
Date: 03/18/24

38 Tinkham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $287,456
Buyer: Tinkham Road TR
Seller: Selana M. Picard
Date: 03/19/24

36 West Bay Path Ter.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: Hanna L. Carrabba
Seller: Maria I. Ortiz
Date: 03/29/24

113-115 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Luz Ramirez
Seller: Birch Properties LLC
Date: 03/28/24

28 Whitmore Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Lisandra Sepulveda
Seller: Kayla Nieves
Date: 03/21/24

182 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Alexis Ramos
Seller: Hector L. Marquez
Date: 03/28/24

SOUTHWICK

114 Congamond Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $531,000
Buyer: James Ferrara
Seller: Smith FT
Date: 03/29/24

82 North Lake Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Jennifer A. Ritter
Date: 03/29/24

TOLLAND

14 Brook Lane
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Richard D. King
Seller: David L. Letellier
Date: 03/20/24

141 Fox Den Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Jessica Woodward
Seller: Michael Clarke
Date: 03/29/24

147 Thicket Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Christopher Baker
Seller: Mclp Asset Co. Inc.
Date: 03/29/24

WEST SPRINGFIELD

478 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $341,500
Buyer: Vincenzo F. Suffriti
Seller: Kevin C. Huyghe
Date: 03/18/24

153 Bonnie Brae Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Douglas J. Richard
Seller: Brian J. Kolodziej
Date: 03/21/24

46 Chestnut St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Cameron G. MacDonald
Seller: Lismel Luciano
Date: 03/25/24

190 Hillcrest Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $479,900
Buyer: 190 Hillcrest Ave. Inter-vivo TR
Seller: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Date: 03/27/24

576 Kings Hwy.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Talia J. Wujtewicz
Seller: Amber Beninati
Date: 03/22/24

178 New Bridge St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Ddmns Realty LLC
Seller: New Bridge RT
Date: 03/29/24

76 New Bridge St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $221,500
Buyer: Marc Dulaimy
Seller: Cascade Funding Mtg. TR HB1
Date: 03/29/24

6 Plateau Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $263,500
Buyer: Omar Shehzad
Seller: Adam M. Ciborowski
Date: 03/18/24

54 Prince Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $143,334
Buyer: Jennie L. Duprey
Seller: Richard C. Brown
Date: 03/27/24

80 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Caring For Others Health
Seller: Fatima Apartments LLC
Date: 03/22/24

26 Sagamore Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Liudmyla Slyusar
Seller: Karen Chmura
Date: 03/29/24

46 Wilder Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $338,500
Buyer: Eric Perrier
Seller: Jon E. Polnack
Date: 03/27/24

WESTFIELD

36 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Carole L. Janicki
Seller: Lynette L. Litourneau
Date: 03/27/24

80 Egleston Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $735,000
Buyer: Luke & Diane Holdings Inc.
Seller: 80 Egleston Road LLC
Date: 03/19/24

152 Elizabeth Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $443,400
Buyer: Amanda M. Larose
Seller: Daniel B. Daley
Date: 03/18/24

12 Ellsworth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Tgc Investments LLC
Seller: Linda R. Shepherd
Date: 03/26/24

143 Holyoke Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: John Linscott
Seller: Maria Pantoja
Date: 03/22/24

23 Leonard Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Amenadiel RT
Seller: Urbanski, Michael J., (Estate)
Date: 03/18/24

229 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $412,500
Buyer: Christina S. Davies
Seller: Yurany Echeverri
Date: 03/28/24

10 Nicholas Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $745,000
Buyer: Roy A. Swenson
Seller: Maksim I. Loboda
Date: 03/29/24

163 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $372,000
Buyer: Andrey Gnidenko
Seller: Michael D. Bryant
Date: 03/29/24

139 Root Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Fabian C. Montero
Seller: Kimberly A. Cowles
Date: 03/26/24

10 Union Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: North Elm Realty Inc.
Seller: WF1 Realty LLC
Date: 03/27/24

48 Washington St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $284,836
Buyer: CrossCountry Mortgage LLC
Seller: Ashley Pacheco
Date: 03/19/24

WILBRAHAM

3075 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Yanqiong Zhang
Seller: Johnson Sr., William G., (Estate)
Date: 03/22/24

1016 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Jacob Leblanc
Seller: Robert Sarasin TR
Date: 03/27/24

8 Maynard Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Max Majors
Seller: Diamond Home Improvement LLC
Date: 03/18/24

56 Oakland St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $528,000
Buyer: Seware Kangalu
Seller: Jonathan A. Delaunay
Date: 03/22/24

20 Railroad Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Luis Ortiz
Seller: Joseph O’Malley
Date: 03/27/24

106 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $436,000
Buyer: Corey Sanders
Seller: Madison M. Chmyzinski
Date: 03/21/24

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

44 Chapel Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $560,750
Buyer: Kristin M. Flewelling
Seller: Paul A. Schroeder
Date: 03/29/24

76 North Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,333,337
Buyer: Lynn E. Payton
Seller: Bruce B. Payton
Date: 03/18/24

45 Oakwood Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Jonathan C. Cheng
Seller: Helene Cunningham
Date: 03/20/24

9 Owen Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $980,000
Buyer: Michael A. Fox
Seller: John H. Fanton
Date: 03/19/24

BELCHERTOWN

62 Gold St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Prinka Musa
Seller: James Walker
Date: 03/21/24

21 North St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Laura R. Robinson
Seller: 6221 NT
Date: 03/21/24

203 South St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $507,150
Buyer: Glenna J. Young
Seller: M. & F. Land Development LLC
Date: 03/25/24

45 West St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Serenity FT
Seller: John P. Budz
Date: 03/27/24

CHESTERFIELD

185 East St.
Chesterfield, MA 01096
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Luis M. Campos
Seller: Jesse C. Paszko
Date: 03/27/24

EASTHAMPTON

5-7 Clinton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Nicholas B. Difazio
Seller: Susan D. Colby
Date: 03/18/24

8 East Green St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Sarrah Bogdanovitch
Seller: Lisa A. Darragh
Date: 03/29/24

181 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: Kevin R. Burke
Seller: Scott A. Richards
Date: 03/27/24

282 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Pineview Development LLC
Seller: Nicol FT
Date: 03/28/24

1 Louise Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: 1 Louise Ave. TR
Seller: Robert Scott
Date: 03/28/24

5 Orchard St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Jensen
Seller: Yarasavych IRT
Date: 03/20/24

112 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Priscilla Rosado
Seller: Connor, Maureen A., (Estate)
Date: 03/22/24

Pomeroy St., Lot 11
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: David A. Hardy Contractor
Seller: Cykowski FT
Date: 03/26/24

20 Searls St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Jeston A. Sussman
Seller: Briana Taylor
Date: 03/28/24

GOSHEN

59 Aberdeen Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Anne M. Child
Seller: John S. Webb
Date: 03/29/24

GRANBY

6 Greenmeadow Lane
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Gabriel C. Nelson
Seller: Travis C. Scheinost
Date: 03/18/24

HADLEY

63 East St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $725,000
Buyer: Pied Piper Properties LLC
Seller: 63 East Realty LLC
Date: 03/21/24

79 Mount Warner Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Vincent M. Biggs
Seller: John A. Mathews
Date: 03/29/24

13 Shattuck Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Aaron B. St.John
Seller: Helen Wang
Date: 03/19/24

40 Shattuck Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $377,000
Buyer: Paul A. Kelley
Seller: Tudryn, Thomas R., (Estate)
Date: 03/25/24

HATFIELD

8 Porter Ave.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jennife R. Gwozdzik
Seller: Daniel E. Gwozdzik
Date: 03/29/24

129 Prospect St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $319,299
Buyer: Avet RT
Seller: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Date: 03/29/24

HUNTINGTON

26 Allen Coit Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $140,450
Buyer: Jake W. Lachapelle
Seller: Frank A. Dearinis
Date: 03/20/24

MIDDLEFIELD

143 Chipnan Road
Middlefield, MA 01243
Amount: $257,875
Buyer: Federal Home Loan Mtg. Corp.
Seller: Patricia L. McIntyre
Date: 03/22/24

NORTHAMPTON

1181 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Justus Perry
Seller: Wendy Decou
Date: 03/21/24

3 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01063
Amount: $1,100,000
Buyer: Sunwood Development Corp. Inc.
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop
Date: 03/19/24

118 Florence St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Kevin Dubleday
Seller: Willis P. Brennan
Date: 03/18/24

Garfield Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Seller: Amity Perman
Date: 03/29/24

642 North Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $699,000
Buyer: Krista Hennings-Vinocur
Seller: Timothy D. Scott
Date: 03/21/24

31 Park St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Healthy Neighborhoods Group LLC
Seller: Driscol, Ann C., (Estate)
Date: 03/18/24

SOUTH HADLEY

46 Ashton Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: John B. Belknap
Seller: Susan R. Barry
Date: 03/29/24

11 Bardwell St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Nicholas J. Bryda
Seller: Dpr Legacy Enterprises LLC
Date: 03/29/24

89 Bardwell St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Patrick C. Fecher
Seller: Heath G. Molte
Date: 03/28/24

25 Chileab Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Sandra Stoughton
Seller: Michael N. Gagnon
Date: 03/22/24

21 Maple St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kenna Magrath
Seller: Theresa M. Magrath
Date: 03/18/24

180 Old Lyman Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $690,000
Buyer: Aqrs Realty LLC
Seller: Pmdm Realty LLC
Date: 03/18/24

48 River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Thomas Martin
Seller: Donna J. Sexton RET
Date: 03/28/24

SOUTHAMPTON

52 Cold Spring Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Eric Madsen
Seller: Paul J. Hendrick
Date: 03/28/24

77 Crooked Ledge Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Allison M. McFadden
Seller: Geoffrey R. Fleury
Date: 03/19/24

WARE

34 Berkshire Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Dale H. Vieu
Seller: Maxine M. Houle
Date: 03/27/24

13 Cherry St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $338,920
Buyer: Felix L. Santana
Seller: Felix L. Santana
Date: 03/25/24

72 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Amy Mathison-Start
Seller: Angelina Roman
Date: 03/21/24

59 James Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $619,000
Buyer: Kirsten Desjardins
Seller: Kristel L. Johnson
Date: 03/29/24

17 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: John P. Mogle
Seller: Gary J. Buelow
Date: 03/19/24

130 West Main St.
Ware, MA 00108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Emiliano Osmani
Seller: Marc A. Delrosario
Date: 03/22/24

88 West St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Thomas Hubbard
Seller: Ebenzer Construction & Cleaning
Date: 03/22/24

WESTHAMPTON

71 Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $434,817
Buyer: Scott Currie
Seller: James S. Kemper
Date: 03/20/24

WILLIAMSBURG

7 Depot Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: Amie C. Burrell
Seller: Anna Pertzoff
Date: 03/29/24

WORTHINGTON

18 Old North Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $259,900
Buyer: Jacob Lessard
Seller: Linda Jackson
Date: 03/29/24

Building Permits

Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the months of March and April 2024.

CHICOPEE

City of Chicopee
110 Church St.
$73,390 — Remove and replace existing ceiling tiles and lighting in various rooms at Police Department

City of Chicopee
154 Grove St.
$200,000 — Demolish one-story structure with basement, including slab and foundations; remove debris

EASTHAMPTON

Atomic Real Estate LLC
193 Northampton St.
$8,000 — Siding

Easthampton Congregational Church
116 Main St.
$16,025 — Air sealing and insulation in two attics

HADLEY

Gulmohar Realty Corp.
237 Russell St.
N/A — Install supply and return duct work

Montgomery Rose LLC
319 River Dr.
N/A — Verizon to upgrade and replace antenna and radio equipment

Pyramid Mall of Hadley Newco
373 Russell St.
N/A — Construct new Chase Bank branch with drive-thru ATM

NORTHAMPTON

The Building Trust LLC
83 Spring St.
$144,229 — Renovation

City of Northampton
300 North Main St.
$25,000 — Strip and reroof garden house at Look Park

Lathrop Community Inc.
680 Bridge Road
$184,189 — Insulation and weatherization of community room

Michael’s House LLC
71 State St.
$24,160 — Insulation in attic

Northampton Historical Society
66 Bridge St.
N/A — Install roof-mounted solar system

Recovery Real Estate Holdings LLC
178 Industrial Dr.
$15,255 — Change from storage to production space, install ERV unit

Smith Charities
51 Main St.
$393,000 — Masonry facade restoration

Smith College
53 West St.
$965,000 — Construct new greenhouse

Sullivan Real Estate LLC
125 State St.
$45,000 — Repairs to steps and throughout house

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Medical Center Inc.
759 Chestnut St.
$172,138 — Alter interior space to expand three IT closets

Blackened Realty LLC
201 Worthington St.
$33,000 — Modifications to entrance doorway at Theodores’

Cal Rolling Hills LLC
365 Cadwell Dr.
$3,000,000 — Erect automotive service center

City of Springfield
299 Sumner Ave.
$88,750 — Roof repair at Cyr Arena in Forest Park

Dask Partnership
90 Carando Dr.
$43,000 — Alter interior commercial tenant space for Trane

Derf Realty Corp.
1 Carando Dr.
$280,000 — Alter interior office space on first floor, rework accessible ramp, add exterior roll-up door

Five Town Station LLC
400 Cooley St.
$11,440,166 — Renovate exterior facade and install exterior insulation, finishes, and new siding at Burger King

Lee Hyo Jung
587 Main St.
$107,000 — Make alterations to mercantile building for marijuana sales establishment

Nell Investments LLC
130 Union St.
$75,000 — Alter interior office space at Visual Sound Productions

Worthy III LLC
270 Worthington St.
$16,500 — Alter fire-protection sprinkler system

CET Welcomes Julia Riseman as Director of Philanthropic Investments

NORTHAMPTON — The Center for EcoTechnology (CET), an environmental nonprofit dedicated to advancing just and resilient climate solutions, announced the appointment of Julia Riseman as its inaugural director of Philanthropic Investments. With her experience and commitment to climate-change mitigation, Riseman will help accelerate CET’s growth and impact during this decisive decade for decarbonization.

CET operates on the front lines of climate action, working in people’s homes and businesses every day to reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, and transition off fossil fuels.

Riseman brings a wealth of expertise in development strategy and relationship building, honed through her years of dedication to causes throughout the U.S. and Canada. Through consulting, she has helped organizations raise more than $350 million through her consulting firm, Riseman Consulting, and during her 14 years at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, providing consulting services to grant-supported recipients.

Prior to becoming a consultant, she was the Development director at the Center School, an independent school in Amherst, and she co-founded two nonprofit organizations, Friends of Northampton Trails and Health in Harmony, an international environmental organization working with local communities to save rainforests in Brazil, Madagascar, and Indonesia. Her strategic vision and commitment to CET’s mission is expected to propel the organization into a new era of expansion and influence.

“We are thrilled to welcome Julia to CET,” said Ashley Muspratt, CET president and CEO. “Our organization is uniquely poised to weave together private-sector and philanthropic dollars to accelerate adoption of climate solutions. I’m eager to work with Julia to share our audacious vision for growth and innovation with new and existing donors.”

As director of Philanthropic Investments, Riseman will be instrumental in cultivating partnerships, securing funding opportunities, and fostering connections with stakeholders to fund targeted projects and further CET’s impact across a dozen states. Her leadership will play a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s strategic goals and expanding its reach across the country.

“I am honored to join the mission-driven team at CET,” Riseman said. “Together, we will harness the power of innovation and collaboration to drive meaningful progress. I look forward to inspiring many more people, including major donors and foundations, to support and amplify CET’s impact and create positive change.”

Chikmedia Announces Fifth Year of Chiks of the Future Scholarship

SPRINGFIELD — Chikmedia announced its fifth annual Chiks of the Future Scholarship. Thanks to the generosity of a number of local businesses, Chikmedia is now offering one $1,000 scholarship as part of its annual initiative.

Chikmedia, a boutique firm offering strategic marketing planning and creative PR, has partnered with local businesses such as Summerlin Floors to make this initiative happen. This scholarship will be awarded to one deserving woman of color, either a high-school senior or college student, pursuing a degree in marketing, public relations, communications, or business.

In 2020, during the Black Lives Matter movement, Chikmedia did a little digging into scholarship opportunities and found that Caucasian students received 72% of all scholarships, while minority students receive only 28%. Although a $1,000 scholarship doesn’t close the large gap, it wanted to do its part in expanding available opportunities.

Completed scholarship applications and all supporting materials must be submitted to Chikmedia by Friday, May 17. Scholarship recipients will be notified by email and announced publicly this summer. Applicants can find the guidelines and application form by clicking here.

“We continue to be grateful for the community business support we receive for this program,” said Meghan Rothschild, president of Chikmedia. “We started the scholarship to combat the racial injustices we saw in 2020 and plan to honor it every year. We cannot thank our partner, Summerlin Floors, enough. Their generosity is humbling and overwhelming.”

Goodwill Industries Receives Grants for Job Skill Programs

PITTSFIELD — Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont announced it has received $8,500 in grants from Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, and MountainOne Bank to support its Soar for Success employability skills program. The nonprofit social-services organization received an additional $2,500 from Greylock Federal Credit Union toward promotion and other costs associated with its annual meeting in October.

Goodwill’s Soar for Success program focuses on job training in custodial skills, customer service, and employability skills guidance for individuals preparing for job interviews, as well as providing interview and work attire. The program is offered free of charge to all Berkshire County residents. Services are provided at Goodwill’s career centers in Pittsfield and North Adams and online. Goodwill sells donated clothes and other household items at a discounted price to aid in funding training and educational programs for individuals seeking employment.

“We are grateful for these generous contributions to Goodwill’s Soar for Success program,” Senior Director of Mission Services Kelly Brennan said. “Grant funding has been instrumental in Goodwill’s ability to provide members of our community with essential employment skills, gain access to interview and work-appropriate clothing, and secure meaningful work.”

Visiting Angels West Springfield Receives Provider of Choice Award

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Visiting Angels West Springfield announced it has received the 2024 Best of Home Care – Provider of Choice Award from Home Care Pulse (HCP).

The Provider of Choice Award is granted only to top-ranking home-care providers, based on client satisfaction scores gathered by HCP, an independent satisfaction research firm for post-acute care. Visiting Angels West Springfield is recognized among a select few home-care providers across the country who have proven their ability to provide outstanding care.

“We’re excited to congratulate Visiting Angels West Springfield for their well-deserved achievement on earning the Best of Home Care – Provider of Choice Award,” said Todd Austin, president of HCP. “It’s wonderful to see the hard work that Visiting Angels West Springfield is putting in to provide high-quality care and employment; their effort isn’t going unnoticed. This award allows them to provide proof of quality to potential new clients and caregivers.”

Best of Home Care – Provider of Choice award-winning providers have contracted with HCP to gather feedback from their clients by conducting live phone interviews with their clients each month. As HCP is a third-party company, it is able to collect honest and unbiased feedback.

“Visiting Angels in West Springfield is honored to provide award-winning senior care, thanks to our dedicated professional staff,” said Michele Anstett, owner of Visiting Angels West Springfield.

Fontaine Bros. Inc. Adds Two Industry Veterans to Team

Jason Boudreau and Mark Fulton

SPRINGFIELD — Fontaine Bros. Inc. announced the addition of Jason Boudreau as project executive and Mark Fulton as senior superintendent. They bring more than 40 years of combined experience working together on complex building projects throughout Western and Central Mass., Connecticut, and beyond, making them a valuable addition to the Fontaine team.

“Great people are the key to our success,” Fontaine Bros. CEO David Fontaine Jr. said. “Jason and Mark fit perfectly within our culture focused on attracting, retaining, and supporting talented, hardworking people who put clients first. We are thrilled to have Jason and Mark on board.”

Boudreau and Fulton have been working together for more than 20 years. They have successfully delivered work for notable clients such as Amherst College, Baystate Medical Center, Berkshire Medical Center, UMass Amherst, Williams College, and many others, and earned certifications from the American Society for Health Care Engineering and the International Code Council for Tall Mass Timber Buildings.

“The opportunity to come to Fontaine was something that Mark and I just couldn’t pass up,” Boudreau said. “I interned for Fontaine more than 20 years ago, so this is a homecoming of sorts. I’m excited to help the company continue to grow and innovate.”

BusinessTalk with Angela Park, president of Springfield Performing Arts Ventures Inc.

Business Talk Podcast

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times.

Go HERE to view all episodes

Episode 210: April 22, 2024

George O’Brien Interviews Angela Park, president of Springfield Performing Arts Ventures Inc.

It’s called 52 Sumner. That’s a street address in Springfield, but it’s also an intriguing new addition to the arts landscape in Western Mass. — an event space created in the former Faith United Church, one that opened its doors in January and is off to a very fast start. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, George O’Brien, contributing writer at BusinessWest, talks with Angela Park, president of Springfield Performing Arts Ventures Inc., the nonprofit that manages the venue, about how this stunning transformation of the church came about and how it will not only host different kinds of performances, but also immerse people — and especially young people — in the arts. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Also Available On

AIC Welcomes Eunice Bragg as Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Eunice Bragg

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) announced the appointment of Eunice Bragg as vice president for Institutional Advancement. As an accomplished fundraiser and relationship leader, Bragg brings valuable expertise in building relationships, inspiring team culture, and employing metrics to meet fundraising goals for the institution.

In her new position, Bragg will oversee fundraising and stewardship relationship initiatives and will be responsible for strengthening engagement with AIC alumni and community partners. She will play a vital role in the campaign to restore Courniotes Hall, the health-sciences building damaged by fire last summer after a lightning strike.

“We are excited to welcome Eunice to our college community,” said Nicolle Cestero, AIC’s interim president. “With her wealth of experience and dedication to higher education, I am confident she will be instrumental in advancing our institution’s mission and enhancing our relationships with alumni, donors, and supporters.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree at Taylor University and completing her master’s degree in strategic fundraising and philanthropy at Bay Path University, Bragg served as director of Development at the Discovery Center (now RE-Center) in Hartford, Conn. She then assumed the role of director of Annual Giving at Hampden Hall Country Day School in New Haven, Conn. Returning to her alma mater, she became director of Major and Planned Gifts at Bay Path. She joins AIC from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she most recently served as director of Development and Leadership Gifts.

Community Bank Promotes Gilbert Nieves to District Manager

Gilbert Nieves

SPRINGFIELD — Community Bank announced that Gilbert Nieves has been promoted to district manager. In his new role, Nieves will oversee strategy and operations for branches in Vermont and Massachusetts, ensuring administration of the bank’s financial goals and objectives, including business development. He will also be responsible for staff training, coaching, and professional development for continued excellence in customer service and operations.

With more than two decades of experience in the financial industry, Nieves first joined Community Bank in 2019 as branch manager of the Springfield location. In that role, he oversaw daily office operations, including sales and customer-service activities, to ensure operational efficiency, integrity, and adherence to policies and procedures. Prior to that, he served the Springfield community in other banking and financial roles, including vice president and branch manager at Webster Bank and assistant city treasurer for the city of Springfield.

“Gilbert has been a true asset to our team since day one, and I’m looking forward to all that he’ll accomplish as he steps into this new role,” New England District Manager Matt Villemaire said. “His financial experience and commitment to the communities we serve, both in and outside of day-to-day operations, have positioned our branches across New England for continued success.”

Outside of the office, Nieves is an active member of the community, serving his congregation as a Bible instructor and volunteering at Springfield Public Schools. In addition, he facilitates financial-literacy workshops at the Gándara Center, as well as first-time homebuying seminars at Way Finders. He is also a member of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Business Network International’s Springfield chapter. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Massachusetts Unemployment Holds Steady in March

BOSTON — The state’s March total unemployment rate was 2.9%, unchanged from the revised February estimate of 2.9, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Massachusetts unemployment rate was 0.9% lower than the national rate of 3.8% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 0.6%.

The labor force increased by an estimated 8,300 from the revised estimate of 3,748,700 in February, with 11,300 residents more employed and 3,000 fewer residents unemployed over the month. The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents age 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — increased 0.1% over the month to 64.9%. Compared to March 2023, the labor-force participation rate was down 0.3%.

BLS preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 2,900 jobs in March, following February’s revised gain of 5,000 jobs. The largest over-the-month private-sector job gains were in education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and other services. Employment now stands at 3,740,500. Massachusetts gained 677,000 jobs since the employment low in April 2020.

From March 2023 to March 2024, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 22,500 jobs. The largest over-the-year gains occurred in education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and other services.

Summit House Wealth Partners Recognized by Forbes

SOUTH HADLEY — Summit House Wealth Partners, a private wealth-advisory practice with Ameriprise Financial in South Hadley, was named to the list of “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” published by Forbes. The list recognizes financial advisors and their teams who have demonstrated high levels of ethical standards, professionalism, and success in the business.

The rankings are based on data provided by thousands of the nation’s most productive advisors and their teams. Summit House Wealth Partners was chosen based on assets under management, industry experience, compliance record, and best practices in its practice and approach to working with clients.

Summit House Wealth Partners is led by Stephen Duval, CFP. The team also includes financial advisors Ed Boscher, Mike Otto, and Justin Osowiecki, and support staff Debra Whalen, James Lucey, Matthew Mitchell, Patricia Belanger, Jennifer Gray, Morgan Szczygiel, and Nicole Old. They have collectively served the South Hadley community since 1992.

Construct Inc. to Host Designer Showhouse at Historic Cassilis Farm in the Berkshires

NEW MARLBOROUGH — Construct Inc., a nonprofit provider of affordable housing and supportive services to residents in 15 towns across the Southern Berkshires, announced its first Designer Showhouse fundraising exhibition.

Slated for the entire month of June 2024, the Designer Showhouse will highlight the elegant, creative work of more than a dozen local and regional designers, as well as landscape architects and visual artists. Each exhibitor has been assigned a space at Cassilis Farm, an iconic, 27-acre, Gilded Age estate that Construct, along with the New Marlborough Housing Development Committee, purchased at auction with the intention of renovating and converting it into 11 much-needed affordable-housing apartments.

“We have the opportunity to take advantage of Construct having acquired this magnificent estate,” said Hinda Bodinger, Construct board secretary, who also co-chairs the Designer Showhouse committee. “Utilizing such a beautiful space allows us to highlight the sophisticated talent of the designers and to share our mission in a unique way with the greater community.”

The Designer Showhouse pays homage to the theme “Nature in the Berkshires” and displays the transformative, custom work of award-winning designers, whose areas of focus range from real-estate staging and interiors to styling and iconic textile design. Room themes range from a swan nursery inspired by a local swan rescue area to a picnic-under-the-stars nod to Tanglewood to an equestrian-heavy library drawing inspiration from the estate’s former existence as a hackney horse-breeding farm. The Showhouse will be a timed, ticketed walk-through and will be open to visitors through five weekends in June. Additional events surrounding the Designer Showhouse include a free New Marlborough community day on Friday, May 31, as well as an opening-night tour and reception at Cassilis Farm on Wednesday, May 29.

“As we’ve reached out to interior designers, landscape designers, and others with our appeal to help us with the Showhouse, the overwhelming response has been ‘yes’ because they, like many businesses, have been directly affected by the shortage of affordable housing,” said Laura Jordahl, co-chair and Construct board member. “All of us know that working to make Cassilis into a place that 11 families will call home will help to strengthen our community ties.”

Information about the Designer Showhouse will be updated at constructberkshires.org/construct-designer-showhouse, as well as via Construct’s social-media handles. Timed tickets cost $40 per person and can be purchased online only, through the Construct website.

HCC to Welcome Success Strategist for Free Emotional-intelligence Workshop

HOLYOKE — Success strategist Kurt Faustin will lead a free emotional-intelligence workshop at Holyoke Community College (HCC) on Tuesday, April 23.

The workshop, hosted by HCC’s ALANA Men in Motion program, is free and open to the public. It will run from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the PeoplesBank conference room (301/303) in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave.

“Emotional-intelligence competencies are at the heart of effective relationships, productivity, and overall success,” Faustin notes on his website. “Come learn and practice the EI skills that are the core of achieving personal awareness, connecting with others, managing stress, and conflict resolution.”

ALANA Men in Motion is an HCC student support and mentorship program for African-American, Latino, Asian, and Native American men who attend the college.

Kurt Faustin, founder of the Dropout Academy, a personal- and career-development program, focuses on bridging the gap between mental health and performance with an emphasis on emotional intelligence, goal setting, and stress management. A father, entrepreneur, coach, and success strategist, Faustin is a former writer for the Huffington Post and Forbes who has spoken in front of more than 50,000 people, working with organizations such as Harvard University, Chase Bank, and the United Way. He was appointed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to the city’s first-ever Black Men and Boys Commission and selected by Color magazine’s 40 Under 40 Power List.

Polish National Credit Union to Host Event Benefiting Kate’s Kitchen

HOLYOKE — Polish National Credit Union (PNCU) announced a spring charity event in partnership with Marcotte Ford in Holyoke to benefit Kate’s Kitchen, a program of Providence Ministries. PNCU’s Mike Sugrue, executive vice president; Rachel Dionne, assistant vice president and Credit Risk officer; and Shane Hall, Marketing coordinator, will serve as guest chefs at LugNutz Café within the Marcotte dealership for breakfast on Tuesday, April 23 from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m.

“Kate’s Kitchen is a vital and, in my humble opinion, under-recognized community necessity,” Dionne said. “Each day, 365 days per year, they serve a lunchtime meal to anyone in need with a no-questions-asked policy. They estimate they provide 200 meals per day. It is quite remarkable.”

Polish National Credit Union, through its Community Giving Program, has in recent years donated more than $500,000, thousands of pounds of food, school supplies, and household items to charitable organizations, as well as educated and supported area seniors through its Financial Elder Abuse Workshops. In addition, PNCU highly encourages team members to participate in community initiatives and volunteer their time.

“I feel very lucky to be part of a team where giving back is valued,” Sugrue said. “Currently, our team is involved in about 40 different local organizations through board or committee participation, and we’re always looking for ways to get involved. That is why, when the idea to join the team at LugNutz Café for charity was brought up, my colleagues and I jumped at the opportunity. Although I cannot promise how great my cooking skills will be, I can assure you that giving back to Kate’s Kitchen will make it taste Michelin Star-worthy.”

All proceeds from the April 23 breakfast event will benefit Kate’s Kitchen, which will also be collecting non-perishable food items for donation.

Canna Provisions to Host 4/20 Community Event in Holyoke

HOLYOKE — Canna Provisions will host a community gathering in celebration of 4/20. This event will take place on Saturday, April 20 from 1 to 6 p.m. in the parking lot at 380 Dwight St. This event is free and open to anyone age 21 and up.

The afternoon promises a lineup of live music, featuring local favorites Wild Weston from 1 to 3 p.m. followed by Suspence until 6 p.m. Guests can enjoy food from Bub’s BBQ and sweet treats from Ice Cream Emergency. Fame eatery will also open its doors at 4 p.m., offering cocktails on its patio. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and enjoy a day of entertainment, community spirit, and conversations.

The first 50 purchases will win complimentary BBQ or ice cream. The day will also feature specials and giveaways, pop-up DIY cannabis cooking tutorials in the café space at Canna Provisions, and contests throughout the day.

Networking opportunities will be available with local cannabis industry leaders and advocates, as well as Canna Provisions co-founders CEO Meg Sanders and COO Erik Willams, as well as cultivation icon and Pioneer Valley native Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski, Smash Hits cannabis director of cultivation. Smash Hits cannabis is the proprietary and High Times award-winning legal cannabis flower brand of Canna Provisions.

This year’s 4/20 event is not just about celebration, but also a platform for discussing the future of cannabis regulation in Massachusetts. Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia will be on site speaking with constituents and attendees about cannabis as a means to bolster economic development, tourism, and public safety via social consumption in Holyoke.

“It is time for the CCC [Cannabis Control Commission] to issue guidelines on social consumption and act in the spirit of the original ballot initiative that legalized adult use of cannabis and stipulated that it be regulated like alcohol,” Garcia said. “On-site cannabis consumption is the missing link for the cannabis industry to have a positive impact on economic development, tourism, and public safety for cities like Holyoke. We need the ability to issue one-day, on-site consumption permits, similar to one-day liquor licenses for events, and to have a bricks-and-mortar, licensed business that is safe and legal for consumers to visit.”

Garcia has previously praised Canna Provisions for its commitment to the community, noting the dispensary’s role in local traditions such as the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade and its ongoing support for city initiatives.

Canna Provisions is not only a leader in the cannabis industry but also a proactive community member, fostering both cultural and economic growth. It has been named Corporate Citizen of the Year 2023 by the Lee Chamber of Commerce as well as the Kiwanis Club.

Jeffrey Siegel Named Partner at Fierst Bloomberg Ohm LLP

Jeffrey Siegel

NORTHAMPTON — Fierst Bloomberg Ohm LLP announced that Jeffrey Siegel has become a partner of the firm.

Having earned his juris doctorate at the University of Connecticut School of Law and his master of laws in taxation at the New York University of School of Law, Siegel has more than 35 years of experience assisting individuals with their estate-planning, tax-planning, probate and trust administration, and corporate law needs. He is admitted to practice in both Massachusetts and Connecticut.

OneHolyoke CDC to Host Career Fair on April 24 at Kelly School

HOLYOKE — OneHolyoke CDC will host its third annual “I Can Be Anyone I Want to Be” Career Fair for students and community residents on Wednesday, April 24 at Marcella R. Kelly Elementary School, 216 West St., Holyoke. The career-exploration fair for students will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by the job fair for residents and community members from 4 to 6 p.m.

The event is designed for students to envision future careers for themselves, and also for residents who are looking for potential employment. Organizations that have already signed up to participate in the fairs include OneHolyoke CDC, Massachusetts State Police, Boy Scouts of Western Massachusetts, Holyoke Health Center, Holyoke Fire Department, Sullivan Metals, Nuestras Raíces, Positive Regard Network, River Valley Counseling, and the UMass Amherst Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

Businesses and organizations that are hiring and would like to be part of either or both fairs on April 24 should click here to complete the career fair sign-up form.

Executive Director of Peace Development Fund to Retire

AMHERST — Paul Haible, executive director of the Peace Development Fund (PDF) for the past 20 years, announced his plans to retire on April 30.

Under Haible’s leadership, PDF amplified its focus to include a broad range of social-justice issues and movements; expanded its footprint to include a regional office in San Francisco, where he was based; and increased its international scope to include funding to Haiti, Mexico, and the Middle East.

He collaborated with the board to launch several initiatives engaging a range of issue constituencies, including a national environmental-justice initiative that spanned a decade, a cross-border initiative, and a national criminal-justice-reform movement. He was instrumental in creating PDF’s capacity-building program to fiscally sponsor more than 40 organizations. Building on his decades of work with the Indigenous community, he led PDF’s recent Indigenous Land Back work.

“While I may be giving up my seat at this table, I will still be serving elsewhere in the struggle for peace and justice in this world,” Haible said. “Transitions are never easy, but I know that I leave PDF in really good hands.”

Founded and still based in Amherst, the Peace Development Fund is a donor-supported national social-justice funder that has been resourcing grassroots movements for peace and human rights since 1981. It provides grants, training, donor services, and capacity-building resources to organizations around the country and around the world.

“Paul’s dedication and vision have been instrumental in shaping the Peace Development Fund into the impactful philanthropic organization it is today,” said Teresa Juarez, board president. “He has been a leader in the publicly funded philanthropic movement for many years. He is leaving big shoes to fill.”

The board has appointed Lora Wondolowski, PDF’s director of Advancement and Communications, as interim executive director until a permanent executive director is found. Haible and board are working with staff and stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition for their grantees, fiscally sponsored partners, and supporters. A succession committee drawn from board and staff membership is charged with searching for the new executive director. Information on the search can be found at peacedevelopmentfund.org.

Westfield State University Students Launch Campaign for MLK Jr. Family Services

WESTFIELD — Westfield State University students in the “Advanced Public Relations” course are launching a campaign, “Literacy is Currency,” for Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services.

The mission of MLK Jr. Family Services is to strive to foster an environment that nurtures and empowers the aspirations of individuals, families, and youth to achieve new realities of peace, social and economic justice, self-determination, self-actualization, and self-sufficiency.

The students’ campaign will create awareness for the organization and collect donations that will provide funds for its literacy program. The campaign will also provide new books that children will be interested in and have fun reading.

In order to meet their goal, the students are inviting the community to join two events, featuring games, raffles, and prizes including Stanley cups, beach supplies, and Westfield State gear. The events take place on Saturday, April 20 from noon to 5 p.m. outside Target at the Holyoke Mall; and Tuesday, April 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. inside Tim and Jeanne’s Dining Commons at Westfield State University.

The public-awareness campaign will take place on social media via the handle @owlprmlk and use the hashtag #literacyiscurrencymlk.

“We’re delighted to enhance our alliance with Westfield State University with the ‘Literacy is Currency’ initiative, reinforcing literacy’s crucial role as both an empowering tool and a source of excitement about reading, in line with MLK Jr.’s vision that ‘education is the passport to the future’” said Karon Forde, director of Youth Programs at MLK Jr. Family Services. “This project not only reflects our commitment to literacy, but also supports our efforts to elevate reading levels and foster a love of reading among children in our afterschool program. We praise the students for their exceptional commitment to this cause and eagerly await the project’s impact on both the children we serve and the participating university students’ educational journey.”

Suzanne Boniface, adjunct professor of Communication at Westfield State, explained that the course partners with a local nonprofit each semester to help the community through its civic-engagement program.

“These public relations students use the skills they have acquired from their studies and gain practical experience for their future careers,” she said, noting that her students’ campaign will increase awareness of the efforts of Martin Luther Family Jr. Family Services and help them purchase necessary supplies for their program.

Donations to this campaign can be made by Venmo @LiteracyIsCurrency or by visiting mlkjrfamilyservices.org/donate.

Tenth Year of Local Farmer Awards Helps 100 Local Farms Make Improvements

AGAWAM — Checks of up to $2,500 have been sent to 100 Western Mass. farms that are recipients of this year’s Local Farmer Awards. Supporting a diverse range of farm operations and infrastructure projects, the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, in partnership with Big Y and the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, along with other funders, issued a record number of awards in the program’s 10th year.

A team of independent reviewers read each of the 199 applications submitted this year. These reviewers selected 100 farms to receive a 2024 grant from the Local Farmer Awards. The capital projects include the purchase of an egg-washing machine, livestock pasture expansion, reusable harvest bins, a cover-crop flail mower for reduced tillage, mobile chicken coops, and many more.

Elyse Cote, production manager at Mountain View Farm in Easthampton, explained that “this award will help us purchase a Tilmor mounted tine weeder, allowing us to invest in a time-saving cultivation technique that I am very excited to get to use this growing season. We are super appreciative of this support from our community.”

Harold Grinspoon, philanthropist and founder of the program, noted that “the farmers in our region have done so much for our economy and food supply, yet these wonderful folks never ask for anything. I’m so proud that the Local Farmer Awards have served their needs for the past 10 years with cash awards for capital improvements amounting to $1.5 million.”

The program funders collectively contributed more than $230,000 this year to assist these local farmers. Funders include the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, Big Y, Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, PeoplesBank, Ann and Steve Davis, Charles and Elizabeth D’Amour, Barbara Deslauriers, Audrey and Chick Taylor, Andrews, Farm Credit East, Hood, the DeNucci Group at Merrill, Baystate Health, Country Bank, Eastern States Exposition, Three County Fair, bankESB, and Franklin First Federal Credit Union.

“We are proud to support the diverse farming enterprises featured in this year’s winning selection,” said John Lee, president of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture.

Cari Carpenter, Local Farmer Awards director, added that “we are delighted to be able to support 100 farms in our 10th year. In 2015, our inaugural year, we provided funds for 33 farms. We would have liked to have been able to provide support to more of the farms that applied this year, but our fund limit required the reviewers to make some difficult choices.”

Anyone interested in supporting the 2025 Local Farmer Awards should email Carpenter at [email protected].

Analytics Labs to Host Community Clean-up Day in Holyoke on April 24

HOLYOKE — Analytics Labs, a locally owned, woman- and minority-led small business, announced its upcoming Community Clean-up Day, scheduled for Wednesday, April 24 at 28 Appleton St., Holyoke from 9 to 11 a.m.

This initiative, coinciding with both Earth Day and Arbor Day that week, exemplifies the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community engagement. “As the pioneering woman-owned testing lab in Western Massachusetts, Analytics Labs is dedicated to professional excellence and community enrichment,” the company stated. “Rooted in our ethos of growth and social responsibility, we are devoted to nurturing and reinvesting in the communities where we conduct business.”

In a collaboration with Dazed Cannabis located at 56 Jackson St., Holyoke, the first 10 volunteers will receive a gift from Dazed as a token of appreciation for their participation.

Individuals of all ages and backgrounds are invited to join this eco-conscious initiative. Click here to register.

Rocky’s Ace Hardware Invites Customers to Round Up for Kids This Month

SPRINGFIELD — Rocky’s Ace Hardware, one of the country’s largest family-owned Ace Hardware dealers with 50 locations in nine states, is kicking off its semiannual Round Up for Kids fundraiser. Throughout the campaign, which extends throughout the month of April, customers are asked to round up their purchase total to the next dollar. The difference will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals.

“Round Up for Kids has become one of our signature fundraisers each year,” Rocky’s Ace Hardware President Rocco Falcone said. “It’s a cause our customers, staff, and community really get behind. CMN helps more than 12 million kids each year who receive care from a dedicated children’s hospital to get the best possible medical treatment.”

As in the past, 100% of the money raised benefits the local CMN hospital nearest to each store. Local participating Rocky’s locations include the Island Pond Road and Liberty Street stores in Springfield as well as the Agawam, East Longmeadow, Westfield, Ludlow, Palmer, and South Hadley stores. The proceeds will be donated to Baystate Children’s Hospital in Springfield.

“This is a busy season for us as folks come in to get what they need for spring cleanup and summer outdoor living,” Falcone said. “It may not seem like a lot to round up a purchase to the next dollar, but every bit adds up. We anticipate another very successful campaign thanks to the generosity of our customers.”

For more than 40 years, CMN has helped fill funding gaps, raising more than $8.5 billion for 170 children’s hospitals by empowering and engaging with local communities and businesses. All donations fund what’s needed most, like critical life-saving treatments and healthcare services, innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, child life services, and financial assistance for families.

Community Bank Announces Plans to Expand Branch Presence

DEWITT, N.Y. — Community Bank announced a strategic plan to expand its branch presence in select markets throughout 2024 and 2025, including two new branch locations in the New England region. The new branches will include an additional location in Springfield, as well as the bank’s first physical branch in New Hampshire, having broken into that market with a commercial banking presence in 2023.

The bank’s current presence in New England includes 28 branches throughout Vermont and Springfield. This announcement comes as newly appointed President and CEO Dimitar Karaivanov officially steps into his role this year and begins to execute his strategic vision for the bank.

As Community Bank expands into promising markets with strong potential for growth, it is reimagining the customer in-branch experience with clean, modern designs that encourage customer and banker collaboration, local community tie-ins, and staff that can handle a wide array of financial needs. The bank will bring a full suite of consumer, business, and municipal banking products and services, including no-closing-cost mortgage options, business loans and lines of credit, and competitive CD offerings.

“Community Bank is not just expanding, but deepening our roots in New England,” said Matthew Durkee, regional president of New England. “Our branches are the cornerstone of our retail business, and each one allows us to support the community and deepen our relationships with our customers as we partner together throughout their financial journey.”

The move to establish additional branch locations in New England is a substantial investment that will allow the bank to better serve clients and aid in local economic development by creating new jobs, contributing to community efforts, and fostering financial stability.

“We are pleased to officially announce our plans to expand our branch presence throughout New England,” Karaivanov said. “We’ve served the New England market through various lines of business and are happy to further support new and existing customers with additional branch services. We are poised to execute on our growth strategy with the goal of bringing our service offerings to more communities in Springfield, Massachusetts, and in New Hampshire. We look forward to expanding our presence in the New England region through community outreach, supporting our neighbors, and building relationships with our new customers.”

In addition to expanding in New England, Community Bank will continue to grow its branch presence throughout New York’s Western, Central, and Capital regions, as well as throughout Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania.

Doug Anderson Elected Chairman of Liberty Bank’s Board of Directors

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — David Glidden, president and CEO of Liberty Bank, and the bank’s board of directors jointly announced that Doug Anderson was unanimously elected chairman of the board at its March meeting.

The election of Anderson comes after the unexpected passing of longtime Chairman Mark Gingras on March 7. Gingras served as Liberty’s board chairman since 2007 and board member since 2001.

Anderson’s role as a Liberty Bank corporator and board member began in April 2018. During that time, he has served on the credit risk, audit, compensation, and governance committees, and most recently as chair of the credit risk committee.

He brings decades of diverse leadership experience in banking, finance, management, and operations to the role of chairman. His extensive background includes senior executive roles as president of the former Savings Bank of Manchester (SBM) until 2004 and chairman, president, and CEO of the former Open Solutions. He spent 14 years at Unisys, an international technology company, and served on the board of directors for the former New Alliance Bancshares Inc.

Beyond Liberty’s boardroom, Anderson, a graduate of the University of Connecticut, has been a dedicated and generous community partner. This includes his philanthropic support and board service for many organizations and causes, such as the Connecticut Science Center, SBM Charitable Foundation, Manchester Community College Foundation, and Connecticut Foodshare. He also served as chairman of the Liberty Bank Foundation.

“Since Doug joined the board six years ago, he has earned high admiration and a stellar reputation as a director and a ‘Be Community Kind’ brand ambassador in the communities we serve,” Glidden said. “Not only does he possess extensive business acumen, but he also brings invaluable banking acumen and a wealth of banking knowledge as a former president and board chair for other community banks. He’s done a terrific job, and we know he will serve us well in setting the course for the bank as he takes on this leadership role.”

On the unexpected passing of Gingras, Glidden added, “Mark was a wonderful husband, dad, and doting grandfather. He also cherished his second family, his Liberty teammates. Whether he was in the boardroom, visiting a branch, or in the community, Mark always conveyed kindness, loyalty, and leadership, and demonstrated a steadfast dedication to ensuring Liberty remains a mutual bank. His leadership and friendship cannot be replaced, but his legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of our board members and teammates at Liberty Bank.”

Tri-State SHRM Conference Slated for May 13-15

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) announced that the Tri-State SHRM Conference, the largest human-resources (HR) conference in New England, will take place at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. on May 13-15.

The conference aims to unmask the changing face of HR by providing HR leaders with the necessary tools to stay ahead of the curve. The multi-day event will feature keynote speakers, educational breakout sessions, interactive games, multiple business networking opportunities, and an expo showcasing the latest HR technology and trends.

The conference will cover a variety of topics, including “Building a FOMO Workplace Culture,” “SEAT of Success: How Top Performers Never Settle for Balcony Seats,” and “Beyond Productivity: the Unseen Risks of Employee Stress and Burnout in the Workplace.” There will be 24 sessions available in total, featuring more than 27 speakers. Register online at tristateshrm.com.

“The world has drastically changed over the past couple of years. With that being said, HR leaders must stay current with issues, laws, and best practices,” said Cindy Sherman, Marketing manager for the Tri-State SHRM Conference. “This conference is designed to give them all of that and more. The past couple of years have been stressful, and this conference provides HR leaders with the opportunity to renew and refresh while learning from industry experts.”

The Massachusetts State Council of SHRM (MassSHRM) is a board of volunteers committed to making a positive impact in the human-resources community in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

An affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), MassSHRM serves to support our affiliated local chapters, to deliver resources and education to the HR community, and to advocate for and advance the HR profession.

BusinessWest Accepting Nominations for Alumni Achievement Award

SPRINGFIELD — When BusinessWest launched its 40 Under Forty program in 2007, it did so to identify rising stars across our region — individuals who were excelling in business and through involvement within the community — and celebrate their accomplishments.

In 2015, BusinessWest announced a new award, one that builds on the foundation upon which 40 Under Forty was created. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award. As the name suggests, it is presented to the 40 Under Forty honoree who, in the eyes of an independent panel of judges, has most impressively continued and built upon his or her track record of accomplishment.

Candidates must be from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007 to 2023.

Past winners include: 2023: Amy Royal, founder and CEO, Royal Law Firm (40 Under Forty class of 2009); 2022: Anthony Gleason III, president and co-founder, Gleason Johndrow Companies (class of 2010); 2021: Anthony Gulluni, Hampden County district attorney (class of 2015); 2020: Carla Cosenzi, president, TommyCar Auto Group (class of 2012), and Peter DePergola, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health (class of 2015); 2019: Cinda Jones, president, W.D. Cowls Inc. (40 Under Forty class of 2007); 2018: Samalid Hogan, regional director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (class of 2013); 2017: Scott Foster, attorney, Bulkley Richardson (class of 2011), and Nicole Griffin, owner, ManeHire (class of 2014); 2016: Dr. Jonathan Bayuk, president, Allergy & Immunology Associates of New England (class of 2008); 2015: Delcie Bean, president, Paragus Strategic IT (class of 2008).

The 2024 Alumni Achievement Award finalists will be profiled in the June 10 edition of BusinessWest, and the honoree will be announced at the 40 Under Forty gala on June 20. The presenting sponsor of the Alumni Achievement Award is Health New England.

Click here for the nomination form. Only nominations submitted to BusinessWest on this form will be considered. The deadline is Friday, May 10 at 5 p.m., no exceptions. For your convenience, a list of the past 40 Under Forty classes may be found by clicking here.

Philadelphia Transit Authority Cancels $185 Million Contract with CRRC MA

By BusinessWest Staff April 15, 2024

PHILADELPHIA — According to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has “terminated for cause” a $185 million contract with Springfield-based CRRC for 45 double-decker passenger cars. The project was about four years behind schedule.

According to SEPTA officials, the newspaper reported, Chinese-owned CRRC had performed shoddy work and repeatedly failed to meet production deadlines.

“The authority is assessing its options for recouping funds that have been spent on the project,” SEPTA spokesperson John Golden said in a statement, adding that SEPTA has paid more than $50 million, the Boston Globe reported.

In response, CRRC MA spokesperson Lydia Rivera issued a statement that, “having worked closely with SEPTA’s project team, beginning with rail-car design through initial vehicle production, CRRC MA remains committed to completing the project and continues to seek further discussions to resolve SEPTA’s concerns.”

According to the Inquirer, CRRC’s bid price on the SEPTA project was $34 million below its nearest competitor, the Canadian company Bombardier, which had more than a decade of experience building rail cars in America.

In 2014, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority hired CRRC MA to build new cars on the Red and Orange lines of Boston’s T network. After significant delays, the company now promises all cars will be delivered by the end of 2027. Rivera said the company has delivered 114 of 152 new Orange Line cars and 18 of 252 Red Line cars to the T.

Rotary Club to Present ‘Financial Foundations for Women’ on April 25

By BusinessWest Staff April 15, 2024